Arkansas News Bureau – Preparing for hunting season

By Joe Mosby

All the talk and excitement and planning for the upcoming deer hunting season can be fun. But can it help you be successful on the hunt?

Heres a proven way to increase the odds more in your favor: Spend some time at a shooting range.

Few of us put in enough time actually firing a gun to be efficient at it. Some people are naturally better shots than others. Some may call it luck, but keep in mind the old adage about “the harder I work, the luckier I get.” Shooting practice falls into this category.

And for shooting practice you dont have to burn a lot of that high-priced rifle ammunition you hunt with, those dollar-a-pop cartridges.

Buy a box of .22 long rifle cartridges. Then take them and your .22 rifle to a range before deer season. After that, take along your deer rifle and get in a few shots.

Probably 90 percent of Arkansas deer hunters havent done any shooting since last deer season – if they shot at all then. Oh, we know how to shoot that favorite rifle. “When I get to camp, Ill sight it in” is a favorite line. Sighting in at camp means firing three shots at a paper plate or a tin can some unknown distance away, “about 30 steps, thats the distance youll shoot a deer in these woods.”

Another theory going along with this camp sighting in is that the rifles sights, telescopic or iron, may get bumped in travel, making last-minute testing a must.

But shooting is what were talking about here. Heres a remedy: Full Story

Arkansas News Bureau – Preparing for hunting season.

TED NUGENT – NUGENT CELEBRATES HUNTING SEASON WITH MISSIVE

Outspoken rocker TED NUGENT has marked America’s National Hunting and Fishing Day (27Sep08) with an angry rant, calling for his fellow outdoorsmen to fight “stupid” laws that have led to Sunday hunting bans in 11 U.S. states and some Canadian provinces.

Nugent admits he loves this time of year, when hunting seasons across America are active, and he feels those opposing the practice of killing wildlife should applaud the efforts he and his fellow hunters make in culling abundant animals and maintaining America’s rural areas.

In his missive, which first appeared in his weekly column in the Waco Tribune on 21 September (08), Nugent insists trapping, hunting and fishing are “an integral part of America’s history and culture as well as our essential conservation responsibility.”

He adds, “Once necessary to survive, hunting and fishing are now two very popular forms of recreation, while keeping millions of American families connected to the land and its precious creatures.

“Today, roughly 20 million hunters and more than 50 million fishermen enjoy the outdoors and generate roughly $70 billion in revenue each year. Like all my friends, we hunt simply because we are hunters. It is perfect Full Story

TED NUGENT – NUGENT CELEBRATES HUNTING SEASON WITH MISSIVE.

Vassar food plot company growing under deer hunting rule changes – Bay City Times – MLive.com

Posted by Mike Spencer | The Bay City Times

VASSAR – Matt Shelson’s new business on M-15 just south of town got an unexpected boost this fall – a ban on deer bait.

That’s because the 29-year-old Tuscola County businessman has been selling food plots, a quick remedy that will help hunters attract their game.

Of the four products Monster Plots has created, Magic Carpet may become the best seller in light of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources decision to ban baiting in the Lower Peninsula because a captive Kent County deer was found to have chronic wasting disease.

Magic Carpet is a food plot in a box. It’s easy to install, no intense preparations or maintenance and it’s designed to attract deer within three days, Shelson says.

“The economy didn’t need this hit, especially the vendors at gas stations,” Shelson said. “But there’s alternatives to baiting.

“Magic Carpet is an answer. In eight minutes, you’re done. You have a food plot. And in three days, it’s an inch and a half to two inches tall.”

Shelson, with help from plant manager and friend Derek Flikkie, 25, of Kingston, started selling food plots a year and a half ago. First it was out of a garage and then a sun porch. They moved their business to the industrial park in town before relocating three months ago on M-15.

Monster Plots currently offer three other products, Monster Maker, Buck Slam and Magic Beans.

But it’s the Magic Carpet and Monster Maker that can help a hunter go without bait for the archery (Oct. 1) or firearms season (Nov. 15).

“The nice thing about our product is when I formulated the seeds – a trick to the trade I learned – it creates an aroma which is an attractant,” said Shelson, a Caro native and former agronomist consultant. “And if there are deer down wind, they are there.”

Gander Mountain store manager Ken Morrison and operations manager Derek Holmes have used both the Monster Maker and Magic Carpet in hunting areas near the Lansing store.

“They had never had bucks before and Ken and Derek were excited as all get-out,” Shelson said. “In two weeks, they’ve got buck pictures on their trail cam.”

“It’s pretty phenomenal,” Holmes said. “After eight or nine days we had two inches of growth. Now it’s running waist-high.”

Holmes said Monster Plots products have a future in this state.

“I think it’s a great idea, especially considering the current state of affairs and the baiting ban,” Holmes said. “Personally, I think it’s better than bait, especially from a nutrition standpoint.”

The Monster Plots products are available at monsterplots.com, in the Saginaw Gander Mountain store, Frank’s Great Outdoors in Linwood and Big Acre in Caro. They can also be ordered through any Gander Mountain store or by calling (989) 823-3363 or 823-3382

Vassar food plot company growing under deer hunting rule changes – Bay City Times – MLive.com.

Deer bait to have its day in court – Ludington Daily News

Brian Mulherin – Daily News Staff Writer

A petition was filed in Lansing Circuit Court seeking to have the DNR’s ban on baiting and feeding deer overturned Tuesday. The ban was issued by Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries August 28 after one deer was found to have chronic wasting disease at a captive deer operation in Kent County. The DNR has stated that baiting and feeding can concentrate deer and cause diseases like CWD to spread more rapidly. The petition and a motion for an expedited hearing were filed by attorneys Edward J. McNeely III and Matthew Malleis of Grand Rapids. The case is expected to be heard by Judge Joyce Draganchuck.

Among the petitioners is farmer Gerald Malburg of Oceana County, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, a store owner and hunters.

Malburg grows fodder beets and carrots on his Oceana farm and has said that the beets he planted this spring are specifically grown for deer feed and are not a type that could easily be sold to livestock farms. He also estimated about 46 percent of his carrots are “cull” carrots unsuitable for his primary market of restaurants. Malburg told the Daily News his carrots have no other market than deer feed or bait. The petition states he stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the order.

The DNR’s interim order prohibiting the baiting and feeding Full Story

Ludington Daily News – News.

Norfork Lake Fishing Report by Tim Partin

09/22/08 Norfork Lake fishing has been on the slow side with the storms we had from Ike. But as normal, fishing is beginning to improve every day. Norfork Lake water temperature is dropping it is now in the low 70’s to high 60’s in some areas of the lake. On the Red Bank side of the lake the thermocline is at 50′ and solid. Crappie fishing is good using minnows fished 20 feet deep around the brush piles. Bluegill fishing is good using worms and crickets. Striper fishing has been fair. Cat fishing has been good most being caught using trot lines and some jugs have also been working using live bait. Bass fishing has been fair. There are loads of 8-10 inch bass every where now. The spawn was great this year it seems like every where you go on Norfork Lake there is hundreds of little fishes. Walleye fishing has been slow. There have been a few walleye caught jigging spoons deep. As the water temperatures drop the lake will begin to turn over and fishing will be a real challenge for a week or two. After that fishing will be great, the water will clear up after the turn over and the water and air temps will be ideal and fish will be all over the lake and hitting on anything you throw at them. Have Fun GO Fishing.

Greg Weinmann
Hand Cove Resort and RV Park
8885 Hand Cove Road
Elizabeth, AR 72531
870-488-5367

John Berry Fishing Report 9/25/2008

We have had a week without rain and the lakes in the White River system have experienced a slight decline. The lake level at Bull Shoals Dam rose one and two tenths feet to rest at thirty one and nine tenths feet above power pool of 654.00 feet. This is nine and one tenths feet below the top of flood pool. Up stream, Table Rock Lake fell three and six tenths of a foot to rest at four and nine tenths feet above power pool or eleven and one tenth feet below the top of flood pool. Beaver Lake rose one tenth of a foot to rest at nine and one tenth feet above power pool or five tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern on the White is for heavy generation around the clock. Norfork Lake has fallen three tenths of a foot to rest at fifteen and five tenths feet above power pool of 552.00 feet or twelve and five tenths of a foot below the top of flood pool. The pattern has been to run one or two generators part of the day and to turn it off at night. There have been some excellent wading conditions on the Norfork during the last week. Boating conditions on the White have been uniformly good.

The boat ramp at Quarry Park on the upper Norfork River is closed while a contractor removes the old pedestrian bridge across the mouth of Dry Run Creek. While anglers are allowed to walk in to the area to fish, there is no boat launching allowed from the ramp until the demolition is completed. The ramp is scheduled to be back in operation on September 29, 2008. In the mean time, the only ramp available in the area is at the confluence of the White and Norfork Rivers. Any one wanting to fish the upper river will be required to run up stream.

The upper river below Bull Shoals Dam has been producing well. With the higher flows we have had this week; anglers have had to return to their conventional high water techniques. The top technique for this level of water is to fish brightly colored San Juan worms under a strike indicator. Hot colors have been red, cerise and hot pink. Other effective flies have been black zebra midges in size fourteen and egg patterns in peach and pink. I generally use 4X tippet and set the strike indicator at one and one half times the depth of the water. Use plenty of weight and I would also recommend the use of fluorocarbon tippet. It has a higher specific gravity than water and sinks. In addition, it has greater resistance to abrasion.

Once again, the section from Wildcat Shoals to the Narrows was another hot spot. In addition to fishing San Juan worms and nymphs, anglers have reported success fishing large streamers on sink tip or full sinking lines. The top flies have been kiwi muddlers, Jim Mengle’s Ozark sculpin and large woolly buggers (size 6 and 4). Be sure and use really heavy tippets, at least 3X or even 2X. Here again fluorocarbon tippet would be the logical choice.

Crooked Creek and the Buffalo River have cleared and the water levels are nearing a comfortable level for wading. Crooked Creek in particular has fished well during the last week. Hot flies have been Clouser minnows and crayfish patterns. Successful anglers have been fishing early in the morning.

The fishing on the Norfork has remained steady this past week. The low flows in the morning have enticed quite a few anglers and most have not been disappointed. The section at Quarry Park just below Norfork Dam has fished particularly well. Small black zebra midges size eighteen, scuds in size eighteen, olive woolly buggers with a bit of flash, and Dan’s turkey tail emergers have been the go to flies. I do not know how long the low water in the morning will be around, but my suggestion is to take advantage of it while you can.

Dry Run Creek is clear and very wadable. Effective flies have been sow bugs, worm brown San Juan worms and olive woolly buggers. With the pleasant weather we have had lately, now is a good time to get in some quality fishing with your children or grand children before the weather turns cold. Be sure to carry a camera and the biggest net you can find. The fish here are huge.

Practice water safety and always check conditions before you leave home.

John Berry is a fly fishing guide in Cotter, Arkansas and has fished our local streams for over twenty five years.

LINE CONTROL

BY JOHN BERRY

As a fly fishing guide, I am able to observe a lot of fly fishers and have been able to identify certain keys to angling success. Based on my observation, some of the best anglers are those that are accomplished technicians of line control. By line control, I mean the control of the fly line when it is on the water. The basic concept is that the fly line must have enough slack in it to float drag free yet you must be able to set the hook at any time in the drift. If you have too much slack in the fly line you cannot set the hook. In this article, we are going to concentrate on line control issues for floating fly lines.

The first thing I have noticed is that a large number of anglers cast too much line. The more line you have out the more difficult it is to control. When you look at the surface of a river it does not have one consistent current all the way across it. Instead, it is made of complex currents. There is a mix of small streams within the water. Some will be faster and some will be slower. The more different currents your line crosses the more trouble you will have. There is a tendency to gain more slack with longer line which will make it more difficult to set the hook. In addition, it will be more difficult to actually see the fly or strike indicator the further it is from you. Finally, if you are casting too far, you are probably casting over fish to get to the spot you are trying to reach. I generally cast twenty to thirty feet for about ninety percent of my fishing. If you are in a boat and want to fish a spot further away, just move the boat closer. If you are wading, you can usually wade a bit closer to fish that one special spot.

Even with a reasonably short line, you will have to deal with complex currents. You will often find your line and fly in currents that have different speeds. The trick is to move your line up or down stream to compensate for the difference in velocity. This is called mending. To mend your line pick the line up and move it up or down stream preferably without moving the fly or strike indicator. If your fly is in faster water and your line is in slower water then you would mend your line down stream. If your fly is in slower water and your line is in faster water then you would mend your line up stream.

Whenever I am on stream, I observe bubbles or foam around my fly. If my fly is moving faster or slower than the bubbles, I know that there is drag on my fly and I need to mend. Some times you have to play with the situation mending up or down stream until you achieve a perfect drag free drift. There are many situations where one mend will not be enough and you will be required to mend multiple times. The river is ever changing and there will also be situations on a long drift where you may need to mend down stream at the beginning of a drift and up stream toward the end of the drift.

I have found that a longer rod aids in mending line. The increased length makes it easier to lift more line. I generally fish nine foot fly rods. There are a growing number of guides and anglers that utilize ten foot rods because they allow you to mend fly line more effectively. Another observation that I have made is that as fly lines get dirty they tend to sink particularly the front of the line. When this or any other part of the line sinks it is more difficult to mend the line.

In order to avoid this, I occasionally wash my fly line. I pull the line from the reel and put it in a sink of soapy water (dish washing liquid is fine) and gently agitate it. I then rinse it thoroughly in fresh water and dry it by drawing it through a clean folded towel. I then wind it back on the reel and I am ready to fish with it. If I find my line sinking when on the stream I will quickly clean it with a cleaning pad that I carry in my fishing vest. I use the cleaning pad supplied by the line manufacturer.

If you follow these simple suggestions you will have enhanced line control and you might just catch a few more fish.

John Berry
(870) 435-2169
berrybrothers@infodash.com
www.berrybrothersguides.com

Before heading afield, get in shape for hunting season | greatfallstribune.com | Great Falls Tribune

It’s hunting season — is your body ready? Many hunters are primarily sedentary the remainder of the year. If you are one of those people, your body is at greater risk for injury or illness as you put it through the demands the sport often requires.

Our bodies operate more efficiently if they are worked consistently. At the very least, get out and start walking the neighborhood, adding in some hills, if possible. It will be a lot more enjoyable after the hunt not to suffer the aches and pains of placing hunting’s demands on an underfit body.

For those who hunt in the mountains and do a lot of hiking, strength training would be a great way to prepare for the season. Some weight-bearing squats and lunges are a good starting point. Eventually, add hand weights or a bar across the shoulders for more resistance  Full Story

Before heading afield, get in shape for hunting season | greatfallstribune.com | Great Falls Tribune.

As conservationists, hunters need to speak up Delhi News-Record – Ontario, CA

Posted By Jeff Helsdon / Sun Media

In the coming days, and weeks, hunters will be dusting off their hunting clothes, oiling guns and preparing decoys for the first hunt of the year.

Waterfowl hunters will be first to head outdoors this weekend, but the pursuit of deer and moose will follow only a few weeks later. Most hunters are passionate about their time spent in duck blinds, deer stands or a week away in northern Ontario moose or deer hunting. Although they spend hours preparing for the hunt and are enthusiastic about their hunting time, most hunters give little thought to defending hunting.

Defending hunting is usually left to the many fine organizations that represent hunters in Canada. After all, isn’t the voice of thousands better than a single outcry

Not necessarily so, says Delta Waterfowl Foundation. Known as a research organization for decades, Delta has more recently moved into broader-based conservation initiatives, as well as organizing youth hunts and hunter advocacy.

On the latter topic, Delta senior staff members Dr. Bob Bailey and Bob Sopuck presented a hunting communication seminar at the Long Point Waterfowl Centre (former Ontario Ranger Camp), just north of Turkey Point, recently.

Their seminar covered a variety of topics ranging from how anti-hunting organizations work to proven messages for defending hunting in your backyard. Sound like kind of heady stuff, and still something better left to organizations like Delta?

Not so.

We, as hunters, shouldn’t be so quick to think that bigger is better. Referring to several regional and national surveys, Bailey said the public’s impression of hunting is more apt to be positive if people know a hunter.

“Individual hunters are the most credible public spokespeople for hunting – that’s you and I,” he said  Full Story

Delhi News-Record – Ontario, CA.

Daily Local News – No quick ‘fix’ for whitetails

By Tom Tatum

Bowhunting is the most efficient, most practical, most cost effective management tool for controlling the size of our whitetail deer herd in suburban areas. This is the mantra of a number of townships and municipalities when it comes to dealing with burgeoning deer numbers – the approval of controlled bowhunting programs to help whittle down nuisance herds. But an editorial that recently appeared in the Daily Local News (Game commission should consider deer contraception, Friday, Sept. 5, 2008) proposed the use of contraceptives as a means of reducing deer numbers. In making its case, the editorial cited the effective use of porcine zona pellucida (PZP) in examples that included wild horses on Assateague Island and some wild animals in African game parks as examples. The editorial then speculated that such birth control methods might also serve to put a hold on deer population growth here in Chester County.

Apparently these contraceptive programs have proved effective in controlling wild animal populations in confined or isolated environs (i.e. Assateague Island, some wild animal parks, and captive deer) but how feasible would this solution be on free-ranging whitetails here in our corner of Penn’s Woods? I met recently with Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) officials to find out.

Chris Rosenberry, a PGC deer biologist and section supervisor noted, “Gonacon is the birth control drug that the United States Department of Agriculture is now investigating. PZP is also under study as a potentially viable alternative.”

No matter how effective the birth control drug of choice might be, however, developing an effective delivery system to wild deer populations as vast as ours here in the southeastern corner of the state may represent an impossibly monumental challenge.

“It’s my understanding that for PZP to be effective, the deer needs to be captured, tagged, and injected with the drug by hand,” explained Rosenberry, “and then at least one booster shot would have to be administered later. The cost could run hundreds of dollars or more for each deer treated.” Rosenberry cited a number of other problems including dosage, drug type, the overall impact on the herd, and the best delivery system. “For it to be truly effective, you’d have to capture, tag, and treat virtually every deer.  Full Story

Daily Local News – No quick ‘fix’ for whitetails.

Top 5 Ways to Observe National Hunting and Fishing Day

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—One of the great annual traditions in the outdoors, National Hunting and Fishing Day, is set for this Saturday, Sept. 27.

For the past 37 years, the day has served as a public reminder that hunters and anglers are America’s premier conservation supporters. Through licenses and excise taxes, they now generate $100,000 every 30 minutes for fish, wildlife and habitat programs—benefiting all citizens who appreciate wild things and wild places.
Top 5 ways to observe National Hunting and Fishing Day 2008:
1. Introduce a newcomer to the outdoors.
2. Visit your sporting goods retailer, treat yourself to a new piece of hunting, fishing or shooting gear, then get outside and enjoy it.
3.  Organize, volunteer or attend a National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration in your area. Many event listings are posted at www.nhfday.org.
4.  Remember those whose service to our country will prevent them from joining us afield this fall. Appreciate the freedoms that make hunting, fishing, shooting and conservation possible.
5.  Log on to www.nhfday.org to learn more about the historic conservation leadership of hunters and anglers. Share the story with non-hunters! While online, enter to win a new ATV or bid on National Hunting and Fishing Day commemorative items.
Urged by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, formalized by Congress, proclaimed by every U.S. President since Richard M. Nixon, National Hunting and Fishing Day has an official home and national coordinator in Wonders of Wildlife.

The Springfield, Mo., museum develops communications campaigns, event-planning tips, promotional items and free online tools to help build public appreciation for hunters, anglers and shooters. Learn more at www.nhfday.org.

Honorary chairman for 2008 is outdoor TV personality Michael Waddell.

National Hunting and Fishing Day sponsors include Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, The Sportsman Channel, National Wild Turkey Federation, Realtree, Cabela’s, Woolrich, GunBroker.com, Outdoor Channel, Safari Club International, Hunting Heritage Trust, Smith & Wesson, Field & Stream and Outdoor Life, and Yamaha.

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