Mallards In Flight

On the way home from work today I stopped at a local lake and shot some photos. These green heads pitched in while I was there.

Survivor Friday: You Can’t Call A Bullet Back

Gun Safety has to be paramount and this week for Survivor Friday we’ll look a little bit at safety while afield. The last day of the western North Carolina Deer season was tragic with the fatal shooting of a non hunting person by a hunter.

Deer season ended Saturday in Western North Carolina on a tragic note when a young hunter shot a man hiking in Pisgah National Forest. The unidentified man was dead by the time authorities arrived on the scene. At this time authorities are looking at this as a hunting accident.

December 14
While hunting and shooting are very safe sports statistically any accident has the potential to cost someone their life so we have to be careful and follow the rules.

The NRA has some great gun safety rules that we all should review from time to time. The one I really want to focus on is;

Know your target and what is beyond.
Be absolutely sure you have identified your target beyond any doubt. Equally important, be aware of the area beyond your target. This means observing your prospective area of fire before you shoot. Never fire in a direction in which there are people or any other potential for mishap. Think first. Shoot second.

This appears to be the major rule that was overlooked in this situation at least from the reports we are hearing.

Unbelievably Captain Greg Daniels of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Enforcement Division reports that two hunters looked down the scoped barrel misidentifying Mr. Martinez as a deer and allegedly then Kyle Keith fired the single fatal shot.

January 23

I’ve never had a situation where I thought a person was a deer or some other game animal but I’ve had numerous times when I’ve seen something that I wasn’t sure of that I eventually identified as another person. We have to be careful when we are hunting to properly identify what it is we are about to shoot at because once a bullet is fired there is no calling it back. The more recent experiences I’ve had is having a trespassing hunter slip in between me and a gobbler I was calling. The hunters camo was real good because I walked up and sat down 20 feet from him to call to a gobbler that had shocked gobbled to me before fly down. I was about to tree yelp when the hunter whistled and waved at me. I never brought my gun up on him but it did unnerve me a bit about how close I was and not aware of him. That particular day my first set up was messed up as I blew up on him for trespassing on private property and making sure he left before he messed anyone else that was hunting legally on the property that day.

This particular situation in Pisgah National Forest on the last day of the deer season was highly unusual because you have two hunters that have misidentified a person as a deer. I should also point out that it is not acceptably to use the scope on your rifle or shotgun as an aid to help you properly identify your target. Binoculars or a spotting scope is the equipment you should use and once you’ve identified your target then use the scope for shot placement. I know a few hunters that have had the unnerving experience of walking up on another hunter and to discover them pointing their gun at you and looking through the scope. These hunters in Pisgah National Forest should never had used the scopes on the rifle to study the object to see if it was a deer.

As hunters we know about hunter orange and most states require hunters to wear it during certain seasons and certain types of hunts. You can not always depend that other hunters will follow that rule nor can you depend that other users of the area will be wearing orange. Seeing a flash, a bit of white, or a patch of brown is not enough information for an individual to properly identify their target. You must clearly identify your target and know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you are about to shoot at.

Once you’ve identified your target you need to make sure that there is no one in front behind or around your target. Hunting new areas it can be difficult if you do not have a good perspective of the area so you know where roads, hiking trails, houses, cabins, and any other areas that may attract people. If in doubt do not take the shot it is not worth the risk. I’ve passed up a number of shots over the years because I didn’t feel it was safe at that moment. Often times I was rewarded with a better shot opportunity but sometimes I went home empty handed.

We all want to bag a deer or turkey but none of us want to have or cause an accident. Safe gun handling and shot selection are extremely important and should be careful thought out prior to taking the shot. In this particular situation what should of been a fun day of deer hunting has lead to criminal charges and the knowledge that their actions have killed someone.

Bullets can’t be called back so lets be safe and educate those around us how to be safe. Most states offer hunter safety class for free or at least inexpensively. Even if you’ve been hunting a while and are not legally required to take the class you should still consider taking it. Take it with a youngster or someone who has never hunted and introduce them to the great sport.

District 3 Public Hearing Appears To Go Like The Rest of Them

Strong opposition to the elimination of youth day and the rest of the proposed changes to turkey season.

The hearing was well-attended yet low-key, and although most proposals were met with varied responses from the crowd, the proposed changes in wild turkey season — replacing Youth Day with Friends and Family Day, opening the season a week earlier and eliminating the winter season — were met with universal criticism.

It may seem odd to the non-hunter that turkey hunters would object to proposals that would get them in the field a week earlier and when the toms would be easier to hunt. But most hunters also are interested in maintaining healthy, sustainable game populations.
More Outdoors

The work done by state chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation to assist the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission with money and labor brought the state’s flock back from about 2,000 in 1970 to around 150,000 today. Turkey hunters have made it clear they favor the viability of the flock over success in the field.

You can read the rest of Mike Zlotnicki’s report in the N&O

For additional information on all the proposals and how to respond to the commission you can read my earlier post.
Remember the deadline for responses is February 1st so it’s coming up fast.

Master Officer Harrill Named NCWRC Officer of the Year By NWTF

The National Wild Turkey Federation will honor all the Wildlife Officers of the year and select from them a National Law Enforcement Officer of the Year next month at their National Convention.

Master Officer Jeremy Brian Harrill with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Division of Enforcement will be honored by the National Wild Turkey Federation for his efforts in conserving wildlife.

We wish Officer Harrill luck as he goes to the convention and hearing his efforts to protect the wild turkey I’d think he stand a good chance for additional honors.

Harrill located four areas where corn had been placed to attract turkey during the 2008 season. On one location, he apprehended and charged an individual for hunting wild turkey over bait. While patrolling on foot, he located several large automated feeders with corn being regularly spread onto the ground. Large numbers of turkeys were observed eating the corn and roosting nearby. Repeated trips into the area before the season proved that both corn and turkeys continued to be present. On opening day, Harrill watched as a suspect hunting from a pop-up ground blind attempted to shoot one of several large gobblers with a bow and arrow. After missing, he then used a shotgun to shoot a gobbler standing nearly under the feeder.

Harrill documented it all by video. When apprehended, the suspect admitted to feeding the turkeys and also to having his son shoot a gobbler on youth day from the same location.

The suspect pleaded guilty in Rowan County District Court and was ordered to pay a replacement cost to the state of $3,200 for the two illegally taken turkeys. He also lost both the bow and shotgun.

Because of his documentation, ability to conduct field interviews and case preparation, the prosecution was provided with overwhelming evidence resulting in a successful conclusion to the case.

Salisbury Post

Youth Wildlife Art Contest Part of This Year’s Dixie Deer Classic

A new feature for this year’s Dixie Deer Classic is a Youth Wildlife Art contest sponsored by North Carolina Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. With about a month to go before the deadline there is plenty of time for the kids to create some great stuff.

Contestants may create their entry using any of the following: paint, crayon, or pencil. Entries can either be in black and white or color. The choice will be up to the contestant.
The subject matter may be any form of wildlife.
Size needs to be at least 8″x10″ and no larger than 16″ x22″. No tracing or help from parents.
All entries should be on drawing paper, poster board or mat board. Entries on notebook paper will not be judged!

Age Groups
Group A: Ages 6-8
Group B: Ages 9-11
Group C: Ages 12-14
Group D: Ages 15-17

There does not appear to be any requirements for contestants to reside in North Carolina so send those drawings in. Here is the information for the contest.

Arrest Warrant Issued In Fatal Hunting “Accident”

Last months fatal shooting in Pisgah National Forest has resulted in charges being brought despite the DA’s initial plan to wait till February to present the case to a grand jury.

A Transylvania County magistrate judge issued a warrant Thursday morning for a Henderson County hunter involved in a fatal shooting last month. The warrant was issued against Kyle Keith, according to a press release issued by District Attorney Jeff Hunt.
The judge determined there was probable cause to believe that Keith had committed involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Luciano M. Martinez on Dec. 13.

Unbelievably Captain Greg Daniels of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Enforcement Division reports that two hunters looked down the scoped barrel misidentifying Mr. Martinez as a deer and allegedly then Kyle Keith fired the single fatal shot.

Daniels said the two men were on the side of a mountain and saw movement in the woods.
“They both looked through the scope and both thought what they were shooting at was a deer,” he said.
According to Daniels, the shooter used a .300 Winchester short magnum rifle.
“He shot one round off and they walked down and then realized it was a person he shot,” Daniels said.
According to Daniels, the one shot entered Matinez’s neck and exited his armpit.
“He was dead on arrival,” he said.
Daniels said the area Martinez was picking galax in when he was shot was very thick.
“He wasn’t wearing blaze orange, but he wasn’t required to because he wasn’t hunting,” he said.

Blue Ridge Now

Failure to properly identify your target is not an accident in my view but carelessness on the shooters part. This is a tragic story for everyone involved it could have been avoided if proper gun handling safety rules were followed. Will continue to follow this story as it develops.

Surviving The Cold and Avoiding Hypothermia

Dressing in layers and covering exposed skin is important steps to keeping warm and avoiding cold emergencies.

Watching the miracle plane ditching in the Hudson River last week on the news my mind started running through what I would do if I were responding to such a call. Given that there was so few injuries from the crash the threat of hypothermia was next on the list.

Hypothermia is when your core body temperature drops to 95 or bellow and if not treated can lead to life threatening conditions. Especially while participating in outdoor activities one needs to be aware of the risks. While we often think of dead of winter with the mercury dropping below zero as the time such events could happen other times of the year we may underestimate conditions that could lead to hypothermia. Getting wet whether it is falling in or getting soaked in a rainstorm are classic situations that lead to hypothermia.

A person suffering from hypothermia will have; uncontrollable shivers where the body is attempting to generate heat, Loss of coordination to do simple tasks, Slurring of their speech, Respiration may slow down and be shallow, confused, be cold to the touch, be lethargic or sleepy.

What types of symptoms usually occur?

The symptoms are typically a slow progression. The sufferer often is not aware that they may need medical attention.

* Cold: hands, feet, face……
* Fatigue / Sleepiness
* Shivering (not always seen in older adults)
* Confusion / Mental Status Change
* The”-umbles,” (stumbles, mumbles, grumbles and fumbles)
* Shallow / Slow Respiration (late sign)
* Weak Pulses and Low Blood Pressure (late sign)

In the very young these symptoms can occur in even mildly cold environments. For example a child who sleeps in a very cool room without proper clothing on can develop hypothermia and mimic other medical emergencies. This is also a potential problem for the elderly and those with peripheral vascular and neurological issues. If the person doesn’t feel the loss of heat they won’t know to go to a warmer environment or take other actions.

Michigan Fire Service

Reacting quickly to these signs or a situation that could lead to hypothermia is important. Often times when we hear of lost people dieing from “exposure” most often its hypothermia that has killed them. Avoiding hypothermia for the most part is pretty easy if you plan ahead and react properly to situations that put you at risk.

Layering clothing has long been the preferred method for dressing for the conditions and little has changed other then better material is now available to keep us comfortable. First lawyer should be capable of wicking moisture away from our body to help keep us dry. The additional layers are designed to trap air that helps better insulate us. The top layer should be wind and moisture proof to keep you dry. Protecting your head and extremities is also vital to maintaining your core body temperature.

Other factors like wind chill, rain, sleet or snow can contribute to the risk of hypothermia.
Besides being properly dressed people need to be prepared to take other steps to get warm including building a fire. Having the ability and the skill to build a fire could save your life. Everyone going afield should have a survival kit that includes a couple of methods to build a fire. In a latter edition will talk about survival kits and the items they should include.

Falling into water or getting soaked can lead to very rapid cooling and heat loss. In situations like this you must get warm and dry quickly. This is a true emergency and if you’re by yourself you need to react quickly before you lose the ability to.
I was ice fishing many years ago when one of the guys fishing with me fell through the ice and into water up to his mid thigh. We quickly got him out but the blue jeans he was wearing froze almost instantly. We were able to build a fire, someone had a spare pair of socks he could put on, and he basically stood by the fire in his long johns with a stick holding his jeans over the fire to dry them out.

If your doing something and you start to shiver you need to find a way to warm up immediately. Make sure you stay hydrated, avoid alcohol (because it makes you feel warm when you actually are not), keep a close eye on those around you especially children and older adults who may not be aware of the signs of hypothermia. Be careful out there and stay warm.

New Evidence in What Brought Down USAir Flight

Tundra Swan Hunt In Washington County

North Carolina has a fairly unique hunting opportunity in that Tundra Swan winter in the eastern part of the state. Tundra Swan tags are given out by lottery draw and not usually to difficult to obtain however this year I was unsuccessful in the lottery. The popularity of this hunt has grown but you still have about a 70% chance of getting drawn for one of the 5000 tags the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission issues each year.

With no tag I still tagged along with my camera in tote to experience the annual event with my friends. Once again we were hunting with Mike and Connie from Conman’s Guide Service and Billy from Avery Creek Retrievers provided the dogs for the hunt.

At daybreak on Monday the fog was thick and we knew it would be a tough hunt, tundra swan unlike most waterfowl fly better on bluebird type days. The threat of winter weather hitting the state latter that day put some added pressure. The decoy spread was in a wheat field with the hunters hiding in a field ditch in a blind. The ditch had a fair amount of water so I was glad to have chest waders on as the water and the mud was over my knees.

It was after 9am before we saw the first swan, it was a lone swan that dropped out of the fog silently and landed in the decoy spread before anyone knew it. Having a life bird walking and feeding around the hundreds of decoys is not to bad because it adds a little movement to the set up. Shortly after the lone birds arrival the action picked up as flocks of swans began to get up off the lake and fly. By noon time we had 13 birds on the ground and a lot of happy hunters.

Weather alters Public Hearing Schedule

The public hearing for last night and the one for tonight have been rescheduled because of this week’s snowstorm. Here is the press release from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

New Dates Set for Two Wildlife Commission Public Hearings

RALEIGH, N.C. (Jan. 21, 2009) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has set new dates for two public hearings that were canceled this week due to inclement weather.

The new date for the public hearing in New Bern is set for Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Craven County Courthouse. The public hearing in Edenton will be conducted on Jan. 29, starting at 7 p.m. in Swain Auditorium.

The public hearing in Rocky Mount, which remains unchanged, is set for Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. in Brown Auditorium at Nash Community College.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is conducting the public hearings for comments on proposed changes to 83 hunting, fishing and trapping regulations.

There are some significant proposals being offered this year that could forever alter the sports we love so please get involved.

North Carolina Sportsman Downsizes Letting Holt & Dilsaver Go

Craig Holt and Moose after a successful Caswell County Turkey Hunt

The poor economy is taking it’s toll on a lot of industries and the magazine industry is no exception. North Carolina Sportsman is the only statewide hunting and fishing magazine that sportsman can turn to for information about whats happening in North Carolina when it comes to the outdoor world. As a subscriber I’ve noticed the changes over the past few months mostly the reduction in boat ads. With the first issue of the new year the magazine was noticeably thinner and the binding had switched back to the less effective staples.

North Carolina Sportsman magazine has laid off four people, including its managing editor, Craig Holt, and leading saltwater writer, Jerry Dilsaver, who was also the promotions director for the publication.

“It’s the turn in the economy,” said Ty Conti, publisher of the magazine. “The magazine is selling less advertising, just like any other publication. We’re just reducing our force right now.”

But Conti insisted that the magazine’s coverage would not change. “Our magazine is written mostly by independent writers anyway,” he said.

N&O Blog
One only needs to look at the January issue and you’ll realize that between Jerry & Craig they write the majority of the magazine. I think by my quick count this evening they accounted for fourteen or more articles in the January issue.
Jerry is well known in the saltwater fishing circles and has a big following. Craig has covered stories from the mountains to the coast and is a well recognized figure in Sportsman circles across the state. I can’t help but think letting these two go is a kin to loading the Titantic’s Lifeboats. I hope the magazine survives but it doesn’t look good. In Craig’s column this month he closes with this line;

We just did our own “makeover” but we’re also still the same crew underneath.

I’m afraid your not.

Sportsman in the state have few alternatives; N&O has a great Outdoor Section on Thursday’s. North Carolina Game and Fish is really a national magazine with a few local articles to give the impression it is a local magazine. Then there is blogs like this and message forums. Where we’ll get our information on the sports we love is in flux. I hope for many more years to be reading the NC Sportsman but I realize that may not be in the cards.

I’m Back From Washington

Washington County North Carolina that is… This past weekend is our annual Tundra Swan hunt but I unfortunately did not get drawn for a tag this year. I still went to photograph the event and see everyone. I’ll post some stories from the weekend along with some of the photos I took. Today in Raleigh we are having a major snowstorm ( about 3 or 4 inches by the time it is all done) so that is also throwing a monkey wrench into my daily routine. Hopefully this evening I’ll get some posts up.

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