As I have mentioned in some of my earlier posts, I’m planning on taking my two sons down to Ohio for a turkey hunt this spring.  While doing the research on finding out what license we need to have, I found out that we need to purchase a small game license along with the turkey license.  Here in Michigan our big game licenses (deer, bear, elk, and turkey) are stand alone tags.    Not in Ohio, you must purchase the small game tag in order to purchase the big game permits.  Why?

     This seems to me just another way to either generate revenue, or to really stick it to the out of state hunters.  Chances are you’ll never hunt small game while partaking in an out of state big game hunt.  Instead of making us jump through another hoop, why not just raise the prices of the big game tags to offset the difference.  It would make it easier to just have to deal with one tag. 

     I wasn’t even going to carry a firearm into the woods with me, I was just going to call for my sons so they could take the birds, and also video tape the hunt.  I thought I should ask to make sure that I didn’t need a tag just to “tag” along.  Sure enough, I emailed the Ohio DNR and they said, I need a license to participate in the hunt!  So now I will also be buying a license to “tag” along.  What got me to thinking about the whole license issue was, I went to Gander Mtn. one night and started talking to a clerk there about the Ohio trip.  He started telling me of his bad experience there.  He went turkey hunting back in 2000 in Ohio, and at that time the small game license according to him expired at the end of turkey season.  He had to buy a second small game license to go back and deer hunt later that year!  That is what I plan to do this year.  At least now their small game license expires before turkey season, so when I buy my tag it will be good for this fall. 

     If your heading to another state to hunt, be sure you know what licenses you must have and make sure you know when they expire!  Here is a link to all 50 state DNR agencies.

Deer hunting as we know it in Michigan is about to change! 

     Yesterday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources ”announced a deer harvested in late December in Shiawassee County that was suspect for bovine Tuberculosis (TB) has tested positive for the disease. Further testing is needed to determine the exact strain of TB”, click HERE to read the entire story.  They will now turn things over to the Michigan Department of Agriculture , which will now create a 10 mile radius High Risk Area around the the site where the deer was harvested.  Then they will start to test every animal at every farm in the High Risk Area, for Bovine TB.  The report states that there are about 100 farms in that 10 mile area.  If nothing is found in the next 6 months then the designation will be dropped.  They have also started testing road kill animals in the hot zone for TB.  In addition to this they will test at least 300 deer this next deer season (2008) for TB also.

     If this zone produces any other signs of TB, the way we hunt in Michigan will definitely change.  I have hunted in the northern TB zone since its inception back in the mid 90′s.  I started hunting that area two years before the zone was formed, and it was not uncommon for us to see over 40 deer a day!  Since the zone was formed we are now lucky to see 10 deer a day!  I won’t get into the baiting issue here, but that is the main ammunition that the MDA & DNR uses for the cause for the spreading of TB in Michigan.  Since the now famous DMU 452 was formed, all baiting is illegal, and antlerless permits are given out like candy to this day.  The deer herd has been decimated there.  Even the quality of bucks has diminished.  We used to see 10, 12, and 14 point bucks on a regular basis, now we are lucky to see a nice 8.   The deer population has decreased dramatically.

     What I’m afraid of is that the DNR will do the same thing to the southern deer herd if any other signs are found.  I fully understand the other side of the coin.  Farmers are faced with loosing their cattle herds with little compensation.  The farmers in DMU 452 that were effected by this, basically went out of business.  There are more farms in the southern zone as compared to DMU 452.  For this reason alone, I feel that the DNR will be much more aggressive in battling this case or potential outbreak!  The deer that was found with TB was taken less than 20 miles from my house.  I know fully the economic impact of the farming in this area.  We cannot afford to loose these herds, our area is already economically depressed as it is.

     On the hunting forums I frequent, hunters are worried about what this will mean for us hunters here in Michigan.  What we must do is just wait and see how this all plays out.  But one thing I do know is that the Dept. of Ag is heading this investigation up and their loyalty lies with the farmers not us hunters.  I wish that they would work with the DNR on this issue so both sides are given equal treatment.  We as hunters also contribute a HUGE amount to the economy and we should be forgotten in all of this!  That’s my take on the situation, what do you think?  Shoot me a comment on the link below.

    Well, we’ve had another couple of inches of snow during the night.  We are now over 70 inches of frozen flakes for the season.  I know that isn’t very much compared to the folks way up in da U.P. eh (for does of you dat don’t know nuttin’, that’s north of da bridge and just south of heaven.  Watch Escanaba in Da Moonlight if you don’t get it), but for us here in the central part of the lower peninsula it is now in the top 5 of all time, with more expected this week!  Since we do a lot of hunting with snow on the ground, we must consider snow camo as part of our strategy.

     I started hunting more in the winter months in the last five years or so and had to consider what to do about winter cover, and I really didn’t want to spend another $100 – $150 on snow camo.  I started talking with my dad about an alternative and he actually came up with the idea of using disposable Tyvek painter’s suits.  Being a person who is willing to try anything new to further my hunting success, I gave them a try. 

     These suits are first of all cheap to use.  If your not too rough on them, they should last a season.  They are also light weight, if you buy them at least one size too big they will fit right over your regular insulated camo suits and give you plenty of freedom of movement.  This week my son and I took our new suits that we got for hunting coyotes, and marked them up.  We took a fat tipped felt marker and drew random lines to simulate branches, so this would break up the large solid white pattern.  Not only that you can have some fun with it also.  On the back of mine I wrote “Coyote Killer” and on the seat of the suit “Sit Here”.  If your not having fun, then it becomes work! 

     I suggested these suits to my friend Bob Rich of The Bob Rich Shooting Journal.  He is going to use one this week when coyote season starts in Connecticut, that is if they still have any snow.  I’m looking forward to his report on his hunt.  So if your looking for a cheaper way to get some snow camo, try these suits out, then have some fun creating your own camo pattern on them and be creative.  If anyone else has tried these in the field write us on the comment line below and let us know how they worked for you!

     This morning I received a call from our local NWTF president, he asked if I would help work the both this weekend at our local outdoor show (Flint Steelheaders Show).  I’ve been a member now for about a year, and at every event I have had the unfortunate luck to have something going on that prevented me from helping out.  Well not this weekend!  After I take my youngest son Jake to his hunters safety class, I’ll drop him off and pick up my oldest son Michael. 

     The nice part about this whole deal, is that Michael is going to help work the show also.  He has the opportunity to showcase his talent of fly tying.  During the show, he will have a booth to set up a fly tying station.  Last year during an event such as this one he learned from a fellow fisherman the art of fly tying.  I told him that I would pick up some supplies for him to use, I’ll be making a trip to Gander tonight on my lunch hour (it gives me an excuse to go, as if I need one). 

     So now he gets to give back to the sport.  This will be an important step for him to get out into the public and help promote the outdoors as a youth.  I dare say there isn’t many 13 year old kids giving back.  We need to encourage all outdoors-men and women to give back and help teach someone else something about our great sport.  I challenge everyone to get their kids involved in hunting or fishing.  I know most people will say, I’ll take them when they get older, because they won’t be interested, or they will mess up my hunt or trip. 

     Guys I’m here to tell you that this last year, I had the most fun I have ever had with my kids out in the field.  I learned things from them, that if I never would have taken them out, I would have never experienced.  Michael wanted to start duck hunting this last year,  I was really reluctant to go or take him.  How could I tell him no, I got to experience a new style of hunting.  He taught me something and we will be duck hunting this next season. 

     So, this weekend get up early and get your kids out and do something in the outdoors.  Don’t have a young kid, then take your grand-kids, or go get a friend that hasn’t experienced the outdoors and show them how much fun it can be.  How are you going to give back?  Drop us a line on the comment section below and let us know what you did to give back to the sport!

     This weekend I read a post on a blog that an outdoor enthusiast in Connecticut wrote.  It was from the Bob Rich Shooting Journal.  Bob and I have got to know each other in the last six to nine months or so, by emailing back and forth quite a bit.  He emailed me back when my son and I started out outdoor podcast (Up North Journal), and we have been corresponding ever since.  Well this last weekend he had an issue while out doing a late season squirrel hunt in the Cromwell Meadows WMA in Connecticut.  Here in his own words is what happened:

“As I was leaving the parking lot and rounding the bend, an older woman with 2 big black dogs were walking in the middle of the road and if I wasn’t paying attention, they could have been history. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this woman and her dogs there, and this time there were two teenage boys with her, playing in the middle of the road in the tunnel. None were wearing blaze and the big black dogs only had on collars.”

     Now one of the issues are why do people continually roam state land during hunting season, with no blaze orange on.  We are required to wear it when we hunt, so why not them also.  Another valid point he brings up is, is this indirectly hunter harassment?  He goes on to list several valid reasons for non-hunters to not be allowed into state game areas during hunting season, to roam about.

“Considering how small, few and far between hunting areas are in CT, I think it should be illegal for non-hunters to wander the fields and let their dogs run free. Here’s why:

• They scare the game animals away which in my opinion is hunter harassment.
• They put themselves in danger of being shot and put the hunter in the position of possibly killing someone they couldn’t see.
• When a hunter is surprised by one or more non-hunting dogs running loose in the field, he could be left with a split second decision whether or not to shoot to protect himself.
• The dog could be mistaken for a coyote or other animal and be shot by mistake, getting the hunter legal trouble.
• While hunters are in the field, non-hunters including children have access to the unattended vehicles which may contain guns and ammunition.
• Non-hunters have access to all state hunting land on Sundays when hunters are restricted from hunting. Then why shouldn’t non-hunters be restricted from walking through these areas on the other days?
• Making it illegal for non-hunters to access hunting areas Monday thru Saturday would greatly decrease the possibility of hunter harassment.
   

     Hunters pay to keep these areas open with taxes paid on guns, ammo and licenses. These dog walkers wouldn’t consider letting their dogs run loose on golf courses or ski slopes. So why is our hunting land open to anyone? If the state is unwilling to designate this land for hunting only, they should at least require that everyone wear 400″ of blaze, and dogs should be made to wear blaze and a bell. Maybe I’ll organize a petition this summer to see if we can get the current laws changed.”

     On a recent forum, that I browse through regularly, hunters were asking these same questions.  Better yet they actually came up with a pretty good idea, I think.  Someone suggested that, since we as hunters purchase a license to hunt and use state land, as well as ATV, ORV & boat owners purchase tags or permits (stickers) to ride on state land and waters, why don’t individual states charge people to access the state land as well.  If the lady in the situation above, had to purchase a state land “use permit”, she would have to follow the same rules as the other people out hunting (use blaze orange).  By forcing people to buy “use permits”, they might consider using a different place to walk their dogs, maybe a nearby park.  These lands would not be open to just the free roamers.  It would also bring in revenue for the state wildlife agencies, helping out their budgets.  This in-turn would help keep license fees lower for us hunters.   I like the suggestion above by Bob though.  Designate these lands as hunting only during hunting season.  We have safe zones in our Michigan state parks & wildlife areas where we are not allowed to hunt even during season, because people frequent these areas with pets and their families. 

     I can for-see a problem with people saying that everyone should be allowed to use these lands, and I agree, but when your hunt is ruined by someone roaming through your area, you’ll understand why we are talking about this.  Like I said before, if we have to buy a license to hunt it why shouldn’t others pay their fair share to use it also.

      What do you guys think about this?  Let’s get a discussion going, that is how we come up with ideas and get problems solved.  Shoot me a comment on the link below.

     Early this morning, I was awoken by the voice of my youngest son, Jake.  “Dad, dad, come look out the window, there are deer in the back field!”  I got up t see what his enthusiasm was all about.  Running through the back field were five does, taking their morning jaunt.  After running around the pond and back to the middle of the field, Jake said, “Did you see them dad”.  Yes, I told him, that was awesome. 

     The awesome sight for me wasn’t the fact that I saw five does running through the field.  The shear joy came from the fact that my eight year old son was excited to see them.  It’s not like he doesn’t see them on a regular basis.  We see deer almost daily behind our house.  It is encouraging to know that it never gets old for him, or me either and I hope it never does.  Kids now days have so much to grab their attention, if we don’t encourage them at a young age to appreciate and enjoy the outdoors, they probably never will.  Take the time to get up and get out with your kids to enjoy what God has so graciously given to us.  It is our responsibility as outdoors-men and women to show our kids the path to the woods and water.

     It is for that reason, that I’m taking a trip to Ohio this week to scout for wild turkeys.  Here in Michigan a youth must be 10 years of age to hunt.  Jake will turn 9 in late April, so he cannot partake in the annual tradition of the spring hunt with the rest of the guys in our group.  He has asked me so many times, “Dad when can I hunt”?  The look on his face tells of the disappointment when I tell him, “Next year bud”.   So, I did some checking and found that in Ohio there is no minimum age requirement for hunting.  That is when I decided to plan a spring turkey hunt in Ohio for Jake!  There will be four of us hunting in April, but this is Jake’s hunt.  I could care less if I take a bird, but nothing would make me prouder than, if he took his first bird this year.  He will start his hunter’s safety classes next Saturday, so he will be prepared when the takes to the fields of Ohio in just over a month from now.

     This is how I’m showing the path to the great outdoors to my son Jake, how are you going to show your kids?  Do it before it is too late!

     Last night I tried something new!  With the moon going through a full eclipse and turning blood red, I just knew that the coyotes would somehow find it spiritual and want to hunt and kill something for food last night.  When I got home from work, I stepped out of my truck and thought to myself what a perfect night, this is the night!  It was crystal clear, the moon full and high above, and only around -3 degrees, but there was no wind, so there was no wind chill to worry about.  Yeah right! It was freaking cold out!  I kept debating whether to go out or not because of the temperature.  As I was trying to talk myself into being rational, that any normal person with any brains would stay inside where it is warm, I methodically kept getting things ready.  You know, just in case I decided that I would actually go out, besides if I didn’t I would have it ready for in the morning!  After laying out the layers clothes, I headed for the safe.  I thought I might as well get the gun ready for in the morning also.  I could have taken the 22 mag again, it has already taken one coyote this year, but I grabbed my son’s Ruger 10/22 with the new Barska hologram site on it, you know, just in case I did go out tonight.

     By now I had everything laid out on the kitchen table, so I grabbed the binoculars and looked outside to see just how much light was available to hunt with.  I was amazed at how well I could see through them.  That was the clinching deal, as if I needed one.  I bundled up and headed out to the back edge of our lot, and actually used the kids wooden fort for cover.  The little wooden window opening provided an excellent view of the field that the yotes use to search for food.

     Before I started to call, I turned the Barska sight on to see just how bright it would be in the darkness.  I was amazed at how bright it actually was, on the lowest setting out of 7, it was more than bright enough to see the cross-hairs.  Although it did flare just a small amount.  I tried it on the highest level and it flared so much in the darkness you couldn’t see past the sight, something to keep in mind.  So I turned it off and slipped a cartridge into the chamber and began to call softly. 

     I started with a mouse squeaker, just a couple of squeaks at a time.  Then I would listen and look across the field for any movement.  It was so bright I could see detail all around me, it was a beautiful scene to be a part of.  After a few minutes had passed with no response, I called again, hoping for some sort of sound back, I strained my ears to hear anything.  Only an occasional car passing, was the only sound I could hear along with my own heart beat.  After trying the squeaker a couple of more times and about 20 minutes passing, I grabbed my Lohman triple tone mouth call.  What I like about this call is it is a multi function call.  Blow through one end and it is a mouse squeaker and blow through the other it is a rabbit in distress call, or cover the mouse hole and it is a midrange rabbit distress call.  I hit the mouse end, just because I could blow it louder than the mouse squeaker I had.  We are now approaching a half hour with nothing, except my nose starting to freeze shut.  Did I mention it was cold out!  I then turned the call around and hit the rabbit distress end of it.  Hearing that at night will raise the hair (no pun intended) on the back of your neck.  By now I’m starting to get cold and my legs are falling asleep from sitting in the child size chair I’m using while taking cover in the kids fort.  Time to call it quits!

     If you have never spent 30 minutes or so outside at 1:00am on a sub-zero night calling coyotes, you should try it.  You don’t know what your missing!  It was a short but eye opening hunt for me.  I learned some things, which is worth getting a little cold over.   I found out that the sight on my son’s rifle MUST be used on the lowest intensity level at night.  I also learned that you can hear sounds from miles away on a cold clear windless night, so you MUST use stealth when walking to and from your stand (kids fort).  You MUST dress warm!  I found out that the night scenery on a moon lit night is beautiful.  Lastly and most importantly, that the coyotes still control their own destiny no matter how hard I hunt them!

Hitting The Main Stream Media!

     Yesterday on my way to work, (I do have a regular job), I tuned in to my favorite sports talk radio show, The Jim Rome Show a.k.a. The Jungle  a nationwide sports talk call in show.  During one of the commercial breaks in the show, I heard an ad for the Wildlife Land Trust sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.  Upon hearing this, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming!  I was dumbfounded, how could a national sports talk show use them as a sponsor!  I would dare say that a majority of sports fans hunt and fish!  Most of the sports fans that I know, participate in the outdoors in some way or another.

     Well, I couldn’t let this slide.  By the time I had got to work I was steaming mad.  I knew that I had to respond in some sort of civilized manor.  So, I used one of my most effective communication skills.  I wrote them!  Here is the letter I wrote to the Jim Rome Show:

______________________________________________________________ 

Rome: 

     I’ve listened to your show for years and yesterday I was listening to your show in Flint, MI on 1330 WTRX.  I heard one of your ads in the break for the Wildlife Land Trust sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.  I couldn’t believe my ears, these people actually want to buy up land so Americans cannot use it to hunt or fish on.  The HSUS wants to ban our hunting and fishing privileges for ever.   I for one cannot stand for this, as long as you run these ads on your air, I will not listen to the show any longer. I will also tell everyone I come into contact with about this.  A lot of your listeners are hunting and fishing enthusiasts. I’m hoping that you as the sports talk host didn’t make the decision to run this ad, but you as the host know that sports are as American as hunting and fishing and we as sports fans love to hunt and fish.  I’m disappointed to know that your network would run an ad such as this. Thanks for the ride up to this point, but this is where I must step out of the car.

Mike Adams
Up North Journal
www.upnorthjournal.com 

______________________________________________________________ 

         I didn’t stop there.  Next, I wrote the local radio station that aired the show, with basically the same letter along with a copy of the one I sent to the Jim Rome Show, click Here to see if your local station airs the show.  I did make one mistake by not researching before I sent the letter.  The land trust does not actually buy the land, they get conservation easements on the land, so it can never be used again.  I believe I’m correct in saying this, that even if the land gets sold to another person, the easement sticks!  Never to be hunted or fished again, EVER!  By the way click Here for a link to the list of land they already have!  This is a relative new way for the HSUS to stop us outdoors-men.  They don’t have to get the laws changed if they can get the easements to the land and keep us from using it!  We need to get our state legislatures to start writing no net-loss bills for the hunting and fishing lands.  I have heard of some states already doing this, such as Missouri and Florida to name a few.  We as hunters should get a grassroots effort going to do the same kind of Land Trust to gain permanent easements to ensure these lands will always be available to hunt and fish, (I think I just came up with an idea). 

     If we do not stand up and let these people know that we will not take this, then we will suffer the consequences of loosing our hunting land and our fishing waters forever.  Take a minute of your time today and write the Jim Rome Show at: rome@haveatake.com  you may even use my email above as a guide if you wish.  But don’t stop there, write the affiliate in your home town also to let them know your upset by this sponsorship. 

      I would like to know how many of you out there listen to The Jim Rome Show.  I also want to know how many of you are going to take action. Shoot me a comment, use the link on this page and let your voice be heard!

     Last weekend I was supposed to take my son’s two school teachers on a coyote hunt.  These two guys have never been before, and they heard about me shooting one about three weeks ago.   I told them I would take them out and see what we could do.  I’m no expert, but I thought it would be fun to try and call some in for them to shoot, kind of like an unpaid guide service.  Although, I’m no guide, I was up for the challenge.  For two weeks I planned on where to make about a half dozen stands so we could get after them.  I wanted to take them down to the Brighton State Rec. Area, where we have seen some good coyote sign during deer season.   I also ordered new rechargeable batteries for my Johnny Stewart e-caller, since the other set went bad.  Low and behold, when the weekend came to go, the weather got bad.  Real bad, it rained hard and blew hard all day Sunday, that was supposed to be a scout day.  Then the morning of the hunt it was blowing and snowing really hard.  After a couple of phone calls we decided to call it off and try again in a couple of weeks. 

     So after a disappointing two days, I get up this morning to make my Tim Hortons coffee,  I love that stuff,  and I look outside as I pour a cup and what do I see.  It is sunny, clear and calm.  I can’t catch a break.  I have come to a new found conclusion, that these yotes now control the weather and know when I want to hunt them.  I think deep down inside them somewhere they have a spiritual connection with the weather that allows them to mess up my hunting.  We have an old saying here in Michigan, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change.  Well now I know who to blame, not the weather man, instead the coyotes!

     Today I was supposed to be on a coyote hunt with a couple of friends, but as usual here in Michigan, the weather changed for the worse yesterday.  Making the tough decision to cancel our hunt, I decided that no matter what, I was going to get out today and do some ice fishing with the kids.  They and I both had the day off, due to Presidents Day holiday.  After getting up and around we got out the door by 9:30am and on the ice by 10:00am.  On the drive to Seven Lakes State Park, I noticed that the wind was almost none existent, unlike last night when it was blowing at about 25mph.  I told my oldest boy Mike that we messed up big time!  We should be out coyote hunting instead of fishing.  This whole weekend has been a bust!  We checked the ice thickness and had about 8 – 9 inches of good ice on Little Seven Lake.  It rained all day yesterday, so I had some reservations about venturing out too far.  It was nice and smooth, which means really slick, and Michael found out the hard way!  After a hard fall he put on his creepers to get around on the ice.  After drilling 4 holes I got my youngest son and oldest daughter set up with their poles and bait.  Michael can take care of himself (he’s 13).  It wasn’t long and Jake my youngest boy (8yrs. old) was getting bored and wanted to take my pole.  My daughter Mackenzie (10yrs. old) just loves to be out no matter what it is, she was doing fine and started to get a couple of bites.  Michael finally got some action and after playing around with one nibbling at his bait he pulled one out on the ice.  It was a nice little sun fish.  About 20 seconds later Mackenzie pulled a smaller one out also.  I thought finally we are going to get into them.  That was it for the run.  No more bites, we saw three more fisherman coming out and it was time for us to go.  The kids had a McDonalds date with their friends, so we had to be home by noon.  Personally I could have stayed out all day, but the important thing was that they did have fun.  As they say a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work or school any day!