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WATERBURY, VT -- The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has received about 95 percent of deer harvest reports from big game reporting stations. Earlier reports suggested that the 2010 deer harvest would be lower. Harvest reports received by the department now indicate the total deer harvest from youth, archery, rifle and muzzleloader seasons combined will be about 15,675 deer, up slightly from 15,237 in 2009. Vermont’s whitetail population is healthy, and the forked-horn antler restriction has resulted in a greater proportion of older bucks in the harvest and in the deer population.
The modest increase in the over-all deer harvest is a result of an increase in the buck harvest during the 16-day rifle season, projected to be about 6,775 rifle bucks compared to 6,017 in 2009. The other projected 2010 deer harvests are: 2,975 deer in archery season; 1,725 on youth weekend; and 4,200 during muzzleloader season. The total antlered buck harvest for all seasons is projected to be about 8,775 bucks which is very close to what the department expected.
Although most big game check stations have returned their reports to the department, harvest results will remain preliminary until all reports have been received. Final harvest numbers should be within five percent of the above projections. The department expects final results to be available in January. A detailed annual deer harvest report will be available on the department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com) by early March. On the department website under “Hunting and Trapping,” click on “Big Game” and then on “Big Game Harvest Reports.”
Hunters continue to provide the means for managing Vermont’s white-tailed deer populations across the state. Post-hunt deer densities in most regions of the state remain at levels within management objectives set forth in Vermont’s new big game plan for 2010–2020, also available on the department website. There are regions in the state where some people feel there are either too many or too few deer. Deer management will always be a balancing act and require a continuous series of corrections to keep deer from becoming too many, thus doing harm the forest ecosystem, or “too few” to provide for the desired opportunities to view and hunt deer.
Based on weights of deer collected by wildlife biologists during the weekend of youth hunting in early November, Vermont’s deer herd is as healthy now as it has been at any time since the 1940s when such data were first collected. Deer that go into winter with heavier body weighs are better able to survive harsh winter conditions. Winter mortality of deer in recent years has been a small fraction of what occurred in Vermont from the 1950s through the 1970s when deer were chronically overabundant.
Vermont’s annual deer hunt yields more than 8000,000 pounds of local nutritious venison each year worth millions of dollars in food value alone. The Fish and Wildlife Department’s primary deer management objective is to manage Vermont’s deer populations to be abundant, but not overabundant, for all Vermonters to enjoy now and indefinitely into the future.
Preliminary information on the archery and shotgun deer season results have been compiled though some check stations have yet to report their tallies. For the 2010 archery deer season, a preliminary statewide total of 3,644 deer were checked in at official deer check stations. The Western District office tallied 387 deer while Connecticut Valley District office reported 431. Central District stations checked 624 deer; Northeast District, 944; and Southeast District checked 1,258 deer.
During the statewide shotgun season, licensed deer hunters checked in 4,435 deer. The breakdown of deer checked by District check stations were: Western District, 623; Connecticut Valley District, 737; Central District, 928; Northeast District, 731; and Southeast District, 1,416. These figures do not include the results of the Quabbin Reservation Hunt. All reported figures are preliminary the final harvest numbers will not be available until spring.
A new electronic licensing system, MassFishHunt, has debuted online offering 2011 hunting, freshwater fishing, and trapping licenses from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (DFW), as well as non-commercial lobster permits and the new saltwater fishing permit from the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Both resident and non-resident license and permit buyers will find information and links to the MassFishHunt system at: www.mass.gov/MassFishHunt.
Benefits of the new MassFishHunt system to license holders include the ability to purchase and print their licenses and permits at their home computer. Lost a license in the wash or out in the field? MassFishHunt also provides online license holders the ability to print duplicate licenses free of charge.
The new licensing system is managed by a private vendor, Active Outdoors, of Nashville, Tennessee. Of the 81 million hunting and fishing licenses issued annually in the U.S., Active Outdoors processes 58% through its systems. Customer service inquiries regarding purchases of electronic licenses and permits from MassFishHunt should be directed to ActiveOutdoors by calling toll-free (888) 773-8450 or emailing: mahfwebmaster@als-xtn.com. After setting up electronic license sales at DFW and DMF offices, Active Outdoors will begin to make electronic license sales available at retail stores, sporting goods stores, bait and tackle shops, and city and town halls. License buyers will still be able to purchase the traditional paper hunting, trapping, and freshwater fishing paper licenses and stamps at license vendors throughout the state until the switch is made to an entirely electronic system. A list of current hunting, trapping, and freshwater fishing license vendors can be found at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/licensing/vendors/license_vendors.htm.
“The switch from paper license sales to an entirely electronic system will vastly improve the accounting, record keeping, and efficiency of our licensing system,” said DFW Director Wayne MacCallum. “The system will also enable anglers, hunters, and trappers buying a license online to print and use their license, immediately.”
Electronic registration for boats, all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles is not available through MassFishHunt, but will continue to be available through the Office of Environmental Law Enforcement website at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dle/elereg.htm as well as at their registration offices in Boston, Fall River, Hyannis, Springfield, and Worcester.
“We are very happy to offer this state-of-the-art service to the people who support our conservation and management efforts by purchasing fishing, hunting, and sporting licenses,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Mary Griffin. “This new system gives people multiple options to purchase these licenses, and in time will give our Division of Fisheries & Wildlife and Division of Marine Fisheries the ability to communicate directly with license holders, thus improving service.”
New and novice hunters of all ages are encouraged to make a New Year's resolution to sign up for a free Basic Hunter Education Course in the winter or spring months of 2011. Students who successfully pass the course will receive a Certificate of Completion, that is acceptable for purchasing a Massachusetts hunting or sporting license. It also allows students 15 years or older to apply for a firearms license at their local police departments. These Certificates of Completion are also recognized in all the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the purchase of a hunting or sporting license. Basic Hunter Education courses for the beginning of 2011 are posted at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/hed/hed_course_schedule.htm.
"Many people fail to consider signing up for a course in the winter or spring months because they aren't thinking about hunting," says MassWildlife Hunter Education Program Administrator Susan Langlois. "By completing a course early in the year, new hunters have time to apply for a firearms license, practice newly acquired skills, and scout potential hunting locations." By law, this course must be at least 12 hours in length but is typically 15-16 hours and is offered in different formats to meet the public’s needs. Some courses are scheduled over five or six weekday evenings. Some are conducted on weekends while others are a combination of weeknights and weekend days. All classes are provided at no charge to the participating students.
Topics covered during the Basic Hunter Education course include: safe handling of hunting arms and ammunition, hunting laws and ethics, wildlife identification, wildlife management, care and handling of game, basic survival skills, and first aid. It is the mission of the Massachusetts Hunter Education Program to train safe, knowledgeable, and responsible hunters; to promote the wise management and ethical use of our wildlife resources; and to encourage a greater appreciation of the environment through education. Funding is derived from the sale of hunting and sporting licenses, and from federal excise taxes on firearms and archery equipment. Massachusetts offered its first hunter safety course in 1954, and to date has graduated more than 178,000 students.
Graduates who have lost their certificates may obtain a duplicate by calling the Hunter Education Program office in Ayer at (978) 772-0693 or filling out a form requesting a duplicate on the website at www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/education/hed/hed_duplicates.htm.
Deer hunters of the 21st century have all kinds of gadgets to help them find those BIG elusive whitetail bucks, so if you own an iphone do yourself a favor, and download the Gaia GPS app from the iTunes App Store. You will be very glad that you did.
Some of the features that I really like on the Gaia GPS:
Visit http://www.gaiagps.com for more info or download yours today at the iTunes App Store, and gain the confidence that you need in the woods!
Just remember, always bring a compass with you for back up. CB
BILLINGS, MT: Landowners and outdoor enthusiasts who have for years relied on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map series now have a new option. MyTopo.com, an innovator in the mapping industry, has created a TopoPhotoTM map, which combines information from the reliable USGS topographic map with a recent color aerial photograph, creating a navigation-ready hybrid map.
"The TopoPhotoTM maps take the best available topographic data and aerial photographs and combines them to create a more updated map, which we think will replace or at least be a useful supplement to the aging USGS topo maps we have relied upon for years," said Toohill. The maps are available now to order via the company's online ordering system, and, like the company's other maps, can be centered any place in the US, printed on large sheets of waterproof or glossy paper, personalized with a name and title, and shipped to the customer?s doorstep within 24-48 hours.
The maps provide the ability to see the elevation contours, roads, buildings, and geographic features labeled on a color aerial photograph taken in 2003-2006. "The TopoPhotoTM maps reveal recent changes on the landscape, including vegetation and development, but they maintain the traditional reliability of the USGS topographic maps," added Toohill.
MyTopo.com specializes in providing an easy and convenient process for outdoor enthusiasts to order large-format printed maps, including topo maps, aerial photos, and the new TopoPhotoTM maps. Customers use a five step process to customize their maps online; the maps are printed and shipped within 24-48 hours. The ordering process allows the customer to center their map any place in the US, choose the map's scale, provide a title, and personalize further with the map owner's name. The maps can be printed in several size choices and on waterproof, glossy or laminated paper. They range in price from $9.95 to $59.95, depending on map type and paper size.
The new TopoPhotoTM maps are available in more than 25 states, with the remaining states becoming available over the next several months. Current customers can reorder previously ordered topo or aerial photo maps in the TopoPhotoTM format by logging into their accounts and selecting the option to "start a new map here." The TopoPhotoTM maps are available in all three sizes and paper types and start at $29.95.
MyTopo.com is a private company based in Billings, MT. The company sells maps directly via www.mytopo.com, and also resells its maps via many popular websites including Whitetail Masters.com, Topozone.com, MapTech.com, Remington.com, Realtree.com, the Digital Map Store and many more mapping and outdoor-related sites. To learn more about the company, visit www.mytopo.com or call 866-587-9015. High resolution product images and logos are available upon request.
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Custom Topos and Aerial Photos
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RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPECT: A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR HUNTERS
A HUNTER'S PLEDGE
Responsible hunting provides unique challenges and rewards. However, the future of the sport depends on each hunter's behavior and ethics. Therefore, as a hunter, I pledge to:
RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
- Show respect for the wildlife you hunt by taking only clean, killing shots, then retrieving and properly handling your game. Take only what you will use, even if it is under the legal limit.
- Learn to tread lightly while afield. Use vehicles only on established roads and trails, practice low-impact camping and travel, and pack out your trash, including cigarette butts and spent shell casings.
- Report illegal activities immediately.
RESPECT PROPERTY AND LANDOWNERS
- Always get permission to hunt on private land.
- Close any gates you open. and never damage crops or property, including fences, outbuildings and livestock.
- Alert landowners or land managers about any problems you find on their property.
- Share your game with the landowner, or say thank you in some other way.
SHOW CONSIDERATION FOR NONHUNTERS
- Remember that the future of hunting depends on hunters and nonhunters alike. Be considerate of nonhunters' sensibilities, and strive to leave them with positive images of hunting and hunters.
- Don't flaunt your kill. Treat game carcasses in an inoffensive manner, particularly during transport.
- Be considerate of all outdoor users, including other hunters.
HUNT SAFELY
- Exercise caution at all times.
- Fire your gun or bow only when you are absolutely sure of your target and its background. Use binoculars, not your rifle scope, to identify your target.
- Wear hunter orange whenever appropriate or required while afield.
- Remember that hunting and alcohol don't mix.
KNOW AND OBEY THE LAW
- Obtain proper tags and licenses.
- Hunt only in allowed areas and during designated times and seasons. Read hunting regulations carefully.
- Obey bag and possession limits.
- Use only legal hunting methods and equipment.
SUPPORT WILDLIFE AND HABITAT CONSERVATION
- Provide hands-on and financial support for conservation of game and nongame species and their habitats.
- Learn more about wildlife and habitat issues, and urge policymakers to support strong conservation initiatives.
- Become involved in wildlife conservation organizations and their programs.
- Purchase state and federal wildlife conservation stamps, even if such stamps are not required for hunting.
PASS ON AN ETHICAL HUNTING TRADITION
- Invite a young person or a nonhunter next time you go afield to scout or hunt.
- Attend a hunter education course, and urge others to do the same.
- Set high ethical standards for future generations of hunters to help ensure hunting will continue.
STRIVE TO IMPROVE MY OUTDOOR SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING OF WILDLIFE
- Know the limitations of your skills and equipment, and hunt within those limits.
- Improve your outdoor skills to become more observant, a better hunter and a better teacher.
- Sight-in your firearm and bow, and practice shooting to ensure a clean kill in the field.
- Learn more about the habits and habitats of game and nongame wildlife and their management needs.
HUNT ONLY WITH ETHICAL HUNTERS
- Take pride in being an ethical hunter.
- Insist that your hunting partners behave in a responsible, ethical manner.
- Compete only with yourself.
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The Hunter's Code of Conduct was created cooperatively by the:
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Izaak Walton League of America
National Rifle Association
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Tread Lightly Inc.
Sport Fishing Institute
Times Mirror Magazines Conservation Council
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Extension Service
Wildlife Management Institute
The Hunter's Code of Conduct was produced by the Izaak Walton League of America. It may be used freely by any hunter or hunting group.
Copies may be obtained free of charge from the Izaak Walton League of America, 707 Conservation Lane, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878-2983 USA (301) 548-0150.
DEER KILLED WITH KNIFE AFTER CHARGING MAN
A man out for a walk in the woods in Herrin, Illinois killed a deer with a pocket knife after the animal charged him.
Grabbing the six pointer by the antlers with one hand when he was attacked, Paul Cheatham 61 managed to hold the rack with one hand, and pull out his pocket knife with the other. He opened his pocket knife with his mouth, and was able to stab the deer in the rib cage.
Paul wrestled around with the six pointer with his legs wrapped around the bucks neck. He knew the buck would kill him if he let go, so he hung on for his life until the buck was dead.
Cheatham survived this encounter, but received bruises over most of his body.
Deer stories always seem to be the main topic at deer camp. Do you have any great deer hunting stories or news that you would like to share with our readers? Perhaps your story is unique or even funny. This is your chance to revive those memories again so contact us today.
Please email your favorite deer story and include a jpg picture if you like.
Selected articles will be edited for space if necessary. Please keep all articles and pictures submitted suitable for a general audience.
TIP OF THE MONTH
A buck's sense of smell is his number one defense, but he can also beat you with his eyes. A buck will pick up on anything out of place, because he knows his part of the forest as well as you know your rifle.
Use natural cover when selecting a location for your stand. Use this natural cover in relation to where you expect the deer to approach your stand. You may get off the ground when you're in a treestand, but you're not invisible! Deer will look up so keep natural cover between you and where you expect the deer to approach.
Do you have any hunting secrets that you would like to share with our readers on hunting the elusive whitetail deer? Do you have any tips on preparing for a hunt at deer camp or tips on surviving in the wilderness? Published hunting tips will appear here. Submit your tips today.
FEATURED SITE
Located on the Northwest edge of the Black Hills National Forest in the Northeast corner of Wyoming near Devils Tower, America's First National Monument. They exclusively lease approximately 400,000 acres of private working cattle ranches.
There herd is such a high quality that they ask hunters to take a mature 4X4 buck or 14"+ antlers or better.
For more information visit their site today at http://www.whitetailcreek.com
Searching for his path in life, seventeen year old Norman Boyle enlists in the Army in 1949 and finds himself in Korea at the start of the war. As a demolition specialist, he leads a squad on dangerous missions, one to blow up the Pyongyang power plant. This first hand account of the day to day existence of a young man thrown into a war he doesn't understand will resonate with veterans, history enthusiasts and anyone who has wondered about war: the danger, the bonds that form, the death, the honor. The Blue Sand Bags of Korea gives a rare glimpse into the mind of a soldier who is struggling to find his own identity and values in a confusing and foreign world. This story is as gripping today as it was when these true events unfolded.
Buy direct from the author and save! $12.99 (includes shipping)
To order and for immediate delivery: Call 978-249-9169 and send check or MO to Norman Boyle, 106 Coolidge Street, Athol, MA 01331
Bondo's Venison Stew
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2 Tbs. flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. thyme 6 Tbs. oil 1 8 oz can tomato sauce Mix flour with salt, pepper and thyme, and place mixture in shaking bag. Shake cubes of meat in bag until coated with mixture, and set aside. Sauté onions in oil until soft, add venison. Add tomato sauce, brown gravy mix, wine, and water. Simmer covered for about an hour. Add potatoes, carrots, and bay leaf if desired. Simmer for 30 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
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1/2 cup red wine 1-1/2 cup water 5 potatoes cut up 3 carrots sliced 1 can green beans 1/3 tsp. garlic powder Hunting all day builds a hearty appetite, and there is nothing better than venison at deer camp after a successful hunt. Do you have a great recipe that you would like to share with our readers? Submit your favorite recipe and if it passes the taste test it will be published here.
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February
Eastern Fising & Outdoor Exposition
http://www.sportshows.com/
Springfield Sportsman Show
http://www.osegsportsmens.com/html/springfield.html
World Fishing and Outdoor Exposition
http://www.sportshows.com/
March
Saltwater Fishing Expo
http://www.sportshows.com/
Pelham Fish & Game Fly Fishing Show
http://www.pelhamfishandgame.com
Annual World Fly Fishing Expo
http://www.sportshows.com/Wilmington/wilmmain.htm
69th Annual Maine Sportsman Show
University of Maine Fieldhouse, Orono, ME
New England Saltwater Fishing Show
Rhode Island Convention Center
http://www.nesaltwatershow.com/
April
State of Maine Sportsman's Show
Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
http://www.augustaciviccenter.org/
6th Annual Tri-State Sportsmen's Expo
Cheshire Fair Ground, Keene, New Hampshire
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