Picking the Right Bow for You

By Craig M. Gillock

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear or read is, “What kind of bow should I shoot?” The fact of the matter is the only person who can answer that question is the one asking it. Everyone likes different things and expects different things from their bow. I might pick up a bow and love it while the next person who walks through the door could hate it. To help with the answer to this question I have come up with three very general steps to follow when buying a new bow. Read more

Large Predators: Them And Us!

Reprinted by permission from the author.

Valerius Geist, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science, The University of Calgary
Calgary, Canada.

We pay close attention to large predators. We do so because we evolved as prey. It was our ancient fate to be killed and eaten, and our primary goal to escape such. Our instincts are still shaped that way.

There is thus a reason why the bloody carnage on our highways is a mere statistic, but the mauling of a person by a grizzly is news. It’s not only that so many fossilized remains of our ancient ancestors are meals consumed by large predators in secluded caves or rock niches, but also that we speciated like large herbivores. That is, our pattern and timing of forming species, of adapting to landscapes, mimics and coincides with that of deer, antelope or cattle, but not that of large carnivores. And that despite our fondness for meat, despite “man the hunter”, and despite the fact that at least on species of humans, Neanderthal man, grew into a super predator. Read more

What It Means To Be A Bowhunter

By Craig Gillock

Bowhunter. That’s a word many of us use to describe ourselves. We say it with pride and conviction. It describes who we are and what we do. We wear it as a badge of honor. Why? What is it about that word and what it implies that motivates so many of us to do all the things we do? What does it mean to be a bowhunter?

The answer to that question is very complex and no one answer is enough to explain it all. Add to that the fact that bowhunting means something different to everyone and it makes the question almost impossible to answer. So with that in mind I’m going to explain what being a bowhunter means to me. Read more

Bear Hunting Seasons In Tennessee And Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania yesterday opened its annual 3-day bear hunting season and Tennessee is in the middle of their season that is a considerably more extended season than that of Pennsylvania. Both states believe they have an abundance of bears and if the weather holds favorable, record harvests could be reported.

To date, Tennessee has reported 246 bear taken with 17 days left in the season. The later part of the season into December allows dogs for bear hunting. Officials predict as many as 400 bears could be harvested if the weather doesn’t get too cold too quickly. That would be a record. Read more

Wildlife Counting. How Important Is It?

In management of wildlife, shouldn’t it be considered imperative to have accurate and reliable population counts? After all, many a lawsuit that involves millions of dollars and just as many people have been decided on data that includes herd counts, especially Endangered Species Act lawsuits.

“I’ve been in the woods for over a month now and I can tell you there are at least 100 does for every buck!” This is a comment I received one day when attempting to communicate with fellow hunters about buck to doe ratios and the management plans Maine has in monitoring and manipulating the whitetail deer populations. Read more

Unified Sportsmen Of Pennsylvania Suing PGC Again

Not successful in their first attempt to sue the Pennsylvania Game Commission to stop their implementation of the deer management plan, the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania got the go ahead from a state court to sue the PGC. PGC now has 30 days to reply to the charges.

In essence, USP claims that PGC did not use scientific evidence in the issuing of antlerless deer permits resulting in drastic reductions in deer numbers. They want this to stop until such time that PGC can prove they are following the law in issuing the permits. Read more

Reducing Deer Populations For Healthy Forests And People

I’ve talked some about his subject from a couple different perspectives. In Pennsylvania, the state is in the middle of a major deer population reduction in order to regrow the forests. According to reports from studies and officials, there are areas where too many deer have destroyed the natural under story of the forest allowing for growth of invasive plant species. Read more

The Art Of Setting-Up On Turkeys

By Blaine Cardilli

~Ever wonder why some set ups work and some don’t?~

As a die hard turkey hunter and seminar speaker for both “Hunters Specialties” and “Northwoods Adventures TV“, I get asked a multitude of questions each season on how to set up on turkeys. Do you use a decoy? Do you roost birds every time? Do you ever “run-and-gun”? How important is specific camouflage design? Well, for me, the most important aspect of the hunt is a good set up so let’s start there.

Here in the Northeast, our turkeys tend to start gobbling in mid-March and strutting activity becomes widespread about the same time. It’s then that I’ll put my scouting tactics into overdrive, even though the season doesn’t open until the very end of April. Why? Because good preparation will always tip the odds in my favor. Read more

Beware of “Natural” Wildlife Management

Nearly one year ago, I wrote an article that referred to an article that was published in The Outdoorsman, Bulletin #5, July 2004; pages 4 and 5. The title of that article was, “Beware of “Natural” Wildlife Management”. It was written by Dr. Valerius Geist.

Dr. Valerius Geist, Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science at the University of Calgary in Alberta, is a renowned expert in wildlife management and conservation practices. In addition to teaching, writing about, and lecturing on the subjects, Dr. Geist has performed years of in-the-field research on big game species. He has authored 16 books, seven documentary films and contributed 40 entries to various encyclopedias.

With permission from Dr. Geist, I would like to publish the original article in its entirety. Read more

Is Government Two-Faced When It Comes To Domestic Elk Industry?

Fascism takes on many forms some of which are difficult to spot. I see far too many groups and individuals attempting to force ideals onto others. When this happens an assortment of tactics are employed in order to manipulate the system and sway public opinion to achieve an end result.

Take for example the state of Idaho. Idaho is home to one of the best run domestic elk industries in the United States, in my opinion. It is well run, clean, disease free and brings a substantial economic contribution to the people of that state as well. Some people don’t like to see elk trapped behind fences even though elk have been domesticated world wide for centuries. Read more

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