Fifty-two million dollars for wetlands restoration? You read that right. The House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee approved President Obama’s request for $52 million to go to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. This is a record amount and finally no bipartisan voting. More than 140 members of Congress signed a letter in support of the wetlands conservation initiative. And if that isn’t enough, the subcommittee also approved $503 million in funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is a conservation program that provides critical habitats for breeding, wintering and migrating waterfowl.
The mocking bird was making quite a commotion and when I looked up I could see why. A hawk was perched in the old oak and the mocking bird was not happy. That mocking bird squawked and harassed the hawk. It must have had something special hidden with the curtains of Spanish moss. It reminded me of a lot of us go through day-after-day. We fight to help our own and inevitability the bottom falls out. We lose a job, the house goes into foreclosure, a sickness occurs. But like that mocking bird we persist. The hawk finally moved on and to that mocking bird the insurmountable happened. Whenever you feel the burden, the fight is lost, remember the small mockingbird and the hawk.
If done right clucking and purring in the spring can draw in a gobbling tom. This past season in MA a turkey hunter was luring toms with a push-button box call and was bowled over, but not by the sight of a tom strutting into view. The hunter was literally bowled over. Shaking off the hit, the hunter suspected a coyote had mistaken him for a turkey, but what he saw staring back was a 35-pound bobcat. Evidentially the bobcat was puzzled, too. The bobcat had snuck up on the hunter’s without getting a clear look and when the cat pounced and connected with the hunter it leapt off of him just as quick. It pushed away from the hunter with such force that it pushed the hunters backwards. The hunter received the worst of the encounter with scratches to his ear and arm. Unprovoked bobcat encounters are rare since bobcats usually don’t attack humans unless they have rabies. The hunter reported the cat was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, so state wildlife officials assume the bobcat made an honest mistake.
The preliminary figures are in and it looks like WV turkey hunters harvested 9,485 bearded turkeys statewide during this past spring season. The top five counties were Mason with 422 birds, Preston with 378, Harrison with 310, Upshur with 296 and Wood with 273. The harvest is about 4% less this year compared to last year and can contributed to rainy weather conditions. The wet weather reduced hunters going into the field and gobbling activity. As always there is a silver lining to “dampened” harvest results. The state’s wildlife biologists expect birds to carryover through the fall and winter for the 2010 spring turkey season.
You have a right to free speech. You have the right to bear arms. You have the right of freedom of press. Those rights probably ring a bell with you since are part of our Bill of Rights. But how does this one sound: You have the right to hunt, fish and trap? Ten states have a right to hunt written into their state constitutions. VT’s dates back to 1777, but most of the other nine states adopted hunting and fishing amendments within the past decade. The other nine states include: AL, GA, LA, MN, MT, ND, VA, WI and OK. This is obviously one of the NRA's top hunting priorities to be sure. With the decline of rural populations these pro-hunting amendments will help save hunting, fishing and trapping. You may recall a post we wrote last year about WalMart not selling shotgun shells and hunting firearms in certain areas that traditionally supported a market for hunting products. It is a sign of the times that America is becoming a more urban society. A number of other states, including IN, MI, MO, NE, NM and TX have considered similar hunting amendments but were not approved. I find it hard to believe that a state like TX did not pass the amendments. Just think how difficult it would be to pass an amendment like this in NY or NJ.
I visited the dentist the other day and I got to thinking about all this back-pedaling on CIA interrogations since 9/11. Now I am not one to condone torture but I do feel we need to protect ourselves from those who would do us ill. I have also never been afraid of visiting the dentist, but this past trip called for a power tool. The sound of the sonic tartar scrapper firing up sent a shiver down my spine and its pointed, curved tip was a sadist's fatnasy come true. This was not going to be an ordinary teeth cleaning. The apparatus whined and sent a tingle down my spine that was at once both pleasant and irritating. A nick to the gum line and I jumped in the seat as if an electric charge had been surged through my body. I could not have concealed any information if I wanted to. I begged the hygenist to write down my Social Security number, my bank accounts, and my password to Hotmail account. I dreamed of it all being over with a swish of mouthwash and a spit in the sink. She handed my floss and brush and said see you in six months. Gulp! Perhaps the CIA should look into providing an oral hygiene regime to captured terrorists. They would provide the information as well as have a healthy smile.
For 40 years IN hunters have been talking turkey and shooting turkey. Last year spring turkey hunters harvested 12,204 birds, which was the second-highest total since the state instituted turkey hunting in 1970. The record was set in 2006 with 13,193 birds taken. This year’s forecast looks like a repeat of ’08 according to the state.
I hope you have patterned that 3-1/2 incher since May 1 is the start of the NY spring turkey season. The weather played havoc with nesting in 2008 and consequently there was a slight decrease in harvest rates. Based on brood surveys from the last two years and harvest data, the spring ‘09 season is looking in line with the five-year average. Expect a harvest of about 29,500 birds. During this past winter, the state started the first standardized winter flock survey program. Like the spring and early summer when weather can have a big impact on turkey nesting and poult survival, winter conditions, like temperature and snowfall, can stymie the turkey population. The goal of the survey is determine long-term trends in turkey populations.
Jon Michael McGrath is 17-year old with golden aspirations for the 2012 Olympics, but with the cost of travel, ammunition, training, and more are smoking those aspirations just like what McGrath does to clay pigeons. To defray the cost, Fish and Hunt the World is hosting an Upland Hunt this October in Nebo, IL. The event package costs $1,813 and includes 3-nights lodging at the Orvis-endorsed Harpole's Heartland Lodge, all meals, 2 full days of limitless birds, a round of sporting clays, all applicable taxes, and the opportunity to hunt with Jon Michael McGrath. McGrath holds 14 Junior World Skeet titles and 4 U.S. National titles. He currently holds the 2008 United States National Champion International Skeet title, which earned him a spot on the U.S. National Team. If you would like the opportunity to support this young Olympic hopeful contact Fish and Hunt the World at 918-407-2586.
For 40 years IN hunters have been talking turkey and shooting turkey. Today is the opening day of their sring season. Last year spring turkey hunters harvested 12,204 birds, which was the second-highest total since the state instituted turkey hunting in 1970. The record was set in 2006 with 13,193 birds taken. This year’s forecast looks like a repeat of ’08 according to the state.
The PA game commission’s preliminary harvest data indicates that wild turkey hunters had a great season this past fall. Hunters took 26,485 turkeys, which is a spike compared to 2007 when 21,900 birds were killed and 2006 with only 21,500 birds. For those of you who like statistics that’s a 19% increase over the previous three-year average for fall seasons. The state says that turkey reproduction increased slightly boosting the population size. The above average number of turkey and the poor fall mast—acorns and beechnuts were scarce in many forested areas—forced the birds to forage for food. That meant they became a bit easier for hunters to locate and find their roosts. The harvest hot spots were located in three of the state's largest Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). WMU 4D was lead with 2,856 birds, followed by WMU 2G with 2,637, and WMU 2D with 2,183.
There were tea parties staged around the country yesterday, not the kind hosted by the Mad Hatter or the Queen, but groups of people fed up paying taxes that go to bail outs. It, too, rubs my fur the wrong way that we, the tax payers, are bailing the poor management practices of banks and manufacturers. Why should we pay for other’s mistakes or greed? But I digress. The tax you pay when you buy a box shotshells for skeet or new shotgun for pheasant hunting or a lever-action deer rifle goes to the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which was passed in 1937. The funds you pay in the form of excise tax go to states based on land area and paid hunting license holders, among other criteria. Safeguards written into the act prevent the government from redirecting these funds away from state wildlife agencies. Last year some $336 million was collected. That’s a lot green backs to fix the woes of some states. Be vigilant that your state does not try to divert funds or cut programs that are funds by the excise tax. Maybe some legilslators should be thrown in Boston harbor along with the tea.
It all started in FL (doesn't it always start in FL?). A group of dog lovers is working to get the entire country to recognize March 13 as K9 Veterans Day. The group hopes for the national recognition of all the dogs, of all our wars, including those serving as Customs Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, Border Patrol Dogs, Police Dogs, and Secret Service Dogs. Secret Service dogs are those canine who wear dark glasses and an ear piece. No mention if gun dogs or hunting will be admitted.
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