Some really old-fashioned deer hunting

Zoom

Photos

Submitted Photo

Vince Crawford likes the challenge of using an atlatl, a truly primitive method for hunting deer.

By By BILL GRAHAM

Gorman Discovery Center

Posted Nov 13, 2010 @ 12:38 AM

Independence, MO —

Don’t be surprised if you see a hunter in blaze orange walking through the woods carrying what looks like a spear and an oddly-shaped, narrow board. They’re just trying to kill a deer the truly, very old-fashioned way.

The atlatl – A pre-historic weapon – for the first time in modern times is allowed for use during any of the Missouri firearms deer seasons, except for the muzzleloading season. The weapon our long-ago ancestors used is legal for the regular firearms season that opens Saturday and runs through Nov. 23.

Atlatl throwers hurl a dart forward with a throwing motion of the arm. A board with a notch or tip for the dart to rest against is held with the arm and used as a throwing device that gives the dart extra speed and power.

“It’s a plain and simple throwing motion, and most throwers hold the dart in place on the board with fingers of their throwing hand,” said Vince Crawford of Hamilton, Mo., who has hurled darts at a practice target all fall. “But you’ve got to let go at just the right time to be accurate.”

The atlatl, pronounced by some as “at’-lat-ul,” was for 30,000 years or so a popular worldwide hunting tool. Native Americans brought the atlatl to North America about 12,000 years ago. The bow and arrow are relative modern hunting weapons in comparison.

Crawford, an enforcement agent for the Missouri Department of Conservation based in Caldwell County, is adept at deer hunting with gun or archery methods. But he’s also an accomplished woodworker, and he couldn’t resist the challenge of making and using an atlatl.

“I’m into the idea that I want to kill a deer with something I made,” Crawford said. “I bet we can make one of these in one or two hours.”

It doesn’t take long to learn how to throw, he said. But throwing with accuracy and power takes practice. He can hurl a dart 90 yards in the open. But he figures any deer killed will be within a 20-yard range.

Primitive hunters knapped flint dart points, attached them to straight sticks or pieces of cane glued together, and then attached feathers for fletching to help the darts fly true.

Crawford is making some modern adaptations. He’s using three carbon fiber arrow shafts fastened together, with modern fletching on the back, and modern steel hunting points for good penetration. He also modified his throwing board with a notch forward to hold the dart, rather than his fingers, which one tribe had used.

His conservation agent duties will keep him too busy to hunt during the firearms deer season. But he’s hoping to hunt with the atlatl during the later antlerless deer season.

Atlatl hunters are relatively few in numbers compared to firearm and archery hunters. But they’re enthusiastic, and opening the deer season to them provides one more way for Missourians to enjoy the state’s great hunting and fishing.

“This is for somebody who wants another challenge,” Crawford said. “If a hunter kills a deer with an atlatl, they’ve done something great. Plus, it’s just fun stuff.”

Copyright 2010 The Examiner. Some rights reserved

After 25 years, it's time to renew an old hunting tradition

After 25 years, it's time to renew an old hunting tradition

Associated Press | Posted: Thursday, November 11, 2010 2:00 pm

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- It had been 25 years since I hunted deer on this patch of land near the Canadian border, but there I was, watching and waiting, bright and early Saturday morning, Nov. 6.

It felt good to be back.

Looking out the window of the heated stand, which I share with a hunting partner who wasn't even born the last time I opened the deer season here, I think about how little the countryside has changed since that November day in 1985.
I also think about how many things have changed.

As I do every November, I give a silent toast to the "old guard," my dad and uncle Mervin, who were the unofficial leaders of the hunting crew that used to gather for deer season.

Dad died just before Christmas 1992, and the deer license he'd purchased that fall went unused. Mervin followed in 2005, just weeks after he'd shot his last deer at the age of 87.

In many ways, those two old boys were the glue that held the hunting crew together.
Those were the days when hunting deer meant pushing big patches of brush, part of the crew walking through the trees to roust a buck or doe while the rest of the hunters stood "on post" at the perimeter, hoping for a quick shot at any deer that busted from the thicket.

There were eight to 10 of us then, sometimes more, and deer hunting was a social occasion. Friends and relatives still gather, and some drive hundreds of miles, but the hunt today is more of a solitary affair, usually spent waiting in a stand for a deer to come out in its own good time, if at all.

That's not all bad, either, I thought to myself Saturday, grateful for the glowing orange of the propane heater that took the chill out of the morning air.

Then, I flash back to that morning in 1985.

Our crew had already shot a couple of deer when we decided to push a patch of woods -- the same woods my hunting partner and I watched Saturday morning from the window of our stand.

I was still in my early 20s then, not a trace of gray in my hair, and deer hunting was something I could take or leave.

As one of the younger people in our crew, I was relegated to pushing brush most of the time. But on that morning 25 years ago, I had been picked to stand post. My dad was on post at the far corner of the field several hundred yards away.

The hunters pushing the brush had barely entered the woods when I saw them, two large bucks, which busted out of the trees on a direct course for my dad. I watched the whole scene unfold as he raised his rifle.

You can pretty much guess what happened next.

I never fired a shot, but the encounter remains one of my favorite hunting memories, perhaps because it's the last time I hunted deer with my dad.

He was 74 years old at the time, and he made it look easy.

I quit deer hunting after moving to Grand Forks later that fall, deciding I didn't enjoy it enough to shell out the bucks for a nonresident Minnesota license. But I got back into it in 2004, when I joined a friend to hunt his parents' land in northwestern North Dakota.

The next year, I finally tasted success when I shot a big doe south of Petersburg, N.D.
I've shot other deer since then, all in North Dakota. But this year, "coming home" felt right.

No matter where I live, this piece of land will always be home.

And so we waited Saturday morning, my young hunting partner and I, scanning our surroundings for a glimpse of brown to walk into shooting range.

There are no guarantees, of course, but as with deer hunters everywhere, I hope for success.

If it happens, it will have nothing to do with me raising my rifle.

Instead, my hope is that I'll have the privilege of watching a young hunter shoot his first deer -- just as I watched an old hunter shoot two of his last deer 25 years ago.
On this same piece of land.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Posted in Outdoors on Thursday, November 11, 2010 2:00 pm Deer Hunting

http://host.madison.com/sports/recreation/outdoors/article_fe889e86-ed02-11df-9d8e-001cc4c03286.html

Game meats and the hunt for lean November
JENNIFER LARUE HUGET
Thursday, November 11, 2010; T13

 
I have come to rely on lean protein as a cornerstone of my diet: I count on modest portions of beef and pork tenderloin, roasted whole chicken and grilled chicken thighs to keep me feeling full without bogging me down with lots of fat or calories.

I also eat fish, which though not lean contains healthful fats. I'd love to add more meats to that rotation, however. And there's a whole class of food I hadn't considered: game.

Game gets kind of a bad rap. Some people object to the idea of hunting deer, rabbits, waterfowl or other game creatures. Others hate the "gamey" taste. But the locavore movement, paired with a poor economy, has led some folks to embrace hunting as a way of procuring local, healthful and inexpensive meat. And if hunting's not for you, you can always buy farm-raised game at a store or order it from afar.

If you're new to the game game, here are some facts that might interest you:

It's more lean. Game animals, even those raised on ranches, usually get more exercise than farmed domestic animals. That makes their meat leaner, lower in total fat and saturated fat and in calories, compared with much domestic meat. However, most game has about the same amount of cholesterol as domestic meat (though bison, poultry and wild fowl have less, and venison has more), says Melina Jampolis, a San Francisco-based physician and nutritionist. Increased muscle activity also makes game meat darker; older animals' meat is generally darker than younger animals', too, and it tastes a bit stronger.

Venison is especially lean. The fat in venison is stored right under the skin, not marbled into the muscle (which is the meat we eat). Because the fat doesn't taste very good, hunters and butchers usually remove as much of it as they can, says West Virginia hunting instructor Jackson Landers. That makes the already lean meat even leaner. Cooking methods such as marinating and braising aim to boost flavor (which fat imparts to other meats such as beef steaks) and break down muscle fiber so the meat's moist and tender.

It has key vitamins and nutrients. Because hunted game animals and some farmed game have a more varied diet (often grass-based) than typical farm animals such as cows, they usually have more omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory benefits. However, fatty fish such as salmon are better sources of omega-3 fatty acids than game meat is, Jampolis says. Venison and some other game meats are also rich in iron and B vitamins.

It's drug-free. Hunted game is free of added hormones and antibiotics. Hormones aren't used in farm-raised game, but the animals may be given antibiotics. Before the creatures are slaughtered, they have to have been off the antibiotic for at least five days to make sure there's no residual medicine in the meat.

It can be red or white. The USDA considers game birds white meat, though their breast meat is darker than that of domestic chicken and turkey. That's because, unlike those birds, game birds fly. The breast muscles need extra oxygen to do that work, and that oxygen is delivered by red blood cells. The USDA categorizes game mammals as red meat. A protein called myoglobin holds oxygen in the animals' muscles and makes their meat darker in color.

Safe cooking is crucial. Cooking game meat requires the same care as cooking any other meat. Home cooks should use separate knives and cutting boards for meat and clean those tools before and after using them to cut game. Meat should be kept cold (below 40 degrees) and cooked until its internal temperature is at least 160 degrees. Much game benefits from long cooking, which promotes tenderness. For more on safe handling, see a guide on the Food Safety and Inspection Service's Web site ( http://www.fsis.usda.gov/home/index.asp , search "Game From Farm to Table"). Cooked game meat can remain pink even after it has reached that safe temperature, according to the agency, which is part of the USDA.

It can be really cheap. Nick Chaset, a graduate student at Georgetown University and founder of the Bull Moose Hunting Society (with a fledgling chapter in the District), says he can get 50 to 70 pounds of meat from a deer he hunts; calculating the cost of licenses, equipment and butchering, he says that meat ends up costing $1.25 to $1.50 a pound. Compare that with grass-fed, organic beef, he suggests, which can cost $10 a pound or more. It's illegal to sell meat you've hunted, so if you want to realize these savings, you'll have to take up hunting or make friends with a hunter.

It can be really expensive. Store-bought packages can cost upwards - sometimes way upwards - of $15 a pound. You can find fresh or frozen varieties in grocery stores; bison, in particular, has become a popular low-fat choice in the meat case.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/08/AR2010110806242_pf.html

Rock Island to break $30 Million in Sales with December Gun Auction

Moline, IL --(Ammoland.com)- Moline, IL Rock Island Auction Company announces a Premiere Collector’s Firearms Auction to be held December 3, 4 &5 at their facilities in Moline, IL. Rock Island’s September auction was advertised as the premiere auction of the year, and this auction has the potential to surpass that spectacular sale.

This auction is a study in the history of firearms production. This auction encompasses the spectrum of collecting from ancient and early antique European arms to substantial collection of modern sporting arms. The collecting favorites of Winchesters and Colts will be well represented with several of the finest known and low serial numbered examples. Rock Island auction is once again proud to present an incredible selection of military items from the U.S. martial era to U.S. and foreign arms from WWI & WWII. Firearms collectors and history enthusiasts alike are sure to find the right piece to fill their collections.

Several museum quality Colts will be sold in December. Center stage will be the finest known condition original presentation Colt Single Action Army Buntline and stock with Hegeman and Stagecoach Museum provenance. This revolver is accompanied by a notorized letter from Osborne Klavestad from the Stagecoach Museum in Shakopee, Minnesota identifying this revolver by serial number as being one of only two Buntline 16″ revolvers that were set aside to be presented to Colt employees and never appeared on the common market. (The other Buntline is on display at the Hartford Library).

The letter goes on to state that the gun was found hidden behind some books in an estate in Hartford. Mr. Klavestad says in the letter “The Colt Buntline is probably the finest specimen in existence today, being mint, original, unfired and complete with stock.” The revolver was presented to Colt’s head librarian (bookkeeper) in 1895, was part of the J.R. Hegeman collection and then went on to the Stagecoach Museum in Minnesota in 1928. It was then purchased by Mr. Stanwick in 1978 when he passed away in 2001, the family maintained his most prized collectible possession until 2010. Now they have decided to offer this national treasure at no reserve to another caretaker-RIA. This spectacular piece with its incredible provenance, condition and rarity carries a pre-sale estimate of $250,000-500,000.

A comprehensive grouping of over 550 Colts will be offered from the early Patersons through WWII semi-autos and slide action rifles. Seven Patersons will be offered starting with 4 longarms, an exceptional Belt Model revolver No. 2 – Fifth Model Ehlers ($75,000-130,000) and a rare Belt Model No. 3 revolver ($40,000-60,000). Another museum worth piece, holding an estimate of $100,000-200,000 is Colt’s first cartridge revolver, an extraordinary first cartridge production Colt Open Top 44 revolver, serial number 1. The quality continues with a rare Massachusetts marked Colt 2nd Model dragoon revolver that is estimated to bring $60,000-90,000. Continuing through Colt production brings fine single actions featuring a historic Ainsworth-Inspected Colt Single Action Army revolver in 7th Cavalry serial number range with holster and a unique antique Colt Bisley with factory documented inscription, pearl grips and ultra-rare box each carrying a $35,000-55,000 estimate. A spectacular pair of consecutively numbered Denise Therion factory master engraved Colt single action army revolvers with relief carved ivory grips leads a nice selection of engraved 2nd/3rd generation SAA’s.

U.S. military is represented from the Revolutionary War to WWII. The best martial arms collection RIAC has ever offered is well represented by an extremely rare North & Cheney U.S. Model 1799 Flintlock pistol – one of only about 20 surviving examples ($50,000-70,000) and an exceptionally rare S. North dueling pistol from the estate of Simeon North ($35,000-55,000). The December auction also holds two rare Martially marked Elgin Cutlass pistols with pre-sale estimates of $16,000-25,000 (only 150 were ever issued). Nearly 50 martial era rifles and muskets will feature an exceptional extremely rare Harpers Ferry Model 1841 Rifle with Merrill breech-loading alteration and a rare early production marked Wickham Model 1816 musket with Gloucester Brigade (New Jersey) markings and history. Other manufacturers include Springfield Armory U.S., Remington Arms, R. Johnson and many more!

A rare piece of history is found in a massive documented historic U.S. Garrison flag that was flown at the Lincoln-Douglass debate at Knox College in Galesburg, IL. The October 7th, 1858 was a part of a series of debates that focused on slavery in the expanding U.S. They set the stage for Lincoln to take up residence in the White House in 1860 and reflected the fierce ideological debates that led to a civil war. The flag measures a massive 12’6” x 20’6” and now has a total of 36 stars, 3 were added after the historic debate.

The outstanding Civil War Arms will provide a nice selection of Confederate Arms including a very rare Confederate J.P. Murray percussion rifle. Over 100 Civil War arms will also include a fine carbines featuring an extremely rare Jenks-Merrill breech loading percussion carbine, one of only 300 produced. A magnificent cased Civil War presentation model 1850 Staff & Field Officer sword with silver figural hilt, inscription which reads “Presented to Capt. Jacob W. Clark/by members of the 59th Regt. N.Y.V.” is expected to fetch $25,000–35,000.

Moving through history brings a nice selection of trapdoors, Krag rifles and Colt early autos from the Indian Wars, Spanish-American War and WWI. Notable examples include an outstanding Springfield Armory Model 1875 U.S. trapdoor officer’s rifle ($25,000–37,500) and rare and desirable U.S. Springfield rod bayonet Model 1903 rifle ($9,000-20,000). An exceptional Colt Model 1902 (Military) Automatic pistol estimated at $11,000–18,000 is just one of the 100 Colt early autos in this auction.
The U.S. WWII items in this sale are amazing including a historic A-2 flight jacket of General Douglas A. MacArthur, a true American hero ($100,000-200,000) and a historical “one-of-a-kind” serial number “1” Singer Mfg. M1911 Semi-Automatic Pistol ($55,000-95,000), one of two Singers in this auction. A magnificent one-of-a-kind “turn-key” display of an all original WWII Winchester “T3” Carbine with original first pattern M-2 infrared sniper scope and accessories carries a $15,000-30,000 estimate. This section will also bring two rare Savage Military model 1907 semi-automatic trial pistols to the auction block.

Part II of the William Ashby collection leads yet another astounding selection of WWI & WWII European and Japanese Military including over 50 sniper rifles, 15 Krieghoff Lugers, over 50 pp/ppk pistols and 13 rare Bergman pistols. Some German highlights include a factory engraved, gold inlaid Walther model PP pistol with presentation NSFK dagger and capture papers ($10,000-20,000), an exceptional WWII Nazi K98 Mauser Turret style sniper rifle with Schneider scope ($12,000-16,000) and an extremely rare engraved WWII “50th Birthday” presentation Vierling from “Die Fuhrer to the Group Commanders of the Supply Troops” 1943 ($10,000-30,000). Other European Military includes a beautiful “One-of-a-kind” serial number 0034 “1936 dated” Polish RADOM Model V15 35 presentation pistol with gold inlaid slide inscription. Japanese Military includes 3 Baby Nambu’s, rifles, and an outstanding, complete all matching WWII “Grandpa Nambu Pistol Rig” with matching magazine and super rare matching combination wooden shoulder stock/holster and leather shoulder strap with an estimate of $16,000-25,000.

German memorabilia is also a noteworthy section in this auction including a scarce Nazi general officers uniform set with jacket, hat, pants, belt and boots and a Nazi Knights Cross to the Iron Cross with presentation case and papers. A highly attractive Prussian Gardes Du Corps helmet holds a pre-auction estimate of $10,000-15,000.
There are over 250 Winchesters, spanning over 100 years of Winchester production from the Volcanic Pistol through the Model 70 bolt-action rifle. This auction has 8 Henry Rifles and 4 Volcanic pistols; a $95,000-140,000 estimate is on an exceptionally fine iron frame Henry lever action rifle and a scarce New Haven Arms Co., Volcanic lever action No. 2 Navy pistol is valued at $12,000-17,000. A magnificent, factory documented Winchester Model 1886 deluxe 50 express take down lever action rifle ($30,000-50,000) and an exceptional late production Winchester Model 1873 saddle ring carbine ($27,500-40,000) are just two of the many lever actions in this sale. Winchester sporting is strong with a scarce Pre-64 Winchester Model 70 super grade bolt action rifle in 220 Swift, with scope ($2,000-3,000) and an exceptional Winchester Model 21 Grand American 28 gauge double barrel shotgun ($20,000-30,000), one of 14 Model 21’s in this auction.

Sporting arms continue with a nice selection of shotguns, rifles and pistols. A $30,000-60,000 estimate is on an engraved Stephen Grant sidelock double barrel shotgun, and a Special Order Spectacular Engraved Gold Inlaid Exhibition Grade Two Barrel Set 16 and 20 Gauge A. H. Fox Double Barrel Shotgun is estimated at $30,000-50,000. A scarce Parker CHE Grade 16 Gauge Double Barrel Shotgun is expected to bring $5,000-8,000, 1 of 20 Parker shotguns in this sale. Sporting rifles are led by a cased extremely rare Jeffery double barrel rifle in 600 nitro express caliber ($25,000-45,000). Other manufactures are well represented including Browning, Krieghoff, A.H. Fox, Westley Richards and Holland & Holland.

The 1100 plus antique arms include Japanese Matchlocks, Wheellocks and Miquelets. Rarity and quality are exemplified in an extremely rare 16th century Dutch child’s Wheellock pistol with ivory stock and a magnificent ornate silver and gold inlaid Japanese matchlock estimated at $40,000-60,000 and $7,500-15,000 respectively. The December Sale will offer over 30 Kentucky rifles featuring a rare and exceptional “Transitional” Kentucky rifle with Kindig authenticity letter estimated at $20,000-40,000 and an extremely rare John Armstrong Golden Age Kentucky rifle carrying an estimate of $15,000-30,000.

Nearly 200 outstanding French, Belgian and English flintlock pistols featuring fancy engraved examples, cased dueling pistols and more! Estimated to bring $60,000-80,000, is a magnificent historical cased pair of Howdah pistols belonging to Daniel O’Connell “The Liberator” of Ireland. Also crossing the auction block is a pair of rare, 17th century, Dutch ivory-stocked Wender flintlock pistols with carved Turk’s head pommels ($22,500-40,000).

The December auction contains many fine derringers, pepperboxes and curio-type pistols including a pair of factory engraved Colt third model derringers with presentation case ($14,000-22,500) and engraved Remington type II over and under derringer pistol with case ($9,500-13,000).

In its entirety, over 2700 quality lots will be offered December 3rd, 4th & 5th by Rock Island Auction Company. There is something for nearly every level of collector and certainly many genres of firearms to choose from. The December auction is catalogued in a full-color two-volume catalogue, which can be ordered through the mail ($60) or viewed online at www.rockislandauction.com. Rock Island Auction Company is currently seeking consignments for their upcoming auctions.
About:
Rock Island Auction Company has been solely owned and operated by Patrick Hogan. This company was conceived on the idea that both the sellers and buyers should be completely informed and provided a professional venue for a true auction. After working with two other auction companies, Mr. Hogan began Rock Island Auction in 1993. Rock Island Auction Company has grown to be one of the top firearms auction houses in the nation. Under Mr. Hogan’s guidance the company has experienced growth each and every year; and he is the first to say it is his staff’s hard work and determination that have yielded such results. Visit: http://www.rockislandauction.com/?ammoland

More States Add Youth hunting laws

By John S. Adams, USA TODAY

 

HELENA, Mont. — When Knox Semenza headed into the Highwood Mountains of north central Montana with his father last month, he had visions of shooting his first mule deer buck.

 

Knox, 12, a first-time deer hunter from Great Falls, Mont., took advantage of the state's first youth-only hunt, a special two-day deer season open only to hunters ages 12 to 15 who had passed a hunter safety course and were accompanied by an adult mentor who is not hunting.

A few minutes into the hunt, he stumbled upon his chance to shoot a "monster buck."

"We came over the hill, and there was a huge buck down in the coulee, so we waited until I got a shot at it," Knox said.

His father, Dirk, at his side, Knox squeezed the trigger on his new 7mm-08 Remington rifle and downed the 160-pound animal with a single shot.

EVEN DURING RECESSION: Hunting remains bulletproof industry

"I think I was more excited than he was," Dirk Semenza said. "It was amazing."

Wildlife managers across the country hope to replicate experiences like that as more states add youth-only seasons to their hunting calendars.

Thirty states — including Vermont this year — have passed youth-friendly hunting legislation since 2004, according to National Shooting Sports Foundation spokesman Bill Brassard. Families Afield and the sports foundation began lobbying states in 2004 to create more opportunities for young hunters. Some states, including Montana, already had some form of young-hunter program, Brassard says.

Families Afield's latest report showed that since 2005, more than 418,000 apprentice hunting licenses for deer, upland birds, turkey and waterfowl have been sold in the USA. The report was based on 24 states and found an increase of 100,000 apprentice hunting licenses in 2009.

"Most people today in (state) departments of conservation and wildlife and parks realize that youth are the future of our sport," says Jack Moore, president of the National Youth Hunting Association. "They are truly the future of wildlife and habitat conservation in America."

Some wildlife advocates argue against sending younger children out in the field.

Joe Miele, president of the Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting based in Las Cruces, N.M., opposes the idea because he says it encourages youth to take part in an inherently violent activity.

"These youth hunts are a part of the violent culture that we don't need to be breeding," Miele says. "It's unnecessary violence in every case. The world is already a very violent place."

Miele says he has collected and analyzed media reports of hunting-related accidents for the past six years, and during that time, the number of reports involving children 17 years old and younger hasn't significantly increased.

Megan Sewell of the Humane Society of the United States' Wildlife Abuse Campaign, maintains there is the potential for problems.

"Lowering the minimum hunting age places children and those hunting with them in unnecessary danger," she says.

Among the states that have added or increased special youth hunting seasons and regulations:

•Nebraska discounted youth hunting license fees this year to $5 to further encourage youth participation, says Kit Hams of the state Game and Parks Commission.

•Kansas expanded its youth big-game season this year from two to nine days, says Mike Miller of the state Department of Wildlife and Parks.

•North Dakota changed its youth hunting rules this year to allow 12- and 13-year-olds to hunt does during the youth-only season.

A deer hunting season for 14- and 15-year-olds has been in place since the late 1990s. More than 2,000 youngsters participate each year, says Randy Kreil, chief of the Wildlife Division for the state's Game and Fish Department.

"The goal of the program was to introduce young people into the sport of deer hunting in a non-competitive and relaxed situation where the adult mentor isn't hunting and can focus their full attention on helping the young person learn," Kreil says.

Dirk Semenza says Montana's youth-only season was a great opportunity to introduce his son to the sport in a safe, non-competitive environment.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-11-01-young-hunters_N.htm

Dirks: Hunting predators is a great challenge

Published: 2:00 AM - 11/09/10

Young Sean Chaffee of Slate Hill often hunts while most of us are either asleep or inside.

While big-game hunting gets all the media attention and seemingly all fall glory, Chaffee enjoys a hunt that you rarely hear about.

It could be called the hunting version of the quiet sport, the same as fly-fishing. To Chaffee, who loves all things outdoors, predator hunting is the icing on the cake.

Much predator hunting takes place at night, when coyotes and bobcats are most active.

"Hunting at night is so much different than hunting in the daylight," said Chaffee. "Not only do you need a light to see, but you also need to know distances. Nighttime makes hunting so much harder due to misconception of actual distance to the animal. A shot that is in reality 30 yards may sometimes seem like it is 60 yards."

Chaffee, who has been predator hunting for four years, noted that this season was one of his most successful. In late October, Chaffee and a friend did an early morning hunt instead of their usual nighttime hunt.

"We had two coyotes come in, but we were unfortunately unable to get a shot at them," he said. "Minutes later, I spotted a bobcat 160 yards away on a stonewall. Needless to say, I made a nice clean shot on her with my Remington R-15 in the .223-caliber with my 'coyote special' scope on it. She weighed 35 pounds. It was a hunt me my hunting partner will never forget. I have never seen a bobcat in the woods before and it was so cool to have put the time into hunting predators day and night."

Predator hunting may not be as popular as big-game hunting, but the challenges are great. Coyotes, bobcats and foxes are very savvy animals that will take flight at the slightest hint of danger. Even with the advantage of being able to use mechanical calling devices that precisely mimic the animals that predators will eat, it's a tough act to follow.

Given the large number of coyotes that linger throughout our region, it would only help to have a few more hard-core predator hunters like Chaffee out in the woods.

Pit bull bird dog?

When most hunters think of bird dogs, they think of Brittany, Labradors, English pointers, and golden retrievers. For Kevin Carney, his pit bull fits the bird dog bill nicely.

"My springer got hurt the first week and can't bird hunt for two more weeks," he said. "I like to hunt woodcock and have my son's pit bull, Phatty, that will hunt birds. He has been tagging along for the last eight years. Well, he has been put to the test this year. I've taken six pheasant and five woodcock with him this year. He has flushed over a dozen pheasant and at least 40 woodcock this year. He isn't big on retrieving, but will hold a wounded bird with his foot for you."

David Dirks' outdoors column appears weekly. Contact him through his website, http://www.dirksoutdoors.com/.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101109/SPORTS/11090336/-1/SITEMAP

Citizenship for Guns in Tennessee

Snark Bites: Gun-rights advocates demand citizenship for firearms

By Scott McNutt

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Governor-elect Bill Haslam's support of employees bringing handguns on their employers' property and his willingness to sign legislation doing away with handgun permits has gun enthusiasts clamoring for more. Encouraged by the Knoxville mayor's campaign statements on loosening gun restrictions, a gun-rights group is demanding that Haslam grant citizenship to all guns in Tennessee - even the illegal ones.

After Haslam's election victory Tuesday, Will Popakapeneu, spokesperson for GUARDDOG (Gunners United to Advance the Rights, Divine and Decreed, of Our Guns), tried to present Haslam with a proclamation decreeing citizenship for guns.

"GUARDDOG supports full citizenship for our friend, the firearm," Popakapeneu said. "We believe that all guns are created equal, that they are endowed by their creators with certain unalienable rights, and that additional rights can be decreed for them. Since America was built on the blood, threat and fears of firearms, and since guns have resided here for generations by our sides, they deserve the same rights as other residents. It's the height of hypocrisy to have them licensed like dogs for the privilege of going openly in our state."

Haslam spokeswoman Dee Seaver declined to accept the proclamation, saying that the governor-elect felt addressing guns' citizenship was "premature." She added that Haslam's remarks on handgun permits had been misconstrued, describing his position as "far more nuanced than the mayor's words might have led some to believe."

Asked if she could clarify what "nuanced" meant in the context of Haslam's statement that he would sign legislation ending handgun licensure if it were presented to him, Seaver replied that she was "using it in the sense that Mayor Haslam told an audience something it wanted to hear, not necessarily something he actually meant."

Undaunted, GUARDDOG members said they their crusade for guns' rights would continue. Group member Gunsel Gaddam said Haslam's endorsement of employees bringing guns to their employers' parking lots wasn't enough.

"Allowing guns in parking lots isn't sufficient - My gun needs to be wherever I am, because guns are deeply insecure," he explained. "Do you know that guns are frequently targeted in home burglaries? So they're right to feel insecure about their safety. That's right, guns having feelings, too. For instance, mine feels cold and lethal in my grasp just now. But by itself, it just feels cold and lonely. So guns should no more be left alone than toddlers should be. It's cruel and unusual to separate gun enthusiasts and their charges."

Popakapeneu said it was disrespectful of guns' contributions to American culture to deprive them of citizenship.

"Consider guns' place in our history," he urged. "Where would America be today if the pilgrims had tried to conquer the natives with flinty resolve instead of flintlocks, if Prescott of Bunker Hill had ordered, 'Don't shoot the breeze until you see the whites of their eyes,' or John Wayne had shot Liberty Valance only a look that could kill? Granting guns citizenship simply recognizes that guns are fundamental to our way of life. Besides, legally or illegally, they're everywhere, and citizenship will fully integrate them into society."

Gaddam added that whether guns were in Tennessee legally or illegally, all should be candidates for citizenship.

"Guns in Tennessee illegally are like immigrants dragged to the U.S. in the white slave trade," he said. "They shouldn't be punished for crimes their captors force them to commit. They should be afforded the same chance to do some honest shooting that legal guns possess."

Seaver said the governor-elect had listened to GUARDDOG's proposals but was favoring a "Don't ask, don't tell" policy on guns' rights.


Humorist Scott McNutt may be reached at scott@scottmcnutt.com

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/nov/06/gun-rights-advocates-demand-citizenship-for/

Michigan Deer Season Outlook

Deer hunting in U.P. will be mixed

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20101107/SPORTS/11070310/Deer-hunting-in-U-P-will-be-mixed

Gannett News Service • November 7, 2010
MARQUETTE - In the Upper Peninsula, success in the 2010 firearms deer season will depend largely on whether hunters are in the exposed, gnarly finger poking east from Munising or the sheltered "banana belt" of the southwest.

The narrow eastern projection between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, about 60 miles at its widest, was battered by two vicious winters and heavy snowfall in 2007-08 and 2008-09. Biologists figure those winters killed about 50-percent of the fawn crop and large numbers of mature bucks.

The exceptionally mild U.P. winter of 2009-2010 wasn't enough to give deer numbers there time to recover, and the kill in the eastern U.P. is expected to be about the same as last year - very low.

It's a different story in the southwestern counties - Iron, Dickinson, Menominee and Delta - where geography and geology combine to block the worst of the winds and snow squalls that whistle off Lake Superior.

There biologists say that not only should hunters kill more deer than last season (admittedly a slow one), but also they should see more deer and bucks with better antler development.

In the northwestern U.P., in the Lake Superior watershed west of Marquette, expectations are about as low as usual, with few deer and few hunters. But the rare buck often has a good rack because there's little competition for food.
About 96,000 people hunted the regular firearms season in the U.P. last year, 74,000 in the western counties and 22,000 in the east. They killed 19,179 antlered bucks and 5,800 antlerless deer. (This year there will be almost no antlerless permits issued outside of Drummond Island.)

The disparity between the two halves of the peninsula is illustrated by the buck kill - 16,516 in the west (a success rate of 22-percent) and 2,663 in the east (12-percent). And the effect of two brutal winters also is borne out by statistics, which from 2008 to 2009 showed a 24.5-percent drop in the deer kill in the western U.P. and a stunning 55-percent in the east.

For 23 years, Walter Rauch of Redford Township has spent three or four weekends before the firearms season bow hunting on a 60-acre property his family owns near Newberry.

"Last year was so bad I almost didn't come up this year," he said. "Now I wish I hadn't. I've seen one fawn in six days of sitting with a bow. I hate to break the tradition, but instead of coming up here for the first week of the gun season, I'm going to accept an invitation from some friends to hunt in Washtenaw County."

Terry Minzey, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment wildlife supervisor for the eastern U.P., said, "We're missing three-year classes of bucks, the 31/2, 21/2 and 11/2. They really got hurt by those two bad winters. The survival rate was good going into last winter, and the bucks that are out there should have good antler development, but the numbers are down about 50-percent from 2008."
Minzey can sympathize because he hunts at a camp "just north of Ishpeming, and my observation is that there aren't many deer there."

While hunter numbers in the U.P. have dropped about 30-percent in the past 20 years, Minzey said deer camp surveys show no relationship between the number of bucks killed and the number of hunters, but a strong relationship between the number of deer seen and the number of hunters.

"In 1935, 55-percent of the bucks killed in the U.P. were 31/2 or older," he said. "Today, only 5-percent make it to that age. Now we have three times as many hunters, and in the 1930s most people were shooting simpler guns without scopes. They didn't have four-wheelers to get them into every corner of deer country, and they didn't have compound bows and crossbows. All of those things have helped reduce the age structure of the bucks.

"We've become efficient at killing bucks as soon as they are legal. And in areas where deer are sparse, hunters are far less likely to pass on bucks and to kill the first deer they see."

Robert Doepker, Minzey's counterpart in the western U.P., sympathized: "It sounds like it's pretty bleak over there. But we're predicting an improvement over last year.

"What I'm hearing (from archers) is that people are seeing more deer, and a good proportion of them were bucks. Last winter was the mildest in 30 years as far as snowfall. Normally, we lose 50-percent of the fawns in winter. Last year I'd say it was 20-percent, and more mature bucks made it through."

The bottom line seems to be that if you plan to hunt the Upper Peninsula: Go West.