Hockey Gobblers And Heat

Well I’ve been pretty busy lately and haven’t posted out here much. Besides my passion for hunting especially turkey hunting I love to watch NHL Hockey. I grew up in Boston during the Bobby Orr era so less face it I bleed black and gold. Living here in North Carolina I was excited to see the Whalers move to North Carolina a few years after I arrived if for nothing else that I’d get to see the Bruins a few times a year. Well like turkey hunting the new hockey team the Carolina Hurricanes grew on me and I got to admit that after a couple of seasons here I was hooked.
Well this week my two hockey worlds have collided as the Canes stun the NJ Devils with two goals in the closing minute or so to win game 7 and to advance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They now will face the Boston Bruins and I will get to live a lifelong dream to see the Bruins live as they play playoff hockey. Granted whoever wins the series between the Canes and the Bruins will be bitter sweet for me but the next two weeks will be exciting.
Mixed in with all this hockey has been turkey season and it has been a tough season thus far. I’ve yet to see a gobbler and they have been hard to find because they‘ve been pretty silent so far. With the unseasonable hot weather (90’s) and limited days to hunt I seem to be behind the 8 ball. It is suppose to cool off a bit this weekend and I’m hearing reports that the gobbling lull seems to be coming to an end.
With game one of the Bruins Canes series set for Friday evening I guess that means I’ll stay in town to watch it on TV and leave in the early am on Saturday to hopefully catch up with a gobbler. I hope it’s a great weekend. Go Bruins

Majority Of Hunting Proposals Get Delayed For A Year

Many feel that the North Carolina Bow hunters Association (NCBA) has launched what amounts to a thermal nuclear war in the development of hunting rules and regulations for the state of North Carolina. Traditionally the changes to hunting regulations are proposed by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and then taken to public hearings for debate and comments. Based on those hearings the Commissioners then vote on the proposals those that pass become effective the following July when the new regulation book is released. A simple and orderly process that for the most part has worked and most interested hunters understood and had accepted.
This year there was some controversial proposals that the NCBA opposed, removing the requirement that an individual has to be disabled in order to hunt with a crossbow and add a second week to muzzle loading. (Bow hunting would be allowed) At the public hearings there was overwhelming support for these two proposals despite efforts by the NCBA to organize opposition. There was also a number of other proposals including allowing bow hunting on Sundays that NCBA did not oppose that have traditionally been difficult to get past public hearings.
The Commissioners took these public meetings as well as the electronic comments into consideration when they voted on the proposals and traditionally that would be it those that passed would be the new rules. Except for this year the NCBA found a loophole in the final process that all new rules have to go before a State Review Commission that makes sure that the state agency making these rules has the authority to make these rules and that the new rules do not violate a current law. A new rule could be temporarily blocked if the State Review Commission received 10 letters of opposition to the new rule. That would then force the new rule to be put on hold giving the state legislators the opportunity to review it at their next session or to do nothing and then it would automatically pass. While this option has been around for a longtime it seems to be one that was not well known and rarely if ever used especially on Game Laws.
NCBA launched a letter writing campaign to block the expansion of muzzle loading from a one week to a two week season as well as blocking crossbows. Other groups followed the lead and Sunday Hunting along with a number of other proposals has been delayed as well.
Now in order for the NCBA to succeed in completely blocking these changes they now have the monumental task of getting a bills written passed and signed into law during the next legislative session that make it illegal for the NCWRC to allow the use of cross bows by non handicap hunters as well as a law that will not allow NCWRC to alter season dates. That is a mighty tall order to fill and I can about guarantee that it cannot be done.
There is no doubt that the NCBA had the right to take these actions but I would suggest that they did not think this whole thing through before they did it. They could not even come close to making a good argument or garner support at the public hearings where the majority of people there are fellow sportsmen. How will they get the support of those not interested in hunting? Many of these sportsmen now feel like the NCBA has pulled a fast one and they are now opposed to just about anything the NCBA stands for.

( For full disclosure I am currently a member of the NCBA)

Press Release from NCWRC

Feds Investigate Possible Corruption in Wildlife Commissioner Appointment

As a federal probe into the former Easley Administration seems to be getting rolling questions have risen about a land deal and the appointment of Randy Allen to the Wildlife Commission.

Former North Carolina Governor Mike Easley is being investigated by federal authorities, as a past real estate deal brokered through a friend as well as use of cars provided by a political donor to his family are being examined.

No charges have been filed yet as a result of the investigations.

The Carolina Journal newspaper of Raleigh published by the conservative John Locke Foundation first reported the real estate deal irregularities back in 2006.

Then serving as Governor of North Carolina, Mike Easley purchased waterfront property in the Cannonsgate subdivision in Carteret County that abuts the Intracoastal Waterway near the Atlantic Ocean.

The Journal said that that Governor Easley paid $549,880 for his vacant lot at the end of 2005, even though one year later, the property had a tax value of $1.2 million.

Currently, due to the crash in the real estate market, according to the Campbell Property Group’s Cannonsgate website, lots at the site are in “liquidation” and are being listed for prices that range between $707,834 and $534,590. However, not all of the remaining lots front the Intracoastal Waterway like the one sold to Easley.

According to reports in the Carolina Journal as well as the (Raleigh) News & Observer and Charlotte Observer, the people involved in the real estate deal a the time were all political appointees under Easley, triggering the investigation into whether favors were potentially traded for .

According to the articles, the waterfront community was developed by Randy and William Allen, who were named by Governor Easley to the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

Raleigh Telegram

At the time there were some questions about this apparent sweetheart deal here is an excerpt from a June 2006 news story.

Easley paid $549,880 for the one-third-acre lot in Cannonsgate, a development of million-dollar homes in Ocean, about 16 miles west of Morehead City.
The price was 3 percent above the lot’s assessed tax value. But 49 adjacent waterfront lots in the same development sold for an average of 20 percent to 36 percent above tax value, the Observer reported.
“The governor paid the listed asking price for the lot,” Easley spokeswoman Cari Boyce said. “The price was set and non-negotiable.”
Raleigh broker Mcqueen Campbell, a longtime friend and contributor, told Easley about the property and insists the governor got no discount or favors.
“Those lots are on a first-come, first-serve basis,” he said. “Everybody’s got a shot at every lot.”
But Ronnie Watson, an Emerald Isle real estate broker who helped negotiate the sale of the development last year, disputed that.
“You wouldn’t have been able to buy the lot, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “In other words, he had first choice.”
Boyce said Easley bought the property as an investment.

The developer is R.A. North Development of Matthews, run by Allen’s brother, Randy. Last June, while his own purchase was pending, Easley named Randy Allen to the state Wildlife Resources Commission.
Boyce denied any connection between the sale and Randy Allen’s appointment.
Democracy North Carolina, an advocacy group that tracks campaign money, said Gary Allen and his family have contributed at least $197,000 to the state Democratic Party since Easley began running for governor in 2000. Randy Allen also has been a major contributor.

WCNC

To anyone that has followed the North Carolina Wildlife Commission it’s no secret that many are big political donors appointed to the Commission. Did the former Governor do something wrong? I guess we’ll learn as the probe continues but it sure does look fishy.

Hen Pecked

This past weekend I didn’t have much luck trying to fill one of my two turkey tags and to be honest this is shaping up to be a tough season. I was hunting our lease in Alamance County which is mostly fields so we have to utilize blinds rather than running and gunning. I was sitting in the blind with some decoys out when I called a hen in to the spread.
She came in real quiet and caught me by surprise coming through some high grass. Not knowing if she was a hen or a gobbler I first grabbed my gun but when she came out it was clear to see she was a hen. There was nothing else with her so I picked up my camera but not fast enough to catch her surprising move.
The hen ran up to the Jake decoy and pecked him a couple of times in the head. Not getting the reaction she expected she seemed confused by the decoys. She never got near the hens and she slowly turned and left the field.
Kind of a funny experience and something I’ve never seen. I’ve seen gobblers go after the Jake decoys but never a hen.
Hopefully I’ll find her boyfriend real soon.

More Details On Fatal Weekend Shooting

Turkey season was just barely open when a tragic confrontation between a North Carolina Wildlife Officer Mark Minton and a turkey hunter Clyde Coffey ended with the Minton shooting Coffey in self defense. Up until now little has been said from the officer’s perspective other then he fired in self defense. The Mountain Times has a law enforcement source that gives some additional details.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said, “During his patrol Minton discovered Coffey allegedly hunting turkey from a tree stand and baiting the birds underneath it, both illegal during Spring Turkey Season. Minton ordered Coffey to exit the tree to which the hunter allegedly responded that if he came down he would shoot Minton.”

Coffey reportedly exited the tree stand and began to advance on the officer, continuing to threaten him with his weapon as Minton repeatedly ordered him to stop. At some point Minton found himself unable to retreat any further and fired on Coffey.

Baiting turkeys is certainly illegal however the use of tree stands while unusual is not illegal. Well at least I can’t find it in the current regulation book.

Anytime anyone threatens another individual with a firearm it is reasonable for someone to take actions to eliminate the threat including deadly force;

Officer Minton remains on paid leave while the SBI continues their investigation into the fatal shooting.

Sunday Hunting, Crossbows and A Number of Other Changes May Get Sidetracked Today

No doubt there was a number of controversial proposals made this year and debated at the public hearings for changes to the hunting regulations but after all the dust settled it seemed a number of them had passed. Legalizing the use of crossbows and the adding of an additional week to the muzzleloader season is what drew the ire of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association and even being organized they could not overcome the support for these proposals by the rank and file hunters across the state. The Wildlife Commissioners adopted these changes based on the public hearings and the public comments so it seemed like too many who had fought for these changes over the years that next year they would happen.
However what has normally been a mere formality in the past today will become a major roadblock and delay the implementation of these rules and possible a number of others. Once the Wildlife Commission approves the rules they are sent to a Rules Review Committee that reviews them and makes sure they fall within the scope of the agency and do not violate the State Constitution if they pass they can be enacted if they don’t they are rejected and sent back to the Commissioners. There is also another scenario that can take place that up until this point has never happened with Wildlife Commission Rules and that is if the committee receives Ten or more letters of opposition to a particular rule or rules then that rule is not enacted and sent to the state legislators for a review. That review will not take place until the next open session of the legislators which is not scheduled until June. There would not enough time to allow the enacting of these rules by the July 1st deadline for the printing of the regulation digest for the 09-10 season.
In addition to the letter writing campaign organized by the North Carolina Bowhunters Association it is believed that a religious group is using the same tactic to block the change to allow hunting on Sunday’s with archery equipment. While I doubt this tactic will prevent these rules from eventually taking place it could delay them for a year and may open a new era of wildlife management where it could take an additional year to pass any changes. I’m sure any group opposed to hunting, trapping or fishing can get ten letters of opposition to any proposed rule changes in the future. Today in Raleigh when the Rules Committee meets we may witness the opening of Pandora’s Box.

What Happened In Wilkes County?

On Saturday morning there was a deadly confrontation in the woods of Wilkes County off of Cane Creek Road between a turkey hunter and a North Carolina Wildlife Officer that has a family asking what happened.

N.C. Wildlife Commission Capt. Rusty Hunter said Wildlife Officer Mark Minton was patrolling during the first day of turkey hunting season when the confrontation happened about 7:30 a.m.
The commission said the shooting happened on private property in the Cane Creek area of Wilkes County.
The hunter who was killed, Clyde Coffey, was a 77-year-old from Lenoir. Reports indicate he died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Hunter told television reporters there was no evidence suggesting Minton confused the hunter with an animal. Instead, it appeared the officer was protecting himself, Hunter said.
“An armed confrontation with a hunter resulted in Officer Minton firing a shot, apparently in self-defense, which led to the death of the alleged assailant,” the Wildlife Resources Commission said in a statement.
Minton is on administrative leave while the State Bureau of Investigation reviews the incident.

Salisbury Post

The family does not believe Officer Minton’s account

“He’s minding his own business sitting in a tree stand. He hadn’t been there long. My dad had a gun, he was turkey hunting! But my dad’s gun never fired. And ther was only two of them there, and my dad’s gone. He can’t tell his side,” said Clyde’s daughter Debbie Robbins.

Fox 8

The unofficial story as best as I can gather it is as follows;
Officer Minton had reason to believe that the area this incident took place was illegally baited and he went on to the posted private land to catch someone hunting over the bait. Officer Minton found Mr. Coffey hunting out of a treestand and confronted him. Mr. Coffey was hard of hearing that could of made communication difficult and some reports that officer Minton was dressed in Camo clothing that day and not the traditional uniform. Or at least his uniform was covered up. At some point Mr. Coffey did something that put Officer Minton’s life in danger and he shot Mr. Coffey with his service weapon one time in the chest killing him.
Mr. Coffey’s family report that this type of behavior is out of character for him and they question what happened. As far as I can tell there were no witnesses to the confrontation so the SBI investigation will have to focus on the physical evidence to piece this together.
Officer Minton is a seasoned officer with 12 years working with the Wildlife Commission so it is reasonable to assume he has the experience and skills to exhaust all other avenues before he used deadly force.

Someone made a bad choice that morning whether it was Mr. Coffey or Officer Minton will have to wait and see what the SBI Investigation determines.

Opening Day of Turkey Season For Me Was Quiet

Saturday was the opening day of turkey season in North Carolina so Friday I headed up to the camp in Caswell County. The weather on Friday was not good with a strong line of thunderstorms cutting across the entire state. We spent the evening sitting around swapping stories and lies as the rain pounded down on the old house.
In the morning I headed for my favorite spot to turkey hunt on the property. It was just about shooting
light when I slipped out of the thick pines and into the hardwoods knoll. I sat down with my back
braced
against an oak tree to listen to the woods waking up. It was almost 30 minutes before I heard the first
gobble and that turkey was way off. About 10 minutes latter I heard another gobbler and he
sounded like he was pretty deep into the Game Lands. That would be the last gobble I would hear on Saturday which is pretty surprising considering how it has been the past few years.
None of us got a bird opening morning although one of the guys passed up a jake. Judging by the signs and the scouting we’ve done it would appear the combination of 3 years of poor hatches and the drastic increase in predators, mainly coyotes, the flock is not as big as it once was. The afternoon/ evening hunt we hunted green fields hoping to catch one strutting in the clover. That was a bust as well so the opening day ended without me seeing a turkey which is an unusual start for the season.

Hopefully next weekend will be better and I’ll get a chance to work a bird at least.

North Carolina Wildlife Officer Used Deadly Force On Opening Day Of Turkey Season

Mark Minton North Carolina Wildlife Officer used deadly force after a confrontation with a turkey hunter on opening morning in Wilkes County. 77 Year Old Clyde Coffey was hunting on his own land off of Cane Creek Road when the confrontation took place.

MCGRADY, N.C. – A 77-year-old hunter described as a “teddy bear of man” was shot and killed on his property early Saturday morning by a veteran Wildlife Resources officer, a state game warden and family members of the victim said.

Family members identified the man as Clyde Coffey and his daughter said he often came to his house on Cane Creek Church Rd. to hunt on the hill behind his property. Neighbors remembered Coffey as a “teddy bear of a man” who would never hurt anybody.

Wildlife Resources officers told FOX8 News officer Mark Minton shot a hunter around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, which was the first day of turkey season.

Fox 8

It is unclear what exactly happened and we may not know officially until the SBI wraps up their investigation. I’ve heard that Mr. Coffey was hunting from a treestand which is highly unusual for turkey hunting. Mr. Coffey may have also had a hearing problem that could have contributed to a breakdown in communication between him and Officer Minton. Was he violating a game law when Officer Minton made contact? A lot of questions that I’m sure will have answered at some point. I believe this is the first officer involved shooting in over 20 years for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Enforcement Division which is pretty remarkable when you think that many of their encounters involved armed individuals. We’ll Update when more Info is Available.

Game Trails LLC Press Release About the Kentucky Court Case

Media Direct a leading public relations firm for a whos who of the outdoor industries has contacted us on behalf of Game Trails LLC.

Here is the Press release from Game Trails:
“Sturgis, Kentucky. April 8, 2009. – Misstatements of fact and misleading information related to a misdemeanor case involving Game Trails, a company with operations in Kentucky, has prompted this release to clarify the record.
On March 19, 2009, Game Trails, LLC, and its general manager Dirk MacTavish pled guilty to misdemeanor violations of the Lacy Act. More specifically, the violations were technical in nature and involved the mistagging and telechecking of deer. Both Game Trails and Dirk MacTavish paid fines. No other sanctions were imposed: no probation; no loss of hunting rights; and no loss of outfitter’s licenses. Gregg Ritz was neither charged nor plead guilty to any violation, misdemeanor or otherwise.
At all times throughout the process, Game Trails and Dirk MacTavish were forthright and cooperated fully. The mistakes in tagging deer were admitted and the matter was resolved. As noted, only fines were paid on technical misdemeanor violations. The case has been officially closed.
The relevant facts with regards to this case can be accessed through the United States District Court, Western District of Kentucky, Owensboro. However, the same cannot be said for subsequent reports, which have been littered with half-truths and false accusations. The facts have been misconstrued and inaccurately characterized. This statement will present the truth.
In addition to the aforementioned, the relevant facts are as follows. In 2006, Games Trails was instructed by an agent of the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife and mandated by the land owner Kimball International to reduce the number of deer on the property to help reduce crop damage. Game Trails had been informed by Kimball’s on-site manager that the crop damage caused by deer population had resulted in Kimball International offsetting the tenant farmer’s annual lease in the amount of $35,000. Authorities at Kimball advised Game Trails that its lease would be terminated if the deer population was not reduced.
In an effort to comply, Game Trails conducted the largest ever camera survey for whitetail deer in association with the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) to determine the proper number of deer to be harvested. A formal report was presented to Kimball International by the QDMA with a recommendation to harvest 200 deer. However the Commonwealth of Kentucky conducted an independent deer damage assessment and concluded that the harvest number was far greater than 200.
Game Trails sought the advice and cooperation of local Kentucky authorities to request and receive special consideration with the harvest process. The request for special consideration concerning the deer management program was rejected. Instead, Game Trails was informed that if it needed assistance in reducing the population, then it should consider allowing local authorities, their friends and family access to hunt. This idea was not satisfactory to Kimball.
QDMA, on behalf of Game Trails, then appealed directly to officials in Frankfort, Kentucky, the state’s capitol, to request special consideration for the doe harvest. Again, Game Trails was denied special consideration and was informed no consideration would be given as long as Game Trails was in possession of the hunting lease.
Later, in 2006, Kentucky issued Game Trails several hundred Animal Control tags to accommodate the additional deer harvest requirements. The harvesting of the deer and use of the Animal Control tags were improperly managed by a former Game Trails’ site manager, who applied the tags to any hunter; essentially “community tagging” the animals. The former site manager performed all operational aspects of the business and personally tagged every animal. He was later terminated for performance issues unrelated to this incident. It must be noted that no deer went unchecked and all deer were harvested by licensed hunters.
To further clarify and correct the misinformation circulating we would like the public to know the following:
• Neither Dirk MacTavish, General Manager of Game Trails, nor Gregg Ritz, owner of Games Trails, tagged or tele-checked any of the deer harvested;
• There were no charges or fines levied against Gregg Ritz;
• Neither Dirk MacTavish or Gregg Ritz made false statements to Investigators, or any other authorities;
• Neither Dirk MacTavish nor Game Trails lost their outfitting license, hunting rights or were placed on probation;
• Every deer killed was processed and given to families in need;
• With the exception of this 2006 incident, no other violations were found to have occurred during the period in which Game Trails occupied the property;
• Felony prosecution of former Game Trails’ employee Chris Helms is only incidental, and is unrelated to this matter; neither Gregg Ritz nor Dirk MacTavish have any involvement with that case; and
• Kimball International sold the Sturgis, Kentucky land last November (four months prior to this event) and the new landowner chose not to sublease the hunting rights, resulting in Game Trails closing its Kentucky operation at present.
Due to the mistagging and telechecking at Game Trails, the personal and business reputations of Game Trails, Gregg Ritz and Dirk MacTavish have all been unfairly tarnished. Mistakes were made, and a fine was paid. But Game Trails and Gregg Ritz have built a name of excellence and integrity in the industry, and these technical violations should not diminish that reputation. It is unfortunate that multiple inaccuracies have worked to do just that. Basic fairness dictates that those involved should be judged on the facts of record in this case, and those facts alone. “

This was originally posted as a comment but I wanted to make sure my readers saw this before I take off for the turkey woods. It certainly seems like the State of Kentucky attempted to twist this story around but I was getting this feeling before this press release.
One example was the impression left by the Kentucky Wildlife Press Release that Game Trails LLC had somehow fled the state or was forced out by this investigation when this certainly was not the case.
We’ll continue to follow this story and update, now I’m off to the woods.

Thompson Center Press Release About Game Trails LLC

Fellow blogger Mike Adams has gotten information from T/C in regards to the Kentucky Court Case involving Game Trails LLC.

Thompson/Center Arms wishes to clarify the Company’s relationship with Game Trails, LLC. At no time in the history of Thompson/Center Arms, including the present, has the Company had any form of ownership of or control over the Kentucky hunting property that was operated by Game Trails, LLC. The Company’s relationship with Game Trails, LLC has been limited to that of a customer, paying for use of the property when hosting various events.
In a completely separate matter, Thompson/Center Arms has been a paying sponsor of the Game Trails television show. It is the Company’s understanding that the Kentucky property operated by Game Trails, LLC, which has sometimes been referred to as “Game Trails,” is distinct and unrelated to the Game Trails television show.
We at Thompson/Center Arms remain steadfast in our commitment to the hunting heritage, a heritage which embraces the highest level of ethics among participants in the sport. In that commitment, we bear no tolerance for the violation of state or federal game laws. We continue to support national programs that nurture the sport of hunting while educating youth about the responsibilities and privileges of enjoying the outdoors.

Press release from Kentucky Wildlife as well as numerous media stories including my own have suggested a tie between Game Trails LLC and Thomson Center. Gregg Ritz owner of Game Trails LLC and Former CEO of Thompson Center and President of Smith & Wesson Hunting Division, according to Mike’s blog, no longer associated with them.

Craig Cushman the Director of Marketing for Thompson Center, stated that former owner of Thompson Center Gregg Ritz sold the company to Smith & Wesson in Jan of 2007 and remained at the company until April 2008. His ownership of Game Trails LLC had nothing to do with T/C .

At the time these crimes took place (2006) T/C was not owned by Smith & Wesson and Gregg Ritz was the CEO of T/C.

Bottom line T/C in my opinion produces a quality product and sportsmen should feel proud to support them. Gregg Ritz is unfortunately tied to this but I have not seen a single shred of evidence that suggests he had prior knowledge or actively participated in any of the illegal acts that were done by those who worked for Game Trails LLC.

This is a developing story and as more information becomes available I’ll certainly be posting about it.

Update On Game Trails LLC & Lacey Act Violations

In an earlier story I posted a story based on a press release from Kentucky Wildlife reporting that Pro Hunter Gregg Ritz was involved in game violations in Kentucky. As I promised I would look more into this story.

As many of you my question is what happened and who was involved? From what I understand the Staff at Game Trails Lodge were illegally killing does and in some cases using hunters information who had been at the lodge to tag the kills.

Their investigation turned up numerous instances of Game Trails employees, their friends and family chronically taking over-limits of deer, outside hunting season parameters, supplying false information to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and using social security numbers of Game Trails clients without their permission to Telecheck their deer harvests.

The manager at the lodge William Dirk McTavish, Jr from a variety of news reports had knowledge of the illegal activity taken place and he was fined $15,000 Did Gregg Ritz know about these illegal acts? Unknown. We do know that Game Trails LLC plead guilty and was fined $35,000. Records show that Gregg Ritz is Game Trails LLC I want to point out that does not necessarily mean he had knowledge of these illegal acts. Unfortunately for Gregg at best it would appear that he put trust in someone that allowed illegal activities to take place on the land he had leased.

I hope Mr. Ritz will at some point respond to what has happened and tell his side of the story. I also understand that these being federal convictions that potentially Kentucky could also go after them as well that may prevent him from speaking out.
I am going to edit my first post by adding a ” ? ” to the title because I certainly do not want to imply that Gregg Ritz had full knowledge of these illegal activities.

I’ll continue to follow this story.

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