Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Gulf Coast Wetland & Waterfowl Update- Foremost Hunting Podcast
Gulf Coast Wetland & Waterfowl Update
Oct 26th, 2010 by foremosthunting
Foremosthunting.com’s Chris Larsen visits with Ducks Unlimited Gulf Response Team Lead Scientist, Dr. Tom Moorman. Topics discussed include the effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on the coastal wetlands, how ducks are affected, and the relationship between the oil industry and gulf coast habitat.
Monday, October 25, 2010
2010 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Outlook
Foremost Hunting has just published a great peice on hunting deer in Wisconsin in 2010. The article includes some great info on public hunting grounds in Wisconsin as well. Read the 2010 Wisconsin Deer Hunting Outlook (Just in time for the rut)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Blaze Orange Turkey Hunting & The World's Fastest Deer Hunt
I’ve had this past weekend marked on the calendar for a long time. It would be an opportunity to hunt the fall turkey season, shoot a deer during the antlerless season, and get our cabin ready for the traditional gun deer season and the upcoming winter. The plan would be to hunt turkeys in the morning and hunt deer in the evenings. It was too warm for a deer to hang during the day. An evening shoot would provide an overnight cooling period before butchering the animal the following day. The problem was one member of our group couldn’t make it to camp the first evening so we decided to hunt turkeys that afternoon.
We headed out to an area that we know holds fall turkeys. Sure enough as we approached, 15 birds evacuated the area. No problem. We’ll wait for them to come back. Of course, it never happened. But we saw some deer and decided to call it a night early so our turkeys could make it back to their roost without being pestered.
The following morning, two guys set up in a feeding area and two of us were on a known turkey trail. I’ve killed turkeys in this spot before and have seen several flocks use this route to go from the roost to the feeding areas. It took a while but I finally saw some turkeys hopping out of the trees around 7:30 AM. They purred a bit after they jumped down. But instead of making their way to us, they went the other way. You see, we were wearing blaze orange.
I had never turkey hunted during the weekend of the antlerless deer hunt. After inspecting the regulations, it was discovered that blaze orange was required. Deer are essentially color blind and look for movement or odd shapes to elude predators. Turkeys on the other hand can see color just fine. They see everything two dimensionally, so depth of field is not a strong point. But color and detail they get. So needless to say, our turkey hunts were total washouts. We tried to work the terrain and jump shoot but they never presented a responsible shot. Turkeys escape from predators 365 days a year. Us modern day humans act as predators for maybe 30 days a year. That’s all you need to know about our blaze orange turkey hunt.
We had two antlerless deer tags to fill. In Southwest Wisconsin, you have to shoot an antlerless deer before you can shoot a buck. Deer densities are high and the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease is real. The Wisconsin DNR holds an antlerless only gun deer season in October so hunters can fulfill their antlerless requirement before opening day of the traditional gun deer season.
We closed the cattle gate behind the cabin and started walking to our intended stand around 3:30 PM. The hike was a short one. Less than 50 yards past the gate, a deer fed on berries in a clearing. We went to our knees and made the shot. This hunt didn’t last more than five minutes. The deer piled up ten yards into the woods. It was the fastest deer hunt I have ever been a part of. For more, check out the link.
After the deer was field dressed and hanging in the cool garage, we headed deeper into the woods toward our intended stand site. There are deer lurking behind every ridge in this area and you have to walk slow and watch for movement. We found our spot and hunkered down behind a fallen tree. We spotted a deer almost immediately, but she never offered a clean shot. The woods is thick with timber and vegetation and wounding a deer was not part of the game plan. We let her walk and waited for more. But no more deer arrived. The corn surrounding our little patch of deer hunter’s heaven is still standing. That standing corn provides plenty of cover and food. Daytime temperatures were warm and deer just weren’t ready to move yet. But we’ve got some venison in our bellies and in the freezer. I’ll call it a great weekend!
I’ll post an updated outdoor report later this week.
-Chris
We headed out to an area that we know holds fall turkeys. Sure enough as we approached, 15 birds evacuated the area. No problem. We’ll wait for them to come back. Of course, it never happened. But we saw some deer and decided to call it a night early so our turkeys could make it back to their roost without being pestered.
The following morning, two guys set up in a feeding area and two of us were on a known turkey trail. I’ve killed turkeys in this spot before and have seen several flocks use this route to go from the roost to the feeding areas. It took a while but I finally saw some turkeys hopping out of the trees around 7:30 AM. They purred a bit after they jumped down. But instead of making their way to us, they went the other way. You see, we were wearing blaze orange.
I had never turkey hunted during the weekend of the antlerless deer hunt. After inspecting the regulations, it was discovered that blaze orange was required. Deer are essentially color blind and look for movement or odd shapes to elude predators. Turkeys on the other hand can see color just fine. They see everything two dimensionally, so depth of field is not a strong point. But color and detail they get. So needless to say, our turkey hunts were total washouts. We tried to work the terrain and jump shoot but they never presented a responsible shot. Turkeys escape from predators 365 days a year. Us modern day humans act as predators for maybe 30 days a year. That’s all you need to know about our blaze orange turkey hunt.
We had two antlerless deer tags to fill. In Southwest Wisconsin, you have to shoot an antlerless deer before you can shoot a buck. Deer densities are high and the threat of Chronic Wasting Disease is real. The Wisconsin DNR holds an antlerless only gun deer season in October so hunters can fulfill their antlerless requirement before opening day of the traditional gun deer season.
We closed the cattle gate behind the cabin and started walking to our intended stand around 3:30 PM. The hike was a short one. Less than 50 yards past the gate, a deer fed on berries in a clearing. We went to our knees and made the shot. This hunt didn’t last more than five minutes. The deer piled up ten yards into the woods. It was the fastest deer hunt I have ever been a part of. For more, check out the link.
After the deer was field dressed and hanging in the cool garage, we headed deeper into the woods toward our intended stand site. There are deer lurking behind every ridge in this area and you have to walk slow and watch for movement. We found our spot and hunkered down behind a fallen tree. We spotted a deer almost immediately, but she never offered a clean shot. The woods is thick with timber and vegetation and wounding a deer was not part of the game plan. We let her walk and waited for more. But no more deer arrived. The corn surrounding our little patch of deer hunter’s heaven is still standing. That standing corn provides plenty of cover and food. Daytime temperatures were warm and deer just weren’t ready to move yet. But we’ve got some venison in our bellies and in the freezer. I’ll call it a great weekend!
I’ll post an updated outdoor report later this week.
-Chris
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Goose Hunting, Unbridled Ambition, And Upper Midwest Field Reports
We’re getting pretty busy here at foremost hunting.com. Over the weekend the crew filmed a goose hunt in North Central Wisconsin. The morning started with a team effort of stuffing field blinds with natural cover. We packed the blinds with clover and set decoys for the morning flight.
As sunrise peaked over the horizon we began hearing the sounds of dozens of sand hill cranes erupting from their slumber. As the cranes lifted off a distant pond the flutter of mallard wings overhead excited the young men in the layout blinds. But the ducks were not willing to give us any shooting. A half hour later the honks of an incoming flock of geese signaled the moment we were waiting for. This group of 20 Canadians gave us a hard look and descended to within 40 yards. A lot of people would have taken this shot. I had never hunted with most of these guys and was impressed with their patience. It has been a while since I’ve hunted with a large group of college age men. Probably since I was in college. These guys made me feel better about the future of our civilization. They were responsible gun handlers, patient and skilled hunters, and as I would find out later, strong and determined.
The first flock decided to pass on our faux flock. But not long after another group was on it’s way. As this flock circled, yet another contingent of geese passed over the hardwood forest and dropped down to field level on it’s way to our dekes. These birds twisted and contorted on their way down. It was clearly evident they were coming in. Just as safeties were being clicked off, disaster struck. Two geese snapped off the main flock and practically fell into the spread. As their feet came down, the shot was called and the geese were dispatched. The opportunity for a flock shoot with seven guns firing a true 21 shot salute into the air would have to wait. In retrospect, it was a great decision. Two in the hand is worth four in the bush right? The entire flock could have seen something they didn’t like and we would have never had the opportunity to shoot anything. This is the debate waterfowl hunters will be having for eternity.
After a flurry of goose action, things slowed down. The decision was made to go check the pond the birds were roosting on. The group headed for the water haunt of these flocks to see just how many were left on the water. As we approached the cattail swamp surrounding the swamp, the contrast of my experience and their determination was on display. The young men wanted to push forward to see if they could get a crack at the few birds remaining on the pond. I have suffered the consequences of sneak attacks such as this one and found a tower blind to climb into and watch the operation.
They pushed forward into the cattail marsh but I could see the going was tough. They were able to get within 50 yards of open water but were standing in knee deep water and muck. Attempts to call ducks to their position got a few birds off the water but not close enough to shoot. It was probably a good thing. Extricating a duck from thick cattails and knee deep water would have been a tall order.
We shot a few geese. But it was a lot of fun to witness these guys work together with fearlessness. For the most part young guys haven’t failed enough to have doubt… especially about themselves. Not that I am an old man, but I feel as though sometimes we miss out on adventure because we believe it’s not possible. Young people don’t think like that and it’s quite refreshing to be around that type of attitude.
This week, I’ll be back in the woods. anterless gun deer season begins Thursday in Wisconsin. We’ll be in the woods pursuing deer Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If we tag out early, we’ll chase down some fall turkeys. Should be a blast. I’ll tell you all about it next week!
Field Reports
Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer, Nick Haas, says the recent heat wave has really slowed down deer traffic in Northern Wisconsin. Deer are bedding down during the day and moving mostly at night and in the mornings.
The heat didn’t stop James Appel from bagging a gorgeous buck in Northwest Wisconsin. We filmed a muzzleloader elk hunt with James in early September. He took a nice 6x6 bull and less than a month later arrowed this buck. He’s having a tremendous season!
Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer, Tyler Hinner filed this report:
Bucks are still in their bachelor groups, but that should change in the next week or so. They are starting to get the "itch". I've seen some deer starting to kick around the dirt making small scrapes and playing with their horns on limbs. The woods is super loud with the fresh leaves on the ground. I don't think you would see a scrape if it was there. It doesn't look like we will have a weather change until later this week and lows in the mid 40's won’t help. A hunter’s best bet would be to find an acorn producing oak ridge. Some corn fields are being cut around town by me, and deer are readily seen on the field edges during daylight hours. Grouse numbers seem to be down this year, but it is on the downward slope of their 10 year cycle. Family groups of geese are combining for some nice size flocks this time of year. But I haven't seen many migratory birds yet.
Meanwhile in Southwest Wisconsin, foremosthunting.com writer Cole Daniels is regularly seeing and hearing turkeys moving throughout the woods and fields. He’s also seeing a number of doe groups but bucks haven’t started regularly pursuing them yet. The leaves are coming off the trees and it’s getting much easier to see through the woods. The crunching of leaves underfoot makes it easier to hear deer, and for them to hear you. Cole recently returned from a Northern Minnesota grouse trip and reports plentiful grouse in good cover. The state is confirming that harvests have been good. Drumming counts were down in the spring but excellent nesting conditions have resulted in a bountiful fall harvest of juvenile birds.
Good luck this week and check in for our next hunting report!
As sunrise peaked over the horizon we began hearing the sounds of dozens of sand hill cranes erupting from their slumber. As the cranes lifted off a distant pond the flutter of mallard wings overhead excited the young men in the layout blinds. But the ducks were not willing to give us any shooting. A half hour later the honks of an incoming flock of geese signaled the moment we were waiting for. This group of 20 Canadians gave us a hard look and descended to within 40 yards. A lot of people would have taken this shot. I had never hunted with most of these guys and was impressed with their patience. It has been a while since I’ve hunted with a large group of college age men. Probably since I was in college. These guys made me feel better about the future of our civilization. They were responsible gun handlers, patient and skilled hunters, and as I would find out later, strong and determined.
The first flock decided to pass on our faux flock. But not long after another group was on it’s way. As this flock circled, yet another contingent of geese passed over the hardwood forest and dropped down to field level on it’s way to our dekes. These birds twisted and contorted on their way down. It was clearly evident they were coming in. Just as safeties were being clicked off, disaster struck. Two geese snapped off the main flock and practically fell into the spread. As their feet came down, the shot was called and the geese were dispatched. The opportunity for a flock shoot with seven guns firing a true 21 shot salute into the air would have to wait. In retrospect, it was a great decision. Two in the hand is worth four in the bush right? The entire flock could have seen something they didn’t like and we would have never had the opportunity to shoot anything. This is the debate waterfowl hunters will be having for eternity.
After a flurry of goose action, things slowed down. The decision was made to go check the pond the birds were roosting on. The group headed for the water haunt of these flocks to see just how many were left on the water. As we approached the cattail swamp surrounding the swamp, the contrast of my experience and their determination was on display. The young men wanted to push forward to see if they could get a crack at the few birds remaining on the pond. I have suffered the consequences of sneak attacks such as this one and found a tower blind to climb into and watch the operation.
They pushed forward into the cattail marsh but I could see the going was tough. They were able to get within 50 yards of open water but were standing in knee deep water and muck. Attempts to call ducks to their position got a few birds off the water but not close enough to shoot. It was probably a good thing. Extricating a duck from thick cattails and knee deep water would have been a tall order.
We shot a few geese. But it was a lot of fun to witness these guys work together with fearlessness. For the most part young guys haven’t failed enough to have doubt… especially about themselves. Not that I am an old man, but I feel as though sometimes we miss out on adventure because we believe it’s not possible. Young people don’t think like that and it’s quite refreshing to be around that type of attitude.
This week, I’ll be back in the woods. anterless gun deer season begins Thursday in Wisconsin. We’ll be in the woods pursuing deer Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If we tag out early, we’ll chase down some fall turkeys. Should be a blast. I’ll tell you all about it next week!
Field Reports
Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer, Nick Haas, says the recent heat wave has really slowed down deer traffic in Northern Wisconsin. Deer are bedding down during the day and moving mostly at night and in the mornings.
The heat didn’t stop James Appel from bagging a gorgeous buck in Northwest Wisconsin. We filmed a muzzleloader elk hunt with James in early September. He took a nice 6x6 bull and less than a month later arrowed this buck. He’s having a tremendous season!
Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer, Tyler Hinner filed this report:
Bucks are still in their bachelor groups, but that should change in the next week or so. They are starting to get the "itch". I've seen some deer starting to kick around the dirt making small scrapes and playing with their horns on limbs. The woods is super loud with the fresh leaves on the ground. I don't think you would see a scrape if it was there. It doesn't look like we will have a weather change until later this week and lows in the mid 40's won’t help. A hunter’s best bet would be to find an acorn producing oak ridge. Some corn fields are being cut around town by me, and deer are readily seen on the field edges during daylight hours. Grouse numbers seem to be down this year, but it is on the downward slope of their 10 year cycle. Family groups of geese are combining for some nice size flocks this time of year. But I haven't seen many migratory birds yet.
Meanwhile in Southwest Wisconsin, foremosthunting.com writer Cole Daniels is regularly seeing and hearing turkeys moving throughout the woods and fields. He’s also seeing a number of doe groups but bucks haven’t started regularly pursuing them yet. The leaves are coming off the trees and it’s getting much easier to see through the woods. The crunching of leaves underfoot makes it easier to hear deer, and for them to hear you. Cole recently returned from a Northern Minnesota grouse trip and reports plentiful grouse in good cover. The state is confirming that harvests have been good. Drumming counts were down in the spring but excellent nesting conditions have resulted in a bountiful fall harvest of juvenile birds.
Good luck this week and check in for our next hunting report!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Early October Upper Midwest Hunting Report
Hello, and welcome to the Foremost Hunting Blog. In the past, the blog has been utilized to keep you abreast of new articles and updates on foremosthunting.com. We plan to continue offering our readers great hunting content through our site and our blog, but we are adding a new angle to our blog posts that I believe you will really enjoy.
We are currently developing a television show which will begin airing in January of 2011. Foremost Outdoor Television will bring hunting, fishing, and the outdoor lifestyle to living rooms across the Upper Midwest on the airwaves and throughout the world online. We'll be releasing more information in the near future. But for now, our team is hitting the woods, waters, and fields to capture the best moments of our 2010 hunting season and we are inviting you, the reader, along for the ride.
I'll provide field reports from our team as well as a behind the scenes look at filming our show. We'll also offer tips on how to film your hunts and even show some of the best hunts you share with us. It's your opportunity to be an outdoor television star! Please, feel free to comment, ask questions, and send us your hunting pictures and videos. I would like to make this a truly interactive experience.
----
Foremosthuting.com Field Report For Early October
ProStaffers Nick Haas and Mike Oberle are seeing deer movement pick up as temperatures are beginning to drop in Northern Wisconsin. We've had frost for two straight mornings and acorns are falling. Corn is also being harvested much earlier than last year. Deer will most likely have fewer places to hide this season as the corn crop is being pulled off the fields. If corn is part of your food plot plantings, leaving the corn standing will help hold deer on your property as they seek out sanctuaries.
Congratulations to our good buddy, Brand Windmiller, on this eight point buck taken recently on his property. Brand and his son, Jesse, bow hunt exclusively with traditional archery equipment. It takes a little more practice and a lot more patience to put down a deer with this stuff. Great job, Brand!
Speaking of traditional equipment, James Appel and his son, Matt, just returned from a Colorado muzzleloader elk hunt. The fellas encountered several quality bulls and came home with a beauty of a 6x6. James took the bull with a 200+ yard shot from the barrel of his muzzleloader. A great shot indeed!
ProStaffer Tyler Hinner is on top of the waterfowl population. He and his crew of goose whackers are watching the birds come off water and finding the fields they are feeding in. As corn and beans are harvested, the geese are hitting them hard. When ducks are in season, they are offering some bonus shooting. Clover is also being utilized by the birds. Fully dressing your field blinds with surrounding vegetation is vital. At this point in the season, most geese have seen a spread or two and know about gun fire. If you just bought your field blinds this season, be sure to "mud them up." This is pretty self explanatory. Create some mud with water and dirt and rub it all over the blind. This will take the sheen off the blind.
Foremosthunting.com writer Cole Daniels is keeping a close eye on the Southwest Wisconsin turkey population. For those who don't know, Wisconsin is number one in the nation for wild turkey harvest. And Southwest Wisconsin is the top destination for turkey's in the cheese state. Just 40 years ago, the Wisconsin wild turkey population was practically zero. Cole says the turkeys on his property are flocking up and are developing patterns around feeding.
After a super trout run along the Minnesota North Shore, our fishing crew is chomping at the bit to get after river walleyes on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Unfortunately, flooding has put the kibosh on river fishing. All major rivers in the area are near flood stage or higher and some are down right dangerous to boat on. Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer Dan Quinn says bass anglers looking for fall action on lakes can find the fish in stumps. Weeds are dying off and the fish are looking for structure to ambush prey from.
We've got a busy week of filming as the team continues to film their deer hunts and we hit the fields for more intense duck and goose action. Hopefully, the rivers will return to normal depth soon. There are a lot of people out of their homes right now and we must think of them even though we can't wait to get after those autumn walleyes. Have a great week! I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures as I prepare for next week's post.
-Chris Larsen
We are currently developing a television show which will begin airing in January of 2011. Foremost Outdoor Television will bring hunting, fishing, and the outdoor lifestyle to living rooms across the Upper Midwest on the airwaves and throughout the world online. We'll be releasing more information in the near future. But for now, our team is hitting the woods, waters, and fields to capture the best moments of our 2010 hunting season and we are inviting you, the reader, along for the ride.
I'll provide field reports from our team as well as a behind the scenes look at filming our show. We'll also offer tips on how to film your hunts and even show some of the best hunts you share with us. It's your opportunity to be an outdoor television star! Please, feel free to comment, ask questions, and send us your hunting pictures and videos. I would like to make this a truly interactive experience.
----
Foremosthuting.com Field Report For Early October
ProStaffers Nick Haas and Mike Oberle are seeing deer movement pick up as temperatures are beginning to drop in Northern Wisconsin. We've had frost for two straight mornings and acorns are falling. Corn is also being harvested much earlier than last year. Deer will most likely have fewer places to hide this season as the corn crop is being pulled off the fields. If corn is part of your food plot plantings, leaving the corn standing will help hold deer on your property as they seek out sanctuaries.
Congratulations to our good buddy, Brand Windmiller, on this eight point buck taken recently on his property. Brand and his son, Jesse, bow hunt exclusively with traditional archery equipment. It takes a little more practice and a lot more patience to put down a deer with this stuff. Great job, Brand!
Speaking of traditional equipment, James Appel and his son, Matt, just returned from a Colorado muzzleloader elk hunt. The fellas encountered several quality bulls and came home with a beauty of a 6x6. James took the bull with a 200+ yard shot from the barrel of his muzzleloader. A great shot indeed!
ProStaffer Tyler Hinner is on top of the waterfowl population. He and his crew of goose whackers are watching the birds come off water and finding the fields they are feeding in. As corn and beans are harvested, the geese are hitting them hard. When ducks are in season, they are offering some bonus shooting. Clover is also being utilized by the birds. Fully dressing your field blinds with surrounding vegetation is vital. At this point in the season, most geese have seen a spread or two and know about gun fire. If you just bought your field blinds this season, be sure to "mud them up." This is pretty self explanatory. Create some mud with water and dirt and rub it all over the blind. This will take the sheen off the blind.
Foremosthunting.com writer Cole Daniels is keeping a close eye on the Southwest Wisconsin turkey population. For those who don't know, Wisconsin is number one in the nation for wild turkey harvest. And Southwest Wisconsin is the top destination for turkey's in the cheese state. Just 40 years ago, the Wisconsin wild turkey population was practically zero. Cole says the turkeys on his property are flocking up and are developing patterns around feeding.
After a super trout run along the Minnesota North Shore, our fishing crew is chomping at the bit to get after river walleyes on the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Unfortunately, flooding has put the kibosh on river fishing. All major rivers in the area are near flood stage or higher and some are down right dangerous to boat on. Foremost Outdoor TV ProStaffer Dan Quinn says bass anglers looking for fall action on lakes can find the fish in stumps. Weeds are dying off and the fish are looking for structure to ambush prey from.
We've got a busy week of filming as the team continues to film their deer hunts and we hit the fields for more intense duck and goose action. Hopefully, the rivers will return to normal depth soon. There are a lot of people out of their homes right now and we must think of them even though we can't wait to get after those autumn walleyes. Have a great week! I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures as I prepare for next week's post.
-Chris Larsen
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Do You Need to Spend Big Bucks to be a Hunter?
by Naomi K. Shapiro
To become a hunter, you don't necessarily need to spend a lot. If you're for instance a single-game (deer or turkey are examples) hunter, it won't cost you that much to outfit yourself, BUT, if you want to hunt everything, then it can run into lots and lots of money. There are all the licenses you'll need. There are the different regs that have to be met. Then there is a wealth of different equipment for different hunting - -ducks, geese, turkey, deer, varmints, grouse, bear, pheasant, coyotes - -the list is endless. And don't kid yourself- - every type of game requires at least some modification in the equipment you'll need. Decoys, ammo, firearms, bows, arrows, scopes, clothing, gear, and on and on and on. There's no limit- -and don't think there is. Every time a hunter believes s/he's fully outfitted, there's something else they discover they "really need." It's never ending, and that isn't a put down. We all do it.
Most people gradually get into the equipment they need in steps. Some start as kids, or a bit older, and build up what they need as they go along. This type of approach won't "break the bank," and pretty soon, at least the basic equipment is obtained.
Guide Phil Schweik who has been hunting since he was a kid, says that as an example, if you need equipment to deer hunt, you can outfit yourself pretty-well for under $300 – and don't laugh, he is serious when he says that. Phil works for a major outdoor outfitter, and needs to watch his dollars just as most of us have to do. The first thing Phil suggests is to look for a good used deer rifle. You can get them from almost all outdoor outfitters and gun shops - -who test, and insure their quality and safety - -or at a gun show, or maybe a private party. Every year, lots of folks decide that their hunting days are over – age, physical ability, other things that they want to do - -lots of reasons; and usually just before deer season, you'll see a ton of ads for used deer rifles. And the nice thing is that you can get a nice used rifle, anywhere from a $100 to around $200 – and yes, I know – there are used rifles that go into the thousands, but a nice conditioned .270, 7mm mag, .30/.30, or .30-06 will do you just fine. Add on a piece of needed clothing, ammo, an ancillary this-or-that, your license, and you're good to go - -at $300 or less.
Notice in our "bargain basement shop-a-thon," I didn't mention scopes. That's because it's tough to find a used scope that'll fit your particular needs. They're all different, and "no one size fits all." Phil Schweik says that a scope is really a personal thing, and pretty much needs to be "fit" to the particular firearm it's going to be used with. Phil suggests that you start out using open sights, and then when you have the cash, buy a new scope, that fits your rifle and your needs. Phil says the variety of models and costs is almost beyond description. His best advice is that you take your rifle, and go into an outdoor outfitter or gun shop, and have them make suggestions about what you'll need for your particular firearm and your own physical needs, as well. Costs of course will vary all over the map – and don't buy more than you need.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Stopping (or Not Stopping) a Dog Fight
Every hunter hopes that their dog will never have reason to enter into a dog fight. In fact, many dog owners would list reasons why their dog would never do such a thing. However, even highly trained dogs can become emotional or get pulled in to a squabble. It is quite possible that your dog will fight for an acceptable reason. Dogs can fight out of jealousy, poor socialization, improper breeding, or a desire for dominance. But they will also fight when they are in fear or pain, or they are defending themselves against some form of attack.
What if, for example, your perfectly trained, mild-mannered, wonderfully loyal companion is at your side performing well, when you both encounter a dog that has not been perfectly trained, is not mild-mannered or loyal, and is sick, in pain, or tired? Then this unpredictable dog approaches your dog and becomes agitated or violent. Even if your dog is perfect in every way, your dog will fight, if for no other reason than to defend himself. And, even though this is your loyal companion, your interference in this struggle can easily end in your own injury. During a dog fight, you are unrecognizable to your dog as his provider and friend. Instead, you are an obstacle to be removed so that he can get back to the task at hand.
It is important to recognize if the fight truly requires your peace-making interference. Are the dogs truly fighting or are they simply growling and threatening one another? If they are just posturing in an attempt to gain superiority or dominance, it is likely that one will submit and the other will accept the surrender. However, if the dogs are truly fighting and neither one appears ready to back down, it may require your assistance.
In your attempts to separate the dogs, do not take hold of either dog’s muzzle (it is quite probable you will be bitten). Do not yell, as this can often elevate their excitement. Do not insert yourself between the dogs, as you will become a target of their violence. Also, do not attempt to break up the fight by hitting the dogs with objects. This will increase their excitement and add pain to an already sticky situation.
There are two effective ways to bring the fight to an end. The first one involves spraying or throwing water into the dogs’ ears. This allows enough of a surprise and pause that you can intervene and pull them apart. The second method depends entirely on the presence of both owners. Both you and the other dog’s owner (or another willing bystander) grabs a dog by the hindquarters and walks them backwards. Ideally, you should walk in a circle so that the dog is a bit out of balance. Once the dogs are separate, they must stay apart for at least several hours. In most cases this will require that the dogs be tied or crated.
What if, for example, your perfectly trained, mild-mannered, wonderfully loyal companion is at your side performing well, when you both encounter a dog that has not been perfectly trained, is not mild-mannered or loyal, and is sick, in pain, or tired? Then this unpredictable dog approaches your dog and becomes agitated or violent. Even if your dog is perfect in every way, your dog will fight, if for no other reason than to defend himself. And, even though this is your loyal companion, your interference in this struggle can easily end in your own injury. During a dog fight, you are unrecognizable to your dog as his provider and friend. Instead, you are an obstacle to be removed so that he can get back to the task at hand.
It is important to recognize if the fight truly requires your peace-making interference. Are the dogs truly fighting or are they simply growling and threatening one another? If they are just posturing in an attempt to gain superiority or dominance, it is likely that one will submit and the other will accept the surrender. However, if the dogs are truly fighting and neither one appears ready to back down, it may require your assistance.
In your attempts to separate the dogs, do not take hold of either dog’s muzzle (it is quite probable you will be bitten). Do not yell, as this can often elevate their excitement. Do not insert yourself between the dogs, as you will become a target of their violence. Also, do not attempt to break up the fight by hitting the dogs with objects. This will increase their excitement and add pain to an already sticky situation.
There are two effective ways to bring the fight to an end. The first one involves spraying or throwing water into the dogs’ ears. This allows enough of a surprise and pause that you can intervene and pull them apart. The second method depends entirely on the presence of both owners. Both you and the other dog’s owner (or another willing bystander) grabs a dog by the hindquarters and walks them backwards. Ideally, you should walk in a circle so that the dog is a bit out of balance. Once the dogs are separate, they must stay apart for at least several hours. In most cases this will require that the dogs be tied or crated.
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