If you happen to bump into this blog, you're at my experimental TROC II, where I... well... experiment with different templates, banners and ads. You are welcome to leave your opinion or ask questions on this, but if you're looking for outdoor adventure, go to: The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Saturday, July 25, 2009

July Outdoor Blogger Link Rally


Great Outdoor Links from Outdoor Bloggers

Rick K. at Whitetail Woods sends us this popular How-To: An Inexpensive Gravity Deer or Hog Feeder.

Julia, the Mother Hen at Henhouse Pottery, feeds her family, raises chickens, and throws clay on her homestead. She sends a great Q&A about chicken poop, compost, Raku firing, and common sense in her post "Raku, Chickens, and Compost."

Snakes and their identification are on Wild Ed's mind on his Texas Snake Roundup, where Ed helps us identify snakes that reside in his home state of Texas. Wild Ed has lots of great posts on Texas fauna on a regular basis as in Proof is in the Pictures.

Our fearless correspondent from Tennessee, Gabe over at EnviroCapitalist, likes his frog legs fresh, and goes about it with relish. Get into it with Gigging!

The Black Rabbit is a knife maker and by golly a good one at that! He has a two parter on making knives that is really a treat! Utility Knife Step-by-step: Part 1 and Utility Knife Step-by-step: Part 2.

The truth is that Hunts Like a Girl at Scent Free Lip Gloss is so cute that I'm embarrassed to go to her website. I worry her husband will see me looking at her posts, figure I'm oggleing her, and then beat the bejeebers outta me. A Diffent Kind of Bull and Lanterns and Poop Chairs are her choice for a good read!

And RKL sends us a travelogue from his trip to Ostia Antica the port city of Ancient Rome. The mosaics are truly breath taking when you consider just how long they've been there!

Scott over at Nebraska Hunting Outfitters has put together a couple of great FAQs on what to expect when turkey hunting Part I and Part II

I found this one on Phillip Loughlin's blog The Hog Blog. Phillip comments on our High Fence discussion with great accuracy, perception, and logic. A must read! Hunting Ethics VS Logical Debate

Albert at The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles and The Range Reviews: Tactical, did some post-graduate schooling on Real Men Hunt.

Don't forget to add a link or two when you get this yourself!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Hunting Trophy Fallow Deer

© 2009 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles

Trophy Fallow Deer Hunting
Image Credit: Matt Burrard-Lucas
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Image Credit: Stuart
At one time, way in the distant past, even before my dad was born, the Fallow deer was native to most of Europe. An important food source for sabre tooth cats and other toothy predators, the Fallow deer was even appreciated by the fur wearing, spear wielding, deer hunting, Palaeolithic man for the tasty, low fat, and tender venison. But as the glaciers receded (or was it advanced?) and areas became more arid, their range became restricted to the Middle East, parts of the Mediterranean, and Persia. Palaeolithic man shifted his diet to include more of the other white meat, Eurasian wild boar, to compensate. But we will pick up that thread later.

Easily tamed, it was the ever practical Romans that sensibly reintroduced them to the various parts of their far flung Empire. Even Great Britain was stocked with Fallow deer by those clever Romans. The Celts thought it a grand idea too! Unfortunately the Romans didn't quite make it to the North American continent, so it was only recently that Fallow deer arrived on our shores. Ranches like Native Hunt in Monterey, California have been stocking and breeding Fallow deer for many years.

Fallow deer prefer to graze on grasses in open areas, but they do like wooded and shrubby areas to shelter in. Winter browse consist of the same woody brush and trees they shelter in. Weather plays an important part in the overall health of the deer and quality of the buck's antlers. Good spring weather followed by a summer with occasional precipitation that creates quality browse and grazing conditions will promote big bodies and maximum antler growth.
Image Credit: oggywaffler
Admired by many for their impressive palmate antlers, fallow deer bucks are a must have mount for any hunter, exotic or otherwise. The Fallow bucks start, like most deer, with "spike" antlers during their first year. For the first three to four years, their head gear consists of primarily a main beam with points similar in shape to a mini elk but without the graceful curves. Depending on genetics and nutrition, at about three to four years of age the bucks start to develop palmations. Some have narrow longer palmations, while others grow deep, wide palmations. Trophy Fallow deer antlers are broadly palmated with several small tines. An exceptional set of antlers will measure in excess of 28 inches in length with an inside span of at least 24 inches.

They are relatively small bodied. An adult male Fallow Deer stands between 32 and 48 inches high at the shoulder and can weigh upwards of 200 pounds. They also exhibit a wide variety of colors,When I asked Mike at Native Hunt about the differnet colors available he said their Fallow deer come in a beautiful white, a warm chocolate, and the spotted variety.

Image Credit: alesimba

Hunting trophy Fallow deer is not for the sedentary or armchair hunter. The terrain can vary from sun baked scrub, to brush choked ravines, making the physical challenge one to remember. There are hunts of course that are less physically demanding, just ask your outfitter for the different opportunities available.

Rifles can be on the light side; anything from a 24 caliber on up is more than adequate. I would suggest a lightweight 243 Winchester, a 6.5X55 Swede, or a 257 Roberts. Of course if all you have is a 308 or 30/06 then by all means bring that! If you are going to hunt wild boars at the same time, then perhaps the 30 calibers would be prudent. The range that they are shot at can vary substantially, so check with your outfitter to determine the conditions you are likely to face, and what they recommend.

My good friend Mike Riddle at Native Hunt has been managing several herds of Fallow deer on his properties for many years. He has SCI Gold Medal Fallow deer that you will be proud to hang on your wall. But even the management deer are trophies in their own right.

"At Native Hunt, we focus on providing guests with absolute Tier I service. Our goal since we began operation in 1990 is that guests should be able to spend their days in the rugged outdoors hunting exotic game or exploring the property with one of our adventure tours, yet still be provided with great comfort and luxury in the wilderness. Native Hunt’s focus is entirely on the guest; giving them a memorable, successful hunting experience, while at the same time providing an extravagant retreat."
Mike Riddle, CEO Native Hunt

If you are considering a trophy hunt for Fallow deer, or perhaps a mixed bag of exotic game, give Native Hunt a call and book a hunt. Mike runs an exceptional operation that caters to his clients needs and desires. Native Hunt is a licensed, state-bonded, and insured hunting guide service. They have been in business since 1990 with ranches located in beautiful Monterey and Fresno counties. A hunt at Native Hunt will be a hunt to remember!

Native Hunt

Contact Native Hunt with any questions or to make reservations:
General Questions: info@nativehunt.com
Hunting Questions: hunts@nativehunt.com
Bookings: 408-837-0733
Or call toll free: 1-888-HUNT-321

Related Posts:
Fallow Deer

Monday, July 13, 2009

Nebraska Hunting Company: Merriam's Turkey

© 2009 Albert A Rasch and
The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles
Merriam’s Turkey, Merriams Turkey Hunting, J Scott Croner, Nebraska Hunting Company, Nebraska Outfitters, wild turkey hunting, trophy turkey, neoga
While pecking away at the keyboard a couple of weeks ago I came upon fellow Outdoor Bloggers Summit member Scott Croner’s Blog, Nebraska Hunting Company. I meandered off to his company website NebraskaHunting.net, to see what it was all about. I am always curious what fellow bloggers do when they are not beating the keys off the keyboard. As it turns out, Scott is an outfitter based in Nebraska and covers several of the Midwest states in his pursuit of American big game, waterfowl, and turkey. Not only that, but we had some interesting acquaintances things in common, but more on that later.
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Scott has some great pictures of his clients on his website, and on the left hand side is a beautiful turkey that one of his clients harvested. Big turkey too, as far as I can tell.

But before I get into what caught my eye, I think a little bit of turkey talk information is in order! You would be surprised at how much there is to know! I certainly was.

There are two species and four subspecies of turkeys.

Eastern Photo Credit: WL McCoy
There’s the Eastern Wild Turkey. He’s your garden-variety turkey that you see all over the place except on opening day of turkey season, or for that matter the rest of it too. Since the eastern wild turkey ranges the farthest north, individuals can also grow to be among the largest of any of the subspecies. The adult male, can be as tall 4 feet (!) at maturity and weigh 20 pounds plus. As an aside, the turkey came in second as the bird of the National Seal. (They say Ben Franklin was besides himself when they told him the news! Legend has it he said, “$&!% that Jefferson!”)

Osceola Image Credit: CL Evans
These are my own hometown turkeys. The Osceola is named for the famous Seminole Chief, Osceola. They are a bit smaller than the eastern variety and live in the oak and palmetto hammocks where they thrive on palmetto bugs, acorns and palmetto berries, the slash pine woods, and the swampy habitats of Florida. (Basically everywhere else on the southern two thirds of the peninsula.)

Rio Grande Image Credit: TwoTom
The Rio Grande subspecies lives adjacent to what’s left of the Rio Grande. But they are found as far north as Kansas, usually by water. The Rio Grande turkeys are comparatively pale and copper colored, and they are awful long legged compared to their cousins; sort of like that redheaded girl in middle school that you were scared of.

Merriam's Image Credit: Alice Outwater
Further north still, and probably the handsomest (if you don’t include the fellows from south of the border), is the Merriam. This species is most at home in mountainous wooded regions, and it has been successfully stocked in areas far away from its original range in the southern mountains of Western America.

Gould's Image Credit: Ornitholoco
The Goulds, named after J. Gould who, I guess, discovered them in 1856 during his Mexican road trip in search of artisanal agave tequila. The Goulds are pretty rare at about 800 or so in the US, though a substantial population lives in Mexico. Arizona and New Mexico offer limited hunting opportunities for the Gould’s wild turkey, while stocking from Mexico continues to increase their numbers in the South Western US.

Ocellated Image Credit Real Turkeys
The prettiest of them all is the Ocellated turkeys. Both male and female ocellated turkeys have beautiful greenish-bronze iridescent feathers, but neither the male nor female have a beard. Their tails feathers have a blue spot that terminates in orange at the ends, and the head and neck is also pale blue with bright orange warts. They live in the tropical forests on the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico. They are truly a remarkable and beautiful bird.

Now I have always known turkey hunters to be a little obsessed. Box calls, slate calls, glass calls, owl hooters (Hooters? Who knew?), camouflage, gilliesuits, blinds, special chokes, shotguns, kneepads, and shells in different lengths, sizes colors and loads. And that doesn’t include the turkey bowhunters!

I had no idea how far the turkey madness went.

Curiosity peaked more than was probably good for me, I found the National Wild Turkey Federation website. Much to my delight it was a virtual warehouse of information, chuck full of all sorts of turkey stuff. Single-handedly, they have managed to complicate the relatively simple idea of killing a turkey, and elevated into well nigh an art form. I was entranced and enthralled by it immediately.

It was getting late when I was reading all this, when I came to the “Slam” page. I assumed that this was the recipe page where turkey, egg, and pancake met. But much to my surprise and glee what I found was the Holy Grail of turkey hunting aficionados. The Slams my friends, are the different levels of madness that one can attain by hunting the different subspecies of turkeys! And you get a certificate (Suitable for framing!) commemorating the event and a pin for your lapel! All that is required is membership in the National Wild Turkey Federation , and the turkeys.

These are the Slams that NWTF awards:
  • Grand Slams consists of the Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam's and Osceola (Florida) birds
  • Royal Slams is the four subspecies listed above in addition to the Gould's bird
  • World Slams include all five subspecies listed above in addition to the Ocellated wild turkey
  • The Mexican Slam consists of the following birds harvested in Mexico only: Rio Grande, Gould's and Ocellated. Of course you are required to survive the experience. No posthumous awards issued.
  • The Canadian Slam consists of harvesting the Eastern and Merriam's bird in the following provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta or British Columbia, and then serving them with bacon.

Unlike many other feats of huntsmanship, like hunting Marco Polo sheep, this one is a relatively attainable goal. The NWTF maintains records of the registered turkeys, and when you complete a NWTF Slam you receive a slam certificate for each slam you complete, you receive the distinctive wild turkey record slam pin for each of your slams and they put you up on their Slam Website! And more importantly you do not have to kill all the turkeys in the same year. So this allows you to plan a great adventure far into the future with your family members or friends. That’s just Slamming!

So of course now I am all crazy about getting turkeys. I have always been interested, but now… I’m obsessed… must get calls…must get more camo…

Sorry, lost my train of thought. Phew! It’s worse than I thought.

Well this brings me back to Scott and Nebraska Hunting Company. While kicking around his site I saw a fascinating turkey. During the 2009 spring turkey hunt, one of Scott’s clients, Mr. Todd Ried, harvested a melanistic or black color phase Merriam’s turkey! As you can tell the turkey is almost completely black, a fascinating and exceptional trophy indeed! Not only is the Merriam one of the lesser-harvested turkeys, but to get one in a color phase is just unbelievable.

Todd Ried with his all-black melanistic Merriam's trophy!

Melanistic mutations occur in almost all creatures from fish to humans. It is much like albinism but not as hazardous to the animal’s health as being all white in the dark green woods! Birds in particular have several other color mutations that can occur, including blue, yellow, and red. Red, or more appropriately copper or rust, is occasionally seen in turkeys.

I want one. In a full mount, flying, so I can take up even more room in our miniscule apartment!

Tom H., Scott C., & Warren P.
I called Scott up to inquire about his turkey hunting concessions (leases) and the general availability and the possibility of collecting a Merriam’s. Scott “Turkey Man” Croner told me of this past season, and I am not kidding you, I was taken aback by his success ratio. I have read and talked with enough hunters to know how difficult turkey hunting can be. I have to admit I was a little skeptical, but after checking his references and talking to several people, I have concluded that he is a very talented and his concessions fantastic! Having good concessions is very important. Good concessions have good habitat and that is what makes or breaks a turkey population.

I called Scott back and we did a phone interview, a TROC first by the way, which will appear in the near future. I have been so impressed by his good character, integrity, and know how, that I will definitely be booking with him when the time comes for me to collect my Merriam’s.

…and the Snow goose.

The turkey is going to need some company.

Contacts:
J Scott Croner
Nebraska Hunting Company
Nebraska Hunting Company Merriam's Turkey Hunting
Mobile: 402.304.1192
Email: scott@nebraskahunting.net

Regards,
Albert A Rasch
Member: Hunting Sportsmen of the United States HSUS
The Hunt Continues...