As the year draws to an end it’s natural for us to look back on the year that was as well as to look forward at what the New Year will bring. There has been a lot of turmoil this past year with wildlife issues in North Carolina and probably better described as a roller coaster ride.

This past year it seemed that those who had been fighting to allow hunting on Sunday had won a partial victory with the passage of Bow Hunting only on Sundays. A rarely used procedural tactic sidetracked it and a number of other changes causing uproar in the hunting community. I hope in 2010 many of these things get settled and hunters and pro hunting organizations look past their differences and focus more or those things that connect us.
Four years ago this month I launched Moose Droppings and it has been an exciting journey so far. There was only a few outdoor theme blogs at the time and I suspect there was only a few people reading mine. Since then the outdoor blog world has grown, even a lot of the media giants in the outdoor world have now jumped on board with blogs of their own.
There are many people I need to thank for helping me along the way. The support my wife, my family, and friends have given me has been great. Many in the blogging community most can be found on one if not both of these networks Skinny Moose Media and The Outdoor Bloggers Summit have encouraged inspired and challenged me over the years.
Finally to my readers who come in here every day to read my posts I say thank you.
What started as a hobby to document some of my hunts and stories is now an important part of my life. I look forward to 2010 and all the exciting things we’ll do along the way. Happy New Year Folks and Thanks Again

The accidental shooting death of Edward Raynor Jr on Christmas Eve we reported on yesterday but more information has emerged today with information from the autopsy being released. According to the Daily Record Mr. Raynor was shot with multiple buckshot pellets in the head and torso area with the fatal wound being a chest wound.

Sampson County Medical Examiner Dr. Carl Barr said Mr. Raynor had been shot in the back from a distance with buck shot, pellets lodging in his head, arms and chest. The immediate cause of death was due to at least one pellet that penetrated Mr. Raynor’s heart, Dr. Barr said.
Wildlife Officer Tim Sasser said Mr. Raynor was shot from a distance of 29 yards, not elevated, but on the ground.
Dr. Barr said Mr. Raynor was not wearing hunter orange when he arrived at Sampson Regional Medical Center but said it was possible the clothing had been left at the scene.

This is a tragic story for everyone involved, a family has lost their husband/father and son. Then I can’t imagine the pain his hunting friend is going through knowing he has killed him. Our thought and prayers are with everyone involved. Please be careful out there and hunt safe.

Strawberry farmers are losing their spring crop to deer that find the plants to be an irresistible treat when most plants are dominant this time of the year. I would suspect that a few deer could do some significant damage on a strawberry patch in a single night. Now combine that night after night and it is easy to see how an entire field could be destroyed long before the crop has a chance to bear fruit this spring.

WRAL
I would tend to agree with the wildlife officials that have said that extending the current season may not be the best answer to the problem. I would guess that access to the lands around the farming operation is the main culprit allowing the deer herd to grow basically unchecked. Hunting is the best method to control the deer population but hunters have to be able to gain permission or lease the land to hunt. Land owners, farmers, and hunters need to work together to help create the necessary balance. I’ve known a few situations where hunters have lost leases because an unwillingness to kill does and farmers fed up with the deer that damage their crops finding other hunters who would kill them.
While I hate to see depredation killing of deer in this situation the farmers certainly would be in their rights to kill the deer under North Carolina law. They could also get North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to issue depredation permits thus “extending “the deer season on their farm. With the permit a hunter could fill the tags on behalf of the farmer as well as make sure the meat gets used. Under current law without the permit a deer killed in the act of depredation needs to be disposed of on the farm it was killed and the meat cannot be used.
Deer are very adaptable and can adjust to a variety of changing habitats including the urbanization of an area. Deer and human conflicts will continue as more and more areas become urbanized and off limits to hunting. Any land owner / farmer that is having problems with deer, geese, coyotes, hogs, or whatever can contact me directly at moosesign@aol.com and if I can’t help you I’m sure I can find a responsible outdoorsman that can help you.

Edward Allen Raynor age 28 of Benson NC was fatally shot while deer hunting on Christmas Eve in Sampson County. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Enforcement Division is investigating the fatal accident. Mr. Raynor was participating in a deer hunt with hounds as a member of the South River Hunting Club when a fellow member Sanford Smith, accidentally shot and killed him. Multiple sources report that Mr. Raynor was struck in the eye by a shotgun pellet or part of a pellet from Mr. Smith’s shotgun causing the fatal injury. Investigators plan to meet with local prosecutors to determine if charges in this accident are warranted.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all involved in this tragic accident.
WRAL
Daily Record

The expanding bear population from either end of the state and dropping down from Virginia has not escaped the notice of the local media. News and Observer on Christmas day ran a story about how more and more bears have moved into the Piedmont portion of the state. As we have discussed a number of times out here the bear population in North Carolina has really taken off. The map the N&O used with their story certainly shows that.

Photo by Moose

I attended a lecture a few months ago about bear management in the state and this is an issue that North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is going to have to address. I believe in a lot of ways it is more a people management issue then a bear issue. Bears while they can be dangerous are often more skittish and avoid encounters with humans when possible.

Photo by Moose

If we accept the bear reestablishing its range across the entire state then we need to begin educating people on how to live in bear country. Even with education conflicts will arise and the potential for serious if not fatal encounters will occur. The N&O article correctly points out that in modern day history there has not been any fatal bear attacks in North Carolina but fatal black bear attacks have happened.
Not too far over the border in Tennessee there have been two fatal bear attacks and neither were in highly populated or urban areas but inside Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Cherokee National Forest. Bears are creatures of opportunity that will kill prey no matter what it is if they are hungry and it’s available. Additionally they will fight if they feel threatened or their cubs are threatened which may have been the reason for the attack inside the park.

I realize that fatal attacks are extremely rare but human bear conflicts are not and there have been a number of high profile ones over the past few years including the current Governor (Bev Purdue). Bear human conflicts often end with the bear being destroyed because relocating problem bears has been shown to not be an effective method to deal with them. Studies show that bears trapped and moved will often return to the same area even if they are moved to more “suitable habitat”.

Photo by Moose

I’m not opposed to bears reestablishing across the state but we have to be willing to adapt to them. Local law enforcement should be educated on how to deal with them so the shooting option is not the one they use all the time. Bear proofing trash cans and teaching people what to do when encountering a bear also has to be part of the education of the communities. I also feel that hunting of bears to keep the population in check as well as maintaining their natural fear of man has got to be part of the management plan as well.
I have my doubts that the people in the more populated areas of the state will be willing to deal with bears in general. The occasional bear wandering through these areas now causes quite a stir…. now imagine if it happened more frequently.

Another holiday weekend and an important travel route through the mountains remains blocked from a massive rock slide that happened back in October on I 40 in the mountains of North Carolina. The rock slide blocks all 4 lanes of I 40 at mile marker 2.6 near the Tennessee border and will take months to clear. Detours around the slide area have been established but some are not taking the official detour and cutting through Smoky Mountain National Park on 441 which can be a treacherous route in the winter.

“A lot of people are looking at their GPS and their road maps, and they say, ‘441 looks like a good alternative,’” Miller said. “Fortunately, at this time of year, traffic is still relatively low compared to summer.”

Winter weather ahead will make U.S. 441, which climbs to 5,048 feet in elevation, less dependable as a detour.

“It can be 12 to 15 degrees colder at the top,” Miller said. “We don’t salt the roads like a county would. We’re a national park, so we’re trying to protect the water quality.”

When the road closes, rangers at the visitors center in Cherokee will have to direct travelers back to the detour on U.S. 25/70 through Hot Springs to Newport, Tenn., or back to Asheville up Interstate 26 to Johnson City, Tenn., and then to Interstate 81.

Asheville Citizens Time has about the best coverage and most up to date information on the slide.

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” but not in this case as Leupold cautious customers about counterfeit scopes from China.

Leupold® is issuing a customer alert to purchasers of products, particularly via Internet sales, in regards to bogus Leupold products that are apparently being illegally imported from the People’s Republic of China. These products bear many of the marks and trade dress of current Leupold & Stevens riflescopes making them very hard to distinguish externally from authentic Leupold products.

So if you got a good deal you may have been ripped off. Go to Leupold’s website for more details as well as ways to determine the fakes.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

One of my favorite T.V. shows growing up was Baretta and that’s where I first heard the saying “Don’t Do The Crime if You Can’t Do The Time” that phrase ran through my mind when I read this story out of Washington State. A bowhunter may face charges after he shot a suspected prowler in the butt after a brief chase.

According to police, Schwingdorf armed himself with his hunting bow and a broadhead arrow, chased the man to Cliff’s Hilltop Market, about 3 1/2 blocks away. The man refused to stop, and Schwingdorf shot him with the arrow.

Police said Galen Louis Crayne, 32, of Longview later sought medical attention at St. John Medical Center for an arrow wound to his left buttock. Crayne underwent surgery at the hospital Monday morning to remove the sharp-bladed broadhead tip, and his injuries were not life-threatening, Thompson said. The hospital listed him in satisfactory condition Monday afternoon.

No one had been arrested in the case and there was no hold on Crayne Monday morning, Thompson said, but the investigation is continuing.

TDN.com
Well if the guy was a prowler in my view he got what he deserved. Hopefully the archery was correct in his assessment of what was going down. If he was I don’t see why he would face charges they should make him the captain of the neighborhood watch.

Growing up in New England I’m partial to hunting in cold snowy weather and rarely ever see it here in North Carolina so I was excited about this weekend. I love hunting in snow and one of my dreams is to stalk hunt a buck in the snow so this snowfall was giving me a chance to fulfill this dream.

Friday afternoon I climbed up into the stand with snow falling but not much accumulation at that point. It was a beautiful afternoon but did not see any deer. By the end of shooting light the ground including the roads were snow covered. The snow continued to fall and by 11 pm there was over 7 inches of snow and I got ready for bed excited about the morning hunt. The weather had kept everyone else away from the hunt camp but I was real comfortable in the clubhouse planning out my plan of attack. Just before I fell off to sleep I heard the unmistakable sound of rain hitting the roof I hoped it would switch back to snow.

Photo taken around 11pm shortly before the snow switched to rain

When I got up at 430 am the rain was still pouring down and the snow had been compressed to about 4 inches. There was no way with the conditions and what the weather was calling for that my stalking plan was going to be feasible the snow was real crunchy and only got worse when the rain turned to sleet and freezing rain shortly after sun up.

Saturday was challenging with strong winds temperatures hovering around freezing and the precipitation changing from rain to sleet, to snow. At least my stand had a roof so I stayed relativity warm and dry, I got the opportunity to try out one of the fine products I won over on the blog Desert Rat . I used Crooked Horn Outfitter’s scope cover to keep the ice and snow off my scope. I’d never seen their scope cover before but I’ll tell ya it worked great. I’m going to have to pick up a few more of these for some of my other rifles.

Rain switched to Freezing Rain after day breaking making it a bit hairy climbing out of the stand with all the ice.

The sleet and freezing rain made a very crunchy crust on the top of the snow and pretty much everything just holed up waiting for this system to pass.
I didn’t see much of anything as far as game goes but it was still and enjoyable day out in nature. One of these days it will happen and I’ll get my chance to hunt in a big snowstorm. Less than 2 weeks in the North Carolina deer season so I better get cracking if I want another deer or two for the freezer.