Wyoming Elk Found With CWD

Source: BigGameHunt.Net
Source: Wyoming Game and Fish

The Wyoming department of Game and fish announced a confirmed case of CWD in an Elk

A cow elk displaying symptoms of chronic wasting disease south of Encampment was confirmed to have been infected with the disease Feb. 28, according to tests conducted by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Laboratory.

It was the first elk to test positive for CWD in hunt area 14, although several deer have tested positive in the area in past years.

The elk had been reported to the Game and Fish by concerned public with the classic CWD symptoms of being emaciated, profuse salivation and disorientation. The animal was collected and taken to the laboratory by Game Warden Matt Withroder Feb. 17.

"We're not surprised at the discovery because the disease had been detected in deer in the area and it is also found in Colorado hunt areas to the south," said Jeff Smith, wildlife supervisor for the Game and Fish's Laramie Region.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that has been diagnosed in deer, elk and moose in 10 states and two Canadian provinces. Animals show no apparent signs of illness throughout much of the disease's course. In terminal stages of CWD, animals typically are emaciated and display abnormal behavior.

There is no confirmed link between CWD and any human illness.

For more information on CWD visit the Game and Fish Web site at http://gf.state.wy.us.

Hunting News Update Oct 17th

Utah's Online Source for Local News & Information Site Archive
Today, October 17, 2006, 21 minutes ago
... an analysis of commuting trends reported Monday. Link to Story 10/16/2006 7:12am State officials will allow bear hunting in one of 10 mountain sanctuaries for the first time since the areas were established in 1970. Link to Story 10/16/2006 12:08pm ...
Washington Report: Hunting Season Is A Time For Balance
Today, October 17, 2006, 22 minutes ago
Like most South Dakotans, fall is my favorite time of year for one reason and one reason alone: pheasant hunting.EThere are few things that bring more enjoyment to so many across our state.
Man killed in deer hunting accident near Monroe
Yesterday, October 16, 2006, 5:39:41 PM
A 19-year-old man was fatally shot while hunting deer near Monroe, the Snohomish County Sheriff's office said.
Officials trace drop in hunting to several factors
Yesterday, October 16, 2006, 10:04:25 AM
The state is continuing to see a decline in the number of people applying for hunting tags.
Outdoors with Luke Clayton...making the most of your hunt
Yesterday, October 16, 2006, 2:34:33 AM
After more than forty seasons spent in pursuit of the majestic whitetail deer, I can truly say that I enjoy the hunt now every bit as much as I did as a kid, maybe more.
Many times the prey gets away
Sunday, October 15, 2006, 3:06:35 AM
CHRISTMAS, Fla. - If you are a frequent viewer of the cable TV hunting shows, you might come away with the impression that most hunts are successful, and that large numbers of super-sized ...
Father, daughter savor opening-day thrill
Sunday, October 15, 2006, 2:00:00 AM
Ricky Reed says that the day he stops getting an extreme adrenalin rush when he's got a deer in his sights is the day he'll stop hunting.
Cute but hungry Overpopulation of deer leaves little left for other species
Friday Oct 13 The Journal News
Pity poor Bambi, everyone now wants a shot at her. This month, Pound Ridge became one of the first towns in Westchester county to allow the hunting of white-tailed deer on town-owned property.
Society Hill mayor under fire for deer hunting stand
Monday Oct 9 Florence Morning News
A complaint over hunting made its way to the floor of the Society Hill Town Council meeting Monday.
Pronghorns, Mules and Malarkey
Saturday The Herald
By Jim Casada The Herald - Updated 10/15/06 - 12:25 AM While it has been my great good fortune to experience much of what North America has to offer in the way of hunting, until recently I had never hunted ...
Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine
A Change Of Luck
Wednesday Oct 11 Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine
I was excited about the 2005 deer hunting season. I live in Virginia, and the past few seasons I have harvested some nice deer.
Lambertville Man Hunts Dream
Friday Oct 13 Courier News
Last fall, avid deer hunter Karl Zainitzer walked away from the $5 million landscaping business he founded, waved goodbye to its 132 employees and began full-time his pursuit of the ultimate deer.

DeerBeards are nearly Famous

The DeerBeards would like to thank David Dirk and the Time-Herald Record for his kind reference to the Deerbeards Hunting News blog" in his recent article

Blogs create dialogue on outdoors life

"Another blogging gem for hunters is http://deerbeards.blogspot.com. These guys have a sense of humor in addition to the gift of gab. Well worth the time to keep on your blog reading list."

The Hunting News is dedicated to reporting "All the News that's fit to Hunt."

Please visit DeerBeards.com as we have just added Hunting Pictures, Videos, The Sportsmans Hunting and Outdoor Recreation Directory and much, much more.

Thanks Dave

Ole Grey and the Big Swede!!

David Dirks' outdoors column appears weekly in the Times Herald-Record. Contact him at P.O. Box 80, Westtown, NY 10988, or dirksoutdoors@hotmail.com

Ode To The Treestand Thief

By: Michael Willand

I would like to propose a toast. A toast to the man with no name. The man who walks through my woods without any care, searching for my treestand, my trail cameras, and my fragile piece of mind.

You're so clever! Able to creep in the darkness, wandering from tree to tree, in search of my favorite stand. You're so brave. Able to walk through miles of spider webs strung from tree to tree, without one girlish scream or thought of turning back now. I cannot even fathom the pain you must have endured by the onslaught of mosquitoes that swarmed your cold blood. You must be full of so much pride as you carry away my treestand hung way back in the raspberry thicket. I know I felt great pride when I hung it in 95 degree heat, while ticks crawled up my pants and bees dove around my face.

What of safety!? Did you come alone!? Is it not a general treestand safety rule that one should have another with him/her when he/she are installing or uninstalling a treestand!? After all, I would hate to think that you where careless when in my woods! Did you take the time to put on your safety belt? I really would not wish for harm on you. I mean, I can't speak for others, but I wouldn't want to head into my woods one morning only to find you laying helplessly underneath my stand!

However, I will assume that you are safety conscious because I know that upon hanging that particular stand I also took the time to hang on an extra safety harness tree strap. This way I wouldn't have to do it on opening morning and make so much noise. And since you also took this strap, you must be incredibly safety conscious!

I wonder what sort of man you are, physically? I am guessing you are not of a heavier set. I know this because the tree you took my stand from leaned at a good angle, putting all the weight on your back as you climbed up. A really heavy man would have had much trouble with this. And clearly you were not discouraged by the lack of screw in steps that were in the tree. They were spaced kind of far apart, because I just ran out. I apologize for that! So my guess is, you are at least 6 feet tall and with good upper body strength.

What sort of man are you emotionally? What does it take, inside of you, to be the great thief that you obviously have become!? Are you an only child, raised by the parents who gave you everything you ever wanted, but still you wanted more? Do you just have social or intimacy problems with the opposite sex? Perhaps you're just angry at life, for dealing you such a tough hand. Whatever it is, I guess with you taking Mike Willand's treestand it should help you to better succeed in life. Good job!

Whomever you are, you have now earned my respect. You, treestand thief, needed that one more treestand so bad that you came in the night! In the dark! You took on the heat, the thorns, the insects, and the sweat! You walked up the rolling hills, over water soaked creeks, and through a small swamp to achieve your goal! And tomorrow when you set that stand you so rightfully stole from me, it will all be worth it for you!

Just remember to cross off my name that is etched into the stand 3 TIMES! I wouldn't want the game warden, whom I contacted, to see you with that stand. Then he may feel the need to arrest you, and I just don't want that to be on MY conscience. Then I'll have to help file paper work, press charges, and maybe even have to pick you out in a line-up. Although I have never seen your face, I think the physical description I have in my head should be pretty darn near accurate.

With this, I solute you, oh Treestand Thief.

Humor is in the Eye of the Beard Grower

Humor: How does one define Humor?

wit: Humor is "the mental faculty of discovering, expressing, or appreciating ludicrous or absurdly incongruous elements in ideas, situations, happenings, or acts," with the added information that Humor is distinguished from wit as "less purely intellectual and having more kindly sympathy with human nature, and as often blended with pathos."

Hmm, that was helpful!

Let's try again,

Humor: "a facetious turn of thought," or more specifically in literature, as "a sportive exercise of the imagination that is apparent in the choice and treatment of an idea or theme."

Isn't there something about that word "sportive," on the lips of so learned an authority, that tickles the fancy and appeals to the sense of humor?

This is F&^%$ insane, forget Webster, let me peruse the handy dandy Deer Beard Hunting for Hillman Guide Book. I will look in the Humor and Funny Pictures section.....O.K. This might help.

Humor: Hearing 6 shots ring out in under 3 seconds 10 minutes into Deer Hunting opener. Learning that not only did the hunter need all 6 shots, but that he had also been try to get signal on his cell phone when that hapless whitetail deer made its early morning appearance. Now there's a funny picture.

also see the follow:

2. Humor:
Another Deer Hunting funny picture that comes to mind is walking across the field, near dusk, and seeing a blaze orange blob sitting in my deer stand. Was it a mirage? Did I have hypothermia? Had I fallen off the wagon, gotten tanked down at Lucky's last night and now I was hallucinating that a gigantic, sun like hunter was sitting upon the Prized Throne of Beard Pride? If I were bow hunting or elk hunting I might have let it go, but the prize for this hunter was a Whitetail deer.....Whitetail deer, the most coveted creature to ever grace the wooded lands of the USA.

White Tail Deer, now this is a prize worth fighting for. Hearing the music from deliverance in my head, I had to quickly decide if I was going to confront this intruder...

Humor:
humor is seeing that Bow hunting video when the deer gets pissed and just beats the bow hunting guy senseless. Whitetail deer are nothing to mess with when there mad or rutting. Now imagine what would happen if you crossed bow hunting with elk hunting and the animal got all irate about your trying to shoot it in the back with a friggin arrow....Neither Bow hunting nor Elk Hunting is for wimps.

I have never tried bow hunting or elk hunting, but I bet both would be challenging and fun. Actually, I just bought a bow last week, as the whitetail deer bow hunting season starts in like 5 days. I am going to go practice a bit and then try my luck. I also have some friends that are going to be Elk hunting in Colorado this October. We will have funny pictures and great stories to share upon their return.

Oh yeah,
I think when Frank the Tank chugs beer bongs in "Old School " after talking about another sweet weekend at Bed Bath and Beyond ( funny picture)that's Humor.

Avian Bird Flu not a factor

Good News from the CDC, the feared Avian Bird Flu does not appear to be a threat to this year Deer Hunting Season.

"It's just a stroke of good luck", say local hunterEarl Bilkowski, "Me and Mah have been scouting the swamps since May looking for signs of that darn bird Flu, I guess it's now official ( tearful pause) we missed the big one." Several other area residents showed visible signs of relief as they read the announcement.

" We've been preparing for the worst; diggin bunkers, gathering supplies." Earl continued. " I have over 400 cases of High Life stored out in my stand."

AVIAN BIRD FLU

A highly pathogenic form of avian influenza (bird flu), also known as H5N1, is killing both wild birds and domestic poultry in southeast Asia. Thankfully, this type of bird flu has not been found in any deer in North America, including the beloved Whitetails. While some people in southeast Asia have developed avian influenza after close contact with domestic poultry, there are no known cases of humans contracting avian flu from contact with Whitetail Deer anywhere in the world.

Given the latest information, there is there is no reason for Whitetail Deer hunters to be overly concerned about avian influenza when handling their kills. Basic hygiene, primarily hand-washing and use of latex gloves when handling any wild animals or carcasses is always recommended, and venison should be cooked thoroughly (165F) to kill disease organisms and parasites that might be present.

Similarly, stand side deer feeding is not currently a concern, however, routine care and cleaning of deer feeders and deer baths are recommended for preventing the spread of other diseases among the herd.

Ole

61 days til Glory

September is here and I'm 10 days into my DeerBeard.

I wanted to get a head start this year as beards are a must have for Deer Hunters. What is a DeerBeard? They are the beards grown by otherwise clean shaven men, solely for the Deer Hunting Season. It's main purpose is warmth and protection from the elements. Secondly, it offers in-stand entertainment for its owners as there's not a whole lot to do in a tree stand, so playing the " get that darn whisker away from the corner of my mouth" game can kill lots of time.

DeerBeards offer a conneciton to something bigger, something instinctual, for its owners. For example, I can now enter any suburban outfitters and feel right at home with the other ruggeds; I can shop for blaze orange, confidently discuss various types of doe urine, and refer to everyone of my bearded compadres as Buddy. A Deerbeards is a membership card into the club of men. It says, "I take my coffee black, change my own oil and can a drop a deer from 200 yards". If only that bumper sticker would fit on the back of my Honda, I would be set.

My beard is here and I am ready for action. 61 days til Glory, but who's counting?