By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

When my new Horton Vision crossbow arrived at the doorstep, I knew there would be plenty to learn about its function. Little did I know, however, how little I knew.

Before any testing could take place, a bit of assembly had to be performed. The stirrup had to be mounted to the front of the barrel and the scope had to be secured to the mounting rail. Check.

I then placed one of the three provided arrows in the flight groove and let it fly toward the target. Bull’s eye at 20 paces! Let’s go hunting. Oh, that’s right, the season doesn’t begin for a few months. That’ll give me more time to discover what I don’t know.

For starters, rule #1 is to keep your front hand in the proper position on the forearm. To do otherwise could lead to a race downrange between your fingertips and the arrow. Even if your fingertips win, you lose.

The manual safety must be purposely pushed forward much like any firearm but this particular one makes substantial noise – much more than is practical in a hunting situation. There is simply no way this safety could be disengaged with a whitetail nearby without sending it to parts unknown. To me, this condition is problematic: some hunters will defeat the safety by disengaging it while on stand to avoid spooking game. I am by no means advocating this practice but it’s going to happen.

The trigger is stiff enough, that Horton could have supplied a mini string cocker to operate it. When I hooked a trigger scale to it, I couldn’t get it to come close to firing within the 72-ounce scale. Considering the condition noted above with the noisy safety, maybe the heavy trigger was built in by design. I have fired many guns over the years and have never found one that took the force to operate it as this crossbow trigger does. It certainly won’t fire by accident!

As a student of ballistics, I had to find out just how much less than the advertised speed of “up to 325 feet-per-second” (fps) this crossgun (excuse me, crossbow) will fling an arrow. (By the way, in Michigan crossbows cannot exceed 350 fps for legal hunting and advertised speed is how they are judged.) When I released an arrow through the speed meter, it clocked in at 290 fps – far below advertised speed. Then I read in the manual, that with a lighter-than-supplied arrow, such speed could be attained. Whaddayaknow!

According to the manual, my arrow with tip weighs 438 grains and coupled with the actual velocity, a whopping 82 foot-pounds of kinetic energy is developed. Compared to firearms, it doesn’t stack up, but arrows aren’t bullets and do their damage with shear penetration and cutting ability. For reference, only 25-41 foot-pounds are required to take medium-sized game such as deer. Black bears and elk need 42-65 pounds of force, while dangerous game such as cape buffalo or grizzly bears need 65 foot pounds to get the job done. Therefore, penetration will not be a problem.

As with any other hunting tool, crossbows will only be effective if shots are placed on target. The Vision comes with a lighted-reticle Mult-A-Range scope, which has 5 crosshairs for varying yardage designed for increments of 10-12 yards each. It is interesting to note that typical firearm scopes may not be suitable for crossbows because there is a phenomenon called reverse recoil which could destroy them. (Airguns work the same way.) I just hope it is calibrated close enough with my less-than-advertised-up-to-325 fps rig to actually be worth retaining.

In any case, the learning curve has begun and I expect to have this contraption figured out and dialed in long before the archery opener October 1st.

An alligator crossing the road in Sanford, Florida Monday night got a surprise when a man decided to catch it and grabbed it by its tail. But the alligator’s surprise was nothing compared to the man’s when the reptile whipped around and bit him on the leg and then ran into some bushes.

As if getting bitten once wasn’t enough, the man, who officials said appeared to be intoxicated, reached into the bushes to grab the gator again, and it obliged him by biting him, again.

The gator was trying to get to some water when Dirk Alan Willms, 44, (DOB 08/13/65), of 501 Lemon St., Sanford, decided to catch it.

Eventually, Willms subdued the 45-inch alligator and took it to his house. Someone who saw him with the alligator reported it to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, which then called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

FWC Law Enforcement Officer Naomii Tye responded to the call, issued Willms a ticket for possessing an alligator, a second-degree misdemeanor, and then released the small reptile in nearby Lake Jesup. The maximum penalty for a second-degree misdemeanor is 60 days in jail and $500 fine.

While Tye was filling out the citation, Willms commented that he should have cut the gator’s tail off and left it where he caught it, and that he had caught several alligators in the past and had never been bitten.

“If someone sees an alligator that they think is a threat to public safety, they should call the FWC. They should never try to catch it themselves, no matter how small it is,” said Tye. “As Mr. Willms found out, not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law.”

Willms received minor punctures and lacerations, and Tye instructed him to seek medical attention to avoid infection from his cuts.

The moral of this gator tale is if something isn’t bothering you, leave it alone.

Catching and possessing alligators without a permit is against the law. Violators should be reported to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward if their information leads to arrest.

SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI -More women than men took up hunting last year, according to new net figures from the National Sporting Goods Association.

While total hunters in the U.S. decreased slightly (.05 percent) between 2008 and 2009, the number of female hunters increased by 5.4 percent, netting 163,000 new participants. Growth areas for women included muzzleloading (up 134.6 percent), bowhunting (up 30.7 percent) and hunting with firearms (up 3.5 percent).

Data also show women outpaced men among net newcomers to target shooting with a rifle, where female participation grew by 4.1 percent.

New hunters and shooters are cause for celebration because more participation helps with funding for conservation, according to officials with National Hunting and Fishing Day. Congress established NHF Day, set for Sept. 25, 2010, to recognize America’s sportsmen and women for their leading role in fish, wildlife and habitat conservation (more info at www.nhfday.org).

“New hunters, shooters and anglers are a good thing for everyone who loves the outdoors,” said Denise Wagner of Wonders of Wildlife museum in Springfield, Mo., the official home of NHF Day. “Hunting and fishing license sales, combined with special taxes on firearms and ammunition, bows and arrows, and rods and reels generate about $100,000 every 30 minutes, totaling more than $1.75 billion per year, for conservation. When it comes to funding for wildlife and wild places, more is definitely better.”

The growth in new participation among women, perhaps counterintuitive to traditionalists, is no surprise to Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry.

He explained, “Over the past several years, our industry has worked hard to help build this segment of our market. We’ve developed shooting and hunting products especially for women, reached out with welcoming and instructional workshops for women, and encouraged existing hunters and shooters to introduce their spouses, daughters and other newcomers to shooting sports and outdoor lifestyles. I believe these efforts are paying off, which is a bright spot for our industry as well as for conservation.”

Also unsurprised at the number of female hunters and shooters are the women Olympians of the USA Shooting Team, whose ever-increasing visibility has made them effective ambassadors, role models and recruiters of women to traditional outdoor sports.

“Shooting is one of the most fun and empowering things you can teach a young girl or a grown woman,” said Corey Cogdell, 23, a lifelong hunter and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in trap shooting. “Most men are surprised to find out that I am an avid outdoors woman and are often intrigued to learn how they can get females in their own lives involved in hunting and shooting.”

Connie Smotek, 45, a two-time Olympic skeet shooter, bronze medalist in the 2009 World Cup, and avid bird and big-game hunter, added, “Shooting and hunting are activities which a woman can enjoy for a lifetime.”

Cogdell and Smotek are among the many USA Shooting Team members who parlayed early interests in hunting into international success in shooting sports-an opportunity that didn’t exist for women until comparatively recently. Women’s shooting wasn’t officially added as an Olympic sport until 1984 (although U.S. rifle shooter Margaret Murdock won a medal competing against men in the 1976 games). Since then, U.S. women have won 10 Olympic medals in shooting, which is a growing source of pride.

Four of those 10 medals were won in the past four Olympics by Kim Rhode, a double-trap and skeet shooter now among the most elite and enduring athletes in all of sports.

The entire USA Shooting Team is serving as honorary chair for NHF Day 2010.

Sponsors for NHF Day 2010 include Wonders of Wildlife, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Bass Pro Shops, Smith & Wesson, Sportsman Channel, Realtree, Cabela’s, GunBroker.com, Yamaha, Pope and Young Club and Izaak Walton League of America.

For more information about NHF Day, visit www.nhfday.org.

Participation statistics are from the National Sporting Goods Association report “Sports Participation in 2009-Shooting Sports.”

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will take a lead role in implementing a short-term step to address the advance of Asian carp up the Wabash River system and their potential movement into the Maumee River, a tributary to Lake Erie.

The focal point is Eagle Marsh, a 705-acre restored wetland near Fort Wayne that DNR staff identified as a possible pathway for Asian carp passage under certain flood conditions. The marsh is just north of Fox Island County Park near the intersection of Interstate 69 and U.S. 24.

A permanent solution to prevent Asian carp from being able to pass through this area during flooding conditions will take more time to develop, design and construct.

Therefore, as an immediate preventive measure, the DNR will install mesh fencing across a section of the marsh, creating a barrier against passage of Asian carp between the Wabash and Maumee drainage basins.

The DNR convened a recent meeting in Fort Wayne to address the potential carp movement and explore solutions, and the consensus was the mesh barrier is the best short-term option to pursue. The Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Little River Wetlands Project that manages Eagle Marsh, were represented at the meeting.

The fencing will be substantial enough to withstand floodwaters but will be designed so it does not increase flood elevations and cause property damage. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide design guidance on the fencing. The goal is to have the fencing installed this summer. Additional monitoring will be conducted and more aggressive action taken if the threat warrants.

Although Chicago waterways remain the likeliest entry point for Asian carp into the Great Lakes, the Corps of Engineers is tasked with finding other potential pathways throughout the Great Lakes basin. Corps officials have identified several sites they are investigating to determine the risk of Asian carp advancement, including the Eagle Marsh area.

Although the Wabash and Maumee basins drain in opposite directions and have no direct connection under normal conditions, their waters do comingle under certain flood conditions.

Eagle Marsh straddles a natural geographic divide created by glacial movement during the ice age. The broad wetland marsh extends across the divide into two key drainage ditches – McCulloch Ditch and Junk Ditch. McCulloch drains west into the Little River and eventually the Wabash River near Huntington, while Junk Ditch drains northeast into the St. Marys River and then the Maumee River.

If Asian carp cross the divide at Eagle Marsh and reach the Maumee, they would be in the Lake Erie drainage basin and additional more costly and invasive steps would be required to protect the Great Lakes from the threat.

The DNR and the Corps of Engineers are working with U.S. Geological Survey to analyze historic flood data and determine the depth and duration of flooding in the Eagle Marsh area.

Asian carp, a generic term for four species of non-native carp, were first detected in Indiana in 1996 at Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Area in the southwest corner of the state. Subsequent DNR surveys located bighead carp and silver carp in low abundance in the Wabash River or its tributaries, but the location of those findings show the fish moving upstream. A 2008 survey collected a total of 25 silver carp and two bighead carp over a 105-mile stretch of the Wabash River.

Adult bighead carp have been found below the dam at Roush Lake near Huntington, and silver carp have advanced to the Mississinewa River near Peru. In late May, a DNR biologist found evidence of silver carp spawning near Lafayette, 105 river miles downstream from the mouth of the Little River.

NOTE: For a map of the Eagle Marsh area, go to www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-AsianCarpMap.pdf
For facts about Asian carp in Indiana, go to www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-AsianCarpAdvisory.pdf
Contact:
Phil Bloom, DNR Communications, 317/232-4003, or pbloom@dnr.in.gov

(Grand Island, Neb.) – Team Hornady members, Joe Thielen and Randy Stephens took top honors at the 2010 Missouri State 1000 yard bench rest championships in Yukon, MO on June 26, 2010. Competing in a field of over 30 competitors, Joe, also an Engineer at Hornady Manufacturing, took 1st place in Light Gun group and another 1st in Light Gun overall. Randy took 1st place in the Heavy Gun score category as well as Heavy Gun overall.

The course of fire that entailed two, five shot targets with the light guns (17 lbs or less) and two, ten shot groups with the heavy guns (unlimited class). Each target was measured for group size and counted for score. Weather conditions were less than ideal, with 90-95 degree temperatures, high humidity, and an unpredictable fishtailing wind that made shooting very difficult.

Randy Stephens

Randy was shooting Hornady® 30 caliber 208 gr A-MAX® bullets in his heavy gun, which is chambered in 300 WSM. Both of his Heavy Gun targets were impressive with regard to both group and score. His first target was a 5.050″ / 99-4X and he followed that up with a 7.382″ / 95-3X, giving him a group average of 6.216 inches. Considering the 10 ring is only 7″ in diameter, dropping only 6 points is very impressive.

Joe Thielen

Joe was shooting Hornady® 7mm 162 gr. A-MAX® bullets in a 280 Remington Improved cartridge. The Light Gun targets measured an impressive 4.005″ / 47 followed by a 3.779″ / 45. The group average was an amazing 3.892″. The fact that these groups are shot at well over half of a mile makes it almost unbelievable.

Joe had this to say after the match, “Shooting 1000 yard bench rest is my passion. Being able to use the bullets that I help design and build to shoot groups like these at 1000 yards leaves no doubt in my mind that we are on the cutting edge of match bullet technology, and we’re not done yet.”

Founded in 1949, Hornady Manufacturing Company is a family owned business headquartered in Grand Island, Nebraska. Proudly manufacturing products that are “Made in the USA” by over 300 employees, Hornady Manufacturing is a world leader in bullet, ammunition, reloading tool and accessory design and manufacture.

For further information regarding Hornady products visit our web site at www.hornady.com. Media members interested in Hornady products for editorial review should contact Steve Johnson at sjohnson@hornady.com.
Contact:
Steve Johnson, Marketing Communications Manager, Hornady Manufacturing sjohnson@hornady.com

Applications for antlerless deer licenses in areas with restricted quotas go on sale Thursday, July 15, at all license vendors or online,but the accompanying digest will not be available at license vendors the Department of Natural Resources and environment announced.

“Due to some late changes in license quotas, we were unable to have the digest printed and shipped to license vendors by July 15,” explained DNRE Deer and Elk Program Leader Brent Rudolph. “But hunters can find the quotas and all other information about antlerless licenses on our website at www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting.”

In all, 776,500 antlerless deer licenses will be available in 2010, an increase from 728,100 last year. The number of both public- land and private-land licenses has been increased.

Hunters will find fewer antlerless licenses available in the Upper Peninsula. In 2009, 12 U.P. Deer Management Units (DMU) did not have antlerless deer licenses. This year 17 DMUs will not offer them.

In the northern Lower Peninsula, antlerless permits have increased somewhat, largely due to more licenses available on private land on the east side of the region. Five DMUs will not offer antlerless licenses, compared to four in 2009. All private-land licenses for DMU 487 – which includes Alpena, Alcona, Iosco, Montmorency, Oscoda, and Presque Isle counties – may be used throughout the DMU. There will not be any
private-land licenses for the sub-unit DMUs within DMU 487. As another option for taking antlerless deer only within DMU 487, hunters in the unit may use an antlerless or combination license for antlerless deer within the Nov. 15-30 firearm season or the Dec. 10-19 muzzleloader season.

In southern Michigan, where deer populations remain significantly above goal, the number of available antlerless licenses has been increased. As with the change made for DMU 487, all private-land licenses for DMU 486 – the multi-county unit which includes all but six DMUs in southern Michigan – will be good throughout the DMU. There will not be any private-land licenses for the sub-unit DMUs within DMU 486.

Applications, which remain on sale through Aug. 15, are $4. Hunters may apply for just one antlerless license.

North Haven, CT – O.F. Mossberg & Sons earns Outdoor Life’s 2010 Great Buy Award for their 500 Turkey/Deer Combo shotgun in the 2010 Gun Test. Mossberg’s Lightning Pump Action (LPA) adjustable trigger was honored in the Outdoor Life Innovations category as well. Mossberg’s LPA trigger is the first adjustable trigger of its kind for a pump-action shotgun.

The Outdoor Life 2010 Gun Test is an annual hands-on test of new sporting firearms. The testing of each gun includes shooting multiple factory loads using a variety of ammunition styles and weights. The theory is that if a gun can shoot a variety of ammo, that versatility wins extra points. The testers then check to see how the gun will perform in the field at the tasks for which it was designed.

During the testing of firearms, the evaluators take detailed notes on each gun’s balance and handling. They go over the geometry of the stock and the ergonomics of the trigger, safety, and any other mechanical features with a critical eye. After getting a good feel for the quality of the gun, it is then graded for price/value.

The Mossberg 500 Pump-Action Turkey/Deer Combo with LPA Adjustable Trigger received the “2010 Great Buy” award from Outdoor Life testers. The testers felt that the Mossberg 500 is a “Monster value in a hard-working utilitarian package”, a “Strong two-season gun” and “Loved seeing the blade-style trigger make its way onto a shotgun”, according to the comments by testers on outdoorlife.com. The 500 Turkey/Deer Combo features the LPA Adjustable trigger, Realtree® Hardwoods HD Green® finish, and a 24″ ported turkey and 24″ fluted/fully-rifled slugster barrels. The overall rating of the Mossberg 500 was three and a half stars out of four with an A in performance and an A+ in price/value.

The Outdoor Life Innovations honors are given for smart design elements on the year’s new rifles and shotguns. The innovations for 2010 are all worthy elements that enhance the firearms and offer clear benefits to the shooter. The Mossberg LPA trigger was honored this year in the Outdoor Life Innovations category. The LPA is a user-adjustable trigger that pulls from less than three pounds to seven pounds. This trigger has a creep-free trigger pull; the skeletonized lightning bolt trigger blade prevents the hammer from rotating and hitting the firing pin unless the blade is completely depressed. The testers at Outdoor Life state “The triggers on most shotguns are bad enough to make you weep. Mossberg’s user-adjustable LPA trigger, which broke at three pounds on our model, elevates mass production shotgun triggers from the Dark Ages.”

Tom Taylor, Vice President of Marketing and Sales comments, “We are honored to have the 500 Turkey/Deer Combo and LPA trigger systems selected by Outdoor Life’s gun testers. Outdoor Life is a well-known and highly respected publication that delivers only the best products on the market today and we value the opinions of their writers.”

Founded in 1919, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. is the oldest family-owned firearms manufacturer in America, and is the largest pump-action shotgun manufacturer in the world. Leading the way with over 100 design and utility patents to its credit, and standing as the first ISO 9001 Certified long-gun manufacturer, Mossberg is considered to be one of the most innovative firearms manufacturers in U.S. History.

For more information on commercial, special purpose, law enforcement and military shotguns, rifles and accessories, please visit their website at www.mossberg.com.

Contact: Kim Cahalan 309.944.5341 or kim@mediadirectcreative.com

WATERBURY, VT – On June 17, 2010, Jeffrey Vinton, 53, of Braintree, Vermont was charged with shooting eight songbirds that he claimed were raiding his strawberry patch.

Game wardens received a complaint that gun shots had been fired on several occasions from Mr. Vinton’s residence in Braintree. The complaints indicated the shots were occurring sporadically during daylight hours.

State Game Warden Keith Gallant responded to the residence after the next occurrence. There was no answer at the door, but spent shotgun shells were observed outside the residence. Five dead cedar waxwings were observed in the garden as well as one dead chipping sparrow. Two more cedar waxwings were located under a tree in front of the residence. These songbirds are protected by both state and federal law.

Special Agent Pat Bosco of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assisted Warden Gallant with interviewing Mr. Vinton. Mr. Vinton said he had shot the birds because they were eating the strawberries he had planted in his garden.

Killing a federally protected songbird is illegal, and each violation carries a fine of $256.00 and restitution of $50.00 for each bird killed. Mr. Vinton has until August 11, 2010 to answer the charge of Taking Songbirds in Violation of Regulation in Orange District Court.

July 13, 2010

Michigan Deer Harvest Decreases Nine Percent in 2009

Michigan hunters harvested about 9 percent fewer deer in 2009 than
they did in the previous season, according to Department of Natural
Resources and Environment wildlife biologists.

Hunters killed an estimated 444,047 deer last year, down from 489,922
in 2008, according to the DNRE’s annual mail survey.

Hunters killed 5 percent fewer antlerless deer and 14 percent fewer
antlered bucks in 2009 than in the previous season.

Overall, hunters purchased about the same number of deer hunting
licenses last year as they did in 2008. An estimated 686,392 hunters
went afield in 2009, a one percent decrease from the previous season.

Forty-three percent of hunters reported killing at least one deer last
year, a 4 percent decline from 2008.

Hunter success was down most significantly, about six percent, during
the traditional Nov. 15-30 firearms season. Success was about one
percent higher during the state’s archery seasons, something wildlife
officials think might be attributed to liberalized rules for using
crossbows.

The complete harvest survey is posted online at
www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting.

By Glen Wunderlich
Outdoor Columnist
Member Professional Outdoor Media Association

Wildlife food plots are a great way to provide essential nutrients to deer and other animals throughout the year. The concept is a simple one: we feed the animals and they feed us. Our sites have a mix of perennial legume plants (clover and alfalfa) and annual plants, for which we are now preparing.

Already, the clover plots have been fertilized in the spring and have been mowed several times. It’s a beautiful, springtime sight to find the green plants emerging after a long and snowy winter. Deer no longer have the brassica roots to feed on, as they did all winter. Those that remain have rotted, and although their remnants will provide essential elements to the next season’s plants, they no longer have value as a food source. Ah, but the legumes are there for the taking.

However, since deer are browsers and not grazers, varied plant species are the best way to hold them on your site, while giving them a balanced diet. That’s why we have planted brassica mixes over the years alongside the perennial plots. Brassicas include members of the mustard family: radish, turnips, canola, kale, rape, rutabaga, etc. and when planted the first of August, can carry the deer through a harsh winter. The brassica plot also affords a hunter some hot late-season action, when cash crops have been harvested.

This season, I thought it would be worthwhile to mix in some soybeans into the brassica planting in a few weeks, so I picked up a 50-pound bag of RoundUp ready soybeans. Soybeans contain about 45 percent protein and can be broadcast with a hand spreader and pushed into the ground with a cultipacker, which is all the equipment we have. The idea is to have green, young, succulent forage leaves for browse instead of actual beans – all this, when spring-planted beans are turning brown.

When I began reading the label on the soybean bag, the precautions jumped out like utility pole to a drunk driver: this seed has been treated with seed protectants…Treated seeds exposed on soil surface may be hazardous to birds, fish, and other wildlife. Cover or collect spilled seeds. Forage may not be grazed for 30 days.

I don’t season my food with poison and I’m sure the wildlife wouldn’t eat it, if they knew better. I really didn’t want or require RoundUp ready beans, because I had no intention of spraying for weeds after germination. But, since the local elevator didn’t have any untreated soybean seed, I settled for the chemically altered variety – that is, until I became aware of the precautions. I returned the bag of soybeans and exchanged them for buckwheat.

Buckwheat is a good choice for weak soils; it will grow just about anywhere. It germinates fast and is a natural herbicide, which suppresses other plant growth and builds up poor soil by bringing up minerals from deep below the surface. And, deer love the stuff. One note of caution, however: it disappears when the first frost hits it. Therefore, it is only good for a very short period of time, if used as an attractant at a bow site. Typically, it is disked under and then replanted with other desirable food plot mixes which take advantage of the minerals brought up by the buckwheat plants. But, it sure is fun while it lasts.

We should be ready to plant the first of August, as long as neighbor, Bucky, is able to fashion some new maple wood bearings for the antique cultipacker we picked up last fall.

Food plots may require some cash and plenty of labor. But, they’re a labor of love that reaps their own rewards.