My good friend and colleague, George Dovel, has put together one of the most eye opening articles I have read in a long time. The article contains information that deals with anti-hunting issues, land loss, property rights, the abuse by some states to illegally use money from hunting and fishing license to fund programs outside of fish and game, the Wildlands Project, Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act and an entire host of other topics.

This article is long but is worth the read. I would highly suggest that anyone who cares at all about hunting, trapping, fishing and the outdoors, read this article. Much of the topics discussed are centered in the state of Idaho but I don’t want you to think for one second that you couldn’t just as easily insert the state you live in. All of these things happening can and are taking place right in your back yard. It’s time to open our eyes.

I am going to provide you with a couple of different ways you can obtain it. You can begin the story here and follow the link to read the rest. On that page you can copy and paste the article into a word processor program and print it out. Also at the bottom of this page is a link to a pdf version of the story for your convenience.

I want to take a moment and thank George for granting me permission to republish this article in its entirety at the Black Bear Blog and other Skinny Moose Media websites.

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News and Comment by George Dovel

About George Dovel: Following several decades of close association with state and federal wildlife mangers as a helicopter and fixed-wing pilot, a qualified volunteer on assorted wildlife research projects and a member of several fish and game advisory committees, George Dovel offers a unique perspective on what has happened to wildlife resource management. With record low big game and upland bird populations existing throughout the U.S. in 1969-1973 he edited and published The Outdoorsman which is credited with helping to restore scientific game management. The new crisis in game management throughout the West resulted in resurrecting The Outdoorsman in March 2004 to provide factual information for outdoorsmen and their elected officials.

On July 3, 2007, a public meeting of an ad hoc committee formed to discuss future funding for IDFG took place at F&G Headquarters in Boise. Chaired by Senate Resource Committee Chairman Gary Schroeder, the members included House Resource Committee Chairman John A. “Bert” Stevenson, Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) Co-Chair Senator Dean Cameron and former F&G Commissioner Representative Fred Wood. <<<<<Continue to the rest of this Article>>>>>

Click here to download a pdf version of this article.

Tom Remington

1992 United Nations Earth Summit, agenda 21, Al Gore, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, Bill Clinton, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, cal groen, Defenders of Wildlife, endangered species act, george bush, george dovel, george mitchell, Global Biodiversity Assessment, global warming, idaho conservation data center, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Parks and Recreation, IDFG Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, Inc, International, International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, International Zone of Cooperation, Isaac Walton League of America, ivory billed woodpecker, Laird Noh, National Audubon Society, National Marine Fisheries Svc., National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Wildland Restoration and Recovery System, national wildlife federation, natural heritage programs, Natural Resources Policy Bureau, North American Free Trade Agreement, Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, Palouse Prairie SAFE program, project 21, project wild, rita dixon, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the compass, The Nature Conservancy, The Outdoorsman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. State Department, UN Biodiversity Treaty, Union for Conservation, united nations, United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Washington Department of Wildlife, Watchable Wildlife, wildlands project, World Conservation Union, Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative

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With the permission of the author, Judy Boyle, I would like to republish an article she wrote last week about how the efforts of well financed animal rights groups, preservationists and environmentalists are financing smear campaigns in order to oust legislators who don’t promote their agendas and insert those who do.

Congressman Richard Pombo of California was a champion of property rights. He understood the true importance of such, even writing laws that put common sense support of the existence of human beings over that of animals. He began to educate much of Congress as to the ridiculousness of spending billions of dollars unnecessarily to protect the environment over the welfare of humans.

Liberals and the environmental movement didn’t like it and went to work, spending thousands and thousands of dollars to oust Congressman Pombo.

The below story, although a bit long, is worth every bit of the read if you care enough about your property rights and the future of hunting, fishing, trapping and outdoor recreation. The agenda of these groups is to end that which you and I enjoy and consider a part of our heritage. Don’t let them take that from us. This article will give us all further incite into the tactics they are willing to employ to achieve their goals.

I want to thank Judy Boyle, former Idaho State Legislator, for granting me permission to republish her writing.

CONGRESSMAN RICHARD POMBO
Enviros use character assassination and slander to defeat property rights champion

By Judy Boyle

In 1993, a brash, young freshman Congressman—a 4th generation rancher from the West—-debated the Sierra Club on national TV. The topics were private property rights and the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Property rights activists were amazed as Richard Pombo boldly took on the environmentalists. Pombo didn’t waffle or apologize, just stated facts and kept on the offensive.

Helen Chenoweth was making her first run for Idaho’s First Congressional District and would find a real friend in Richard Pombo. Pombo said, “When I first went to Washington, I felt all alone. Then Helen Chenoweth was elected and I had a true ally!” Richard and Helen became a powerful team for private property rights and rural values. The zero ratings from national environmental organizations and 100% ratings from private property groups were their badges of honor. Helen said many times, “On property rights, Richard Pombo is always on the front line with me, shoulder to shoulder, and he is fearless.”

During the 2006 election, Congressman Pombo, Chairman of the House Resource Committee, became the number one target of the national environmental groups. A year and a half, multi-million dollar slanderous campaign; the California legislative gerrymander of 40% of Pombo’s rural district into the Bay Area; a complacent group of rural voters; general anger at an unpopular war and at a Republican Congress who appeared to have lost their way; combined as the perfect storm to uproot the lead proponent of private property rights from Congress. Many believed it inconceivable and ask, bewildered, how it occurred. The answer begins years ago.

Raised on his family’s ranch near Tracy, California, Richard Pombo learned to care for the land, and the livestock and wildlife who share it. He knew wildlife inhabiting the land proved good stewardship. When the federal ESA began threatening family farms and ranches, Pombo felt common sense must be brought to the fight. He started a local property rights group and began speaking out.

In 1992, people urged him to run against the Democrat Congressional incumbent, and Pombo won. During his first term, Republicans were in the minority. Richard was frustrated by a system designed to keep the Old Bulls in total control. When the Republicans gained the majority in 1994, major changes occurred. Committee chairs rotated every six years. Tasks forces were formed to solve problems. A light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Pombo chaired the ESA task force and held hearings in the communities where people and property rights had been abused, instead of requiring citizens travel to Washington DC for two minutes of testimony. Richard organized ‘show me” tours for a realistic view of how ESA was applied. A bill was drafted to grant real protection to both endangered species and private property. House leadership told Pombo that the Eastern Congressmen would never allow the bill to pass. It was a bitter lesson of who controlled Congress. Instead of giving up, the Westerners began the daunting task of educating Congress and citizens. Meanwhile, property rights were trampled and livelihoods destroyed without “saving” a single species. Pombo authored a book on private property, “This Land is Our Land.” It was given high praise from property rights groups and damned by the environmentalists.

In 1997, a levee broke near Marysville, California resulting in human death. Levee repair had been delayed for years. Levees contained “habitat” for the endangered elderberry beetle—elderberry bushes which are abundant throughout Northern California. US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) demanded hundred of acres be purchased, planted with elderberry bushes and maintained in perpetuity with a huge “environmental damages” payment before they would authorize repairs. Pombo wrote a bill granting emergency authority over-riding ESA when human life is threatened. It was defeated on the House floor. Protecting beetles in theory, meant more than saving human lives in reality.

Elected Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus from 2001 to 2003, Pombo pressed for science-based, common sense environmental policies. He continued to educate on the negative effects failed environmental policies have on the land, wildlife, citizens, and the economy. Pombo’s growing power began to worry the environmentalists.

The Chairmanship of the House Resource Committee vacated. Several Eastern committee
members had seniority but the Resource Chair is traditionally a Western seat. By majority vote, Richard won the Chairmanship and was in a position to cause the national environmental groups real problems. They immediately demonized Pombo. Carl Pope of the Sierra Club bragged to Richard, “I have raised a lot of money because of you.”

Chairman Pombo held committee hearings in affected communities—Klamath Falls, Oregon where irrigation water was taken to “protect” fish; New Mexico where the silvery minnow threatened farmers’ and cities’ water rights; Native Villages in Alaska where opening one percent of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling meant prosperity to the improvised people; and throughout the West showcasing how failed policies destroy wildlife, fisheries, and entire watersheds with raging wildfires.

Always, Congressman Pombo worked towards updating the antiquated ESA. Stacks of reports, research, and testimony revealed the law was not working for endangered species or people. Experts could not point to a single species the ESA had saved. The assault on species and landowners could only be stopped by doing the intellectually honest thing—reforming ESA.

Democrat Congressmen signed on to Pombo’s ESA reform bill which passed with a strong bipartisan vote. The House had finally recognized the need for private property takings compensation related to species recovery. The national environmental groups went ballistic. Their sky was falling. They had to remove Pombo before their power was further diminished.

Defenders of Wildlife, joined by the Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, and Humane Society of the US, opened an office in Pombo’s district eighteen months before the general election. Their sole mission was defeating Richard. They called Pombo a “villain,” claiming he was selling the National Parks to miners, and accused him of destroying all national environmental laws. Pombo’s constituents became confused with the outpouring of hate from the national groups. The Congressman chose to ignore the attacks, focusing on Congressional business. Like many ranchers, Richard believed slander should not be dignified with a response. Instead, Pombo authored the Energy Act of 2005 promoting America’s energy independence; led the fight to stop Communist China’s purchase of a large American oil company; guided the House strong opposition to the US Supreme Court’s Kelo decision which expanded government’s eminent domain power; became Vice Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee. Back home, Pombo assisted with improvements for highways, the Stockton airport, and the inland
port; helped farmers find new markets for the Central Valley’s specialty crops; and stabilized irrigation water rights.

The environmental message against Pombo didn’t sell so the opposition turned to character assassination. Never known for ethics and truth as they destroyed loggers, miners, ranchers, farmers and entire rural communities, they used the same strategy to personally attack the Congressman’s integrity. They viewed the election as their defining moment where the end would justify the means. A few of their tactics include:
1) Myth: claimed Pombo used taxpayer dollars for a family vacation.
Fact: Pombo investigated the National Park Service’s constant claim of lack of money by
renting a motor home and traveling throughout various Parks. He personally paid all his family’s expenses.
2) Myth: claimed Pombo did not support veterans and voted against funding prosthetic research and veterans’ benefits.
Fact: The veterans appropriation bill Pombo voted for, and which passed, contained $412 million for medical and prosthetic research, a $13.0 million increase over the Administration’s request;
Fact: Received the 2006 Patriot of the Year Award for successful passage of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial visitor’s center on the National Mall;
Fact: Received the American Legion’s Citizen Flag Alliance Award.
3) Myth: accused Pombo of taking pay-offs from disgraced DC lobbyist Jack Abramoff;

Fact: Pombo never accepted Abrahoff’s free trips, tickets, or meals. Richard never met with Abramoff.
Fact: Pombo voted against Abramoff’s clients on numerous occasions.
4) Myth: “Citizens for Responsible Ethics” (CREW) claimed Pombo as one the “most corrupt members of Congress.” (see sidebar on CREW)
Fact: Newspapers in Pombo’s district conducted in-depth investigations of the “charges.”
Announcing all charges as “distorted,” “no proof,” “completely lacking evidence,” each of the five district papers gave Congressman Richard Pombo their support and endorsement for re-election.
5) Myth: opponents handed out flyers and ran TV and radio ads implying that Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, had called Congressman Richard Pombo one of the most corrupt members of Congress. Huge signs were placed around the district shouting “How do you spell corruption—P-O-M-B-O.”
Fact: Roll Call requested an immediate retraction with no reply. The ads and flyers continued to election day.

Former President Bill Clinton flew into Stockton the last week of the campaign to a rally of Bay Area liberals and environmentalists, continuing the character assassination against Pombo.

Unfortunately for Congressman Richard Pombo, his rural constituents, private property owners, agriculture, veterans, and endangered species, the never-ending slander and deceit proved effective. Late election night, the Democrat candidate received a congratulatory call from former President Bill Clinton. Congressman Pombo had lost by 6%.

After the election, the Contra Costa Times reported the Sierra Club claimed 650,000 contacts with voters and thousands of Bay Area liberals had walked precincts in Pombo’s district to advance the slanderous campaign.

The LA Times reported:

“Rep. Richard Pombo’s loss represents the most significant electoral victory the environmental movement has seen in decades,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, President of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. “It should now be clear to all that we have the political strength to take on and defeat extreme anti-environmental politicians, even powerful chairmen of congressional committees.”

After serving in Congress for fourteen years, Congressman Pombo never backed down from his strong defense of the US Constitution and his belief that private property is sacred and must be protected if America is to continue as a free society. Even as his opponents lied about his voting record and his ethics, Richard Pombo refused to recant. Pombo stated in a TV ad, “I have made some very powerful people very angry in my defense of private property. I would not change a thing I have done.”

A recent article by Thomas Sowell summed up what American politics has become: “This country needs to be able to draw on its best people from every walk of life and from every part of the political spectrum. Washington has become a political meat grinder where character assassination is standard procedure. Clever and glib people say “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” But the far larger question is whether the country can afford to repel people who are desperately needed but who may have too much self-respect to let political pygmies smear their character.”

Congressman Richard Pombo deserves humble thanks for standing tall in the exceedingly difficult battle to protect our property, our country, and our American way of life. He truly embodies the Western Cowboy spirit and principles. Richard Pombo is a damn good hand.

SIDEBAR—-CREW—Citizens for Responsible Ethics is based in Washington, D.C. Republicans and conservatives regard this “ethics” group as a liberal-activist organization masquerading as a government watchdog group. Numerous CREW staffers have worked as staff for Democrat members of Congress, (including Senator Hillary Clinton), Democrat staff for congressional committees, various environmental groups, and a gun control organization. Two CREW vice presidents include a former Clinton pollster and a major Democrat contributor. CREW regularly accuses Republican members of being unethical, file lawsuits against pro-life groups, and make frequent Freedom of Information requests (FOIAs) regarding conservatives. One recent FOIA to the Secret Service asked for “records of all visits that nine listed individuals made to the White
House and the Vice President’s residence from January 1, 2001 to present.” The nine “suspects” are all prominent national conservative Christian leaders.

Tom Remington

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bill Clinton, Defenders of Wildlife, endangered species act, Helen Chenoweth, Humane Society of the U.S., Judy Boyle, League of Conservation Voters, property rights, Richard Pombo, Sierra Club, Thomas Sowell, U.S. Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Norm Sargent, author of Outdoors With Norm.

Gore Pass, Colorado Elk Hunt

I remember the first time I saw the Rocky Mountains. I was moving from Hancock, Maine to the foothills in Fort Collins, Colorado. As we drove down I-70 across Kansas all I could think about was seeing the mountains. Shortly after crossing into Colorado in the distance there they stood, the Rockies. As if it were yesterday I remember saying “my God they are big.” My traveling partner kind of chuckled to herself and responded “that’s nothing, we are a long ways off.” I guess from growing up in Colorado she chuckled at my amazement of the Rockies. Each mile down the interstate brought more and more excitement to me. I was in awe as we drove closer and closer . Finally we had reached Denver. I was speechless at the sights. These were only the foothills to the Rockies also.

I spent the next eight years of my life in Colorado. I never grew tired of the majesty of those mountains. Even though Maine is my home and I would not trade it for anything, I was extremely lucky to have spent some great years in Colorado.

So many great memories come to mind. There were those long horseback rides into heart lake for some outstanding rainbow trout fishing, watching and participating in rodeo events, and top of that list would be elk hunting in those great Rockies.

I remember growing up watching hunting shows, talking with my buddies throughout my life, and dreaming about having one chance to travel west and pursue one of the most incredible animals. So after fulfilling the subjected amount of time to gain resident status it was now my time. I was set up to go head to head with a bull elk. My good buddies, Dan B(Big Dan), Dan S(Little Dan), and Jim had all grown up in Colorado and each had plenty of experience spent hunting elk. I remember marking each day off on the calendar as opening day approached. Just like a kid waiting for Christmas.

During those weeks that seemed like an eternity I remember looking over topographical maps with Jim. The area that they had hunted each year for their entire life was Gore Pass. This year would be no different. I studied the layout of the land where we would be hunting. I studied Gore Pass as if my life depended on it. We had all gone up scouting the area prior to opening day also. With the maps, scouting, and reading about the pass I knew by the time hunting season arrived I would know the layout as well as I knew my back yard in Maine. Gore pass is known for its open meadows. Sir George Gore, a colorful and eccentric hunter and explorer, passed through the area in the 1850’s. The Ute Indians used to camp along Teepee Creek, a favorite hunting area, which Gore Pass remains today for deer and elk hunters.
Still a very clear picture in my mind of the area. I would have to say it ranks as one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen with my own two eyes.

We arrived a couple days before opening day in order to get settled in, do some more scouting, and just get away for a couple extra days. We spent these days glassing the valleys, riding the horses, and just enjoying Gods great outdoors. Sitting around the campfire and sharing stories with each other are probably the fondest memories I have of those times.

Finally opening morning had arrived. With hardly any sleep the night before due to the sheer excitement of what I was about to partake in, I woke early to get ready. None of us took the time to eat much for breakfast. A cereal bar and a mountain dew was my breakfast that morning. I finished up breakfast, got dressed, and gathered all my gear. Then I grabbed my saddle out of the horse trailer. Walked over to my wild mustang and threw the saddle on him. Gave him a pat on the head and asked “are you ready?” As if Tonopah knew what I had said, he shook his head up and down. The rest of the guys saddled up and it was now time. We took a path up along the edge of the woods through a ravine. Once halfway up we broke into two groups in order to cover more area. Jim and I headed off to the north. It was a quick horse ride and we dismounted and set up in order for Jim to call. Jim could really work that call. We continued to call, ride, call, and ride throughout the day. As darkness approached we unloaded our guns and rode back towards camp. It was pitch black dark as we traveled through trees along edges of mountains. Let me tell you I was some glad to have a sure footed mustang as my partner.

Back at camp Jim made a big supper for all of us. The three of them seemed a little disappointed that none of us had any luck. I remember not caring about that. Listening to Jim call, riding Tonopah through the trees and mountains was enough to keep a smile on my face.

The next couple days brought much of the same. Warm temperatures and bad luck seemed to be against us. We had a few responses to our calls and some sightings of cows that kept me holding my head held high. Heck this was a dream for a Maine boy.

On the fourth morning we all decided to not travel as far from camp. We gave the horses the morning off and set off on foot. We passed through a small patch of trees and began to glass a valley. As we all searched the area Jim said “I see one, it’s a good bull.” He showed us all the direction and sure enough there was a nice bull making its way through the aspens.

Each of the guys agreed that I should be the one to shoot the bull as each of them had experienced harvesting an elk. I quickly agreed that worked for me. The bull seemed like it was miles away so I said “are we going to attempt to make our way down to him?” Jim responded with a chuckle and a big “no, your going to shoot from here.” You see being a Maine boy a hundred yard shot seemed a mile to me. Of course we had practiced at distances a lot further than I was used to. I had managed to shoot well at distances this elk was away from us. Just the unknown had me feeling a little timid. So with confidence I pulled my 270 to my shoulder, rested up against a tree, took a deep breath, said a prayer, and BANG let her fly. The bull took off down the hill. Jim said “nice shot!!!! You hit him for sure.” Dan and Dan went back to camp to gather the horses. I sat there almost in tears while Jim assured me there would be an elk waiting for me down there. The boys came back with the horses after what seemed like forever. We quietly and slowly made our way down to where the elk was standing when I shot. Sure enough there was lots of good blood sign. We dismounted our horses and began to travel the blood trail. Then all of a sudden there appeared a huge elk laying on the ground. After a few minutes of jumping up and down celebrating I made my way over to see my elk. I fell to my knees and thanked God for this opportunity. The elk was a nice 5 x 5. A trophy by anyone’s standards.

By the end of the season each of us had harvested a bull. More importantly we had started a tradition that each of us would carry on for the next eight years. Some of those years brought us luck and some the big skunk. One thing for sure they will be years that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. Since moving back to Maine 6 years ago I have not been able to travel out west to hunt with the group. Someday my son, Kolten and I will make that trip again.

Think back over the years of your hunting experiences. What great memories they bring to each of us. The friendships that have come about from hunting and fishing trips. I will always remember those days in Colorado.

camp, christmas, Colorado, elk hunt, gore pass, Maine, norm, rocky mountains, teepee creek

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Richard Becraft, U.S. Hunting Today’s Product Review Specialist and Forum Administrator for the Indiana Hunting Forums.

The 5 Step Philosophy to Fishing and Hunting

1. Read the regulation book and follow the requirements.
It wastes a lot of effort trying to find a loop hole or advantage and it’s just plain tacky. This time and effort is better spent learning your prey. Just follow the regulations and become proficient with your hunting or fishing equipment. Then take advantage of those abilities. Confidence in your skill and knowledge will lead to success.

2. Keep your bait in the water.
Keep your bait in the water seems just so simple. This is some of the best advice I’ve ever heard and it came from a professional fishing guide a long time ago. It didn’t cost a dime. He was ask what out of all the things at this boat and fishing show, what is the one thing I could buy to make my fishing better and catch more fish. No one can afford to buy every thing advertised to catch fish today. If you could only buy one thing here what would it be? He replied, “You can’t buy it here.” You can catch fish on any of this stuff at one time or another if you use it long enough. The one thing you can do to catch more fish is keep your bait in the water. When you are tying on a bait you don’t have a chance in the world to catch a fish up there in the boat. When you stay home and watch fishing on the Outdoor channel there is no way you are going to catch a fish. When you are running your boat across the lake back and forth from spot to spot there is no way you can be catching fish.

If you want to catch more fish, spend more time on the water and keep your bait in the water. Nothing you can buy can take the place of this simple concept.

Same can be said for hunting. If you want to kill more game, spend more time hunting and spend your hunting time HUNTING, not driving, hiking, talking, or target shooting.

3. Do it close to home or work.
Most people spend the majority of their lives either at work or at home. If you want to keep your “bait in the water” the maximum amount of time and therefore give yourself the maximum amount of opportunity to catch fish or kill deer you will do it best as close as possible to work, home, or some where in between. You give your self the maximum opportunity to see game and note their habits and the maximum opportunity to pursue them when the opportunity arises. Close to home or work you will know the people better and have the best chance of gathering information from the people who know the area best and have the best chance of getting permission to hunt the most ground or fish the most water. It cost a lot less to get there so you don’t have to work more hours just to afford the trip or work extra to afford the time off to waste on time just traveling back and forth. It maximizes your use of time away from family so you don’t have to short change your family obligations yet you get more hunting or fishing in for the time you can commit to it.

4. Imitate success don’t fight it.
Many times a person gets a specific image of fishing or hunting in their head and then they allow that image to dictate their tactics. Don’t let your self become hooked on hunting the image you have of fishing or hunting instead of actually pursuing your prey in a manner with the most chance for success. If being there is the success you are looking for fine. If catching fish is your goal and you are not catching fish you need to imitate some thing or some one who is catching fish. When you find something successful then use it. Imitate it. Keep it in the water.

If you are hunting deer from a tree stand and you don’t see deer in range for days. Move. Move to where you are seeing deer but you have to be in the field hunting to see deer. If you are moving, keep hunting. Hunt while you move. It seems obvious but way too many people are carrying way too many gimmicks, some to the point they no longer have their weapon in their hand ready to use when they are given an unexpected opportunity. It has been said a thousand times but there is no where it fits better than right here. Luck is just preparation meeting opportunity.

You have to be carrying your weapon in a manner to allow you to shoot when you see deer. If you have both hands full of tree stand, a bag full of rattling antlers and scents and your gun strapped over your back, sorry but you just don’t have your “hunting” bait in the water. You have too many distractions. When ever you are on land that could hold game and you have your weapon in your hands ready to use it, you have your hunting “bait” in the water. Any thing else and you just are not hunting. You are hauling equipment.

5. Use live bait.
I ask a fishing guide one time why he used live bait instead of these artificial baits all the big fisherman in the magazines use and the TV fishermen catch all those big fish on. Simple he says, people pay me to catch fish and to help them catch fish and catch more fish. If you think people are going to pay you to just take them fishing then you try taking a hundred dollars from a man and spend the day on a boat with him when nobody catches a fish all day. You are going to learn pretty quick that fishing is better than working but people want to catch fish all day a lot more than they just want to fish all day.

All those spinners, rubber and plastic baits, crank baits and spoons, they all try to do one thing. Imitate something alive that fish want to eat. Now a good fisherman who knows what he is doing can make those artificial baits do a pretty good imitation of some thing alive a lot of the time.

Live bait looks like live bait all of the time.

Same thing applies to deer hunting. There is nothing in the woods a randy buck wants to see more than the doe he’s been following. If you want to kill bucks, no spray, scents or call is going to smell, sound or look more like that doe than the real thing. If you want to see and shoot bucks don’t shoot your live bait as soon as it shows up. Seems simple enough but it just amazes me how many times I hear a guy complain he never sees any big bucks so he had to shoot a doe for the freezer. You just put your live bait for the area you are hunting in the freezer buddy. If you are hunting does you did well if not you just took your “bait out of the water”.

Richard Becraft

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Dan McLaughlin, author of Moose Droppings.

A Challenge I Hope We’re All Up For

Is there anything better then a sunrise on a cold fall Maine morning overlooking a swamp hoping for a Bull Moose to respond to your cow call? What about a cool Carolina spring morning when your owl call is cut short by the rattley call of a gobbler on the roost? These and countless other experiences are some of the special memories I have of the great outdoors and I hope to have many more. Think about your own outdoor experiences and how they have shaped your life, now think about how different your life would be with out the outdoor sports.

Studies show that 80% of hunters took up hunting as a youth. That is a staggering figure when you think about it and should be a wake up call to all of us about how important it is for all of us to be involved in getting youth in the field & woods. I believe that it’s never too young to get young people involved in the outdoors granted you have to tailor it to their interest.

I recall a number of years ago I was deer hunting in Aroostook County Maine when I met up with another hunter and his young hunting partner. Terry and his son who was probably 5 maybe 6 years old at the time were walking along the old set of railroad tracks looking for some deer tracks in the fresh fallen snow. The little boy had a plastic toy rifle with him and as I approached I heard his dad reminding him about his gun safety and keeping the muzzle in a safe direction. Wow I thought that was cool and although that boy may not remember that particular encounter we had I bet these 15+ years latter I bet he knows how to safely handle a gun.

The anti’s (I call them wackos on my blog) want to end many of our traditions and outdoor activities and by cutting off youth participation that will eliminate them. We have to stand up against that and fight.

The Families Afield Website has a lot of great information on this topic and I urge you to give them a visit. Here are there suggestions on legislation guidelines that are helpful to our cause;

Four Key Principles of a Families Afield Bill
-Parents know best when their sons and daughters are ready to begin hunting.
-Permitting people to learn and experience hunting first hand from a mentor before taking hunter education results in better recruitment numbers and ultimately more hunter education graduates.
-Access to big-game hunting is critical to improving hunting numbers. Big game hunting has the highest participation, therefore the largest number of potential mentors.
-In general, restrictions on hunting result in lower participation. Restrictions should be implemented only if necessary or factually based.

Besides the legislation part that we can take some part in there is the important part of getting young people involved. We all can participate in this even if you’re not a parent. There are plenty of young people that may not have the opportunity but you can step up and be a mentor for them, it will enrich your life trust me. Many states have a youth hunt only day and that’s a great chance for you to take someone out. If your state doesn’t have a youth only day maybe that is something you can push for. Take a kid out to turkey hunt, dove hunt, rabbit hunt, deer hunt whatever just get them out there. That gobbler sounding off will get you excited but that’s not half the excitement of sharing that experience with someone who has never done it before.

I’m going to ask you for one thing and that’s a commitment on your part to take at least one youth afield this year whether it’s a spring turkey hunt or a fall deer hunt. Like my preacher reminds me of often a commitment can easily be rationalized away if there is no public acknowledgment of that commitment. I hope that you’ll add a comment to this post saying you’ll take at least one youth afield this coming year as your public commitment to this important endeavor. Now on behalf of Tom ( the danger of asking someone to pinch hit for you is they can commit you to something) when you do this hunt send him a photo trophy or no trophy and he’ll post it up here.

-Moose-

big game, dan mclaughlin, families afield bill, hunting, moose droppings, owl

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Rex, Author of the Deer Camp Blog.

Thunderhoof Appreciation Day

Bambi, MS> This weekend Denise and I, plus the kids, are riding over to Tchula for Thunderhoof Appreciation Day. This is an annual event celebrating the Deer King of the Delta. Thousands of tourists will be there along with newspaper reporters from all over the world. It should be a great time.
This year they are dedicating a LIFESIZE statue of Thunderhoof to guard the entrance to Hillside National Wildlife Refuge. This will be a great event followed by Thunderhoof riding the kids (20 at a time) around the main square.
Later they will hold the National Buck Grunting Contest. This is where Tom Remington really is. He does not want to be embarrassed if he loses.
There will be buck races, and antler wrestling, followed by everyone’s favorite game, Fool the Hunter.
Thunderhoof will sign autographs and pose for pictures.
There will be deer bumper cars, a ferris wheel, and lots of vendors selling hunter camo, deer stands, lure and lots of wooden Thunderhoof toys. The food vendors sell a great antler shaped funnel cake!

Then as the evening falls and night settles in you get ready for the Grand Finale.
The highlight of the event is that night all the kids gather around campfires while Thunderhoof tells great stories of the Delta before Man came. He also tells his favorite funny stories about the hunters that he has tricked and scared.
He always tells his wild tale of his encounter with Paul Bunyon and Babe the Blue Ox.
How he whipped the Blue Ox and sent them both packing to Minnesota.
The kids all cheer at the end as Thunderhoof bows, and then quickly rears up as thousands of flashbulbs explode and people get the picture of the evening. He exits at a run leaving lightning flashing and the roll of thunder as he disappears back to the bluffs of the famous Christmas Place.
It is something that you should not miss!

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Phillip Loughlin author of the Hog Blog and Pro Staff/Editor for Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors.

A Question of Ethics

The mature, eight-point buck steps from the mesquite brush only 35 yards from your well-concealed blind. His antlers spread wide beyond his ears, and you can easily count five points on each side. You shiver a bit in anticipation as he lowers his head to feed, then slowly raise your bow and come to full draw. The buck looks up, briefly, his mouth dripping corn kernels back onto the yellow pile around his feet. When he lowers his head again, you finger the release and your carbon-shafted missile carries death to the majestic animal.

Now that sounds like a pretty exciting moment, doesn’t it? For many hunters, it’s the climactic point in a successful hunt.

Yet for many other hunters, the whole series of events would constitute a let down, or even a total breach of hunting ethics. That animal was shot from ambush, using bait to lure him away from his natural habits. “Where’s the sport in that,” they would ask?

It raises the question…where do we draw the line between personal ethics, which are based on our own values, and setting a standard that should be followed by all hunters?

It’s not a new question, although it is seldom raised in such general terms. Instead, it seems to rear its head amongst specific groups. Bow hunters, for example, are often divided over the issue of using crossbows. Hunters who use front-stuffers are battling it out over the “modern” versions of these weapons. Stand hunters are often at odds with dog hunters, and spot-and-stalk hunters seem to think that sitting in a treestand over a pile of bait shouldn’t be considered hunting at all!

The debates get pretty heated, and a lot of emotion is packed into the exchange. But when it breaks right down, that’s really all most of it is…emotion. Emotions are a personal thing, and they vary as much from person to person as fingerprints. The problem with pursuing any argument based on emotion is that there aren’t usually any facts to support the position…or if there are, they’re usually pretty flimsy. When you boil down most of these arguments, it comes down to the way the proponents and opponents “feel” about the issue…that it is or is not “right”. You can’t prove an emotional point.

And when you try to do so, or you try to force that opinion on someone else, you create an impasse that can turn ugly. If Jim Zumbo had kept his personal feelings about “assault rifles” to himself, he’d still be the shooting editor for Outdoor Life. He doesn’t have to like them, but he sure screwed up by suggesting that no hunter should use them.

There’s nothing wrong, of course, with holding tight to your personal values. Without them, we’d be pretty sorry examples of individuality, bending to the whim of our surroundings and refusing to take a stand on our own. But it would behoove us all to remember that our personal tastes vary, and what may be distasteful to one may be the next best thing to sliced bread for someone else. Just because you don’t think a certain way of hunting would be satisfying to you, it doesn’t mean it can’t be satisfactory to another hunter. Would you really expect the entire hunting community to experience the sport through your eyes only?

With this in mind, I’d propose that folks consider a more open-minded approach when it comes to judging hunter ethics. First of all, stick to your own standards. Then, before you start to judge someone else, set some realistic parameters around what constitutes “ethical” behavior, and what is “unethical”. In a general way, you might consider “good” activities to be those that don’t harm the resource, don’t break any game laws, and don’t reflect so poorly on sportsmen that they jeopardize the future of our sport. (This last one, of course, is a tricky one in itself…but it’s too much for me to deal with in one blog post.)

Situations and incidents may arise and challenge those parameters, but in general, they’re a safe rule to keep us from unfairly judging other hunters. Our community needs unity, more now than ever in the face of ongoing assaults on both our rights to own firearms and our hunting and shooting privileges.

So let’s hear it. Where do YOU draw the line?

assault rifles, bait, deer, ethics, guns, hog blog, hunting, jesses outdoors, Jim Zumbo, phillip loughlin, Second Amendment, shooting, treestand

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Mike Clifford of Heartland Outdoorsman.

Zumbo, Global Warming, Iraq and a New Chair

As someone who spends way too much time on the computer, I can’t help but feel there is a tremendous groundswell out there to make changes on this boulder we call Earth. Our Second Amendment rights are being fiercely protected by millions of sportsmen and women on thousands of message boards and blogs across this great country of ours. The outrage surrounding the whole “Jim Zumbo” issue is proof of this. Global Warming and “the environment” are topics that are sure to get us to break out of our shells and stand up for a cause. What message board or blog doesn’t instantly come alive whenever these topics are started?

Our brothers and sisters will defend freedom the world over in 2007 while we pontificate the next course of action that America should make by faithfully banging away on our keyboards. Politics is always sure to perk people up, no matter their interests or hobbies.

Did I just see a dirty word make its way into a post on the Black Bear blog?

Let me clarify….

I was recently bestowed with an award at the state level in my home state of Illinois:

Lt. Governor Pat Quinn’s “2006 Environmental Hero Award”. That’s the wording on the plaque that is attached to the wall over my computer. Upon my arrival at home after receiving this, my wife gave the customary “congratulations!” greeting and proceeded to bust out laughing as she took the plaque from my hand. “Does this mean that I’m married to a closet environmentalist?” or something close to that is all I heard in my haste to get to the computer. Staunchly conservative that she is, it shouldn’t have surprised me. I couldn’t help but wonder if there really is a difference in terms whenever we strive to honor people for their efforts, or if one is considered acceptable in sporting circles, while the other is just too filthy to toss around with reckless abandon.

Would it be perceived differently if it was called the “2006 Conservation Award”? I’m guessing it might. Perhaps it comes from the mindset that many of us have from too many hours spent indoors at our desks and not enough time spent actually
enjoying our “outdoors environment”, no matter where it might exist. At any rate, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of preserving our natural resources and have found perhaps one of the most important tools available today to achieve success in our efforts.

This HomeMedics Shiatsu massage chair thingy is a wonderful addition to my new computer desk chair. Can’t figure out how I ever got anything done without it. Ah yes, life is good indeed.

Speaking of filthy language…..

The Spring Edition of the free Heartland Outdoorsman eMagazine is being sent out this week to our subscribers. I have to apologize in advance for the column near the bottom. Somehow, no one here read it in advance, and we had no idea what was in it until it was too late as it was already sent to the host. I have always promised not to have *much* bad language in the Heartland Outdoorsman eMagazine, and have heavily edited the columns until this issue … and there it was … pool-hall language as big as sin, on the very back page. I would like to encourage all of you to not read that column, especially the ladies. Actually, if you get right down to it, we never intended the Heartland Outdoorsman eMagazine for lady readers anyway. It was my intention to allow only men to subscribe, but we were threatened with lawsuits and had to open it up to everyone, just like they had to do with that big golf club back east. Anyway, the spring issue is here- www.heartlandoutdoorsman.com

environment, environmental hero award, global warming, hearltand outdoorsman, Iraq, Jim Zumbo, mike clifford, politics

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The following article is written by Guest Blogger Steve Tweedie, Sales and Marketing Director of Maine Vue Optics.

Choosing Your Scope

Choosing a scope for a firearm is one of the most important components of any shooting sport. Many target shooters have told me that the scope makes the gun, and in many ways I believe this to be true. I’ve heard several old-fashion hunters say that open sights are king, and that scopes aren’t reliable, or quick enough to use when hunting in the thick stuff, or tracking deer. This may have been true many years ago, but with the technology available in optics now, open sights may be more of a hindrance than a reliable advantage.

The most important thing when choosing a scope is deciding on what type of scope you want because there are plenty to choose from. There are two things to consider when deciding. First, you want a scope that will compliment the guns capabilities. Second, you need to determine your style of hunting, the terrain you hunt, and your average shot range. The variable powered scope has become the most popular model of scopes because it offers different magnification ranges from 1x to way more than you need power. The variable powered 3-9x’s and 2-7x’s, are the best selling scope in the Northeast because they offer magnification ranges sufficient from 10 yards to 300 yards.

Steve Tweedie
Maine Vue Optics

deer, firearms, guns, maine vue optics, rifle scopes, shooting, steve tweedie, tracking

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The following message is brought to us by the Realtree Team on Guest Bloggers Weekend.

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It’s great to have the chance to touch base with you, and Realtree is very excited about 2007. As some of you may know, we launched two new patterns this year (AP and APG). Please visit www.realtree.com to learn more about our new patterns and visit your local retailer to see what you think of them.