(September 29, 2004)
WINCHESTER 325 WSM, that's right! Today, Winchester released the newest addition to their Winchester Short Magnums, the Winchester 325 WSM. Click the link below to read more details.
325 WSM
(September 28, 2004)
TWO STATES WHICH have not reported any cases of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) are trying to make sure they know if any of their deer or elk come down with this disease. Oregon and California are in the process of collecting samples from successful hunters this season. California had checkpoints to collect samples on the opener of their B Zone season and plan more checkpoints this coming weekend for the opener of their X Zones. Oregon has a similar operation for deer and elk hunters.
Twelve states already have CWD in their deer/elk herds. So far, Oregon, Nevada and California are CWD free. Keep fingers crossed that these states stay that way.
(September 26, 2004)
WHAT ARE THE top five birds produced by Gamebird producers? According to Southwick Associates they are the following:
| Pheasant |
| Bobwhite quail |
| Chukar |
| Mallard |
| Wild Turkey |
Southwick reports "hunting sports attract 19 million participants each year from all walks of life. However, hunting has changed considerably over the past 30 years. Most hunters hail from urban locations, and do not have readily-available access to favorable hunting lands. Additionally, populations of wild upland gamebirds and waterfowl have been dramatically impacted in many areas by shrinking habitat and population pressures. As a result, hunting preserves have increased tremendously both numbers and in popularity.
(September 24, 2004)
THEY ARE KILLING the desert wildlife. Who are they? None other than our own National Park Service (NPS). They have and are killing an untold number of animals in California's Mojave National Preserve. Under the guise of going back to a natural state they have been removing the man made water sources which have existed for over 75 years in the Preserve. The same water sources that large numbers of wildlife depend upon to live.
In our September 22, issue of WesternHunter.com, we ran an article by Jim Matthews about an agreement which had been reached to restore some of these water sources which had been capped by the NPS. On that same day, we were informed that the NPS had broken that agreement.
Click the link below to read Jim Matthews' original article and his latest update. It looks like the anti-hunters in the NPS want to stop hunting by having the wildlife disappear — after all, it's only hunters who care about animals, both the ones they hunt and the others that benefit from those same water sources, not the NPS. Shame on them!
Water for Wildlife
(September 19, 2004)
JUST FOR QUAIL hunters. Yes, I found a very limited opportunity for quail hunters on a piece of property near Angels Camp, California. I have walked this property and it is loaded with quail. Brush piles on the hillsides will make this an excellent hunting experience. There are only four dates open for this year. For more details go to:
Quail Hunt Opportunity
(September 14, 2004)
JUNIORS HAD A really good hunt this past weekend at the Canada de los Osos Ecological Reserve near Gilroy, California. This was the first junior hunt on the 4,000 acre property acquired by the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) over three years ago. The California Deer Association (CDA) has been working with the DFG to make improvements on the Reserve and also to help with the hunting program.
According to Henry Coletto, CDA Director, the four junior deer hunters took four bucks, one three-point and three forkhorns. Plenty of bucks were seen so the junior hunting program should be great for the future. Both wild pig and turkey hunts are still on tap for this fall.
TOM KNAPP WILL be at Kittle's Outdoor store in Colusa, California on September 25th for National Hunting and Fishing Day. Knapp tours the country for Benelli giving shooting demonstrations.
For more information about the day and free activities click on the link below:
Kittle's Outdoor Event
(September 12, 2004)
DO YOU KNOW how to take care of that deer or bear after it hits the ground so your taxidermist will be happy with what you bring them?
While dropping off our antelope last week I picked up a couple of flyers from Dick's Taxidermy which they said to share with our readers. So, no matter where you take your animal these flyers will be helpful. Make sure you look at them before going on your next hunt so you have an idea of how to cape your animal out. Click on the links below for the diagrams.
Deer Caping
Bear Rug
(September 10, 2004)
I'M BACK FROM my antelope hunt. You can see by my new picture above, that the speed of my .264 Winchester Magnum bullet was just a bit faster than this speeding California pronghorn antelope. My son and I had a great hunt out of Alturas, California. I have to say that this was one of the best hunts I have been on in a long time. Even though my antelope was very nice, the one I missed four hours earlier was an even better buck. That's right I missed! No excuses, I just plain hurried the shot and didn't make sure I had those crosshairs on the right spot. I forgot the saying "Aim small, miss small."
Look for the complete hunt story in an upcoming issue, but in the mean time, check out the picture below of my son, Scott, and the antelope he took on the same hunt.
