Outdoor commentary and legislative issues.
By Glen Wunderlich
Mid-summer is a time for county fairs, cool drinks, barbeques, swimming, fishing, vacations and just plain being lazy in the shade. Ah, that would be the life, but when it comes to farming – in my case wildlife food plots – it’s business before pleasure.
With only days remaining before heading down South for a business conference, I had put the food plot work on the back burner until returning the first week in August. Read more
Chantilly, VA, – Aimpoint, the originator and worldwide leader in electronic red dot sighting technology, has announced that the Aimpoint Hunter Series H34S sight has received an “Editor’s Choice” award from Petersen’s Hunting magazine as part of the publication’s recently published 2012 Annual Gear Issue. This is Aimpoint’s second year in a row receiving this honor. The Aimpoint Micro H-1 was selected as the “Editor’s Choice” in the red-dot sight category in 2011. Read more
Mogadore, OH. TenPoint Crossbow Technologies®, an industry leader in crossbow technology and performance, has received Petersen’s Hunting’s 2012 Editor’s Choice award for their new Carbon Elite XLT crossbow. This is the first time Petersen’s Hunting magazine has conducted a comparative crossbow model evaluation and assigned an Editor’s Choice award. Read more
PROCTOR, MN (August 13, 2012) – As the popularity of crossbow hunting continues to grow, it is no surprise that Nockturnal Lighted Nocks is leading the way with a series of new Crossbow Lighted Nocks with an exclusive patent-pending Universal Fit Technology™, that allows the Nockturnal nocks to fit virtually any crossbow bolt. Read more
I had a lot going on so I took a chance and planted my food plots in the last days of July – a bit early but rain was predicted and fell some 9 hours later. Now, we’ve had non-stop rain for three days and the brassicas are singing my song. In the top photo, you can see the turnips and rape emerging.
QDMA Special Brassica Mix
In the lower photo, I planted a brassica mix and clover into a stand of alfalfa. The alfalfa remained after an early-spring spraying with glyphosate (RoundUp). After that, I just ran a disk across it a few times and over-seeded followed by cultipacking.
Total acreage planted this fall was about 6.5. These plots feed the wildlife year-round, with a mix of perennials and annuals. The worse the December weather, the better the late-season deer hunting. The foliage on the turnips and rape stays green well into December – even under the snow, when all the farmers have picked their crops. After that, the deer feast on the turnips themselves. If enough are planted, some will rot in the spring and subsequently go back to the earth as nutrients for the next planting.
Lots of work, lots of fertilizer and lime ($) and seed but it’s worth it to me when the snow is on.
Anniversary Model 70
For 75 years the Winchester Model 70 has been the chosen rifle for thousands of sportsman on hunting adventures all around the world. The reliability and the smooth-handling pre-’64 style action and legendary accuracy has allowed this rifle to stand the test of time making it “The Rifleman’s Rifle.” To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Model 70, Winchester Repeating Arms has introduced the Model 70 75th Anniversary Super Grade. Read more
Michigan goose hunters will enjoy a longer season and duck hunters will be able to take up to four scaup daily this year according to regulations that were approved by the Natural Resources Commission in Lansing yesterday. Read more
GW: Really? Not that I didn’t expect the relentless whackos to fire away at game management based on science. No, that’s not it. But, “animal cruelty?” as a basis to stop the control of wolves? How ’bout cruelty to livestock? Oh that’s right, it’s better that the wolves eat the meat before we do.
This from my friends at The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation…
On Wednesday, August 8th a coalition of animal rights groups filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) in an attempt to stop the state’s upcoming wolf hunt.
The hunting season, which was passed by the state’s legislature earlier this year and was recently approved by the WDNR, allows the use of dogs to track wolves. The anti-hunting groups are claiming that the use of dogs to hunt wolves is a violation of the state’s animal cruelty laws and are seeking to stop the issuance of wolf hunting licenses. Read more
BEAVERTON, Ore. – From August 1 to September 30, 2012, hunters can receive an $80 rebate on the purchase of select Leupold® VX®-3 riflescopes. Read more
GW: Remember how so many hunters squawked about closing down artificial baiting when we had that one case of CWD in a captive herd? The DNR was acting on its approved plan, that’s all. So, here’s your chance to be heard. It could be very interesting. There’s other good stuff to be discussed, as well.
Just read the whole post, because not much of it relates to baiting, but it’s in there.
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) will hold its regular monthly meeting Thursday, Aug. 9, at the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, 4125 Beaumont Road, Lansing. Read more