Humane Society Of The U.S. Do As I Say Not As I Do

Once again the Humane Society of the United States is meddling in areas where it probably shouldn’t be. Laughingly, they are doing to the town of Fort Thomas, Kentucky exactly what they are accusing the town of Fort Thomas, Kentucky of doing – relaying misinformation.

Fort Thomas, like thousands of other towns across American, has a deer problem. The town in trying to devise a plan to deal with it and because they are considering employing hunters to reduce numbers, the HSUS feels compelled to stick their nose in it. But like so many other times, they end up embarrassing themselves.

The Community Press writes that the HSUS is accusing the town of Fort Thomas of putting up “erroneous information” and for making comparisons that “do not hold up to scrutiny”.

Donald Elroy, HSUS’s director of Wildlife Advocacy, says that the town published accident information on their website that he says should have made comparisons nationwide.

Elroy said comparisons should be done with other types of vehicular accidents, which would show that, nationwide, deer-related car accidents are only a small percentage of overall car accidents.

An examination of the website of the town of Fort Thomas presents a different story.

More people are killed as a result of deer/vehicle collisions each year than by dogs, snakes, sharks, mountain lions, bears and alligators combined. On average 130 people are killed in deer/vehicle collisions each year, making deer the most deadly animal in the United States.

In Fort Thomas, between 2003 and 2006 there were 47 deer/vehicle collisions reported in Fort Thomas. This results in a yearly average of 11.75 deer/vehicle collisions in Fort Thomas. Most of the collisions occur along Memorial Parkway and Mary Ingles Highway. Due to the number of deer carcasses found along the wooded areas of the city it is obvious that many more such collisions go unreported. Based on statistics provided by the Kentucky State Police (www.kentuckystatepolice.org/deerauto.htm#totcol), each collision results in approximately $2,000 in damage to the vehicle, but more importantly, a collision puts the occupants of the vehicle at risk of injury or death. In an effort to reduce these risks, the city suggests that drivers implement the following defensive driving techniques:

Is the HSUS suggesting that it is more accurate to compare automobile accidents with deer to those of drunk driving than with other animals? Isn’t a deer an animal? I think it fair to say that when the town put up this information they were suggesting that dogs, snakes, sharks, mountain lions, bears and alligators are, for whatever reasons, better managed or more under control than Fort Thomas’ deer population. Isn’t this why they are meeting to decide what to do?

Elroy accuses the town of trying to employ scare tactics on its citizens. While presenting statistics from the Kentucky state police as fact is not only responsible, it is the truth whether we like it or not. Belittling the risks of deer/auto accidents by comparing them to other types of auto accidents and associated risks, is irresponsibly idiotic.

Elroy also declares that Fort Thomas is using scare tactics in stating that deer attacks on humans are on the rise.

Elroy said deer attacks on humans, which the Web site says are “on the rise”, “are so relatively rare that it should not be used as a justification for lethal methodologies and is simply a scare tactic.”

And what is really on the town’s website?

While deer appear to be harmless creatures, the number of attacks on humans by deer is on the increase. An attack by a deer can be brutal. Deer antlers can cause puncture wounds. On occasion, deer attacks have been known to result in severe and permanent injury to people and even death. To reduce the risk of being a victim of a deer attack, people are encouraged to observe the following suggestions:

The site responsibly goes on to list ways in which people can avoid a confrontation with a deer. Granted, attacks by deer on humans are rare but are we to ignore facts because we don’t like them? The reason that attacks are on the increase is because the combination of too many deer and too many people ups the odds considerably. What is Mr. Elroy suggesting the town do? Lie or just bury their head in the sand?

Then Elroy begins to nitpick. He accuses the town of telling false information by declaring the town is trying to scare people by saying that deer spread Lyme disease.

He also challenged information on the Web site that says deer carry and transmit Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is transmitted through infected black legged ticks, not deer, Elroy said.

So, who’s spreading misinformation? Elroy is suggesting that town officials don’t know how Lyme disease is spread. The Fort Thomas website says this about Lyme disease.

Deer pose a threat to public safety by the possibility of transmitting diseases to people. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are known to be carried by deer. Laboratory tests indicate that these diseases can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected parasites such as ticks. To help reduce the likelihood of contracting one of these diseases the following measures are suggested: (emboldening is mine)

Once again the town responsibly list ways in which people can reduce their chances of catching the disease. I want to know where in that statement does the town say that deer “carry and transmit” Lyme disease? I believe it is quite accurate in its description that deer are the carriers of the ticks that carry the diseases. Talk about taking this out of context in order to spin a story.

I think the townspeople of Fort Thomas, Kentucky are very much capable of working out their deer population problems without the assistance of an organization bent on spreading more lies and filling the heads of the residents there with information that isn’t true.

As is typical of such organizations, they can seldom support their ideals on factual information so they resort to distortions of the truth while accusing others of doing exactly what they are doing – lying.

Tom Remington

EHD A Bit “Ho-Hum” In The Deep South

We are at a point where it would be safe to say that this year’s outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is quite widespread. Here’s a list of states that have confirmed cases of the virus that is carried to deer by biting midges or no-see-ums: Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, Montana, Mississippi and Georgia. In addition, some states are waiting for test results to confirm what they already suspect – South Carolina is one such state.

To confirm the presence of the disease, blood and certain tissue has to be analyzed.

According to both the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the Alabama Department of Conservation, dealing with EHD is quite routine. Charles Ruth, Deer/Turkey Project supervisor for the South Carolina DNR says flair-ups in that state seem to run in cycles of 3-5 years and there’s a reasonable explanation.

“This is probably related to the fact that once deer are exposed to the disease they are more resistant to it. Therefore, if you have disease one year the deer become exposed or inoculated to the disease and you do not see much disease activity until there is turnover in the deer population. After several years you are dealing with another cohort of deer and their systems are ‘naïve’ to the disease. The last time there was significant hemorrhagic disease activity in South Carolina was in 2002, therefore, disease activity could be relatively high this year.”

This theory is confirmed by a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“We have some cases every year,” said Keith Guyse, a whitetail specialist with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division in the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “In the Coastal Plain, the virus is there frequently enough that deer have been exposed to it and have some resistance to it.

Both representatives indicate that EHD in their respective states is pretty much routine only because of the build up of a certain degree of immunity. Therefore, these southern states don’t see wide outbreaks of the disease that often. When EHD hits the more northern climes, EHD seems to grab harder. Ruth explains.

Deer likely die in South Carolina each year from hemorrhagic disease, however, there is no indication that a major outbreak has occurred in the state since the mid 1970s. The disease is part of life for deer in the Southeast and fortunately it appears that Southern deer have acquired some immunity to the disease, said Ruth. Northern deer, on the other hand, are not exposed to the disease as frequently since the insect vector is not as common in cooler climates. For this reason, significant outbreaks and mortality from hemorrhagic disease are more likely in northern deer populations.

Guyse from Alabama makes reference to the same theory.

“Typically in North Alabama and above the fall line, they’re not exposed to it as often. So over a period of time you have a population that doesn’t have much resistance. When you have (outbreaks) up there, it tends to be more noticeable.”

This helps us understand why some states may have more severe outbreaks, killing larger numbers of deer, than others but why this year are outbreaks so widespread across the landscape of the country? Some have related it to the summer heat and drought. That may be true, I don’t know. It would be logical to assume that being that the virus is carried and spread by tiny midges or gnats, a larger than normal population of that insect would be directly proportional to the spread of the disease. Of course science isn’t that simplistic and we know that there are probably many more factors to consider or it could be just merely a coincidence.

However, Guyse from Alabama eludes to the theory of increased numbers of midges, somewhat.

“Auburn (researchers) had traps out to catch the flies and they might catch a few every once in a while, and then all of a sudden they catch hundreds,” Guyse said. “Much of that still is a mystery.”

Obviously, they don’t have a good handle on it either.

Hunters and others should be aware of the symptoms they may find on deer suffering from the disease.

Symptoms of hemorrhagic disease include poor physical condition, sloughing hooves, abrasions or sores on the brisket and legs, and ulcerations on the mouth, tongue, and rumen (stomach).

As I said earlier, verification of the disease has to be done in the lab.

If you see sick or dead deer in your travels, please report it to the appropriate authorities. It is highly recommended that nobody eats any of the meat from deer sickened by EHD.

Tom Remington

EHD Outbreak Widespread And Following Drought

As most hunters are aware, several states are experiencing outbreaks of EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease). To date, states involved are, Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey and Montana. In those states, some are experiencing widespread outbreaks while others are sporadic. Either way, it appears that this year’s outbreak is one that could be classified as the most widespread in some years.

J.R. Absher, the Newshound, and I sent a couple emails back and forth this morning about what’s happening with EHD. In one of my emails, I asked J.R. if this was what he would consider a large outbreak from his years of experience in the field. What he told me was that in a previous article he mentioned that he had talked with a friend of his, Doug Markham, information officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, about this year’s outbreak.

My good friend Doug Markham, information officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, dropped me an email over the weekend saying it’s as bad as he’s ever seen it in his 20 years with the agency.

Some especially hard-hit areas of the Volunteer State could lose half their deer to EHD this year, Markham speculated.

One other thing that J.R. mentioned was that it seemed that the EHD outbreak was following a similar path as this summer’s drought. I’ll have to do some investigating to see if I can find out if that is a common occurrence.

In the meantime, we all need to be praying for some frost and freezes to kill this thing off.

Tom Remington

Further Spreading Of EHD And Troubles With Water Contamination In Pennsylvania

We can now add Montana to the growing list of states confirming outbreaks of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, EHD, or blue tongue. EHD is contracted by the bite of insects called “biting midges.” The virus usually kills the animals within five to 10 days. It is not spread by deer-to-deer contact and is rare in domestic cattle. States already having confirmed cases of EHD are: Virginia, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois and New Jersey.

Montana officials have confirmed the presence of EHD in the southeastern part of the state.

So far “hundreds” of antelope and deer carcasses have been reported.

The heaviest concentration of the disease appears to be in the Melstone area east to Ingomar and Sumatra.

There really is not much that can be done about the disease. We just wait until the first good frost or freeze that will kill the midges that carry the virus.

In the meantime, troubles from dying deer in Pennsylvania are raising concerns about the possible contamination of drinking water supplies. In Beaver, Greene and Washington counties estimates are that over 1,000 deer carcasses are lying about rotting and stinking up the air. For some, there is concern that the decaying carcasses, many of which are lying in water, are contaminating the water supplies.

Russell Morgan is a Greene Township Supervisor and a farmer. He’s concerned about the water problems but is getting no help from the Pennsylvania Game Commission to get the carcasses cleaned up.

Already, Morgan said, he has confirmed 17 dead deer on and around his property. Township secretary Sandy Wright said one resident found 50 dead deer within a short distance of each other. Another resident reported finding 35 dead deer, Wright said.

Morgan said the game commission should at least help remove the remains from water sources. Instead, he was told removal of the deer is the responsibility of the homeowner,

“No one wants to take responsibility for what’s going on,” he said.

One of the side effects of the disease in deer causes the body temperature to rise, thus sending the deer to water to cool off. This is often where they expire.

Game Commission Supervisor Barry Zaffuto says it isn’t the responsibility of the PGC to take care of the dead animals and that the rotting deer are not contaminating the water.

“A deer is 100 percent natural,” he said. “This virus is not transferable, so it would be just like a deer that dies in the water naturally, because it does happen.”

The commission, he said, does not have the resources to search across a three-county area for deer and then remove them, especially when nature is taking care of that for them.

“That would just be totally impossible. What would we do with them?’ he said. “Deer decompose naturally and rapidly.”

Morgan isn’t buying Zaffuto’s explanation about deer being all natural and wouldn’t ruin the water. As a farmer, he is required by law to remove any of his livestock if it should dye in or near water. Under the watchful eye of the Department of Environmental Protection, he is made to clean up the carcass immediately because it will contaminate the water. Morgan wants to know what the difference is between a cow and a deer?

Morgan isn’t the only one concerned about the dying deer and how to clean up the mess. According to the PGC, it’s the landowners’ responsibility but this is angering citizens because of the double standards being exemplified in this video.

Tom Remington

Dad’s Rifle – A Family Heirloom

By Bob Lane

In many hunting families, guns are handed down from generation to generation. When a family member no longer desires to, is unable to hunt, or is deceased, the rifles, pistols, and shotguns are often passed on to the hunting offspring or grandchildren of the former hunter. The sentimental value and memories attached to the firearms often far outweigh the monetary value of the guns themselves. Read more

Lost Hunter’s Ordeal. Is It Too Unbelievable?

I may get ridiculed for some of what I am about to write but I have to at least ask the questions that I’m sure many of us have asked. First, let me say that I am extremely happy that 53-year old Steven Wright of Woodford, Vermont, who was lost in the Maine woods near Tumbledown Mountain during a recent hunting triop, was found safe and has since recovered.

Wright was hunting this area with two other buddies during a snowstorm. When Wright decided it was time to head back to the truck and meet up with his companions, a series of events caused him to spend three days and two nights in the woods. Read more

Through Better Men than I

By Master Sargent Mike Sibley

I can hear their whispers wherever I go. “Control your breathing, concentrate on the blade, and squeeze.” “Feel your way along with your toes instead of watching your feet.” “Work your way down through that black-growth and you’ll find ‘em in that stand of beech.” So persistent are they that I sympathize with a schizophrenic who feels as if he’s never alone. Unlike him, my voices are not a psychotic delusion created by chemical imbalances crying out for the saving grace of lithium. Real men spoke those words and no amount of time or distance will ever silence them. They are my last connection to a past that I crave but know I’ll never see. They define the man who hears them. And I pray they shape the lives of my sons. Read more

Tracking Down Your Deer

By John D. Porter

With all the hype in the hunting world about tree stands, one begins to wonder what our forefathers did, before the invention of climbers and fixed-position stands. Don’t get me wrong; I am not knocking on the tree stand hunters, as I hunt from one myself when the conditions are right.

Now, lets get back to the topic. What do we do when the conditions don’t suit being up a tree? Climb down and go home, and pray that tomorrow will bring better weather? NO, climb down and track your game. It’s that simple, if one has a working knowledge on how deer move about. If one doesn’t have the profound understanding any hunter can be trained and you can do it without an expert’s advice. I am just a sportsman like you and I don’t consider myself an expert.

 

All one has to do is spend time in the woods and look at your game in a different eye. A quality tracker will look at all the terrain instead of focusing on a limited area around their stand.

It’s one on one. Hunter following his/ her chosen game species. Very few will argue that this is easy, but the outcome can be very rewarding.

Tracking is said to be regional and to some extend it is. But, it can be employed anywhere there is game to be found. In northern Maine for instance, where there is vast acreage of undeveloped land and deer densities are low, this tactic works extremely well due to the fact that big bodied deer are wide – ranging animals that cover a lot of territory in a short period of time. Sign that was fresh this morning could have been made by a deer that’s is many miles away by now, with no intentions of returning. Tracking would be the only way to find this deer.

 

Tracking isn’t for every hunter. It is both mentally and physically challenging. You could walk for endless miles in snow that could be exhausting. At the same time you must be mentally awake to your surroundings and to what the deer is doing. Come night fall you could miles away from your starting point which means more walking and you must be prepared to do this tomorrow and for however long it takes to bag your game. You need to feel competent in the woods and not fear being turned around or lost. When you do bag your trophy you may be miles away from where you started.

To start this procedure you must find a decent track. The track should be easy to determine what sex left it. Like male and female humans, a buck and doe carry themselves different. A trophy buck will stand with his stance wider apart then a doe, and he swaggers when he walks. Does generally keep their feet in a daintier manner. Bucks will drag their feet, where a doe will pick hers up. The drag marks will be evident in a few inches of snow, but any deer will leave drag marks in deeper snow. Another quick tip! A doe will go under low hanging branches, where a buck will generally go around it to avoid tangling his headgear. How about another tip? A buck generally urinates as he is walking, where a doe will stop and squat. So finding a trail of urine 3 feet long in the snow and it’s a decent bet your onto a buck.

 

Look for a place that a deer has stuck their nose in a track, or lowered their head to eat. If you see drag marks from his antlers you can field judge his size. No marks means that you’re onto a doe or a buck with a lesser rack.

Now enough of the tips and clues. Let’s chase that big buck. The buck may have several hours head start on you, so you can’t go about it in a leisurely manner. You must be able to tell if he is moving along feeding or looking for a mate. Look for tell- tale signs.

 

If he is feeding as he walks along, slow down as he is bedding down soon. This is where a good pair of binoculars comes in handy. Scan the tracks and see if you can find the buck bedded down. If not, follow the tracks with the binoculars for as far as you can see. Pick a landmark and slowly and quietly move towards it.

 

If he has lain down, you should be able to spot him. But, be extremely observant and quiet because a mature deer knows he is leaving a track and will watch his back trail. You don’t want the animal to sense any danger or your work will take longer if you plan on continuing to chase your buck.

 

If the buck you are following is looking for a mate, look for does that appear to be nervous and watching their back trails. More then not, a buck with only one thing on his mind will be trailing along.

The most crucial time is the final few minutes of the hunt. That’s when most will be impatient and blow it. This is one of the most crucial points of the hunt…one false move and your buck is gone. At this time, you must be in deep concentration, your thoughts on only one thing…. Bagging your buck.

Once again, it is a very demanding way to hunt, but in the end your results could be very rewarding.

In closing, nothing will work if your not careful of wind direction and keeping your self scent free.

 

Just don’t read this for what it is….Take time to let the information sink in and come deer season, get out in the woods and find a track and follow it. The information will unfold right in front of your eyes… John

How to Remove Rust From a Gun

By Steven T. Remington

Removing surface rust from a gun without damaging the finish can be quite tricky if you aren’t familiar with the process, but there are a couple easy methods that can be used that will save you time and energy. If the rust isn’t very bad you may only need to spend 5 minutes. If there is serious rusting it could take 20 minutes per day for a few weeks. Keeping your gun free of rust helps preserve your gun’s beauty and value, and it will help keep it functioning properly.

Here is how:

* Get your gun oil out. I sometimes use “Inhibitor” but whatever you normally use to lube up your guns to prevent rust. Also head on over to the Home Depot and pick up some fine steel wool. You will want to get 00 steel wool normally found in the paint department. Once you get those 2 things find a nice comfortable spot where the gun can lay down without being scratched if the gun should slide around a bit. Newspapers on a work bench or a towel will work fine.

* Check to see if your gun is loaded. If it is, unload it.

* Apply oil directly on and around any rust spots.

* Now apply oil onto the 00 steel wool and gently rub the rusty areas. You won’t need to rub hard just nice and softly working the wool back and forth.

* Have a rag handy and occasionally remove the oil and inspect the surface. The oil will turn brown if any of the rust is being removed. So wipe off the dirty oil occasionally and reapply clean oil onto rusty spots.

* Repeat as necessary until all the rust is gone. Sometimes you may want to lube up the gun and put it away for a couple of days and work at it again if the rust is real bad. Sometimes the outer surface of the rust needs to be loosened over time by the oil.

* This process will not harm the “bluing” on your rifle. Just be sure to not scrub so hard you’ll scratch the finish. Firmly is fine, but remember it isn’t necessarily strength that will remove the rust, but rather persistence, patience, and time.

*Once you remove all the rust, make sure to coat all steel surfaces of your gun with oil, using a clean rag, after each use.

 

By Steven Remington

 

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