Whitetales Spring 2018

WHITETALES Building our hunting and conservation legacy through habitat, education and advocacy.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA DEER HUNTERS ASSOCIATION

MANAGING YOUR WOODS OLD SCHOOL

BY JOE CANNELLA

THE VALUE OF A SHED DOG

BY TOM DOKKEN

FORKHORN FUN FACTS TAKING NEW HUNTERS INTO THE OUTDOORS

BY TOM CLAYCOMB III

SPRING 2018

About this

Issue

Talking Isn't Doing The above quote by the great bard, William Shakespeare, ends with, “It is a kind of a good deed to say well; and yet words are not deeds.” In other words, “talk is cheap” and “actions speak louder than words.” This issue places a great deal of emphasis on words, but as we mentioned above, words without achievement are like smoke in the wind.

Glance at page three, the Contents page, and see which dominant words jump out at you.

Just in the Feature section alone you will see manage, value, overlooked, habitat management and new hunters. If you think these are all in MDHA’s future agenda to help deer and deer hunting, you would be right.

In his article, “Managing Your Woods Old School,” Joe Cannella not only provides excellent instructions on how to create habitat on a budget, he focuses on the differences between raising livestock and deer. In fact, his great lead says, “Deer are not cows.”

Tom Dokken’s very informative piece, “The Value of a Shed Dog,” stresses the importance of companionship in the woods and field with not only dogs, but family and friends.

Following Tom, Bruce Ingram adds another dimension to Joe’s in his “Soft Edge: The Overlooked Land Between Forests and Openings,” where he points out habitat creation does not necessarily have to be dependent on expensive machinery and can be developed with a chainsaw and backpack. Bruce’s key word is “overlooked.”

For those inclined to be interested in DNR habitat management, Kyle Arola provides a detailed look into the ancient habitat-maker, “fire,” in his feature “Prescribed Fire: An Important Tool for Habitat Management.” Again, we see two key words, management and tool.

One of the most interesting and clever titles in this issue is Kraig Kiger’s “Drawing Students to Archery.” Yes, the double usage of “drawing a bow” and “drawing” students into archery is adroitly done and his principal message is with hard work and dedicated volunteers the seemingly impossible can and will come true. Who would have believed 15 or 20 years ago Minnesota would have thousands of young archers and trap shooters competing in our public schools. Inconceivable� Whoops, that from “The Princess Bride,” which featured fencing.

And speaking of “drawing,” this issue contains two outstanding articles centering on new hunters. Sarah Fischer’s “My Experience Being a 101 New Hunter in the “Learn to Hunt Program” is an enthusiastic and soul-searching account of the mentor/mentee process and the traditional bonds hunters share and pass on. Tom Claycomb III then goes on step further and gives us some valuable tips about “taking” new hunters outdoors in his obviously titled article, “Taking New Hunters into the Outdoors.

When you read MDHA State President Doug Appelgren’s, “From the President’s Stand,” you will know what we are talking about. Doug’s premise, “It has to be said and it has to start with me” also rings true for all of us.

We will leave you with two quotes: “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee” (John Donne) and “Action speaks louder than words, but not nearly as often” (Mark Twain).

Whitetails forever.

Co-Editors and Founders, Rod Dimich and Ed Schmidt

Whitetales is the official magazine of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to improving Minnesota’s whitetail deer population. The MDHA is exempt under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Whitetales effectively communicates MDHA’s chief purpose “building our hunting and conservation legacy through habitat, education and advocacy.” Articles and photographs portray the beauty, value and importance of whitetail deer while relating to the thrill of hunting the species. If you have a service or a product that appeals to deer hunters and enthusiasts, Whitetales is the best advertising medium available.

The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association is pleased to present a variety of views in Whitetales magazine. The intent is to inform readers and encourage healthy discussion of important wildlife and conservation issues. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the view of Whitetales or MDHA. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers or their identification as members of MDHA does not constitute an endorsement.

The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association welcomes contributions from readers. All materials: manuscripts, artwork and photography must be electronically sent. Send all material to bri@mndeerhunters.com. Material should be a maximum of 150 words, articles a maximum of 500 – 800 words. If a reprint from a newspaper is submitted, permission must be obtained and an electronic copy must be sent. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

2 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

WHITETALES MNDEERHUNTERS.COM

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS PRESIDENT Doug Appelgren > dougappelgren@mndeerhunters.com VICE PRESIDENT Gary Thompson > garythompson@mndeerhunters.com SECRETARY Mark Strege > markstrege@mndeerhunters.com TREASURER Denece Dreger > denecedreger@mndeerhunters.com AT-LARGE DIRECTOR Dennis Quarberg > dennisquarberg@mndeerhunters.com REGIONAL DIRECTORS REGION ONE Stu Weston >

REGION EIGHT Dustin Shourds >

REGION TWO Gabrielle Gropp >

REGION NINE Mark Burley >

stuweston@mndeerhunters.com

dustinshourds@mndeerhunters.com

gabe@mndeerhunters.com

markburley@mndeerhunters.com

justinmayne@mndeerhunters.com

marklueck@mndeerhunters.com

cedinger@q.com

brentthompson@mndeerhunters.com

lodrmr@gmail.com

robvog21@aol.com

steveranallo@mndeerhunters.com

michaelburley@mndeerhunters.com

REGION THREE Justin Mayne >

REGION TEN Mark Lueck >

REGION FOUR John Edinger >

REGION ELEVEN Brent Thompson >

REGION FIVE Peter Lodermeier >

REGION TWELVE Jim Vogen >

REGION SIX Stephen Ranallo >

REGION SEVEN Mark Nohre >

REGION THIRTEEN Michael Burley >

marknohre@mndeerhunters.com

MDHA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Craig Engwall > craig.engwall@mndeerhunters.com EVENT & PUBLICATION COORDINATOR Bri Stacklie > bri@mndeerhunters.com �Independent Contractor

MERCHANDISE/ MARKETING COORDINATOR Josh Salisbury > josh@mndeerhunters.com FINANCE COORDINATOR Renee Thompson > renee@mndeerhunters.com MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Kim Washburn > kim@mndeerhunters.com GRANT COORDINATOR Jenny Foley > jenny@mndeerhunters.com OFFICE MANAGER Kim Nelson > kimn@mndeerhunters.com CHAPTER COORDINATOR Angie Forconi > angie@mndeerhunters.com ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COORDINATOR Leah Braford > leah@mndeerhunters.com PUBLISHER > Minnesota Deer Hunters Association 460 Peterson Road | Grand Rapids, MN 55744 800.450.DEER (MN) / p: 218.327.1103 / f: 218.327.1349 CO-EDITORS > Ed Schmidt and Rod Dimich LAYOUT, DESIGN & PRINTING > Brainerd Dispatch, A Forum Communications company www.brainerddispatch.com | Brainerd, MN ADVERTISING > Josh Salisbury josh@mndeerhunters.com / 218.327.1103 x 17

Whitetales Building our hunting and conservation legacy through habitat, education and advocacy.

THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA DEER HUNTERS ASSOCIATION

Contents

SPRING 2018

MANAGING YOUR WOODS OLD SCHOOL

BY JOE CANNELLA

THE VALUE OF A SHED DOG

BY TOM DOKKEN

FORKHORN FUN FACTS TAKING NEW HUNTERS INTO THE OUTDOORS

BY TOM CLAYCOMB III

SPRING 2018

ABOUT THE COVER Forkhorn campers learning firearm safety at camp.

Departments

14

IN EVERY ISSUE

From the President’s Stand .... 4 The Outlook................................ 5 Minnesota Buck Sense ............ 6

FEATURES

Capitol Comments .................... 8 Around the State ..................... 20 Forkhorn Fun Facts................. 26 MDHA Marketplace ................ 28 Deer Hunting Memories ........ 42 What’s Cookin’? ....................... 52 Hidden Object Contest .......... 54 Daylight in the Swamp ........... 56 IN THIS ISSUE

Drawing Students to Archery by the Thousands ................... 18 Kraig Kiger

Member Story: My Experience Being a 101New Hunter in the Learn to Hunt Program........................... 38 Sarah Fischer

Tips & Treasures ...................... 48

10 14 30

Managing Your Woods Old School

34

Prescribed Fire: An Important Tool for Habitat Management

44

Taking New Hunters into the Outdoors

By Joe Cannella

The Value of a Shed Dog

By Tom Dokken

Soft Edge: The Overlooked Land Between Forests and Openings

By Bruce Ingram

By Kyle Arola

By Tom Claycomb III

Rod Dimich, Ed Schmidt

Forkhorn Camps...................... 50

MDHA affiliates:

Gizmos, Gadgets, Garments & Gear..................... 53

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 3

From the President’s Doug Appelgren / MDHA PRESIDENT

MOVING FORWARD

By the time you read this, our MDHA Corporate Board will have already met in late February and we hopefully amended our By-Laws. One of the significant changes included Article 1 – Purpose #4: “To provide opportunities for deer hunters to meet, share experiences and develop a fraternal spirit.” I have been reading this for over 30 years and until I was recently asked to look at it again during our review process, I never realized how it resonates today in that “fraternal” actually means males only.

Since our inception, MDHA has always welcomed women. For instance, back in our formative years, the early 1980s, Bev Finnegan was not only our first female State Secretary, she was our first woman columnist in our Whitetales magazine. In addition, in the late 1980s Jean Bergerson was not only our first woman Vice President, she followed Bev with her own column, “Tips for Bowhunters,” which included the building blocks for “Becoming an Outdoors Woman,” a still highly successful organization encouraging and mentoring females into the hunting world.

Because of these large footprints, women today are the fastest growing demographic in the hunting community and as they did in the early days of MDHA, they still are making a difference in MDHA and the hunting world. As we were in our early days, MDHA still is still not exclusive. As of late, in fact, we have changed our 1980’s bylaws type of language from “fraternal” to “being an inclusive spirit.” Rest assured, we will keep evolving for the betterment of deer and deer hunting� If our Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R-3) efforts are going to be successful, then “inclusivity” is where it must start. We need to collaborate across differences. This will not be easy, however, and it will challenge our comfort zones.

Are we willing to change? My experience suggests as humans we all resist change. But, as others before me and I now say, “We must change and forge ahead with hope for a better future for our hunting community.”

As you well know, we hunters do important conservation work� Therefore, we must believe we are stronger and better when we embrace diversity and form collaborate partnerships. “Diversity” is more than race, it includes gender, religion, different cultures and it’s generational. When I first started talking about this two years ago, I quoted

4 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

the national statistic of only 6% of our nation’s population that hunts. Today, I am seeing that statistic lower to only 4.6%. Hunters are a shrinking minority. Is it the “miners’ canary”? Maybe not, but it is a wake-up call, a clarion call to action.

For years, MDHA leadership and various membership committees have struggled over how to increase membership. We know what motivates us, but we have never understood why other hunters didn’t join. We are now, however, gaining a better understanding that people are motivated by different things. And it’s different from what in the past motivated us—are we okay with that? The future of hunting depends on our answer. If we really care about deer and deer hunting, these are the folks to whom we will leave our legacy so they may create their own. For better or worse, I assure you, the future will not look like it does today.

I was fortunate to attend this year’s DNR Hunting Round Table. I gravitated to sessions that discussed R-3 and a variety of things that are being done out there. To be sure, what MDHA has accomplished in the past aligns well with what we call R-3. All of our education efforts (Fork Horn Camps, NASP, Trap Shooting in the schools and firearm safety efforts) have always been directed toward recruitment of our youth and others. Our habitat efforts are guided by science and what works well for wildlife. Our message has always been that hunting is a valid and necessary wildlife tool and hunting is an incredible conservation mechanism. We advocate for all things hunting and what we feel (at the time) is best for deer and deer hunting (our mission). As the research keeps growing about what works well, is there room for improvement? You bet—we keep evolving� At the round table, I was particularly surprised by the increasing urgency in promoting R-3 (see statistic above), but also inspired and hopeful by attending sessions that made suggestions about how to do this, as well as by the people I met. Many were younger individuals who have a similar passion as ours. Motivated differently? Yes, but that is part of our hunting evolution.

Interesting enough, there were two young woman college graduates (“Woman Bikers for Public Lands”) who told their story about biking from the West Coast to Florida to promote public lands. Along the way, they met with a variety of land managers to promote their journey and were followed in blogs

and in schools. It had nothing to do with hunting, but instead, another issue we can relate to—Public Lands. Someone from my generation asked the question, “What’s next?” I was also wondering how to support their mission and organization. They answered by saying, “I suppose we should get jobs.”

There was no organization and they weren’t fundraising. Mmmmm—a difference in how we think and approach things differently—they did it and are now done and have only briefly given some thought to doing something different. Even as an older member of this organization, I have so much to learn. Still, I am incredibly inspired by and grow so hopeful by these kinds of stories—like how are we doing telling our MDHA story? And, can we do it better by making it obvious this is a “happening” organization and entice hunters/future hunters to join because of who we are and where we are going—a message age from our R-3 committee?

As we partner with other groups, keep in mind we might not embrace all aspects of their particular mission or specific issues on which they have taken a stand. Never the less, I don’t believe this means we should write them off. Perhaps we are all stronger when we partner on the issues we can agree on.

Let’s look at MDHA- we certainly don’t agree on everything, but our common goal/ground is deer and deer hunting—this is what unites us. All of this is a paradigm shift that will require patience and greater understanding on all sides. Even though MDHA is an incredible organization that has been incredibly successful for our objective of bettering our deer herd and deer hunting, with a new nudge, we can become even more relevant and impactful preserving hunting as a Minnesota core value so in the future others will also be able to enjoy the fire of our passion.

In conclusion, “inclusion” is vital. We need to recognize and respect all views, while agreeing to disagree and like founder Jim Lang once said, “Disagree without disliking.” In order to earn trust, our actions must be guided by honesty and transparency. What will our legacy be? It is up to us.

Remember, if our actions are to be impactful and far-reaching, we must be deliberate in embracing diversity and developing a culture of inclusivity� When we do, we will become stronger, healthier, more vibrant and relevant. As we keep evolving, keep the positive in your passion my friends.

Craig Engwall / MDHA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

IS OUR CURRENT SYSTEM OF WILDLIFE AND HABITAT MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABLE? We deer hunters have a great deal of passion in our day-to-day concerns about deer management here in Minnesota and across the country. We are accustomed to a system where state wildlife managers make decisions about seasons, permits, etc. and we both support and challenge those decisions. Deer hunters also understand that it is primarily their license dollars as well as Pittman-Robertson tax revenues that fund state management of deer and acquisition of habitat. For you the reader of this article, this system of management and how it is funded has been in place for your entire lifetime. It is called the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, and is described below. This Model, responsible for the recovery of North American wildlife from near extinction a century or so ago, is threatened by the continuing decline in participation by hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. If we ignore this issue, we face the prospects of declining wildlife populations and habitat.

History and Tenets of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation In our nation's early years, there were few laws protecting fish and wildlife and our wildlife resources took a heavy toll. Market hunters took fish and wildlife at will while habitat disappeared under plow and roads, resulting in devastating reductions in wildlife populations. Some species, like the passenger pigeon, were taken to the point of no return; others such as bison, whitetailed deer and wild turkeys, were pushed to the edge of extinction.

Across North America, hunting was a largely unregulated activity for individuals and commercial entities until the 1800's, when citizens began to ask whether wildlife populations could continue at healthy levels without checks on hunting. The legal framework that has since developed grew out of a set of principles now known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

Seven tenets make the North American model

distinct: Wildlife is a public resource. In the Unites States, wildlife is considered a public resource, independent of the land or water where wildlife may live. Governments at various levels have a role in managing that resource on behalf of all citizens and to ensure the longterm sustainability of wildlife populations.

Markets for game are eliminated. Before wildlife protection laws were enacted, commercial operations decimated populations of many species. Making it illegal to buy and sell meat and parts of game and nongame species removed a huge threat to the survival of those species. A market in furbearers continues as a highly regulated activity, often to manage invasive wildlife.

Allocation of wildlife by law. Wildlife is a public resource managed by government. As a result, access to wildlife for hunting is through legal mechanisms such as set hunting seasons, bag limits, license requirements, etc.

Wildlife can only be killed for a legitimate purpose. Wildlife is a shared resource that must not be wasted. The law prohibits killing wildlife for frivolous reasons.

Wildlife species are considered an international resource. Some species, such as migratory birds, cross national boundaries.

Treaties such as the Migratory Bird Treaty recognize a shared responsibility to manage these species across national boundaries.

Science is the proper tool for discharge of wildlife policy. In order to manage wildlife as a shared resource fairly, objectively, and knowledgeably, decisions must be based on sound science such as annual waterfowl population surveys and the work of professional wildlife biologists.

The democracy of hunting. In keeping with democratic principles, government allocates access to wildlife without regard for wealth, prestige, or land ownership.

Wildlife Funding Hunters also recognized the need for a significant and sustainable source of funding

for wildlife stewardship beyond monies provided by hunting and fishing licenses.

In 1937, sportsmen successfully lobbied Congress to pass the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which put an excise tax on the sale of all sporting arms and ammunition. This was followed in 1950 by the Dingell-Johnson Act, which placed a similar tax on fishing equipment. Today, every time you buy hunting and fishing gear, you contribute to this fund. It generates upwards of one billion dollars every year. This money has been used far and wide to conserve America’s key wildlife habitat. When you combine funding from the excise tax with the state license and tag sales sportsmen pay each year, it constitutes the majority of funding for wildlife in North America. It’s not just funding for huntable wildlife, but for ALL wildlife. And it’s paid for by hunters and anglers.

The Future As an organization, MDHA is constantly looking for ways to maintain and grow membership so that we remain a vital, impactful conservation organization. And that’s exactly what we should be doing. But it is also critically important for MDHA and its companion conservation organizations to keep an eye on the big picture of what is happening across the country with respect to hunter and angler participation. The trends aren’t good.

For example, the number of hunters in the country has dropped from 13.7 million in 2011 to 11.5 million in 2016. If these trends continue, it will be difficult to maintain the levels of wildlife and habitat management that we currently enjoy. There is no magic bullet. But we must continue to be creative and look at new ways, such as R3 (recruitment, retention and reactivation), to stop or at least slow this decline. Each one of us needs to think of ways in which we can bring someone to the outdoors. We can’t afford to be passive about this – far too much is at stake for the wildlife and habitat that we cherish.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 5

MINNESOTA

BY ED SCHMIDT

EVERYMAN’S RIGHT?

This past summer visitors from the country of Finland stopped in for an afternoon visit.

These guys were directed by a classmate of theirs to see my wife and I due to a recent re-acquaintance of long lost relatives living in the small community of Ullava, Finland.

Helena (Niskala) Karttunen found us through an ancestry search and discovered I was a cousin. Surprisingly, I knew nothing of my Finnish heritage other than having an urge for a sauna every Saturday night.

It was interesting my grandpa Mike not only found his bride in Finland and emigrated to Minnesota, but also had five brothers and four sisters. The Niskala boys came to Minnesota and Upper Michigan to seek work and new lives – some even came to escape their wives. Grandpa Mike (Niskala) Anderson, note the name change when coming to America, taught me how to hunt partridges (grouse in his vernacular) and how to eat northern pike roe with fried eggs for breakfast. Maybe it is little things like this that bends the twig, so to speak as Alexander Pope stated, “Just as the twig is bent, the tree is inclined.” Or in my connotation – the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree –meaning grandpa was a hunting and fishing mentor.

Finland has a hunting, fishing, camping and hiking ethic called “Everyman’s right.” In contrast to America, their ethic simply allows a person to access a property belonging to another to hunt, camp or other outdoor activities without fear of trespass. There are other inherent stipulations in northern European tradition.

You may: • Walk, ski or cycle freely in the countryside, except in gardens and the immediate vicinity of people’s homes, and in fields and plantations which could easily be damaged.

6 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

• Stay or set up camp temporarily in the countryside, a reasonable distance from homes.

• Pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers, as long as they are not protected species.

• Fish with a rod and line.

• Row, sail, use a motorboat, swim or wash in inland waters and the sea.

• Walk, ski, drive a motor vehicle or fish on frozen lakes, rivers and the sea.

You may not: • Disturb people or damage property.

• Disturb breeding birds, their nests or young.

• Disturb reindeer or game.

• Cut down, damage, or break branches off trees on other people’s property.

• Collect moss, lichen or fallen trees from other people’s property.

• Light open fires on other people’s property, except in an emergency.

• Disturb the privacy of people’s homes, by camping too near them, or making too much noise, for example.

• Drop or leave litter.

• Drive motor vehicles off road without the land- owner’s permission.

• Fish or hunt without the relevant permits.

There is a lot to learn about human behaviors by researching cultural traditions, regulations and ethics. An example of another personal experience happened a few years back while duck hunting in western Manitoba. Near our rented hunting cabin was another with a group of mixedbag gentlemen of varied ethnicity but all Canadians. One evening they invited the three of us for a cocktail or two and a steak fry – all very hard to pass up. During the happy hour, a stocky and grizzled duck hunter who spoke in very broken English

dashed with a German accent said “Schmidt� What (more like VAHT) level hunter are you?” Because of my background as an Advanced Hunter Education instructor, I knew exactly to what he was referring – the five stages or levels of the hunter. I quickly responded “4.5�” With that response, he broke into laughter and sang “Ein Prosit,” a German toasting song toasting me and said I was an okay guy. It was his version of an Oktoberfest, I thought.

Let’s take a look at each level or stage of the hunter and reflect on who you hunt with and their philosophies, practices and ethics:

Stage 1 – �The Shooter Stage�: For many who are introduced to hunting at an early age, our satisfaction can be as simple as just being able to see game and get a shot. Our skills in the woods, recognizing and interpreting sign, and knowing game behavior, when and where are just developing. Seeing game and getting shots are what matters most and misses are of little concern. Our skills are being tested and refined, including field shooting skills and whether or not to take a shot. The number of shots taken or opportunities missed can be the measure of a good day.

Stage 2 – �Limiting Out or Gotta Get Stage�: The satisfaction of just seeing game and getting a shot is now not enough reward.

vocal about issues offers its own rewards, as giving back and caring for the resource now adds to the hunting experience. Thought is now given to, “If I take this animal, how will he be replaced so I can hunt here again next year.

These are replaced with the need to bring home game, and not just one, but a limit of birds or filling a tag. Limiting out is in the conversation as hunt stories are told. This stage is very much more than just being a hunter, and more about proving oneself as a skilled hunter who get his or her game every time out. Here is where the practice of baiting, poaching and illegal taking of game after hours, out of season or even by trespass unfortunately can take place.

Stage 3 – �Trophy Stage�: Shooting opportunity and quantity of game are replaced by a self-imposed selectivity in the pursuit, and the quality of game taken begins to trump quantity. Prior successes tell us we can get game, but what kind of game has become more important. Mature male specimens—“trophies”—are fewer in number and harder to come by. More planning, preparation, skill, patience, and persistence are required to be successful.

The notion of conservation enters one’s thinking. We have seen enough and hunted enough to now realize wildlife, and qualityhunting experiences, don’t happen by chance. Trophies in particular are a result of age, good genetics, and a life spent on quality habitat. Finding a trophy therefore begins with hunting where proper wildlife and land management are taking place—where older age-class animals exist. This takes purpose, and being part of this purpose is now also important to the hunter. Getting involved with conservation organizations and being

Stage 4 – �Method Stage or Strategy Stage�: While a trophy may still be the benchmark, “how taken” has become more important than “what taken.” With all the technology at a hunter’s disposal, what is really necessary to be successful is employed, and what is not necessary is left behind.

Self-restriction now adds to the challenge and rewarding aspects of the hunt. An example of a hunter within this stage is the handicapping of his or her effective range by hunting with short-range weapons such as a handgun, muzzleloader, or bow and arrow.

In some instances, the mechanical advantage of a compound bow is left behind for the simplicity of a recurve or longbow. These methods take practice and discipline, and both are cherished as part of the process.

The chase and a lasting experience move to the forefront over just taking game or only a trophy. The easy route to a quick kill means much less than a hard-fought, tough pursuit. Going home without game increases in frequency and is understood and accepted. The reward now becomes very much proportionate to the challenge and effort expended. An animal taken by more skill than a technological advantage becomes a memorable trophy, regardless of size.

Stage 5 – �Sportsman Stage or the

Naturalist Hunter Stage�: All stages are remembered fondly, but the urgency to take game or a trophy fades to the background as the total hunting experience now offers its highest rewards. Planning, practicing, and honing skills are still important, but just being outdoors, reconnecting with family and friends, and taking the time to “soak it all in” happen more and more. Filling a limit or a tag means the hunt is over, as is the experience. Photo memories now include more than just that of game taken.

Camp, scenery, old buildings, and other wildlife now appear in the portfolio. Macro becomes micro as every aspect of the hunt is cherished. Trophies taken in the past mean more and are converted from a prize for the wall into memories for a lifetime.

By now, activity in conservation is at its peak. Mentoring young sportspeople, seeing that they enjoy and experience what you have experienced, can replace even your own opportunity at taking game. For many, this the greatest reward in hunting.

Not all hunters experience each stage completely or necessarily in this order. Some may enter motivated by the trophy stage.

Some are completely satisfied stopping at any one of these stages, and some progress all the way through. There is no right or wrong.

It is also true that many sportspeople seek to experience the hunting of different species in different locations and habitats. This can either lead to reverting back or jumping forward in stages depending on the species or hunt itself. For example, knowing a hunter may only have the chance to hunt for one particular species in their lifetime, a trophy stage hunter may choose to take a younger animal he or she might not have taken otherwise or a bow hunter might opt for a rifle for a particular hunt.

Regardless of the hunting stages, what originally brings most hunters to hunting remains a constant—an appreciation and fascination for wildlife. Even within the earliest of these stages, all sportspeople are participating in conservation because of their participation in hunting. Thankfully, for many, the minimal commitment to conservation from the purchase of licenses, tags and supplies extends much farther.

Educating our future hunters never quits no matter where you may be – Finland, Canada, Germany, USA or wherever. We would like to think every person has the right, but we must realize hunting is a privilege, a conservation management tool and a tradition we must protect. What stage are you in?

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 7

CAPITOL COMMENTS

The 2018 Minnesota Legislature convened on February 20, 2018, and, as is the case for every session, current factors shaped an assembly that will stand unique.

Slated to run from February 20 through May 21, short sessions, such as this year’s, function in their own, distinct way. Time will be a scarce resource which forces priorities and therefore legislative agendas. First, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in favor of Governor Mark Dayton’s veto of the Legislature’s $130 million operating budget put forth last May which leaves continued funding of state operations to be resolved.

In addition, most of the legislative priorities were accomplished in 2017 and therefore, legislators may not feel as much urgency for any major initiatives. One piece that may create activity among legislators on both sides is the recently passed Federal Tax Bill and discussion surrounding state tax conformity.

With the upcoming general election in November, much is at stake as Governor Dayton has announced he will not seek reelection and current candidates for the office are sitting legislators. In addition, all 134 House seats are up for election. Neither party is going to want to provide any leverage that can be used against them during a campaign year.

The recent resignation of U.S. Senator Al Franken and the appointment of his replacement, former Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith, resulted in Minnesota Senate President Michelle Fishbach proclaiming herself “acting Lieutenant Governor” while still serving her district as a state senator. The constitutionality of this scenario has yet to be determined and it creates the circumstances in which the Minnesota Senate could be in a 33/33 split during session depending on the results of a special election due to additional legislative resignations.

8 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

BY CORY BENNETT, MDHA LEGISLATIVE CONSULTANT

While the governor, legislative leaders and legislators will be focusing on sizable items such as a supplemental budget, bonding bill, and federal tax conformity, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association (MDHA) will be actively engaged on several different fronts.

The following is a partial, not comprehensive, list of some of those initiatives:

MDHA has advocated for the potential increase of BAH regulation of commercial deer farms, requiring cervidae farms to share the costs related to DNR/CWD activities and supports the OLA audit of the BAH’s power and duties as they relate to cervidae farms.

Potential 2018 legislation may result from the OLA audit.

Deer License Fee Increase In 2018, the DNR will be increasing the annual resident deer hunting license fee from $30 to $34. The last time Minnesota raised these user fees was in 2013. Per the DNR, the proposed increases are needed to keep the state's Game and Fish Fund and other dedicated accounts that provide 83 percent of the agency's budget from going into the red in the next few years. MDHA members believe a more rigid expense structure for deer license money would remove any doubts that hunters and deer get the management they deserve.

Last session, MDHA support of the DNR’s proposed license increase was contingent on DNR’s commitment that $16, rather than the current $2, would be directed to the deer management account. Deer license fees would also continue to contribute $1 to the deer and bear management account and 50 cents to the emergency deer feeding/deer health account.

The wolf management account would be eliminated and the general Game and Fish Fund would get $16.50. Legislation will be put forward during the 2018 Legislative Session to reflect this agreement.

Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund The Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council will again appropriate $100 million in recommendations to the 2018 legislature for habitat projects throughout the state.

Included in the package is an MDHA initiative called the Minnesota Moose Habitat Collaborative – Phase III for $1,938,000.

The Collaborative will be improving nearly 10,000 acres of foraging habitat for moose in northeast Minnesota. The project builds on the Collaborative’s previous efforts to enhance forest habitat by increasing stand complexity and production while maintaining thermal components of the landscape with variable enhancement methods.

Chronic Wasting Disease Due to concerns expressed by MDHA and other organizations surrounding chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the wild herd, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) is conducting a program evaluation of the Board of Animal Health (BAH).

MDHA has grave concerns regarding the detection of CWD in the wild herd. Thus,

Wolf Management Because congress has failed to pass a bill, wolves in the Great Lakes Region will remain under Federal Endangered Species Act protections as ordered by a federal judge a few years ago. However, bills are being heard that will once again grant the State of Minnesota the responsibility to manage the state’s wolf population. MDHA continues to work with our federal delegation and others at the federal level to delist the gray wolf from the Endangered List. We also maintain support of Minnesota’s continued hunting and trapping of wolves as part of Minnesota’s overall wolf management program.

The constitutional deadline for adjournment of the 2018 Legislative Session is May 21, 2018.

Managing Your Woods

BY JOE CANNELLA

Deer are not cows; a deer’s long head and protruding tongue is made for selectively picking the plants they desire amongst the grasses and nipping off the tips of twigs. On the contrary, a cow uses its fathead mowing everything in its path.

If your deer camp is in the forested zones, where agriculture is not common, you can make your woodland more appealing and beneficial to deer easily and inexpensively. I am not talking about food plots requiring tractors, farming implements, annual seeding or even fertilizers. Nope, this is simple and won’t cost much either, but the improvements will be noticeable. It is pretty old school really, long before the food plot rage took over, making and maintaining openings was basic game management. What was a great management task then, today still is.

Deer prefer broadleaf plants, not grasses. The good news is your land already has the plants the deer want, your task is to make it easier for them to find the plants and encourage their growth. By maintaining openings and trails, you can increase these preferred foods.

Before I stepped one boot on my land to start making trails and finding potential openings, I used air photos on the county website to learn the lay of the land.

I was able to make out an old logging road that I later found filled in with hazel brush, but was quite visible on the air photo. I also could make out what appeared to be old openings being shrunk by encroaching trees and brush. Both of these areas would soon be reclaimed as openings in 160 acres of forest. It turns out the logging road was a 200-yard mistake by a confused bulldozer driver who took a left when he should have gone south.

That the old opening was the original home site was confirmed by my son when he found the foundation.

In forested lands, openings and trails really shine in the early spring and late fall because they are the first and last to hold green plants. You are going to be working with

10 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

The old home site foundation. naturalized plants. Many and more of the following are lying in wait under the canopy of grass. By mowing, you are encouraging the game-preferred plants such as clovers, strawberry, ragweed, sow thistles, aster, poison ivy, and fireweed to thrive. They might not be as sexy as turnips,

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 11

oats or corn, but in the northwoods this is deer food.

I want to make it clear, this is not only about hunting or kill spots. Some openings will make good hunting locations, but more importantly, these areas help deer recover from winter while they prepare for the arrival of fawns and the nutritional needs for nursing. Later, openings are targeted to help build winter sustaining fat before the transition to a winter browse diet.

Using a free GPS application for my smartphone, which I liked so much I purchased the upgrade, I was able to premark trails, then follow those tracks on my phone to flag four miles of trails. This technology is amazing. It saved me tons of time while providing confidence to bust loose in unfamiliar land. By pre-marking the trails based on the air photos, I could walk around wet areas and, of course, target areas for potential stand access. Using air photos, I searched for pinch points, changes in habitat, water sources and created a network of trails connecting the best habitat. Winter or early spring is the best time to flag your trails. Be generous with your flagging tape, you will appreciate it later when the leaf out arrives.

Making trails in vast forested areas not only improves access it also provides food through mowing. Besides the obvious ground cover previously discussed, you will be creating sun exposed edge. This space and sunlight improves the growth of preferred shrubs along the trail sides. These shrubs

12 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

such as dogwoods, honeysuckles, plums, hazelnut along with blackberry plants and raspberries are favored for their leaves and later for winter browse. These plants already exist on your property, exposing them to sunlight and giving them space gives them a chance to flourish. Deer will benefit by improved access to these foods, saving valuable energy while they browse during the toughest time of the year. It is amazing how fast deer discover and use woodland trails.

The most expensive part of this project will be cutting the established brush. I used a skid steer with a brush mower. You can rent them for about $300 a day. Or if you’re lucky your friend owns one. I’m lucky. You can do it the hard way with hand held brush cutters and chainsaws but you will be adding more time, not to mention wear and tear on your body. We cut four miles of trail on 160 acres in around eight hours. The trails needed additional manicuring with a chainsaw to clean things up to allow for future annual mowing with a pull-behind ATV brush mower. We also found it helpful to pre-walk the flagged trails to take out larger trees that were unavoidable and too large for the skid steer.

As I walked and hunted the trails this past season I marked potential stand sites with my smartphone gps and noted where the trail could be widened to make new openings. I hope to eventually have around ten percent of my wooded property in small openings and trails.

Early this spring, I intend to drag the trails with a chain drag to expose soil and overseed with clover to increase food. I will mow once in late summer after the nesting and fawning seasons in August to promote fall growth and remove young brush. Set your mower to cut high, 8-10 inches. If you are not opposed to using herbicides, sethoxydim [poast], or clethodim [arrest], are grass selective herbicides. They work slowly, so give them several weeks to further remove competing grasses leaving the preferred broad leaves.

If you have potential for large fields over three acres, consider cutting sections or strips to provide some diversity in age structures and species of the plants. Mow for food, leave long for cover.

So, with a little old school land management, paired with a touch of high tech and a few modern tools, your woods can provide wildlife a little edge for a reasonable cost.

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THE VALUE OF If you’re a Minnesota antler addict, you might just need a four-legged friend to help you find some bone

While I field my fair share of general dog-related questions each year, during the last decade the amount of inquiries I’ve gotten about shed dogs has increased exponentially. This once-obscure category has exploded, and it seems like most deer hunters and a lot of non-hunters are aware dogs can be trained to search out cast antlers.

Even if they’ve already been trained to find pheasants, ducks, or whatever else a good dog can do, they certainly can learn a new skill. And it’s not just bird dogs that can be taught to find antlers. Pretty much any dog with some retrieving desire can learn to be a shed dog, but there are a few things you should know before the training starts or you plunk down a deposit on a promising pup.

Sights & Smells

A typical bird dog works off his nose to find his feathered quarry. Shed dogs do as well, but on a much more limited basis. An antler has very little identifying scent to it, but what it does have comes from the waxy substance you’ll see at the base of a freshly cast antler. As it lays in the snow for a few weeks that scent diminishes and becomes a non-issue for the most part. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work with a dog’s nose when it comes to antlers, because you should.

I believe this so much that I created a wax-based scent to help train dogs to use their olfactory skills as much as possible when it comes to antlers.

North American Shed Hunting Dog Association NASHDA: I created the North American Shed Hunting Dog Association (www.nashda.com) after realizing there was a serious demand for shed dog trials. We run qualifiers for various skill levels and ages throughout the year and then hold a World Championship at our training center in Northfield, Minnesota,

14 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

each year in April. It really is something to behold when you see the diversity in dogs and the serious skill level some of them bring to the events. There is a sense of camaraderie and excitement around NASHDA events and the folks that make them happen is worth experiencing for anyone who is a dog lover.

F A SHED DOG

BY TOM DOKKEN

If you’re going train a dog to find shed antlers, you’ll need to focus on scent and the visual aspect of locating bone.

But, you also have to teach a dog to use his eyesight to spot tines periscoping through the snowpack or yellow sawgrass. This isn’t as natural for dogs conditioned to work cover with their noses, but our dogs are nothing if they aren’t smart. They can be taught to find antlers by looking and to do this, we use a series of shed antler silhouettes that provide an easy-to-see visual cue. Toss in some rewards either by treat or retrieve and soon enough your dog will learn to trust not only his nose, but his eyes when it comes to shed hunting.

Granted, this is a simplified version of the process that doesn’t take into account a soft introduction to antlers and a focus confidence building baby steps, but the main point I’d like to drive home is any dog with the inclination to retrieve, whether Lab or terrier, can learn to be a shed dog.

A Shed Dog’s Worth

If you’ve never shed hunted with a dog, you might think they cut wide swaths across the landscape and vacuum up antlers as they do. This isn’t really how it works. Shed dogs do pick up antlers, obviously, but they aren’t operating on any sort of outdoor

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 15

magic. They still need to be around antlers and either lay eyes on them or pass by close enough downwind to catch their scent.

A good shed dog will often out-hunt its human counterpart because of the sheer amount of ground covered, but it won’t find 100 to your one or make sure there isn’t a bone left unfound on your 120-acre deer property. It will find some antlers you would have missed and there is plenty of value in that. To me, that’s no more true than when you live in Minnesota where we have plenty of hunters who wouldn’t dream of walking past an antler as well as more and more individuals who have turned antler hunting into a hobby that borders on obsession.

I spend my time mostly on private land looking for antlers, so my competition is limited, but I have a good friend who takes his shed dog out in parks and other public properties in and around the Twin Cities.

There isn’t a property he shed hunts on that doesn’t also have several other antler addicts scouring the grounds weekly. He has his strategy down to try to take advantage of the lessened pressure during the week and, of course, he relies on his Black Lab to help him find any antlers they get near on their treks through those trampled places. In his specific situation, a shed dog provides an undeniable advantage over the two-legged competition.

This is an important consideration for anyone looking to find antlers on heavily hunted ground. A dog will help you find more, and that increased success can be used to gauge which members of the deer herd made it through the hunting season. That information is valuable to anyone looking to stay optimistic for the upcoming year and, of course, for anyone who simply finds value in

the antlers themselves (which is most of us because antlers are inherently pretty cool).

There is another benefit to teaching a dog to find antlers - it gives you an excuse to spend time with your dog doing what the dog loves. An outsider looking in on the world of bird dogs, for example, might believe the pursuit is about the quail, the pheasants or maybe the ducks. If they paid attention long enough, they’d realize it is not about the birds, however. Not directly, anyway. It’s about the dogs, because without them there wouldn’t be much bird hunting going on. Most of the upland and waterfowl hunters I know would be golfers if for some terrible reason they weren’t allowed to have dogs accompany them afield.

Shed dogs bring the same value to the pursuit just by being there and by being excited to look for antlers. That’s reason enough to train one and get out there, at least in my book.

Fun for all Ages

We are seeing some dedicated land managers buy puppies specifically to hunt shed antlers. That’s the dog’s sole job, and it’s more common now than I ever thought it would be. For most of us, picking up a dog simply for the purpose of finding more antlers isn’t going to happen.

Because of this, we need to consider either a multi-purpose puppy or the process of taking an older, established dog and adding a new trick to its arsenal. When it comes to puppies, if you’re looking for a bird dog that will hunt upland, waterfowl, or both, then you’re also looking for a dog that could be a shed dog easy enough due to the implied retrieving desire.

If the dog won’t hunt birds, but is a sporting

breed, you’ll probably also end up with a dog that can be taught to find antlers.

Older dogs, which may or may not have outdoor jobs, can also be taught to find antlers and no, it won’t ruin their bird hunting abilities. A piece of bone can’t hold a candle to the appeal of a living, breathing pheasant, so your prized ringneck hunter won’t suddenly bail off the scent of a rooster to go looking for antlers. It’s not going to happen.

That same dog, however, can very easily be taught to find antlers in the off-season and that will result in a dog that really gets to hunt an extra three or four months (always a good thing). If you have a dog that isn’t a hunter, you can introduce that dog to antlers as well and as long as it is willing to carry something in its mouth, you could turn it into a shed dog.

Conclusion

Will a shed dog catapult you into the stratosphere when it comes to antler counts by the end of the season? Probably not.

This is especially true if you don’t already fill your backpack with sheds during every wintertime foray. A well-trained dog will find more antlers for you, maybe quite a few more, and that’s definitely a good thing.

A shed dog will also prove to be a worthy companion in the field and bring an extra level of excitement and enjoyment to the hunt.

That, coupled with a few more tined treasures, is reason enough to train an existing dog to work the fields and forests with you or if you’re really into whitetail headgear, to pick up a puppy that sports a killer hunting and retrieving pedigree out of which you can mold a certified antler-finding monster.

Retrieving desire and a good training plan are all you need to teach a dog to find cast antlers.

16 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

g n i w ts a r D den y r u t e S rch A e o h t t s y d b n a s u o h T

Archery in the schools in Minnesota had humble beginnings back in 2005.

BY KRAIG KIGER,

SHOOTING SPORTS PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR, MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

18 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

The idea was simple – provide students with a fun and safe activity during the school day and maybe it will resonate with some of them and become a lifelong activity.

So began Minnesota’s chapter of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) in 2005 with the launch of the first 50 matching grants through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources shooting sports programs. Since then we’ve recruited more than 400 schools, growing at an average rate of 30 or more schools per year.

Athletic students tend do very well with the program, but we see more kids join from regular everyday life. Kids who may never have participated in the traditional school sports programs seem to gravitate to the archery program. These are kids who would have sat on the sidelines and not been active in school activities. Now, they’re participants.

Archers in NASP all shoot a standardized bow with unlimited draw lengths and full size arrows. This allows for the equipment to fit students from the fourth through the 12th grades. The training program is the same in all the states that offer the NASP, so when students travel all the rules remain the same.

Rules allow for teams of up to 24 members with a minimum of four members of opposite gender, so if you have 20 female archers you will need to find four males to fill out a team. That very thing happened at the very first state tournament. Schools may submit as many teams of 24 as they have students participating. Who would have ever thought the archery program could have 100, 125, 150 or even 175 students wanting to be members of the archery club through their school? We even have an Iron Range school with more student archers than all other sports combined.

So how does this affect the hunting community? I know from conversations with the athletes that some have crossed over to the hunting side of things, with help from parents, peers or one of the many learn-tohunt programs that have started up recently.

And while that’s what I see, we at the DNR would certainly like

to see someone do formal research as to whether these programs do indeed create new hunters.

Then there are the softer impacts – people who get an experience of shooting sports who might not otherwise have any interest. For each archer we see at the state tournament there are parents, grandparents and possibly siblings filling the spectator seats with upwards of 6,000 to 7,000 attendees, including athletes and officials like coaches, line judges and the scoring room personnel.

And that state tournament has grown in leaps and bounds. Consider, we started with just more than 50 kids from a handful of schools, with the first state tournament at the Minnesota Shooting Sports Education Center across the street from the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association state office in Grand Rapids. We now see local invitational tournaments reaching 300 to 500 athletes, regional tournaments reaching 500 to 600 athletes and our state tournament now with nearly 1,600 athletes who attend.

The venue required to meet the growing needs of the tournament has grown as well.

From our humble beginnings, we now need more space than ever before. The last couple of years the state tournament has returned to the northland taking over the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) and the Bemidji State University Fieldhouse.

Past tournament sponsors have been the Minnesota State Archery Association, the Minnesota Shooting Sports Center, White Bear Lake Schools, Safari Club International North Country Bowhunters Chapter and the Minnesota NASP Group.

The Minnesota NASP Group is made up of coaches from each of four regions in the state, who all volunteer their time and talent to this program. The Minnesota DNR wishes to thank all of the current and past Tournament Sponsors for their dedication and donation of countless hours to this program.

Staffing the state tournament has grown from myself and my wife, Bev – an MDHA Life Member – and without her help and understanding this would not have been possible. Also included are our niece, Brooke and nephew, Kody, who helped set targets and tape the range floor. Now, well more than 100 volunteers work the tournament.

What is next? The DNR plans to continue recruiting schools and training teacher and coaches. We are also introducing a program called Explore Bowhunting that explains the equipment, clothing, state requirements and ethics of becoming an archery hunter to those who are interested.

I would like to thank MDHA, its members and the generosity of deer hunters who have donated their deer hides to MDHA, which is one of a few funding sources for Minnesota’s NASP program. Your simple act of kindness has helped many of our schools reach their required dollar match to allow them to bring this simple archery program to their schools.

Kraig Kiger can be reached at 218328-8868 or kraig.kiger@state.mn.us for additional information on current grant programs offered by the Minnesota DNR.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 19

AROUND THE State Minnesota Deer Hunters Association

REGIONAL BOUNDARY AND CHAPTER LOCATION MAP Region 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6

Chapter Min-Dak Border Roseau River North Red River Thief River Falls Riceland Whitetails Bemidji Area Itasca County Hibbing/Chisholm Woodland Trails End Carlton County Sturgeon River Arrowhead Wilderness Lake Superior Chapter Lake Vermilion Chapter Smokey Hills Fergus Falls Clay Wilkin Park Rapids East Ottertail Wadena Brainerd Cuyuna Range Whitetails Morrison County Lakes and Pines Bluewater Wahoo Valley Isanti County Wild River Rum River North Suburban

Chapter Code MDB RRC NRR TRF RCL BMJ ITS HCC WLC TEC CCC STR AHC WLDN LSC LVC SMH FFL CWC PKR EOC WDN BRD CRW MCC LPC BLW WAH ICC WLD RMR NSC

Region 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13

Chapter Alexandria Chippewa Valley Sauk River Phantom Buck Pomme De Terre Crow River Two Rivers Tri-County River Bottom Bucks Central Minnesota Sherburne County Swampbucks Wright County/ West Metro Whitetails East Central Minnesota Minnesota River Valley Blue Earth River Valley Sunrisers Bend of the River Sioux Trails Deer Hunters Des Moines Valley Jim Jordan McGregor Area Quad Rivers Snake River Southern Gateway Southeast Minnesota Bluff Country South Central Minnesota South Metro Capitol Sportsmen’s St. Croix Valley

Chapter Code ALX CVC SRP PDT CRC TRC TCR CMC SCS WCWMW ECM MRV BEC SNR BOR STD DMV JJC MCG QRC SRC SGC SEM BLF SCC SMC CSC SCV

What? No chapter in your area?

MDHA is always interested in forming new chapters. If you live in an area without a chapter and would like more information on forming one, please call 800.450.DEER.

Calendar of EVENTS

MARCH 3 Snake River Chapter Banquet at Grand Event Center in Mora.

10 Wild River Chapter Banquet at the Lent Town Hall in Stacy.

24 Bluff Country Chapter Banquet at the Witoka Tavern in Winona.

24 East Ottertail Chapter Banquet at Playtime Sports Bar & Ballroom in Perham.

24 Fergus Falls Chapter Banquet at the Fergus Falls VFQ Post 612.

APRIL 7 Crow River Chapter Banquet at McLeod Co Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.

9 Thief River Falls Chapter Banquet at the Thief River Falls Eagle’s Club.

25 Hibbing/Chisholm Chapter Spring Reliever.

28 Jim Jordan Chapter Banquet at Grand Casino Hinckley.

28 Woodland Chapter Banquet at Quadna in Hill City.

28 Smokey Hills Chapter Banquet.

AUGUST 4 Hibbing/Chisholm Youth Day SEPTEMBER 8 Southern Gateway Chapter Banquet at the Albert Lea American Legion.

14 East Central MN Chapter Banquet at Jack & Jim’s Food & Liquor in Foley.

29 Park Rapids Chapter Banquet.

20 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Did you know... whitetail fawns are born odorless?

MORRISON COUNTY CHAPTER SPONSORS LITTLE FALLS CLAY TARGET LEAGUE

With the state and national trend for high school shooting sports, the Morrison County Chapter opted to grant $2000 of their chapter’s funds to the Little Falls Clay Target League.

Coach Mike Schuett, with assistant coach Marc Fritz , Chapter President Art Reuk, front right and range officer Ed Richmond all benefitted from MDHA’s Morrison County Chapter – also noted, the chapter is the largest supporter of the league.

ISANTI COUNTY CHAPTER

Isanti County Chapter of MDHA has donated $500 to the Chair Bound Hunters, an organization dedicated to making hunting opportunities equal for all hunters. Isanti County Chapter Member Barry Springborn and Chapter President Kevin Kriesel presented the funds to Pat Moore who represents CBH.

VIKING COCA-COLA SUPPORTS MDHA

NORTHERN COMMUNITY RADIO KAXE 91.7 GRAND RAPIDS 89.9 BRAINERD 103.9 ELY KBXE 90.5 BAGLEY/BEMIDJI

A mix of NPR news, regional arts, culture & public affairs programs, and a great variety of music

Viking Coca-Cola worked again this past year with the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association cross-branding MDHA and Coke on many of their promotional signs around Minnesota. Pictured are Matt Keller, Director of Field Operations for Viking Coca-Cola and Joshua Salisbury, Merchandise and Marketing Coordinator for MDHA. MDHA salutes and very much appreciates the generosity of Viking Coca-Cola.

Did you know... whitetail bucks are solitary and reclusive in spring?

Authent i c Lo c a l R a d io comments@kaxe.org (800)662-5799 | kaxe.org

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 21

AROUND THE State

2017 MINNESOTA GOVERNOR’S DEER OPENER TOM CLAYCOMB III

I first became acquainted with Bri Stacklie, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association's Event and Publication Coordinator, through writing articles for MDHA’s quarterly awardwinning magazine Whitetales.

When she invited me to attend MDHA and MN DNR sponsored 2017 Minnesota Governor’s Deer Opener, I jumped at the chance. Who hasn’t heard about the legendary “Deer Camps” in Minnesota?

I received an assignment to write an article covering the event with American Shooting Journal and numerous newspapers that I write for. After attending the first day of the event, I woke up at 2:30 a.m. the next morning with a question ricocheting around my head.

Writing about and covering the event would be the easy part, but HOW am I going to describe a Minnesota Deer Camp?

Does it have a cult like following? No. That would have negative connotations. Plus, a cult isn’t near as fervent and tightly knit as a Minnesota deer camp. I laid there until 5:00 trying to answer that question.

Still, no good description came to mind. A week later I still haven’t come up with one. I’m a writer and supposed to be able to put into words deep thoughts and make them come alive, but sorry, I’m drawing a blank on this one.

So, let’s get back to writing about something easier, like covering the event.

I arrived and checked in to the beautiful

22 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Timberlake Lodge in Grand Rapids, Minnesota then went downstairs to check out things before they kicked off. I finally had a chance to meet Bri in person.

There was a tent set up to hold the outdoor events. In it Cabela’s had an archery range setup which the kids loved. MDHA had a booth setup as well as several other

businesses. Bill Hesselgrave had a booth and did a demo on how to bone out deer. I’m into knives, write a weekly Product Review on knives for Ammoland Shooting Sports News, do knife-related seminars from Texas to Alaska, teach a lot of Sausage Making seminars etc., so I wanted to attend it. He had a unique way of boning out a deer.

He bones out the deer and leaves the whole side intact minus the bones. Learn something new every time you meet someone.

At the same time, there were seminars going on inside on topics such as Chronic Wasting Disease and more. The banquet kicked off at 6:30. There was a list of good speakers lined up for the night and nearly every one of them started off their talk recalling fond memories of growing up in a deer camp.

Unlike most banquets, this one actually had a great dinner AND an awesome dessert.

The next morning kicked off at 5:00 with breakfast and a room full of radio stations interviewing various writers, conservation officers and more. I had five interviews so it was a busy morning.

When Bri asked me to write this article covering the event she also asked if I could put a little different twist on it.

What was it like from an outsider’s perspective since I’m from Idaho? One thing while we’re on the topic of radios, I can’t believe how many outdoor radio stations Minnesota has. And it sounded like every last one of the announcers were diehard hunters (a couple

Did you know... fawns begin nursing within eight minutes of birth?

of them might have even been delivered in a deer blind���). In Idaho, I only ever heard of one outdoor radio station. I used to be on this show some, but it went under years ago. I thought it was cool how many y’all have.

Another big difference that stood out was the excitement in the air over opening day of deer season. I felt it in the plane when flying into Hibbing, Minn., at the event, gas station, everywhere. In Idaho, everyone is a hunter too but it’s not the same atmosphere as in Minnesota where it’s almost like game day in a college town.

Here’s what I think is the difference. Back home we have deer, antelope, elk, wolf, black bear, big horn sheep, mountain goats, ducks, grouse and moose hunting all pretty much going on at once. So, I think we get too fragmented whereas Minnesotans are all focused on opening day on deer hunting. I love it.

To make the trip even more special I got to hunt in a real Minnesota deer camp. That’s special. That’s kinda like getting invited to…I can’t even think of a comparison. I got to hunt with Ed Schmidt, co-editor of Whitetales magazine and one of the founders of MDHA in 1980, sidekick Roger Grosslein, former Advanced Hunter Education Director, and Javier Serna associate editor of Outdoor News.

Along with the deer camps being legendary so is the Minnesota weather. Due to the expected snow and rain I threw in a tough rifle, my Mossberg Patriot tipped off with a Leupold 4-12x. It survived a 17-day trip to Alaska so I knew it could handle it, especially loaded up with Nosler Trophy Grade 250 grain partition.

One big treat we enjoyed was the homemade maple syrup Ed’s duck camp made. Wow, I had never been around natural maple syrup before. That made it hard to leave camp. If the cabin had caught on fire - I would have finished my French toast topped off with a gallon of maple syrup before I ran out.

Well, I finally had to fly home to get back to writing articles. Great time, Minnesota.

Thanks for sharing with me something special about your state.

Did you know... a doe will eat the placental sac to avoid predation?

Governor Dayton welcoming the Governor's Deer Hunting Opener attendees.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 23

AROUND THE State

DES MOINES VALLEY CHAPTER HOSTS KILEN WOODS 2017 YOUTH HUNT The Kilen Woods 2017 Youth Hunt was held on Oct 28 – 29, 2017. The hunters and parents were greeted at the park for a warm breakfast and then headed to the ground blinds, led by a member of the chapter.

At noon, they returned to the chalet for lunch and back to the blinds for the afternoon hunt. At the end of the day they reassembled for dinner.

Sunday Morning those that did not fill their tag returned for a hot breakfast and off to the blind for the morning hunt with a break for lunch and then back into the field for the last chance evening hunt.

Vee, Subway for sack lunches for the hunters and their mentors and the MN DNR State Park for the opportunity to use this great facility. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for the youth.

Our chapter works hard to give each hunter the opportunity to enjoy and feel the excitement of hunting. It only takes a quick glance at the pictures to see the bright smiles from each of the kids, as well as the parents and grandparents.

Some of the members involved with the hunt (from left): Brian Bergling (state Director), John Swenson (President), Edward Ganske (hunter, not member), Connie Meyer, Denis Quarberg (MDHA member),

Hana Bergling w/mom Heidi (members) and Shawn Young (member).

Our chapter is very supportive of the youth and the opportunity to get our youth out into the greater outdoors.

ISANTI COUNTY CHAPTER SUPPORTS NATIONAL ARCHERY IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM

Edward Ganske with his doe taken on the first day of the Kilen Woods Youth Hunt.

On Saturday morning Edward Ganske scored with a doe. This was the only one that was taken on the first day. Many deer were seen and some shots were fired. Sunday morning Kody Ranweiler harvested a sevenpoint buck. There were several deer seen and again shots were taken without anything. The evening hunt was filled with several shots and Matthew Haley got a nice fork buck and Jaydan Peterson a doe.

We would also like to thank our sponsors, Muddy Outdoors for Ground Blinds, Hy-

24 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

In April 2016 the Isanti County Chapter donated $800 towards the Braham Schools National Archery in School Program. Teachers, Sue Pearson and Cassie Tomczak, have successfully run this program at the school since then.

Did you know... fawns are born front feet first like a diver?

BAKER NEAR WILDERNESS SETTLEMENT YOUTH HUNT

ENDOWMENTS & DONATIONS: Nov. 8, 2017 - Jan. 30, 2017 ENDOWMENT FUND CONTRIBUTOR’S NAME Jim Vogen Mark Nohre Steve Ranallo Denece Dreger Tad Larsen Doug Appelgren Mark Strege Gary Thompson Mark Nohre FORKHORN DONATIONS CONTRIBUTOR’S NAME Daniel Peterson Michael Stockinger MEMORIAL FUND CONTRIBUTOR’S NAME Randa Mattila Rod Osland

The 8th Annual Mentored Deer Hunt held on November 24 – 25, 2017 was a huge success� There were 13 kids with 13 mentors and seven adult hunters from the DNR Learn to Hunt Program and six adult hunter mentors participating in this year’s hunt.

The hunt was incredible. Almost everyone saw deer and there were many “opportunities” and deer encounters. In addition, the weather was beautiful for the young hunters.

The tally board ended up with seven deer harvested, five by the youth and two by the adults. The hunters LOVED the MDHA hats, knives and mugs that were donated by MDHA. Special thanks go to the MDHA Sherburne County Swamp Bucks, the Wright County/West Metro MDHA chapter and MDHA’s North Suburban chapter who sponsored this hunt.

HONOREE’S NAME

Todd A. Look Jerry Hoaglund

HONOREE’S NAME In memory of James Stockinger

HONOREE’S NAME Gene Plombon Strugeon River Chapter Scott Selmer Osland Des Moines Valley Chapter

GENERAL FUND CONTRIBUTOR’S NAME Truist Bruce Koski Franklin Meyer Nathan Overby Paul Rice Elizabeth Beckius Troy Felton John Terry Dennis & Nancy Hebrink Merrill & Lisa Morse If we inadvertently left you off the list or any corrections to the above list are needed, please contact us and we will make the appropriate corrections. Thank you.

www.TROPHY BUCK

foodplots.com

Specializing in building and maintaining FOOD PLOTS and

TRAIL SYSTEMS on your property.

Jim Sobolik - Deer River, MN

Office: (218) 246-9895 Cellular: (218) 244-3365 Did you know... fawns are born with a gelatin material covering their hooves?

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 25

F�R�H�R�S I� T�E F�E�D

B�S� B�D�I�G Largemouth bass prefer to deposit eggs on rootlets of submerged grass or aquatic vegetation.

An average bass nest will be in water three or four feet deep.

Bass bedding locations will predominantly be found in coves and bays adjacent to the main body of water. These are the shallow areas where sunshine first increases the water temperature to a desirable spawning level. Such areas are located predominantly on the north shores of the lake where the seasonal low-angle un-shaded sun has a more prolonged warming effect. The male bass serves the most important and active role in the spawning behavior of the species. The male "buck" selects a suitable bedding site and then fans out the nest. When the water temperature has remained at spawning level or above for several days, the females begin to appear. The female bass linger in "holding-areas" near deeper water, awaiting preparation of the spawning beds. The male searches out a female and herds her to the bedding location.

W�O�C�C� P�E�T�N�

Carlton County Chapter member Megan Matarelli, age 11, with her first deer. Megan attended Forkhorn Camp this past summer had a great time and learned a lot as proven by her success this hunting season.

Bailey, age 11, with her first deer taken at 9:14 am on Nov. 4 with a Savage Axis.

Peenting is what male woodcock do when they attempt to attract a female for mating purposes.

Emerging from the woods at dawn and dusk during late winter and early spring, male woodcock locate a suitable stage, and peent their little hearts out. The whole routine lasts about 20 minutes before the male flies back to the dark woods cover.

Jack Olson, age 13, of New Richland with his first deer.

26 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Did you know... a whitetail doe’s milk is 11-12% butterfat while a Jersey cow is 5 percent?

F�C�S A�O�T F�W�S�

B�S� F�S�I�G

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SHARON SMITH

• The average fawn has between 294-306 spots.

• Even at rest, a fawn has a rapid heartbeat, 175 beats per minute. The average adult human heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute.

• In the first several days of life, fawns spend 90-95% of their time lying down.

• Within several weeks of birth, fawns are already eating vegetation.

Abby Paulson of the Brainerd Chapter with a largemouth bass.

• If a doe has twin fawns, she will hide them in different locations. The twins are usually within 25 feet of each other, but sometimes are as far apart as 250 feet.

• Twins are usually reunited within 3-4 weeks’ time.

The wood duck is a colorful bird that usually nests in abandoned holes, but will readily take to a nesting box of the correct dimensions, placed in the proper location. Not that long ago, wood duck populations were in decline. With a little time and effort and some simple woodworking tools, you can help in the comeback of this fine bird by creating a wood duck nesting box for your local feathered friends. For step by step instructions to build your own box visit: https://www.wikihow.com/ Build-a-Wood-Duck-House

W�R� S�A�C�

SEE ANSWERS ON PAGE 54.

W�O� D�C� H�U�E

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 27

Marketplace MDHA PATCH CAP

$20

MDHA EXTREME COOLER

$20

MDHA ZIP-UP BOTTLE KOOZIE $4

This cooler is a nice portable soft-sided cooler bag that has heavy duty fabric and plenty of insulation to make your ice last all day. It also features the MDHA logo in orange on the front.

Styles may vary.

Our zip-up bottle koozie in Mossy Oak camo is just what you need for days on the lake and around the fire.

MDHA CUTTING BOARD

MDHA BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

MDHA LARGE PLASTIC MUG

This bamboo cutting board is shaped like the state of Minnesota and features the MDHA logo.

Our water-resistant speaker is highlighted by the MDHA logo, a suction cup for sticking the speaker to wherever you wish, great sound and a charging cord. Perfect for days on the lake!

MDHA EXPLORER JACKET

MDHA POCKET KNIFE

Made by Legacy, this high-quality cap features a super soft mesh back and MDHA logo patch on the front. It is made of the Old Favorite design with 100% cotton twill and snapback enclosure.

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$55

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Just in time for spring is our new Explorer jacket with 5 oz. of polyester Heat-tech insulation, zipper pocket on sleeve, 2 front pockets, 2 inside zip pockets, Velcro cuffs and the MDHA logo.

This knife features a bone handle, two blades and the MDHA logo, this is a great little pocket knife.

MDHA 2018 LARGE FRAMED PRINT OF THE YEAR

WALKER'S GAME EAR RAZOR MUFFS

This year's print of the year by Michael Sieve is a metro-zone archery scene. Buy it framed!

The Razor series features a Noise Reduction Rating (NRR) of 23 dB, and utilized sound activated compression (SAC) of 0.02 seconds.

These allow you to hear conversations but cut out loud sounds like a gun shot.

$180

28 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

$58

$5

This 32 oz. plastic mug has a generous size handle for easy grabbing, is made of plastic, perfect for days at the lake or around the campfire.

MDHA CAMP CHAIR

$22

Sit on the beach or wherever in style with this nice MDHA logo camp chair and logo carrying case. 275 lb. rating.

MDHA USA T-SHIRT

$16

This cotton blended t-shirt features the MDHA logo on the front and a large US Flag on the back with the MDHA logo added in. Sizes S-4XL.

When you purchase MDHA merchandise you support MDHA’s programs and mission.

VISIT WWW.MNDEERHUNTERS.COM OR CALL 800.450.DEER MDHA SNOW CAMO CAP

$15

This cap features Mossy Oak Snow Camo with an adjustable Velcro back and large black MDHA logo.

MDHA BBQ TOOL

$35

Be ready for grilling with this grill tool. Features the MDHA logo and all the grill tools you could need right in one handy knife shaped holder.

Features tongs, knife, spatula, basting brush, and more.

THERMACELL CAMP LANTERN $30

MDHA PATCH CAP

SHIPPING & HANDLING RATES: $1 - $50 = $8 $50.01 - $100 = $9 $100.01 - $150 = $11 $150.01 - $200 = $13 $200.01 & UP = PLEASE CALL *Non-clothing items add 6.875% sales tax

$60

Highlighted by a mesh back and large MDHA patch on the front, this cap will surely be your go-to cap this summer.

CLEARANCE! This print, by Michael Sieve, is the 2017 print of the year. Unframed.

MDHA SHOTGUN SHELL FLASHLIGHT

MDHA 2016 MUG OF THE YEAR

$16

This multi-function light features bright LED bulbs for long lasting, bright light and the MDHA logo on a metal shotgun shell looking body.

$5

CLEARANCE! This is a nice coffee mug with lid.

Become an MDHA member today...

Name: Address: City: State: Phone: Chapter Preference: Email:

These lanterns not only provide up to 220 lumens of light and lasts up to 40 hours at the low light setting, but they also act as a standard Thermacell with a 15x15 foot protection range.

$20

MDHA 2017 LARGE PRINT OF THE YEAR

Zip:

Membership Payment Information: $35 Adult 1 Year Membership $15 Youth 1 Year Membership Check Visa/Mastercard/Discover Card #: Signature: I would also like to make a donation of $ Order Total: $

Exp:

460 Peterson Road • Grand Rapids, MN 55744 • 800.450.3337 *Membership pricing good through 6/30/18. If past this date, please call for current pricing.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 29

S O F T E D G E

The Overlooked

LAND

Between Forests and Openings

BY BRUCE INGRAM

The author’s son-in-law David Reynolds looking over some soft edge that he and I created near an existing tree stand.

30 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

One of the most beneficial forms of habitat – as well as one of the most overlooked – for deer and other game and non-game animals is soft edge. What’s more, soft edge is very easy to create as land managers can often produce this type of habitat with a chainsaw and a backpack sprayer.

By definition, soft edge is a little wildlife oasis between a mature forest and food plot, a woodlot and field, or a stand of trees and seeded logging road… just to cite three examples. Typically the following plants make up a soft edge: hinge cut trees, native warm season grasses, pollinating plants, forbs, and soft mast producers such as wild blackberries, raspberries, and serviceberries.

Some examples of Minnesota fruits that ripen in the fall (and that can thrive in soft edge) include hackberries, chokeberries, crabapples, and grapes.

little postage stamp of land would be so much better for wildlife, and deer hunting if we had left brush piles and tree tops around the perimeter of the plot and allowed native forbs such as ragweed, goldenrod, tickfoil, and yarrow to arise in the days and weeks to come.

Later, such pollinating plants as purple coneflowers and asters would spring up from the seedbank and attract all kinds of bees and butterflies. Why should deer hunters be interested in bees and butterflies? Because those are the creatures that will pollinate the hard and soft mast producing trees and shrubs whose bounty will draw whitetails to the area.

Purple coneflowers are great pollinators and will quickly thrive in a recently created soft edge.

Native blackberries are just one of many plants that can spring up in a soft edge.

Land managers often overlook this type of deer friendly habitat because we like to make things “neat.” For example, say this spring we are putting in a brand new food plot on land we own, lease, or have permission to complete habitat improvement projects.

We carve out a food plot in a grove of trees, meticulously haul all the downed trees and their tops away, and then use machinery to grade the land, add fertilizer, and plant seed right up to the edge of trees left standing.

A few weeks or months later, the result is a beautifully manicured food plot, where we likely will kill a few deer come autumn – and all that is well and good, of course. But this

Additionally, that fall or the following spring we could plant various species of crabapple, apple, and pear trees around the perimeter of our newly created edge, further enhancing the food plot in the years to come.

In short, we would have caused our food plot to metamorphose from a good one into an outstanding one.

about half way through a small tree, so that it falls (or can be forced over) to the ground.

The goal is to cut just enough so that the tree can become horizontal to the ground but that the tree (and most importantly its leaves) remains alive.

In the tree’s horizontal state, deer and other wildlife can then feed on the leaves.

Another plus is that a clump of hinge cut trees can provide additional cover for creatures. For deer hunters, hinge cuts can create a staging area for deer, which often like to look into a food plot and check for danger before entering it.

Numerous native Minnesota trees make good candidates for hinge cutting.

Perhaps the best ones for this timber stand improvement (TSI) are members of the maple family such as the red, silver, and mountain species. Many times, I’ve observed whitetails browsing on both living maple leaves and recently fallen ones.

Another good bet for a hinge cut is an ash.

I have been cutting ash on my land since before the appearance of the emerald ash border (EAB) and have accelerated doing so since this invasive species arrived. It is extremely difficult to try to treat ashes for the EAB on a forest-wide scale. So my feeling is that wildlife should benefit from a hinge cut ash’s leaves before the tree inevitably succumbs to this pest. The EAB has been in Minnesota for about a decade now.

One of my favorite trees to hinge cut is a redbud. Although this species flaunts

Once we’ve created a soft edge, we can plant fruit trees bordering it in the spring or fall.

Creating Soft Edge in an Existing Food Plot

Ragweed is a common native plant much favored by deer and that thrives in soft edge.

Let’s suppose we already have a wellmanicured food plot and want to create soft edge around it. Here’s where a chainsaw can come into play. The best management technique for creating soft edge is a hinge cut also sometimes known as half cutting. This technique involves using a chain saw to cut

Hinge cutting trees, like this redbud, is a superb way to establish a soft edge.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 31

An ideal time to envision a future soft edge is during a timber cut. gorgeous pink buds in the spring, the seed pods it produces in autumn are not highly favored by wildlife. Because redbuds don’t grow very tall or wide, they are a very easy tree to cut and fall/bend horizontally.

Another project we can implement to create soft edge around a current food plot is hack and squirt. All this involves is our using an ax or hatchet to make small cuts or hacks around the circumference of a tree (make sure to create a “cup-like” depository at the bottom of the cut) and then squirt an herbicide into the cup. The tree will slowly die over the course of a few years.

Hack and squirt is an especially good project to initiate when we have taller trees that, when cut, could easily fall on treasured hard and/or soft mast producers. After hack and squirt has killed a tree and the limbs and leaves are long gone, it is much easier to cut down the tree and have it fall where we want it to. Once a “hacked” tree begins to die, more sunlight reaches the ground, stimulating the growth of forbs and other plants in the newly created soft edge.

Finally, land managers can employ a backpack sprayer in an area where we want

32 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

to produce additional soft edge-type growth.

For example, big bluestem is an important native warm season grass (NWSG) in the Gopher State. Given enough sunlight, this grass grows fairly tall and quite lush, providing superb cover for deer and other wildlife. Use the backpack sprayer to kill a solid swath of vegetation, plant big bluestem, and in a year or two a healthy stand of NWSG could exist.

Spring is an excellent time to create soft edge next to openings such as this seeded logging road.

Setting Up at the Edge of Soft Edge The edges of soft edges are great places for us to position a tree stand. For instance, one

of my most productive ladder stands lies at the border of where the forest adjoins a soft edge I’ve created. A small food plot of clover lies next to the soft edge. My son-in-law David, who lives on my land with his family, and I both agree that this is our favorite place to bowhunt on the property. There are just so many things to eat from hard and soft mast in the forest to forbs in the soft edge to clover in the plot that whitetails are bound to come by sooner or later.

Another place on my land where I’ve positioned a ladder stand is also tucked just inside the forest with soft edge and a food plot out in front. I have improved this soft edge by hinge cutting ashes and redbuds, which has resulted in blackberry and raspberry vines growing lushly and numerous small saplings springing up. The deer here often feed on the forest’s acorns, browse in the soft edge, and then enter the food plot.

We can easily produce soft edge whether in a recently cleared area or next to an existing food plot. Consider creating soft edge as a regular part of your habitat management strategies.

Prescribed Fire: An Important Tool for Habitat Management

BY KYLE AROLA,

MN DNR ASSISTANT WILDLIFE AREA MANAGER, FISH & WILDLIFE There are many benefits from fire and this article will discuss prescribed burning. What exactly is prescribed burning? It is intentionally lighting fires, by trained personnel and under specific conditions, to promote healthy habitats. This can range from setting back tree encroachment in a prairie to reducing heavy fuels (such as dead, dry trees from a blowdown event) in a forest in order to prevent costly wildfires. Prescribed burning is a cost-effective tool that enables land managers to treat a large area and get the most bang for the buck.

Fire has historically played an important role in a variety of habitats from wetlands to forests. Minnesota is unique, and diverse, by having four ecological provinces (Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parkland, Laurentian Mixed Forest, and Eastern Broadleaf Forest). These provinces are defined by climate, topography, soils, hydrology, and vegetation. The map of Minnesota below shows the locations of these

provinces and an example of a prescribed fire within each one.

The frequency and magnitude of fire contributes to the plant communities that are present and this ultimately affects the wildlife species that are found there. Think about the differences between a prairie in southwest Minnesota and a forest in the northeast. The prairie is rich in grasses and forbs and you won’t find many trees present. Some of the wildlife you might encounter include songbirds, badgers, and a variety of reptiles and amphibians. The forest is dominated by trees that may be hundreds of years old and some of the wildlife you might encounter include fishers, woodpeckers, and moose. The prairie might experience fire every 1-5 years, preventing trees and other woody plants from establishing, and the forest may only see fire once every 100+ years thus allowing for mature stands of timber.

Why Burn?

• Enhance native plant communities • Maintain early successional stages • Restore historical disturbances that shaped native habitats • Reduce hazardous fuels • Enhance wildlife habitat • Control invasive species PHOTO BY ANGELA ISACKSON, THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT

34 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

• Recycle nutrients back into the soil

Behind-the-scenes work must be completed before any prescribed burn is initiated. First, an area is identified as a potential burn unit and a site visit is conducted. This could be a brushland that hasn’t experienced fire in decades and wildlife such as deer and elk could benefit greatly from the new growth of nutritious grasses, forbs, and browse following a burn.

Next, a burn plan is written (see a portion of an example to the right) and this includes a map of the burn unit, equipment and personnel needed, season to burn, goals of the burn, along with the conditions (i.e. prescription) needed to carry out and meet the objectives of the burn. Other items included are locations of any structures, hazards, water sources, and smoke dispersal considerations. We certainly wouldn’t want to send smoke over a busy highway. The fire can only be lit if the burn prescription is met and the main factors are temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction.

The burn is complete, now what? Now it’s time for mop-up� This is when the burn unit is patrolled to assure that there aren’t any potentials for escape and material still burning near the control line is extinguished.

Monitoring will also take place weeks, months, and years after the burn to evaluate the effects of the burn. Did we get the desired results? Did we meet our objectives?

SEE THE RESULTS ON PAGE 36

Fire impact on willow and the lush, new growth of vegetation.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 35

The Results: White-tailed deer

Shortly after burns, new growth of grasses and forbs quickly emerge. This provides a nutritious food source for deer and other wildlife. Also promoted are hard and soft mast food sources. Mast refers to the fruit/seeds of trees and shrubs. Soft mast includes berries/ fruits such as juneberries, blueberries, high bush cranberries, plums and apples. Some hard mast examples include acorns, hazelnuts, and walnuts. Setting back these woody species also provides excellent browse, which is an important food source in the winter when other food sources become scarce.

Sharp-tailed grouse

Fire keeps prairies and brushlands open and sets back encroaching woody plants such as aspen and willow. What would happen if prescribed burning wasn’t used as a management tool, especially for wildlife species that depend on early successional habitats? Brush and trees would begin to encroach and, over time, those areas would no longer be suitable for these species.

Waterfowl

The plants that grow following a fire provide important nesting habitat and cover.

Native plant communities

Many plants have evolved with fire and are therefore considered firedependent species. Fire helps maintain native plant communities and can also help reduce invasive species such as buckthorn and common tansy.

36 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

MEMBER

MY EXPERIENCE BEING A 101 - NEW HUNTER IN THE LEARN TO HUNT PROGRAM

My name is Sarah Fischer. I participated in the 2017 Learn-to-Hunt (LTH) program as a 101-New Hunter. Previous to the LTH series I had minimal exposure to the tradition of hunting.

My personal motivation for joining the LTH program was because entering the hunting world as a young adult female can be intimidating, frustrating and overwhelming – so much so, that if not for this program, I may have never learned to hunt. I also know it can be especially difficult to become a successful hunter on your own.

When enrolling in the program, I can’t say I was convinced I was going to enjoy hunting. Honestly, with all the words I associated with hunting, very few were positive – words such as: frustrating, cold, challenging, confusing, unyielding, time consuming, expensive, dangerous, intimidating, boring, even killing. I felt I needed to educate myself in order to gain a sense of respect and understanding for not only hunters but for animals. I didn’t like that I was willingly blind to the meat I picked up from the grocery store since I had no connection to the animal. I wanted to empower myself to change that.

What I expected to gain out of the

38 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

program was purely on the informational level. A basic understanding of what goes into hunting from start to finish, such as preparing for a hunt (appropriate clothing, gear, location, time of year), what to expect out in the field (types of stands/blinds, types of terrain, how to read a compass with a map), the work that goes into harvesting and processing an animal and the overall ethics of being a hunter, was necessary. I expected to have the most personal growth during the designated range time because my lack of experience handling a firearm made me extremely nervous. I knew myself enough to know if I was going to take a firearm out in the field and point it at an animal I needed to be confident in my shot and as prepared as possible. Providing a quick and ethical shot was important to me. That meant I had a long way to go.

This is my personal story of deer camp and experience with the LTH program under the mentorship of Ben Pena. What I ended up gaining from the program was truly extraordinarily life changing and a lot more than I bargained for. I gained friendships and a sense of community and camaraderie.

I got to hear stories and advice from multiple generations of hunters. I witnessed

unfaltering kindness and patience from my mentor. I experienced a whole range of emotions. I challenged myself to do things I once feared. And most importantly, the respect I only expected to gain for others, I gained for myself.

I remember taking out my firearm for the first time during the designated range time on Day One. I was so nervous that my only natural thought was, “Oh God, I don’t want to be here. I can’t do this.” To me, that firearm was so powerful it made me feel weak; it had control over me. I can say with confidence, however, if I was on my own that day, I would let myself walk away. But, I wasn’t alone.

I had my class of 14 other hunters, just as new and nervous as me. We had our instructors and mentors who understood our nerves and were willing and able to walk through every step with patience and understanding. So, I laid my .243 on the shooting bench and after getting familiar with it and asking heaps of questions, I allowed myself to take my first shot. I remember the hesitation and my heart feeling like it was going to come right out of my chest. It instilled a sense of doubt in me that if I have this much hesitation and

Story nerves here, what was it going to be like out in the field? I ended up connecting with Ben that day at the range after he noticed I was holding the rifle wrong and it was causing me to have a bad flinch. He assured me I had control of it, that it wasn’t going to hurt me and the best way to build confidence is to keep taking shots. I left that day feeling in control and excited to open up my gun case again.

The second range day came with a whole new set of challenges an inexperienced shooter may stumble upon. First, I forgot ear and eye protection. Secondly, after opening my gun case, I discovered my firearm was locked and I didn’t have the key. Talk about discouraging and a lesson in responsibility.

Ben noticed and generously offered to let me shoot his personal rifle. He didn’t want me to miss out on trigger time and building the confidence I needed. His personal rifle is a 300 Win Mag, a rifle much larger than mine. My nerves came back, but Ben stayed with me and assured me, with confidence, that I would be able to shoot that gun. Him believing in me allowed me to believe in myself. I ended up shooting a box of ammo through his rifle that day and was the last one to leave the range. I also discovered that, once relaxed, I have a great shot. That gave me the self-assurance and confidence I needed to be able to deliver a fast and ethical kill shot.

In the class portion, one of the most valuable lessons was one I wasn’t necessarily expecting. It was how much the instructors and mentors instilled the fact that it is our duty, as the hunter, to be completely educated and aware of the rules, safety and ethics of our hunt. Makes sense� I found it to be a simple, but important message. I learned hunting comes with a ton of responsibility and having access to a mentor is neither a crutch nor an excuse to not know.

As the weekend of the hunt approached, I was still unsure of how I would feel and if I was going to be able to do it. I was sure of a couple things though. I was sure I was going to work as hard as I possibly could. I was going to listen and do my best to absorb the advice of all the mentors. I was going to have an open mind and say yes to things I feared.

I was also sure that my mentor had my back,

had confidence in me and was willing and excited to help me.

Arriving in camp I was, indeed, excited. I saw new faces of mentors and familiar faces of other new hunters. Mentors told stories of their hunts and we listened, hoping to have our very own stories at end of camp. I got a chance to meet with Ben before dinner and he helped me pack my backpack and explain what clothing I should wear and what I should pack in my bag.

The night before the first hunt was stressful and near sleepless. A million thoughts and fears ran through my head. “What if I get attacked by a bear? What if I forget something? Do I have my tags? What if I get separated and lost? What if I sleep in? What if I can’t do this?”

Four forty-five in the morning came so fast. I grabbed my pre-packed bag, got dressed and headed downstairs. We ate breakfast as a group and soon we were all off with our mentors. When we got into the truck, Ben asked me how I slept and how I was feeling. I felt comfortable enough with him to tell him exactly what I was feeling and all my fears from the night before. All fears that could easily have prevented me from following through with the hunt if I was on my own. He responded with, “That’s okay, that’s completely normal, you can do this.” I remember feeling an immediate sense of relief and a newly found motivation to conquer all those fears. If he believed in me, I should believe in myself. I knew he was going to work as hard as he could for me, if and only if, I worked hard for myself.

Setting off into the woods my mind returned to racing a million miles per second. “God, it is dark out here. What was that? Dang� Stepped on another stick� Do I have everything? Am I really doing this?”

When we arrived to our hunting spot I found myself face-to-face with yet another fear, climbing up a tree stand, 20 feet up, in the dark. I had already conquered so many fears to get to this point I wasn’t going to let anything get in my way. I remember finding such comfort and thankfulness that I had my mentor there with me. I knew with complete confidence he wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to me within his control or put me in an unsafe situation. He also made

BY SARAH FISCHER it completely clear this was my hunt and I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to do. He explained how the safety harness worked, double-checked all safety equipment and made sure I understood how it worked.

I had made it. I was doing it. I was up in the tree stand. I was officially on my first hunt. The air was brisk, but I felt warm and at peace. I took a couple deep breaths and allowed myself to feel proud of what I had accomplished to this point. The sun was starting to rise, revealing the pure beauty of the nature surrounding us. I remember thinking, “If this is all my hunt ends up being, I would be happy, it would all be worth it.”

A couple hours went by with no activity.

My mentor and I conversed about our lives and hobbies. I told a few hilarious jokes and we found friendship. We were two completely different people, from different backgrounds, different life stories and hardships, different overall life experiences and probably never would have met each other if not for this program. I am so thankful for the LTH program for giving me an opportunity to find a mentor like Ben. He is one of those people who make you want to be a better person, to offer help in whatever way you are able, and to push yourself – a truly amazing mentor.

Mid-conversation, Ben stops and points.

There, standing not more than 15 yards from us, practically right under our tree stand was a young buck. The doubt and hesitation I thought I would have turned into butterflies.

I was ready. I knew what I had to do in order to provide a quick ethical shot. This meant not losing my cool, controlling my breath and emotions, and staying calm. The deer entered my crosshairs in a spot where I was confident and comfortable it would be a quick harvest. I took a breath and squeezed the trigger. The deer ran. Ben assured me I had hit it in the perfect spot and it wouldn’t be long. He helped me set the gun down and told me to genuinely let myself feel what just happened. I could feel he was proud of me, but the truth was, I didn’t really know how to feel about myself quite yet - if I did the right thing, if I would have regrets.

We waited, then climbed down from the tree stand and Ben made us camp coffee.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 39

MEMBER He told me to relax and let everything sink in. When it was time to go search for the deer the practical part of the class kicked in.

Everything looked different from the ground than it did from the tree stand. I had to use what I learned about finding the blood trail from class. Ben let me lead the way and helped me when I got off track. It wasn’t long before we came upon the deer.

I pressed my hand on the deer’s warm body and I was overtaken with emotion – it was the first time I had witnessed the circle of life. I was so thankful for that deer. It was in that moment I was certain that I had done right thing.

Instead of feeling the sense of regret I was worried about, I felt a tremendous amount of respect for that animal. I was proud of myself. But I also came to realize the work was just beginning. A lot has to happen before that piece of meat hits the table.

Ben walked me through the fielddressing process and the different ways I’d be able to use the whole animal – which I knew I wanted to do. I shot the deer around 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning. We got the deer onto the cart by 1:00 p.m.

In the meantime, Ben had gotten word two other hunters in close proximity had shot deer and had lost the blood trail. He asked if I wanted to help them track and that it was up to me to decide. I knew what he would do. He would help. So, that’s what I did. He taught me hunting takes a team and sometimes it takes sacrificing your own hunt in order to help others.

We didn’t end up back at camp until 11:00 p.m. that night. We made two trips into the woods after sundown, one to carry out my deer and a second to carry out another hunter’s deer. It was absolutely exhausting, but that didn’t matter, we were able to help so we did. When we got back to camp I was welcomed by warm hugs and “congratulations.” Everyone had a long day but they couldn’t wait to hear my story. I felt like I had known these people for years. I got myself some dinner and headed to sleep, hoping to get a little more rest than the night before because day two was going to come fast.

40 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Story

Sunday morning was a little slow for my mentor and me. We had decided to let another mentor/hunter use the stand where I had harvested my first deer the day before.

This meant we were going to try hunting from the ground overlooking a valley not far from where we walk in, allowing us to leave a little later. On our drive in, Ben received a call that the mentor/hunter couldn’t find the tree stand and were asking for help. Without hesitation, we went to help guide them to

the tree stand. It meant sacrificing the spot we had planned to hunt because we weren’t going to be able to make it there before sunup. We ended up sitting on a woodpile not far from the tree stand and waited for sunrise. It was a gorgeous sunrise and it all came together again. It felt gratifying knowing we were able to help more than anything else. We ended up walking to our planned spot shortly after sunrise. We didn’t see anything, but had a great morning.

All mentors and hunters met back at deer camp Sunday afternoon for lunch and to clear the cabin for the weekend. That marked the end of deer camp for most hunters since

their mentors needed to head home. Some saw deer, some didn’t, but we all had different stories to take home, we all had something to be proud of, and we all had found friendship.

We exchanged contact information and said our goodbyes.

I was determined to go back out after lunch. I wanted to get the most out of the program and time with my mentor, so my hunt wasn’t over quite yet. I had a bonus tag to fill. Ben knew there was a lot of work to do taking down stands and hauling equipment out of the woods, which meant a long night ahead, but he was more than happy to take me back out hunting. And I was more than happy to stay as long as he did to help haul equipment. I ended up harvesting my second deer around 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening. With the help from Alex and his mentor Greg, we hauled four packs, one deer and three tree stands out of the woods that night.

I couldn’t imagine doing all that work on my own. I couldn’t imagine it probably because it would be near impossible. I am so thankful for the help I received during this entire program. I didn’t have to go through everything on my own. I had mentors to look up to and other new hunters to confide in. Taking a step back from hunting, I learned a lot of life lessons on friendship and kindness and what hunting should really be about.

In conclusion, I am so thankful for the Learn-to-Hunt Program and having the opportunity to learn from a mentor like Ben. After completing the program, I now associate hunting with words such as: kindness, unselfishness, patience, friendship, exciting, challenging, peaceful, respectful, liberating, self-trust, honor, openness, teamwork, camaraderie and harvesting. I had a weekend of firsts I never thought I’d experience or have the strength to do. I overcame personal fears and self-doubt.

The program has turned me into a lifelong hunter and created a desire to continually learn and improve. I hope I am able to one day help a new hunter the way Ben and this program helped me.

42 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 43

If you have daughters, you may have to stop now and then and let them pick flowers.

Maybe not something you have to do when backpacking with your buddies�

TAKING NEW HUNTERS INTO THE

BY TOM CLAYCOMB III 44 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

If your family didn’t introduce you to the outdoors when you were young, you will find getting into the outdoors is tough. There is just so much to learn. But, I guess it’s like eating the proverbial elephant, let’s do this one bite at a time.

First, you need a mindset. Just because they’re an adult doesn’t mean they’ll start at a higher level than kids. If you were going to teach a teenager or an adult how to drive a car, you’d pretty much take the same steps with both, wouldn’t you?

I’m not known as Captain Safety, but with firearms I am extremely careful. Guns are a lot of fun. But if someone you love got shot or, God forbid killed, that would wreck your world. So, make sure you are very, very diligent on safety.

The next most important thing is demeanor. Most of us that have hunted/ fished for decades have gotten hard core.

I love backpacking into a wilderness and hitting it hard. I’ll do it by myself for days on end, but if you’re taking someone new outdoors, don’t go boot camp on the first trip.

Slow down. Make it fun and comfortable.

Newbies are not going to hunt days on end without seeing any game and no shooting.

Make their first hunts fun. For example, I went air gun hunting yesterday for pigeons.

That provided for a lot of high-speed shooting. That’d be a perfect first hunt for a kid or adult. Success breeds success. If they get in a lot of shooting or catch a lot of fish, they’ll want more of it.

In fact, air gun hunting is a great way to start. That’s probably how you got started isn’t it? I know I did. But beware, modern day air guns are not toys. My Crossman/ Benjamin air rifles shoot 1,000 to 1,450 fps.

A .22 only shoots at 1,250 fps.

It is so much better to start kids young rather than them trying to learn as an adult.

One big mistake I think many fish and game departments do is not let kids start hunting until they’re 12. That’s too late. Granted, nowadays some12-year olds are spoiled brats, but not that many decades ago 12-year olds were mature and filled a big role in the family.

Dad and Mom got us BB guns at six, pellet guns at nine, shotguns at 10 and .22s at 12.

I started shooting my sister’s shotgun when I was eight or nine. I was so small I couldn’t reach the trigger. I had to hold it under my arm to shoot. Dad only let me put one shell in it.

I’m a big proponent of taking your kids everywhere with you. Sure, some of my hunts I’m camping in zero-degree weather.

Let the kids be kids and have fun. They made a seesaw while I was whipping out breakfast one morning while camping.

It’s tough duty. Don’t take them then, but do whenever possible. If you might also say, well, my friends are a little rough, get new friends.

Here’s the kicker. Most of us are hard working. We get precious little time off.

For years, I worked 10 ½ to 12 hrs. day and a lot of Saturdays. When I finally got outdoors I wanted to hit it hardcore. That’s understandable, but if you take your wife/ kids slow down. My dad was the best in the world. He took us everywhere with him. But, yes, he went deer hunting opening week with his buddies and on fishing trips but he took us a lot.

TAKING YOUR WIFE OR GIRLFRIEND

Ok guys, sit down for this one. You won’t believe me, but trust me on this one. If you’re taking your wife or a girlfriend who

is a new hunter TAKE IT EASY� They are not your ole’ hunting buddy. Don’t push them hardcore. They’re going because they want to be with you. I was an idiot when Katy and I were dating. I didn’t have a clue.

Consequently, after she filled her tag (me) she didn’t want to go for a while.

I’m warning you. If you take your significant other, slow down. A while back I found out Katy and her school teaching friends had signed up for a pistol-shooting class. I couldn’t believe it. Of all people.

I’m an outdoor writer. I conduct about 50 seminars/year. When I asked her why she didn’t let me teach her, Katie replied, “Because you’re no fun. You yell at me and make me feel stupid.” Is that really the message we want to convey to your partner?

Noooooo� But, I’m not a marriage counselor so we’ll move on.

PARENTS

Katy is a lot more comfortable shooting her .410 double barrel. My vote, then let her hunt with it.

Here’s a downfall I see with parents. I used to take a lot of kids bear hunting with Ed Sweet, the host of the TV show Kid Outdoors. We’d film hunts for his show and I’d write articles on the hunts. Ed is a super teacher. A big bear would walk out and he’d calmly tell the kid where to place the crosshairs, when to shoot and so forth. The parent would get all excited and start yelling at them to shoot and screw up everything.

Sometimes you’d feel like decking the parent.

A parent needs to have a calming effect on the situation, not throw gas on it.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 45

Kolby has turned into quite the fly-fishing partner. Here she had just netted a nice 19-inch backcountry trout.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

To get someone started, I recommend taking them shooting. A lot. Plink with BB/pellet guns and .22s. Shoot targets and tin cans. The more they shoot, the more comfortable and proficient they become.

When shooting a shotgun or high-power rifle, make sure they know how to properly hold it. If they don’t hold it firmly against their shoulder it’ll thump them. Get ammo with lower grain bullets so it doesn’t kick as much.

By the time I was 12, I was shooting a 30-06 with 180 gr. bullets that pounded me as a skinny little kid. Moreover, ALWAYS wear eye and ear protection.

dad’s old cammies. The pants were pulled up above her belly and the sleeves were 8-inches too long. One night we’d had a good bow hunt and I told her I’d take her to town and we’d eat steaks. She looked at me and said, “Not looking like this.” I didn’t have a clue.

SUMMARY

The biggest advice I’d give you is to slow down. Try to make the hunt fun. Get them good clothing. Pack good snacks. Save the pickled pigs feet for when you’re with your buddies. When they hit their limit, stop.

CLOTHING

Years ago, there was very little good outdoor clothing for kids. I’d wear three pairs of socks and stuff my feet into my cowboy boots. They were so tight I had no circulation.

I froze. Now that there is good clothing for kids, buy it.

The same with women. Until Prois came along there was no outdoor clothing made for women. When we were dating, Katy wore my

46 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

My oldest daughter grew up to be a Hot Shot, 14 hrs./day is tough duty on these kids. You think my taking her camping all time had an effect on her being a Hot Shot�

MDHA TIPS

BY ROD DIMICH AND ED SCHMIDT

TIP

#1

“Don’t Jump the String” If you have ever run track or been in competition where there is a starting pistol, you know you could be disqualified for starting before the gun, “jumping the gun.” The same applies to bow hunting, but the end result might be missing a shot or worse yet, wounding and losing a deer if you “jump.” To avoid this, when practicing or hunting, make sure your bow is quiet because sound travels at 1100 feet per second and arrow from a compound bow will travel at 250 to 300 feet per second. Therefore, the string sound will reach the targeted deer ahead of the arrow. Quiet your bow by adding string silencers, limb dampeners, brush buttons, avoid noisy quivers and keep all screws tight.

Always remember, arrow speed and noise suppression will avoid a whitetail from “jumping the string.”

TIP

#2

"Yippee-Ki-Yay”

Okay, this has nothing to do with Roy Rogers, but it has to do with “range,” and not the Iron Range, but the term affiliated with distance. For hunting and shooting purposes, this is all about distance. Hunters use a device called a “rangefinder” to determine the exact shooting distance from their stand/blinds, etc., to various markers – like a tree, rock or a colored ribbon. To become effective, study ballistics charts to calibrate the trajectory to the given target, thus allowing your shot to be most effective. This practice is usually done in the pre-season while scouting your deer territory. Manufacturers of rangefinders include Leupold, Nikon, Leica, Bushnell, ATN, Zeiss and Upland Optics.

Bow hunters and rifle hunters who use these rangefinders truly realize their value for not only harvesting, but also reducing wounding/loss mortality. When in spring deer country, use the finder to determine distances and even mark them with logger’s tape (deer could care less about these fluttering pink or orange ribbons).

TIP

#3

“Spring Ahead into Spring Deer Country”

Okay, shake off those winter doldrums, get out your far-walking boots on and head to deer country. Pack a nice little lunch, take the “little fry” (kids) along and hit the trail. Jot down notes. Take pics. Sure, there will be stands in need of repair and trails to clear, but document those for another date. Enjoy the mud, the newly arriving geese and grouse drumming and the emerging flora and fauna. Take notice, however, of last fall’s rubs and scrapes, many of which were covered in snow when firearms season arrived. Look for new deer movement patterns that also emerged last fall. Replenish those mineral licks or create new ones tucked into stumps and wallows. Remember, without food stuffs involved, mineral licks are totally legal, even on public lands. Enhance your hunting ground via plots and trimming shooting lanes, etc., but, again, if you are on public land, check your restrictions. Spring ahead and enjoy the journey.

48 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

&Banquets TREASURES and other firsts in 1980 It is important for today’s dedicated MDHA members to know the seeds for their association were sewn on March 19, 1980 and its founders were Dave Shaw, Jim Lang, Wes Libbey, Rod Dimich, Don Wendt, George Minerich, Ralph Nelson, Ed Schmidt, Paul Shaw (Dave’s brother and MDHA attorney for decades) and Nick Larson. We should also note we went public in July and by November our membership was over 1,000. In September, under the chairmanship of Ed Schmidt, MDHA held its very first general membership meeting at Camp Mishawaka on Pokegama Lake just south of Grand Rapids, Minn. Special guests were DNR Commissioner Joe Alexander and Wildlife Chief Roger Holmes.

Believe it or not, MDHA held its first banquet on October 22, 1980, just three months after going public.

This historic event was held at the Holiday Inn in International Falls, sponsored by the Trails End chapter.

Over three hundred spirited and dedicated deer hunters attended. In November, the first issue of Whitetales was sent to our members. It was a six-page mimeographed newsletter edited by Rod Dimich and Jim Lang. On December 6th, our first Board of Directors’ meeting was held at the Sawmill Inn in Grand Rapids and our first Executive Committee meeting was also at the Sawmill Inn on December 16th. Individual memberships were $5, big money back in those days. MDHA wanted to make sure the “grassroots” of the organization would be able to afford membership. The banquet concept was modeled after our neighbor Wisconsin’s Stump Sitters and somewhat how Ducks Unlimited worked.

Funds generated from the chapter banquets became the economic or financial engine for MDHA. Most of the money raised was designed to stay with the local chapter for their qualified projects, programs and events. A small percentage assisted the state organization to function and serve the chapters and membership. On the other hand, the State Habitat Banquet has been a concept since 1988 (St. Joseph,

Minn.) with the objective of raising “bucks” for habitat procurement or maintenance. Local chapters, regional coops and the state MDHA focused over the years on opening land for the betterment of deer and deer hunting. The Minnesota DNR and its wildlife agencies worked together with MDHA identifying needs to enhance the conservation of the whitetail deer to benefit the resource and those who enjoy the hunt.

Chapters are to be commended on their initiative to hold annual banquets. Again, the benefits of the fundraisers include sending kids to Forkhorn Camps, food plot generation, local workshops and hunter education programs, research and like founder Dave Shaw stated, “Camaraderie for all hunters to enjoy a fun-filled evening raising monies to benefit the whitetail deer and deer hunting.”

Original MDHA founders (l-r) Rod Dimich, Don Wendt and Ed Schmidt enjoy reminiscing at the Itasca County Chapter’s banquet (Grand Rapids, Minn.) last fall.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 49

FORKHORN CAMPS

Minnesota is a state rich in natural resources, but the greatest of our resources is our children.

The Minnesota Deer Hunters Associa�on believes educa�ng hunters is key to perpetua�ng Minnesota’s hun�ng heritage and the best tool of wildlife and ecosystem educa�on is ins�lling a greater apprecia�on for our natural resources in our children. MDHA’s method is our week long Forkhorn Youth Summer Camps.

These camps focus on ecology, biology, ethics, and skills in an atmosphere of laughter, water, sweat, and natural beauty that lends to an experience that will affect every fiber of a youth’s life.

We are not trying to entertain kids.

We are purposefully educa�ng them to become be�er, more responsible stewards of our natural resources.

The fact they love it indicates we do it right.

50 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Since 1985, over 11,000 youth have a�ended Forkhorn Camps. Currently, MDHA collaborates with seven camps around the state to implement Forkhorn Camp Sessions for youth ages 11 - 17.

MDHA’s Forkhorn Camps have developed remarkably since 1985 when the campers used to cook all of their meals over the fire and slept in tents, but they s�ll to aim for one goal: youth educa�on. �ach year MDHA and its chapters provide over $200,000 in camp scholarships.

If you would like to send a child to camp, sponsor a child to a�end camp or would like to request further informa�on, please contact MDHA at 218.327.1103.

FORKHORN FORKHORN CAMP CAMPLOCATIONS LOCATIONS

2018 2018CAMP CAMPDATES DATES

Baker Settlement BakerNear NearWilderness Wilderness Settlement Maple MaplePlain, Plain,MN MN| threeriversparks.org | threeriversparks.org

Forkhorn I -I June 2424 - 29 | July 2929 - Aug. 3 3 Forkhorn - June - 29 | July - Aug.

Deep Reserve DeepPortage PortageConservation Conservation Reserve Hackensack, Hackensack,MNMN| deep-portage.org | deep-portage.org

Forkhorn I -I Forkhorn June 17 22 | July 8 -813 | Aug. 5 -510 (girls) | Aug. 12 12 - 17- 17 June 17 - 22 | July - 13 | Aug. - 10 (girls) | Aug. Forkhorn II -IIJuly 1515 - 20 (girls) | July 2222 - 27 Forkhorn - July - 20 (girls) | July - 27 Forkhorn III III - July 2929 - Aug. 3 3 Forkhorn - July - Aug.

Three Threedis�nct dis�nctlevels levelsof ofForkhorn ForkhornCamp CampSessions Sessionsare are available at these camps, which provide available at these camps, which providehands-on hands-on outdoor outdoorlearning learningexperiences experiencesand andhun�ng hun�ngand and shoo�ng sports ac�vi�es for the campers.

The shoo�ng sports ac�vi�es for the campers. Thecamps camps run from June to August each summer. run from June to August each summer.

FORKHORN FORKHORN II

“Forkhorn I” camps are designed for beginning hunters and provide “Forkhorn I” camps are designed for beginning hunters and provide extensive hands-on instruc�on in basic firearms safety, shoo�ng extensive hands-on instruc�on in basic firearms safety, shoo�ng techniques in rifle, shotgun, muzzleloaders, and archery, outdoor techniques in rifle, shotgun, muzzleloaders, and archery, outdoor survival skills, map and compass orienteering, hun�ng techniques, survivalmanagement, skills, map and compass orienteering, hun�ng techniques, wildlife safe shoo�ng scenarios and hunter ethics. wildlife management, safe shoo�ng scenarios and hunter ethics.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Firearm Safety The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Firearm Safety Cer�fica�on is part of this camp.

Cer�fica�on is part of this camp.

FORKHORN FORKHORN IIII

“Forkhorn II” is an advanced Forkhorn Camp for youth who are “ForkhornofII”Forkhorn is an advanced Camp for youth who are graduates I CampForkhorn or have completed their Firearm graduates of Forkhorn I Camp or have completed their Firearm Safety Training.

It’s a more intensive camp that takes students Safety Training.

It’s a more intensiveknowledge camp thatand takes students beyond basic whitetail deer hun�ng strategies, beyond basic deer hun�ng knowledge and strategies, providing themwhitetail with advanced training in map and compass providing them with advanced training in map and compass orienteering, hun�ng techniques, GPS, marksmanship, ethical orienteering, hun�ng techniques, GPS, marksmanship, ethical hun�ng prac�ces, big game ecology, game prepara�on and bow hun�ng prac�ces, game ecology, gameII prepara�on hun�ng.

Successfulbig graduates of Forkhorn receive theirand bow hun�ng. Successful graduates of Forkhorn II receive their Minnesota �ow Hunter �duca�on cer�fica�on.

Minnesota �ow Hunter �duca�on cer�fica�on.

FORKHORN III FORKHORN III “Forkhorn III” is designed for youth that already have Firearms

“Forkhorn III” is designed for youth that already have Firearms Safety Cer�fica�on and significant hun�ng experience.

This camp Cer�fica�on significant hun�ng camp isSafety designed for thoseand seeking to expand theirexperience. knowledge This on big and is designed for those seeking to expandastheir on big and small game hun�ng �ps and techniques wellknowledge as hunter ethics. small game hun�ng �ps and techniques as iswell ethics.

Cer�fica�on in Advanced Hunter �duca�on partasofhunter this camp.

Classes and topics include advanced marksmanship wing Cer�fica�on in Advanced Hunter �duca�on is part and of this camp. shoo�ng training, handgun marksmanship shoo�ng and safety training, Classes and topicsbeginning include advanced and wing big and small gamebeginning biology, hun�ng techniques squirrels to shoo�ng training, handgun shoo�ng from and safety training, bears and ducks to turkeys, hun�ng �ps and from tree stand safety. big and small game biology,bow hun�ng techniques squirrels to bears and ducks to turkeys, bow hun�ng �ps and tree stand safety.

Eagle EagleBluff BluffLearning LearningCenter Center Lanesboro, MN | eagle-bluff.org Lanesboro, MN | eagle-bluff.org Forkhorn I -IJuly 8 -813 Forkhorn - July - 13 Forkhorn II July 29 3 3 Forkhorn II - July 29Aug. - Aug. Forkhorn III - June 24 - 29 Forkhorn III - June 24 - 29

Kiwanis KiwanisBoy BoyScout ScoutCamp Camp Marine on St. Croix, MN | camping.northernstarbsa.org Marine on St. Croix, MN | camping.northernstarbsa.org

Forkhorn I - July 15 - 20 Forkhorn I - July 15 - 20 Forkhorn II - July 29 - Aug. 3 Forkhorn II - July 29 - Aug. 3

Long Lake Conservation Center Long Lake Conservation Center Palisade, MN | longlakecc.org Palisade, MN | longlakecc.org

Forkhorn I - June 10 - 15 | June 17 - 22 | July 8 - 13 Forkhorn I - June 10 - 15 | June 17 - 22 | July 8 - 13 Forkhorn II - June 24 - 29 | July 15 - 20 Forkhorn II - June 24 - 29 | July 15 - 20 Forkhorn III - July 15 - 20 Forkhorn III - July 15 - 20

Laurentian Environmental Center Laurentian Environmental Center Britt, MN | laurentiancenter.org Britt, MN | laurentiancenter.org

Forkhorn I Forkhorn June 24 - 29I | July 29 - Aug. 3 | Aug. 5 - 10 | Aug. 12 - 17 June 24 - 29 | July 29 - Aug. 3 | Aug. 5 - 10 | Aug. 12 - 17 Forkhorn II Forkhorn June 24 - 29II| July 8 - 13 | July 29 - Aug. 3 | Aug. 5 - 10 June 24 III - 29 | July Forkhorn - July 8 - 813- 13 | July 29 - Aug. 3 | Aug. 5 - 10 Forkhorn III - July 8 - 13

Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center PrairieMN Woods Environmental Learning Center Spicer, | prairiewoodselc.org Spicer, MN | prairiewoodselc.org Forkhorn I - July 8 - 12 Forkhorn I - July 8 - 12 Forkhorn II Day Camp (8:00 - 4:00) July 16 - 20 Forkhorn II Day Camp (8:00 - 4:00) July 16 - 20

YMCA Day Camps (9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

YMCA Day Camps (9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

Forkhorn II at Camp Christmas Tree - June 25 - 29 | Aug. 13 - 17 Forkhorn II at Camp Christmas Tree - June 25 - 29 | Aug. 13 - 17 Forkhorn II at Camp Streefland- July 16 - 20 | Aug. 6 - 10 Forkhorn II at Camp Streefland- July 16 - 20 | Aug. 6 - 10 Forkhorn II at Camp Heritage - June 18- 22 | July 23 - 27 Forkhorn II at Camp Heritage - June 18- 22 | July 23 - 27

To register, contact the camp of your choice!

To register, contact the camp of your choice! 51 MNDEERHUNTERS.COM

What�s Cookin��

BY LEGENDARY WHITETAILS

Bacon Wrapped Mini Venison Meatloaves Ingredients: • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 medium sized onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 pounds ground venison 1 large egg 1 cup bread crumbs 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon thyme 6 bacon slices 1/2 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.

2. Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Cook onions until fragrant and slightly brown while stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. In large bowl, combine ground venison, egg, bread crumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and cooked onions and garlic. Use hands to mix well, but try not to over work the meat. Divide into six equal sized portions and shape into disks.

4. Wrap bacon slices around edge of disks. Diameter of meatloaf should be so that the bacon ends just meet or slightly overlap.

5. In a separate bowl, combine ketchup with mustard and brown sugar. Divide equally and spread over the tops of the mini meatloaves.

6. Bake in preheated oven or grill until bacon is just golden, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cheesy Venison Quesadillas Ingredients: • • • •

Ground Venison Tortilla Shells Taco Seasoning Packet Jalapeno Pepper

Instructions:

• • • • •

Shredded Mexican Cheese Queso Vegetable Oil Cream Cheese Salsa

1. Brown the ground venison and mix in the taco seasoning according to the directions on the packet.

2. Lightly brush one side of the tortilla shell with oil and place in a hot frying pan.

3. On half of the tortilla, layer the shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, venison taco meat, queso, and another layer of shredded cheese. Fold the other half of quesadilla over and press the edges with a spatula to seal them shut.

4. Flip when golden brown.

5. Serve hot with a side of cream cheese, salsa, and hot sauce.

52 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Gizmos, GADGETS, Garments & GEAR IQ Define Laser Rangefinding Bowsight Taking the guess work out of shooting up to 99-yards

Built on the foundation of quality construction and world’s most accurate archery sighting system, IQ Bowsights introduces the new DEFINE bow-mounted laser rangefinder sight. Known for quality and innovation, IQ has once again raised the bar by integrating a laser rangefinder system directly into a premium-quality 5-pin archery sight.

Purposely built to be durable, precise and accurate, each component of the DEFINE is optimized for ultimate performance in the field. By incorporating a laser rangefinder and pin sight into a single unit, users can realize the benefit of less movement during critical moments leading up to the shot and precision ranging while at full draw.

Driven by high-performance circuitry, the backbone of the DEFINE’s laser-rangefinding system provides exceptional resolution with accuracy to +/- 1-yard, instantly displayed on a vivid blue OLED conveniently placed within the user’s line-of-sight. One-touch trigger-activated scan mode and full angle compensation take the guess work out of moving or stationary targets for up to 2-minutes and eliminate additional movement associated with reaching for a handheld rangefinder. Simply touch the bow-mounted external trigger, view the inline yardage display, select the proper pin and execute the shot� Powered by a single CR2 battery, the rangefinding unit is both compact and lightweight with minimal impact to the pin sight’s overall measurements and weight.

With features that greatly outweigh its mass, the DEFINE feathers the scales at just 18.5 oz thanks to precision-milled 6061 aluminum construction and measures 6 3/4” long and 4 1/8” wide. The direct mount sight bracket system brings the sight closer to the bows riser, offers multiple bow and quiver mounting holes and does not require second position mounting of the integrated rangefinding unit, eliminating negative impact on bow balance and/or the shooter’s line of sight. A precision bubble level compliments the system’s 2nd and 3rd axis adjustments further enhancing the pin sight’s accuracy. Five fully contained .019 fiber optic pins with integrated sight light provide exceptional brightness through a full range of tool-free micro adjustment of both windage

and elevation. A removable sight in laser, tool-free locking knobs and and laser etched windage and elevation marks provide intuitive yet detailed set up and the peace-of-mind that the users pins will remain true. Available in right hand only for a suggested retail price of

$379.99, the IQ DEFINE delivers an intelligent and intuitive laser rangefinder pin sight system that meets all the needs of the serious bowhunter.

MNDEERHUNTERS.COM 53

HUNT

WHITETALES Word Search

it down!

Look for an icon shaped like the one above in this issue of Whitetales and, when you find it, send us the page number, along with your name and address. If you are correct, your name will be entered in a prize drawing from MDHA. Email bri@mndeerhunters.com Submission deadline: April 1, 2018

Winner of the Winter “Hunt It Down”

David Frantesl of the Central Minnesota Chapter found the hidden snowman on page 40 of the winter issue and was the lucky winner of a Barlow 2 Blade Bone Handle Pocket Knife. Congrats David!

PLEASE REVIEW Your Membership Information Today.

The magazine label indicates your membership status. Please check it to see if your address is correct and when your membership expires. To renew your membership or make corrections, call the MDHA State Office at 800.450.DEER. Address changes are a major concern and we need your help to correct them. On occasion, the office gets calls because a household is getting duplicate magazines or shouldn’t be getting a magazine at all. What may be the reason for this?

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POTENTIAL REASONS:

• Renewal forms or banquet tickets are illegible and get entered incorrectly.

• J.J. Jones is Jerry Jones, same person with multiple memberships.

• A life member passes away and the state office is not notified.

SOLUTIONS:

• Call the office to inquire at 800.450.DEER. • Check with your chapter officers or regional director.

• Check your magazine’s mailing label to see if it is accurate.

Questions, concerns, thoughts� Address letters to: Minnesota Deer Hunters Association Attention: Letter to the Editor 460 Peterson Rd. Grand Rapids, MN 55744 or email: bri@mndeerhunters.com

Daylight IN THE Swamp In this case, I was into Festus (played

by Ken Curtis). If you have never seen an episode of television’s longest running evening series (1955-1975 and radio before that) do so. You will be amazed at not only the storylines, but also the characters, including the guest spots, which included a veritable litany of future television and movie stars at the beginnings of their careers, like for you soap opera (not rope opera) fans, Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) from “The Young & the Restless.” Mr. Braeden has been on the soap opera since 1980. For other characters, to name just a few, think Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, Bette Davis, Richard Dryfuss, Sam Elliot, Harrison Ford, Ron Howard, Ted Knight, Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner. Who knew?

After finding that out, I must confess I had not been that excited since discovering that in her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee actually based her character “Dill” on childhood friend Truman Capote of “In Cold Blood” (1966) fame.

To top it off, “Gunsmoke’s” star, Matt Dillon (James Arness), was a Minnesotan (Minneapolis) and Festus and Doc vacationed and fished in Itasca County for many years during the show’s heyday.

If you see a “mangy” looking deer, however, don’t be alarmed. Just as we put away our heavy jackets and bibs and look forward to shorts and t-shirts, so do deer as they molt from their heavy winter coats to their finer red-colored summer attire.

Even though it’s not pretty, it’s nature and furthermore, like Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy says in “Anchorman,” “It’s science.”

And, if you think you have seen antlers beginning to pop, they are. Hello spring my old friend.

Although some find spring boringly brown and muddy, for me this tweener time ranks right up there with fall. There are no mosquitoes, no grass to cut, no cold winter looming over us and nothing but time to roam deer country and get our fishing rigs and equipment ready. Oh, there might be those occasional chores like cleaning up around the hacienda the messes we let the snow cover while refrains of “out of sight, out of mind” floated through our psyches, but with spring’s longer days, most could be done

in the evenings, leaving the weekends free when spring deer country beckons.

Again, I like spring. I treasure the babyblanket comfort of sitting on a south-facing hillside absorbing the sun’s warmth. I enjoy the freedom I feel seeing rivulets of melting snow gallivanting through ground leaves.

When white birch branches swept by a warm south wind brush an April sky a heavenly blue, I smile.

After hearing crows clamoring, chickadees whistling their “cheese-burger, cheeseburger” mating songs and geese cackling north on their magical mystery tours instinctively heading for ancient nesting grounds to be fruitful and multiply, I recognize the circle of life.

When I see “trees of green” (“What a Wonderful World,” Louis Armstrong, 1967) and baby buds bursting from barren branches and watch winter’s adversity disappear and everything seems to brighten from the monochromatic brown, an extraordinary sense of rebirth comes over me.

Most of all, however, I like spring deer country. In fact, and this might be difficult to believe, I actually like it as much as fall.

There are, of course, the obvious reasons, like spring fever, not much else to do hunting and fishing-wise, stand repair, new stand construction and forsaking yard work, but my main reason for equating spring deer country to fall’s is when I am in spring deer country, like farmers looking out at their barren fields, I know I am at the beginning of a new growing season for flora and fauna and we humans. Life abounds. When spring grabs and lifts us, in fact, we giggle like toddlers lovingly raised skyward by adoring adults.

We who live in a four-season world know spring is like growing a garden or meeting a new friend or having an epiphany— miraculous and astonishing. We realize we are in the presence of something wonderful and reassuring and spiritual. We also understand that what author Hal Borland said, “No winter lasts forever, no spring skips its turn,” holds true in nature and is a metaphor for life.

If that is fairly heavy, as you sit on a hillside or stump or deadfall in spring deer

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country, consider these quotes from my favorite philosopher, Dr. Suess: “Sometimes you don’t know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory” and, “Sometimes the questions are complicated but the answers are simple.”

As far as the “moment/memory” quote, most of us who have hunted for many moons, realize how true it is. We know how the simple moments become treasured memories. Those of us who have been there have cherished memories of simply walking in the woods with our youngsters and marveling at how wide-eyed they became with little things like watching a strutting, full-fanned grouse or seeing gray squirrels play hide and seek, peeking around an oak tree. One of my favorites was having my young son ask me if he could “take the bandages (loose birch bark) off the birch trees?”

As for the “questions/answers” quote, who has not been baffled by kids’ questions and curiosity like, “Why is the sky blue?” or “If we have two eyes why do we see only one thing?” or “How far do I have to jump up so I won’t come down?” well, you are on your own there. Just remember, “There is no question that is a stupid question.” “Live and learn” together.

Regarding the tid-bits of information mentioned above, if you get a “hankerin’” for a back-story or more knowledge, go for it. And if you ever fail at anything, please consider what the “Voice” (Sam Elliot) told “The Dude” at the end of “The Big Lebowski,” “Sometimes you eat the bar, and well, sometimes he eats you.” I think this is close to what I grew up with, “Sometimes you get chicken, sometimes you get the feathers.”

As a postscript to my “Gunsmoke” references, here is James Arness’s (Marshall Dillon) answer after he was asked how he felt when “Gunsmoke’s” reign as the longest running (20 years) television series record was surpassed by “The Simpsons,” Mr. Dillon gruffly replied, “Cartoons don’t count.”

I will leave you with, as you go out on the water or into the woods and fields, try to bring the “little fry” along and when you do, teach them to, as Dr. Suess said, “Think and wonder, wonder and think.”

Whitetails forever, my friends.

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Daylight IN THE Swamp

BY ROD DIMICH

THINK AND WONDER…

Like many of you, I often chat with friends and family from beyond Minnesota’s borders.

One such friend from Chicago I actually met while I was open-water guiding. Like a great portion of the people who vacation here yearly, he and his wife have an extreme love for northern Minnesota, not only for its fishing, but also for the serene solitude and natural splendor northern Minnesota offers.

When he called the other day, I was once again in spring deer country searching for more shed antlers. Did you catch the “once again” and “more”? The back-story is after many years, I had finally found another shed (to which my friend likened to his Cubs winning the World Series) and because of this and being armed with Intel on shed antler hunting from Whitetales, I was shed-possessed.

Before I go on, let me tell you there are two reasons why I found the shed: luck and more luck. For my shed hunting history, the old adage, “practice makes perfect,” does not hold true. Here’s how I found the nice eight-pointer right side shed. I had just put

out a trace mineral block on a decaying pine stump (there were two stumps to choose from so it took me 30 minutes to decide which one). After selecting the right one, I wedged the block into the soft aromatic texture of the stump amid its solid pine shards and stepped back to admire my work of art. While doing so, I glanced down so as not to step on a log or stub that would cause me to tuck and roll, when lo and behold there right by my left foot was a shed looking up at me like a crown rack of lamb.

I quickly took a bunch of pictures and sent them to friends and family, but my then antique flip phone (I now no longer have a “dumb” phone, I got “smart”) was not exactly newspaper quality, so I called a techie family member to get the photo near what we now call the “Slashings Stand,” named thusly because it had recently been logged and was now featuring the great buggy whip popples, red osier dogwood and all the great deer feed fixin’s that lavishly grow as a byproduct of logging.

My telephone buddy’s next question was how did our deer make it through the winter? To which, I answered, “Even though they look a little �mangy,’ they are very healthy.” Always the comedian, he asked if they were as mangy as the scruffy whiskers “Gunsmoke’s” Festus had.

After talking to my friend about my current fruitless forage for antlers, when I got home I got a hankerin’ (“Gunsmoke” words) to do a little research on Festus and his scruffy and mangy chin whiskers.

When I did, I immediately found out the term “mangy” actually comes from a very serious condition caused by mites and occurs in domestic dogs and wild animals like fox, coyotes, bears and cougars. I also found in humans the condition is called “scabies.”

For descriptive purposes, mange was/ is used in “mangy mutt” or like back in the hippie days when long hair was referred to as mangy. That’s all I found about mange because when I got into “rope opera” history like “Gunsmoke” I went all in.

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PHOTO BY NIK DIMICH

56 Whitetales | SPRING 2018

Minnesota Deer Hunters Association 460 Peterson Rd. Grand Rapids, MN 55744-8413