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Not an archery screw-up but instructive nonetheless, I think:
Second day of our firearms deer season a few years back, I switched location from my first-day spot near my home to another one some twenty miles north of here. I was ready and willing to shoot any adult deer that offered itself, as both antlered and antlerless deer were permissible the first two days.
Only after coming home empty-handed that second day did I remember that in moving locations, I had crossed into an adjacent wildlife management unit that now allowed antlerless deer hunting only on the first day. There had been a regulation change that year for the unit in question. I knew about it full well, but it had slipped my mind for what could have been one fateful and regrettable day. 😳
in reply to: Tularemia and Hunting Safety #26130It’s been about fifty years since my mother, a medical technologist in the days when rabbits played a large role in a certain test, who had also consumed a fair number of rabbits during a Depression-era childhood, gave me two rules to follow:
1. Never field dress or otherwise handle the raw meat without gloves.
2. Cook it well.
I’m disinclined to start rebelling any time soon.
David Petersen wrote: Easier, low-skilled weapons attract more, lower skilled hunters, who nonetheless kill more game and before we know it our archery seasons are threatened with being restricted due unsustainable kill numbers.
Yup. Hence the “… something might be gaining on you” in the title of this thread.
in reply to: It's getting CLOSE! #596342012 SPRING GOBBLER SEASON LOOKS GOOD FOR N.H. TURKEY HUNTERS
CONCORD, N.H. — It should be a good spring season for New Hampshire’s turkey hunters, says New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Turkey Biologist Ted Walski. The spring gobbler season opens Thursday, May 3, and runs through Thursday, May 31, statewide. New Hampshire’s Youth Turkey Hunt Weekend occurs the weekend before the season opens, this year taking place on Saturday, April 28, and Sunday, April 29.
Both turkeys and deer are “happy campers” in much of the state, after enjoying one of the mildest winters in recent memory. Except for an unusual October snowstorm, there was little meaningful snowfall. The fall mast crop was good, providing an abundance of acorns, beechnuts, apples, white ash seeds and various other seeds and fruits. Turkeys were displaying and gobbling to some degree almost all winter, Walski says. With good mobility and easy access to natural foods, turkeys tended to stay in smaller family groups during the winter months, rather than congregating in large flocks at farms and birdfeeders.
Walski predicts a reasonably good turkey harvest this spring, in the range of 4,000 gobblers. He reports that numerous groups of turkeys have been observed throughout their range in the state. During the 2011 spring gobbler season, New Hampshire hunters harvested a total of 3,672 turkeys.
Hunters should be sure to get out and do some scouting this spring, says Walski. The hot weather we experienced in March inspired turkeys to early thoughts of romance. Walski reports seeing quite a bit of displaying and gobbling. “I would expect earlier than normal nesting and hatching out of turkeys, grouse, woodcock and even rabbits this year,” said Walski. “This may benefit turkey hunters because more hens will be incubating and out of circulation when the regular season starts on May 3. With fewer live hens to capture the toms’ attention, they may be more interested in answering hunters’ calls.”
Walski also recommends driving some early morning “gobbling routes” before the season begins. Start about a half-hour before daybreak. Stop at one-half to one-mile intervals along a 5- to 10-mile route in the region you intend to hunt; get out of the vehicle and listen for gobbling turkeys and drumming grouse for four minutes at each stop.”
in reply to: Critter Stories #23896I was walking with my dog in a Minnesota state park and heard a godawful racket nearby. It sounded like a large animal might have been tangled in some fence wire. I kept the dog close to me and approached very cautiously. It was two gobblers, doing their dead level best to beat the crap out of the other. Until I saw them, the sounds had me looking for something the size of a deer.
in reply to: It's getting CLOSE! #18307Saw a big gobbler strutting and displaying to a group of hens yesterday in the summer-like heat. It would be interesting to know whether an early spring can advance the breeding cycle in the hens. We have no snow left and these birds were looking very healthy.
in reply to: Where Would You Live? #17062Any part of Alaska that is not Barrow, Bethel or Squarebanks.
in reply to: How Was Your Winter? #8754When I see winter this year, I’ll let you know. 😥
We just drove from NH to MN and back this past week. Most snow we saw was the few inches in our front yard when we left. Bare ground in western NY (Syracuse, Buffalo, etc.) Bare ground all the way to MN, where we saw a couple of inches at most.
NH moose permits for the 2012 season will probably be cut to half what they were just a few years ago. The winter ticks have been hammering the moose population during these warm winters. The southern limit of moose range might just slide north across the border during my lifetime.
in reply to: Helle knife kit #54032If you have a Norwegian version, send it to me with the English and I’ll see whether something has been garbled. (I translate the Scandinavian languages for a living. I’ll take a free look for you.)
On the general subject of all things Helle, there’s an excellent forum dedicated to “Scandinavian” knives at Scandinavian Forum. I use quote marks because Finnish knives are well-represented there as well, but Finland is not part of Scandinavia. The people on that forum are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Many of them are knifemakers and know way more about this stuff than any human should.
in reply to: Who Hunts Alone Most of the Time? #45097Are there actually people out there who hunt with others? 😉
Started going in the woods alone at five years of age. It’s a hard habit to break and shows no sign of abating.
in reply to: "The Grey" #37148DAbersold wrote: The Grey? Quite possibly the worst movie I have ever seen, and I’m one of those guys who generally like movies others don’t. Complete waste of several thousand heartbeats, unless you like foul language, poor CG animation, bad acting, and a terrible story line. If you like THAT kind of movie, this one rocked! 😕
Thanks to kjlarson and DAbersold for saving me $12 and the time it would take to drive sixty miles round trip and see this flick. Leaves more time and money for making arrows. 😀
in reply to: Tent Recommendations #31689donthomas wrote: Agree completely with Chad. The first decision point in tent selection depends on whether or not you’ll be carrying it on your back. If you are, I have had the same Moss 2-man mountain tent for over 30 years. It’s cramped for two, but you can do it. Weighs about 6#, holds up well in wind. I don’t even know if it’s available anymore. Mine has saved my bacon more than once while hunting above timberline.
Bad news, good news, good news:
Bad: Moss tents are no longer available.
Good: The folks at MSR (maker of the aforementioned Hubba Hubba) have the patents and know what to do with them.
Good 2 (yeah, the pun is intentional): Expert repairs on Moss, MSR, Walrus (another revered name of this ilk) and Armadillo (???) tents are available from the ex-Moss folks at Tent Repair Services in Camden, Maine.
in reply to: Tent Recommendations #30709wideangle alteady gave you my first recommendation. It’s one of the best in its class. Look around for occasional sales on it. You might also look at Sierra Designs for this category.
FWIW, I’ve been using tents in the manner you describe for forty years. and I sold backpacking tents for five years as well.
in reply to: A whole new take on ethics #20270If there’s a buck to be made, some will always seize that chance, regardless of the consequences to others. Or in other words: Radix malorum est cupiditas.
in reply to: How Many Over 55 #39391I have a couple years on you, Steve, and I have a couple of bows, 48 and 55. I try to shoot both equally. I’ve always thought of 55 as an ideal weight in a hunting bow. It’s like the middle Goldilocks porridge for me — “Just right”.
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