Thormahlen & Cochran Safaris To Offer Specials on Hunts of a Lifetime at the 2016 SCI Hunters’ Convention

Thormahlen & Cochran Safaris is a dynamic and experienced safari company operating for 15 years in a variety of concessions. They outfit in South Africa and Namibia for dangerous and plains game, and accompany clients to Cameroon on request. They will be exhibiting in booth 3320 at the 2016 SCI Hunters’ Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 3-6, 2016.

Those visiting the Thormahlen & Cochran Safari booths will find the largest variety of game available to hunt and a choice between two great countries that offer unique experiences. While at the convention, clients will have the opportunity to meet the friendly, professional and knowledgeable professional hunter with whom they will hunt. Read more

Hunting while Color Blind

By Glen Wunderlich

Charlie took careful aim with his muzzleloading rifle at a December survivor buck only to witness it run off carrying its front leg. For most hunters, the process of retrieving a deer is a straightforward matter of following a blood trail; for Charlie, however, the process is problematic: He is effectively colorblind.

While serving in the U.S. Air Force, Charlie learned the extent of his malady, which was determined to be a 78-percent color deficiency. While average eyes can see all the colors in a rainbow, Charlie sees only a yellow stripe. Translated to blood tracking, what others see as bright red, he visualizes only hues that blend with ground cover. In other words, following a blood trail is impossible for him.

At an early age, he archery hunted deer in Cadillac, Michigan with his uncle. During his military career, while stationed in Washington State, Charlie honed his skills with a rifle and learned to be an excellent shot. His talent transferred to the deer woods and the necessity of making perfect, drop-dead shots was his only means to put venison in the freezer. To Charlie, it was accuracy or nothing. And, for a man who had decided to fish and hunt in an effort to avoid supermarket mystery meat, hunting and fishing had become much more than sport; it was his chosen, spiritual lifestyle and a nutritious way to feed his family of three.

Since he couldn’t hunt by “color”, he developed a sense to see movement and shapes in the wild – often before typically sighted hunters see deer. He explains further that color-blind troops would be chosen for night-watch duty in World War II, because of the keenness of their eyes to detect movement or anything out of place with no regard to color. However, for Charlie, it means that without help being available, he does not hunt unless it’s during an afternoon session. Interestingly, and by accident, he discovered that a green light will show him blood at night clearly, because it stands out as the only thing black on the ground.

But, this time Charlie was hunting in the morning and that’s when the call came in to his work associate, Joe, my friend, who was with me at the time. We promptly headed to southern Shiawassee County with Joe’s aging chocolate Labrador, Cocoa, to assist in the tracking chores.

Charlie hadn’t found any blood but he had a good view of the deer’s direction, as it disappeared. Soon we located the trail but Cocoa showed no interest in the chore she once found exciting; we were on our own.

The sporadic trail of blood finally vanished and we resorted to visually checking the cover of a swamp and surrounding habitat. Nothing. Hours had passed, and dejected, we headed out of the woods together.

Then, Charlie piped up, “Hey! Over there!” It was the unmistakable white belly hair of a deer 40 yards away. Charlie could not believe his eyes and thought out loud, “Is it dead?” He cautiously prodded the 7-point buck with his gun’s muzzle to confirm that his success was real.

Charlie's 2 1/2 Year-Old Buck

Charlie’s 2 1/2 Year-Old Buck

 

Together, we ran the gamut from despair to elation in 30 seconds. And, long after the tasty venison has been consumed, the lesson in persistence and teamwork will remain.

U.S. Will List African Lion and Will Require Permits for Trophy Importation

From SCI and posted by firstforwildlife on December 22, 2015 · Leave a Comment

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lionsonroadblogOn December 21, 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced a final rule to list African lions under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The rule, which will be published in the Federal Register on December 23, will list African lions as two separate subspecies – Panthera leo leo and Panthera leo melanochaita.

In October 2014, the FWS published a proposed rule to list all African lions as threatened. The FWS has since changed its mind about the listing status of the lion. Under the final rule, Panthera leo leo, found in western and central Africa, will be listed as endangered and Panthera leo melanochaita, found in eastern and southern Africa, will be listed as threatened.

Together with the listing rule, the FWS will issue a special “4(d) rule” that will require ESA permits for the importation of threatened lions harvested from eastern and southern Africa. It is not entirely clear yet how the FWS will issue these permits or make the required determination that hunting and subsequent importation enhances the survival of the species.

In conjunction with the listing, the Director of the FWS, Dan Ashe, has issued Director’s Order 212 which instructs all FWS employees to deny permits to individuals who have previously been convicted of violating wildlife laws.

Safari Club is still in the process of reviewing the 230-page listing rule and will provide further information and insights when available. The FWS’s announcement and additional information can be found here.

In Support of Fair Chase

At first glance, there seems to be little connection between the principles of fair chase hunting and the philosophies of competitive sports. But at a time when the very act of hunting and wildlife management is in the crosshairs on the international stage, we may be well served to take some inspiration from one of sports’ most familiar adages.

“The best defense is a good offense” means, of course, that the most effective way to defend your interests is to keep your opponents on their heels via a strong and consistent offense. In this age of social media and instant outrage, the primary enemies of fair chase and science-based wildlife management are twofold: “hunters” who ignore fair chase ethics and the anti-hunting groups who use their transgressions as public-relation weapons.

When hunting and wildlife management come under fire over moral objections, the natural response has been to assume a defensive posture. To date, fair chase and science-based wildlife management are the only responses that have consistently shielded the act of hunting from such attacks, and the Boone and Crockett Club sits on the vanguard of the fair chase counterpoint.

While it’s comforting to know that fair chase and management will always be there as a shield, we believe it can also be used as a spear. We know, as you do, that fair chase hunting and science-based wildlife management are not just acceptable practices in a society that seems determined to forget its place in the food chain—they are necessary ones. But those who oppose hunting will not learn this on their own, and neither will those who ignore fair chase ethics yet still call what they do “hunting.” It is up to the Club and fair chase hunters like you, to stand up for what is right and be on the forefront of spreading the message of fair chase.

As a primary architect of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, the Boone and Crockett Club is uniquely positioned to lead the charge against those who would strip us of our hunting heritage.
By contributing to the Boone and Crockett Club, you play a crucial role in the task of enlightening those who need it most and setting the standard for fair chase hunting and wildlife management in North America. Please help us teach them.

NEW AVIAN-X LCD LAYDOWN HEN SENDS GOBBLERS ALL THE RIGHT SIGNALS

Port Clinton, OH (December 18, 2015) – Hens play the ultimate roles in determining spring gobbler behavior and, ultimately, spring turkey hunting success. From the first gobbling of the breeding season through the very end of the nesting period, toms are constantly on the lookout for receptive hens.

 

 

 

 

Like males of the human species, gobblers aren’t mind readers. Even the most macho sometimes needs an obvious sign. In the turkey world, a hen simply can’t convey her receptiveness to suitors any more clearly than by laying down. Bow-chicka-bow-wow. Read more

Last Michigan elk hunt of 2015 is complete


DNR staff member checking in elk hunterAlthough it may not feel like a Michigan December, the final 2015 elk hunt drew to a close last weekend.”We had crazy weather conditions for this year’s late elk hunt,” said Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Shelby Hiestand. “In a typical year, we would have had a ton of snow on the ground, where hunters could track and pattern elk and really have a better chance at spotting them against the white snow.”

Although conditions may not have been typical for the December elk hunt, the harvest was still quite successful. Ninety-two percent of hunters harvested an elk this December season, totaling 46 elk. Each hunter was selected out of a random, weighted lottery of more than 31,000 Michigan hunters who applied to hunt elk this year. Read more

MI Late antlerless deer season begins Dec. 21

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that the 2015 late antlerless firearm deer season is right around the corner. Below is a list of the deer management units (DMUs) that are open and closed for this private-land-only hunt.

A valid private-land antlerless deer license is required for this season, which runs Dec. 21, 2015, through Jan. 1, 2016. Read more

Redneck Introduces The Silent Stalker Soft-Side Blind And Portable Blind Stand


Lamar, MO – Designed along similar lines as its wildly popular 360 Series fiberglass blinds, Redneck introduces its 6X6 “Silent Stalker” 360 Soft-Side Blind.With its spacious 6-foot by 6-foot interior, there’s plenty of room for up to three adults or two adults and two children to hunt comfortably—whether that’s with a bow, gun or crossbow. The Silent Stalker sports a heavy-duty double-stitched 600 denier flame-retardant camouflage cover, and the double-zipper design allows the windows to be opened to any configuration for maximum visibility while maintaining the highest level of concealment. The blind also features a heavy-duty powder-coated steel frame that will withstand high winds and heavy snow loads. Simply put: This blind will take anything you and Mother Nature can throw at it. Read more

The Legacy of Jiminy Christmas Goes Hollywood


Tulsa, OK — Outdoor Channel television celebrity Roger Raglin’s DVD The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter, which was originally released in 2000, is part of the inspiration for a Hollywood movie currently being filmed in the Asheville, North Carolina area.Josh Brolin and Danny McBride are set to star in the movie with the same title, The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter. It’s being produced by Scott Ruden Productions and Rough House and directed by Jody Hill. McBride, Hill and David Gordon Green make up Rough House, the outfit that spawned HBO’s excellent comedy series Eastbound and Down. Hill, McBride, along with John Carcieri co-wrote the screenplay: A nationally known whitetail deer hunter takes his 13-year old son on his first deer hunt. Read more

Congress Increases Agency Funding, Passes Stop-gap LWCF Measure in Late-night Budget Deal

WASHINGTON – An omnibus budget deal released by Congress early Wednesday morning increases agency funding and includes a measure that reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund – but for only three years.

The spending bill for Fiscal Year 2016 represents a hard-won – and at times bitterly contested – agreement that funds the federal government in the coming year while narrowly averting another shutdown. While acknowledging the hard work by Congress, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers reiterated the need for LWCF legislation that permanently reauthorizes and fully funds the highly successful conservation program.

“Christmas came early for sportsmen late last night when Congress passed a budget deal that not only avoided a government shutdown but also includes a provision to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund for three years at $450 million,” said BHA President and CEO Land Tawney. Read more

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