Bright Idea Outdoors Weblog

Pregame Warmups

The Bright Idea Outdoors team gets ready for the big game:

 

NRA: Virginia Sunday Hunting Needs Your Help!

Virginia: Sunday Hunting Needs Your Help! After the historic passage of Senate Bill 464 in the Virginia Senate last week by an overwhelming, bipartisan 29 to 11 vote, Sunday hunting legislation now faces a decidedly tougher challenge in the House of Delegates. Assigned to the Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee, House Bill 921 will first be considered by the Natural Recourses Subcommittee on the evening of Wednesday, February 1. Please contact members of this subcommittee as well as members of the full Committee TODAY and urge them to protect Virginia’s hunting heritage by supporting HB 921. The seven members of the subcommittee will, for all intents and purposes, determine the fate of this legislation that will decide the future of hunting in the Commonwealth. Currently, Virginia is one of only six states in the country that strictly bans hunting on Sunday. This prohibition threatens the very future of our hunting heritage by discouraging hunter recruitment and retention. In addition, this antiquated ban harms Virginia’s economy. Due to increasingly demanding work, family and extracurricular schedules, older and younger hunters alike often have only Sundays available to hunt. The ban keeps them from remaining or becoming hooked on hunting. There is a reason that the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a radical group whose ultimate goal is to end all hunting in America, is one of the most active advocates of maintaining the ban. Hunting license sales in Virginia have decreased from 500,000 to 300,000 in little more than two decades, while the Commonwealth’s population has increased by millions. Our opponents know that the future of hunting is at stake and you should too. At a time when the economy is struggling and too many Virginians are out of work, legislators must not continue to refuse the enormous economic benefits associated with allowing hunting on Sundays. Comprehensive research from the National Shooting Sports Foundation shows that allowing hunting on Sundays would generate a total annual economic impact estimated at $296 million and create 3,927 jobs. All of this would be spurred by simply eliminating words from state statute books (the current prohibition), not spending taxpayer dollars on some pie-in-the-sky scheme. HB 921 is likely to be amended to conform to the Senate-passed SB 464. The Senate bill eliminates the comprehensive ban and allows for Sunday hunting on private lands and public waterways. Additionally, the bill does not allow the hunting of deer with dogs or hunting within 250 yards of a house of worship on Sundays. While the bill does not achieve everything desired by those concerned about our hunting heritage, it is an enormous and necessary step in the right direction. Expanding hunter opportunities is crucial to protecting Virginia’s hunting heritage. If we can’t increase or at least sustain the number of license sales in the state, future generations may miss out on these cherished traditions. After you have contacted the Subcommittee members listed below, please call or e-mail other members of the full Committee as well as your own Delegate and respectfully urge him or her to help guarantee Virginia’s proud hunting traditions for future generations by voting in favor or HB 921. To locate your Delegate and his or her contact information, please click here. Natural Resources Subcommittee: Delegate Tony Wilt (R-26) 804-698-1026 deltwilt@house.virginia.gov Delegate Matt Fariss (R-59) 804-698-1059 delmfariss@house.virginia.gov Delegate Lee Ware (R-65) 804-698-1065 dellware@house.virginia.gov Delegate James Edmunds (R-60) 804-698-1060 deljedmunds@virgina.gov Delegate Lynwood Lewis (D-100) 804-698-1000 delllewis@house.virginia.gov Delegate Ken Plum (D-36) 804-698-1036 delkplum@house.virginia.gov Delegate Tommy Wright (R-61) 804-698-1061 deltwright@house.virginia.gov Remaining Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee Members: Delegate Beverly Sherwood (R-29), Chairman 804-698-1029 DelBSherwood@house.virginia.gov Delegate Ed Scott (R-30) 804-698-1030 DelEScott@house.virginia.gov Delegate Danny Marshall (R-14) 804-698-1014 DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov Delegate Bobby Orrock (R-54) 804-698-1054 DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov Delegate Charles Poindexter (R-9) 804-698-1009 DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov Delegate Brenda Pogge (R-96) 804-698-1096 DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov Delegate Barry Knight (R-81) 804-698-1096 DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov Delegate Will Morefield (R-3) 804-698-1003 DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov Delegate Mike Webert (R-18) 804-698-1018 DelMWebert@house.virginia.gov Delegate Margret Ransone(R-99) 804-698-1099 DelMRansone@house.virginia.gov Delegate David Bulova (D-37) 804-698-1037 DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov Delegate Mark Sickles (D-43) 804-698-1043 DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov Delegate David Englin (D-45) 804-698-1045 DelDEnglin@house.virginia.gov Delegate Mathew James (D-90) 804-698-1080 DelMJames@house.virginia.gov Delegate Luke Torian (D-52) 804-698-1052 DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov

 

Show Your Support for an End to the Sunday Hunting Ban in Virginia

Something really big is afoot in the Virginia General Assembly: this could be the year Virginia's long-standing prohibition against hunting on Sunday ends!

A lot has gotten by me on this one;  I didn't even know the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries had passed a resolution of support for an end to the ban until my sister sent me this article:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2012/jan/15/tdsport10-is-sunday-hunting-gaining-traction-ar-1612360/

A friend of hers had also written a great editorial on the subject:

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/rtd-opinion/2011/dec/29/tdopin02-environmentalists-should-help-repeal-sund-ar-1573467/

And that was followed by this Roanoke Times article, which was published after the Sunday hunting bill cleared the Virginia Senate Agriculture, Conversation and Natural Resources Committee:

http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/303764

I'm a little embarrassed to be joining this process at such a late hour, but it certainly can't hurt to add my voice to the chorus of support for Sunday hunting.  Here are just a few of the many reasons I support it:

• It would help guides and other hunting-related businesses.  Right now, there's not much point in travelling to hunt in Virginia unless you can take at least part of the day off from work on Friday
• It would boost hunting license sales.  A lot of busy people who haven't had time to hunt under the current regulations will have a whole extra day that they could hunt and will therefore be more likely to invest in a (very expensive) Virginia hunting license.
• Kids are busy too, and especially if they play sports, it's hard to take them hunting on Saturday.  More families will be able to hunt together if Sunday hunting is allowed, and more kids will be introduced to Virginia's great hunting tradition.
• Sunday hunting does not have to have an adverse impact on religious observances.  Some will worship before they hunt; others will worship after they hunt; and some will worship while they hunt!

If you have a blog or website, please post the links to the three articles posted here.  Let me know via an email or comment and I'll do another post linking back to your site.

If you don't have your own blog, get one; just joking!  But you could post the links on your facebook page.  The more of us who voice our support, the greater the chance is we'll get another day to hunt each week next fall!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  We had a great break for the holidays and are amped up to get 2012 underway.  No good hunting stories to report, but I thought you might enjoy the videos we made of the kids testing out their Christmas presents:

 

 

 

 

A Little Hunting and a Lot of Running Around

It's been a couple weeks since any of us tagged a deer, but the boys and I have definitely covered a lot of ground in pursuit of those rascals.

Nick, Jake and I made a one-day trip--2.5 hours each way--to King William County on Saturday to hunt with my Uncle Jim and his club.  None of us shot anything, but one of the club members knocked down a big buck while we were there, and Nick really dug the deer dogs.

Meanwhile, Brett has been, to a large extent, left out of the hunt this year.  He and I drew horse feeding duty at Camp Cowboy this evening, so I decided to take him out for the last 45 or so minutes of daylight.

We didn't see anything, but I'm pretty sure Brett is hooked!

Jake Got His Buck!

My son Jake has paid his dues as a deer hunter.  He started hunting with me four years ago at the age of six and has experienced many of the highs and lows of our great sport.  But all his hard work paid off on Saturday when he knocked down this beautiful eight-point Loudoun County buck!

Jake was unarmed on our hunts for what seemed like forever and he took his first shot at a deer (a clean miss) in September of 2010.  On the youth deer hunt in September of this year he connected on a doe.  His hunt for a buck began a couple weeks ago with the start of the Virginia muzzleloader season.

To my surprise, he passed on a couple of four-pointers early in the muzzleloader hunt then didn't take what would have been a pretty easy shot at a doe last week.

"I'm not gonna shoot him," he told me when another four-point appeared on the dry pond we were hunting over Saturday afternoon.

"You can if you want," I said.  "It's your first buck."

But somehow this young man knew that something better would come along.  The eight-point emerged at 5 p.m.  When he was clear of the tall grass at 65 yards, Jake aimed, squeezed the trigger and let the Thompson Center Impact do the rest.

We were fortunate to have some great friends with us to enjoy the moment.  Mike (aka the Captain) and his son Kyle were on hand, and the four of us fanned out at the spot where the buck had disappeared into the cedars.  It was a quick tracking job.

"You want your deer?" Mike asked, after about a three-minute flashlight search.

There it was, wrapped around a cedar about 50 yards from where it had been hit.

Jake didn't jump up and down; he didn't hoot and holler.  If he had been a football player who'd just scored a game-winning touchdown, I would say he just handed the ball to the official.

What a great moment!  And Jake made it even better on the way home by talking about how much he wants to help his brother Nick to get one now.

I told him how proud I was and at the same time tried to put it into perspective.

"I mean, I know there are more important things in life than deer hunting," I said.

"Yeah," Jake replied.  "But not that many things."

Sunday Buck Video

My son made this video when a buck walked out while he was doing some work around the camp last Sunday. I hope we see him again tomorrow! (I can't seem to make the insert video work, but just click the link.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frVyApItfww

Notes from the First Few Days of Muzzleloader Deer Season

The Virginia Muzzleloader Deer Season is off to a great start. Here are some of the highlights--and a couple lowlights--from the first few days of the two-week season, which began Saturday.

Nick got to come out with me for the first time this year. He has really matured since the 2010 season and is able to stay still and quiet for much longer periods of time. Nick also did a great job navigating some tough terrain on our way to the stand. His first hunt of the year almost came to a thrilling end when Nick put the crosshairs on a monster buck at 91 yards.

"Do I have the green light?" he asked me.

"No, let it come a little closer."

That distance is never an easy shot with a muzzleloader, although I know it's more than doable. But this would have been Nick's first shot at a live animal, and I wasn't about to take a chance on ruining it for him by letting him take too difficult a shot; even if I did want to see him take that trophy buck as badly as I've ever wanted to shoot one myself!

Tough thing about it was, right after I told Nick to wait, the buck disappeared into the woods. Even tougher, about 20 minutes later a shot rang out on the neighboring property. That guy is a trophy hunter, and I knew he wouldn't take anything but a wall hanger on opening day. I figured he'd gotten Nick's buck. More on the not-so-friendly relationship I have with that guy in a minute...

Meanwhile, Jake's friend Jake, who hunts a property not far from us with his dad, killed a huge 10 pointer. I've seen a picture of the 10-year-old hunter and his deer; it's amazing. I'll post it here later in the week if I get his dad's permission...

My son Jake actually had a couple chances as bucks but elected to pass on the young four pointers, even though one of them practically begged Jake to shoot it. This deer hung around us for at least half an hour and several times stood broadside at less than 20 yards. I was surprised that Jake, who killed his first deer earlier this season but has yet to harvest a buck, elected not to shoot, but I'm proud that he trusted his instincts, made his decision and stuck by it...

My instincts had told me to go ahead and squeeze the trigger when a doe stopped by my tree stand at 6:45 a.m. I shot, and the doe ran off toward the south. Pretty sure she was down, I figured I'd stay in the stand for a half hour or so and see if anything else came along. Something did, but it wasn't a deer. It was that hunter from the neighboring property.

He asked me what I was shooting at and then moaned and groaned about quality deer management and "cutting him off" and how my stand (which was put there by my predecessor in hunting the property) is too close to the property he hunts. I tried really hard to be friendly with this guy, and he could probably have a great hunting neighbor in me if he would just relax a little. Unfortunately, I don't think this guy has a friendly bone in his body...

But enough about that (at least for now); I should also mention that my cousin Tom shot two deer on opening day. Like I said, the season if off to a great start. Hopefully by this time next week I'll have some even more exciting tales to tell!

Video Footage from Our Archery Buck

Here is the edited video from our October 22 hunt. It is essentially a highlight film; Jake took about a half-hour of footage and cut it down to 8.5 minutes. He took out most of the talking, you know the standard "We're here in..." and "We're gonna back out and then go look for the deer in..." and "I smoked him!"

Actually, I didn't say that I smoked him, on or off camera. That expression really gets on my nerves when I hear it on hunting shows and, to me, is only appropriate when used in reference to meat preparation.

The footage though, fills me with pride; not so much because of the deer but more because of all the hard work my 10-year-old son put in on the video. Taping this hunt will forever preserve the memories of a great day we had together. I should warn you though, that it does contain an impact shot and some rather graphic frames of a field-dressed deer. If you're squeamish, you should hit stop about the time Cowboy fires up the tractor.

Meanwhile, Nick and I hunted the muzzleloader opener together. We saw lots of deer, including one huge buck. Nick had the crosshairs of the Thompson Center Impact on it at 91 yards.

"Do I have the green light?" he asked me. I told him to wait until it came a little closer just before the buck disappeared into the woods.

We're hoping to get a hunt or two in over the next couple days, so I'll have more on the muzzleloader hunt later this week. Hope you enjoy the video!

Guest Blogger: Kasey Werner on Teaching Kids to Hunt

Kasey from HuntAndFishGuides.com sent this guest post over on Halloween. Enjoy!

This September (2011), Michigan hunting laws were changed to allow children ten years or older to firearm deer hunt. This really excited both my son and I. Finding things that you and your children enjoy doing together creates some of the strongest bonding experiences possible. There is almost always the chance to teach them something new as well, even if it is just the new experience itself. Hunting has always facilitated some of the most long-lasting bonds that people have. The recent death of my Grandfather really brought this point home to me.

When I was a kid my Dad wasn’t around. It was my Grandfather who stepped in to fill that role. Some of my most cherished childhood memories are of my time with my Gramps, many of those revolve around hunting. I remember waking up when it was still dark, piling on layers of clothes until I looked like a bodybuilder, and tasting coffee for the first time. We would make our way across the field out back and find our spot. Once we settled in, I’d get bored. I fidgeted and sighed, daydreamed, and fell asleep a few times, none of which are desirable hunting skills. With seemingly never-ending patience my Grandfather would explain how and why these things would lessen our chances of a successful hunt. When we were hunting Gramps treated me different. Every question I asked was answered and explanations were long and thorough. I was treated like an adult.

Those hunting trips taught me how to be a responsible and effective sportsman. Recently I realized something else they taught me; how to be patient while teaching my own child how to hunt. Things that we take for granted are completely new ideas to a young mind. Concepts like staying downwind, being silent or getting to your spot before the game is moving require more explanation than you would think. Children are why machines, so be prepared. That infinite patience that most of us were given as children should be foremost on your mind.

Teaching children about hunting can be a daunting task. There are so many different aspects to the sport that you’re really only getting them started, they will spend the rest of their lives “learning”. Hunter’s safety is a great first step. This will teach them how to handle a firearm, and to just be a safe hunter in general. I’m sure anyone reading this knows what hunter’s safety entails so I won’t go into a lot of detail. One tip I would give, is to go with your child to the class. It will help them focus and show them that the material isn’t to be taken lightly. It will also give you the peace of mind of knowing what they know about being safe, so you can add anything that you feel is important.

Get your child comfortable with a firearm. In hunter’s safety class my son shot two rounds out of a .22, and two rounds out of a 12ga. This does not equate to any kind of real training. I would recommend spending several months before hunting season getting them familiar with the exact firearm that they will be using. If you have access to others, by all means teach them how those work as well, just make sure they are very capable with the firearm they will be hunting with. Most firearm accidents are a result of not knowing how to safely handle them.

Most hunters have a preferred strategy. Explain to your child what this is and why you use it. I don’t like crawling around or going for long hikes so I have a blind set up about a mile from home. This is what works for me. I made sure to let my son know why I do it this way and some other methods that are popular. Maybe later we’ll try out some new techniques together, that’s part of the fun of hunting with your child. Just explaining the different strategies and reasoning will get them pretty excited about trying to outsmart their game. Whatever hunting methods you use, show your child before opening day. If you do any work on your hunting area take them with you. If you have a set path or spot take them out and show them. The more you expose them to all of the different aspects of hunting the more positive reaction you’ll get.

Make sure they will be warm and comfortable and highly visible. This doesn’t necessarily mean spending a fortune on new gear. Just make sure they will be warm and able to move freely. If they are too cold or their clothing too restricted they will feel miserable and not enjoy the hunt. I would also highly recommend making sure that your child will be very visible, regardless of what laws are in place, to avoid any tragic accidents.

Teaching your child about hunting can be very rewarding. You will have a common interest to share, create a deeper bond than you had before, and have a lifelong hunting partner. Figure out what way your child learns best and approach it from that angle. For example, my son likes to read about things before he tries them, so I find him all the hunting literature I can. After we discuss it, we go out into the field and practice what he learned. The more care you take in ensuring your child enjoys the learning process the better. Above all, be patient, don’t rush things, and remember the acronym K.I.S.S., keep it simple stupid. Don’t bombard them with every little detail you’ve picked up over the years. Start them out slow and build on that knowledge one day at a time.