The 2010 season is approaching fast with Youth Day kicking it off on Saturday. Last year was a record breaking year despite some of the more historic top producing areas seeing a drop. The record was broken because of the success of the turkey reintroduction over the past couple of decades or so with turkeys now in all 100 counties and growing.

North Carolina’s turkey hunters
never had it so good. From a fledgling flock in the 1970s, the statewide wild turkey population stands at more than 150,000, with a new population study underway that will likely show an overall increase.
The 2009 spring gobbler harvest of 12,579 set a record, topping the former record of 11,706 that was set in 2006. The harvest dropped to 10,082 in 2007, and then increased in 2008 to 11,313. The new harvest record was a milestone, considering the increase was more than 11 percent from the year before.

NC Game & Fish

Read the rest of Mike Marsh’s article for a complete outlook on the upcoming season.

NWTF

On the Late Show with David Letterman tonight the National Turkey Calling Champions will be featured including Mitchell Johnston from Purlear NC. I’m not a big David Letterman fan but I’ll have to watch to see Mitchell. I had the opportunity to hear Mitchell call a few weeks ago at the State NWTF banquet at the Dixie Deer Classic he was phenomenal.

Possum playing Possum

State police have charged a central Pennsylvania man with public drunkenness after he was seen giving mouth-to-mouth “resuscitation” to a long-dead opossum along a highway.

Trooper Jamie Levier says several witnesses saw 55-year-old Donald Wolfe, of Brookville, near the animal along Route 36 in Oliver Township Thursday about 3 p.m. The trooper says one person saw Wolfe kneeling before the animal and gesturing as though he were conducting a seance, while another saw the mouth-to-mouth attempt.

CBS 3

Wow how drunk would one need to be to give CPR to roadkill? I’ll go out on a limb here and say Donald has a serious drinking problem and needs help. Well that seems to be the only explanation I can think for lip locking a dead grinning possum.

Black Bear

“We strongly oppose uncontrolled hounding of bears, a practice which results in gruesome injuries to bears and dogs,” states a press release from the Sierra Club.
DFG regulations make it a crime to hunt cubs and mother bears. However, according to the Sierra Club, the packs of hounds do not always read or follow those rules.
According to the press release, the DFG proposal will allow the use of GPS devices and tip-switches. The tip switches signal the hunters that a bear has been treed. The hunters then follow the GPS signals to the dogs and shoot the bear out of the tree.
The release also states that hounding places dogs, bears, and other forest animals, such as endangered species like the Pacific Fisher, at risk.
The Sierra Club also said that, in their opinion, legitimizing hounding will lead to more poaching.
“The use of dogs to hunt bears is the favored method of bear poachers,” states the press release.

Mount Shasta Area Newspaper

Equating the use of hounds with poaching is offensive by painting all hunters with a very broad brush and not acceptable behavior for a “Pro Hunting” organization. The state agency (California Department Fish & Game) charged with managing the wildlife wants to increase the bears killed because the population is growing. Hunting is the single best way to control wildlife species, if left unchecked the species will grow out of control.
Needless to say I won’t be joining the Sierra Club anytime soon.

Seeding for new food plot

Own some land and want to learn how to better manage it for wildlife, the ecosystem, native landscaping, storm water, and fire danger? Then the landowner workshops may be just what you need to help you improve your land.

• Discovering Your Land: Basic Land Management Skills (April 9 & 10) Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury — How to set property management goals and objectives while considering the role of your land in the big picture of regional ecosystems. Discuss ways to manage your land with wildlife in mind. Learn to use basic tools such as plant identification, and soil sampling, using maps, compasses, and GIS/GPS information to manage your land.
• Native Landscaping & Water Management (April 23 & 24) NC Zoo in Asheboro — A general overview of soil preparation and choosing and planting native plants in non-forested areas of your property. Care of urban trees and basic information on invasive plants. Solving storm-water problems with plants, and the basics of native grasses and wildflowers.
• Woodscaping Your Woodlands & Firewise Management (May 7 & Jordan Lake Educational State Forest in Chapel Hill — A general overview of managing your forest land – how topography and soil affect the forest type and a tour of harvesting methods. Basic information on forest insects and diseases, habitat areas, and secondary forest products. Plus, the benefits of prescribed burning and becoming “firewise” in your backyard.
• Stewardship, Recreation, & Liability (May 21 & 22) Montgomery Community College and nearby sites in Troy — Planning trails on your property, plus the basics of land ownership liability, recreational income opportunities, and conservation easements. Explore management practices in the field and apply your new knowledge and skills. Finalize your goals and objectives.

For more information and registration materials, visit www.cradleofforestry.org or contact Amy Garascia, Program Coordinator, at amysworkshopinfo@aol.com or 828-884-5713 ext. 26. Registration includes lunch, snacks and workshop-related materials and handouts. Registration deadline is one week prior to the start of the desired session.

The workshops are being sponsored by the following organizations;

The course is sponsored by the Cradle of Forestry Interpretive Association, North Carolina Division of Forest Resources, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, USDA Forest Service, American Forest Management, Land Trust for Central N.C., Montgomery Community College, N.C. Division of Soil & Water Conservation, N.C. Tree Farm Program, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, NC Zoo, Rowan County Parks & Recreation, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

The cost is $40 per workshop here is a link to the brochure with additional information.

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I’ll admit that I didn’t know what BBQ was till I came to North Carolina. I’m sure some of my readers are unfamiliar with it maybe thinking its when folks get together and grill hamburgers and hotdogs. Wrong it is pork cooked over hardwood fire giving it a good smokey flavor and then topped off with a sauce. Some folks are eastern fans ( vinegar based sauce) others are western fans (ketchup based) and then there is South Carolina with the mustard based BBQ. I’ll admit I like them all but my preference is certainly eastern leaning. I travel through Mebane to get to some of the land I lease to hunt on and A &M BBQ is a frequent stop. They have a BBQ that is a cross between eastern and western style and given where they are located in the center of the state it seems like the most diplomatic way to be.

It has been a while since I’ve been in A&M, seeing where we are kind of in between hunting seasons, but turkeys come in next month. So don’t be surprised if you find me in there eating a plate of BBQ or ordering a couple of BBQ sandwiches to take with me to the turkey blind.

Hawks are protected

For many of us turkey season is just about here and then for others turkey season never ends.

From the time an egg is laid, there is a predator looking for a ready-made omelet. Snakes of all descriptions, skunks, crows, ravens, opossums, raccoons, rodents, dogs and coyotes, to name a few, are on the lookout for a nest and an easy lunch. About half of the turkey nests make it to hatching.

Life is no easier for a turkey poult either. The above listed predators, along with hawks, owls, foxes, and other large predators like cougars and eagles in some parts of the country, will grab a young unsuspecting poult. The point to remember is that all of these predators will take turkey eggs, poults or, under the right circumstances, adults; but most of their diet consists of small birds, rodents and rabbits.

NWTF

To improve your turkey hunting control the predators that compete with you.

Snakes will eat eggs in the nest

Not uncommen for turkey hunters to get the surprise of their life when they call in a bobcat instead of that gobbler

The coyote might not ever get the road runner but they get their fair share of turkey dinners

Deer can do significant damage to crops

Steve Troxler, North Carolina Agricultural Commissioner called the whitetail deer a pest with the release of a study that shows wildlife damage to agricultural field crops last year was $29. 4 million with the deer as the main culprit.

Wildlife feasted on North Carolina field crops last year, running up a tab of $29.4 million, according to a statewide survey by the N.C. Agricultural Statistics Division.
Wildlife damaged $19 million worth of soybeans and $5.6 million worth of corn, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said in announcing the report. Damage to wheat, peanuts and cotton totaled $4.8 million.
“For some crops, animals can be as damaging as diseases, insects or the weather,” Troxler said. “And crop loss — regardless of how it occurred — can make a difference in profitability.”
Deer were the top gluttons. Ninety-two percent of soybean and cotton farms in the survey reported damage from deer. Deer also were the top foragers on 75 percent of peanut farms and 60 percent of wheat farms reporting damage.
“Bambi is a pest,” Troxler said.

As an outdoorsman I hate to see deer referred to as pests but I fully understand the damage they can cause when they get out of control. Hunting is the most effective way to control deer populations and we need to work with the farmers and other land owners to keep deer population in check.
North Carolina Department of Agriculture has announced a new program to hopefully match farmers with hunters.

The NCDA&CS has launched a Web site, “Hunt NC Farmland,” to match farmers and hunters. Farmers interested in leasing their land for hunting can post on the site, and hunters can look for farms to hunt on.

Both farmers and hunters can register on the site so check out Hunt NC Farmland. A program like this is great and hopefully it will lead to more deer that cause damages being used to feed the hungry and not left to rot in the fields after being shot for depredation.

Youth working on box calls at the NWTF Booth at the 3oth Dixie Deer Classic

The last few years the Dixie Deer Classic has really worked to improve the offerings at the show for youth and this year was no exception. The Outdoor Lore program offered a variety of educational and fun activities throughout the Show area. A Wake County Wildlife member reports… “We had over 1200 students from local public, charter and private schools as well as home schooled children.”
On Saturday I stopped in the NWTF area and saw the kids making their own box calls. It looked like they were having a blast. In addition the NWTF held a free gun raffle for youth giving away two guns.

NCWRC Bumpersticker for Hats On

Then at the NCWRC booth I learned about a new mentoring program “Hats On”

PLEDGE to introduce someone new to hunting during the 2010 hunting season and you will receive a FREE Hunting Heritage Program hat and bumper sticker!
WHY
The majority of all hunters began hunting because someone (a hunting mentor) took the time to introduce them to the activity. An individual rarely begins hunting without the support and guidance of a hunting mentor. Reflect back on the person who introduced you to hunting. If hunting really matters to you, become a hunting mentor and share the tradition. There is no better way to say thanks to the person that took the time and effort to mentor you

While this program is not solely focused on youth I’m sure youth mentoring will be a big part of it. All of these activities at the show went hand in hand to encourage and recruit young people to learn, participate and enjoy the great outdoors.
A tip of the hat to Wake County Wildlife Club, NCWRC and the NWTF for their commitment to our next generation of hunters, the future of our sport depends on getting young people involved.

Take a Kid Hunting or Fishing

Another banner year for hunters across the state and by viewing the deer on display at the show there is no doubt the quality of bucks in North Carolina are improving. The video is from the North Carolina Sportsman of Andrew Kerman talking about the new state record typical bow buck scoring a whopping 166 6/8 and they have a number of other ones up on their site. The results of the show were;

• North Carolina Typical (bow) – Andrew Kerman, Guilford County, 166 6/8
• North Carolina Typical (gun) – David Boroughs, Moore County, 162
• North Carolina Non-typical (gun) – Mark Ware, Bertie County, 168 5/8
• North Carolina Typical (muzzleloader) – Ashley Honeycutt, Ashe, 160 2/8
• North Carolina Non-typical (bow) – David Schnack, Franklin County, 161 3/8
• Best North Carolina Female (bow) – Ashely Prevatte, Chatham County, 114
• Best North Carolina Female (muzzleloader) – Linda Draheim, Wake County, 136 5/8
• Best North Carolina Female (gun) – Mary Preddy, Granville County, 142 7/8
• North Carolina Youth (uzzleloader) – Ashley Honeycutt, Ashe County, 160 2/8
• Best Youth (gun) – Trey Golden, Person County, 148
• Best Non-Hunting – Travis Manuel, Forsyth County, 147 6/8
• Physically Challenged – Michael Helbert, Caswell County, 167 6/8
• Virginia Gun (typical) – Delaine Babb, Virginia, 164
• Best in Virginia – Delaine Babb, Virginia, 164
• Best Non-North Carolina – Gregory Malpass, Ohio, 190 6/8
• President’s Award – Brent Marshall, Forsyth County, 160 5/8
• President’s Award – Chris Hensley, Kentucky, 175 2/8

What a great show and some mighty impressive deer.