(January 31, 2004)
THE EMAIL DISASTER — I often wonder, and even more this week, how long it will be before email becomes useless as a means of communicating information to you, our readers. The attack of the MyDoom virus this week has caused major problems for anyone using email. It has resulted in wasting an untold amount of time as people were forced to delete email after email which was sent to them as a result of infected Windows computers.
At WesternHunter.com I got over 200 bad emails in the first day of the virus/worm attack. While users of Mac computers probably had a little smile on their faces because the virus only infected Windows computers, they were also affected. Both Windows and Mac users had and have to live with the companies being forced to shutdown their networks, individual's mailboxes becoming full, and the constant stream of bad incoming email.
When we sent out our latest email regarding the availability of the current issue, we got a number of messages back telling us our readers' mailboxes were full so our message could not be delivered.
If they can find the people who continue to attempt to destory a wonderful means of communication, I'll bet some of us would have some really good ideas on how they should be taught a lesson!
Hopefully, the introduction of Across the Campfire will help us keep hunting information flowing to you. In the meantime, just continue to use your Delete key but not when you see an email from WesternHunter.com.
P.S. In case you are interested, I use both a Macintosh and a Windows computer system, so I see the problems from all sides.
(January 29, 2004)
ARIZONA BIRTHDAY ELK — I got a great email today from Ron G. Rishwain of California. Of course, emails with hunting pictures are aways great to get. Ron told me he was drawn for an Arizona elk tag on his birthday this year. Look what he got for his present. The rest of his story will be in the Hunting Memories section of the next issue of WesternHunter.com. Be sure you are signed up on our email list or you'll miss it — you can sign up at WesternHunter.com.
(January 28, 2004)
CAN YOU BELIEVE this? Yesterday, in Sacramento, California, state Senator Chesbro introduced bill SB 1153. This bill would require the Department of Fish and Game to issue depredation permits to any owner or tenant of land or property that is being damaged or destoryed by wild turkeys — thus allowing them to kill those animals. All they have to do is apply for the permits and have DFG verify the damage and Bingo!, Thanksgiving Day can be year round!
I have a hard enough time trying to find private property on which to hunt turkeys, and now some legislators want to allow landowners or tenants to take them on depredation permits.
I have an idea. Any landowner can call me and I will gladly help them out. Hey, I'd even be willing to pay an access fee for the right to help take those turkeys off their land. It would also give me a good chance to try out that new Quaker Boy Hurricane box call I talked about below (January 26).
(January 27, 2004)
GOOD NEWS ON the political front in California. Today the 10 cent a bullet tax bill, AB 992, was placed back on the inactive file. Our sources say the bill is dead.
Looks like the calls by sportsmen to Sacramento and the help of the lobbyists from organizations like the California Waterfowl Association and The California Sportsmen's Lobby helped beat back this bill.
(January 26, 2004)
THE BOX CALL has turned out to be my most successful and easiest turkey call to use. This evening I had a chance to open up a new box call from Quaker Boy Game Calls. It's called the Hurricane. Let me tell you why I think this call will be great for the upcoming spring turkey season...
During spring turkey season it is not unusual to have a number of rainy days. If you are out hunting in that weather, you have to be careful to keep your box call dry and keep it chalked. Otherwise, the sounds that come from it are not anything that will get you that gobbler.
The new Hurricane box call is waterproof and doesn't need to be chalked or sanded. In fact, they instruct you never to chalk or sand the call as it will damage the special waterproof coating.
Another nice feature of this call is a handle with two different grooves in it. One of the grooves is marked "Old Hen," the other is "Young Hen." When I gripped the different grooves and called, I got either a Old Hen call or a Young Hen call, depending on which groove I was gripping. It made me feel like a turkey calling expert right off the bat. I can't wait to try this out come spring turkey season.
Check this call out at the Quaker Boy web site or look for it in your local sporting goods store.
(January 25, 2004)
CALIFORNIA FISH & GAME has a new Director. On January 20th, Ryan Broddrick, was appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. For a complete story click New Director.
TROPHY MULE DEER is what Pacific Northwest Field Editor, Long Walker, ran into this past season in Montana. His hunt truly shows what some hunters will go through to get a trophy buck. I couldn't stop reading his story and wondered if I could have handled the weather he and his hunting partner faced. This is a story for every deer hunter — it's definitely worth reading. Plus you'll see pictures of two outstanding trophy mule deer bucks taken by Walker and his partner. Click Cold Mountain Mule Deer to view the article in the latest issue of WesternHunter.com.
(January 20, 2004)
WINCHESTER DOES IT again with the new 25 WSSM (Winchester Super Short Magnum). Short is good, and Winchester just made it better for the fourth year in a row. That's right, Winchester Ammunition, in cooperation with Browning and Winchester Firearms has recently introduced an exciting new super-short, fat cartridge for 2004 — the 25 Winchester Super Short Magnum (25 WSSM).
The new 25 WSSM incorporates all of the qualities that have made the other Winchester Short and Super Short Magnum cartridges such big successes. For more detailed information, click New 25 WSSM.
