They Say It’s Your Birthday
by Greg L JohnsonNovember 7, 2009
If I remember my statistics correctly, there’s a fairly good chance that today is someone who reads this blog’s birthday, too.
Don’t Tweet The Deer
by Greg L JohnsonNovember 7, 2009
Today’s the opening of deer hunting season here in Minnesota, and for once it looks like the lawmakers and wildlife officials are a step ahead of the hunters when it comes to the advantages of new technology.
Tweet this: No, you can’t use Twitter to help take a whitetail beginning Saturday, when the state’s 2009 firearms deer season begins. Nor can you text your buddies, saying, for example, that the deer of a lifetime is ambling their way and that they should GET READY.
Minnesota law has long prohibited the taking of game by hunters with the use of two-way radios and, more recently, cell phones. And while the statute doesn’t specifically address written communication carried over the airways, the Department of Natural Resources said this week its interpretation of the law covers all communication using radios and phones, regardless of its form.
Of course, hunting is starting just as I’m typing this, so there isn’t much chance any Minnesota deer hunter is going to read it before heading into the field. Maybe if I sent it out on twitter…
Muzzleload Eve I Can Hardly Wait
by MooseNovember 6, 2009
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.
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Coon Camp Springs Mule Deer Hunts – Part 2
by Phillip LoughlinNovember 6, 2009
Well, I’m back.
It was an eventful couple of weeks at Coon Camp Springs… too eventful, in fact, for me to simply summarize the hunts in a single post. Instead, I’ve decided to write up each hunt separately (although there’s a great connection between the first two).
Click Here to view Part 1
Here’s the second part, then… hope you enjoy it!
When Nolan left with his father on Tuesday night, his plan was to get home, visit with his family a little bit, and then come on back out to the ranch on Thursday afternoon. Tom said he might come back as well. Even though he already had his buck, he wanted to be there when Nolan tagged out. In the wings of the plan was the possibility that Nolan may bring his six year-old son back up with him to enjoy the hunt and camp, and possibly to see his father take a buck, just as Nolan had been there 35 years earlier to see his own dad tag out.
With these plans in our minds, Dave Allen (President of the Coon Camp Springs non-profit org), Kat (my girlfriend and camp cook for the week), and I decided to take our downtime on Wednesday to get out to town and pick up some supplies. We did some work around camp and headed up the hill to the highway. Just before we topped the last ridge, a black truck came up the road toward us. Nolan just couldn’t stay away! I bailed out and let Dave and Kat go on to town. I’d spend the evening hunting with Nolan and his son, Tommy, and see what we could do to fill that tag.
With a six year-old in tow, the cards were stacked against us on this one. On this property, there are a couple of ways to hunt. One is to sit tight on a high spot and glass, and then either shoot or stalk for the shot. That requires quiet, patience, and sitting still… none of which are exactly common traits among the first grade set.
The other method is to still hunt slowly through the juniper thickets. This is slow, silent going, and is difficult enough for a solo hunter. With a couple of experienced hunters, getting close to a buck is a real challenge. With two hunters and a youngster, it’s almost a guarantee we wouldn’t see anything except tracks.
There is a third method, of course… road hunting. While I’m not against the practice, and will do it from time to time, it’s not really something we encourage at Coon Camp Springs. The terrain is pretty friendly, and there’s almost no place the most out of shape hunter can’t go on foot. Besides, riding around in the truck isn’t the kind of experience most mule deer hunters are paying for.
I had some decisions to make, and none of them looked promising. This was gonna be tough and no way around it.
Fortunately, Nolan was fairly realistic about our chances, but what he wanted most was just to share the time and experience with his son. If we got a deer, that would be ideal, but if not, then at least the two of them would have a great time in the field. I could really appreciate that, as it reminded me of those early days in the field with my own dad… memories that will last a lifetime. I was determined to make the most of this hunt, no matter how hard it would be.
I got a pretty good taste of the challenge later that afternoon, as I led the two of them down to my glassing rock. I figured the odds were that if we saw deer, they’d be in the distance… far enough away so that maybe Tommy’s fidgeting wouldn’t immediately blow them out of the county. We got out there with a relative minimum of noise, although at a couple of points I had to tell Tommy to slow down and try to be “more sneaky”. However, we hadn’t been settled on the rock a half an hour before the boy had to go to the bathroom… and not the kind you can do standing behind a tree.
We hiked back up the trail and I looked in dismay at the rapidly sinking sun. Back at the truck, Tommy suddenly decided he didn’t have to go after all. After a flash of impatience, I remembered why we were here and the fact that he is only six. I adjusted my attitude then, and actually found the whole thing pretty funny. Since we were in the truck anyway, I suggested that we drive up onto a saddle-back ridge, and just sit until dark to see what came out. Nothing did, but it was better than bagging the evening hunt altogether.
Before bed, Nolan had a little chat with Tommy to remind him the importance of being quiet and still. With a promise to be quieter tomorrow, they settled into the bunkhouse until the crackle of the morning campfire rousted them. Over breakfast we went over options. I tried to be as clear as possible with Nolan that we’d be fighting an uphill battle, but if he wanted to, we could go back and sit the rock again. He said he was cool with that, and we headed out.
The temperature had fallen pretty sharply overnight, into the mid-twenties. On the hike down to the rock, I was impressed by how careful Tommy was to be silent. Even so, as we came out onto the rock a pair of cattle on the adjoining property spotted us and bolted, from over 400 yards away. I watched carefully, but it didn’t appear that the slow elk spooked any deer in their progress.
Even after we settled down on the rock, Tommy was doing a pretty good job of being still and quiet… at least for such a young guy. I was pretty impressed. Unfortunately, he had a cough that overcame his efforts and in the quiet morning, the sound was pretty explosive. At one point, as I was watching a line of does from over 1000 yards, he coughed and the lead doe raised her head in alarm, peering straight at us. They didn’t spook, not from that far away, but it was a pretty good illustration of what we’d be up against.
Nolan and I tried to show him how to cough into his elbow, but he didn’t quite grasp what we were after. Again, I felt the surge of impatience. We’d never see a deer like this, much less shoot one. But I pushed those feelings down, keeping in mind that this wasn’t my hunt. This was Nolan’s hunt, and if he wanted to spend it this way, then that’s what we’d do. My job was to do the best I could with what we had to work with and show them a great time.
Besides the coughing, everything was pretty good for about two hours. Then the cold started to get to the youngster. To his credit, he maintained as well as he could, but he couldn’t take anymore. With tears in his little eyes, he turned to his dad. “I’m cold,” he whimpered. “Can we go back to buck camp?”
We picked up and headed back to the truck. The walk helped to warm him up, and by the time I got the diesel running and the heat coming through, he was pretty happy again. “What do you want to do,” I asked Nolan. “We could take a little hike.”
“No,” he said. “Maybe we should just drive around a bit.”
I rolled down the hill, and poked along the ranch roads. One of the cowboys who’d been out rounding up stray cattle had mentioned seeing a “nice buck” on a particular ridge, so I figured it would be worth driving out to see what was around. Besides, we hadn’t really spent any time hunting that side of the ranch yet.
As the hill came into sight, I mentioned what the cowboy had told us. The words had no more left my mouth than I spotted movement at the base of the hill. Deer! I hit the brakes and grabbed the binos. Sure enough, a doe was coming off the hill into the sage flats. As we watched, we spotted two yearlings with her. They trotted out into the open, and then stopped to look back. “There’s got to be a buck in the trees,” I hissed. “Get ready!”
A moment later, a three-point buck came bounding out of the trees, hot on the trail of the doe and yearlings. Only a few days earlier, we were seeing bachelor groups, but this was a definite sign that the rut was coming on. I turned to ask Nolan if he’d like to take this buck, but he was already out of the truck with his rifle. I climbed up on the side of the truck to glass.
The buck was moving too fast for a shot, so I bleated at him. It didn’t seem to have an effect, so I let out another loud bleat. I didn’t account for how long it would take the sound to reach him, but he suddenly slammed on the brakes and looked toward us. He stood broadside, like a target. I ranged him at 430 yards, but with the open ground all around him and after having seen some of Nolan’s shooting on some coyotes earlier, I decided to give the green light.
It seemed to take forever for the shot, and I actually thought Nolan was having second thoughts about the range. Suddenly, the 7mm Mag roared and the buck jumped, kicked, and took off on what we thought was a death run. He went about fifty yards in a half-circle, then tipped over under a patch of bitterbrush. I saw blood on both sides as he ran, and it looked good, but I decided to wait a few minutes before going down to collect him.
Just as Nolan started down, the buck got his feet and trotted a few more yards before collapsing into the sage. I told Nolan to go ahead, and be ready in case it jumped up again. After the experience with Tom’s deer, I didn’t want to take any chances with this one. Finding and collecting the buck in the high sage brush was a bit of a challenge, but finally Nolan called out over the radio, “I need packers and skinners down here!”
I drove the truck down into the flat, bouncing over lava rocks along the way. Tommy, bouncing around the back seat was giggling like crazy at each hop. He’d come a long way since his tears and frozen feet earlier in the morning.
On arrival, there were high fives all around. Nolan had accomplished his ultimate goal for the week… he’d taken his buck with his son along to witness the event. The buck, a 17-inch 3×3 wasn’t what many mule deer hunters would consider a trophy, but there was no question from the smiles on both of those faces that this was a memory that would last a very, very long time.
The final hunt is coming up. Hope you’ve enjoyed so far, as I sure had a great time hunting with all of these guys. I also know these write-ups are a little long, but I hope that the background I include provides more than “just another hunting story”.
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I’m Out
by dukkillrNovember 6, 2009
Missouri duck opener is tomorrow. The hard pre-rut is now. I’m outta here. Pictures and stories from last week and this weekend to follow…
Removing The Last Mountain
by Greg L JohnsonNovember 6, 2009
Here’s what depending on coal does to us.
A subsidiary of Massey Energy has begun mountaintop-removal coal-mining operations on Coal River Mountain in West Virginia, the only peak in Coal River Valley that hasn’t been blasted away for mining. Blasting for the mine is taking place 200 yards from the Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment, which holds 8 billion gallons of toxic coal sludge above the Coal River community.
At 3,300 feet, Coal River Mountain is the tallest mountain ever to undergo mountaintop-removal mining. Massey Energy plans to blast away 6,600 acres of the mountain and fill in 18 streams with toxic mining waste.
That’s one mountain and 18 streams that people will no longer be able to hunt on or hike, camp or fish in.
Daily Devotional – Nov. 6
by ZachNovember 6, 2009
Bible Study Verse
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (NIV)
Thoughts
When I think of running, I think of pronghorn antelope. Now, they can run. As the second-fastest land mammal in the world, they can hit speeds of more than 60 mph, only bested by the African cheetah.
I have known a few unethical hunters that thought a Chevy 350 could outrun them. One in particular was gaining on a herd of antelope just before he hit the prairie dog mound that put an end to the chase. After several hundred dollars of repairs and a fine for harassing wildlife, he learned that stalking was a much better method for hunting antelope.
(Ron T)
Action Point
God gave the antelope great speed and eyesight to avoid predators.
God has given us the Holy Spirit and our unique spiritual gifts. He does not want us to be ignorant of those gifts. Read I Corinthians 12:1.
By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus and staying in God’s Word, we can avoid those things that would entangle and prevent us from crossing the finish line of the race He has marked out for us.
Sportsmen’s Tip of the Day
Antelope are very curious animals. If you have a chance to archery hunt antelope, you can get them into range by using a decoy. You can buy a decoy at most hunting stores, or make your own decoy by using ¼” plywood, cutting out a silhouette of an antelope, and painting it the correct colors.
Lead Ban Quiz #6
by Phillip LoughlinNovember 6, 2009
Well, if I’m not back yet, I will be this weekend.
What did you figure for the last question? Did you check out the DFG site, or did you already know the answer?
The bullets that are not permitted for big game hunting in the CA Condor Zone are the Extreme Shock and the Ballistic Silvertip.
“But wait,” you say! “The Extreme Shock is a lead-free bullet! Doesn’t that make it legal?”
Nope. For two reasons. First of all, if you checked the DFG list, you saw that Extreme Shock is not listed. That means that, no matter what it’s made of, it’s not legal in CA.
The second reason is that Extreme Shock is a frangible round. Frangibles are not legal for big game hunting in CA, regardless of whether you’re hunting in the Condor Zone. I’ve used these things in Texas, and they work fairly well, although I prefer something that doesn’t mush the meat so bad. They are legal for varmints and predators, however, and would be a great choice on coyotes…especially if you’re shooting near human habitation.
Here’s the last question in our little quiz. It’s an easy one, and I’ll answer this one when I get home.
True or False: I pour my own muzzleloader bullets, so I’m not required to use lead-free ammo.
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Tree Stand Tips
by Tom RemingtonNovember 6, 2009
By Robert Lane
Bob Lane is a Licensed Master Maine Guide and photographer. He has also guided Caribou Hunters and Fishermen on float trips in Southwest Alaska.
July’s warm, sunny weather doesn’t provide much incentive to think about deer hunting to outdoorsmen who are trolling for deep swimming salmon and togue, whipping out the fly line during the drake hatch, or pursuing numerous other activities in the Maine woods this time of year.
This time of year I find myself occupied with trying to decide where I’m going to fish during the week and on the weekends, and trying to fit the kayaking and photography in to boot. Being an avid outdoorsman is no easy task. With the expanded archery season opening in September, rifle season for the elusive whitetail opening in November, now is the time to begin preparation to increase your odds for a successful hunting season. Rifles need to be sighted in, bows and arrows need to be tuned, and shooting practice begun in earnest, and, if you hunt from a climbing tree stand, it needs to be inspected and readied for the upcoming days afield.
Over the last 10 seasons, I’ve shot nine deer from my portable climber and I swear by the method. I’d no more go out without it than I would without my favorite rifle. However, I find that the tree stand is the most overlooked piece of equipment in the hunter’s arsenal. Its usually hung in the garage, or tucked away in the cellar and forgotten about until a few days before the season opens. That’s no time to discover a problem that may require a repair or replacement part. Now is the time get it ready for archery and rifle season.
First and foremost is to go over the stand and check the welds. Make sure that they are still solid. I had a crack in one on a stand a few years ago. Luckily I caught it before I went out. It was a simple matter to get it repaired.
If your stand attaches to the tree by cables, check these carefully for fraying and general wear. Any doubt about their integrity is reason enough to replace both of them. If one is bad, most likely the other one will be too. Most manufacturers sell these and a variety of replacement parts for their climbing and stationary stands.
If yours is an older climber and made of steel, attach it to a tree and get in it. Stand up, sit down, twist, and turn and listen for any creaking noises, squeaks etc. Nothing will alert a deer to your presence more than a noisy stand. I lost a shot at a nice buck years back because of it. This is critical if you are a bow hunter and are shooting at close range. The deer that busted me was almost 40 yards away when my stand creaked.
Noise isn’t such a problem with the new aluminum models. I have one of these, but I still get in it just to be sure. I have found that birch trees combined with a climbing stand will make noise even after the stand has been secured in place. Most noise can be cured by tightening a loose part and making sure that it is snug against the tree when reach the desired height.
On steel stands rust can be a factor. It gives off odor that an animal can detect. Ask any fox or coyote trapper about rust. They dye and wax their traps to keep them from oxidizing and emitting a smell. Just because you’re 15 feet off the ground doesn’t mean scent from you and your equipment will go undetected by a deer. A number of variables such as temperature, wind, air density will affect how scent is carried to the nose of a wary whitetail. Any rust should be removed with a wire brush and the area repainted to prevent further rusting during the season when the stand is exposed to the elements. Doing so will also increase the life of the stand.
Once I’m up in my stand I stay all day, and that requires that I be comfortable. Cushions will wear out and the covering will deteriorate over time making them uncomfortable, or unusable. Sitting over a prime trail or feeding area is no place to be moving around in a tree stand trying to get comfortable. Check those seats early in the season and if they aren’t up to the job, repair or replace them. Again most manufacturers carry these and other replacement parts.
I always go over my safety harness at the end of each season and again in the summer, and check for fraying and other wear. Most harnesses have a special tacking on the tether strap that connects from the back of the harness to the tree, and is designed to lessen the shock of a fall. Most of these are designed to be used only once. Check yours to be sure this tacking is still intact. If it isn’t, consult the manufacturer before you use it.
I keep two four point harnesses in my truck at all times in case one becomes unserviceable. If you forget yours, either go back home and get it, or hunt from the ground. The records of injuries incurred as a result of falls from trees stands are grim. Many a hunter has been crippled for life and others have been killed from falls from as low as ten feet up.
Under no circumstances should you use anything but a four point harness when hunting from a tree stand. The old type that consisted of a belt around the waste could cause a hunter to hang doubled at the waist, or inflict serious internal injuries. Last year I saw a guy in a stand with a hank of tow rope under his shoulders attached to the tree by two half-hitches with about two feet of slack in the tether rope. It was a recipe for disaster if I ever saw one.
My harness is on and attached to the tree as soon as I’m in the stand, and before I start climbing, as the majority of falls occur when ascending and descending the tree. Once I’m up in position I take all of the slack out of the tether. This pretty much eliminates any shock when the harness fetches up should I fall. The shock of a two hundred pound body falling a foot or even six inches and then being suddenly fetched up is painful at best and could result in injury. No slack in my tether also allows me to use it as a stabilizer and lean out over the stand when bow hunting.
Always carry a cell phone and let someone know where you are and when you expect to be out of the woods when hunting from a tree stand. I have several emergency numbers pre-programmed into mine. My phone has a lanyard on it that is looped through the buttonhole in the flap of my shirt pocket, eliminating the possibility of dropping it. If you should have a mishap and are unable to climb back down the tree, the phone could mean the difference between a long stint and possibly an overnight hanging in your harness. Your chances of hanging up-right and being able to call someone on the cell phone are better if you are strapped into nothing less than a four-point safety harness. Over the last couple of years I’ve seen several devices on the market that are designed to assist hunters in getting back to the ground after they have fallen and are hanging in a safety harness. These can be found with a little searching on the web. Summit is a major manufacturer of tree stands, harnesses, and accessories. I’ve had good luck with their products. Check them out at www.summitstands.com
Tree stand inspections and proper safety procedures don’t take a lot of time or effort, or even cost much for that matter. They can save a day’s hunt or even a life. While not all falls are fatal, many, hunters have seen an abrupt end to their hunting days due to crippling injuries resulting from a fall from a tree stand that hasn’t been properly maintained, or used in conjunction with a safe, four-point harness.
When opening day rolls around, I want to be up in my favorite tree at daybreak, watching the shadows give way to the day, and listening to the sounds of the woods waking up. I’ll watch the edge growth, the hardwoods, and the thickets, confidently focusing on the hunt, knowing that my stand is secure and my harness safe, because I took the time to go over my gear well before the onset of the best season of the year.
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Turkey Decoy Maker Countrymen Innovations Completes Acquisition of Legal Limits Company
by John StableyNovember 6, 2009
Legal Limits innovative fishing products to be marketed under the Countrymen Innovations Brand.
Countrymen Innovations, the manufacturer of the innovative Jake Intimidator turkey hunting decoy, announced today it has completed the acquisition of innovative fishing tackle manufacturer Legal Limits.
Based in Elizaville, NY, Legal Limits was founded by Gaetano (Guy) Magarelli in 1990 and has been very successful with their flagship products: rod and boat ruler tape measures. Magarelli is an avid fisherman, inventor and entrepreneur and has stayed on with Countrymen Innovations as vice-president.
Purchased for an undisclosed price, Legal Limits allows Countrymen Innovations to enter the fishing industry with a proven line-up of high-quality products. Legal Limits will operate under the Countrymen Innovations Brand and will continue to design and manufacture innovative products for fishermen.
Countrymen Innovations innovative design of the Jake Intimidator turkey hunting decoy has created the GotMotion Revolution with turkey hunters. Their Jake Intimidator is like no other decoy on the market and outperforms old-style, stationary turkey decoys by a wide margin during the past 2 years of field testing.
“Acquiring Legal Limits adds great diversity to the Countrymen Innovations Brand. I’m really looking forward to working closely with Guy (Magarelli) in the future as we take our company to the next level.” said Rich Wyant, president of Countrymen Innovations, “We have a busy year planned and it all starts in January with our new products launch at the 2010 ATA Show in Columbus, OH.”
Countrymen Innovations continues its search for high-quality sales representation for their Jake Intimidator turkey hunting decoy and their other products in the Southern, Great Lakes, and Northeast regions. Interested sales agencies can contact Mark Murphy at mark@wildsportsmarketing.com for more information about these regions.
About Countrymen Innovations in Red Hook, NY
Countrymen Innovations, owned and managed by Rich Wyant and Guy Magarelli, is the manufacturer of the innovative Jake Intimidator turkey hunting decoy and the GotMotion Revolution. Wyant and Magarelli are life-long outdoorsmen with a 25 year history of designing and developing hunting and fishing products. For more information, visit Countrymen Innovations on the web at: http://www.CountrymenInnovations.com.
Contact Information
Wild Sports Marketing
P.O. Box 902
Pioneer, OH 43554
Ph: 419-330-1010
Web: http://www.wildsportsmarketing.com
