Moose Droppings

This past spring a story that certainly made its rounds, on both traditional news outlets as well as many blogs, involving the killing of a huge hog in Alabama by an 11 year old boy with a handgun. This story caused a big stir and fueled the canned hunting debate. ESPN is now running a story from a media ethics think tank called Stinky Journalism that reports that this “hunt” is or will be the subject of a grand jury investigation.

The report on Stinky Jornalism seems to have some damming evidence that suggests that the adults involved in this situation certainly did not have this young man’s best interest in mind in this endeavor. If this report is accurate should this young man be held responsible for his actions? Good question I’m not sure there is enough information for me to really render an opinion either way.

The family has there version of the story as well.

Anthony Wright Giant’s back up quarterback and native North Carolinian has been rumored to have died in a tragic hunting accident near his home. Super Zipper Blog ( Link Removed because I have serious doubts about this story) has posted this information but as of yet no major news source has posted any thing about it. I was alerted to this rumor by a post Tom over at the black bear blog posted. My researching I have found a photo of Anthony Wright from the 29th Jan 2008 media day that would seem to dispel this rumor.

Will Update as information becomes available.

Well Craig I’m glad you stopped by my little piece of the blogging world even though you are very misguided. I did take your challenge,

Type “extinct animals in the 21st century” into your search engine and read the horrors of hunting that even in this modern age hunters are STILL driving hundreds of species to extinction.

Surprise Surprise not much came up in the search. According to Wikipedia three species have gone extinct in the 21st century;

21st century
• 2000 — The last Pyrenean Ibex dies under a fallen tree. The reasons for its extinction are still being debated.
• 2006 — China’s freshwater river dolphin, the baiji, declared “functionally extinct”[3] after a survey failed to find a single animal.
— West African Black Rhino (a subspecies of the Black Rhino). The World Conservation Union has declared the subspecies to be tentatively extinct [4]; the last population was in Cameroon.

None of them cite hunting specifically as the cause although poaching may be partially responsible in two and the dolphin may have been put in jeopardy by hunting but other factors are responsible for the dolphin going extinct.

As a group I find hunters to be a very conservative group often working to help not only species we love to hunt but helping a lot of other non game species. Hunting is part of our culture and our history and connects us with our past. Many of us like the opportunity to provide wholesome organic meat for our table rather then depending on companies to grow and kill animals for us to eat. Life cannot be sustained without other living organisms being killed be it vegetable or meat.

Your unethical hunting methods such as bow hunting and snaring are an abomination.
Most of you have a shoot to injure policy and not a shoot to kill policy! Well it is the preferred method of trailer trash!

Unsure where you would get the idea that any hunter would desire to injury a game animal instead of humanly killing it out right. I certainly do not advocate the injuring of animals nor am I aware of any major hunting organization or leader within the shooting sports that would advocate such behavior. Most of us practice especially bow hunters to improve our accuracy so that we can kill the game animal quickly. Snaring in North Carolina is only a legal trapping method for beavers in a water set and obviously that would be a very quick death for the furbearer. Beavers and the other forbears are a renewable resource that should be utilized for the beautiful warm fur they give us.

If anything is unethical it has to be your attack on young people who enjoy hunting and spending time with their families. Hunting is a legal wholesome activity that teaches many valuable lessons to our young people. I can’t help but notice how screwed up our young people are that engage in many of the activities or culture of the “enlightened” liberals amongst us suggest to help them in their development. They insist that there is no longer any absolutes in this world, whatever you think is right is right for you, competition is no longer important so we no longer keep score in sporting events, everyone makes the team and plays an equal amount of time, Society should have more of a say in the up bring of kids instead of their parents and I could go on.

In my opinion and observation kids that hunt and fish with their families are more well rounded and have a better understanding of how precious life really is. You want to call names and attack someone direct it at me not the kids.

As most of the wacko’s from the animal rights movement you have lied and drastically overstated what is the truth on this topic, hunters have not driven hundreds of animals into extinction.

Hope you keep stopping by just please back off the kids.

The debate over property rights and hunting continues as many western states scramble to regulate an industry being attacked by both those who support hunting and those who are opposed to hunting. Tom over at the Black Bear Blog has been following this attack on the elk farming industry for a while now.

A bill has been introduced in Colorado that is so badly written and vague that any hunting on property with a fence would be outlawed. Animals behind any enclosure no matter the size of the enclosure will be off limits to hunting.

When it comes to record book submission I have no issue with disallowing them but telling property owners that they can’t raise elk or other game animals I think that steps over the line. Issues with disease can be addressed and really the private rancher has more incentive and ability to keep his ranch disease free then the state and the wild population.

Is a “can hunt” really hunting or not? I think it is up to the individual hunter to make that decision based on their own views of fair chase. Fair Chase is really such an individual definition that it’s nearly impossible to get two hunters to agree on what it is, I may see no issue with using bait whereas another hunter sees this as unsporting.

No matter which side of the issue you come down on as an outdoorsman you certainly can’t support this bill as written.

The eminent arrival of spring is announced by many different events and for most of us at least one of these events can kick of the spring fever feelings even while winter still has a tight grip. For some it is when the local hardware store puts out the seed displays or you get a seed catalog in the mail. Seems like it’s popular to watch a fury rodent’s reaction to being drug out of his hole on February 2nd at daybreak and basing the amount of time till spring on what he sees. For others the first Robin seen bobbing across the yard even if it is the day after Christmas makes you start thinking about spring.

For me it is going to the mailbox and pulling out my Cabela’s Turkey Catalog, which I did the other day, now my daydreams are of owl hoots and booming gobbles. Time to start thinking about breaking out the calls, practicing for opening morning, checking the decoys, trying on the old vest, and checking the pattern on your gun. Well maybe it’s a bit to early for some of that but it will be here soon, parts of the northeast and the northwest maybe getting a blizzard today but I promise you spring is almost here.

Last summer while on vacation out west I walked into Cabela’s near Salt Lake City and stumbled on a deal. I found this Upland Game Hunting Coat in the markdown section of the store. I paid about ½ price for it but even if I paid full price I think it would be a deal.

Now anyone that knows me knows I’m warm nature so coats are not an item of clothing I wear much, however today walking the briars this coat was great protecting me. I normally wear an upland vest with just a sweatshirt but that often gets me hung up in them red briars especially. I’ll admit I never zipped my coat up and with the temps in the 30’s- 40’s I was plenty comfortable.

Some good things about this coat is the large pockets and the large game bag, on my game vest the pockets are not as big or deep and I often drop my bottle of water out of it. Today with this coat this was not an issue at all. A very comfortable coat protecting me from the brush only my exposed skin has scratches tonight. If you’re looking for a good upland coat this is one certainly worth checking out.

Hunters and dogs work briers along field edge

I just spent the better part of the day in the briars with the scars and some bunnies to prove it. My first rabbit hunt of the year and it was a dandy. We hunted a couple of tracts in Caswell county that I’ve deer hunted and turkey hunted a time or two and I always seem to jump some rabbits. It was one of these hunts where I get a call from my buddy Rick the other day inviting me to join him and a group of guys that had some beagles to see if they could run this coming Saturday.

We all met up and it wasn’t long after the beagles got turned lose that we had our first of many races of the day. We held back on the first one and just listen to the music of the pack as it tore through the overgrown clear cut hot on the trail. The rabbit successfully eluded the dogs by doubling back but one of the hunters saw him and gave him a pass to see if the dogs would pick up the trail again. It wasn’t long till they did and the hunt was on this time if we saw the bunny we were going to try and take him. My buddy Rick got the first shot but the rabbit proved to be a bit faster. Then one of the guys down below me shot and killed a rabbit. We figured it had to be a second rabbit or the world’s fastest one to cover the ground between Rick and the other hunter. It wasn’t long before our suspicions were proven as the rabbit Rick shot at was kicked up and run by the dogs. That rabbit lead them on a long chase and when it crossed the road the dogs were pulled back.

We worked a windrow along a field edge and I caught a bunny trying to break across the field. My first shot was a bit behind but my second one rolled him. I was pumped, not even 9 am and we already had 2 bunnies. We broke for an early lunch but had 5 bunnies already to show for our morning hunt. Two of them I had dropped. Rabbit hunting is a bit of luck if you’re in the right place the bunny will run by ya. Although I killed two all of us working together really killed the 5. It was a great morning hunt.

We moved to another location and they put out a fresh set of dogs. The briars were a little less here and more switch grass to contend with. We ended up taking two here for a total of 7 for the day.

The last race of the day was a spectacular one with the rabbit running a large circle. In case you’ve never hunted rabbits they usually run in a circle so if you jump them at one spot if you wait there you have a good chance of seeing it again when it completes it’s circle. This rabbit ran a large circle going from the woods to the field of switch grass and back to the woods. Between the woods and the switch grass there was a mowed path that rabbit crossed at least 3 times and on the 4th time my buddy Dan stopped him with one shot. I was behind Dan inside the woods because I just knew that bunny was going to get by him. We all kid Dan about his shooting ability, heck his own Dad has said a time or two that “Dan couldn’t hit sand if he fell off a camel” Well he laid this bunny out and I missed an opportunity to get a triple for the day. This last race was more then 30 minutes long and a great pleasure listening to the beagles’ song.

What a grand day we had and I hope we get the chance to go again before the season goes out the end of next month.

Tune in today to my radio show at 1pm to hear about my Tundra Swan hunting adventures as well about Conman’s Guide Service. Mike and Connie run the guide business on the shores of lake phelps in Washington County. This was my third tundra swan hunt with them and it was a great time. In addition to the Tundra Swan they have bear, deer, turkey, and small game as well as access to the lake that has some phenomenal fishing. I’ve personally hunted deer, swan, turkey and rabbits with them and have never been disappointed. They provide quality service as well as some very nice accommodation’s that they refer to as “cottages” but feel more like home.
So join me for this week’s show.

An interesting topic that comes up from time to time is a shotgun that much safer? If you look around the country you would think it has to be given the fact that many states require the use of shotguns in more urbanized areas and ban rifles. I was reading on the Hog Blog earlier about the Hound Hunting issue and the topic of use of rifle only from elevated stand. Although in theory it may seem safer but that fact remains it is only as safe as the person holding the gun is.

Then tonight in my reading I stumbled across this interesting article on Buckmasters that talks about studies that now show that shotgun slugs are much more susceptible to ricochet then rifle bullets;

According to Mountaintop Technologies of Johnstown, Penn., who conducted a study with the assistance of ballistic experts at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, say that shotgun slugs are much more prone to ricochets than rifle bullets. Because of that phenomenon, shotgun slugs can travel farther than rifle bullets in common hunting scenarios.
According to a summation of the study, when shots are fired holding guns level at 3 feet off the ground, a shotgun slug will travel 0.99 of a mile; 16 percent farther than a .30-06 rifle bullet under the same circumstances. The study asserts that the reason is that slugs tend to hold together better and lose less energy during ricochets than rifle bullets. This leads to the conclusion that slugs actually travel farther than rifle bullets.

Wow that is really interesting and I’m sure will add more fodder to this on going debate. No matter where you come down on this issue you got to admit that safe gun handling rules are far more important then the gun you have in your hand.

The severe drought that is gripping the state of North Carolina along with much of the rest of the southeast has lead the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to compress the stocking schedule for trout streams. The compressing of the schedule will allow fish to be put in streams when the water is a bit cooler then it is typically in the summer months as well as help protect fish stock in the hatchery for next year.

“With much of North Carolina in an exceptional drought and drought conditions forecasted into the summer, the aquatic habitat and environmental conditions for hatchery-trout production likely will continue to decline,” said Kyle Briggs, statewide hatchery production coordinator for the Commission. “However, we have every intention of stocking all of the trout scheduled for release in 2008 and will continue to target the normal sizes for those trout being stocked.”
“By removing a high proportion of the trout scheduled to be stocked this year before July, we can maximize the water and space we’ll need to produce the trout for the 2009 season,” Briggs said. “Given the anticipated drought conditions, this is a proactive, rational and equitable plan to address our trout production and stocking program for the next two years.”
Briggs doesn’t want to see a repeat of the fish kill at Armstrong last August when more than 103,000 brown and rainbow trout, the majority of which were schedule for stocking in 2008, succumbed to too much heat and too little rain.

There should be little impact if any according to the NCWRC based on previous surveys seeing where the majority of the fishing is done in the spring.

Ashley Gilliam’s Harnett County Buck Photo Courtesy of N&O

The thoughts of killing a huge buck one day is the dream of many of us that hunt but have you thought any about the downside? I’ve heard a number of stories through the years that may make you think twice. I know that with in the state of North Carolina that there have been some deer taken that would be record book racks but they are never submitted.

If you kill a big buck the property you hunt will most likely become heavily pressured by both “legal” & “illegal” means. If you own the land the surrounding land will see a increase in hunting if they can find ways to access it. If you don’t own the land but lease it there will be attempts by others to lease it out from under you. Although these are legal means I’m not sure they are the most ethical. There will also be some that will take the illegal means an trespass or even drive the area at night looking for an opportunity to poach a deer.

The other very common thing to have done is to have your reputation questioned by rumors that you illegally took your trophy. Why some people feel the need to do that is beyond me but Alex Webb of the N&O had such a story just the other day.

When Ashley Gilliam pulled the trigger on a huge buck with a trophy-sized rack on Nov. 1, his emotions ran high, but that high did not last long.
He learned success doesn’t always guarantee happiness, especially in the outdoors.
As news of Gilliam’s buck spread, rumors began to circulate that the buck may have not been a legal kill, perhaps shot after legal hunting hours.
“I think there may have been some jealousy on some people’s part, and they started the rumors. This was the lowest point I had ever felt because I knew it was legal,” Gilliam, from Angier, said.

The entire story that Alex has laid out is fascinating and you should read it but I’ll focus on the ending to make my point. The rumors got so bad that Mr. Gilliam ended up getting up with the local game warden and taking him out to the area he killed the buck and walking him through what happened. Mr. Gilliam provided the game warden with a print out of his cell phone bill from that day where he called to get help loading his trophy deer and a receipt from a store he stopped at shortly after dark. Now none of this was required by the NCWRC but I’m certain that Mr. Gilliam didn’t want the local Harnett County Wildlife Enforcement Officer thinking he had done something wrong.

If the day ever comes that you cross paths with a trophy you may face some of the same unwarranted scrutiny and pressure so what will you do? Show that trophy off or not? Me I’ll show it off but I guess I’ll keep the receipt from my celebratory RC Cola & Moon Pie.

A successful hunt and a great trip to Washington County NC but its good to be back home. It was a bit hectic leading up to last Thursday when I left for Washington County but I soon felt relaxed as I sat in a muddy ditch on Friday morning in full camo watching tundra swan circling the decoys.
This morning I didn’t even have my gun opting for the camera and the opportunity to see a young person bag her first swan. But that is another story that I’ll post latter.
Friday afternoon Billy, Nicole, and I bagged our swans as we slipped back into the field after lunch. Tundra Swan unlike many of the other waterfowl seems to fly best on blue bird type days. They also fly all day so hunts are not necessarily limited to the hours around sunrise and sunset.
We went back into the field around 1:30 and we each had our bird by 3pm. The field we were hunting was an old corn field that had been reseeded in winter wheat. The tender wheat as well as the old corn is a tempting meal to the swans. The land is very flat so it is easy to spot the places the birds are working because once a few hit the field it attracts even more in. We saw fields with thousands of birds in them so the decoy spread of a couple hundred goose decoys painted white lured these birds in.

In the coming days I’ll share some of my photos on both of my blogs and post additional stories about hunts I photographed on Saturday and Monday before I returned home. It’s good to be back home and maybe I can stay ahead of the chaos.

Thanks to Mike, Connie, & Andy at Conman’s Guide Service for a great time.