Want Great Off-Season Hunting With The Kids?

Try “Peaslee Mountain Hunt Park” in Maine

By Blaine Cardilli

As a 48 year old hunter with more experiences than I can begin to remember, it’s strange that I never gave “hunt parks” or “game ranches” a second look until now. Like most, I’ve always enjoyed the challenges of free range hunting and must have gotten caught up in the “We hunt 100% wild, 100% fair chase” mode that is so prevalent in todays hunting circles. Now don’t get me wrong; I still prefer hunting the wide open forests and fields of this beautiful country, hands down, and as a member of the prostaff with “Northwoods Adventures TV” I have some great and varied opportunities nationwide, but at least now I can understand the allure of a true hunt park after having finally experienced one. Enter ‘Peaslee Mountain‘ and owner Forest Peaslee, of Jefferson, Maine. Read more

South Dakota Hunters Have A New Voice In Politics

Below is information and a press release about a newly formed organization in South Dakota, South Dakota Hunting Rights Advocacy, aimed at fighting to protect the hunting heritage of South Dakotans. As I looked over the site, I found this. Read more

Is It Against The Law To Carry A Knife?

This article comes from RTT News:

1/2/2008 12:04:38 PM A man wielding a knife was arrested inside a campaign headquarters of Democratic presidential front-runner Senator Hillary Clinton in Decorah, Iowa, police said Wednesday.

Christopher James Faris, 42, of Decorah was arrested Monday evening and charged with carrying weapons and with third-degree harassment. Faris was in the Winneshiek County jail on Wednesday, held on a $5,000 bond, The Associated Press reported.

There’s little to go on here but I sure do have a couple of questions or fifty. The term “wielding” is used in the opening paragraph to describe what this man was doing with a knife (described as a hunting knife). Wield, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, means in this case, 1. to handle a weapon. 2. To exercise or exert power or influence.

The article makes little sense actually, perhaps because it is riddled with terminology meant to scare the hell out of people instead of tell what actually happen. First of all, why was it a hunting knife? Was it because this took place in Iowa? We don’t know.

Second, the article first states he was “wielding” a knife but later says nothing happened.

”He just came into the headquarters, just mainly staff was there. There were no comments made about Hillary Clinton at all or nothing like that,” Courtney said. “It was a short episode. He left even before the officers arrived.”

So, what happened? What did he do? Who is this guy? This might explain some of it.

“He’s one of these guys we’ve dealt with before in town here. We’re aware of his behaviors.”

More questions then. What is his past record? Because it seems this guy was holding the knife in his hand it became a weapon? And as such he was charged with third-degree harassment?

The police chief said he had no details on what the knife was only that someone had described it as a hunting knife.

It doesn’t matter whose campaign headquarters this guy might have gone into, the questions would still be here. A quick trip around the Internet to see what the chatter is and I’m finding more than a reasonable amount of talk of another “staged” event at a Clinton campaign headquarters - just prior to the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire’s primary where the last Clinton campaign headquarters was allegedly going to be blown up.

If this guy’s a whack job get him off the street. I want to know what the knife was he was carrying or supposedly carrying in his hand. The police said he didn’t do anything with it. He was just there.

If this is a staged event, perhaps a second one, then let’s get the other whack job off the streets.

Tom Remington

Michigan And Iowa With Deer Harvest Issues

During the deer hunting seasons nationwide, it is normal to hear of states struggling to get harvest numbers where they want to due mainly to bad weather. But Michigan is scratching their heads at the moment trying to figure out where all the deer hunters went.

There are no official reports out yet but the Michigan DNR is saying that Michigan sold about the same number of hunting licenses as in the past. They also are reporting that deer harvest rates were up by about 6% in the Upper Peninsula, down 6% in the upper lower peninsula and down 7% in the lower lower peninsula.

Other unofficial reports statewide seems to indicate that hunter participation was low everywhere. A couple weeks ago, Eric Sharp, outdoor writer for the Detroit Free Press, asked where all the hunters were. DNR officials are perplexed and don’t seem to have any rational explanation for that.

Meanwhile, over in Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources is considering an emergency statewide deer hunt because harvest numbers have been so low. To this point in the season, hunters have taken 34,000 fewer deer than was projected. If the commission approves the emergency hunt, it will be statewide and any hunters with unfilled tags will be able to fill them with antlerless deer only.

Iowa officials blame poor weather for the lousy success rate.

Tom Remington

Iowa Planning A Hunting/Trapping Season For Bobcat

Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources is proposing to open up a season for bobcats to run from November 3 to January 31. This season would be for hunting and trapping and would extend to these dates or until a maximum of 150 cats were taken. The season would close after that.

Not all of Iowa would be open to hunting and trapping of the cat. It would be limited to 21 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Those 21 counties are primarily in the southern part of the state where bobcat populations are the highest.

As part of the process, there will be a public hearing in Des Moines on May 30, 2007.

Tom Remington

Who Owns Iowa’s Deer?

There seems to be a bit of confusion along with hypocrisy when it comes to making a determination as to who owns and has what rights on the deer population.

Kevin Kelly, the Tipton Christmas tree farmer who was recently found guilty of illegally killing a deer that was eating his trees, says what many other Iowa residents say that they’re not sure who owns the deer but they sure know who collects all the money associated with deer - the Department of Natural Resources.

If you think I’m kidding, check out this article in the DesMoines Register and see how much of it makes sense.

Tom Remington

Iowa Tree Farmer Has Something To Say

Christmas tree farmer Kevin Kelly, found guilty for shooting a deer out of season and shooting a deer with a rifle, is frustrated. He says that every year the deer show up and start destroying his trees.

“We have two or three a year that show up in the summertime and they just seem to move into my nursery. And there’s just nothing you can do about it during that time of year,” says Kelly. “We have about 8 acres of seedling trees out here.”

He’s frustrated because he says he keeps asking the DNR to do something about it but they won’t. Kelly decided to take matters into his own hands.

This last incident happened in June of last year. After shooting the deer, he called the DNR to tell them what he did and to come get the deer. Kelly says the DNR picked up the deer on June 2 and never charged him until September 10. Kelly says by then, the obvious “substantial” evidence of destruction had grown over.

The jury found Kelly guilty after the judge instructed them that they had to determine if “substantial” damage had been done to his property. That obviously didn’t happen.

Many gardeners and farmers across Iowa are interested in this case as many of them have similar problems with deer.

Tom Remington