I'm on the road, grouse hunting for 10 days in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We have two young dogs and 3 old guys so it should be quite a romp in the woods!
I'll check in when I get back.
Eric
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Good Hunters and New Partners
Usually I hunt with the same partners every year. But this year I've partnered up with some new folks with great results.
The first opportunity was on a farm that had been closed to hunters for years. After a year of talking to the owners they agreed to let me hunt for resident geese that were causing problems for a neighboring farm. A few weeks before the opener I got a call from a guy I knew was an avid waterfowler. He told me he had just talked to the owners and they told him I was in charge of who hunts on the farm. That was news to me! I could have said sorry - this is mine, but having been on the other side of the fence I offered to meet with him and talk it over. He turned out to be a great guy (he also had lots of decoys) So on the opening day he and his partners and my partner and I hunted the farm with great results. I got several offers for duck and bird hunting with good dogs that I intend to cash in soon.
The next opportunity came at 0500 on the opener of duck season. I had scouted out a wet area in a corn field that the woodies and mallards were using. But when I arrived in the dark a fellow and his son where already setting up. I introduced myself, apologized and offered to hunt the other end of the field. But the hunter said he had heard about me and if I wanted to he'd be glad to have me hunt with him and his son. So I added my decoys to his and we had a great hunt along with some interesting hunting talk. It turned out he had a scrape with the Wardens a few years ago, but had been treated fairly and was showing his son the right way to hunt.
Lastly, the store keeper near where my partner and I set up squirrel camp every year, invited us to hunt on some farm land that he does conservation work on and oversees hunting for the owners. Turned out to be a wonderful squirrel and grouse area. We haven't hunted together yet, but we intend to as he is an avid waterfowler and deer hunter.
It is easy to get paranoid about who you hunt with, but with some checking, clearly articulating expectations and safety issues, you can make some new friends and open up new opportunitites. I highly suggest it!
While your at it invite a new hunter to go with you. We all had someone help us, it is lot's of fun to see a newbie get all excited...
Happy Hunting!
The first opportunity was on a farm that had been closed to hunters for years. After a year of talking to the owners they agreed to let me hunt for resident geese that were causing problems for a neighboring farm. A few weeks before the opener I got a call from a guy I knew was an avid waterfowler. He told me he had just talked to the owners and they told him I was in charge of who hunts on the farm. That was news to me! I could have said sorry - this is mine, but having been on the other side of the fence I offered to meet with him and talk it over. He turned out to be a great guy (he also had lots of decoys) So on the opening day he and his partners and my partner and I hunted the farm with great results. I got several offers for duck and bird hunting with good dogs that I intend to cash in soon.
The next opportunity came at 0500 on the opener of duck season. I had scouted out a wet area in a corn field that the woodies and mallards were using. But when I arrived in the dark a fellow and his son where already setting up. I introduced myself, apologized and offered to hunt the other end of the field. But the hunter said he had heard about me and if I wanted to he'd be glad to have me hunt with him and his son. So I added my decoys to his and we had a great hunt along with some interesting hunting talk. It turned out he had a scrape with the Wardens a few years ago, but had been treated fairly and was showing his son the right way to hunt.
Lastly, the store keeper near where my partner and I set up squirrel camp every year, invited us to hunt on some farm land that he does conservation work on and oversees hunting for the owners. Turned out to be a wonderful squirrel and grouse area. We haven't hunted together yet, but we intend to as he is an avid waterfowler and deer hunter.
It is easy to get paranoid about who you hunt with, but with some checking, clearly articulating expectations and safety issues, you can make some new friends and open up new opportunitites. I highly suggest it!
While your at it invite a new hunter to go with you. We all had someone help us, it is lot's of fun to see a newbie get all excited...
Happy Hunting!
One Shot Sight In
Well not exactly one shot - I'm not that good a shooter! But you can zero in pretty well in about 6-8 shots every time. Here is how:
Assuming your rifle is hitting on paper at 100 yards,
1) using a rest fire a three shot group
2) use a gun clamp or a lead sled if you have one, or cut out slots in the top of a cardboard box for the stock and forearm of your rifle.
3)with the gun supported by the box or clamp move it untill the cross hairs are on the center of the target. Make sure it is steady and the gun won't move when you change the scope settings. It helps if using the box method that you have someone help hold the gun steady.
3) keeping the rifle steady, use the dial on the scope to move the cross hairs so they are centered on your three shot group. (reminder - the gun doesn't move during this process, only the cross hairs in the scope)
4) Refire a 3 shot group holding center- if you did this correctly you should be dead on. You may have to put a click or two on to fine tune and then shoot a few confirming shots.
Now with some dry fire practice at home and some time on the gong range using hunting positions you should be ready for that clean, one shot kill!
Good luck!
Assuming your rifle is hitting on paper at 100 yards,
1) using a rest fire a three shot group
2) use a gun clamp or a lead sled if you have one, or cut out slots in the top of a cardboard box for the stock and forearm of your rifle.
3)with the gun supported by the box or clamp move it untill the cross hairs are on the center of the target. Make sure it is steady and the gun won't move when you change the scope settings. It helps if using the box method that you have someone help hold the gun steady.
3) keeping the rifle steady, use the dial on the scope to move the cross hairs so they are centered on your three shot group. (reminder - the gun doesn't move during this process, only the cross hairs in the scope)
4) Refire a 3 shot group holding center- if you did this correctly you should be dead on. You may have to put a click or two on to fine tune and then shoot a few confirming shots.
Now with some dry fire practice at home and some time on the gong range using hunting positions you should be ready for that clean, one shot kill!
Good luck!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Pine Beetle, Whitebark Pine and Grizzly Bears
From the new report on National Parks in Peril
YELLOWSTONE CASE STUDY:
Global Warming, Bark Beetles, Whitebark Pine, and Grizzly Bears
By Dr. Jesse A. Logan, contributing author to National Parks In Peril
I consider the large-scale bark beetle mortality occurring in lodgepole pine forests across the West
interesting and unusual-- but I have no doubt that lodgepole forests will remain on the landscape for
generations. The current mortality in whitebark pines, though, breaks my heart. We are witnessing the
catastrophic collapse of high mountain ecosystems as a result of human-caused climate change, and
grizzly bears could pay the price.
The grizzly bear is the most emblematic symbol of America’s remaining wildlands. Unfortunately, in
one of its last strongholds, the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, its very existence is in peril. The most
challenging of its many threats there is a loss of critical food resources. Most important in the grizzly
diet are the large and nutrient-rich seeds of whitebark pine, as the bears depend on them in the fall to
prepare for hibernation. Nutritionally stressed bears in years with poor whitebark nut supplies have a
lowered over-winter survival rate, and, more importantly, lower cub birth rates as embryos will be
reabsorbed if pregnant females lack sufficient fat entering hibernation. Without enough whitebark pine
nuts, grizzly bears are also more likely to get into human conflicts as they search for other foods.
In recent years, a new threat has erupted to this critical element in the grizzly diet: the expansion into
high-elevation forests of a small, native bark beetle in response to a warming climate.
The mountain pine beetle is a native insect that has co-evolved with some pine forests. Trees killed by
the beetles (and fire) open up the forests to new growth; otherwise, some types of trees, especially
lodgepole pine, would be replaced by shade-tolerant spruce and fir. But whitebark pines are different
from lodgepoles. Whitebarks live for centuries, not decades, and are restricted to high elevations (with
one of their adaptations being their large, highly nutritious seeds). Whitebark pines do not depend on
catastrophic forest disturbances to survive; instead, they are threatened by them. One hypothesized
reason for the restriction of whitebark pines to high elevations is that they are poorly defended against
the insect pests and pathogens of lower elevations. Mountain pine beetles have not before been a
major threat to whitebark pine survival; their defense has been the high-elevation climate, historically
too cold for long-term survival of large beetle populations.
Unfortunately, things have dramatically changed in response to climate warming since the mid 1970s.
Computer simulations had predicted mountain pine beetle outbreaks into high-elevation systems, but
even the modelers were surprised by how quickly and how far beetles have now spread into whitebark
pines. Significant mortality is occurring across the entire American distribution of whitebark pine, with
no sign of it diminishing. When added to another stress—from a pathogen, white pine blister rust—the
spread of bark beetles into higher elevations puts in question the continued existence of these
ecosystems and of Yellowstone’s grizzly bears.
Given the likelihood of continued warming, what, if anything can be done to protect whitebark pines
and the grizzlies that depend on them? First, we need to better understand mountain pine beetle
infestations of whitebark pine, which differ from the host/insect interactions of other pine species.
Understanding the unique aspects of mountain pine beetle in whitebark pines may let us tip the scale to
favor the host. Second, we need better tools to evaluate the extent of mortality. Whitebark pine habitats
are in the most remote and wild places (often designated wilderness areas) in the Rocky Mountains,
where mortality goes almost undetected. Advanced technology, such as satellite imagery combined
with traditional aerial photography and ground surveying, is needed. Third, management tools (e.g.,
pheromone strategies) need to be fine-tuned for high-elevation environments. All of these approaches
need to be integrated across large, remote, and inhospitable landscapes.
Dr. Logan, an entomologist, retired in 2006 from the U.S. Forest Service.
YELLOWSTONE CASE STUDY:
Global Warming, Bark Beetles, Whitebark Pine, and Grizzly Bears
By Dr. Jesse A. Logan, contributing author to National Parks In Peril
I consider the large-scale bark beetle mortality occurring in lodgepole pine forests across the West
interesting and unusual-- but I have no doubt that lodgepole forests will remain on the landscape for
generations. The current mortality in whitebark pines, though, breaks my heart. We are witnessing the
catastrophic collapse of high mountain ecosystems as a result of human-caused climate change, and
grizzly bears could pay the price.
The grizzly bear is the most emblematic symbol of America’s remaining wildlands. Unfortunately, in
one of its last strongholds, the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, its very existence is in peril. The most
challenging of its many threats there is a loss of critical food resources. Most important in the grizzly
diet are the large and nutrient-rich seeds of whitebark pine, as the bears depend on them in the fall to
prepare for hibernation. Nutritionally stressed bears in years with poor whitebark nut supplies have a
lowered over-winter survival rate, and, more importantly, lower cub birth rates as embryos will be
reabsorbed if pregnant females lack sufficient fat entering hibernation. Without enough whitebark pine
nuts, grizzly bears are also more likely to get into human conflicts as they search for other foods.
In recent years, a new threat has erupted to this critical element in the grizzly diet: the expansion into
high-elevation forests of a small, native bark beetle in response to a warming climate.
The mountain pine beetle is a native insect that has co-evolved with some pine forests. Trees killed by
the beetles (and fire) open up the forests to new growth; otherwise, some types of trees, especially
lodgepole pine, would be replaced by shade-tolerant spruce and fir. But whitebark pines are different
from lodgepoles. Whitebarks live for centuries, not decades, and are restricted to high elevations (with
one of their adaptations being their large, highly nutritious seeds). Whitebark pines do not depend on
catastrophic forest disturbances to survive; instead, they are threatened by them. One hypothesized
reason for the restriction of whitebark pines to high elevations is that they are poorly defended against
the insect pests and pathogens of lower elevations. Mountain pine beetles have not before been a
major threat to whitebark pine survival; their defense has been the high-elevation climate, historically
too cold for long-term survival of large beetle populations.
Unfortunately, things have dramatically changed in response to climate warming since the mid 1970s.
Computer simulations had predicted mountain pine beetle outbreaks into high-elevation systems, but
even the modelers were surprised by how quickly and how far beetles have now spread into whitebark
pines. Significant mortality is occurring across the entire American distribution of whitebark pine, with
no sign of it diminishing. When added to another stress—from a pathogen, white pine blister rust—the
spread of bark beetles into higher elevations puts in question the continued existence of these
ecosystems and of Yellowstone’s grizzly bears.
Given the likelihood of continued warming, what, if anything can be done to protect whitebark pines
and the grizzlies that depend on them? First, we need to better understand mountain pine beetle
infestations of whitebark pine, which differ from the host/insect interactions of other pine species.
Understanding the unique aspects of mountain pine beetle in whitebark pines may let us tip the scale to
favor the host. Second, we need better tools to evaluate the extent of mortality. Whitebark pine habitats
are in the most remote and wild places (often designated wilderness areas) in the Rocky Mountains,
where mortality goes almost undetected. Advanced technology, such as satellite imagery combined
with traditional aerial photography and ground surveying, is needed. Third, management tools (e.g.,
pheromone strategies) need to be fine-tuned for high-elevation environments. All of these approaches
need to be integrated across large, remote, and inhospitable landscapes.
Dr. Logan, an entomologist, retired in 2006 from the U.S. Forest Service.
Lead Free Bullets
From The Outdoor News Service:
Non-Lead Special:
Lead ammo ban affects seven deer zones
Map of lead-free area
Legal bullets & ammunition
December 24 News Update:
Hornady introduces new
line of California-legal
big game ammunition
Hornady Manufacturing has announced a new line of “expanding solid” bullets and loaded ammunition that will meet California’s non-lead requirements in the range of the California condor for hunting ammunition.
The new bullet is made from solid gilding metal, a copper-based alloy that has no lead in its construction, similar to the three other non-lead products currently on the market, the Barnes X-line of bullets, the Nosler E-Tip line, and Lapua Naturalis bullet. The new Hornady GMX bullets will be available in .270, 7mm, .308, and .338 diameters for 2009. Hunters will be able to buy bullets for reloading or loaded ammunition in popular cartridges for those three calibers, and the first loaded ammunition should be available on dealer’s shelves soon after the first of the year.
Non-Lead Special:
Lead ammo ban affects seven deer zones
Map of lead-free area
Legal bullets & ammunition
December 24 News Update:
Hornady introduces new
line of California-legal
big game ammunition
Hornady Manufacturing has announced a new line of “expanding solid” bullets and loaded ammunition that will meet California’s non-lead requirements in the range of the California condor for hunting ammunition.
The new bullet is made from solid gilding metal, a copper-based alloy that has no lead in its construction, similar to the three other non-lead products currently on the market, the Barnes X-line of bullets, the Nosler E-Tip line, and Lapua Naturalis bullet. The new Hornady GMX bullets will be available in .270, 7mm, .308, and .338 diameters for 2009. Hunters will be able to buy bullets for reloading or loaded ammunition in popular cartridges for those three calibers, and the first loaded ammunition should be available on dealer’s shelves soon after the first of the year.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
You Local Wildlife Needs Your Help
You Local Wildlife Needs Your Help
A new bill – Teaming With Wildlife Act of 2009 (S. 655) - introduced in the U.S. Senate hopes to change that. Senators Tim Johnson (S.D.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) introduced the “Teaming with Wildlife Act,” which would provide states with the money they need to fully implement their wildlife action plans, conserving both game and non-game species and natural areas for future generations.
The legislation would provide $350 million annually over five years to help states carry out comprehensive wildlife restoration programs consistent with a state wildlife action plan. Since 2001, every state has adopted a state wildlife action plan to effectively recover fish and wildlife species. The Teaming With Wildlife Act would create a reliable funding source for the program through a portion of the royalties collected from mineral development on federal lands. The act is named after the Teaming with Wildlife coalition, which the TRCP serves as member of its steering committee.
The Teaming With Wildlife Act need additional Senate sponsors. Send the following letter to your Senator urging his or her co-sponsorship of this critically important bill.
sign on
A new bill – Teaming With Wildlife Act of 2009 (S. 655) - introduced in the U.S. Senate hopes to change that. Senators Tim Johnson (S.D.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) introduced the “Teaming with Wildlife Act,” which would provide states with the money they need to fully implement their wildlife action plans, conserving both game and non-game species and natural areas for future generations.
The legislation would provide $350 million annually over five years to help states carry out comprehensive wildlife restoration programs consistent with a state wildlife action plan. Since 2001, every state has adopted a state wildlife action plan to effectively recover fish and wildlife species. The Teaming With Wildlife Act would create a reliable funding source for the program through a portion of the royalties collected from mineral development on federal lands. The act is named after the Teaming with Wildlife coalition, which the TRCP serves as member of its steering committee.
The Teaming With Wildlife Act need additional Senate sponsors. Send the following letter to your Senator urging his or her co-sponsorship of this critically important bill.
sign on
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Hunting as a Rite of Passage
From the Outdoor Wire:
NOTE- Eaton spoke at the VT Hunter Ed instructor banquet a few years ago, he is an inspiring speaker and was well received by the instructors.
Hunting as a Rite of Passage
Is hunting good for kids? Why do they do it? Is it sport or is it instinctive? Does hunting encourage violence or does it teach empathy and compassion? Would it be a more peaceful world if more men hunted? These are some of the questions addressed in a new book entitled From Boys to Men of Heart: Hunting as Rite of Passage.
Award-winning author, Randall L. Eaton, Ph.D., is a behavioral scientist with an international reputation in wildlife conservation who has been studying hunting for 35 years. While producing "The Sacred Hunt" in the mid-1990s, he interviewed scores of recreational hunters as well as Native Americans. Eaton was surprised to discover that they all used the word "respect" to describe how they feel about animals they hunt.
That prompted Eaton to conduct questionnaire surveys on thousands of mature hunters who described their attitude toward animals they hunt as "respect, admiration and reverence." More than 80 percent of the hunters claimed they prayed for the animals they killed or gave thanks to God.
Eaton's survey also asked hunters what life event most opened their hearts and engendered compassion in them. The choices included death of a loved one, death of a beloved pet, becoming a parent, taking the life of an animal and teaching young people. The women hunters overwhelmingly chose "becoming a parent," but nearly all the men selected taking the life of an animal..
"These results indicate the fundamental polarity of human life. Women are adapted to bring life into the world, but men are adapted to take life to support life," Eaton said.
The same survey asked respondents to choose those universal virtues they learned from hunting. The top three choices were inner peace, patience and humility.
Eaton's book contains interviews of leading authorities in several fields who corroborate his research. One is Michael Gurian, family therapist and best-selling author of several books on how to properly raise boys. Gurian agrees that hunting does teach men compassion, and that it would be a more peaceful world if more men hunted. The Gurian Institute recommends Eaton's book to parents.
"Hunting is counter-intuitive," said Eaton, "because people who haven't had the experience can't imagine that it opens the heart and awakens a moral sense."
Taking calls on a national radio show, a distraught woman told Eaton, "You're just teaching kids violence!" He responded, "What do you think Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela would say? They won the Nobel Peace Prize and both are avid hunters."
Many people are aware that the U.S. government was modeled after the Iroquois Confederation. According to Eaton, what they don't know is that a thousand years ago the Peacemaker united the tribes under a system of government designed to maintain peace. "He advocated hunting reserves where young men could hunt and be mentored by elders because he knew it would make them more peaceful."
Also mentioned in his hunter's hall of fame are Teddy Roosevelt, greatest conservationist in the history of the world, and other exemplary Americans such as Thomas Jefferson, Audubon, Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, John Steinbeck and Jimmy Stewart. His list includes contemporary celebrities whom he considers worthy role models for youth, among them Morgan Freeman, Kurt Russell, Ted Turner and Shaq O'Neal.
The book contains an interview of Dr. Don T. Jacobs, professor of education and author of Teaching Virtues Across the Curriculum. Jacobs concludes, "Hunting is the ideal way to teach young people universal virtues including courage, fortitude, patience, generosity and humility." According to Jacobs, "humility is discovering that you're part of something greater than yourself," which Eaton considers an apt definition for spirituality.
The book presents evidence that hunting is an inherited instinct in boys. A German scientist who investigated 62 different cultures around the world found that in all of them boys start throwing rocks at the age of 4-5 years. Eaton said, "My survey of older hunters indicated that almost all the men spontaneously had killed a small animal before the age of ten, but women hunters rarely had. Typically the boy cries, as 8-year old Jimmy Carter did when he threw a rock and killed a robin."
Eaton believes that for boys at least, hunting definitely is not sport but an instinct. He compares hunting to sex.
"Sex drives a young male towards a sexual encounter, but a surprise awaits him. Sooner or later he falls in love. The instinct links up with the heart. It is a transformative experience with enormous consequences including marriage, parenting and providing. The instinct to hunt propels a young man to pursue the animal, but a surprise comes when he takes its life and his heart is opened. He discovers first-hand the interdependence of life. That is how males fall in love with nature and why they are the leaders in conservation." He added, "If sex is the bicep of love, hunting is the bicep of conservation."
The book presents compelling evidence from numerous disciplines that adolescent males need rites of passage to become responsible adults. Eaton argues that the original rite of passage was hunting because it proved that a male could provide and qualify for manhood and marriage. He believes it still is the ideal path by which boys may become men of heart. He also recommends wilderness survival and vision quest, always with appropriate mentoring.
"Without transformative rites of passage that open their hearts and connect them to nature and society males may become egotistical, self-centered and materialistic," Eaton said. He added that untempered masculinity is a factor behind the global social and environmental crisis, and it also promotes delinquency and gangs.
The book interviews Dr. Wade Brackenbury who for 13 years led groups of delinquent boys into the wilderness for two weeks where they had to survive on what they could forage. Brackenbury is convinced that it was hunting small animals for food that had the most transformative influence. Follow-up surveys showed that 85 percent of the boys did not get in trouble after their survival experience.
Eaton's book claims that hunting also develops character, values and virtues in girls and profoundly connects them with nature. If it so good for youth then why are the ranks of hunters declining?
"There are many contributing factors," Eaton suggests, "and one of them is fear of guns. How many parents and teachers know that hunting is the safest form of outdoor recreation?"
The book refers to the work of Dr. Helen Smith, author of Scarred Hearts and the world's leading expert on youth violence, who says that access to firearms does not cause youth violence. She believes that teenagers need boundaries and responsibility, which shooting and hunting provide when mentored by adults. She suspects that the Columbine tragedy never would have happened had the boys been properly mentored in hunting and shooting.
Adolescent neuropsyschologist, Dr. Jim Rose of the University of Wyoming, is interviewed in the book. He says that shooting and hunting teach kids self-control, self-restraint and sound judgment.
Eaton is glad about the "No Child Left Inside" movement, inspired by Richard's Louv's book,
The Last Child in the Woods.
"It's a good thing for kids to spend more time outside, but I doubt that the connection they make with nature is deep enough to promote a conservation ethic." In his opinion, "Not only are hunting and fishing better for kids, kids who hunt and fish are better for the environment."
According to Eaton, hunting is justifiable in terms of its enormous economic impacts and benefits to environmental conservation. He said, "We all take life, but for those who participate directly in it, the food chain becomes a love chain.. Look at Ducks Unlimited. They've permanently conserved over 12 million acres of wetlands throughout North America to the benefit of the entire living community. In just a few years, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has conserved over four million acres for wildlife and successfully reintroduced elk to the eastern U.S."
He sees most of the environmental community engaged in rear-guard actions while the hunting and fishing community are on the offensive. "How many people are aware that hunters and fishermen are behind the National Wildlife Federation, largest conservation group in the world?"
Eaton concluded that the social justification for hunting lies in its positive influence on the development of our youth into compassionate, virtuous and responsible adults who respect life and defend nature.
The 336-page book is available from OWLink Media at a discount before Oct. 1, official publication date.
For more information contact Dr. Randall Eaton at 513-244-2826 or at reaton@eoni.com. Visitwww.randalleaton.com or www.owlinkmedia.com.
NOTE- Eaton spoke at the VT Hunter Ed instructor banquet a few years ago, he is an inspiring speaker and was well received by the instructors.
Hunting as a Rite of Passage
Is hunting good for kids? Why do they do it? Is it sport or is it instinctive? Does hunting encourage violence or does it teach empathy and compassion? Would it be a more peaceful world if more men hunted? These are some of the questions addressed in a new book entitled From Boys to Men of Heart: Hunting as Rite of Passage.
Award-winning author, Randall L. Eaton, Ph.D., is a behavioral scientist with an international reputation in wildlife conservation who has been studying hunting for 35 years. While producing "The Sacred Hunt" in the mid-1990s, he interviewed scores of recreational hunters as well as Native Americans. Eaton was surprised to discover that they all used the word "respect" to describe how they feel about animals they hunt.
That prompted Eaton to conduct questionnaire surveys on thousands of mature hunters who described their attitude toward animals they hunt as "respect, admiration and reverence." More than 80 percent of the hunters claimed they prayed for the animals they killed or gave thanks to God.
Eaton's survey also asked hunters what life event most opened their hearts and engendered compassion in them. The choices included death of a loved one, death of a beloved pet, becoming a parent, taking the life of an animal and teaching young people. The women hunters overwhelmingly chose "becoming a parent," but nearly all the men selected taking the life of an animal..
"These results indicate the fundamental polarity of human life. Women are adapted to bring life into the world, but men are adapted to take life to support life," Eaton said.
The same survey asked respondents to choose those universal virtues they learned from hunting. The top three choices were inner peace, patience and humility.
Eaton's book contains interviews of leading authorities in several fields who corroborate his research. One is Michael Gurian, family therapist and best-selling author of several books on how to properly raise boys. Gurian agrees that hunting does teach men compassion, and that it would be a more peaceful world if more men hunted. The Gurian Institute recommends Eaton's book to parents.
"Hunting is counter-intuitive," said Eaton, "because people who haven't had the experience can't imagine that it opens the heart and awakens a moral sense."
Taking calls on a national radio show, a distraught woman told Eaton, "You're just teaching kids violence!" He responded, "What do you think Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela would say? They won the Nobel Peace Prize and both are avid hunters."
Many people are aware that the U.S. government was modeled after the Iroquois Confederation. According to Eaton, what they don't know is that a thousand years ago the Peacemaker united the tribes under a system of government designed to maintain peace. "He advocated hunting reserves where young men could hunt and be mentored by elders because he knew it would make them more peaceful."
Also mentioned in his hunter's hall of fame are Teddy Roosevelt, greatest conservationist in the history of the world, and other exemplary Americans such as Thomas Jefferson, Audubon, Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, John Steinbeck and Jimmy Stewart. His list includes contemporary celebrities whom he considers worthy role models for youth, among them Morgan Freeman, Kurt Russell, Ted Turner and Shaq O'Neal.
The book contains an interview of Dr. Don T. Jacobs, professor of education and author of Teaching Virtues Across the Curriculum. Jacobs concludes, "Hunting is the ideal way to teach young people universal virtues including courage, fortitude, patience, generosity and humility." According to Jacobs, "humility is discovering that you're part of something greater than yourself," which Eaton considers an apt definition for spirituality.
The book presents evidence that hunting is an inherited instinct in boys. A German scientist who investigated 62 different cultures around the world found that in all of them boys start throwing rocks at the age of 4-5 years. Eaton said, "My survey of older hunters indicated that almost all the men spontaneously had killed a small animal before the age of ten, but women hunters rarely had. Typically the boy cries, as 8-year old Jimmy Carter did when he threw a rock and killed a robin."
Eaton believes that for boys at least, hunting definitely is not sport but an instinct. He compares hunting to sex.
"Sex drives a young male towards a sexual encounter, but a surprise awaits him. Sooner or later he falls in love. The instinct links up with the heart. It is a transformative experience with enormous consequences including marriage, parenting and providing. The instinct to hunt propels a young man to pursue the animal, but a surprise comes when he takes its life and his heart is opened. He discovers first-hand the interdependence of life. That is how males fall in love with nature and why they are the leaders in conservation." He added, "If sex is the bicep of love, hunting is the bicep of conservation."
The book presents compelling evidence from numerous disciplines that adolescent males need rites of passage to become responsible adults. Eaton argues that the original rite of passage was hunting because it proved that a male could provide and qualify for manhood and marriage. He believes it still is the ideal path by which boys may become men of heart. He also recommends wilderness survival and vision quest, always with appropriate mentoring.
"Without transformative rites of passage that open their hearts and connect them to nature and society males may become egotistical, self-centered and materialistic," Eaton said. He added that untempered masculinity is a factor behind the global social and environmental crisis, and it also promotes delinquency and gangs.
The book interviews Dr. Wade Brackenbury who for 13 years led groups of delinquent boys into the wilderness for two weeks where they had to survive on what they could forage. Brackenbury is convinced that it was hunting small animals for food that had the most transformative influence. Follow-up surveys showed that 85 percent of the boys did not get in trouble after their survival experience.
Eaton's book claims that hunting also develops character, values and virtues in girls and profoundly connects them with nature. If it so good for youth then why are the ranks of hunters declining?
"There are many contributing factors," Eaton suggests, "and one of them is fear of guns. How many parents and teachers know that hunting is the safest form of outdoor recreation?"
The book refers to the work of Dr. Helen Smith, author of Scarred Hearts and the world's leading expert on youth violence, who says that access to firearms does not cause youth violence. She believes that teenagers need boundaries and responsibility, which shooting and hunting provide when mentored by adults. She suspects that the Columbine tragedy never would have happened had the boys been properly mentored in hunting and shooting.
Adolescent neuropsyschologist, Dr. Jim Rose of the University of Wyoming, is interviewed in the book. He says that shooting and hunting teach kids self-control, self-restraint and sound judgment.
Eaton is glad about the "No Child Left Inside" movement, inspired by Richard's Louv's book,
The Last Child in the Woods.
"It's a good thing for kids to spend more time outside, but I doubt that the connection they make with nature is deep enough to promote a conservation ethic." In his opinion, "Not only are hunting and fishing better for kids, kids who hunt and fish are better for the environment."
According to Eaton, hunting is justifiable in terms of its enormous economic impacts and benefits to environmental conservation. He said, "We all take life, but for those who participate directly in it, the food chain becomes a love chain.. Look at Ducks Unlimited. They've permanently conserved over 12 million acres of wetlands throughout North America to the benefit of the entire living community. In just a few years, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has conserved over four million acres for wildlife and successfully reintroduced elk to the eastern U.S."
He sees most of the environmental community engaged in rear-guard actions while the hunting and fishing community are on the offensive. "How many people are aware that hunters and fishermen are behind the National Wildlife Federation, largest conservation group in the world?"
Eaton concluded that the social justification for hunting lies in its positive influence on the development of our youth into compassionate, virtuous and responsible adults who respect life and defend nature.
The 336-page book is available from OWLink Media at a discount before Oct. 1, official publication date.
For more information contact Dr. Randall Eaton at 513-244-2826 or at reaton@eoni.com. Visitwww.randalleaton.com or www.owlinkmedia.com.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Killing wolves for fun
from yesterday's NYTimes Magazine: http://ethicist.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/08/killing-wolves-for-fun/
Here's an excerpt:
Here's an excerpt:
The Issue
The Interior Department has ruled that wolves have sufficiently increased in numbers in the Western continental United States to allow some wolf hunting there. The Idaho hunt began on September 1; Montana’s starts on the 15th. A case might be made for the right to hunt for food and to manage wildlife populations, but surely some of the more than 14,000 people who bought wolf-hunting licenses are interested in neither wolf sandwiches nor animal husbandry: they simply enjoy hunting. Is it morally acceptable to kill a wolf for the fun of it?
The Argument
Unsurprisingly, I believe it is wrong to inflict pain and death unnecessarily on a creature capable of suffering. (Peter Singer more broadly examines the moral standing of animals here.) While this belief might not compel us to be vegetarians, it does demand significant changes in the way we raise animals for food, and it forbids wolf hunting as a form of entertainment. To be clear, I concede all putatively practical justifications for hunting and repudiate only the idea that hunting is a legitimate recreation. It is the person who claims as much who bears the burden of proof — a wolf need not make a case for its not being shot in Montana. I’m not persuaded that hunters have made their case.
Some declare that hunting is a cherished tradition in their region or for their family. But having done something in the past is insufficient to justify its repetition. It was traditional in my family to be roughed up each spring during pogrom season, a time-honored custom in our part of Russia, and one we gladly abandoned when my grandparents emigrated to America.
Some note that hunting is a challenging activity. No doubt. As is juggling flaming axes while blindfolded. And drunk. But not everything difficult is desirable. Or ethical. Pickpocketing, too, is tough.
There are people who find it fulfilling to cultivate shooting skills, learn to track, take a walk in the woods, maybe bring the kids and make it a bonding experience or bring a couple of buddies and make it a beer-drinking experience or just an opportunity to avoid spending time with the spouse. All of these might be amiable ways to beguile the time, but none need culminate with a killing. Inflicting death is not an acceptable leisure activity.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
New safety and game recovery products of note
From the Outdoor Wire:
Rifle Reel and Magic Dust Rolled Out
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - Two new products designed for the safety of hunters and game recovery are now available in stores and on-line. Created and engineered by Wayne's Wicked Enterprises, Inc., the Rifle Reel® and Magic Dust® product lines are original and first to market of their kind.
The Rifle Reel is an automatic adjustable strap for rifles, muzzleloader, shotguns of all kinds, and even crossbows. Magic Dust is glow in the dark dust that is "puffed" into the air to aid in stalking and recovering game during no or low-light hours of hunting.
"Both of these products have been designed to help hunters," said Wayne Woolsey, president of Wayne's Wicked Enterprises, Inc. "Of course, our customers are talking about their 'cool factor,' but honestly, whenever we develop new product concepts, we are always looking to help hunters in two ways specifically - to make hunting as safe as possible and to help hunters more effectively stalk and recover game. If we can do that, we know we are making a difference in the industry."
read more
Rifle Reel and Magic Dust Rolled Out
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS - Two new products designed for the safety of hunters and game recovery are now available in stores and on-line. Created and engineered by Wayne's Wicked Enterprises, Inc., the Rifle Reel® and Magic Dust® product lines are original and first to market of their kind.
The Rifle Reel is an automatic adjustable strap for rifles, muzzleloader, shotguns of all kinds, and even crossbows. Magic Dust is glow in the dark dust that is "puffed" into the air to aid in stalking and recovering game during no or low-light hours of hunting.
"Both of these products have been designed to help hunters," said Wayne Woolsey, president of Wayne's Wicked Enterprises, Inc. "Of course, our customers are talking about their 'cool factor,' but honestly, whenever we develop new product concepts, we are always looking to help hunters in two ways specifically - to make hunting as safe as possible and to help hunters more effectively stalk and recover game. If we can do that, we know we are making a difference in the industry."
read more
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Call for support of America’s Wildlife Heritage Act
From the Izaak Walton League:
Ask Congress to Support America’s Wildlife Heritage Act
America’s National Forests and tens of millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife and offer incredible opportunities for hunting, fishing and observing wildlife. Yet, the long-term health of wildlife may not be fully considered when the Forest Service decides how many acres can be logged or when the BLM approves new oil and natural gas drilling operations.
Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would ensure land managers include wildlife in decision-making. The bill, America’s Wildlife Heritage Act, would require that important habitat and species be monitored to ensure their long-term health and quality hunting and fishing. This is a balanced approach that respects the states’ role in managing fish and wildlife and emphasizes partnerships at all levels.
Contact your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to co-sponsor America’s Wildlife Heritage Act.
CLICK HERE to take action now!
Ask Congress to Support America’s Wildlife Heritage Act
America’s National Forests and tens of millions of acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife and offer incredible opportunities for hunting, fishing and observing wildlife. Yet, the long-term health of wildlife may not be fully considered when the Forest Service decides how many acres can be logged or when the BLM approves new oil and natural gas drilling operations.
Legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would ensure land managers include wildlife in decision-making. The bill, America’s Wildlife Heritage Act, would require that important habitat and species be monitored to ensure their long-term health and quality hunting and fishing. This is a balanced approach that respects the states’ role in managing fish and wildlife and emphasizes partnerships at all levels.
Contact your U.S. Representative today and urge him or her to co-sponsor America’s Wildlife Heritage Act.
CLICK HERE to take action now!
Monday, August 31, 2009
False gun control bills on the internet
from Bullet Points:
URBAN LEGENDS ON GUN-CONTROL BILLS CONTINUE TO SURFACE . . . It seems urban legends about new gun-control bills are continuing to surface. The latest fallacy to cause concern is a bill, "SB 2099," that would allegedly require gun owners to list their firearms on their tax documents (and pay upward of $50 per gun owned). NSSF wishes to be perfectly clear on this matter: There is no such bill. Also generating talk is HR 45, The Blair Holt Act. Sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), HR 45 calls for, amongst other things, all handgun owners to submit to the federal government a formal application including: photo identification, fingerprints, medical and mental health records and a completed written firearm safety examine. The legislation also mandates that a federal database be established of all firearm sales and transfers. Though this legislation is real and NSSF is continuing to monitor it, industry and gun owners should not be concerned. HR 45 has no co-sponsors and is not a threat to become law.
URBAN LEGENDS ON GUN-CONTROL BILLS CONTINUE TO SURFACE . . . It seems urban legends about new gun-control bills are continuing to surface. The latest fallacy to cause concern is a bill, "SB 2099," that would allegedly require gun owners to list their firearms on their tax documents (and pay upward of $50 per gun owned). NSSF wishes to be perfectly clear on this matter: There is no such bill. Also generating talk is HR 45, The Blair Holt Act. Sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), HR 45 calls for, amongst other things, all handgun owners to submit to the federal government a formal application including: photo identification, fingerprints, medical and mental health records and a completed written firearm safety examine. The legislation also mandates that a federal database be established of all firearm sales and transfers. Though this legislation is real and NSSF is continuing to monitor it, industry and gun owners should not be concerned. HR 45 has no co-sponsors and is not a threat to become law.
Slob Hunters
Slob Dove Hunters Need to be Cited for Their Violations
Dove hunting season opens in a few days on Tuesday, September 1, and each year there are fewer and fewer places to hunt.
The reason is simple. Dove season seems to attract the lowest element of the hunting community, and private farm and ranchlands where hunters were welcome in the past are now closed because of these few well, I'll just say it morons. They're inconsiderate idiots who apparently have no idea whatÃs at stake here.
They are the guys who arrive at a popular and crowded field five minutes before shooting time, and walk out in front of or set up too close to guys whoÃve been in the spot for an hour, and then they give anyone crap who tries to mention to them their transgression.
They are ones who shoot too many birds and donÃt bother to retrieve the ones that sail out too far or crash into the brush behind them.
They are the guys who think it's OK to shoot a limit in the morning and another in the evening, and they apparently donÃt understand a possession limit either.
They leave their shotgun empties and trash strewn around where they shoot.
They shoot at low birds, peppering other hunters; and then have the audacity to yell at someone else who might do the same thing.
Are you any of those guys?
You certainly know one or two of them. Perhaps you even tolerate their behavior each year and hunt with them. They have a litany of offenses that offend farmers and other hunters, leave game wardens shaking their heads, and give this noble family tradition of hunting a black eye in the non-hunting community.
Robert Pierce, who manages WalterÃs Camp on the Colorado River south of Palo Verde in California, said he "hates to hunting opening day any more because of the people I have to share it with."
Pierce winces when he tells the story of how dove hunters lost the right to hunt a big chunk (over 10,000 acres of farmland) in the lower Palo Verde Valley about a dozen years ago. A local landowner was driving down a dirt road opening morning, actually enjoying all the sportsmen around his fields, when shot peppered his truck and he was struck by sizzling pellets coming in the open truck window. The shooter was just 100 yards away and had shot at a low bird. The landowner drove over to the hunter and offered the advice that he probably shouldnÃt shoot low birds, the blood running down his cheek graphically explaining why.
"Do you know what the stupid SOB hunter said? He told my friend that he shouldnÃt be riding around with his window down on opening day of dove season,î said Pierce. ìThat was the last year any of his lands were open to hunting, and they are still posted."
It just takes one jackass to ruin it for everyone else. The solution, like with so many problems, are best solved when you can address the offenderÃs pocketbook.
Ray Aspa, Sr., acting chief of the fish and game department for the Colorado River Indian Tribes huge reservation on the river between Blythe and Havasu, said when the tribal council agreed to increase the price of the CRIT hunting license from $45 to $75 there was an unexpected benefit.
"It got rid of the riff-raff. We have far fewer problems than we had in the past," said Aspa. There were fewer hunters driving in farm fields, less trash, and fewer other violations.
Are you getting where I'm going with this?
Rarely do the offending slobs get caught by law enforcement and have to pay for their violations, and they seem to shun friendly advice and education from other hunters.
Like a lot of my hunting friends, I frequently ask other hunters not to forget to pick up their empties and trash, and frequently have expletives hurled my way. Where to these people come from?
One buddy, after getting peppered three times by the same hunter shooting at low doves streaking into a field, yelled again at the guy to "knock off shooting at the low birds." He may have added a legitimate, descriptive, but not family newspaper-approved name for the shooter at the end of that sentence the third time. Proving that my friendÃs description was correct, the low-bird shooter threw up his gun and deliberately shot at my buddy, peppering him with shot and expletives. That was before we all carried cell phones and could dial 911. My buddy simply chose to leave.
To protect our hunting heritage, we all need to help enforcement officers: Give the hunters breaking the rules (including your hunting acquaintances) a chance to do the right thing. But if they don't respond to our verbal coaching, it's time to take photographs of the slobs, record their car license plates, perhaps even collect a couple of water bottles they leave that will carry fingerprints, and photograph all the trash they leave behind. Keep count on how many birds theyÃre shooting. Don't put yourself in jeopardy or be confrontational, but get the evidence. Then find a game warden or sheriff and tell them you want the offenders cited.
Pierce likes to tell this story. He and an off-duty sheriff were working on a satellite dish during the dove season a couple of seasons ago. There were hunters nearby on private land, and Pierce and his friend were peppered when the hunters shot at a low bird. The sheriff walked over and asked the guys to be more careful and reminded they were on private land. Pierce said he could hear them tell the sheriff to F-off, with the kicker, "You're not a cop."
The sheriff didnÃt say another word, walked back to the satellite dish, told Pierce he had to go to work, and went inside his house. He came out dressed in his uniform and with his K-9 unit dog. On his drive around the field, he called the landowner and made sure the owner didnÃt mind him citing some jackass hunters for trespass. They were cited for a litany of violations and had their guns confiscated. The cost of those citations was substantial.
Rather than raising the cost of hunting for all of us (like the CRIT did), those are the kind of targeted "fee increases" that might help rid our ranks of the riff-raff. You and I can help.
---JIM MATTHEWS
www.OutdoorNewsService.com
Matthews is a syndicated outdoor columnist in Southern California, shockingly still writing for 11 daily newspapers in this gun-hating, liberal region. You can keep up with his writing on his business' web site at www.OutdoorNewsService.com. His column/news archives provide a wealth of insightful reading on the outdoor scene in California, including issues the rest of the nation will be facing in the coming years. As Matthews likes to say, " The poo rolls downhill from here."
Dove hunting season opens in a few days on Tuesday, September 1, and each year there are fewer and fewer places to hunt.
The reason is simple. Dove season seems to attract the lowest element of the hunting community, and private farm and ranchlands where hunters were welcome in the past are now closed because of these few well, I'll just say it morons. They're inconsiderate idiots who apparently have no idea whatÃs at stake here.
They are the guys who arrive at a popular and crowded field five minutes before shooting time, and walk out in front of or set up too close to guys whoÃve been in the spot for an hour, and then they give anyone crap who tries to mention to them their transgression.
They are ones who shoot too many birds and donÃt bother to retrieve the ones that sail out too far or crash into the brush behind them.
They are the guys who think it's OK to shoot a limit in the morning and another in the evening, and they apparently donÃt understand a possession limit either.
They leave their shotgun empties and trash strewn around where they shoot.
They shoot at low birds, peppering other hunters; and then have the audacity to yell at someone else who might do the same thing.
Are you any of those guys?
You certainly know one or two of them. Perhaps you even tolerate their behavior each year and hunt with them. They have a litany of offenses that offend farmers and other hunters, leave game wardens shaking their heads, and give this noble family tradition of hunting a black eye in the non-hunting community.
Robert Pierce, who manages WalterÃs Camp on the Colorado River south of Palo Verde in California, said he "hates to hunting opening day any more because of the people I have to share it with."
Pierce winces when he tells the story of how dove hunters lost the right to hunt a big chunk (over 10,000 acres of farmland) in the lower Palo Verde Valley about a dozen years ago. A local landowner was driving down a dirt road opening morning, actually enjoying all the sportsmen around his fields, when shot peppered his truck and he was struck by sizzling pellets coming in the open truck window. The shooter was just 100 yards away and had shot at a low bird. The landowner drove over to the hunter and offered the advice that he probably shouldnÃt shoot low birds, the blood running down his cheek graphically explaining why.
"Do you know what the stupid SOB hunter said? He told my friend that he shouldnÃt be riding around with his window down on opening day of dove season,î said Pierce. ìThat was the last year any of his lands were open to hunting, and they are still posted."
It just takes one jackass to ruin it for everyone else. The solution, like with so many problems, are best solved when you can address the offenderÃs pocketbook.
Ray Aspa, Sr., acting chief of the fish and game department for the Colorado River Indian Tribes huge reservation on the river between Blythe and Havasu, said when the tribal council agreed to increase the price of the CRIT hunting license from $45 to $75 there was an unexpected benefit.
"It got rid of the riff-raff. We have far fewer problems than we had in the past," said Aspa. There were fewer hunters driving in farm fields, less trash, and fewer other violations.
Are you getting where I'm going with this?
Rarely do the offending slobs get caught by law enforcement and have to pay for their violations, and they seem to shun friendly advice and education from other hunters.
Like a lot of my hunting friends, I frequently ask other hunters not to forget to pick up their empties and trash, and frequently have expletives hurled my way. Where to these people come from?
One buddy, after getting peppered three times by the same hunter shooting at low doves streaking into a field, yelled again at the guy to "knock off shooting at the low birds." He may have added a legitimate, descriptive, but not family newspaper-approved name for the shooter at the end of that sentence the third time. Proving that my friendÃs description was correct, the low-bird shooter threw up his gun and deliberately shot at my buddy, peppering him with shot and expletives. That was before we all carried cell phones and could dial 911. My buddy simply chose to leave.
To protect our hunting heritage, we all need to help enforcement officers: Give the hunters breaking the rules (including your hunting acquaintances) a chance to do the right thing. But if they don't respond to our verbal coaching, it's time to take photographs of the slobs, record their car license plates, perhaps even collect a couple of water bottles they leave that will carry fingerprints, and photograph all the trash they leave behind. Keep count on how many birds theyÃre shooting. Don't put yourself in jeopardy or be confrontational, but get the evidence. Then find a game warden or sheriff and tell them you want the offenders cited.
Pierce likes to tell this story. He and an off-duty sheriff were working on a satellite dish during the dove season a couple of seasons ago. There were hunters nearby on private land, and Pierce and his friend were peppered when the hunters shot at a low bird. The sheriff walked over and asked the guys to be more careful and reminded they were on private land. Pierce said he could hear them tell the sheriff to F-off, with the kicker, "You're not a cop."
The sheriff didnÃt say another word, walked back to the satellite dish, told Pierce he had to go to work, and went inside his house. He came out dressed in his uniform and with his K-9 unit dog. On his drive around the field, he called the landowner and made sure the owner didnÃt mind him citing some jackass hunters for trespass. They were cited for a litany of violations and had their guns confiscated. The cost of those citations was substantial.
Rather than raising the cost of hunting for all of us (like the CRIT did), those are the kind of targeted "fee increases" that might help rid our ranks of the riff-raff. You and I can help.
---JIM MATTHEWS
www.OutdoorNewsService.com
Matthews is a syndicated outdoor columnist in Southern California, shockingly still writing for 11 daily newspapers in this gun-hating, liberal region. You can keep up with his writing on his business' web site at www.OutdoorNewsService.com. His column/news archives provide a wealth of insightful reading on the outdoor scene in California, including issues the rest of the nation will be facing in the coming years. As Matthews likes to say, " The poo rolls downhill from here."
Saturday, August 29, 2009
New Study Says Every Buck Has A Shot
from the Outdoor Wire:
FEATURE
New Study Says Every Buck Has A Shot
For those of us who were never the alpha male of our crowds, reason to take heart. It seems that even in white-tailed deer, long thought to be reflections of the dominant buck due to the domination of does, that ain't necessarily so.
As a study from the Journal of Mammology was headlined "Every buck has a shot".
The study, conducted in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, used DNA sampling rather than empirical observations of herds to determine genetic paternity. And, when it comes to mating patterns, a the study http://allenpress.com/system/files/pdfs/emails/2009/08/mamm-90-04-946-953.pdf finds that among white-tailed deer, every buck has a shot at contributing to the next generation.
Previous studies of the mating habits of deer have focused on behavioral observations, and it appeared that a few dominant, mature bucks obtained most of the matings and therefore likely sired most of the offspring each year. But the new study using genetic paternity tests (rather than observations) produced unexpected results.
This study finds there is a wider distribution of age and physical maturity among fathers of white-tailed deer.
The study, published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of Mammalogy, bucks long-standing assumptions about white-tailed deer mating patterns.
Studies characterizing male reproductive success as highly skewed with a small number of mature dominant males monopolizing breeding are criticized for depending too heavily on behavioral observations and circumstantial evidence. This study, however, found that physically immature males1.5 to 2.5 years of age fathered 30 to 33 percent of offspring in the populations examined, even where larger, mature males were present (spare me the "babies having babies" comment, OK).
Dominating the social organization might not guarantee reproductive success. Other factors, among them ecological and behavioral variables may limit the ability of individual males to control access to females.
Young or subdominant males may be successful in fertilization by using alternative strategies that do not rely on dominance. In fact, those alternative strategies sound a lot like trolling the bar scene or cruisin for Cougars in humans.
The immature males think nothing about roaming - widely- in search of females in heat.
They also "pay proper attention" to a doe -the study says those younger males may spend 24 hours "tending" to a receptive female.
They also take advantage of something else uncovered in the study: evidence of female promiscuity that makes it easier for male deer of any age to find a mate.
Sound familiar?
The study sampled 1,219 deer from those three scattered populations. Total DNA was taken from either blood or ear-tissue samples, but antler material was also gathered and processed.
Three "captive populations" were studied from the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, the King Ranch in Texas, and the Noble Foundation Wildlife Unit in Oklahoma. Researchers say they provided different demographic makeups due to long-term differences in harvest and herd management. One location allowed public hunting, while another was more restrictive, using herd thinning as a management technique. Those differences made for a more diverse demographic, giving the research a better foundation. That made it easier to evaluate adult sex ration and male age structure on reproductive success.
Apparently, we share some common traits with our friends the white-tail.
EDITORS NOTE: The full text of the research article, "Molecular Evaluation of the White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Mating System" (Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 90, No. 4, August 2009, published by Allen Press), is available at http://allenpress.com/system/files/pdfs/emails/2009/08/mamm-90-04-946-953.pdf. To learn more about the American Socity of Mammalogists, visit http:www.mammalsociety.org
FEATURE
New Study Says Every Buck Has A Shot
For those of us who were never the alpha male of our crowds, reason to take heart. It seems that even in white-tailed deer, long thought to be reflections of the dominant buck due to the domination of does, that ain't necessarily so.
As a study from the Journal of Mammology was headlined "Every buck has a shot".
The study, conducted in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi, used DNA sampling rather than empirical observations of herds to determine genetic paternity. And, when it comes to mating patterns, a the study http://allenpress.com/system/files/pdfs/emails/2009/08/mamm-90-04-946-953.pdf finds that among white-tailed deer, every buck has a shot at contributing to the next generation.
Previous studies of the mating habits of deer have focused on behavioral observations, and it appeared that a few dominant, mature bucks obtained most of the matings and therefore likely sired most of the offspring each year. But the new study using genetic paternity tests (rather than observations) produced unexpected results.
This study finds there is a wider distribution of age and physical maturity among fathers of white-tailed deer.
The study, published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of Mammalogy, bucks long-standing assumptions about white-tailed deer mating patterns.
Studies characterizing male reproductive success as highly skewed with a small number of mature dominant males monopolizing breeding are criticized for depending too heavily on behavioral observations and circumstantial evidence. This study, however, found that physically immature males1.5 to 2.5 years of age fathered 30 to 33 percent of offspring in the populations examined, even where larger, mature males were present (spare me the "babies having babies" comment, OK).
Dominating the social organization might not guarantee reproductive success. Other factors, among them ecological and behavioral variables may limit the ability of individual males to control access to females.
Young or subdominant males may be successful in fertilization by using alternative strategies that do not rely on dominance. In fact, those alternative strategies sound a lot like trolling the bar scene or cruisin for Cougars in humans.
The immature males think nothing about roaming - widely- in search of females in heat.
They also "pay proper attention" to a doe -the study says those younger males may spend 24 hours "tending" to a receptive female.
They also take advantage of something else uncovered in the study: evidence of female promiscuity that makes it easier for male deer of any age to find a mate.
Sound familiar?
The study sampled 1,219 deer from those three scattered populations. Total DNA was taken from either blood or ear-tissue samples, but antler material was also gathered and processed.
Three "captive populations" were studied from the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, the King Ranch in Texas, and the Noble Foundation Wildlife Unit in Oklahoma. Researchers say they provided different demographic makeups due to long-term differences in harvest and herd management. One location allowed public hunting, while another was more restrictive, using herd thinning as a management technique. Those differences made for a more diverse demographic, giving the research a better foundation. That made it easier to evaluate adult sex ration and male age structure on reproductive success.
Apparently, we share some common traits with our friends the white-tail.
EDITORS NOTE: The full text of the research article, "Molecular Evaluation of the White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Mating System" (Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 90, No. 4, August 2009, published by Allen Press), is available at http://allenpress.com/system/files/pdfs/emails/2009/08/mamm-90-04-946-953.pdf. To learn more about the American Socity of Mammalogists, visit http:www.mammalsociety.org
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
VT Waterfowl Permit Apps due 9/21
Controlled Waterfowl Hunt Application Deadline is Sept. 21
Waterbury, VT – Applications are available for controlled waterfowl hunting permits to be used at two Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department wildlife management areas. Interested hunters must apply by Monday, September 21, 2009.
Hunting under controlled conditions for ducks at Mud Creek in Alburgh and geese at Dead Creek in Addison has been popular since the early 1970's. Permit applications for these two areas are available from Vermont Fish & Wildlife offices in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Addison, Barre, St. Johnsbury, Springfield and Rutland. The applications are also available on Fish & Wildlife's website
Applications must be filled out correctly and postmarked no later than September 21, 2009.
A public drawing to award hunting permits will be held Friday, September 25 at 12:00 Noon at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area headquarters off Route 17 in Addison. Attendance is not required. Successful applicants will be notified before the start of the hunting season.
Waterbury, VT – Applications are available for controlled waterfowl hunting permits to be used at two Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department wildlife management areas. Interested hunters must apply by Monday, September 21, 2009.
Hunting under controlled conditions for ducks at Mud Creek in Alburgh and geese at Dead Creek in Addison has been popular since the early 1970's. Permit applications for these two areas are available from Vermont Fish & Wildlife offices in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Addison, Barre, St. Johnsbury, Springfield and Rutland. The applications are also available on Fish & Wildlife's website
Applications must be filled out correctly and postmarked no later than September 21, 2009.
A public drawing to award hunting permits will be held Friday, September 25 at 12:00 Noon at Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area headquarters off Route 17 in Addison. Attendance is not required. Successful applicants will be notified before the start of the hunting season.
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