Why do we shoot ourselves in the foot?
June 29, 2006
In today’s Black Bear Blog was a post from the Ithaca Journal about how Outdoorsmen maybe their own worse enemies. I would encourage you to read that and the following is my rambling thoughts on the subject.
I would agree but the problem often arrives in the ethical/ philosophical arena where many hunters have issue with each other. Bow Hunters Traditional vs Compound vs Crossbows, Muzzleloaders sidelocks vs inlines as well as scope use.
A major issue in parts of the country is the use of dogs for big game especially when it comes to property rights and dogs running over land they are not suppose to be on. That is a huge problem here in NC in counties that allow dog use for deer hunting. I know in Maine use of dogs for bears has had some issues with property owners. Then you get into the whole baiting debate for animals. I guess my question is what is the approach hunters should take?
In my situation I have issue with dog hunters running their dogs across my deer lease I’ve exhausted all other avenues. Talked to hunters asked them to release dogs away from property line they refuse, contact wardens and unless the hunters themselves are on the property there is little that can be done, we’ve attempted to kill all deer running in front of dogs or divert dogs off the deer prior to them reaching the other hunters. I feel I have little choice but to support any effort on landowners part to end dog hunting in the county I hunt. There was an effort in the past, which I did not participate in, and another one is brewing that I’m certain it will be widely supported by the typical anti groups.
I think that most of the support for Hunting and gun ownership is people on the “Right” and the animal wackos are made up of more people on the “Left” The people on the “Right” see more issues as black or white and the “Left” sees everything as gray. I’m unwilling to support someone doing something that I see as “wrong” or “cheating” and I think there are many others in our camp that think the same way and that is where our struggle is. Earlier this week the NC State Director for the Humane Society wrote an editorial opposed to the Sunday Hunting Study being conducted here in NC ( Earlier post about this in the Black Bear Blog) He basically said that 6 days a week is enough time for hunting, is he supportive of hunting? heck no!! He knows that if he takes the approach that 6 days is enough and the Sunday Hunting Prohibition remains that he has won. If the true views of his organization and the supports were put forth that they would support a total ban on hunting, that private ownership of pets be done away with, that all medical testing on animals be halted, and if necessary that terrorist acts be carried out to fulfill these goals the paper might not(it was the N&O so who knows for sure) of even printed his editorial.
This is a big dilemma for hunters and I’d be curious to hear what others think and what approaches we should take as our way of life is under attack.
Can a New Sewer System save an Endangered Woodpecker?
June 28, 2006
The town can’t afford the much needed sewer system and growth in the area further threatens the much endangered red cockaded woodpecker.
Availability of public sewer determines the future development of Boiling Spring Lakes, but could it also save the city’s endangered woodpeckers?
Administrators contend that the city cannot afford sewer service without financial assistance beyond its own tax base. Should such assistance come from the federal government, however, it could prompt a federal review of the system’s installation in the area that in turn would require a plan to conserve the habitat of the red-cockaded woodpecker, according to a spokesperson for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which monitors the birds.
Tying these two problems together is why our taxes are so high. Maybe if they can’t afford to pay for the sewer system with local funds how bout not allowing the area to be developed? If the only reason to put in the sewer system is to save the birds then you might as well be flushing money down the toilet.
Is America’s Favorite Dog being bred so indiscriminately that its hunting traits will be lost forever?
June 28, 2006
Laying in a fresh cut corn field and having a flock of Canadians lock up on your decoys is one of the prettiest sights I’ve ever seen in the outdoors. Once the shooting stops often a lab runs out to retrieve the birds before the next flock flies in. The days of the hunting lab may be numbered if the story in today’s Star Tribune is true.
The story compares the popularity of the lab to some great hunting dogs of the past that your unlikely to ever see in the field these days. Cocker Spaniels once used to hunt woodcocks and other game birds are rarely ever seen afield. Heck most guys would consider the Cocker Spaniel a wimpy lap dog. The Irish Setter has met about the same fate. The downfall of these breeds was the excessive breeding for the pet market. The article points out that problem with labs is that breeders seem to focus more on the colors rather then the other traits.
The immense popularity of Labrador retrievers will contribute to the breed’s decline, as long as consumers continue to value the dogs’ color ahead of traits such as intelligence and health.
Is it just coincidence that most labs in field trials are black? Maybe not
But are yellow Labs (and chocolates) inferior in the field to blacks? And are yellows bred to be companion (pet) animals similarly inferior?
Obviously, many top-notch individual yellows exist. But as a population of field animals in the United States, yellows in some instances are inferior, I believe, and I believe as well that unsuspecting purchasers in the United States of some yellow Labradors (and some chocolate Labradors) often are worse for their decisions.
I’ve shared some blinds with some really bad dogs I always thought it was lack of training on the owners part but who knows maybe it’s just a stupid trait…. In the dog .
Man Falls to his Death at Green River Game Lands
June 27, 2006
Forest Westbrook fell to his death shortly after he climbed Big Bradley Falls last Thursday. Friends called 911 with a cell phone but authorities believe he was killed instantly from the 60 foot plus fall into shallow water. It took rescuers 6 hours to remove his body because of the difficult terrain.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, which has jurisdiction over the land, has considered over the years a variety of ways to warn people of the danger.
The commission said it was concerned that putting up signs might attract more visitors, but it decided to put them up, particularly since the top of the falls can be difficult to see clearly.
In 2000, a 71-year-old woman died at the falls after she was walking along the top and slipped on slick rocks and fell 75 feet.
Saluda Fire Chief Shane Bradley says people should stay away from the falls.
“It is extremely dangerous. There are no handrails and no roads,” he says.
The PC as a hunting tool
June 27, 2006
A number of years ago I learned about the internet when I returned to college and it wasn’t long till I was using it for information about hunting and the outdoors. I was one of the first to sign up on a message board about hunting in North Carolina and have since become one of the administrators on NCDeer. This past weekend a number of us gathered at Lake Phelps for a weekend of fun and fellowship.
There were about 50 of us with one family traveling all the way from Canada to share in the celebration. The internet has been an incredible way for many of us to meet and develop lasting friendships. The common bond is our love for the outdoors and hunting but friendships grow beyond that and many of us share in each others lives.
Look what fell out of the pot
Much of the time is spent putting faces to computer names and catching up with those we already know. Many stories get told, some of them may even be true, and photographs get shared. The big event of this party is the meal and mainly the menu. This years menu included; moose, deer, rattlesnake, crawfish, bear roast, bear ribs, tilefish, crabs, chicken wings, deer kielbasa, deer sausage, and Canadian bacon to name a few.
Snake anyone?
The internet is in invaluable tool when it comes to researching and planning a trip but don’t over look the opportunities you may get to make connections with others who enjoy the great outdoors. I have had the opportunity to take a few guys on their first goose hunt or turkey hunt and it’s a great experience. Likewise I’ve been invited on deer hunts and coyote hunts around the state.
We had a great weekend, thanks to Conman’s Guide Service for hosting us. I can hardly wait till the next gathering.
US Army Corps of Engineers to look at removing 3 Dams on the Cape Fear River
June 26, 2006
A practice that has been going on across the country to remove dams and restore river systems so fish can spawn may help several species of fish to return to the Cape Fear River.
Lock and Dams No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 on the Cape Fear River, and these structures are no longer used for navigation, which was their intended purpose. The Corps is interested in “decommissioning” the dams and is currently studying their options as part of a General Reevaluation Report for the Wilmington Harbor Deepening Project.
This sounds like a worthwhile project and I hope they proceed with it to improve the habitat.
The removal of three obsolete dams in North Carolina could improve recreational and commercial fisheries for striped bass, American shad, hickory shad, and help tremendously in restoration efforts for river herring, Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon.
The demolition of locks and dams No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 along the Cape Fear River would restore very important spawning and nursery habitat for these migratory fish in the river, and increases in their populations
Fishing with this crew is not such a Risky Business
June 25, 2006
The day was just breaking as we scrambled to get some coffee and something in our bellies before we climbed into the truck for the hour or so ride for the coast. Some had already begun traditional and nontraditional methods to ward off the dreaded sea sickness that could ruin a good day of fishing. I’ve been out a few times and never have had a problem but not wanting to risk fate I swallow a pill with the last of my coffee. We arrive at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center which is alive with much hustle and bustle if you look past the anglers who are just loitering around as the crews finish up the last of the preparations for the morning sails.
We find our boat the Risky Business and transfer our coolers and other supplies for a day of fishing. We have fished with Capt Jamie and Andy before and know they’ll do there best to put us on some fish and have a reputation for brining in some great catches.
The 2 hour ride out to the fishing area was fairly smooth with only a couple of good swells but smoothed right out once we got out there. We were going after tile fish which are some very good tasting bottom fish.
The morning began slow with only a few getting caught but it wasn’t long before they put us on them and the action really heated up. We were fishing over a razor clam bed that was 270 or so feet below the surface. We had set ups with about a pound of led weights and 4 hooks with cut bait. After a few times of cranking that set up to the surface you began feeling muscles that you were unaware of only a few hours ago. We were catching some nice Tile Fish, beautiful Snowy Groupers
Mike with his Snowy Grouper
and big Black Sea Bass.
John with a Nice Black Sea Bass
Action slowed as the morning went on so we moved to some deeper water, about 370 feet, to try our luck. The currents were much stronger so we had to double the weight on the line to get it down and that made a longer crank a harder crank. Jody was rewarded for this when he pulled up a stringer of fish which included a Black Sea Bass tipped the scales at 5lbs that met the requirement for a NC Division of Marine Fisheries Citation.
Chumming for Black Sea Bass Sometimes pays off
Once we had our limit we put up our bottom fishing rigs and we began trolling for tuna and dolphin. We had a couple of strikes that resulted in the bait fish being cut in half but no hook ups. Despite the lack of any more fish the day was very successful. We had 196lbs of fish to be cleaned, some sore muscles, some good sunburns and for the most part the sea sickness rituals worked well with only one small chum line being laid.
If you are looking for a great crew to take you out I doubt you could find any better then Jamie and Andy on the Risky Business.
Seamster to Retire
June 21, 2006
Mike Seamster should be a name very familiar to Tar Heel Turkey Hunters because he is one of the most important figures in the restoration of the Wild Turkey to the state.
On July 1, after 33 years in the service for the N.C. Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Seamster will step down as the upland game birds specialist.
So a month ago, after seeing one last goal reached, Seamster decided he needed a little more time for hunting and fishing, and a lot more time to take care of an aging mother and aging in-laws.
He took over the Wild Turkey project in 1987 when the state wide turkey population was below 10,000. This past season hunters harvested 11,000 birds and the wild turkey is found in all 100 counties and the population exceeds 100,000 birds. As turkey hunters we all owe a big thank you to Mike and we hope he enjoys his retirement.
Link to Story
Wild Turkey in North Carolina by Mike Seamster
To error is human but to really fowl things up you need a computer
June 20, 2006
Sixty people who thought they missed out on Maine’s Moose Lottery are going to get a pleasant surprise when they are told they have been now selected for a Bull Tag.
This year, however, the first 60 alternates will get a permit due to a mistake by the department in entering selection data for moose-hunting categories in the computer lottery program.
Without the proper selection information entered in the program, the computer did not select any Resident Antlered Moose Permits for the September season in Wildlife Management District 19, which includes much of northern Washington County.
“We recognize that a mistake was made, and want to make sure that we rectify the mistake properly. That is why we are assigning the missing permits to the next 60 people who would have been selected,” said Roland D. Martin, commissioner, Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
http://waldo.villagesoup.com/Sports/story.cfm?storyID=74384
Hunting’s Public Image
June 19, 2006
I read the Black Bear Blog today about the importance of ethics and the image it casts on all hunters. Hunters face a double whammy because the left is for the most part opposed to individuals rights to gun ownership ( new blog about this starting up Gun Rights and Wrongs you should check out) and the left also wants to make animals equal to or above humans by giving them “Rights” As hunters we face these two groups and often times they join forces to try to defeat us.
In the South the cry that gets hunters fighting amongst themselves is the use of dogs to hunt deer. This practice is slowly being phased out mainly because of issues with landowners and people not appreciating dogs running over their land. When I first moved to the South I approached the subject with an open mind and although I had little desire to use hounds to pursue deer why should I care till I started hunting in areas where it was legal. After countless hunts ruined by hounds running through property I have leased and was still hunting. I have talked numerous times with the hunters involved, they feel I should be grateful the dogs are stirring up the deer for me, and they saw no need to control the dogs. It is sad to say but if it came to a vote today I probably would join many of the wackos and vote against the practice mainly because of the ammunition and the bad light it casts on all hunting. Many folks who are not hunters nor opposed to hunting end up with a negative view of hunters because practices like these.
I agree that we as hunters need to stand up for what is right and ethical the gray areas we need to better define. What is a canned hunt? 100, 1000, 10000 acres. Baiting ethical or unethical? This past week the idea of a non lethal hunting competition involving the use of tranquilizer bow and arrows was floated, and many in the hunting community ( Mike Hanback Blog) have rightly come out against it as unethical. I suspect we will see continue attacks on the tradition of hunting by attempting to push the envelop so far that those who have no opinion on hunting will be forced to oppose it because it has become so far out there. We should all strive to protect the heritage of hunting by passing it on to future generations.
Wilderness Camp for Kids
June 18, 2006
Little did I know that a goose hunting trip this past season was the start of a road that took me to the mountains this weekend to a Wilderness Camp run by Chip & Amber Camp. This weekend I helped out at a Christian youth camp that Quail Hollow runs to introduce kids to the great outdoors and God who created it all. Many of these kids have never had the opportunity to experience many of the outdoor activities we enjoy on a regular basis. The outdoor skills they learn are Archery,
Air Guns,
Fly Tying,
and Fishing.
They were very interested in all the activities and seemed to have a great time. It was a very warm day and the sno cones were a big hit.
The Bible teaching was presented by George Smith, of Rahab’s Window, a dynamic speaker who was able to get and hold the kids attention.
I believe the kids had a great time and I hope and pray that their lives are changed forever I know mine is better for having met them.
Postcard from Maine
June 15, 2006
I just got back home after spending a week in Northern Maine. Although the weather was not the best I had a very enjoyable trip. I did a little fishing although the water was high as you can see from this photo.
I believe this is a flooded out loons nest that we came across while fishing.
Those are some of the biggest eggs I’ve ever seen they were huge.
Even though the water was high I did catch some brookies.
As you can see many we got were undersize but the photo does not do justice to the actual coloring of these native brook trout.
I saw a few bear and am excited about the upcoming bear season seeing where I’ll be up for opening week. The digital camera I had with me is not very good so some of these photos are not the best. We spotted this bear walking down a road and we tried to slip up on him. He then turned around and walked towards us and because the wind was in our favor he got within 35 yards before he spotted us. I would guess that he was about 350 lbs and by opening day he should be well over 400 lbs.
Lots of flowers in bloom and these are photos I shot around an old
homestead.
Also some photos from the fields I took some walks in while I was up there.
Maine is a beautiful state with lots of things to see and do.
I saw a couple of moose but they never stuck around long enough for me to get my camera ready. I was also surprised by the number of deer I saw as well. I do have an additional adventure to write about but that will be a future story until then let this photo give you a glimpse at what is to come.
Moose Droppings is a place that chronicles my journey, Ill explore new places and ideas Ill learn new things and Ill teach the things Ive learned to others. Join me on the adventure and hopefully it will help you in your outdoor endeavors.
