Gorilla Stands Recalls EXO-Tech Safety Harness

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Gorilla Inc have announced a recall of the fall restraint system “EXO-Tech Safety Harness”.

The webbing of the waist belt on the safety harness is not routed through the lineman’s loop located on the front of the harness near waist level. Since the loops are not properly anchored to the harness webbing but are attached only through stitching not intended to restrain a user during a fall, they that can pull away from the harness when force is applied, leaving the user unrestrained.

Anyone that has this system should stop using it and contact Gorilla Inc about a refund.

: For additional information, contact Gorilla Inc. at (877) 685-7817 between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.gorillatreestands.com. Consumers can also write to the firm at Gorilla, Inc., P.O. 378, Flushing, MI., 48433 or 3475 Eastman Drive, Flushing, MI. 48433.

Today Is National Ammo Day

Like ya needed an excuse to get out and buy some ammo… well if you did here it is. National Ammo Day is a day gun owners hold a Buycott and purchase ammo in support of our 2nd Amendment Rights as well as support our gun and ammo manufactures.

November 19 is National Ammo Day.

It is a nationwide BUYcott of ammunition. You buy ammunition. 100 Rounds a person.

The goals of Ammo Day:

The goal of National Ammo Day is to empty the ammunition from the shelves of your local gun store, sporting goods, or hardware store and put that ammunition in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Make your support of the Second Amendment known–by voting with your dollars!

There are an estimated 75 MILLION gun owners in the United States of America. If each gun owner or Second Amendment supporter buys 100 rounds of ammunition, that’s 7.5 BILLION rounds in the hands of law-abiding citizens!

The gun/ammunition manufacturers have been taking the brunt of all the frivolous lawsuits, trying to put these folks out of business. Well, not if we can help it! And we CAN help it by buying ammunition on November 19!

National Ammo Day website

I’m sure if you can’t get out today then purchasing some in the next few days will help the cause. I stopped on my way home from work and purchased over 600 rounds. That will be a lot of target shooting, plinking, hunting, and if need be defending. I even picked up a box of Moose Killing Rounds Remington Core Lokt 220 grain 3006. Other then a coastal bear here in NC there is not much else I would use it for. I’m hopeful that in the near future I’ll get drawn for another Maine Moose both of my earlier ones were dropped with that particular round. Kind of surprised to see it on a store shelf here in NC so I had to add it to the cart.

So go on out and celebrate Ammo day

A Pretty Good Idea On How To Build Your Own Walk In Cooler

Anyone that does any serious hunting has probably thought a time or two about how nice a walk in cooler would be to hang a deer , elk, or maybe even some moose quarters . For an individual or a hunt club the cost of such a system is usually cost prohibitive up until now. I was reading on the Whitetail Woods Blog and learned about the CoolBot that allows you to adapt a window unit air condition to make a walk in cooler that will get down to 32’f.

The CoolBot turns any brand of off-the-shelf, window-type air conditioning unit (purchased separately) into a turbo-charged cooling machine. With it, you can transform a highly-insulated room into a walk-in cooler, keeping your vegetables fresh and thermostatically controlled cool down to 32° F!
CoolBot will not only save you on installation and repair costs, it will also help you save electricity, reducing your operating costs when combined with new Energy Star air conditioning units engineered to much stricter environmental standards than standard walk-in cooler compressors.

I know my hunt club we won’t be putting one of these in anytime soon seeing we don’t have electricity. Currently I usually age my deer in coolers changing the ice daily and it works ok or I take it to a processor and pay them to it age and then cut & grind it. Looks like a good project for a small group of guys to do to keep their deer to age and to save some money.

Bull Elk #21 Poached Inside Great Smokey Mountain National Park

Park Rangers discovered the body of Bull Elk 21, part of the experimental elk herd that’s been introduced to the Smoky Mountain National Park, in one of the meadows. Investigators have already identified a suspect and an arrest is believed to be eminent.

The suspect in the shooting was found through witnesses’ descriptions of a 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche that was seen leaving the area. A National Park Service special agent then located the suspect at his home in Granville County, according to the press release. Park spokesman Bob Miller said it is not policy to release the name of the special agent involved.
Miller said the suspect’s name will be released when charges against him are filed with the U.S. Attorney. Charges should come by the end of the week, he said.
The suspect could be charged with a number of different things including taking of wildlife in a national park or possession of a weapon, said Miller.
He did not know what kind of weapon the suspect used.
Anyone convicted of poaching in national parks can face a $5,000 fine and/or six months in jail.

Knox News

I travel into the valley a few times a year to see the elk and photograph them. This photograph was one I took of the #21 Bull on my last trip in the Cataloochee Valley. The killing of this bull is such a waste and I hope they throw the book at this poacher.

Accidental Fall From Tree Makes Opening Day In Allegany County Bitter Sweet

He laid in a crumpled mess at the base of the tree just moments before he had been 30 feet up it on the opening morning of the muzzleloader season. He had some luck and he still had his cell phone if he could only get his son who was hunting nearby he could get help. Cell service reception is tricky in these parts so getting a signal was his only hope.

CJ woke to the sound of his boys that were anxious to go deer hunting. The alarmed failed to go off but the boys weren’t going to let their Dad sleep through the opening day of deer season. They rushed around and got loaded up and headed for the hunting lease. A couple of close calls on the road with deer crossing were a pretty good sign because they knew the deer were moving.

As a hunter safety instructor and a Dad hunting safety is something CJ constantly stressed with his boys. The tradition of hunting had been passed down through the generations in their family. CJ growing up in New York and the proud hunting heritage passed down through the men he met as a boy in the Adirondack hunting camps. This had come a full circle as CJ’s sons are now learning about hunting the heritage, traditions and the important lessons of safety.

The sound of the 54 Caliber CVA Bobcat cracked across the mountain as the bullet found its mark dropping the buck in his tracks. CJ heard the shot and he was certain it was his son Bud. Cj was hopeful as he dug out the radio to call Bud and see if he was successful. The radio crackled back with Bud’s response “Dead on impact” CJ was excited this was Bud’s first muzzleloader deer as he prepared to climb out of the stand to go help him.

It had been a while since the fall…maybe an hour… but the cell phone had work and now help was on the way. A son now raced to get help to save his father’s life. Because of all the rain Ida had dumped back country travel was difficult at best. He met the first EMT on the road and he climbed on the back of the 4 wheeler with his jump kit as they raced back up the mountain to the accident scene. The sounds of sirens now filled the air as rescuers began to gear up for what they hoped was a life saving mission.
The sound of the fast moving 4 wheeler and sirens attracted CJ and his boys they intercepted the 4 wheeler going up the mountain and that is when they discovered that Chris’s dad had fallen out of the tree and was seriously injured. Chris continued up the mountain as CJ went down to load additional rescuers and equipment on his jeep to get them to the scene.

Chris was home on leave from the Marines due to ship out soon for Afghanistan. The plans to enjoy a day of hunting with his Dad had taken an ugly turn. Now an all out effort by hunters and rescuers to get Rick Lyons out of the woods and to the hospital was all anyone would focus on because Rick’s life depended on them working together to get him off the mountain.
CJ knew kind of the general area where the stand was but not the exact location so there was some anxious moments as they arrived in the area. “We’ve got to get there he is having difficulty breathing” one of the rescuer’s stated CJ stopped and got out and yelled and they got a response so they could pin point the location.

Much of what happened after that is a bit of a blur but a pickup truck was able to get in there and Rick was loaded on it and taken out. Almost three hours after it began the rescue helicopter took off to airlift Rick to Johnson City Tennessee.

Rick remains hospitalized with multiple broken bones including vertebra’s in his neck and back, ribs, shoulder, and a broken leg. Please keep Rick in your prayers that he’ll make a full recovery from this horrible accident.
CJ called me last night and told me this story. He said it was pretty hard day hunting because they were excited about Bud getting his first deer with a muzzleloader and the joy was short lived when the accident happened. The use of a safety belt / fall restraint system could have reduced the level of injuries and possible prevented the accident entirely. So guys wear your safety belts.

Hunters Should Be Cautious As Remnants of Ida Grip the State

Late season hurricane Ida hit the gulf coast earlier this week but the remnants of this storm our now stalled over North Carolina and the Mid Atlantic states. Parts of North Carolina are expected to get up to 7 inches of rain before this system clears out. In addition to heavy rains the state is experiencing high winds with gusts in excess of 45 mph. This is a deadly combination as trees are toppling over after ground saturation erodes the integrity of the root system and the high winds just push the trees over.

Chilly, windy, rainy

“It’s going to be chilly, windy and rainy today,” said WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. “It’s the gusts that are really kicking up out there.”
Wednesday was the third-wettest day recorded at Raleigh-Durham International Airport since 1944, according to WRAL meteorologist Nate Johnson.
The storm that started the week as Hurricane Ida weakened Tuesday after making landfall in southern Alabama. It was downgraded to a tropical depression as it moved east over the Florida panhandle.
Moisture from that system joined forces with a cold front and a separate low pressure system off the coast of North and South Carolina to produce a nor’easter that will continue to dump rain on the eastern half of the state into Friday.
“The rain will probably be lighter and spotter on Friday, but still there,” said WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel.

WRAL

With signs of the rut beginning to kick in as well as it being the week of muzzleloader season across the center part of the state many people including myself has taken this week off to hunt. Hunters hunting from treestands should be aware that the tree they are hunting out of may not be stable and could potentially topple over. Other hazards include flash flooding as rain continues to fall.

People need to be safe and carefully consider whether or not hunting in their particular area can be done safely. I did not hunt yesterday nor did I venture out yet this morning. I do have plans to hunt this afternoon but if conditions are not safe I will forgo the hunt to be safe.
People should be cautious and carefully check things out before driving across any flooded areas and before climbing into a tree.
Be Safe

Massive Black Bear Killed In North Carolina

The second all time heaviest bear in North Carolina was taken this week and most likely the heaviest black bear any hunter in North America will take this year. This bear tipped the scales (certified) at 760 lbs making it the largest bear any hunter has taken while hunting with Conman’s Guide Service in Creswell North Carolina.

As I write this story I don’t have a lot of details but I’ll give you what I know so far. The hunter is Noel Harvey and the bear was taken on November 9th which I believe was the opening day of the bear season. The guide service is Conman’s and Mike Noles runs the business with his wife Connie (thus the name Conman’s). I’ve known them for a number of years and have hunted with them a number of times.

In April of 2008 I did a story on Bruiser Bruins in the Old North State featuring two massive bears that Mike had walking on his land. One of them they named “Maximus” and they estimate he could be 800 or more pounds. This bear that was killed this week by Noel Harvey is not one of those two bears. That is unbelievable when you think about it that there is a few of these massive creatures walking around. A black bear this size is bigger than a lot of the brown bears you see out west. That is just amazing when you think about it.

The hunting style for the most part is stand hunting over travel routes and food plots. Baiting of bears is only legal for those hunters who utilize hounds ( crazy rule) and Conman’s does not use hounds.
I hopefully will get a few more details on the hunt and hopefully a few more photos of this magnificent creature when I get back in from my own hunting adventures.

Thank You All That Served

Muzzleload Eve I Can Hardly Wait

Opening of the central muzzleloader season here in North Carolina is just hours away and I can’t wait. Like a kid on Christmas Eve I anticipate what the season will bring. This has been a busy week getting things wrapped up at work because I have all of next week off as well as getting things ready to go to deer camp. The weather looks like it will cooperate as the forecasters are predicting the first killing frost of the season for Saturday morning. Nothing like a sunrise on a crisp autumn morning as the steamy moisture rises off the frosty leaves to greet the warm sunshine. I don’t even need to see a deer and I know I’ll enjoy it but I’m hopeful the deer will show up around my stand. I hope I enjoy success like I did on the opening of the Eastern Muzzleloader.
I have the week off from work and I plan to be hunting fool next week. But don’t worry I got some obligations that will drag me in from outdoors so I suspect I’ll get some posts up and keep you updated on how the hunting is going.

North Carolina Wildlife Federation Calls on Governor Perdue to Clean Up North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Appointments

The State Board of Elections concluded their hearings last week into the former Governor’s administration turning it over to the district attorney’s office because it appears state laws were violated. As part of the hearings allegations that seats on the Wildlife Commission were up for sale was testified to under oath. Now the North Carolina Wildlife Federation has passed a resolution asking the current Governor to fix this problem;

THE NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE FEDERATION CALL TO UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY AND CREDIBILITY OF THE WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH COMMISSIONERS ARE APPOINTED

WHEREAS sworn testimony in the recent hearings of the Board of Elections regarding irregularities in the Mike Easley for Governor Campaign of 2004 alleged that the appointment of certain commissioners to the Wildlife Resources Commission was predicated upon political donations of over $100,000; and,

WHEREAS Wildlife Commissioners serve a crucial and sensitive role as guardians of the fish and wildlife resources of North Carolina that demands the highest level of integrity and objectivity as they establish rules and policies to guide the agency in its mission to provide a sound and representative fish and wildlife conservation program; and,

WHEREAS the North Carolina Wildlife Federation was formed in 1945 on the premise that fish and wildlife conservation programs must be conducted in a manner beneficial to the resource and representative of citizens who value and enjoy outdoor recreational activities and was instrumental in the establishment of the Wildlife Resources Commission in 1947 based upon that principle; and,

WHEREAS the alleged circumstances of the appointment of certain North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Commissioners with an expectation of political contributions predicating the nomination is contrary to the law prohibiting the sale of office, erodes public confidence, and casts aspersion on the integrity and operations of the agency and its policy makers.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the North Carolina Wildlife Federation condemns the practice of appointing Wildlife Commissioners based upon political considerations as contrary to the founding principles upon which the Wildlife Resources Commission was created, and calls for appointments to the Commission to be solely based on interest, concern, knowledge, and commitment to the natural resources of our State.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Wildlife Federation, on behalf of all sportsmen and fish and wildlife enthusiasts in North Carolina, calls upon Governor Beverly Perdue to use all the means at her disposal to determine the truth of the allegation that appointments to the Wildlife Resources Commission were made in return for political donations; and, if that allegation is substantiated thereby calling the integrity of the Wildlife Resources Commission into question, the Wildlife Federation further calls upon Governor Perdue to immediately demand the resignations of any individual who were appointed under such circumstances and to appoint duly qualified, representative citizens to serve out those replaced terms thereby restoring as much credibility to the current appointment process and structure of the Wildlife Commission as it and the mission it represents rightly deserves.

I hope sportsmen across the state will stand up and demand that the politics get removed from the Wildlife Commission.

A Day Without The Web

A traffic accident yesterday took out all the phone lines to my subdivision and my DSL line. It is amazing how addicted we become to the net and how much we miss it when we can’t access it. Well I could access it some on my Blackberry but blogging and such is difficult if not impossible with the Blackberry.
I was somewhat disappointed when AT&T informed me this afternoon that it would be Thursday before the repairs were completed and service restored. That proved not to be the case because when I got home the lines were restored.
Technology is wonderful when it works but when it doesn’t our world can come to a standstill.

Update on I 40 Rock Slide

Last week I reported on a massive rockslide blocking I 40 a major travel route through the mountains of North Carolina. What was initially thought would take crews 2 months to clear now is estimated to be a 4 month project.

The rock slide more than a week ago will keep the interstate closed for at least four months. N.C. Transportation officials say the cleanup could cost $10 million, and Gov. Bev Perdue has declared the slide an emergency.

WRAL
Anyone planning travel through the mountains along I 40 corridor in and out of Tennessee should review travel routes to get around the slide.