A New Way To Shoot    

     If any of you listened to this weeks podcast (Up North Journal) then you heard me talking about shooting left handed this weekend.  This is something I’ve wanted to try for the last year or so.  A good friend of mine is able to shoot both right and left handed and does it quite well.  Since turkey season is upon us, I thought that this would be a great time to learn how to do this.  Think of it this way, if a nice Tom comes in the wrong way, wouldn’t it be nice if you could switch to the off hand to be able to take the shot instead of letting it walk?

     This is the main reason I wanted to learn this technique.  Well this weekend we were at the range doing some patterning of our turkey guns and I actually forgot to try this.  It isn’t something that I keep in the forefront of my mind.  We then made our way to the trap field and proceeded to shoot some clays.  My oldest son Michael has had a terrible time at trying to hit a moving target, but he did manage to take a few ducks this year on the wing.  By the end of the day, we were going to wrap up our shooting, and my friend Kevin said, throw some up, so I can try my off hand shooting.  As usual he connected, and it was then that I thought, this is what I need to try to perfect.  I told Michael to load up some for me to try to pop left handed also.  I have never shouldered a gun left handed before.  The first one I hit and I took two out of three. 

     I told Michael he needed to try to do the same and see if it provided him a better opportunity to connect.  He got ready and called pull, he proceeded to take seven out of seven clays!  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!  He is right eyed dominate, and shoots extremely well right handed with a pistol and rifle.  He just seems to struggle at moving targets with the shotgun.  The biggest problem he had was forcing himself to close his right eye when shooting, since it is his dominate eye, he wants to use it when wing shooting. 

     So if your looking for a new challenge or just another way to shoot, give it a try.  Especially since turkey season is upon us.  You just might be able to bag that weary Tom that won’t come in to your dominate side.  Practice and bust them on the off hand!

     This last Friday I was out calling for a group of guys during a coyote hunt.  While posting up during our last set, I was in the middle of my run of calls, when I started a series of howls on my electronic caller.   When I turned the volume up I started to hear a crackling noise on the speaker.   I quickly turned it down and started to turn it up again only to hear the same noise.  I turned the call off, and then tried to figure out why the call was making such a terrible noise.  It sounded just like when a cell phone is put near a computer speaker.  It was then that I remembered that I had my cell phone in my pocket.  I always carry it incase of an emergency, but I do so with the ringer turned off, so I won’t spoke any game off.  Sure enough, I moved the call away from my body and the noise quit. 

     So remember if you are using any type of electronic call, do not have your cell phone turned on near it.  When it randomly connects to the cell tower, it will run interference into your game call device if you have your game call turned on.  If you’ve ever heard this on your computer speakers before, just think of what it would sound like in the woods on an amplified speaker.  So much for calling game into where your at!

     Before I go off on this topic, I want to make clear that I too work for a media outlet, and it is of the Liberal mind set.  I don’t agree with most of what they do, but I do have to earn a living somewhere.  I guess this blog is the way I fight back at them.  Now on to the story!  This weekend I saw an article that caught my eye on MSNBC, don’t ask me why I was on that web site, I don’t really know myself.  The article was titled “Since 2001, guarding species is harder” and it was written and published first by the Washington Post, that should have been a heads up to begin with.

     The article was basically ranting about the fact that the current administration has not done enough to protect endangered species, and that they were changing the laws on how endangered species were being designated.  Now mind you they gave no specific examples as to how or why this has happened.  The only two animals mentioned in the article were a specific salmon and a specific rabbit, of which both went extinct during the current administration due to the fact they said was because they did nothing to protect it.  They also claim that the current administration is dragging its feet and taking too long to list a particular species as endangered, and lastly they are upset with the new way that certain species are picked for the list.  The group heading this fight up is “WildEarth Guardians“.   They are an environmental group trying to get animals on an endangered list to protect them. 

     This all sounds good until you start to look at the animals they are trying to get listed and the reasons why.  Check out the link above to their web site and you’ll see what I mean.  The want the wolves re-listed along with Black Tailed Prairie Dogs and White Tailed Prairie Dogs.  They are also against the hunting of Cougars, Black Bears and Coyotes, to name a few.  The new way that animals are listed has angered them also.  The way it is now done, is to only list an animal in a particular region instead of the whole nation.  Just because there is an animal that is having trouble surviving in Michigan doesn’t mean it should be listed as endangered in Alaska, or any other state that it is thriving in.  This seems to be a logical way to help and control animal population in a particular region.  If an animal was listed as endangered in the entire nation, then the population could grow out of control in some areas where there is an abundance of them.

     The USF&G and local Wild Game Agencies are doing a pretty good job at managing our outdoor wildlife and resources with good science to back them up.  Since the U.S. has started regulating the hunting of game animals, no hunted game animal has gone extinct.  That is not to say that no animal has gone extinct, but not due to over hunting!  The USF&G as well as our state game officials keep close tabs and monitor our game as to make sure they are there for us to enjoy in the future.  I don’t always agree with the way they do it or by the means they allow us to take game, but I’m glad they are there to protect them.

      This article written in the Washington Post is just another factless attempt at trying to scare people into believing that we need to place more animals on the endangered species list and outlaw hunting and fishing.  Like I said earlier, they didn’t give one instance of any animal that should have been put on the list that has been hunted into extinction.  They don’t come right out and say they are against hunting, but go check out their web site and see for your self.

Here are a couple of pictures I took last weekend, just incase you waterfowl guys are Jonesing for the birds!!

     This week in our local newspaper “The Flint Journal”  there was a letter to the editor about a dog being caught in a leg hold trap and later died.  The writer of the letter rambled on about how cruel and inhumane it was to use these traps.  We are continually up against the antis trying to take away our outdoor heritage, and I for one wasn’t going to let this person get the last word on the subject.  Here is the link to the persons letter and below is my response to it.  I don’t know if The Flint Journal will publish it or not, I will keep you updated.  But we must not let these people use the media without us as outdoors men and women getting our say also!  Stand Up And Fight Darnit!!  or we are going to loose our way of life!!!

I’m writing in regards to the article written on Wednesday, March 26th titled “Support bill to ban cruel, barbaric leg-hold traps”.  I agree with Mr. McMullin that it is tragic that someone’s pet died in a trap, but it would be irresponsible to outlaw a method of animal control such as leg hold traps.  It is tragic when people die in automobile accidents, but we don’t outlaw vehicles.  It is tragic when someone dies from a drug reaction, but we don’t outlaw drugs.  We don’t outlaw things that work in the best interest of people or wildlife.  Unfortunately someone let their dog run loose, why are you not crying out against the irresponsible owner that let their dog run off leash?  Shouldn’t they be to blame?  You base your facts on the Humane Society of the United States, who sole purpose is to ban all forms of hunting and animal use in society.  Their so called facts are without merit and usually an outright lie.  They obtain their funds by preying and “Trapping” their supporters by believing that they are serving the local community shelters, which is an outright lie.  They have never contributed one red cent to local shelters.
     You state that pets as well as curious children can be harmed by these traps.  Yes, if they are not properly supervised!  Any parent should know where their child is, if they let them wander into fields and wood lots without supervision then they should be the ones blamed not the trapper who is legally providing a service in helping control animal over population.  Your right in stating that every animal plays an important role in the ecosystem, but they must be healthy and viable in order to be useful.  Over population destroys this delicate balance by introducing disease and starvation into an over populated species.  When you state that nature takes care of the over population problem you failed to mention how cruel nature is by a long agonizing starvation of animals, or by a long agonizing disease in over populated animals, much longer than that of a trap.  These are the two main ways that mother nature controls her animal population.  Your statement that the state wildlife agencies (DNR), have been managing the population of furbearing animals so that trappers have enough animals to trap, contradicts what you stated by nature doing the job herself.  How could the DNR maintain an abundance of animals if nature corrects this problem by starvation and disease?  This statement goes against what you just said.  The sportsman of Michigan have long been the main contributing factor in helping mother nature, with the wildlife population in this state thrive in a healthy environment.  By taking away trapping you are irresponsibly taking away a management tool that in the long run helps to keep and maintain a healthy and viable wildlife population for all to enjoy.  Just as a note I am not a trapper, but I do support trapping.
Mike Adams, Linden
Up North Journal
www.upnorthjournal.com

The DNR Stands Up For Hunters!    

     Recently the Michigan DNR has had to stand up for hunters’ rights in two local communities.  They have done so, with great success, and preserved our hunting rights in two local communities that wanted to take away the our privilege of harvesting game.  The two that I’m talking about is the Twin Lakes Community near Muskegon on the western side of the state and Clinton Township down state. 

     The Twin Lake battle was over residents in Dalton Township asking for a hunting ban on three area lakes, because residents feel threatened by the shotgun blasts that occur during the waterfowl hunting season.  Now mind you, there have been no incidents to support their claim of the hunting on the area lakes as being dangerous for the residents who live there.  The DNR held the required hearing and listened to all comments on the issue and made their ruling that there was no reason to ban hunting on the three area lakes.  Here is the link to the complete story, as reported by the Muskegon Chronicle last week.

     The Clinton Township incident was basically the same story.  Residents of that township felt that they were in danger from bow hunters hunting on private land in the township.  They wanted all bow hunting banned in the township.  They have already banned all firearm hunting in the township back in 1974.  The DNR basically did the same thing, by holding a hearing and finding no just cause to ban bow hunting in the township.  Here is the link to the complete story on a local blog.

     What is somewhat unique about the Michigan Law is that the DNR has the final say so in all hunting issues.  What a wonderful idea!  Allowing the people that know how to regulate hunting to regulate hunting, not a judge, not the governor, not the legislature, not the township officials, but the people who know the most about it!  It is good to know that people who “FEEL” like they are in danger without knowing the facts, cannot take our hunting and fishing away from us, just because they perceive a threat with no just cause.

     Two wins for the Good Guys!!!!

     In yesterdays Flint Journal newspaper it was reported that the testing for TB began on livestock farms in Shiawassee County.  The farm is in Laingsburg, which is in the 10 mile radius hot zone where a deer that tested positive for TB was found back in December.  To read the full story click the link here for more.  If all goes well and no TB is found after the six month observation, the area will loose its TB hot zone status and hopefully things will return to normal.  I don’t want to think of what will happen if another case is found.

Possible Deer Season Changes On The Way For Michigan    

Some news out of the Michigan DNR was discussed on the Michigan Sportsman Whitetail Deer forum yesterday.  The DNR is wanting to establish an early antlerless deer hunt for the southern lower peninsula to help control the deer population along with helping to control the TB in the 5 county hot zone in the northeastern lower peninsula.  Here is an excerpt from the full proposal:

“The estimated deer population in the Southern Lower Peninsula (Zone 3) remains above the desired population goal. Additional tools are needed to reduce this deer population. An early firearm antlerless deer season will provide deer hunters with additional opportunities to take antlerless deer and assist the Department with population control. The Department recommends establishing a five-day early firearm antlerless deer season beginning the second Saturday in October within Zone 3 to help reduce the deer population and within five counties in the Special Regulation Units to help address bovine tuberculosis.” Click Here to read the entire document.

     From what I’ve heard this would be for private land only, but I didn’t find it in the DNR’s proposal, unless I overlooked it.  This would be a great opportunity for hunters to use a muzzleloader to harvest an antlerless deer.  But I can see that hunters may not want to take to the woods with a firearm at this time of the year, due to the fact that it is so close to the rut.  Many hunters might see this as a way to spook or scare off potential bucks in the area they hunt.  This proposal will be up for consideration on the March 31st calender for the DNR and may be implemented as soon as May 8th of this year.  This could help control the deer herd population, if it is managed correctly.  I’ve seen what the antlerless permits have done in the DMU 452 area in the last five years or so.  The only way this will work is if the hunters get on board with the idea, without them it is a waste of time.  I know that there are good number of hunters in our area that will not shoot does no matter what part of the season its in.  I also wonder if this is in any way a response to the TB case in Shiawassee County that was found back in December of last year?  Just a thought.  We will have to keep our ears to the ground on this one to see how it plays out.  Would you like to see an early antlerless deer hunt in Michigan?  If your not from Michigan and your state offers an early season, how does it effect the regular season hunts in your state?

     It Calls To All Of Us, Like An Old Friend

     Here in Michigan,  we tend to think of our geographic playground for the outdoors as “Up North”.  For most Michiganders everything north of our hometown is “Up North”.  Why do we use this term so generally?  Where is “Up North”?  For each individual it is a different destination, but yet it is also the same place that we all visit for similar reasons each weekend or for our family vacations.

     For years I have been going “Up North” for camping trips, vacations, deer hunting, turkey hunting, or just a weekend getaway.  It all started with my mom and dad taking weekend trips to the woods to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and work.  We would pack the travel camper and hook it to the pickup along with enough hot dogs to feed an army, and head “Up North”.  Our “Up North” was one of two places, either a nice piece of state land we used to deer hunt on M-61 in Gladwin County, or our little run down cabin on 80 acres near Wolverine in Cheboygan County way “Up North” where I shot my first Whitetail Buck.  Back then, I used to chase chipmunks with my BB gun and roam the woods chasing anything that moved.  It is amazing that I still have fingers left after playing in the campfire all of those years.  I think I’ve burned just about everything known to mankind in the fire pit at the old camp site.  Then came along the mini bikes and motorcycles.  We rode countless miles in my youth up and down the dirt roads and trails leading all over the county.  That was my “Up North” as a child.

     Now my “Up North” is slightly different.  It consists of a hunting lodge that my father belongs too in Alcona County, along with nine other members.  It also consists of a cottage in Mackinaw City where I spend most of my summers with my wife and four children relaxing on the beach on the Straits of Mackinaw.  Even though it is a tourist spot, the hunting woods and waters are only a stones throw from the cottage.  We have spent an early goose season there as well as a late season deer hunt along with several fishing  and canoe trips.  My “Up North” hasn’t changed, it has just evolved somewhat as the years have passed and now that I have children of my own.  I look at it through a more experienced set of eyes and appreciate more, what “Up North” has to offer me and my family.  When I was younger, I just took it at face value and took it for granted that it would always be there for me to enjoy.  Now with each and every passing year I wonder just how much of it will be there next year to enjoy, or I question if my children will get to experience it with their children.

     My “Up North” is my solitude, my therapy, and my spiritual place of rest.  It is where I go to get away, but also to get back to the things I need most.  I need to go back to simpler times, I need to remember where I came from and how things used to be.  It is a longing of wanting to reach back in time and regain something from my youth or maybe something even further back from before my time.   “Up North” tugs at my heart and pulls at my being.  There are times when I can see myself dressed in clothing made of animal skins, paddling  down the Sturgeon River ever so slowly with my musket tucked in the bottom of the canoe looking for any sign of where wild game might be near the river.  A soft slow snow falling as my paddle breaks through the rippling surface of the water as the current takes me down stream.  Up ahead I can see an eagle perched on a limb waiting for a breeze to come and lift him into the sky to take him on a journey that only he knows where it will lead.  Then in the bend of the river I see a black bear with her cub crossing the river into the thicket as they glance my way as if to acknowledge my presence.  This is my “Up North” or at least that is what I wish it could be.  I have experienced some of these things, but I wish we could all go back in time to experience the old “Up North” the way it used to be.

     We all have our reasons for going “Up North”, maybe it is to get away from the city life, or to just experience nature in all of her wonder.  Maybe, it is a season ritual of deer camp,  an annual canoe trip, or maybe just to drift back in time.  What ever the reason, “Up North” always leaves her lasting impression on us and leaves us longing for more.  I can’t wait until I get back “Up North”.  I’ll throw another log on the fire when I get there,  hope to see you there!

Cooking Last Seasons Bounty!

 This last Saturday, the kids and I decided that we should break out some of the catfish we caught last year on the river and cook it for dinner.  It was one of those last minute decisions of what we should thaw out for dinner that night.  I told my oldest boy Mike to get out a couple of the frozen quart bags out of the freezer and drop them in some water in the sink. 

     We had a couple of places we needed to go, and I thought that by the time we got back to the house, that the fish would be thawed out in time to eat later that night.  After arriving back at the house that evening I started to get everything prepared for the feast!  I got out the frying pan and heated it up, I wasn’t going to deep fry these boys, I wanted some pan fried catfish!  After getting the eggs out and the flour and corn meal, I noticed that Mike had gotten a bag of catfish along with a bag of pan fish we had caught during ice fishing season.  Oh well, those will cook up just fine.  Nothing like fish nuggets to go along with the catfish, a little finger food so to speak!  I put the fish in the egg and rolled them in the flour and meal to batter them just right for the frying pan with some hot oil.  Then a little salt and pepper to set them off.  I was hungry before I started, but this whole ordeal took me quite some time to finish.  Everyone was nibbling (no pun intended) on the fish nuggets, I wouldn’t let them eat the cats just yet!  If I did there wouldn’t be any left for me to eat!  After getting everything done, we all set down to a great feast of pan fried catfish fillets. 

     I think I put as much work into preparing them as I did catching and cleaning them, but you know what?  It was all worth it.  While I was cooking them and eventually eating them, I was reminded of the day we actually spent on the river catching them.  That is what is so great about eating a meal that you harvested yourself!  It is the work and effort that went into catching or harvesting the game meat that your eating.  It gives you a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment that cannot be achieved by buying a steak in the store and slamming it on the grill.  Nothing beats a winter catfish meal, or a venison steak cooked in the early spring on the grill.  It takes you back to the moment you harvested that animal and all those wonderful memories come flooding back to the forefront again.  While at the dinner table, your kids think that your the greatest dad in the world!  My dad went out and caught or hunted the meat for dinner and he also prepared it for us, that is what they are thinking.  Then you get the best compliment you can get, “Dad this is awesome, thanks for cooking for us”!!!!

     I couldn’t think of a better way to spend an evening dinner at home with the wife and kids, than to share your outdoor bounty with them!  So this weekend break out some of that deer, rabbit, squirrel, fish, or whatever you have put away in your freezer, and share it with friends and family, then sit back and talk about the memories you have, of when you harvested your great meal. Bon Appetit!