One hour before dusk, the small bear made his way into the tiny clearing in the North Maine Woods and with no small degree of caution, tipped over the bait barrel. The smell of chocolate bars and slurry of peanut butter was just more than he could stand.

It was the last night of an eventful week at bear camp at the Libby Camps’ location on Lake Millinocket. I had seen a total of nine bears this week, none that I could shoot, and this little guy, a two year old, would make a nice small rug for the hunting cabin back in West Virginia. He looked to be about 100+ lbs and while I would have preferred about 50-60 more lbs on him, it was after all, the last night and there were no guarantees that a larger bear would show up before the end of legal shooting hours.

The temperatures in Maine had been near 90 all week, making for poor bear hunting, anyway.

While finding him in my scope, he looked up and made me. He looked right at me and I saw him bristle. I knew it was now or never so I sent a 300 grain .450 Marlin slug on its way, deep into the center of his chest. The bear flipped over backwards and I sent another bullet while he struggled to get up.

He managed to get to his feet and tumbled over a bank into the thick Maine brush. I could see the brush moving and the bear grunting and gurgling 10 feet behind the clearing. This went on for several minutes and the bear just stayed right there. Over a 15 minute period, the gurgling and occasional brush shaking continued, just out of sight, behind the clearing. I figured he was bleeding out and he would be dead soon.

I am at this point still 16 feet up a tree, 20 yards uphill from the clearing. I pulled a 9mm handgun from my pack, and fired three shots in the air, to alert the guides that I had a bear down. In a few minutes I heard a truck coming and stop. I heard, and then saw the guide coming up the trail. I yelled down that I indeed had shot a bear but was pretty sure he was still alive, and that the guide should approach with caution. He looked into the brush as I was climbing down from the stand and when I arrived by him, he said, “There’s no bear here. Where did he go?” Apparently the bear had got up and took off after I fired the three shots with the handgun. I was amazed he had taken the .450 slug and got up at all.

The guide went to his truck and returned with an old Spanish double barrel loaded with 00 Buckshot. In the gathering gloom, he took off with me limping behind him after the wounded bear. He got out 20 yards ahead. I was extra careful in the woods as I walk slowly and painfully after a shattered ankle injury in 2008. All at once I hear, “ BOOM…BOOM “ as the 12 gauge went off. After a couple of seconds, the guide yelled, “He’s still on his feet and I’m out of shells!”

I arrived to find the dying bear under a fallen log, unable to go another inch, but still very much alive. One 9mm from my Taurus Slim at the back of the skull ended his fight for survival. For a two year old, 100 lb bear, he was the toughest varmint in the North Maine Woods. It had taken quite a bit of lead to end his career. We wondered aloud, how many holes would have to be sewn up to make a rug from this little guy!

The hunt had ended, with a bear in the truck, but the week had started out even more exciting and nearly had turned into a tragedy:

On Monday evening, the bear opener in Maine, 2010, the guides from Libby’s had put me in a double ladder stand at a cross roads of two old logging roads that were grown up with vines and briers. Thirty yards from the stand was a barrel of sweet stuff to attract the bears. From this very stand, in 2006, I had watched a half grown cub put on quite a show digging around in the bait!

The stand was at the top of a short bank, and the ladder was only 5-6 feet off the ground. Libby had placed me in this stand, because since my fall and accident in 2008, that has left me crippled, I really don’t like to be too high up. For the next several hours, I saw nothing save a lone red squirrel that tried, and failed to climb the barrel at least a hundred times. It was growing dark and the guide that dropped me off at this stand site, called Transmission 2, had told me I would be the last one picked up, and not to be surprised if it was late.

Legal shooting hours ended at 7:44 pm, and we had been told to unload all weapons at this time. Since no Maine game Warden seemed to appear magically at this time, to protect me, from any, grouchy, possessive predators in the area, this was advice that I usually ignored.

Thank God…

At 8:00 pm, it was full and complete dark in the North Maine Woods. It was just pitch black. Nothing at all could be seen, but having done this many times, I felt fairly comfortable, even if a bear showed up at the bait. After a few minutes, I heard walking in the dry leaves directly behind me that was unmistakably a large animal; no doubt a bear. The noise continued until the animal stopped, directly to the right and UNDER my tree stand. I sat there and listened to the bear breathing, no more than 2-3 feet away from my own feet. I have to admit it…I lost my nerve. I couldn’t abide that situation for any longer, so at the risk of spooking the bears off that site for the foreseeable future, I quietly reached for, and turned on, my flashlight and looked down.

There looking back at me was a 75-80 lb yearling bear cub. He looked at me as if to say, “ Hey! Get that light out of my eyes”, but he never moved, just looked at me. Then I heard a noise and saw yet another…and then another bear cub behind me ten feet over my right shoulder, but on the ground. As I shined my light back and forth between them, the one standing at my feet, nonchalantly walked on out into the clearing and in a few seconds, I hear the bait barrel tip over as he began to have his dinner. Obviously, he was the brave one of the trio, as the other two, apparently unnerved by the guy with the light, began to panic. One ran around behind me and disappeared over to my left, into the thick brush and weeds. The other cub, decided he would feel much safer if he ran up a tree. So he ran right up the tree,…. that I was sitting in. He raced by me, in the dark, claws scratching the bark as he went by my head at a high rate of speed. He lodged himself in the forks of the tree, about 12 feet above my head.

This did not really upset me. I felt no threat from the little guy, as I could tell he was terrified of me. I began to chuckle at this turn of events but this lasted only a few minutes, or even less, as I began to realize that these three little guys probably had a mother nearby. I did not know that I was about to make her acquaintance in a very up-close and personal way…

After a few minutes, I became aware of a low, moaning noise, off to my left in the darkness, no more than 30-40 feet away. The little bear above me began to cry and whimper. The low moaning became deeper in sound and more urgent. I knew that Mama had arrived on the scene.

I became acutely aware that I was in a very, very bad place to be. I was six foot up a tree, standing at the top of a very short ladder, with a bear cub, just above my head, and his Mama was trying to get to him. If going through me or over me to get to him was required I had no doubt that she would do just that.

I kept trying to locate the mother bear with my LED flashlight, but could only see the bushes moving where she had begun to pace, and occasionally a flash of red eyes reflecting back. I was holding my Browning BLR .450 Marlin and became quickly convinced it was useless in a hand to paw fight with an angry bear in near total darkness.

By sheer force of will, I MADE myself not panic. I knew I was in trouble and there was just no way out of it. I surmised that if my flashlight batteries died, she would be on me, and I would never even see her coming up the ladder. Actually I was so near the ground, she could have stood on her hind legs and pulled me out of the stand with ease. I knew if I went down and lost my footing that she wouldn’t stop until she either killed me, or I was horribly mauled and maimed.

I thought of climbing down and trying to run to the road. Then I remembered I couldn’t run with my bad ankle, and figured she would outrun me anyway.

I have read many accounts of bear attacks and knew they rarely turn out well.

At this point I just began to speak aloud. I spoke to my Heavenly Father, who knew this bear better than me and asked Him to speak to her and to calm her heart. I spoke to the bear in a loud voice and told her to beat it. (she really didn’t seem to care what I thought).

She became increasing agitated and began to pace back and forth in front of me in the clearing and then in and out of the brush. While I was speaking to the bear, I had been reaching to my hip and retrieved my wife’s Taurus 9mm Semi-auto pistol. I had borrowed my wife’s gun for this trip because I didn’t want to carry my much larger gun into tree stands on this trip. I leaned my rifle against the sides of the stand and took my pistol with its 8 rounds, in my right hand and crossed my left hand over it holding the flashlight. I did not want to shoot this bear with a puny 9mm and wound her, further enraging her, unless I had no other choice. I figured if she charged and came up the ladder, I could maybe hit her in the head at no more than inches away…if I was fast enough.

So began the standoff. Whenever I saw her moving around, I would fire into the ground where I thought the bullet would hit near her. I did this 3 times over 15 minutes. As I continued to yell and shoot she became more and more agitated and started to pop her teeth; a classic sign of aggressive behavior among black bears.

My light, while still bright, began to slowly dim and fail. I knew I was running out of time. I pulled a 6” long glowstick, that I had bought days earlier on a whim, from my backpack, broke it and threw it in front of the stand on the ground. I hoped this would give me a little light, maybe enough to see the charge before it was too late to act. Unexpectedly, the strange green glow seemed to puzzle and calm the bear. The pacing, growling and teeth popping stopped for a minute. I looked all around with my light and saw yet another set of red eyes glowing, 40 yards up the hill and became aware of a Woofing sound.

I believe this was a boar showing up to see what the fuss was all about at his candy barrel. GREAT! Another, larger bear! Gladly he chose to stay where he was and watch the events unfolding.

I holstered my pistol, grabbed my rifle and fired twice into the air. This was not the “pop – pop” of the 9mm but the Howitzer- like Boom of the big .450 rifle. THAT backed her up a few steps and quieted her down even more.

After a couple minutes, I heard a truck coming down the gravel road at what was obviously a high rate of speed. They slid to a stop in the gravel and I heard doors being flung open 100 yards away, out on the road. I pulled my pistol again and fired once in the air, and yelled out, “Don’t come in here un-armed! There are 5 pissed off bears around!” I could then hear rifle and pistol actions slamming shut as guns were loaded. The guide came in, headlamp blazing, and I could see a big 44 Magnum pistol extended in front of him. My friend Lee and my new friend Dan at his heels locked and loaded.

Mama, Papa and the two cubs had enough. A quick retreat was made by the bears and an even quicker retreat was made to the truck by the hunters. My little friend in the tree was still there, when last I saw him, yelling for his Mama…

The next day, I didn’t go out hunting. I was still pretty unnerved. On the next day I went hunting, figuring if I didn’t I would lose my nerve forever. Close-up bear encounters require a small bit of nerve anyway. They put me in a tent-type ground blind and guess what showed up: A mother bear and two cubs.!

No further altercations took place, however! I love to bear hunt and will be going back, but I will always check out what’s up higher in the tree from now on.

The Lodge & Accommodations

Many sportsmen today crave that true “hunting camp” experience and surprisingly it’s never usually that far from home…if you know where to look. I often try to get out and venture to various hunting camps looking for good deals and a good time, showcasing them, and this month “NORTHWOODS OUTDOOR ADVENTURES” in Washington, Vermont, is one of those places.

Nestled deep in the majestic Green Mountain Range of upstate central Vermont, the lodge, which sits on 1,500 base acres, resembles something out of an old Louis L’Amour novel. Rustic and nostalgic, it’s a fair sized genuine log-cabin building yet at the same time so cozy and welcoming you’ll never want to leave it’s warmth and charm.

Driving up the continuous incline into the mountains, there’s a turn off that takes you from the main highway and leads you up a long, winding, dusty dirt road, the culmination of which is the lodge and property at the very end which sits about 1,500 feet above sea level, nestled into a beautiful little mountain valley. As you walk from the back parking lot up the grassy knoll and around to the front of the main cabin your breath will literally be taken away once you glimpse the view from the front porch. Leaning against the large log posts that hold up the old roof, you’ll find yourself gazing upon a picture that might as well have come from a huge ranch somewhere in the Montana wilderness.

On both sides of the lodge, the Green Mountains rise up to sky level, peaking at 3200 feet above sea level, revealing transition zones that go from mixed deciduous hardwoods to thick evergreen forests, back to hardwood ridges at the top. In front of you a long sloping grassy hill unfolds like a lush green carpet, rolling down and flattening out at the bottom revealing a thick lush meadow, complete with a beaver pond that boasts trout, (rainbow and brookies in excess of 20 inches), as well as countless varieties of other bird, plant and animal life indigenous to the mountains.

The lodge itself sleeps 24 very comfortably, with a main living room area complete with cathedral ceiling and loft, a fireplace, and a comfortable sitting area for guests. Just off the living room is the kitchen, complete with all amenities, a hallway, a downstairs bathroom, and three connecting bedrooms, one of which contains three beds, one with two beds, (single and double), and a bedroom that contains six beds.

If you climb the creaky, rustic stairway to the loft area, you’ll find a small walkway overlooking the main living room, complete with a built in bookshelf, books, and sitting area as well as another bathroom and two big bedrooms. One room contains a queen-sized bed by itself while the other holds four sets of log-style bunk beds. You couldn’t ask for better accommodations so far out in the wilderness.

Once settled in to your new “home away from home”, there’s no place like the front porch for sitting around with new friends and hunting partners, discussing the upcoming strategies for the weeks hunt with owner, manager and guide, Steve Barbour. Steve is a 51 year old savvy “mountain man-slash-hunter/guide” who knows these mountains and swamps like the back of his proverbial hand. With graying
hair and several days worth of grizzled white stubble across his weather-beaten face, you’ll know right away you’re in very good hands with Steve as he teases you with his quick wit and winks at you through crystal clear blue eyes. The old saying goes, “Never guide the guide”, and with Steve you know right away you won’t have to!

Affordable Hunting Packages

The main draw of “NORTHWOODS OUTDOOR ADVENTURES” is the affordability of price and the variety of services available. Because Steve and wife Judy also cater on-site wilderness weddings, pig roasts, and corporate business getaways, as well as being open all year round for family vacations, skiing and snowmobiling events and functions, they can offer the hunter some of the best and most affordable hunting packages available anywhere in the country. Whether you wish to hunt whitetailed deer, black bear, moose, turkeys, upland birds or coyotes, Steve has a package anyone can afford. If you don’t believe me, check out these prices….

**Deer hunting…….$695 for 5-day package

**Bear hunting…….$795 for 5-day package

**Moose hunting….$1595 for 5-day package

**Coyote hunting…..$595 for 5-day package

**Spring turkey hunts….$125/day or $299 for 3-day package or $595 for 5-day packages

**Grouse hunting……..$125/day or $299 for 3-day package

All packages and hunts include three meals a day, lodging, (either in the main lodge or a yurt located more than a mile away up in the mountains), transport to and from your stands, (and there are ground blinds and 2-man ladder stands scattered throughout the hunting area), and retrieval and care of your trophies. And Steve will guarantee each and every hunter a stand covering a minimum of 200 acres for each hunter so no one has to worry about a hunt being interrupted by other hunters.

And when it comes to enjoying your hunt-camp experience, most hunters will agree that the grub and vittles are almost as important as the hunt itself and both Steve and Judy will definitely take care of you so you’ll never go away hungry!

In the evenings, dinner is catered by Miss Judy from their home down the road, right to the lodge, and you can expect anything from baked, stuffed chicken with cream sauce, to thick, rich lasagna with garlic bread, to hot steamed, buttered veggies, to roast beef dinners with all the trimmings. And everything is homemade, from the garlic breads right down to the rich desserts and all hunters sit in a rustic dining area around a circular table, passing the dishes back and forth and chatting with each other just like back home.

When morning comes, Steve arrives at the lodge around 3:30am, puts on the coffee, and starts cooking breakfast, which can be anything on any given morning from bacon, eggs and sausages, to pancakes and corn bread muffins with real Vermont made syrup, to cereal…you name it.

Wake-up call is at 4:00am and while you shower up, the smell of a fresh country breakfast wafting through the lodge greets you, and after a good hearty meal, Steve will have you on-stand by 5:30am. In Bear Camp 2010 we hunted until 10:30am, came in for lunch and a rest, and were back on-stand from 3:00pm until dark, with a huge dinner being served up in the main lodge at about 8:30pm.

BEAR CAMP 2010

Bear hunting in Vermont for the most part is by “spot and stalk” only, rather than baiting, and if you’ve never hunted bears in this manner, you need to give Steve a call and set up a hunt. Believe me, you won’t regret it. Steve’s success rate in getting hunters on trophy sized black bears is phenomenal and though nothing is guaranteed, you will never be disappointed.

This year, I went with hunting partner Norm Sargent, both of us traveling the 5.5 hours west from Maine to the lodge, and it would be our very first experience hunting bears by spot and stalk. We were here filming the entire hunt for “AVERAGE JOE’S HUNTIN’ SHOW”, now in it’s second season on the Pursuit Channel- 608 HUNT.

Upon arrival we met up with Blaine Anthony, host of “NORTH AMERICAN SAFARI”, (The Sportsmans Channel), who was on the last day of a three-day hunt himself. The problems that were being encountered this particular season were heat-induced, as this year in the northeast it had proven to be the hottest, driest, and earliest summer on record since the 1920′s. With night-time temperatures dropping to a warm 75+ degrees and daytime highs hovering consistently around the 92 degree mark with no breezes whatsoever, the bears had shut down completely, taking refuge in the deep dark cool swamps by day, and only venturing out to forage for food when it was well after dark.

Norm and I got to sit together in a 2-man ladder stand that first evening and though we didn’t see any bears, we did have a great time filming and watching numerous forms of wildlife. The walk out was harrowing for us flatlanders as I’m not used to traipsing through a narrow two-foot wide trail with 6 foot high grass on both sides, out into a grassy tote road lined with high banks and apple trees, for a 300 yard walk to meet Steve….all in bear woods and all well after dark…lol. Steve got a kick out of us I’m sure.

We hunted extremely hard the next day in the same heat but saw only a cow moose and her calf come by the stand. Steve met us on night #2 but this time he had Miss Karen Turner with him at the truck, also known as the “Vermont Huntress”, a petite young woman who has made her mark spearheading events to get kids and women into the outdoors by organizing fishing derbies and contests to generate much needed publicity in that area.

After chowing down on Miss Judy’s incredible lasagna that evening, Karen, Norm and I all went out to sit on the front porch of the lodge and enjoy the night sounds and slowly cooling air that was moving in. Also in camp were two young hunters from New York, Kyle Livsey and Mike Ryan. Mike had been a guest with Steve in 2009 and had taken a nice bear. This year they, too, were experiencing less sightings due to the high heat and reduced movement but we were all hopeful and excited just to be out hunting.

The following two days saw a front move in with cooler air but the change in conditions would be too late to save mine and Norm’s hunt, as we were leaving after only a 3-day stay. On the last day of the hunt, Steve pulled out all the stops and walked us through literally miles of mountain trails and deep wet swamps, where bears were sighted on four separate occasions one morning but no shots were fired.

I did get to try my hand at calling bears for the very first time while Norm and I were on-stand and in using a series of cub distress calls, we had what we were pretty sure was a bear come in from about 300 yards away. Norm heard the heavy lumbering steps as it crunched some sticks coming down off a nearby ridge in the early morning and it appeared to move cautiously and steadily down through the thick brush towards us, until it made it to the downwind side of the stand where all noises ceased, never to be heard again. Still, it was an incredible adrenaline rush just to have one responding.

Meanwhile, Karen had been sitting in a stand by herself and at 6:40am had a bear come out in front of her moving slowly from 80 yards all the way to 20, offering her four separate broadside opportunities. Having been on several bear hunts in the past but not yet having any opportunities to pull the trigger before this hunt, Karen showed all the restraint of a truly seasoned huntress as she let the bear walk, guessing it to be just a little too small. Upon later examination of the tracks and tree it had stretched on, Steve confirmed it was indeed a smaller bear, probably 125-130 lbs, and though a borderline shooter for some, Steve was glad Karen had the savvy to let this bear walk and grow for another season. Way to go Karen!

That same morning, Mike Ryan let a bear of slightly smaller stature walk and as the weekend came to a close, no bears were dropped, however the season was still far from over and continues on at the time of this writing. Though Norm and I had only the first 3 days of the season to hunt, we were more than satisfied by all the bear sign we saw, and felt a sense of reverence in having the opportunity to hunt bears under such challenging conditions, and in such a remotely beautiful place beside some of the best friends we have ever gotten the chance to meet. For us, this is just the beginning.

Plan Your Hunt With Steve Barbour in 2011

Norm Sargent and I, along with our new friends from New York plus Miss Karen Turner will be headed back to Steve’s in May for Turkey Camp 2011. We will be rolling the cameras once again for ‘AVERAGE JOE’S HUNTIN’ SHOW’, too. So if you’d like to come join us for that and/or a September bear hunt or any one of the hunt packages Steve has to offer at ‘NORTHWOODS OUTDOOR ADVENTURES’ , contact Steve or find him on Facebook under his name and book ahead. Deposits are required in advance.

(Blaine Cardilli is a contributing writer for U.S.Hunting Today as well as an outdoor columnist and seminar speaker on deer & turkey hunting in the northeast; A member of several Field Prostaff’s, Blaine is also the Vice Executive Crew Director for “AVERAGE JOES HUNTIN’ SHOW” seen weekly on The Pursuit Channel 608-HUNT; He can be reached at indianwd@hotmail.com)

Michael O’Neill of Sheffield , Vt , who attended to witness the drawing, started the computer-generated selection process that randomly picked 765 winners among more than 12,000 people who applied this year.

The drawing is done by a random sort of applications that were submitted by a June 1 deadline. Lottery applications were $10.00 for residents and $25.00 for nonresidents.

People who applied last year and didn’t get a permit were given a bonus point, increasing their odds of winning a permit in future moose permit lotteries.

In addition to the regular lottery drawing, a “special priority drawing” was held for five permits to go to applicants who have received, or are eligible to receive, a Campaign Ribbon for Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom (in Afghanistan). Valid applications were received from 63 people. These five permits were drawn first. The unsuccessful applicants from the Iraqi-Afghanistan drawing were included in the larger regular drawing that followed. All applicants for both drawings who did not receive a permit were awarded a bonus point to improve their chances in future moose permit lotteries.

“Today’s lottery drawing helps celebrate one of Vermont ’s successes in science-based wildlife management,” said State Wildlife Biologist Cedric Alexander. “ Vermont ’s moose management program has worked well since the first hunt in 1993, when 25 moose were taken with 30 permits issued. We expect 400-450 moose will be taken this fall in a carefully regulated hunt.”

Winners of this year’s moose hunting permits are posted in a searchable database on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s website (www.vtfishandwildlife.com). Click on “Hunting and Trapping” and then on “Lottery Applications and Winners.”

Permit winners will purchase resident hunting permits for $100 and nonresident permits for $350. Ten percent of the permits go to nonresidents. Payments for the hunting permits must be by money order, bank check or credit card. Personal checks are not accepted. Payments must be received in the Waterbury Fish and Wildlife office by July 26, 2010.

Those who didn’t win in the lottery may bid in a sealed-bid auction for five moose hunting permits. To receive a 2010 Moose permit bid kit, contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 103 South Main Street , Waterbury , VT 05651-0501 . Telephone 802-241-3700 or email (fwinformation@state.vt.us). The deadline for bids is August 3.

Vermont law prohibits anyone who has held a Vermont moose hunting permit within any of the previous three calendar years from applying for a moose hunting permit or a bonus point in the current year. This includes permits awarded through the auction bid process.

Tanner Colten Moad, 5 years old, is one of the coolest kids I know. The youngest of 4 children of mine, Tanner never stops moving.
Before gun season in central eastern Oklahoma, the traditional bow season usually takes priority. I had taken the first week of bow season off from work in an attempt to tag out early at the request of my wife Lori. In her mind, if I was to tag out early, my deer season would then be “dear” season, with lots of additional chores getting done that get overlooked during each year’s deer season.

As a bow hunter, I was able to harvest a doe pretty quick, and two days later, stuck a nice 8 point that only took two steps before falling over. I had watched that buck spare with a 9-point two days earlier, and was in hopes I could manage to get the edge on one of them as both were very big bodied deer. Well, upon getting the close up view of the 8-point I had just harvested, I realized that half way up one side of his G-2, his antlers were completely broken off. A few of his other tines were damaged as well, which led me to believe that the 9-point he had previously been sparing with, probably wasn’t sparing anymore.

With bow season quickly becoming gun season, my son Tanner, was getting pretty excited about going hunting with dad this year. I had to work the first day of the season, but promised to take him on Sunday. Sunday afternoon, around 3:00pm, I was off to the deer woods and had my little man right there with me on the 4-wheeler. We drove to a spot where not much hunting activity was going on, and climbed into the buddy stand that was located there. The buddy stand had the camouflage netting around its fall protective bars and I knew that if a deer did come in, that the anticipated movements of my son would go undetected.

To my surprise, Tanner, sat quietly in the stand with me, pulled out his binoculars, and commenced to scanning the woods all around. When a squirrel would drop an acorn from a tree, it would hit the leaves, and Tanner would turn quickly to identify what made the noise. He would whisper to me that he thought he heard something over there, or over there, and over there. I know this sounds crazy, but I loved every minute of watching him pay attention to what was going on in the woods around him. Now he was hungry, 15 minutes after we were in the stand. He pulled out a package of crackers and quietly munched on them while looking around. We switched positions about 10 times, so he could see everything. He would ask me questions about all kinds of woods activities and now sat in my lap to get a better view. About 1 and ½ hours in the stand now, Tanner started doing the chicken head. You know, when someone is trying desperately not to fall asleep, but their eyes roll back, and their heads starts popping up. Well, it wasn’t long before “Mr. Energy” was resting against my arm, quietly sleeping.

Soon as Tanner decided to snooze, I elected to stay in the stand since there was only about 30 minutes left of daylight. So I positioned Tanner so he could lay down across the buddy stand seat that was covered with a camouflage blanket, and I would stand up. After positioning Tanner towards comfort, I stood up in the stand, now facing the rear, and spotted a nice buck standing there watching me. I touched Tanner on the face and arm attempting to wake him from his afternoon nap. I whispered to him “Tanner, there is a deer, wake up”. No response. So I looked back up the deer was gone. I positioned my rifle across the stand bars and waited for the deer to exit the brush. Just as I thought, he walked right through the opening in the brush headed for the deep woods. I announced I was there with a mouthed made “grunt”. He stopped and “bang”. As soon as the shot rang out, “Tanner, jumped up, wide eyed and said “Did I GET HIM?. Excited now, he really wanted to know if he got a deer. I smiled at him and excitedly said yes son, you got a big old buck. He jumped up and down in the stand and hugged me, and said “Well, where is he? Let’s go get him.” His little voice was squeaking high and low with excitement. This was his first experience in the deer woods hunting, and man he sure loved it, as did I. We climbed down the stand together, and went to where the buck was standing. I showed him the blood on the ground and explained to him that he should walk beside the blood, not in it, when he was tracking a deer. He started to walk beside the trail when he squeaked again. “I found him, he is right there” pointing. All of these events happening so fast, I wanted them to slow down some so I could savor the enjoyment of watching him. I showed him the caution of approaching a wounded or dead animal, helped him count the points on the antlers, and hugs and pride just rushed through me. After all, this hunt was supposed to be all about him.

He helped me load the deer on the 4-wheeler, and away we went to show the family. Close to the house now, I walked beside the 4-wheeler and allowed Tanner to drive up to the house. Picture this, A five year old boy, dressed in a camouflage shirt and orange hat with vest, driving a ranch 4-wheeler with a rifle in the rack on the front, and a 140 pound 8-point deer strapped to the utility rack in the back, coming out of the deer woods and driving up to the house with his mother waiting for him with a camera. Wouldn’t you be proud? I know I was. Tanner will never forget his first deer hunt, but neither will I. I think Lori, my wife and his mother, took a million pictures that evening.
Not only that, but he beat me this year with his deer. Mine during bow season was 150 pounds, but his rack was bigger. It is good to start them off young.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

By Mac Moad

The first week of October was finally here.  The first three days were spent in my favorite stand watching 3 raccoons in which I had named Larry, Curly, and Moe.  The mother raccoon was slightly bigger than the two younger ones, and seemed curious to every movement surrounding them.  The days here in eastern Oklahoma in October were still in the 80’s with mosquitoes buzzing everywhere.  I was wondering if it were still to hot to hunt and questioned myself again over and over.  Each day so far, I had hunted morning and evening with only a few does showing up.

Our family is one of three families (all related) that live on the mountain with about 360 acres of land owned by our families.  Each year we hunt, we always establish the rules.  {8 Point or better for the husbands} {Wives and kids, buck or doe} Now last year I hunted all year and didn’t harvest one deer, but I had seen enough antlers to keep me excited.  Every time Bill and Grover, my brother in-laws, sure let me

know how I got spanked on last years hunt.  Both are avid rifle hunters and tagged out the year I brought home nothing.  I was thinking about this already early in this season while elevated about 18 feet up in my climber.  I wondered, as every other hunter does, will this be my year.  As I looked down from my stand at the raccoons again on the 4^th morning of October 2007, I was once again thinking of how pretty they were and how every day I am in the woods, I look for the highlight of the day.  Whether this was the highlight of the day again, or was an owl going to sit on the limb next to me, a squirrel sitting on my boot, quail leaving a fast trail for a coyote, bobcats on the prowl, turkeys rustling, what was going to be the highlight?

Then, I saw movement directly in front of me.  I was a deer for sure, and no does were present yet.  I had placed my stand in what my wife calls the quiet spot.  High cedars with no brush, not to thick, but perfect for a good bow shot.  A well used doe trail to my right, and another trail coming in from the left, thicker trees to my front.  I could see about 40 yards around me with a creek bed behind me on a down hill gentle slope. The deer in front of me wasn’t spooked or aware of my presence as it slowly made its way directly toward me.  Sun to my back and the breeze in my face, finally, I could see him completely.  “Very nice buck” I was thinking.  As he moved closer and closer, I could count 4 on one side and 4 on the other.  Not sure if I wanted to take the shot just yet, I moved into position just in case.  Standing now and ready to draw, I used the bow as if I was hiding behind its small limbs.  The buck was much bigger than I originally thought the closer he moved to my stand.  20 yards and still coming, 10 yards and still coming.  He stopped, head concealed by a large cedar tree.  I came to full draw and picked my shooting lane.  As if knowing I was now ready to shoot, the 8 point stepped from behind the cedar and moved closer, directly into my shooting lane.  7 yards, I picked my hairs on the buck, just behind the shoulder and quartering down.  I could sense the raccoons to my right and felt a sense of calm, took a large breath, let it out half way, became steady as a rock and released.

{‘Wham”}  I dropped him in his tracks.  I intended to penetrate spine, heart, and lung if possible for a deadly and swift kill.  My broadhead did exactly that.  I stood for a moment and watched the buck lie still and quiet.  Larry, Curly, and Moe were nowhere to be seen.  I called my wife using my cell phone and quietly whispered I had a good buck down, her response to me was “why are we whispering”.  Laughing a little I said, I am in the quiet spot.

After checking the buck in and heading to the processors, I continued to hunt the evening in another stand.  Each day I hunted, I elected to use my climber instead of pre-placed stands used each year.  October the 7^th, 3 days after my first buck of the year, my 14 year old son was ready for action.  This would be his first year bow hunting, and he practiced every day for the last two months.  He was actually quite good shooting the pillow target and 3D’s, in which I was very proud.  Sunday after church, he would be in the woods with me for the evening hunt.  Everything seemed to go wrong.  I found out he was afraid of heights the hard way, but patiently, I assisted him into a lock-on stand with steps, explained the safety belt, strapped him in and climbed down.  I hooked his bow on the bow string and up and away the bow went.  While the bow was being pulled up by my son, I was watching all around me, trying to quiet down the woods, when {Wham}!!!!  My right hand was numb.  I looked at my hand and there was a deep cut to the bone on the top.  My son had almost had the bow in his stand when the bow string slipped.  The bow caught me square across my hand.  Seriously nervous and seeing the blood, my son asked if I was alright and maybe we should just go home and get the hand took care of.  He said he was so sorry and it just slipped, and…………  I assured my son everything was fine, helped him get the bow up the stand, and assured him he was ready to hunt.  “Don’t worry about me son, you just keep your eyes out for the big one.  I will be about 100 yards straight across the creek.”  I pointed with my other hand where I would be, wished him good luck, then started walking away from his stand. After crossing the creek and out of sight from Chase, I stopped and looked at the top of my right hand.  I was hurt pretty good, and I still couldn’t make a fist yet.

Not wanting to leave the woods with my son still in a stand, I elected to set up on a trail I knew of and wait it out.  I pulled off the climber from my shoulder and worried a little about if I could even use the stand to climb or not.  After setting up the stand at the bottom of the tree I picked out, we were going to find out if I could climb with one hand.  It actually wasn’t that bad.  Up the tree I went, got situated, smiled a little at how stupid I was to stand directly under my sons stand when he was raising his bow then shrugged it off as “my stupidity, my fault.” Now situated and seated in my stand, I wondered if I could even draw my bow back with the bum hand.  So, I stood up quietly, drew the bow and wow, man did that hurt.  I sat back down and thought once again, I hope a big buck goes by my son instead of me this evening.  Not real sure I could even draw again.

45 minutes later, about 6:05pm, I caught movement from over my right shoulder.  Yep, you guessed it.  It was a buck, but a very small buck.  Knowing that early in this season the bucks were still traveling together, I stood, turned and prepared.  Sure enough, 5 yards behind the 4 point, was a small basket 8 point.  Immediately I decided not to shoot this small 8.  To my surprise, directly on his heals was a really nice 8 point.  Now I was getting excited.  By the way, the first buck in front had walked directly under my stand and was now in front of my stand.  I drew slowly, aimed center mass of the shooting lane in a gap in the brush.  The small 8 point buck walked through the gap, and then “There he was”,  A fine 8 point standing in the gap.  Once again, I picked my area of hair behind the shoulder, quartered down, controlled the breathing, paused, and slowly squeezed the trigger release.

{Wham} I dropped him in his tracks.  I intended to penetrate spine, heart, and lung if possible again and sure enough, the broadhead did the work.  Can you believe this, 6 yards, another nice buck on the ground, just laying there.  I stood in amazement, I was shocked.  This was a really nice buck, pretty wide and may score as well.  The odd thing about this was, “dropped in his tracks.”  The very thing every hunter hopes for is to find the deer, or even better a swift and clean kill.  Well, not only did I find the deer three or four days ago, I found this one too.  I was like a dream.  Two 8 point bucks, both bow kills, both in the same week, both dropped in their tracks. I realized after a brief moment of silence, that my hand did not hurt anymore, and to make things even better, my son was on this hunt with me only 100 yards away. The two bucks that were in front of this one, there would be a good chance Chase saw them or even may get a shot.  But what will always cross my mind is how big was the buck that was still coming in from behind the buck I harvested.  I saw him jump when I released.  I climbed down and walked to Chases stand, walked cautiously up to the side of him and told him we had a good buck down.  Excited, he said he saw two bucks running and asked how big my buck was.  I told him, “well, I don’t know really, maybe you should help me track him”.  Chase was so excited when he walked up to my tree, buck in plain site.  “Man, I’m gonna get me a buck like that” I went to retrieve the 4-wheeler, we loaded the deer and headed to the house.  I was kind of in a hurry as the darkness was starting to set in, and I still needed to check this buck in too.  Arriving at our home on the mountain, my father stepped out on the deck and observed our approach.  My father had just come in from out of town that day to visit us for a week, so that was kind of cool him seeing me bring in another deer.  He was a big deer hunter with hunting skills that I always admired.

As far as the wife goes, she was so excited.  Not so much that I had gotten a nice buck, but that I had gotten two nice bucks with a bow in the first week of hunting season.  She rubbed it in real good to her two brothers whom still hadn’t harvested anything.  The next morning, as I watched the brother in laws roll out to the woods to deer hunt, I told them the same thing I always told them.  “Good luck and I hope you get a big one” Every bit of this is true, and I honestly believe this will be hard for me to beat next year.  After all, now my season just went from deer season, to “dear” season.  Being tagged out in the first week of bow season is a sure sign that honey-do’s will be a major part of the rest of my season.

Whether hunting public or privateland, the fundamentals of calling elk remain the same.

By Michael Waddell

We heard the bull bugle at first light and snuck into his core area. When I hit a lick on my bugle, the bull simply came unglued and stormed our position like a tank, crashing through brush and small lodgepole pines like they were atchsticks. Before we could react he was in our lap and we were pinned down, myself hiding behind a camera, too afraid to even touch the tripod for fear of my shaking hands would run the footage. All I could see of my partner edged against a stunted pine was the tip of his undrawn arrow shaking uncontrollably on the rest. Before a shot presented itself, the bull smelled a  rat and disappeared as quickly as he arrived.

While this experience didn’t result in a dead elk, it did hopelessly addict me to calling them. It seems that in all walks of life, be it the animal kingdom or humans, communication is a key ingredient for all social interaction. However not all living things communicate to the same degree. If you ask my wife, I am sure she will tell you I lack in the communication department, in fact I am sure she believes I don’t listen to her at all, but when it comes to communicating with animals I can barely shut up. Of all the animals I love to communicate with elk rate right at the top. By nature elk are very vocal. The uninitiated often simply think of bulls bugling, but cows, calves and bulls make all sorts of noises year around. If you encounter a larger herd of elk while you might not hear a thing from a distance, if you get close you will hear lots of subtle vocalization. Most of the time these are sounds of contentment, but depending on what’s happening the vocalization reflects it. Elk can convey contentment, danger, curiosity, or a cow in heat. Bulls for instance only bugle primarily in the rut, but they also communicate to establish a pecking order. After spending a considerable amount of time chasing the mighty wapiti, I’m convinced every elk in the herd knows each other by sound alone. This happens with the cows as well as the bulls and based on my evaluation somewhere in this mix is the deadly secret to calling elk archery-close.

Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

It seems that the more vocal a herd the better the odds are for success at calling them. Some cows call subtle, while others are loud-mouth ladies actively looking for a date. By listening it gives you a better opportunity to imitate the particular tones and intensity of the herd. By calling we are automatically intruding into the social club without an invitation. The closer we can sound to a known elk, and match that intensity the better the odds are of filling a tag. Even though we may sound like an outsider to the herd, luckily for us, love crazed bulls are not looking to be intimate with just one or two cows they are looking for all the love of every cow in the world, so taking advantage of their sexual frustrations and promiscuity is what we aim to do. It doesn’t take a world champion elk caller to trick bulls within range. By simply paying attention to the herd and understanding simple elk rhythm, tone and more important volume when calling, a hunter can depend on an elk call to be a valuable asset to dulling broadheads.

Public Versus Private Land

Since I started hunting elk 16 years ago, on private as well as public ground, I have realize that comparing these two different types of ground are like comparing night and day and it is all about the amount of pressure each receives. Generally speaking private ground bulls are way easier to call than public ground animals, but this is not always the case. Some private land does get a lot of pressure, which can make for some pretty tough calling duels with elk that can serve you up a humble pie every time you bust out a call. While conversely some public land either through sheer remoteness or hard-to-get tags is like calling the best private land in the nation. Hunting un-touched land and cow calling to bulls that have never heard a Hoochie Mamma would obviously be nice and it wouldn’t take long working over these uneducated elk to start feeling like an elk calling pro only to be deflated the first time we went to the national forest and mixed it up with bulls so well-known by local hunters that they have knick names. However, regardless of where you hunt the basics of calling remain the same. Start with mastering the cow call and all its various inflections. Your basic reed type calls are the easiest to learn as well as get proficient with. You will find two kinds; both are bite down reed-type of calls, one being enclosed and the other having an open reed or reeds. These calls make a very realistic sound and before your wife can run you out of the house you will master the basics.  I rely heavily on the cow call and think most of the time hunters are better off sticking with it over a bugle no matter where he is hunting. But learning how to make a basic bugle is important, especially for locating bulls at a distance before getting close and working him with your cow call. In addition, sometimes it is the bugle that finally provokes a dominant bull to commit, especially during the early season when bulls are still sorting out their peckin’ order.

Earning Your Public Ground PhD

Lets face it, unless you have deep pockets much of the private ground in the West is pretty much off limits, so you have to learn to hunt public land. This is not a bad thing as public ground comprises millions upon millions of acres across the West and happens to have some of the biggest bulls found anywhere. While it can be tougher than private, once you learn how to hunt it you won’t be disappointed. Over the years, one of my favorite places to hunt is the Gila National Forest, in New Mexico, and even though this is a trophy area tags are fairly obtainable through application. In the Gila, the trophy potential is off the chart, sporting some of the biggest bulls in the country, but just because the big ones live there doesn’t mean thatyou automatically make one call and they come running to get in the back of your truck. These mature jokers have a PhD in avoiding hunters. Over the last six years I have hunted this area religiously and have had the opportunity to shoot some nice bulls all by using elk calls as an aid to close the coffin. Notice I said, “as an aid”, meaning the call was just one thing in a bag of tricks to help smoke these monarchs. My biggest bull that came out of the Gila was a 378 P&Y bull that had earned the name Professor because he always seemed to take you to school when you applied too much pressure. However, this bull was vocal and would bugle his butt off. He also seemed to be fairly easy to find, not only by his gnarly, raspy bugle that set him apart, but frequently he could be found early in the morning in a large meadow just south of a particular water hole that always attracted a large herd. The Professor was not the only bull in the area that had large headgear, but it was The Professor that seemed to call the shots. I had caught this bull in the open several times, but calling seemed to really make him uneasy when you were in close. The Professor however would bugle hard to distant cow calls and seem to be whole heartedly interested, but had a sixth sense when you moved in for the attack. Final we decided to have a caller stay behind as we worked him coming off the meadow at daybreak. By doing this we could keep him interested and bugling as we stalked in closer. The caller always was no closer than 80 yards behind me. While the caller kept him occupied, I slid within 50 yards and gave him a G5 Tekan right behind the shoulder. This hunt was really a stalk, but the call and caller had a big part to do with his demise. Once we started quartering the bull up, we found a piece of an old arrow lodged just below the backstraps, so obviously someone had him in close before and gave the Prof and education, which explained why he was so wary.

The Double Team

As this old bull showed, hunting with a partner can work extremely well. It not only puts the hunter out in front of the call, but it gives the hunter a chance to move and adjust the angle based on where the bull might be approaching. Likewise, the caller has the flexibility to move as well and apply a lot of different calling techniques. The double team plan worked again on another hunt. It had been hot and the bulls were only bugling early and late. As soon as the sun would rise the elk woods would turn in to a ghost town.
Just after daybreak on the fourth day of our hunt we heard this bull bugle. He hit it only two times, both very weak and he sounded like the littlest rag horn in the land but with no other game in town we went after him. Getting as close as possible to where we thought the bugle came from I eased up and sat down by a pine stump while my buddy moved back and to my right about 40 yards. Neither of us were very optimistic about our chances. My buddy made one or maybe two very soft cow calls on a two reed diaphragm then he started raking a tree and rolled a few rocks. We sat there for possibly 10 minutes in silence, then out of nowhere appeared a wide 340 inch 6 x 6 coming directly to us, at 25 yards the bull let out a soft chuckle, looked over his surrounding and kept walking in the direction of where the last rock had been rolled, which led him 16 steps from my pine stump. By now I was at full draw waiting for a broadside shot. When the arrow left my bow, I knew we had killed a call shy monster by keeping it low key and staying patient. Needless to say, I was never convinced by the two times he had bugled earlier that he was a shooter. This was a lesson in itself. Never judge a bugle until you can see what is making the sound.
The most exciting way to bag a bull elk is to get him in close, and the best way to do that is with a call. Confidence in your call is critical, because if you’re insecure about using your call there is a good chance you will spook elk. Have confidence in your calling ability and become just another elk in the herd where you are hunting. Find a call that works for you and not what works for some else. Think like an elk and do as elk do. Realism, rhythm, and volume control can make the difference between bringin’ them in or running them over the next ridge. And remember its not always about calling, it can be just patiently listening to the sounds around you and applying minimal calls, while practicing good woodsmenship, and stalking skills that could help you put that monster on the back of the truck.

By Michael Waddell

This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.

Back in the end of November I gave you a link to a story, “Of Wolves and Worms”. That story introduced many of us to the subject of worms being found in wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area.

According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.

There is discussion about how some think the worms ended up in the wolves in this region but the article tends to downplay any serious concerns people should have from coming in contact with these tapeworms and the eggs they leave behind.

In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.

In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerous parasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.

After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. Oneparasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.

I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.

Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)

Around this same time that Will Graves posted his comments, he contacted me by email and asked if I could somehow be of assistance to him in obtaining blood samples from wolves taken during the Idaho and Montana wolf hunts. The word went out quickly and hopefullyGraves gets what he needs to help him in his research. This can become extremely valuable information for all of us.

In the meantime, Dr. Valerius Geist, professor emeritus University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Kay, of Utah State University, who holds degrees in wildlife ecology, environmental studies and wildlife biology, exchanged thoughts on the discovery of worms in Yellowstone wolves in emails I received.

Well, Charles? What else is new? What did we warn about, how we were censored as alarmists………………………
And yes, a colleague assured us that all that is not a problem for us, but for some native types. Nothing to worry about, really. Remember how, early on, we put out a warning – do not kick dry wolf feces or poke about in such looking for evidence of food habits. Do not handle wolf feces as it will disturb the tiny Echinococcus eggs that float up like little dust cloud to envelop you, and you are very likely to ingest some of that “dust”. This know-how, which we older Canadian types carried away from our parasitogy lessons was poo-hood by some American colleagues. Wolves are after all, harmless! Remember the question we posed: is it really such a great idea completing ecosystems when the progression is herbivores, carnivores, finally diseases and parasites?

It is not my intention nor that of Drs. Geist and Kay to attempt to instill unnecessary fear in people but to educate, as it was back in the day before wolf reintroduction. There are very important lessons and warnings that all should heed and take into consideration when in the woods or maybe even in your own back yard.

Dr. Geist emailed me the other day and asked me if I would be kind enough to post this information so that anyone and everyone will be aware of the potential for some very serious health issues.

Urgent: could you make a point of it that now, that we know that the majority of wolves are infected with Echinococcus, that all hunters control their curiosity and not poke about in wolf or coyote feces to find out what these predators ate. these feces are saturated with tiny, lightweight Echinococcus eggs that rise like dust plume from the disturbed feces and envelop the poking hunter. If the air-born eggs are ingested, the an infection is possible, and having Echinococcus cysts grow inside oneself is not a desirable condition. Trust me!

He followed that up with more information about the dangers.

As to the pathogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus: Yes, I noticed that Foayt, leaning on Raup’s research in Alaska, toned down the dangers from this northern form. My understanding based on what we learned from an old, experienced parasitologist at the University of British Columbia is that it’s nothing to fool around with. It’s serious! In my career as a biologist in touch with the north, I have heard nothing else. I have not, however, done a recent literature search. Foayte’s assessment may be on even though it conflicts with mine. Either way, getting an Echinococcus cyst of any kind is no laughing matter as it can grow not only on the liver or the lungs, but also in the brain. And then it’s fatal.

There is however, another much more alarming angle. Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do not poke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.

You and I probably have no idea in the world whether these worms exist in the woods we hunt, trap, hike, etc. but good advice given by Dr. Geist should tell us it’s not something we should mess around with. Squelch the curiosity to dig in the poop and just assume there could be hidden danger.

I want to take a moment to thank Will Graves, Dr. Val Geist and Dr. Charles Kay for caring enough about the rest of us to be willing to share their findings and experiences.

Things I am looking for, but not limited to.

•    Gear: Clothes, utility tools, ATV’s…
•    Favorite weapons: guns, bows, sticks, stones…
•    Best Duck Blind or Hide…
•    You, family or friends dressed for the hunt…
•    Where you hunt

All I need is a digital picture in any PC compatible format and a description of the picture.  You can make the description as long or short as you would like.  If there is a story behind the picture we would love to hear about it.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

This year’s event will be held at the University of Maine at Fort Kent and as last year, Skinny Moose Media, in conjunction with U.S. Hunting Today and Maine Hunting Today, will live-stream the video and audio of the event.

Tom Remington, Vice President of Skinny Moose Media, LLC, author of the Black Bear Blog and Managing Editor of U.S. Hunting Today and Maine Hunting Today, will be on hand at the show to conduct interviews and do the filming of the event. He will have his long time friend and Chief Photographer for Skinny Moose Media, Milt Inman with him to assist and grab tons of candid shots throughout the day and evening.

Drawing of names will commence at 6 p.m. It is hoped that things will be set up and video streaming by 4 p.m. that same day. Once the drawing begins, there are no planned interruptions to the streaming.

Last year’s event was held at the Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine and there were over 6,000 who logged onto to the Black Bear Blog to watch and listen to names being drawn.

Obviously if you can find your way clear to make the trip to Fort Kent and the University of Maine, it will prove to be a great time. It is the intention of Skinny Moose Media to provide a service to the hunters in Maine and beyond who can’t be there in person but would like to watch.

On the day of the Maine Moose Lottery drawing, those wishing to view the event can log onto the Black Bear Blog. Immediately on the home page will be a link to follow that will take you directly to the video player and live streaming.

If all goes as planned, the “live chat” function of the video player will be open for hunters to interact among themselves or to ask Tom questions, providing he isn’t too busy. You will not need to register to use the chat function or to view the audio.

For those interested, Skinny Moose Media still has some advertising space available on the video player page for that event. This proves to be one of the most highly visible pages during this event. If you are interested, please contact Skinny Moose Media.

This year’s broadcast is being sponsored by the Allagash Sporting Camps in Allagash, Maine.

Tom Remington