Follow The Rules for Shed Collecting!

The winter of 2016/2017 has been a winter for the ages so far. This is great news for our reservoirs and water sources, but it is bad news for the deer herds throughout much of the west.

The months of January – May are such important and vital months for the deer herds. These few short months can determine the health of any deer herd for years to come. These are the months that the animals are most vulnerable to stress, poachers, disease and malnutrition. These are also the months where we need to do our part in not increasing these risks to the deer herds.

Obviously this is the time of the year where many of us hit the winter range in search of antlers that have fallen from those incredible animals that eluded us during the previous hunting season. Shed hunting has become a very popular activity and it has also (sadly) become a very lucrative business. It seems that any activity that involves money brings out the scum of the community and it can also tempt the most honorable outdoors-man to bend the rules or come to the point where they don’t think the law applies to them. In winters like we are having this year that can be devastating.

Utah and other states, have passed laws this year to delay the dates that one can go out shed collecting. They have done this to help cut down on stress causing activity in the wintering areas where deer and elk are trying to survive. Additional human activity in these areas is simply a bad idea especially this year. Utah alone has caught over 18 individuals, so far this year, out shed hunting even though they knew of the new law in place. This is pathetic and because of the selfish desires of a few individuals the health and survive-ability of our deer herds are in jeopardy. This kind of stuff drives me crazy! Utah’s penalty for this is a fine of up to $1000.00. I find this pathetic as well. The states need to do a better job in implementing much stricter penalties in cases that hurt or put our wildlife at risk. Nothing makes me more angry than poachers! These slime balls need to be punished to the point that they simply cannot hunt anymore, can’t own firearms and they spend most of their remaining life doing service for our wildlife and wild lands. Sorry, I’ll get off my soap box now.

The point is; follow the laws that are in place and do everything you can to protect our sacred wildlife especially during these few months that they are most vulnerable.

Where to Hunt Mule Deer in Utah for 2015

The 2015 population estimate for mule deer in Utah is 352,900 deer; 83% of the long term management objective of 425,400 deer. Since the large decline during winter 1992– 1993, the deer herd has shown an increasing trend. The population had good growth during the mid-late 1990s, but then declined during the severe drought years from 2000 to 2003 when fawn production was reduced. The harsh winters in northern Utah in 2007-2008 and in southern Utah in 2009-2010 lowered adult and fawn survival and also caused population declines. Despite of those weather events, the deer population in Utah has grown at an average rate of 1.6%, over the past 20 years and is now at a level not seen since 1992.

2012 – 2014 provided great fawn crops with most units seeing 70% + survival rates. 2011 was devastating to the fawns with the late snows Utah had. Some areas registered less than 10% fawn survival. The state average during 2011 was about 40% fawn survivor rate. This means that Utah hunters will be seeing a lot more bucks this year. They may be young bucks but the action should be as good as its been for years. With the continued population growth and the incredible fawn survival rates the last couple of years, there will be a lot of deer in most units to see and hunt. Should be one to remember for a long time.

I will list my top units to deer hunt in Utah during 2015. I will break these down according to Unit types (Premium, Limited, and General Season). I will list these below starting with what I feel is the best unit. I will include buck/doe ratio and this years fawn survival rate. I will then give you the potential buck score for that unit.

Premium:

1. 1-Henry Mountains – 56:100 Ratio, 78% Fawn Survival, 170+ Potential score!
2. 2-Paunsaugunt – 44:100 Ratio, 72% Fawn Survival, 170+ Potential score!

Limited Entry:

1. San Juan/Elk Ridge – 26:100 Ratio, 90% Fawn Survival, 170+ Potential score!
2. Book Cliffs – 38:100 Ratio, 89% Fawn Survival, 160+ Potential score!
3. West Desert Vernon – 25:100 Ratio, 80% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
4. South Slope Diamond Mountain – 36:100 Ratio, 77% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
5. North Slope Summit – 24:100 Ratio, 80% Fawn Survival, 150+ score! (Early Season this year!!!)
6. Fillmore, Oak Creek – 23:100 Ratio, 74% Fawn Survival, 150+ score!
7. La Sal, Dolores Triangle – 26:100 Ratio, 78% Fawn Survival, 150+ score (Late Season!!!)

Regular Season Top-10:

1. Unit 25B – Plateau, Thousand Lake – 27:100 Ratio, 77% Fawn Survival, 160+ Potential score!
2. Unit 14A San Juan, Abajo Mountains – 19:100 Ratio, 80% Fawn Survival, 160+ Potential score!
3. Unit 30 Pine Valley – 23:100 Ratio, 77% Fawn Survival, 160+ Potential score!
4. Unit 23 Monroe – 25:100 Ratio, 70% Fawn Survival, 160+ Potential score!
5. Unit 29 Zion – 26:100 Ratio, 75% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
6. Units 4/5/6 Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan South, Rich – 30:100 Ratio, 68% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
7. Units 25C/26 Plateau, Boulder/Kaiparowits – 20:100 Ratio, 75% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
8. Unit 21B Fillmore, Pahvant – 26:100 Ratio, 80% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
9. Unit 20 Southwest Desert – 30:100 Ratio, 77% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!
10. Unit 11 Nine Mile – 24:100 Ratio, 80% Fawn Survival, 150+ Potential score!

Two units I left out of the top 10 this year compared to the 2013-2014 article are Units 8 (North Slope), and 19A (West Desert, West). There’s the addition of the early season ‘North Slope Summit’ unit in the Limited Entry draw for 2015. This alone will put enough pressure on unit 8 early on to make the regular season hunt a lot more difficult. The mature bucks that are in that unit during the early hunt will certainly be gone for the regular hunt. 19A fell to #11 due to the success of units 20 and 11 last season. Along with the jump in buck/doe ratio for those two units as well. I had no choice but to slide 19A out of the top 10. But it is still one of my favorite units.

In my opinion, Utah is one of the best Mule Deer states in the country, hands down. With this statement I am making a lot of people upset or maybe even confused. Utah has all the same challenges to their Mule Deer herd as all the other states do and then some! Population, loss of winter range, and the increase in predators are huge concerns for Utah’s deer herd. What makes Utah tops on my list is the way they manage their deer. They do a tremendous job. In fact, most all other states watch Utah closely to see the choices they make in managing. Utah is a leader when it comes to managing their deer herds. Colorado is blessed with huge amounts of hard to access land. Wyoming is blessed with a low human population. Idaho is blessed with a low human population and huge amounts of land. Montana is blessed with all of these things too, but their management really needs to catch up to everybody else.

Enjoy the 2015 season! Don’t hesitate to drop me a line to discuss the unit you have been drawn for and we can do what we can to put you on the buck of your dreams.

Jason

Successful 2014 Hunting Season!

Looks like a great 2014 hunting season had by all! I’m a big believer in the fact that “successful” is determined by the memories you make during the hunting season and not by the size of the antlers. Don’t get me wrong, I dream of those monster bulls and bucks showing up in my scope and on my wall. But if I judged my success by the size of the antlers or even by the fact of whether I was successful in harvesting an animal, I would find myself discouraged more than not.

With that being said, congrats to those of you in this post for a very successful 2014 hunting season. Thank you for sending in some of your photos and sharing your experiences with me. I love hearing about all of your adventures and will post your stories and photos whenever requested. You can send your photos and info to shrinkfilm2004@yahoo.com.

Now let’s take a look at some of 2014’s best:

Here’s a couple beautiful Eastern Montana Bucks taken by Stuart and Paul. Taken on opening morning of the 2014 rifle season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful European Mounted Whitetail taken by Jake in Eastern Washington during the 2014 season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A battle-scarred 7×6 bull taken by Jason in Central Montana during the 2014 rifle season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another great Montana bull taken by Stuart in Central Montana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a great Utah buck taken during the 2014 Muzzle Loader season in Central Utah by Ed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bryan sent this photo of a buck that decided to camp out on his front lawn on opening morning of the 2014 Wyoming rifle hunt. Wonder how Bryan felt driving away from him to go to his favorite hunting spot…Hmmm.

 

 

 

 

Great buck taken by Jared’s son Tyler (His first!)in South Central Montana during the 2014 rifle season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful, end of the season buck, taken by Brandon in the 2014 rifle season in Montana.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trail Cam of a group of bucks in Utah. This was taken the day before the 2014 archery season opener by Mike. I’m guessing he wasn’t able to get on them during the season however. Any updates Mike?

 

 

 

 

Awesome 2014 Archery buck taken in Idaho by Clint. Beautiful buck Clint, congrats!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Idaho Bull taken by Andy during the 2014 season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andy with another incredible Idaho trophy, but this time its a giant buck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t hesitate in sending me your pictures. I would be happy to post them with whatever info you would like. Congrats to a great 2014 everybody. Now, let’s get on to 2015!

Jason

Image Usage Apology

I would like to publicly apologize to two incredibly talented photographers for using their images without getting their permission to do so. I pulled these images directly from Google Images and have learned this is not legal. Although I did not do this on purpose or in an effort to make a profit from their hard work, it is my responsibility to know the laws and make the effort to get the appropriate permission before posting any type of image at any time. These talented artists work very hard at what they do to be able to get these incredible images that we all appreciate and admire. We need to be very mindful of the laws that are put in place to protect these artists’ hard work.

If any of you would like to visit the websites of these photographers to see their work and possibly invest in their art you can do this by visiting:

Daryl L Hunter

www.daryl-hunter.net

Vince Martinez                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       www.vincentmartinezphotography.com

Hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving Holiday. I have some fantastic hunting stories that will be posted in the coming days, so stay tuned.

Jason –

Where to Hunt in Wyoming for 2014 Season

I know this is a little late, and will not be posted in time to help you decide what units to put in for, for the Wyoming draw. Up until now I really didn’t have enough solid information to feel confident enough to post my personal recommendations for the coming Wyoming deer season. But I recently received the info I have been waiting for, and now feel confident in sharing that info with all of my readers. Let’s just hope that this will help you realize that you made a great choice with your draw applications this year. Although Wyoming has been hit hard with the winter of 2011 (especially in region D and E) and the bad drought of 2012, the deer herd is stronger than most western states and there really aren’t any “bad” units. There are some poor units, but Wyoming is still the dream state for Mule Deer, in my opinion.

Now let’s take a look at some units that I feel will be home runs and areas that may be a strikeout. My top recommended units begin with units 102, 101 & 117. I know, I know, if you had hunted units 101 & 102 in 2012 and 2013 and saw no deer or just does and young bucks, then you’re taking my name in vain right now. Because of the drought in 2012 and the warmer than usual temps in 2013, this unit was the exact opposite of what it is known for. These units are so dependant on the weather that you are always taking a risk applying for them. If the weather provides the right conditions, these two units will provide you with the hunt of a life time, and could be arguably the best hunting units in any state for Mule Deer. I fell in love with hunting the red dessert years ago,  and it still has a special place in my heart. If you know how to hunt this area, you will find big mature bucks, especially if the weather cooperates.

A couple other home run areas include unit 105 and Region G. These areas are a different animal than units 102 & 101. This is high country bucks. Be ready for a lot of hiking, glassing, hiking, glassing, and then hiking some more. Region G has traditionally supplied some huge deer and unit 105 has really been an incredible unit in recent years, and will only get better, in my opinion. Any of the Western units of region J will produce big deer and hold solid numbers of deer. But be prepared for an incredibly difficult hunt by being in great shape and ready to hunt above 9000 feet.

A couple of sleepers that I think glide under the radar and are worth the extra effort are units 116 & 128, and units 79,80, and 83. All of these areas hold mature bucks and provide great public land access.

Either way, if you are one of the lucky souls to be hunting Wyoming this coming season, consider yourselves lucky. Wyoming is a beautiful state that holds incredible hunting opportunities. The Mule Deer population is down, but it’s down everywhere in the west. If you are an out-of-state hunter applying to Wyoming and was considering holding on to your points another season but applied anyway, you made the right choice. Not only will you have a great hunting experience, but if Wyoming decides to cut their non-resident tags wayyyyy down, like they might for 2015, then it will join the ranks of places such as Utah and New Mexico for being nearly impossible to draw a quality tag.

Good luck this year! Get out there this summer and do some scouting. Hard work will only help your odds at that trophy experience.

Where To Go in Utah For 2013-2014 Deer Hunt

Although the Mule Deer numbers in Utah are low, about 55% of goal, there are some true monsters roaming them hills. If you take the time to plan your hunt and do some home work, you will be among some of these monsters this hunting season.

Recently Utah has been in the top 3 on the number of bucks making the record books. It still comes up behind states such as Wyoming, and Colorado. Colorado has and will continue to provide the highest number of trophies entering the trophy books, but looking at the type of habitat and the quantity of this habitat that will not come as a surprise to any of us. Wyoming having such a small human population and a huge quantity of prime habitat that holds around 450,000 Mule Deer will also continue to produce monsters in the years to come. I mention this because Utah is very different from these other states in many ways. With nearly 3 million people living in Utah and about 250,000 Mule Deer, you can see why management has had to tighten up on the number of tags, smaller hunting units, etc.  Utah has one of the highest amounts of public land compared to other states. This opens up a lot of opportunities to hunt a lot of different areas.

Now, let’s look at this state and break it down so you will have a better understanding and hopefully a better knowledge as to where to hunt in 2013 and 2014. The common knowledge about this great Mule Deer state is where the highly publicized trophy units are. These trophy units include unit 15 (Henry Mountains), and unit 27 (The Paunsaugunt). Both of these units hold a buck doe ratio of at least 50:100. Both units have an average age of bucks taken each year around the 5+ year mark. Both units offer a very realistic chance of taking 180 to 200 class buck, and both units have about a 90% hunter success rate as well. But, it takes an average of 13-15 years to draw a tag, and I’m sure that will only increase in the coming years. So, are there any other units in the state that offer a chance at a 180+ class buck? The answer is an absolute YES!

There are a few other “Limited Entry” units that are being tightly controlled for trophy quality such as the Henry’s and Paunsaugunt units. But they are not at the same quality level and will not provide as many trophy opportunities. But, then again, there are very few areas anywhere in the West that offer the same opportunities as these two units do. I will label these two units as A+ units. These are the only A+ units in Utah. There is one other A+ unit but I personally am not a fan of this even being a unit. This is Antelope Island. An island in the Great Salt Lake that recently produced a couple of monster Mule Deer. But, this is another post for another day.

Now, for the A units. These units hold strong buck/doe ratio’s (around the 35 bucks per 100 does), hold good bucks that can score in the 175+ area, and provide better draw odds then do the A+ units. These units include unit 14B (San Juan, Elk Ridge), unit 10 (Book Cliffs), and unit 19B (West Desert, Vernon). These units are still considered a difficult draw unit and will still take some years to get drawn but closer to the 7-10 year area rather than the 13-15 like the A+ units. I listed these the same as I would rank them as far as giving you the best opportunity for a trophy buck. The San Juan, Elk Ridge unit is coming closer to being able to compete with the A+ units as far as quality opportunities. It’s not there yet, but I think this is the unit of the future and will only get better and better.

These last units I will be listing are all considered “General Season” units. But, I will only list those units I feel give you the best opportunity for a trophy buck. These units are managed by the state of Utah to have 15-25 bucks per 100 does. You also have the chance of drawing one of these units 3 out of 5 years. I will list them as I would rank them. The first unit is 25B (Plateau, Thousand Lake), unit 14A (San Juan, Abajo Mtns), unit 29 (Zion), unit 30 (Pine Valley), unit 23 (Monroe), unit 8 (North Slope), unit 25C/26 (Plateau, Boulder/Kaiparowits), unit 21B (Fillmore, Pahvant), unit 4/5/6 (Chalk Creek/East Canyon/Morgan-South Rich), and unit 19A (West Desert, West) round up my top 10 units.

I love unit 25B! Although it is a smaller unit that really covers one small mountain range, it has giant Mule Deer! Much of this mountain range has farm land, mainly alfalfa, on its Western slopes. Mule Deer love alfalfa and will not go far from it. These Western slopes will provide a lot of animals and a lot of bucks. Be careful with privet land as there is a lot of it in the valleys. Also, there are some privet hunting ranches on the North edge of this unit. If you can find these and hunt the Southern edges you will have success. San Juan and Zion will also provide you with some GIANT deer. Recently both of these units have supplied amazing animals and will continue to do so. I was going to include unit 17A in my list but it was beat out by the West Desert (Which is my secret trophy spot). Unit 17A has tremendous bucks, but to get to where they are at requires a mule of a hunter. I highly recommend 17A if you have the stamina and guts that it takes to hunt sheep, and goats. Because this is the terrain we are talking about with 17A. 13,000+ foot peaks that fall to valleys far below in all directions.  If you have what it takes to hunt this unit then you will not be disappointed. This unit sits at the edge of some of Utah’s highest human populations, but because of its terrain and difficulty level, most of the hunters that hunt this unit hunt around the base of the mountains and do not attempt to go any higher than their 4 wheelers can take them, and that’s not very high. So the huge boys can survive and they do.

If you are lucky enough to hunt Utah during the 2013 season, make it a point to go where others do not. If you do this you will increase your odds on a pig of a buck. The trophy’s are out there and Utah holds a lot of them. There are a good number of professional hunters that hunt public land, here in Utah, and put them on video’s and TV shows. They make a lot of money doing it. This just goes to show you that there are huge deer in Utah, and if you do your home work you will find them.

I hope this has helped some of you with your Utah hunt for 2013 and 2014. I believe Utah manages their big game animals better then any other state. All the Western states are struggling with their Mule Deer, and this includes Utah. But Utah has some very unique challenges that no other state has, and they continue to do amazing things to keep this traditional monster Mule Deer state as one of the top locations to go for this amazing animal. Please do your part in helping with the conservation of the Mule Deer. If we all do what we can to help we will have these incredible opportunities for generations to come.

Where Do I Go For Montana Mule Deer In 2013-2014?

Being a dad of four amazing girls is a blessing that goes without saying. But, it also forces you to “Sacrifice” certain things that I love to do. This years “sacrifice”? The archery season in my home state of Montana. With my daughter making the high school volleyball team and the other endless activities that these four amazing girls love doing, I had to put the archery season on the back burner and instead, look forward to the rifle season.

The big question for me, and I’m sure most of you other Montana Mule Deer hunters, is where do I go this year. If you recall from a past post, last year I put in for area 510 (Pryor Mountains) for Mule Deer. This year, I opted to just purchase an over-the-counter deer tag. This opens up a lot of other areas and options that I did not have last year. But, I’m not always good with options. Perfect example, walking into a restaurant and opening the book…I mean the menu, only to see hundreds of options. Put three things on the menu and I would be fine with that. So, although last season provided me with the ease of few options, it did feel as though I missed out on opportunities. Whether I did or didn’t isn’t a big deal, but it will be fun to have a wide open menu of Mule Deer location options this year.

I’m confident that many of you have your favorite spot. I’m sure many of you have the family traditional spot that you have been hunting since Lewis & Clark first showed it to your great, great, great grandpa. This isn’t for you, this is for those of us that are in search of the 100’s of options menu. If there is a state that offers 100’s if not 1000’s of options, it’s the great state of Montana.

First, Montana has a historic reputation for its abundant wildlife. At the top of this list is Mule Deer. Montana also has the historic reputation of not consistently producing B&C type bucks. The state is currently holding about 215,000 – 220,000 Mule Deer. This is down compared to the 10-year average of about 286,000. This is primarily due to the harsh winter of 2010-2011 where the deer herd took a huge hit. Along with the harsh winters, Montana witnessed a summer of fires in 2012 that scorched tens of thousands of prime Mule Deer habitat. But, with the 2011-2012 & 2012-1013 winters being mild, the population is making big strides in coming back, and the quality of feed, even in the areas that experienced the fires, has been fantastic so far this year.  The last two springs have averaged a robust fawn crop of 45 fawns per 100 does. This does mean an abundance of young bucks are covering the state, but with some patients you can pass up all of these young ones and find you a mature buck. Montana has a lot of mature bucks, maybe not a lot of trophy bucks, but mature bucks all the same. Now, where to go hunting and where to find a big bruiser.

In the past you could always count on Region 3 as being the go-to region in Montana. Although I have nothing against region three, it would not be my first choice anymore. That #1 position has now been taken over by region 7. Western Montana has not seen the devastating winters as Eastern Montana has recently, but it has suffered from fires, decreased food quality, increased predator numbers and increased hunting pressure. Although the deer numbers in region 3 are still close to goal, you just wont see the quality or the number of mature bucks that the Southern part of the region is famous for. Famous areas such as 300, 302, 325, and 328 are all down with numbers and mature bucks. Some big brutes will be taken and are each year, but they will require a lot more work and patience then in the past. One area that has seen an upswing in both numbers and quality is areas 313, 317, and 316. But be ready for a hard, high altitude hunt that will require everything you have. A couple other areas that still hold great animals (but not like recent past) is area 312 and 393. Most all of these units are draw only units, so that is where your real challenge will be. Region 1 has kept a fairly stable Mule Deer population. I would recommend hunting the Cabinet and West Cabinet Mountains. The Whitefish Range still holds solid bucks and would be one of my few top picks. Region 2 gives me no goose bumps at all. I would look to other regions if I were you.

Region 4 is a very large region. In reality, there are two different worlds in this region. The Western and Eastern parts of this region are still suffering with record low Mule Deer numbers. The Central part is doing very well with around 54 fawns per 100 does. Look in and around Judith Basin and Meagher Counties. There will be plenty of opportunities of seeing more deer and some solid mature bucks as well.  Region 5 is very similar to region 4, in that it contains really two different worlds. Simply draw a line along the Yellowstone River. Everything North, specifically in and around the breaks area, is seeing huge fawn to doe ratio increase. The Mule Deer numbers have shot up the last two years. Lots of deer and a lot of mature bucks are waiting for you. What’s not waiting for you is a lot of public land. But there are some fantastic BMA properties that will provide you with a memorable hunt, that is if you get on the phone and secure some dates on those properties. Region 6 is another traditional hot spot for Mule Deer in Montana. The winter of 2010-2011 destroyed this heard and took out a lot of the older class bucks. The Spring of 2011 and 2012 yielded record fawn crops in the region. There is an upswing in the area as far as numbers are concerned, but it will take another 2-3 years before we see any true increase in both age and quantity. Region 7 is my top pick out of all the regions here in Montana. Although, there were no other regions hit harder by the 2010-2011 winter, and the heard numbers are still below goal, but the fawn crop in the past two Springs have been incredible. This region also holds your best chances of a monster of a buck. The bad thing about region 7 is how little of public land there is. The little bit of public land that is available in this region is hunted hard. But, you will still have a great chance of finding a descent buck within these areas. For the true trophy of a life time, I would recommend the South East corner of the state. Areas that hug the Powder River holds the best animals. From Terry all the way down to the Wyoming border. North of Terry is hunted very hard, as is the forest land in that area. Zone 705 is also hunted hard due to available public land and BMA properties. Although this is a long drive, even for local people, it will be worth your time and effort to venture in the badlands of South East Montana for the 2013 Mule Deer Season.

Good luck this year! I will have posts in the coming weeks for Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. Until then, keep your gun pointed in a safe direction and your boots dirty.

Incredible Program for Disabled Hunters

I have said it before, but I love what I do for a living. My job has allowed me to meet incredible people over the years, and this year has been no different. I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Mr. Larry Frandson, who is the Vice President of the Wyoming Disabled Hunters organization, located in Cody, Wyoming.

The Wyoming Disabled Hunters organization was established in 2008, as a non-profit, all volunteer organization that provides hunting opportunities, for the disabled, at a minimum cost to the hunters due to generous donations from local, state, and national organizations, as well as many individuals. With the generous donations received during 2012 they were able to help defer the cost of licenses, transportation to Cody and many other associated costs.

Donations to this wonderful organization doesn’t start and end with money, but they also include places such as The Bull Moose Retreat up South Fork from Cody, and the Hyatt Ranch who provided the elk hunting location along with donated land owner tags. Food is donated to the organization for things such as the hunts themselves, banquets, and other gatherings, all organized to provide incredible experiences for the hunters and the means for these donations that keep this organization going strong.

It takes between 100 – 150 volunteers to successfully achieve the organizations goals through out the year and during the annual hunts. People like the Irma Flats Mothers Club, the Cody Cattle Women and the Cody High School Honor Students who took the time to prepare and serve the meals.

The Wyoming Disabled Hunters organization works closely with the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to help minimize the problems that the disabled hunters run into during the course of their hunt. Thanks to the organizations efforts, they had a part in the Wyoming Legislature in recently passing house Bill 0028 which will allow the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to draft regulations for the use of laser or artificial light for the visually impaired. The Commission is also working on simplified rules for companion hunter permits to allow a hunting companion of a disabled hunter to assist in tracking wounded game and eliminating the animal to minimize suffering by wounds inflicted by the disabled hunter. Incredible efforts to provide incredible experiences no matter the disability or impairment.

Take the time to visit their website at www.wyomingdisabledhunters.org, and take the time to visit and like them on Facebook. Also volunteers are always needed and they are currently needed for the 2013 season. Contact information is below. I would like to personally thank Larry for his, the boards, and all the volunteers for their efforts in changing lives for the better. I am a strong believer in the positive healing power of the outdoors, specifically hunting. Whether the needed healing is physical, emotional or even spiritual, hunting and having the full hunting experience has true healing power and the Wyoming Disabled Hunters organization is filled with incredible people on an incredible mission.

Contact them at: PO Box 2232 Cody, WY 82414; President Corey McGregor – coreym@wyoming.com, or Vice President Larry Frandson – lfrandson@gmail.com

Long Range Shooting/Hunting, It’s What’s For Dinner!

Just the thought of shooting at something over 1000 yards…heck, over 500 yards, and actually having a chance of hitting it, is something I never took the time to consider. Except when I am watching my sniper hero’s on the military channel on my, bigger then life, 52″ LED HDTV. But, now days you are hearing and reading more and more about such opportunities becoming, not only a possibility, but a very popular reality.

With the increase of custom rifle manufacturers throughout the US, you will need to take the time to find a manufacturer that meets your needs. Because the word ‘custom’ is being abused more and more each day. So, before you type in your credit card number on the internet for your dream rifle, you will want to do some homework and find that perfect manufacturer that defines the word ‘custom’ in a way that deserves your stamp of approval.

My personal favorite manufacturer is Aztek Arms, based in Utah. These guys deliver ‘custom’ on every level, and guess what? They know what they are doing!  So, when you are ready to invest in a custom rifle, that can plant a perfectly placed kiss on an attractive varmint at 1000 yards. Be sure to do your homework. This is an investment and should be treated as such.

Good luck out there my fellow snipers!

Colorado is Feeling the Effects of Liberal Gun Laws

I promised myself that I wouldn’t continue my tradition of long posts. It would be very easy for me to stand on a nice, secure, soap box and share my thoughts on the latest headlines when it comes to gun laws. But, I will break the long winded post tradition and instead provide you all with a link to a very interesting article.

In short, if and when these gun laws begin to be passed by narrow minded, and ignorant politicians, the effects being felt by the Colorado hunting industry will be just the beginning. The economic effects that go along with rash decisions based on ones uneducated moment of panic when a tragedy hits, will be incredibly damaging.

We are living in a day where ignorance is manipulating the very same freedoms this country was built on. America is a cultural melting pot, or a pluralistic salad bowl, and that is part of why America is as great of a country as it is. The other reason? Because of its Constitutional freedoms that were fought for and died for.

“To disarm the people is the most effectual way to enslave them.”
– George Mason