Wildlife FEB-MAR-APR 2016
Management News
Feed what they need
Tips for creating an effective mineral supplement site for white-tailed deer
Antler restictions do they work?
Late Season Turkey Tactics Hang your tag on a tom after other hunters have hung up their vests
Choosing the right call Want to call yourself a turkey hunter? Learn to talk the talk
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A Letter From the Editor – Mark Peretore Thank you for Subscribing to Wildlife Management News Magazine. We would like to take this time to welcome you to our community of dedicated hunters and land managers. We are committed to bringing you the most truthful and insightful information regarding land and wildlife management practices and products. With that being said, we strongly encourage you to get actively involved in the magazine by submitting questions, photos, feedback and even articles. It is for you that we publish this magazine, and we welcome any input from you to improve and add to it. As hunters and fisherman we make up the greatest power behind wildlife conservation. We contribute the largest portion of funding to all state conservation programs. With nearly 1,000,000 million hunters and fisherman per state, we make up the largest workforce to get the job done. We commend you on taking the next step, putting your boots to the ground, and actively participating in wildlife management. We here at Wildlife Management News are committed to keeping you informed on making the right decisions and following the best practices to improve your habitat and wildlife for generations to follow and to protect the heritage of hunting and fishing for years to come. As outdoor enthusiasts and hunters, we believe strongly in the way of the land. The mechanism that compels us to the great outdoors and the game that thrives on it is in our hearts and souls. It cannot be described and can never be replaced. We live and breathe to do what we do, to carry on the heritage and traditions of those in the past and to pass on our insights to the next generation. To pay homage to what the Lord has given us. Nature has a way of teaching us all. It cannot be tamed and it cannot be controlled, we can only live within it. Wildlife management is a passion of ours and yours, and we hope to continue to bring you to that peaceful place with each edition of Wildlife Management News.
Table of Contents Spring Pellet Survey................................... 4 A Balancing Act.......................................... 6 Late Season Turkey Tactics......................... 6 Mobile Turkey Tactics................................ 8 Choosing The Right Call.......................... 10 Feed What they Need................................ 14 Fear Not the Plot....................................... 16 Traveling with Firearms............................ 18 The Art of Attraction and Distraction....... 21 Antler Restrictions; do they work?........... 26 Lymes Disease and Children..................... 31 Hunting Camp........................................... 33
We sincerely thank you, Mark Peretore CEO and Editor
News Alert In September of 2016 Wildlife Management News will be hosting our 3rd annual Dr. Deer Field Day in Binghamton NY. We will have registration forms available in the next issue of Wildlife Management News Magazine. Stay tuned to www.wildlifemanagementnews.com and follow us on Facebook, becuase Wildlife Management News will soon being airing its first ever online TV series “Hunters Habitat.” In this web series TV show you will be able to follow the team at Wildlife Management News throughout the year and watch as we manage our properties and show you exactly what to do and how to follow a prescribed management plan. This show will be different from the other TV shows that only bring you along for the hunt on those perfect pristine outfitted lands in the Midwest. As most of you know, there is a whole lot more preparation and hard work that is done in order to reap the benefits. We won’t always have monster deer or perfect hunting setups, but we will show you the real world experience of managing a property, starting with the dirt, and harvesting trophy whitetails in our eyes. We are excited to produce this web series TV show and hope you will join us regularly to learn about the steps you should be taking on your own land. | www.wildlifemanagementnews.com | 3 |
QDMA Spring Pellet Survey By Kip Adams
or your helpers to cover as much of your property as possible (or as much as you’re willing to cover). The transect lines should be separated he snow is gone and that by 1,000 feet. The important thing means it’s time to collect some is to use the same transect lines each data on the deer herd using our farm. year so you’re data is most comparaHow many does should you shoot ble across years. The actual number this fall? Take the first step to anyou get in any individual year is less swering that now with a spring pellet important than the trend in the data survey. This is not a camera survey over multiple years. – I’ll do that this summer. This is not Once your transects are layed out, an observation survey – I’ll do that you’ll need a compass, a four foot this fall. This is a pellet count survey long stick, and a pad and pencil for and it will estimate the number recording your data. Start on your of deer that used our farm during first transect and walk 100 feet. This last fall and winter. This estimates the is your first survey plot. Use your number that was around throughout stick to measure a circle with a four hunting season and provides a great foot radius at the exact spot you comparison to the number estimated stopped and count the number of during late summer by my camera pellet groups within that circle. Resurvey. Pellet count surveys are cord that number on your pad. There conducted after the snow melts and must be at least 10 pellets in a group before the trees leaf out. before it can be counted, at least half Pellet count surveys are great because of the pellets must be within the four they provide deer density data, great foot radius plot, and the pellets must exercise, and a good chance for you be on top of leaves. Depending on to explore your property and look for deer density in the area, many to shed antlers, dead deer, and changes most of your plots will contain no that occurred to your habitat during pellet groups. That’s OK. Just follow winter. They also provide the perthese instructions and don’t cheat by fect opportunity to simultaneously moving your four foot radius plot to conduct a browse survey to estimate include a pellet group that is “almost” the level of impacts deer are having in. on your future forest, and to scout for Once finished, using your compass turkeys as most turkey seasons have to stay on line, walk another 100 started or are just around the corner. feet along your transect and sample To conduct a pellet count survey start another plot with your four foot stick. with a map of your property, and lay Record the data and continue samout transect lines that allow you and/ pling at 100 feet intervals until you
T
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reach the end of the transect. Walk to your next transect and continue the process. This technique is designed with transects being one mile long. If your property is large enough to accommodate a one mile transect that’s great (and your property is much longer than mine). It’s fine if your property is less than one mile long. Simply run your transects throughout the property separated by 1,000 feet between them, and then use the same transects annually. I personally use six transects that vary from 1,400 to 4,100 feet long. If you can complete your survey in one day that’s great. If not, don’t sweat it. I’ve conducted spring pellet counts on our farm for the past 10 years and I typically do it over the course of two to three days. Once the field portion of your survey is complete it’s time to crunch the numbers. For this you need to know the estimated number of days since the leaves fell last fall. Your local Cooperative Extension agent can typically give you the leaf off date for your area. Leaf off for me in north-central Pennsylvania has ranged from October 30th to November 11th during the past 10 years. However, it’s been November 1st or 2nd for six of those 10 years. You also need an estimate of the number of times deer defecate per day. There is some debate on this, but Penn State University uses 25 pellet groups/deer/day as an average so that’s what I use. Can you imagine hitting the can (for #2) 25 times per day? Good thing deer don’t use TP or the woods would be littered
with it! The last things you need are a calculator and the math formula. You get the calculator, I’ll give you the formula: Deer Density (deer/square mile) = # pellet groups you counted / (pellet groups/deer/day) * (days since leaf off) * (plot area in square miles) The plot area in square miles = (50.4 sq. ft.) * (# of plots you surveyed) / 27,878,400 Here’s an example from our farm in 2016. I surveyed a total 140 plots, I found 31 pellet groups, and I surveyed approximately 132 days after the leaves fell. The plot area in square miles = (50.4 sq. ft. * 140 plots) / 27,878,400 = 0.0002531 Deer Density = 31 / (25 * 132 * 0.0002531) = 37.1 deer/square mile This estimates there were about 37 deer per square mile on our property. This is a high deer density and it may or may not be accurate. The important thing is I’ve conducted this survey at approximately the same time each year using the same transects so I’m
able to see how the estimates have changed over time. Here is the actual data on our farm from 2007 to 2016. The trend over most years corresponds very closely with our summer camera survey estimates, and this gives me great confidence when determining the number of antlerless deer we should shoot each fall. Are these estimates exactly right? No way, but they are a great index to what the true population is, and they allow me to make wise management decisions from them. What’s up with the 2015 estimate? Do you think the deer herd nearly tripled from 2014 to 2015? Me neither and that’s why using the trend in this data is what’s most valuable. We’ve been actively trying to grow the deer herd over the past few years by reducing our antlerless harvest and the herd definitely responded in 2015 and 2016. I fully believe the number of deer using our farm increased from 2014 to 2015, but the huge growth suggested in the graph is at least partly a result of a great acorn
crop on our farm in 2015. This is also why I don’t get too excited over a single year of data given the estimate in 2016 is more in line with the multi-year trend. As I mentioned I use six transects and they cover three distinct portions of our property. Thus, I also calculate my results for each portion separately. This provides great insight into where deer were during hunting season, and I compare this to our camp’s hunting season observation surveys to determine if we were seeing deer at anywhere near the same rate as they were present on the property. It allows us to follow the impact of food sources and hunting pressure on the number of deer we see while hunting. It’s time to lace up your boots and collect some data where you hunt. I just finished my 2016 survey and my hunting will be better this fall for the time I spent in the woods this spring. I encourage you to do the same. Good luck and good hunting this fall.
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A Balancing Act By John Buck
When we embarked on the 201516 trapping season, our intentions were to engage in a way to thwart the predation of fawns come Spring. By reading the multitude of reports and studies conducted within the last 10 years in the various states across America, we wondered how any fawn could survive an onslaught of predation of coyotes. On an average, a full grown “Alpha” male coyote has the ability to hunt and kill a fawn a day for at least 30 days to help feed his pups, holed up in a den for the first few months. During their rearing season, the female has to stay at the den site to raise the pups, making the male the hunter of the family. With plentiful deer roaming the woods and fields, the food for a coyote is plentiful, however the diet of the coyote only consists of 30-40% of deer. Other animals fall victim to the coyotes habits, however, as a land manager of the Whitetail, the Coyote is our nemesis. A female’s litter can consist of anywhere from 5-12 pups a year, depending on food availability and social hierarchy. The Winter proved to be a learning lesson for us, as we concentrated our efforts to construct our dirt-hole and post sets to help attract them to our perspective areas. Mother Nature was testing our spirits, however by talking to area professional trappers, we were ahead of the game. Our techniques changed and we began to see results. By the end of the season, ending on Feb., 21st,
we collected 5 coyotes (1 Male & 4 Females) and a red fox. Not bad for a couple of rookies!! We figured by harvesting these coyotes and following the laws of average, we did our job in our areas to help our fawn recruitment efforts. We figured we helped save at least 70+ fawns (based on estimations from various studies) and prevented at least 20-48 pups this coming year. To some, it may seem like a drop in the bucket, however due to weather, time constraints and continual set re-making, we fared pretty well. As a result, hunting and trapping coyotes is an annual event and the more pressure we place on them, we help our deer herds tremendously. Throughout the season, we learned a tremendous amount of information on how to trap coyotes and as hunters, we welcomed the challenge. I encourage fellow hunters to learn how to trap because not only is it fun to learn new techniques, it keeps us in the outdoors considerably longer and ultimately helps our deer populations.
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Late Season & Mobile Turkey Tactics By Jay Anglin The mere mention of late spring turkey hunting causes some hunters to cringe, while others relish the heavy foliage and solitude of the latter half of May. It took me years to realize, but my favorite time to hunt turkeys is after the majority of hunters have hung up their vests. My turkey-hunting mentor hated the late-season and convinced me that it was critical to capitalize on early-season birds. He’d explain how toms get spooky, quiet, and just plain weird. Consequently, like many hunters who fear the late season, I had no idea what I was missing and often rushed to tag a bird as quickly as possible – even when conditions were less than
ideal. With special late-season and leftover tags available, many northern tier states and Canadian provinces offer turkey seasons that extend through the end of May. There is far less hunting pressure, as most hunters are done for the season, and gaining permission on private land is often easier. This makes taking a road trip to another state a much more feasible endeavor. The woods have greened up, too, so it’s much easier to move around without getting busted by the birds. Foliage provides visual cover and shade, as well as a kind of sonic cover. A light breeze is all it takes to crank up the ambient sound of clattering leaves, masking the noises we make while moving about in turkey country. Concealed in lush undergrowth, hunters can hide a heck of a lot better than they could just a couple weeks prior. Without question, the late season provides the best opportunity of the year to make a move on a hungup long-beard. Keep in mind; while heavy cover is great for hunters, it’s also an advantage for turkeys. Remaining largely hidden, they can see us long before we see them. Thoroughly scan the area you are hunting for birds with binoculars prior to entering, and move with stealth. Look for details
like the tip of a tail fan or the red head of a gobbler peeking over a rise. While a gobble may be audible from a very long distance in the early season, birds often vocalize with less volume in the late season, and their sounds can be attenuated by foliage. Position yourself in a good spot to hear – away from rustling leaves and blowing timber – and listen carefully. While a gobbler can be a little flaky during the late season, he’ll still come to a hunter’s calls. This is especially true if he thinks a hot hen has wandered into his midst. Complicated decoy set ups aren’t necessary, as a single hen will usually do the job. Ultra-realistic decoys in natural poses rule during this time of year. Like any other turkey hunting scenario, different gobblers respond to different calling techniques. Light calling may be necessary for tough birds, but the risk of over calling a hot tom is generally a non-issue during late season. Once they answer, it’s often a game-on situation. Nesting hens tend to be very territorial and respond to aggressive cutts
and yelps. Whether or not a gobbler is visible nearby, if the real hen accepts the challenge, the ensuing racket may attract long beards as they come to see what all the ruckus is. With heavy cover to hide the hunter’s presence, hens will often loiter long enough for Mr. Turkey to venture into shotgun range for a look-see. A good cutting-style mouth call is hard to beat in both of these situations. Hens are busy tending nests in May, and only take brief sojourns to forage and stretch their legs, potentially distracting a mature gobbler. While these toms may appear to be henned up, in reality it’s only temporary because she’s probably not that into him. Soon, she’ll return to the nest and he’ll be back on the prowl. The late season is also a great time to take advantage of rainy days when hens are reluctant to leave nests and expose eggs to cold temperatures and
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pooling rainwater. After fly down, gobblers may wait for hens for a bit, but eventually they’ll give up and head to their common foraging areas to see if any other turkeys are there. A hen decoy or two set in the open will often draw the lonely boys in directly. Late-season toms are often worn out from the grind of breeding activity. Fighting, mating and a lack of feeding has taken its toll, and it’s not unusual for gobblers to shut down for a few hours and take a much-needed rest. These birds may stop mid-strut and start feeding, or simply stand in an almost trance-like state for hours then suddenly pick up where they left off with a gobble or two. This is especially common during the heat of the day, which makes capitalizing on morning and late afternoon hours highly advisable. If you love to turkey hunt and haven’t had your fill of early wake-up calls and thunderous gobbles, there is no reason to call it quits just yet. With turkey seasons extending well into May in many areas, there is still plenty of time left to enjoy the sights and sounds that only the turkey hunter knows. So skip the golf game and hit the woods for some late-season turkey time. Mobile Turkey Tactics “running and gunning” My friends and I would play “war” and “cowboys and Indians” when we were kids. We’d act out scenes from
our favorite movies and television shows and sometimes adopt the names of our favorite characters. We ran around the neighborhood hiding in the bushes and behind trees – crawling on our bellies to stay low so our “enemies” wouldn’t see us while we tried to set-up a good ambush. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, the evasion and covert skills I learned playing in the backyard would serve me well in the future. I play the same game today when I turkey hunt. While hunting from a static position – such as from a ground blind – has increased in popularity over the years, there are still plenty of hunters who prefer to make things happen by covering a lot of ground while “running and gunning”. Don’t get the wrong impression. This turkey-hunting tactic doesn’t typically require actual running, and if all goes well you’ll only have to fire one shot. It does, however, require stealth, tact and patience. There are certain situations when mobile hunting tactics are neither feasible nor advisable, such as when restricted to a small parcel of land or hunting around others on public ground. Consider whether your mobility could push birds off the property on which you have permission to hunt, jeopardize your safety or the safety of nearby hunters, or negatively impact someone else’s hunt. If so, sit tight or keep your movements to a
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smaller scale. Also consider any physical limitations you may have. When moving through a property, avoid obstacles such as deadfalls, thorn bushes and deep water. Stay away from heavily forested areas on quiet, dry days, as they are often covered with crunchy leaf litter and twigs that snap underfoot. Land with a patchwork of lanes and trails are ideal, allowing hunters to carefully move along by foot or with an electric UTV to strike-up a gobbler. Keep in mind; while these trails and lanes offer good visibility for the hunter, they also expose the hunter to the birds. Move slowly and quietly. Stay close to the edges, and use your binoculars regularly to glass ahead of and behind your position. On windy days, use a louder call and call more often, but listen carefully, as the wind can obscure even the loudest gobbles. If it’s quiet, call less frequently and consider using a call with less volume. Always tailor your style to the conditions. Turkeys can pinpoint sounds with great accuracy from surprisingly long distances. More often than not, when a bird answers he’ll be ready to work. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to run right in. When a gobbler is “hung-up”, he is essentially throwing the ball back in the hunter’s court. He’s waiting for a physical response. In other words, toms expect the hen to approach them. There are ways to deal with this situation. Hens often scratch and poke around a given area for extended periods of time while foraging, so changing sound angles by using your hand or body to direct sound and project volume is a trick most experienced turkey hunters take advantage of to simulate a loafing or traveling hen. Move forward or backwards fifteen to thirty yards to change the call location. Move in a small circle from tree to tree. Scrape the leaf litter with a small
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branch or your hand to simulate a hen’s natural scratching sounds. If the terrain allows, try a flanking procedure by moving laterally 50 to 100 yards. Always have a realistic hen turkey decoy in your vest ready for rapid deployment to help finish a responsive gobbler. Multiple callers yelping back and forth adds extra dimension to the calling presentation and the very same principals apply to solo hunting. A lone hunter can add a lot of realism and stack the odds in their favor by making even the slightest move on a bird. When working through a property, always assess the immediate area before calling to solicit a response from a gobbler. Be sure sufficient cover is nearby such as a good tree to lean against and be sure to have a game plan in case a bird answers. Sometimes they do come running, and anybody who has witnessed a long-legged gobbler kick it into high gear knows they can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. Even tall grass, short shrubs or small blow-downs will provide plenty of cover – no tree required. Know the territory. Walk the property prior the season, study maps, and use satellite overheads such as the Google Earth smart-phone app. Plan an efficient route. Cover the greatest amount of territory in the least amount of time. Be cognizant of property lines and other nearby hunters. Travel light. Shed excess weight and bulk; wear clothing that allows for ease of movement, as well as comfortable, waterproof boots. Carry the appropriate locating calls, such as a loud box call and a crow call, as well as finishing calls such as diaphragms and pot calls. Use good binoculars and always scan for birds before moving. Gobblers don’t always vocalize, so always assume there is one watching and looking for the source of your calls. Avoid moving in the open when possible. Use heavy vegetation, creeks and ditches to mask your movement. Don’t move too quickly unless you have to cross an open area. Choose calling locations that provide a good vantage point with good listening potential. Avoid noisy creeks or windblown pines. Stay in the shadows while moving and calling whenever possible. When hunting with others, walk in a way that offers the least amount of profile, single-file or side-to-side, depending on where the birds are. Plan for physical exertion. Carry an energy bar and some water. Be sure your cell phone is fully charged before leaving your vehicle. Set up close to the roost, get lucky with the fly-down, and you may never need to leave your hunting spot. But waiting out ol’ tom while napping in the shade of the hardwood isn’t always a turkey hunter’s best bet. Sure, going mobile has its risks and requires the right property – as well as some woodsmanship and tactical planning. But at the end of the hunt, you’re more likely to feel like you accomplished something – which just might include wrapping your tag around an old gobbler’s leg. | www.wildlifemanagementnews.com | 9 |
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Choosing A Turkey Call
talkative and loud, and every attitude in between. Variations in cadence and inflection convey each bird’s personality and demeanor. The trick is to quickly By Jay Anglin ascertain what mood the birds are in and tailor your calling accordingly. Long before the modern hunting Thankfully, the range of sounds these era began, Native American hunters birds produce leaves some wiggle effectively mimicked turkey vocaliza- room for calling mistakes. tions using flutes they made from tur- Anyone new to turkey calling can key wing bones. Sure, they did so to learn a lot by watching turkey hunts provide protein for their families, but on television or online. Some calls are there’s little doubt they also enjoyed even packaged with helpful turkey it immensely. Watching a mature tom calling DVDs. These videos will have strut in from a distance while answer- new callers producing legit turkey ing our captivating yelps, clucks, cutts sounds in no time, but understanding and purrs with thunderous gobbles is the turkey’s language will take longer. one of the greatest experiences in the The best way to decode turkey talk hunting world. is through observation. National, Wild turkeys are vocal year round, state and local parks, as well as fish but particularly so during the late and wildlife areas, often have resiwinter and spring breeding seasons. dent flocks living within refuge and Much like people, turkeys are social safety zone boundaries that go about creatures and have a variety of diftheir daily business with little regard ferent voices – quiet and introverted, to nearby human activity. Go watch | 10 | Wildlife Management News | Feb-Mar-Apr 2016 |
and listen. Observe these talkative birds early in the morning when they are most active. Of course, hunting alongside an experienced turkey hunter and caller is also extremely helpful. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t always possible. I had no mentor the first time I hunted turkeys. I drove three hours, plopped down against a tree and started calling. Within a matter of minutes, a big tom appeared a hundred yards away, gobbling his head off. All I could do was use my box call to yelp at him repeatedly, which he answered with gusto. But he wasn’t going to finish on that call. I didn’t know how to do anything else, and I didn’t have any other calls to use anyway. He “hung-up” and eventually left. It was a slap in the face that made me realize I needed to become proficient with additional calls and sounds. Everyone who learns to call turkeys develops their own preferences with
respect to specific calls, which is why manufacturers produce such a diverse variety. Selecting the “right” turkey calls can be both confusing and expensive. Some are designed to make rudimentary sounds with ease, while others require additional time and effort to master. Some less expensive calls will produce decent clucks and yelps, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Calls crafted with better materials are a good investment. They not only sound better, but also produce a more diverse range of sounds. Many different styles of turkey calls exist, but the box call, friction/pot call, and the diaphragm/mouth call are most popular. Experienced hunters may use all three styles on a daily basis and, occasionally, two at the same time. In addition, they’ll probably carry multiple versions of each style – some loud and some soft. Box Calls: Wooden box calls take the form of a hollow box body and a loosely pinned lid. The lid is rubbed or scraped along the side of the box to create cuts, purrs and yelps. Among the easiest to use, these calls will always have a place in the turkey hunter’s vest. My favorite is old, well-worn, and has been the demise of many a stud longbeard. I adjust the tension screw occasionally, but always chalk the wood for optimal sound before every hunt. Some box calls like a lot of chalk, while others run better without much at all. Friction/Pot Calls: Friction/Pot calls consist of a friction surface set into a small round pot made of wood or a synthetic material designed to resonate and amplify. Sound is made when a peg known as a striker is scraped across the slate, glass or aluminum friction surface. These popular calls produce awesome yelps and great purrs. Aluminum pot
calls produce louder, high-frequency sounds, which are helpful on windy days. Slate offers additional finesse at close range, while still providing good volume when needed. Glass calls typically produce a frequency between that of slate and aluminum. Pot calls come with at least one striker made of wood, carbon or acrylic. Savvy hunters use multiple strikers to produce different sounds with one pot. I typically carry a couple pot calls and a half-dozen strikers, including a back up of my favorite in case it becomes lost or wet. Pot calls and strikers require some conditioning. Once you hear the best sounds, you’ll know exactly how you like them to be tuned. It’s critical to rough the surface of friction calls with an appropriate abrasive (usually included with the call). A long, drawn-out calling situation may even require that these calls be given a little mid-hunt TLC. And don’t neglect using an abrasive on the tip of your striker, which can become glazed from use. Zink friction calls come with a handy “conditioning pocket” built right into the back of the pot. Diaphragm/Mouth Calls: Like turkeys, each call has its own personality. This is especially true with diaphragm calls. These calls are held in the roof of the hunter’s mouth and, with practice, can duplicate the
widest variety of hen turkey vocalizations. They all may look similar at first glance, but diaphragm calls use different numbers of latex or prophylactic reeds cut in a variety of patterns to produce different levels of frequency, volume and rasp. I find two or three diaphragms each year that get me through the season because they have that little extra something. Some just seem to work better than others. And most sound better after they’ve been broken in, so be sure to practice with them often prior to hunting. A great time to do this is while alone in the truck or at home in your favorite chair. Mouth calls eventually wear out, but you can delay the inevitable by storing them properly. Keep them clean and let them air out a little before storage. Occasionally, I’ll dip mine in water-diluted mouthwash to freshen them up a bit. Turkey calling is inextricably attached to turkey hunting and shouldn’t be ignored. With all the great call options available today, hunters should have no problem finding a few that fit their needs. The old saying, practice makes perfect, rings as clear and true as a fly-down cackle on a still spring morning. So find your go-to calls and get after it. You’ll be talking turkey in no time.
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Photo By BradManagement Smith | 12 | Wildlife News | Feb-Mar-Apr 2016 |
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Feed What They NEED Tips for creating an effective mineral supplement site for white-tailed deer By Lance Davidson
E
ffective herd monitoring and overall increased herd health are two good reasons to create mineral supplement sites for whitetailed deer. And while the practice of baiting during the actual hunting season is legal in some states, the creation of mineral supplement sites for that specific purpose is beyond the scope of this article. Effective mineral supplementation involves the practice of placing high-mineral-content products in locations where they can be readily located and consumed by deer. These products take many forms, but the most popular are compressed blocks that deer lick and granulated powders that mix with the soil. Formulations differ as well. Most products marketed as mineral supplements contain one or more of the key minerals believed to aid in antler growth or have other nutritional benefits to whitetails. These elements are Sodium, Calcium, Phosphorus and Magnesium. Manufacturers may add other contents to make their miner-
al supplementation products more palatable, more nutritional, or easier to find. Anyone considering the use of any deer attractant should have a complete understanding of their state’s game laws. Some, like Illinois, outlaw the practice of feeding wild deer completely. Others allow the practice, but have very specific requirements dictating how and when all traces of any attractant (considered bait) must be removed prior to hunting season. Such laws are often confusing, so consider contacting your state’s fish and wildlife law enforcement agency if you have any questions whatsoever. Why? As previously mentioned, mineral supplement sites provide deer with helpful minerals that may be absent or lacking in their natural diet. Science has proven that whitetails have the ability to store excess calcium and phosphorus in their bones and draw upon those reserves when needed. Additionally, mineral supplementation in domestic livestock has
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revealed documented health benefits relative to appetite, digestion and reproduction. That said, a variety of opinions exist regarding the benefits of mineral supplementation as it relates to antler growth in wild whitetailed deer. The fact that deer use mineral supplement sites so readily in so many locations, however, suggests to most hunters and property managers that the practice is a worthwhile and beneficial undertaking. Mineral supplementation is also employed to concentrate deer near game cameras for ongoing monitoring – a critical aspect of game management. Hunters and property managers want to observe antler growth, deer numbers and overall herd health, and a well-executed mineral supplement site is a great way to concentrate deer for this purpose, while also providing beneficial nutrition. When? Deer usually begin using mineral sites in early spring, and may continue to use them through early fall. This period of heavy mineral use
coincides with the fawn-rearing and antler-growing periods. For this reason, most hunters and managers establish their mineral sites in the springtime. Where? Locate mineral sites based on twoprimary considerations. First, select areas that make it easy for deer to visit, while offering them a degree of security. Consider sites close to prime bedding areas. Primary trails between bedding areas and food or water sources offer good locations. Areas where such trails intersect are ideal. Second, consider your soils. Rocky or clay soils are best for powdered or granular products. Sandy soils leach minerals faster, which means they must be applied more frequently. Solid blocks and licks can be placed anywhere. A final locational consideration involves camera placement. The distance from your camera to the far side of your mineral site should be well inside your camera’s effective flash range. Place your camera so small branches or other items that might sway in the wind won’t trigger its sensor. Not all cameras are created equal. High-resolution models with invisible IR flash, generous range and long battery life are top choices for mineral site monitoring. Models with video
capability will provide additional helpful information – like the directions, which deer arrive at and depart from your site. What? Phosphorus, Calcium, Magnesium and Sodium are widely held to be the most beneficial minerals for deer in most areas. To make sure deer find and use your mineral site, consider mixing in an attractant. A powerful, attractant combines the natural attracting fragrance, flavor, fat content, and carbohydrate to create a highly palatable attractant and nutritional supplement deer can’t resist. This is an effective and economical means of helping deer find and use any newly established mineral site. Adding a source of Sodium will maximize the frequency and duration of deer visits to your mineral sites. That said, some biologists maintain that excess Sodium can have negative effects on nutrition. Deer receive ample Sodium from natural, green vegetation in many areas, so consider offering Sodium to your deer herd when they need it most – from the end of hunting season until the spring green-up. How? Once you’ve determined where to locate your mineral sites and what they’ll consist of, they’re relatively simple to create. Most granulated
products are designed to mix into the soil. Simply remove leaf litter and other debris to expose the soil, then dig a shallow hole or pit. Just a few inches is sufficient. The idea is to contain the product at your chosen site and eliminate runoff. After pre-mixing any separate products, dump the mix into the pit and lightly rake it into the top few inches of soil. Maintenance Physical evidence at your sites and your game cameras will tell you the degree to which they are being used. Give them a couple weeks. If use is light, consider adding additional attractant products. If it’s heavy, refresh sites with new mineral products as necessary. Most hunters and game managers check and refresh mineral sites every 3-5 weeks after they become established, but set your own reasonable schedule. Do what’s necessary to keep deer visiting, but avoid adverse effects to your deer’s natural behaviors. Don’t return too frequently, and consider limiting visits to mid-day. Finally, use due diligence as hunting season approaches. Again, know your state’s game laws with respect to feeding or baiting wildlife, and make sure your mineral sites are removed in accordance with those laws prior to hunting anywhere in their vicinity.
| www.wildlifemanagementnews.com | 15 |
Fear Not the Plot
tential is by making sure the proper soil conditions exist before planting. Experts agree that skipping this key step is the most frequent cause of food plot failure. Soil testing By Josh Lantz is simple and reveals key information relative to pH and nutrient levels. Few hunters have degrees in horticulture. So when the Most soils in deer and turkey country possess pH levels average deer hunter decides it’s time to up his or her between 4 and 5 – far too acidic to grow a successful food game by putting in a food plot, the process can seem crop. Chances are, you’ll need to add pulverized or pelletoverwhelming. ized lime to bring soil pH up to 6 or 7, which is the optimal It doesn’t have to be that way. Follow a few key steps for range for most food plot cultivars. After initial pH adfood plot success. justment, take a sample of your soil to your local ag store, Is your primary goal to provide additional nutrition co-op, or USDA Service Center for final testing. This will for your wildlife, or is it to create a hunting spot? The an- confirm pH and provide information on your soil’s mix of swer will determine when, where and what you plant. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium so you’ll know the All food plots require sunshine. Choose spots that respecific type and quantity of fertilizer to apply once your ceive at least 4-5 hours of sunlight per day. If planting in plants begin growing. the woods, select an area around a large, dead tree that Many of today’s seed blends include cultivars that can creates a hole in the canopy for sunlight to penetrate. provide good results at a variety of different latitudes and Plots primarily planted for hunting have other locational growing conditions. Focus in on a few key points. considerations. Select spots that are relatively close to Choose only forage-grade cultivars developed for feeding deer bedding areas. This will increase the chance that wildlife, as opposed to cheaper, generic seed intended for wary bucks will visit your food plot during daylight other purposes. These seeds may be more expensive, but hours. will have engineered performance growth characteristics Look for areas with relatively well-drained soils. While that will result in hardier, more productive and more palatmany established food plots would endure some deable food plants. gree of inundation, immature plots can be wiped out by If your goal is to plant an effective hunting plot, so-called flooding. “candy crops” like oats, winter peas, or soybeans are highly The best way to ensure your food plot reaches full poattractive and palatable to deer and are, therefore, worthy of your consideration. Thorough soil preparation is another key to establishing a successful food plot. It involves clearing the preferred forage for whitetails the area of leaf litter, logs and other debris; thoroughly killing weeds and other vegetation; and preparing the seedbed. Buck Forage Products provides successful food plot results. Clearing may be a significant job, depending on a plot’s location and size. Helpful tools range from a tractor or ATV, to chainsaws, leaf rakes and blowers. The objective is to remove any objects that might interfere with seed-to-soil contact. Fall Planting After clearing, kill vegetation using an appropriate herbicide. Backpack Year-Round Planting sprayers are useful on smaller plots, but a tractor- or ATV-mounted • Superior Winter Tolerance sprayer is a huge help on larger • Better Forage Quality projects. Such equipment (along • Proven Preference WWW.BUCKFORAGE.COM with other helpful machinery like a
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spring disc and cultipacker) can often be rented or borrowed from your local agricultural co-op, Pheasants Forever, NWTF, or Whitetails Unlimited chapter. Wait for the vegetation to die completely, then work the area with a spring disc before applying a second round of herbicide. If you plan to plant with a seed drill, you can skip the disc and second herbicide application. While your decisions and activities leading up to planting are critical for success, so is the timing of the planting itself. Both annual and perennial varieties of many food plot seeds and blends can be planted during either spring or fall. Most wildlife seed manufacturers offer helpful region-by-region guidance concerning the best times to plant their various products. While many wildlife managers prefer to plant in the spring, your decision should be based on what you are planting and the greater consideration of the type and timing of the supplemental nutrition you are
attempting to provide. Hunting plots are different. If your objective is to plant forage like oats or peas that reach peak attractiveness and palatability during the hunting season, you’ll want to plant them in the late summer or early fall. Regardless of when you plant, maximum seed-to-soil contact is what you are after. The size and type of seed should dictate planting methods. Larger seeds can be drilled or disked in, but smaller seeds will not germinate if planted too deeply. Small seeds do best when the soil bed is disked lightly then rolled with a cultipacker prior to broadcast seeding. Different food plots require varying amounts and types of maintenance, but fertilization is a common denominator. Remember that soil test? It told you the ideal type and quantity of fertilizer to use. Apply it once your plants begin growing. Versatile crops like white clover grow quickly, provide an abundance of year-‘round nutrition and require
the least maintenance over multiple seasons. Experts agree it’s best to mow clover in the spring and early summer, whenever it reaches a height approaching 12 inches. Mowing it back to six inches results in abundant, tender new growth. Crops like alfalfa also benefit from regular mowing. If your plot is relatively small and the wildlife is hitting it hard, however, mowing may not be required. Spraying established food plots to kill weeds can be tricky and pricey, due to the fact that different herbicides are often necessary to kill different types of weeds. That said, the last thing you want are bad plants choking out good plants, so do what’s necessary to control weed growth. The best defense is a properly prepared seedbed. If you must apply herbicide, try to do it early in the season when weeds are small or pre-emergent. Annual plant varieties need to be re-established each season. When planted alone, reestablishing annuals requires repeating most of the steps
| www.wildlifemanagementnews.com | 17 |
outlined herein. If planted in a blended food plot, re-supplementing the annual components can be as easy as broadcast seeding prior to the spring rains. Food plots require a bit of careful planning and labor, but return significant benefits in the form of overall wildlife health, attraction and retention on your hunting property. Don’t skip any steps. If your plots fail, not only will you be out time and money, you’ll also need to wait another year before you have another chance to get things right.
Traveling With Firearms
By Joe Balog Today’s hunters pull out all the stops in pursuit of their quarry. Turkey enthusiasts crisscross the country each spring in their individual quests for a “grand slam” – the successful harvest of each of the four North-American subspecies. Similarly, ardent deer hunters chase monster bucks from the furthest reaches of Canada to South Texas. Waterfowl addicts often follow the migration for thousands of miles. Such travel can lead to the hunt of a lifetime, but isn’t without challenges. Problems can arise from the complex logistics of packing and transporting a hunter’s necessary equipment. Guns and ammunition cause the greatest concerns. While traveling anglers may be content to use rods and reels provided by their guides, an experienced hunter simply won’t leave home for a hunting trip without his or her trusted, personal firearms. But traveling with a gun is no picnic. Complex airline and highway rules coupled with the constant threat
of damage can wreak havoc on the traveling hunter’s otherwise well-laid plans. Rich Yoder knows all the pitfalls of traveling with firearms… and how to avoid them. He logs thousands of travel miles by land and air each year with firearms in tow. A veteran deer and waterfowl hunter, Yoder also competes in 3-gun competition – a fast-paced sport involving self-defense-style shooting with shotguns, rifles and pistols. It’s a vocation that requires Yoder to transport multiple firearms and a small arsenal of ammunition whenever he competes. His traveling tips give insight into stressfree gun transport. When traveling the country in his truck, Yoder packs his unloaded guns away in premium hard cases and buries them deep. “When driving with firearms, my experience has shown that guns are best stored in hard cases and kept relatively inaccessible,” says Yoder. “By this I mean they shouldn’t be in the wide open.” Yoder’s reasoning for burying the weapons is simple. Regulations for transporting firearms in a vehicle vary from state to state. Some are quite lenient, while others are much stricter. Within many states, gun transportation laws also vary considerably from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Of course, it’s always advisable to research the specific laws where you plan to travel, but the multitude of diverse and changing regulations can make a complete and total understanding of all laws you may encounter a fleeting prospect. If possible, keep your gun cases locked in your vehicle’s trunk or truck bed, as long as your bed has weather-tight and lockable security. If your guns are outside the passenger compartment, in a case, unloaded, and kept separate from ammunition, you’ll be in compliance with all but
| 18 | Wildlife Management News | Feb-Mar-Apr 2016 |
the strictest of local and state gun laws. If your truck bed is not secure, or you drive an SUV or another vehicle without a separate trunk, you’ll need to do your best to keep the guns as “inaccessible” as possible, per Yoder’s recommendation. In addition, Yoder points out that different law enforcement officials within the same jurisdiction may be on a different page when it comes to interpreting and enforcing firearms transportation laws. “Unfortunately, not every police officer you may run into is a sportsman like you,” states Yoder, who also points out that officers can have differing opinions and outlooks on civilians with firearms. His words are wise. With the tremendous pressure being placed on law enforcement officers today, they are understandably careful, and are always likely to err on the side of caution. If pulled over with firearms, don’t do or say anything to give them a reason to doubt your intent. For his highway shotgun and rifle transportation needs, Yoder selects Plano’s model 108191 All-Weather Double Scoped Rifle/Shotgun Wheeled case. Pistols go in Plano’s model 108021 All Weather Large Pistol Case. Inside these durable, hard cases, each gun is fully encased in custom-trimmed foam. “These cases are capable of being loaded in the truck and then having a ton of gear piled on top of them,” Yoder says. “They offer strong, lockable, all-weather protection.” After guns are packed away, Yoder points out that it’s essential to pack and transport any ammunition with similar care, and away from the guns. Most state laws require this, and it is essential to avoid any misperceptions of improper intent, should you be pulled over. Yoder packs bulk ammo in Plano’s various rifle, handgun and shotshell
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ammo cases. These cases are small, flat, and can be easily stacked inside a larger lockable container, allowing ammunition to be transported in bulk, while in full compliance with the widest range of state and local laws. As tricky as hitting the highway with firearms can be, air travel presents hunters and shooters with even more challenges. Guns must be unloaded, declared and inspected. They must be locked in an airline-approved case, and, in some case, be partially broken down. Similarly, ammunition must also be declared. But the cumbersome inspection process is only part of the concern. Of course, all firearms must travel as checked baggage, so once they are inspected and turned over, it’s anyone’s guess what torture a gun case – and the precious cargo inside – might go through in the hands of task-oriented baggage personnel. When checking in at the airport, travelers need to declare that they are traveling with a gun. At that point, airline personnel will quickly advise the traveler of the need to open his or her case and inspect the firearm.
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Always wait for the TSA inspector before unlocking or opening the case, and only do so when clearly directed to do so by TSA personnel. Never take a firearm out of its case in an airport under any other circumstances. Typically, you and your firearm will be taken to a special inspection room. You have the right to remain with your firearm at all times during the inspection process. Never leave your firearm until the inspection is complete, the case has been re-locked, and you are in possession of the key or combination. There are additional steps during international travel. Specifically, guns must clear customs in the destination country, and once again when entering back into the United States. Multiple government forms may need to be completed and carried with the firearm, like U.S. customs form 4457. Be sure to check into all required paperwork well before traveling. Although most forms are available at the airport, unnecessary delays can often be minimized or eliminated by first downloading and completing forms prior to travel.
| 20 | Wildlife Management News | Feb-Mar-Apr 2016 |
As their name implies, Plano’s Field Locker Mil-Spec Cases meet rigorous military and law enforcement specifications for immersion, dust, vibration and transit drop, making them great choices for airline travel. Each of the three distinct long gun cases and three pistol cases in the series is waterproof and dust-proof, and secured with massive, draw-down style latches and multiple, steel-reinforced padlock hasps. Heavy-duty handles are also oversized and padded. Larger models, like the model 109440 Tactical Case, have heavy-duty axles and easy gliding wheels. Cut-to-fit padded interiors cradle firearms firmly and securely. The thought of traveling with a firearm intimidates many hunters, keeping them tirelessly beating their home turf. But there’s nothing to be afraid of, given the travel tips of our expert. What’s more, recent low fuel and airline costs make far-away hunting locales more accessible than ever. So start making your travel plans for the coming hunting seasons. Pack your guns right and expand your reach. It’s easier than you think.
The Art of Attraction and Distraction By Sammy Bruce Wild turkeys have some of the best eyes in the woods. The old adage rings true: “If they could smell like a deer, turkeys would be impossible to kill.” They’re just that good. It’s estimated that turkeys see about three times better than humans with 20/20 vision. In addition, there’s no such thing as a “blind spot” in the gobbler’s world. They view a 270-degree field continuously, and a slight turn of the head can show them a full 360. Thankfully, turkey hunters can take steps to maintain the upper hand. Modern camouflage options offer incredible concealment in any terrain. In addition, many turkey hunters now choose lightweight, easy-to-operate ground blinds for the ultimate hiding place. But the best method to fool a wary gobbler by far is to never
Photo By Bill Borne
have him look your way. One piece of equipment reigns above all others in successfully keeping the eyes of a turkey off of the hunter: the turkey decoy. In fact, without decoys, our modern turkey hunting methods would be counter-productive. Think about it. We call these extremely keen animals toward us, and then try to hide from them. Just as a duck hunter would never attempt to call ducks into range without the use of decoys, modern turkey hunters now use similar methods. The plan? Attract the birds with seductive calling, bring them in close, and give them something to get excited about once they look around. Terence Williamson is no stranger to the use of decoys when hunting turkeys. A veteran gobbler-chaser for over 25 years, Williamson spends four or more days a week hunting in his home state of Alabama, and often extends his season by pursuing turkeys in several other locales. A State and National calling champ, Williamson is quick to point out the advantages of using decoys. And while most view decoys as tools for attraction, Williamson is quick to advocate for their powers of distraction. “I’ve been guiding for the last eight
years, help out frequently in youth hunts, and have been involved in filming Avian-X TV for the last four seasons,” Williamson states. “While guiding and filming, decoys really help to take focus off of kids, clients, and cameras and help make for successful hunts while drawing birds into range.” Williamson’s decoy strategies evolve throughout the season. “I use decoys all spring, and start the season using a hen and a jake together,” says Williamson, who is a strong believer in this particular combo, claiming that the sight of a jake around a hen angers toms. “They become so focused on fighting with the jake, it gives you a chance to get on the bird and make the shot before he can detect you,” our expert says. His point is that attraction is only part of the game when utilizing turkey decoys. Diverting and controlling his attention is often just as important. Williamson once utilized a breeder hen decoy for this method, but now chooses the Avian-X LCD Laydown Hen. In fact, Williamson was the first hunter to kill a turkey using the new breakthrough decoy while helping develop the prototype. The Laydown’s relaxed posture perfectly mimics that of a content hen turkey in a receptive breeding position. The sight of this decoy alone is enough to bring a tom running, but pairing her with a jake can trigger his rage and further fix his attention. Like other Avian-X LCD decoys, the new Laydown Hen is made of a Dura-Rubber material that is not only ultra-lifelike, but also collapsible. Such lifelike looks are imperative in turkey decoys, not only in posture, but also in color and detail. Turkeys have six cones in their eyes to detect color, compared to four in ours. In addition, it’s believed turkeys can view color spectrums not seen by
| www.wildlifemanagementnews.com | 21 |
I found the Browning Dark Ops camera easy to set up. There were very few photos without having some animal in the frame. The photos were clear at night and during the day. I am still using the same batteries after hundreds of photos. I am very happy with the camera’s many features and small compact size. The green tree strap and camo color blends well into the surroundings. I have recommended this camera to a friend, several clients and would purchase more of these for myself in the future.
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I really like the Browning cam!! Battery life is still over 80% and I put it out a few days after you dropped it off. The camera takes some really nice pix. This Browning Dark Ops is the best camera we run right now. We have a bunch of different Moultries, which have been my favorite. We use one Cuddieback and absolutely hate it. Nothing but problems – I’ll never buy another. We have one WildGame Innovations and it’s OK at best. Good daytime pix but very grainy IR pix. We had one Stealth Cam and got rid of it. Batteries would last three days at best and when it took pix they were not very clear. Michael Koneski
We have five different brands of trail cameras in use. The new Browning Dark Ops camera is one of the easiest to set up, the instructions are clear and easy to follow. Photo quality is excellent, both day and night and we do not even have it set up with the highest resolution. The nighttime photos are great – on some of our other cameras the pictures are so grainy you can’t tell if you are looking at a buck or a doe. The photos are clear out to a greater distance as well. There doesn’t seem to be any sound with this camera, so that means that it is probably going to last as far as bear contact. Browning has a winner in my book! Dave Sienko
I have recently transitioned my focus on trail cameras towards the product line that Browning offers. With being an avid bow hunter, I rely on my trail cameras to help with my overall success from season to season. Whether I am hanging them on a food plots, travel routes or other food sources, my Browning trail cameras provide me with the highest quality trigger speed, recovery time, detection width and overall range. With the combination of quick trigger speed (.7 seconds) and 2.3 second recovery time, Browning trail cameras ensure that your game will be detected. The thing that impressed me most with the Browning cameras was the detection range. Compared to other brands I have used in the past, the Browning trail cameras trigger pictures of animals as soon as they cross the detection zone, which helps prevent blank pictures. The overall quality of photos is outstanding, both daytime and especially the night pictures taking into consideration the no-glow infrared technology. The overall clarity, focus and brightness of the photos are top notch. In my opinion, Browning has surpassed many of its competitors with the Dark Ops model!
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humans, including UVA. Remember, these incredible eyes focus on the decoy in the hunting scenario, so perfection is required if you want that old long-beard to believe what he’s seeing. As the turkey season progresses and strutting activity increases, Williamson advises setting up a spread to match the behavior. Here, he chooses the Avian-X LCD Strutter. More incredible attention to detail, an Avian-X trademark, places this decoy above all other gobblers on the market. In addition, the Stutter isn’t overly large. This slight under-sizing is deliberate. Not only is the decoy easier to pack in and out of the field, it tells incoming gobblers it’s a fight they can win. Old wives tales pervade in all forms of hunting, and turkey hunting is no exception. One popular rumor is that turkeys can’t see in 3-D, thus render-
ing ultra-realistic decoys overkill. To be truthful, many bird species can’t see in 3-D the way human eyes do. The placement of eyes on the side of the head prevents true binocular vision - observing an object through both eyes at the same time and, thus, creating depth perception. But turkeys overcome this by frequently bobbing and rotating their heads while viewing to give them a different kind of depth perception. Combine this with their supreme visual acuity and advanced color detection, and more than a few turkey hunters should be reconsidering their current decoys… and their camouflage. Williamson feels good about his, but only because he conceals himself head to toe, including gloves and facemask, in Mossy Oak’s best. Then, of course, he uses the best available decoys for distraction. Only then does he feel comfortable trying to
| 24 | Wildlife Management News | Feb-Mar-Apr 2016 |
fool the sharpest eyes in the woods. When setting up, Williamson tries to pick an area that’s relatively clear, but admits that’s not always possible. Clearings, fields and logging roads are ideal, but Williamson is just as content to place decoys in small openings in the woods. The key, he says, is getting approaching birds to see the decoys while maintaining adequate shooting lanes. “You rarely know where the perfect location is, because unpredictable gobblers are likely to approach the setup from any possible angle, not necessarily the path of least resistance. I just try to make sure that my decoys can be seen from as many angles as possible, and my hunters and I have a clear line of sight to shoot at, and around, the decoy location.’” Sometimes, fooling a turkey can be easy. The right spot combined with a hot bird occasionally leads to a quick hunt. More often, however, wise gobblers must be coaxed into range with the right combination of calling and visual stimulation. Even then, wary toms may close the distance, only to “hang up” out of range. Decoys can help remedy this possibility as well. If a stubborn old tom thinks your hen decoy can see him, his ego may want her to come to him. So when possible, position your decoys facing away from the most likely approach for incoming birds. If you’ve done much turkey hunting, you already know that nothing seals the deal like a decoy. But are your decoys really helping you as much as they could be? This spring, take the advice of our expert, and start thinking about turkey decoys as distractors as much or more than they are attractors. After all, it’s you against them, and they’ve got some really formidable tools. Up the reality factor of your decoys, and start tipping the odds in your favor.
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| www.wildlifemanagementnews.com | 25 |
DR. DEER’S
Management Calendar by Dr. James Kroll
ANTLER RESTRICTIONS, DO THEY WORK? Dr. James C. Kroll, August, 2008 North American Whitetail Magazine In several columns last year, I mentioned the fact that in 1993 North American Whitetail publisher Steve Vaughn supported a revolutionary new study in Dooly County, Georgia, designed to produce a higher incidence of trophy-class bucks. Steve’s financial support funded Micah Goldstein, a University of Georgia graduate student who monitored the program. Further support also kept the public abreast of what was going on through North American Whitetail and through state and regional magazines like Georgia Sportsman, produced by Game an Fish Publications (then owner of this magazine). The program was a grass-roots effort, initiated by landowners and sportsman who were tired of not being able to produce mature bucks. As a result of public support, the Georgia DNR decided to initiate a three-year pilot project. For a Dooly County buck to be legal, it had to have at least a 15-inch outside spread. A relaxed enforcement policy was maintained initially as hunters learned to recognize legal bucks. The goal was set to see if setting a size limit on bucks would increase age structure and antler quality in Dooly County. A secondary goal was measure and monitor public acceptance of the program.
If it worked, it could be tried in other countries as well. The results were successful on all counts. The rate of public acceptance reached as high as 90 percent, something unheard of in a political arena where a new policy is being tried for the first time. Following The Leader Encouraged by the success in Dooly County, the number of “trophy only” countries in Georgia was expanded individuals in other states began pushing for similar trial programs and pilot programs developed in counties or deer management units in Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Texas. Statewide restrictions were implemented in Mississippi, Arkansas and Pennsylvania. Restrictions ranged from outside spread to number of points on a side. In most cases the public response was very good. But eventually the fervor whipped up among size-limit proponents began to concern two distinct groups of folks. Some hunters in Pennsylvania-where for years the over-harvest of bucks by the state’s 1 million deer hunters had produced a herd essentially made up of mostly yearling bucks-began calling for the head of deer project leader Dr. Gary Alt. What right did the state have to tell hunter what they could and could not shoot, a small minority demanded? Since antler restrictions on bucks must be accompanied by increase doe harvest, this also did not sit very well with another minority group of hunters who thought the
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doe harvest was a travesty. Eventually Dr. Gary Alt was forced to “retire” from his position (although the program he established in Pennsylvania did show amazing results and an increase in older-age-class bucks, and those results are still being seen today). Common Sense V.S. Ignorance More recently, certain “sportsman’s groups” in Arkansas began questioning statewide size limits imposed in 1998 that restricted the harvest to bucks with at least 3 points on one side. It’s a familiar story, with the same old rhetoric. “We don’t want the state telling us what we can kill!” was the common outcry. “If we keep shooting does, we will destroy the deer herd my father helped protect.” With average hunters, these thoughts and sentiments might be written off to ignorance about modern deer management, but they take on a whole new significance when the resistance comes from biologists in state agencies and universities. Most recently, Mississippi State University professor Dr. Steve Demarais published a paper (Bronson Strickland and Larry Castle, co-authors) titled “Antler regulation effects on whitetailed deer on Mississippi public hunting areas.” This paper proposed that the 4-point rule had actually deteriorated buck quality on state wildlife areas. The work contained two parts: One was a model developed from the Kerr study in Texas, and the other included harvest data taken
before and after imposing the 4-point rule in Mississippi. This paper was just what some agencies needed as ammunition to resist efforts in their states to institute size limits. After all, why would a state want to do that when “hunter opportunity” is so important to revenue? You see, my calculations suggest that about $1 billion is collected for licenses and permits each year by the number of hunters affects total income. Anything that appears to threaten license sales frightens some biologist. Also, the “spirited zeal” that size-limit proponents often display tends to turn off a lot of bureaucrats. Remember, the Dooly county project was a grassroots effort, and a lot of groundwork was done prior to its implementation. What Size Limits Work The results obtained from the Dooly County project were positive for both antler and age-class improvement. Yet Dr. Demarais and his research partners assert the opposite results in
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Mississippi. How can such a contradiction exist? First of all, the size limitation imposed in Georgia was a 15 inch outside spread, while the Mississippi regulation involved point restrictions only. Our research here at the Institute for White-tailed Deer Management & Research at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches tends to support the us of a spread limit. A 14 inch spread limit in East Texas would protect almost all yearling bucks, about 70 percent of 2 year0olds and about 20 percent of 3 year-olds. On the other hand, points have little to do with age! However since the Demarais study looked at the effects of imposing a point limitation, the concern seemed to be that this allowed “inferior” yearling bucks with spike antlers to reproduce. Of course, it was assumed that spiked yearlings are genetically inferior, but this premise has not been proved. To the contrary, our recently published report in The Journal of Wildlife
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Management showed no predictability between a buck’s first set of antlers and what he will have at maturity. (See the October, November, and December 2006 issues for the complete three-part series about our landmark antler study.) Other Considerations Furthermore, size limits should always be tied to adequate doe harvest, as mentioned. Without population control, no size limit, irrespective of strategy, will ever be successful! My experience has shown that without at least a 20 percent recruitment rate, absolute protection of yearling bucks will not mathematically lead to significant increases in mature bucks. Remember, recruitment is the percentage of fawns that reach 1 year of age. Recruitment is tied to population density. In the Mississippi study, the harvest rate reported for the wildlife management areas was only 2.3 does per 1000 acres. (More does than that die normally from accidents each
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year!) Mississippi has traditionally carried extremely high densities, and Id be very surprised if the densities had not increased during the 10*year period of study (1991-2001). The Mississippi study also concluded that a “point’s limitation” is only a “stop-gap” measure-one used now although something else may prove to work better. But what, exactly is that? A Strategy That Works The first question to ask is why should we protect yearling bucks? To answer that question, three important facts must be considered. First, the average age of hunters is increasing annually. Second, the number o hunter is decreasing (as much as 10 percent in the last five years). And last, deer populations are increasing. Hunting has not been controlling the deer herds in North America. One reason that hunting is not controlling deer herds can be attributed to the disproportionate sex and age harvest. (Were not shooting nearly enough
IT BLOWS AWAY TRADITIONAL SCENTS Margins over 40%
does!) The average hunter wants to have more deer and be able to shoot a buck every season. Just ask Dr. Gary Alt, right? Yet these are two diametrically opposed goals. For far too long, we have overprotected the very population segment that needs the least amount of protection-females. Bucks are the ones that need protecting, but why? Correct me if I’m wrong, but bucks do not have fawns! The more balanced the sex structure of a herd, the easier it is to control population growth. I support the concept of a natural deer herd, one that has a natural age distribution and a natural sex distribution. One can argue what the word “natural” really means, but we can say with some confidence that prehistoric deer herds in times before man had fairly balanced age and sex ratios. My 35 years of experience suggest to me that deer herds “want” to have a sex ratio of one buck to two does. Simple math supports this claim. It’s
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a fact with deer, as with humans, the males tend to live shorter lives than the females. Even in our research pens, we see does living more than 20 years, while buck under those same nurtured conditions rarely live to be 10 years old. This tells me that we will always have to harvest more does than bucks. I am amazed by folks, some who are even biologists, who claim that it is impossible to have sex ratios skewed more than 1 to 4. What they neglect to consider is low recruitment and differential survival of bucks and does. Unfortunately, most states report sex ratios by including buck fawns that have not been recruited. If we place a spread limit on bucks and at the same time apply adequate doe harvest, the result will be a herd that at least operates near natural conditions. In most herds, the limit should be an outside spread of around 14 to 15 inches. In most geographic races, this roughly correlates with the width of the ears. Of course,
there are special exemptions. Some races of deer have wider ear widths, other shorter ears. It’s Not Trophy Management I’m growing weary of hearing some hinters criticize size limits as just a way to produce trophy bucks. Of course, one benefit certainly is better bucks, but the real purpose of size limits is to produce natural deer herds and to increase the quality of the hunting experience. Studies show the non-hunting public will support recreational hunting only if hunters
are an important component in wildlife management. The fact that we are not controlling deer herds does not bode well for our sport. Even if having size limits on bucks were a management-neutral activity, id still support this practice. If nothing else, it shows we care about our favorite game animal. And I must agree with one of Dr. Demarais’ conclusions about the Mississippi study. We both share the hop that there will come a day when hunters impose their own limits on what they shoot.
There is hope. My experience shows peer group pressure will change more human behavior than any laws or regulations. We recently adopted a size limit of 14 inches in East Texas. One day I dropped by a local taxidermist’s shop to talk with hinters about the new regulations. “We don’t have any problem with them,” one fellow volunteered. “But we really don’t need them!.” I asked him what he meant. “In this area, a guy shooting a yearling buck is not very popular,” he answered. Yes, there is hope!
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Lyme Disease Symptoms Please check if you have the symptoms listed below: • Stiffness of the joints or back? • Tingling, numbness, burning or stabbing sensations? • Facial paralysis - Bell’s Palsy? • Double or blurry vision, floaters, pain, light sensitivity? • Buzzing or ringing in ears, ear pain, sensitivity to sound? • Dizziness, poor balance, increased motion sickness? • Light-headed? • Confusion, difficulty thinking? • Difficulty with concentration, reading, or following plots? • Decreased short term memory loss? • Disorientation, getting lost, going to wrong places? • Difficulty with speech, think one thing and another word
comes out? • Mood swings, irritability, depression, crying for no reason? • Disturbed sleep - increased, decreased or nightmares, night sweats? • Exaggerated symptoms from alcohol? • Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel, Chronic Fatigue, Epstein Barr or M.S.? • Do you feel like dying? • Have you seen multiple doctors without success? • Do people say you are a “hypochondriac” or tell you it’s in your head? Dr. Gregory and Debra Bach
THE BRAVEST RESCUE PUPPY
• Unexplained fever, chills, or sweats? • Unexplained weight changes, gain or loss? • Fatigue, tiredness, especially around 3 P.M.? • Unexplained swollen glands? • Chronic sore throat or sinus infections? • Testicular/pelvic pain? • Unexplained menstrual irregularity? • Irritable bladder or bladder dysfunction? • Sexual dysfunction or loss of libido? • Stomach problems? • Change in bowel function, constipation, diarrhea? • Chest pains? • Shortness of breath/cough? • Heart palpitations, heart block, racking heart, slow beat? • Muscle pain/cramps? • Joint pain/swelling that come & go - knees, hips, ankles, wrists? • Twitches of facial or other muscles? • Headaches, sometimes days at a time? • Neck creaks/cracks stiffness?
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Edward
Tomilee
DR. GREGORY PAUL BACH D.O., F.A.A.I.M., P.C.
BOARD CERTIFIED FAMILY MEDICINE Board Certified Addiction Medicine • Board Certified Integrative Medicine • Congressional Medical Advisor 670 Mill Road, Hamburg, PA 19526 (Near Cabelas) By Appointment Only (610) 488-8030 • (610) 488-8048 Fax Founding Board Member of ILADS • Chair of Subcommittee on Education Governors Lyme Disease Task Force Act 83 | 30 | Wildlife Management News | Feb-Mar-Apr 2016 |
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Lymes Disease 103 Children and Lyme Disease by Dr. Gregory Bach Lyme Disease and children. What a tough topic I have to talk about. We all love our kids and we never want them to be sick, but when the time comes, we are never quite prepared enough. Especially in the very tough and impossible cases that have been linked to Lyme Disease and it’s coinfections. (TBD Tick Borne Diseases). *Lyme Disease has been directly linked to a number of childhood diseases over the years. Yet the average Physician and Health Care Worker hasn’t a clue, because they’re not being trained and taught about Lyme Disease. For example, Autism, deafness, blindness, seizures, paralysis, severe sleeping disorders, nightmares, schizophrenia, asthma, O.C.D. (obsessive compulsive disease), cutting or self-mutilation, drug addiction, aberrant behavior, like children who try to hurt or kill their parents or siblings, hyperactivity, ADD, ADHD, learning disabilities, mental retardation, developmental disabilities, such as, abnormal development, stuttering,Tourette syndrome (where the child cannot help swearing) severe allergies to foods like peanuts, fragrances, soaps, latex, severe anxiety disorders, etc. just to name a few. *Severe anxiety disorders. Let’s stop here for a minute. Iwas watching TV the other day (news flash) Pope blesses child who is going deaf and blind. Igot the name off the TV set Fox News story, “Lizzy Myers”, the child of Steven and Christine Myers from Ohio is suffering from Ushers Syndrome, it causes hearing loss and blindness (R.P. Retinitis Pigmentosa) which causes night blindness and loss
of peripheral vision (side vision). The mother spoke for a second but gave me another clue about this case. “She has always been an ANXIOUS CHILD, so we are afraid to tell her about this disease.” *Well let’s focus in on this for a second. On my last article on Lyme Disease and blindness, we got to talk about my wife’s case from 30 years ago, where she is going deaf and blind. I remember (Usher Syndrome) because they told my wife and Ishe could have this, but if you read the article We discovered her deaf and blindness was coming from her Lyme Disease. When she received the proper treatment she regained her sight and hearing back for over a quarter of a century. Until 2012 when an accident injured her brain and she lost her hearing again. * “What if ’, “ What if ” this little five year old girl has a gene for an Usher syndrome, but in the back ground It’s Lyme Disease or a tick borne infection causing the gene to turn on and express itself. We know along with other research scientists that genes can turn off and on. Iknow this for a fact because I had another patient with Huntington’s Chorea (HD). This in an inherent condition in which brain cells break down over time. It is very rare. One in 200,000.00 per year. You basically lose control of your mind, body and brain and it can’t be cured. Treatment is counseling and physical therapy. It worsens with ANXIETY as per the Mayo Clinic. There’s that anxiety word again. It’s there for a reason because anxiety makes Lyme Disease patients worse, but it also causes it. The dog chasing its tail. The patient I had with HD was a 35 year old white male, gene positive for HD, was suffering from the above syndrome and
his wife was a nurse and the case was well documented. After two years of treatment his symptoms reversed and never fully went on to be degenerated by his hereditary gene disorder. He simply got better. *Well if anyone can get in touch with this little girls parent, Iwould like to try and help her, perhaps this could be her story has well! *Let’s talk about another little girl,10 year old Sydney, who is a very special patient in our practice. Imet her in late November, she has a biological twin brother who is the smartest 4th grader in his class, but what happened to poor little Sydney? Well we figured it out, at birth she was born first and was given a pint of blood, the other twin did not receive it. I hate to tell our readers that sometimes the blood supply can carry Lyme Disease. The law is, if you’re free from Lyme Disease for one year, you can donate blood again. Well 40 to 50 % of my patience who are wonderful,caring people have donated blood before being treated. So it goes on to the next person. But in an emergency if you need blood, you get blood. I always remind my patience if they have a history of Lyme Disease, don’t donate. If they need surgery Itell them to Auto donate, meaning set a pint of your own blood a month ahead of the procedure in case they need it. (I have two photos of little Sydney) The first one shows her in a little wheel chair stroller. She was diagnosed in 2014 CDC positive for Lyme Disease and orally treated for a short time and declared cured, but was still sick for you see little Sydney not only couldn’t walk, she also really couldn’t talk, she also couldn’t use her hands and on top of this she had seizures every hour of the day. Her poor mother had been dealing with this for ten years. If you look at the second picture you’re going to see her starting to walk only after (8 weeks of the
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proper treatment) which consisted of IM (intermuscular antibiotics and oral medication) but besides starting to walk, we had walking braces made for her, which by the way, the insurance company refused to pay for, she also had lost her seizures, and started to string words together like mom - love - you. She started being able to use her hands but not only that, we were able to send Sydney to school. Injust her first week she got a 90% on a vocabulary test, that’s and A. *She is very well documented and we will publish her case soon in a medical journal. Ijust ran my pen out of ink, so let’s recap - all those above symptoms Ilisted, Ihad as patience. A quarter of a century later is a long time to learn about these diseases and children, but you must remember which Istressed in all my articles, the local standard Lyme Disease testing is flawed by the 20 Patent Holders and their Universities at the CDC and NIH receiving billions of dollars
in revenue from the old Eliza Test which they kept in place for 37 years, and added an additional 200 patents to that test. Don’t you think that 37 years ago when we had cell phones the size of suite cases, and now they fit in your top pocket, we should have a decent test for Lyme Disease by now, but the patent holder are keeping this test in place for their own profit and it’s hurting all our children and their families. You have to remember that American Medicine is the world’s standard so what happens in American Medicine happens in the whole world. So it’s the whole world being affected. *Let’s talk about another case of a child. His mother came down from Canada who was a polish immigrant for kidney failure of unknown origin. Her cousin was a board of health nurse who Ispoke to on a frequent basis that was very much interested in Lyme Disease. We had made a friendship and one day she asked me if Icould help her cousin who was slowly dying from kidney failure. I have been successful with cases of kidney problems in the past because they can be associated with tick borne diseases When Ifirst interviewed her, Isaid I’ve been successful with cases like yours before but the case I’m most interested in is that little boy in the waiting room. Isaid to her, how old is he, he looks about 10 years old? She said to me he is actually 19 and a special needs child. I said that’s an unusual scenario. So Itook his case on and we found out that like his mother he was suffering from Lyme Disease. When Ifirst met Andrew, he was 40 pounds lighter and one foot shorter and that was 2 Yz years ago. He was supper hyper, couldn’t sit still,couldn’t look you in the eye and basically was bouncing around the room. He was never educated by the Canadian Government because he
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had an IQ in the SO’s. They basically taught him how to put his clothes on and tie his shoes. Now I looked at the parents’ backgrounds and the father was a Ford Engineer, very smart. The mother was a business person and also very smart. Andrew’s sister has her Masters Degree in teaching and his brother is an Air Force pilot. So what’s wrong with this story? Andrew had an infection, which didn’t allow him to develop to his full potential. So after 2 Yz years of treatment and having him tutored, Iwas able to petition the Canadian Department of Education for a scholarship to allow him to attend college after he received his high school degree. Please see photo. Andrew was 87 pounds and now is 127 pounds, his height was 4’11Yz” and is now 5’11Yz’’ tall,in that short span oftime we were able to have him catch up with his growth and mental development and he actually went through puberty, his voice changed and has muscles now. *THE DOCTORS MUST TAKE THESE DISEASES SERIOUSLY AND MUST BE EDUCATED PROPERLY, IT IMPACTS ALL OF US AND OUR GENERATIONS TO COME. Until next time as the story continues.
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Hunting Camp By Joel Herring An old weather tattered cabin located out in the backwoods miles down a dirt road. No electricity, poor cell phone reception and a make shift latrine with its distinct smell is probably what most people envision when they hear about hunting camps. To me it’s more about the people that share in the memories that make up a hunting camp. Past hunts being shared as well as celebrated, the practical jokes that happen and remembrance of deceased family members are all important parts of the hunting camp lore. The core of our group consists of my brother and a few of my cousins. Our uncle Randy was the elder of the group until he unfortunately passed away some years ago. Teaching what he knew, trying to make us all better outdoorsmen. Josh, my younger brother, is the self-proclaimed big buck expert of the group, always counseling us on how to harvest bigger bucks. Still amazed that he doesn’t have his own television show yet. I think his overabundance of luck is more of the deciding factor rather than his ability to be stealthy in the woods. “You need to sit all day when the rut is on,” preaching to us. “Packed my lunch and a couple cans of tobacco boys.” Cousin Gideon and his older brother Michael are also members. Michael, the impatient one, only being able to sit still for mere seconds it seems. Always complaining about not seeing anything, however, the first time he went out this past season, he was able to harvest deer. Josh and I love getting a deer when Michael is present. We always seem to forget our knives
or so he thinks. Frustrated, he will gut our deer for us. It works every time! Gideon, well not much to say other than he is still trying to get his first deer. It is not for his lack of trying. He hunts hard, but I am not sure if he realizes that we don’t always put him the best stands. Maybe next year we will be nice to him, probably not! We have also started to invite their youngest sister, Katie in some of hunts as well. Her first waterfowl hunt with us, we had a small flock of geese comes in, waiting to call the shot and before I could, BOOM, Katie shoots her first goose. “I just got excited,” stuttering after the bird hit the floor. “I didn’t think you would ever call it.” My favorite spot was my grandfather’s old farmstead. There was no deluxe cabin, however after hunting we would all stop into the shop where he liked to putter on things in his old age. The smell of the wood burning fireplace, the sight of the hazy gray smoke protruding from the old rusty smoke stack. “Yup I smell the old wood stove,” Mike would say as we walked out of the woods. “I bet the old man is in there.” My grandfather’s passion was farming; never really hunting because of a lack of time. Looking back, he probably wondered why we wasted our time sitting endless hours in the woods. Maybe so but to my brother and cousins and me, we enjoyed spending time out there. As well as family, we had some other unusual characters that we considered part of our group. For example Ed Jones, who drives a truck that everyone recognizes even from a few miles away. He has gotten older and doesn’t hunt much these days. He was our uncle’s best friend, and he self-soothes the pain of losing him by
spending time with us. He has countless hours of stories he enjoys sharing about their time together while the rest of us were young. We have heard them numerous times and I think he knows this but we always have him tell us again. There is nothing like hearing him relive the happy memories for his therapy. A couple of times come to mind, the first was when my brother shot a nice buck a few years ago. Ed, who was out on his ritual drive around the block, happened to stop in, walking to the back of the truck, he was ecstatic as he saw an 11 pointer laying the back of the truck, hugging my brother. The other time is when I was able to harvest a doe last season. As I walked down the road to get the truck, I could hear the sound of Ed pulling into the driveway. “Get in Ed, I got something to show you,” smiling as I opened the door. Driving him to the spot where the deer laid, the conservation, we had meant more than the kill. “You know Randy was here when I shot my first one off this farm,” I informed him. “I am glad you’re here on this one, could be the last one I take off the farm with it being sold.” “Me too kid,” Ed replied. “I am proud of you boys, you’re like my nephews.”
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