The Hog Blog

Just got this in my email and thought it was worth sharing.  It’s a great opportunity for young hunters to get a much better Hunter Education experience than they’d get trying to sit through the regular course.  It also just sounds kinda like fun!

Check it out, contact information is included:

Quail Unlimited Host 16th Annual Hunter Education Camp

The Fresno and Stillbow chapters of Quail Unlimited will once again be hosting their annual Covey Camp, June 27 through July 1, 2010, at the Stillbow Ranch near Dos Palos, CA.

It is a Hunter Education summer camps where Safety, Sportsmanship and marksmanship are reinforced by daily Hands-on training.  Quail Unlimited’s Hunter Education COVEY Camp is open to youngsters from ten (10) to 15 years of age who are seeking their hunter education certificates.  The Stillbow Ranch Summer camp expands the traditional 10 hours of classroom instruction into a five day program of hands-on learning by doing and repetition.

 While completing their hunter education requirements the campers will be learning to safely handle shotguns, rifles and pistols. Once the basics of safe firearms handling are understood, the youngsters will visit the range everyday where they will learn shotgun and rimfire marksmanship skills.

The campers will take part in a dove nesting cone project to check usage and replacing nesting cones as determined by the survey.  Chukar from a local game bird farm is used to teach game care and basic cooking.  Local dog trainers stop by to demonstrate basic puppy work and retrieving.

The Stillbow Ranch is a unique site for a youth summer camp.  Located in the grasslands of central California the 500 acre duck club offers a variety of waterfowl and marsh wildlife, the Ranch is part of the Grassland area with several wetland and other wildlife reserves near by.  The ranch members have  contacts with USFS biologist, dog trainers and other experts to help make the camp a memorable experience.

A camp coordinator, two certified California Hunter Education instructors, junior counselors and volunteers from local Quail Unlimited Chapters who assist on a day-to-day basis staff the camp.  The Campers will take the Hunter Ed test on Thursday and successful participants will receive their hunter education certificate.

Stillbow Ranch is located 8 miles east of Los Banos, California (One and a half miles south of Highway 152). The club offers bunkhouse style lodging with three to four campers per room, a full kitchen and classroom.  There are duck ponds for wading in addition to the shotgun and 22 caliber shooting ranges.

Many Quail Unlimited Chapters offer scholarship programs.  For scholarship information and any questions regarding the camp contact your local Quail Unlimited Chapter or contact:

Dick Haldeman, QU Western Regional Director,
39455 Black Oak RD., Temecula, CA 92592
westernqu@aol.com, or 951-767-3435.

Spring has sprung, and across many parts of the country, temps are climbing steadily upward.  That means a lot of things, of course, not the least of which is that more and more folks will be getting out into the outdoors.  Whether turkey hunting, hiking, fishing, or just stepping out to do some yardwork, people everywhere are shaking off the winter doldrums and getting active.

Just keep in mind that we’re not the only ones getting back outside in the warm temps.  As my fellow Skinny-Moose blogger, The Desert Rat reminds us, warmer weather also means time to start watching for venomous critters… most notably, snakes.  While his blog post is primarily focused on AZ, the safety tips he includes are valuable pretty much anywhere.

Watch your step, pay attention in the thick stuff, and if you see a snake or other poisonous critter, give them their space.

OK, I’m not going to post everytime I read a story of tragedy and stupidity in the field this season… not that there would be that many posts anyway.  I mean, really, statistics being what they are, hunting is one of the safest sports in which to participate.  Shining a spotlight on the event doesn’t really do hunters justice… or does it?

But this, the first report to come out of the nascent spring turkey season, kinda set me off.

So here’s the deal.  Saturday morning, a group of guys was turkey hunting up in Tehama County (northern CA).  One of them, for whatever reason, was crawling through some thick brush.  According to the reports so far, his buddy saw the man’s beard, mistaking him for a tom turkey, and took the shot… hitting his “friend” in the head with a magnum load of 12ga #4 shot. 

The article, which you can read here in the Redding Record Searchlight,   goes to some depth to explain that the “accident” was at least partially due to the camouflage and long beard of the victim. 

A man’s camouflage clothing and beard apparently contributed to his shooting death in a weekend hunting accident, Tehama County Sheriff Clay Parker said Monday.

Let’s get something abso-frickin-lutely straight here. 

The camo and beard did NOT contribute to that man’s death.  A load of #4 shot took care of that all by itself… a load of shot delivered by one pull of the trigger by one man who did not take the time to distinguish a human face and beard from a bird.    It was NOT the dead man’s fault! 

Common sense might tell most of us that a beard as big as a grown-man’s couldn’t possibly belong to any turkey alive!  Honestly… even setting basic hunter safety tenets of target identification aside, the mere size of the beard should have been enough to discourage a shot. 

Unfortunately, common sense apparently had no place in the blind on this trip.  Neither did basic hunter safety. 

I generally hate the dogpile of self-righteous condemnation that follows one of these stories… the second-guessing and finger-pointing don’t seem to serve much purpose except to make the rabble feel better about themselves.  But for this case, it’s pretty much justified.   Based on the reports, and the shooter’s own testimony, there are simply NO mitigating circumstances.   

Folks, please… don’t let me be writing this about you.  No trophy or meat is worth the price that this turkey hunter will be paying for the rest of his life… and it’s definitely not worth the price paid by the dead man and his family.

This is going to rub a lot of Hunter Safety Instructors and advocates the wrong way, but I don’t wear orange when I’m hunting unless I’m required by law to do so.  In CA, there is no Hunter Orange requirement, so when I take to the field for hogs, deer, or upland birds, I’m usually dressed in camo, or at least earth tones and neutral colors.  I’m not worried about being spotted by the game.  I do, however, worry about being spotted by certain other hunters.

What I have experienced, particularly on public land (but also on private) is that if you stand out visually in the field, you’re going to get looked over.  That, in itself is normal enough.  If you spot something out of place in the field, it’s perfectly natural to want to get a better look.  Unfortunately, way too many of the idiots out there do their looking with the rifle scope instead of binoculars.  It’s happened time and again to me, and with that in mind, I’ve consciously chosen to try not to draw attention to myself by wearing orange or other bright colors.  I’d rather not be seen than to have some yo-yo looking down the rifle barrel at me. 

Yeah, I called them idiots, and if you, dear reader are one of the individuals that uses the rifle scope to glass unidentified objects in the field, then this applies to you as well.  It’s a stupid, dangerous, thoughtless move, and it’s totally unnecessary.  For my own part, I get angry and usually offer the one-finger salute to anyone I see scoping me in the field.  But I know other guys who will return the favor by aiming back at the offending party… and that creates a pretty dangerous situation, even if it is all a bluff. 

Fortunately, it’s easy enough to change your ways. 

A pair of binoculars should be a standard piece of gear for any big game hunter.  While quality binos are better, and generally worth the higher cost, a reasonable pair can be had for under $100.  Even a $20, Wal-Mart special will help you identify the odd-colored shape down in the canyon without pointing a deadly weapon at it.  Better to have something than nothing, especially in the open country of the western states. 

I’m not going to run through a comparison of all the various glass on the market right now, because the list is pretty exhaustive.   If you’re shopping, I would recommend buying the best you can afford.  All of the major brands make some pretty good glass.  For most western hunting, I’d go with something in the 10x power range, with a 40 or 50mm objective.  If you get much over 10x, you’ll need to consider a tripod, because it’s difficult to hold high-powered optics steady. 

But again, if you can’t afford real quality glass, at least get something.  And when you see a shape, color, or movement downrange, use those binos to identify it BEFORE you put the rifle on it.  Do yourself, and the other hunters in the field a favor.

OK, so as I warned, I’m not keeping the HogBlog on top of the whole swine flu thing.  My initial feeling, that this might be a tempest in a teacup seems to be holding up so far… although I would never rule Ma Nature out when it comes to throwing us a curveball from time to time.  Mostly, though, as long as the topic has so little to do with hog hunting, wild boar, or other relevant topics, I just don’t think we need to give it a ton of space here. 

If you want to read up on the latest news, conspiracy theory, and paranoia, you can check out a pile of other blogs that are dealing with the topic.  Skinny Moose has its own Swine Flu “news” site.  You can also find a great collection of blog coverage at the All-Top news feed web site.

The other day I posted up a news release from the Texas health folks.  Today, I received this press release from the CA DFG, and thought I’d share it with you, since it has some good and relevant information for California hog hunters (and other hog hunters around the country). 

So here ya go:

California Fish and Game News
Date:   May 4, 2009
Contact: Alexia Retallack, Education and Outreach, (916) 322-8944
  Ben Gonzales, Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, (916) 358-1464

Department of Fish and Game Advises Hunters to “Keep it Clean”
Recommends Safety Precautions When Handling Wild Pigs; Other Wildlife

Harvesting more than 5,000 wild pigs annually, California hunters are reminded to “keep it clean” in the field by using common sense field dressing precautions. The recent outbreak of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus has raised public concern about interaction with wild pigs but the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) advises that there are no known cases of humans contracting the virus from the wild animals.

”While we have seen no instances of wild pigs passing along swine flu to humans, all types of wildlife carry a host of other viruses and bacteria that can be transmitted,” said Dr. Ben Gonzales, a DFG wildlife veterinarian. “By being vigilant about practicing good hygiene in the field and at home, hunters can greatly reduce the chances of contracting  disease.”

DFG recommends hunters take the following precautions when field dressing and preparing wild pigs:

• Wear gloves when dressing out hogs and dispose of gloves properly
• Avoid eating/drinking/smoking while doing so
• Wear eye protection if there is risk of eye splashed with blood/other fluids
• Wear coveralls over clothes or promptly change into fresh clothes after dressing animals
• Wash hands and equipment thoroughly with hot, soapy water
• Practice good handling/storage procedures with the meat
• Properly cook the meat to 160O Farenheit  to kill bacteria and viruses

Wild pigs inhabit areas from Monterey to Humboldt counties, but hikers and other outdoors enthusiasts may only catch a glimpse of one as it bolts through brush. Though there is no known evidence of wild pigs having transmitted swine flu to humans, wild pigs are susceptible to the virus like their domestic counterparts. Sick pigs exhibit symptoms such as coughing (barking), discharge from the nose, sneezing and breathing difficulties.

Anyone seeing an ill wild pig should report it to DFG’s Wildlife Investigations Lab at (916) 358-2790.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports that people cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products. Meat should be properly cooked to 160 O Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria or viruses that may exist. Preliminary investigations have determined that none of those infected with the swine flu had contact with pigs, but the state is monitoring the domestic pig population. To find out more about domestic pigs, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov.
———————————————————————–

I’m not going to dedicate a lot of space on the Hog Blog to the Swine Flu thing, unless it begins to directly involve wild hogs and hunters.  As I mentioned before, there’s no direct link between pigs and people so far.  This latest press release from the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) appears to support that position:

News Release     
Texas Animal Health Commission           
Box l2966 * Austin, Texas 78711 * (800) 550-8242 * FAX (512) 719-0719                                                  
Bob Hillman, DVM * Executive Director
For info, contact Carla Everett, information officer, at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710, or ceverett@tahc.state.tx.us
 
For immediate release:
 
Wild Hogs: No Indication of Flu Danger
 
You may catch the flu from your sick hunting buddy, but there’s no evidence that you will catch it from domestic or wild hogs, according to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC).  There is no evidence that the new strain of H1N1 influenza is in domestic or wild hogs.  This disease is being spread from person to person.  
 
“We are prepared to test hogs, if a human/animal disease link is identified.  To date, there has been no indication that swine are involved,” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas state veterinarian and head of the TAHC, the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency.  “We are participating on all calls with health and emergency officials, are monitoring the situation, and are consulting with local officials, but so far, there is no indication of animal-to-human disease spread.”
 
“Several hunters have asked about the safety of hunting wild hogs,” said Dr. Hillman.  “To repeat, there is no evidence that wild hogs are involved in this flu outbreak. Always, however, we advise wild hog hunters to protect themselves against potential exposure to swine brucellosis, a totally different disease that is not related in any way to the flu. We know from test results that about 10 percent of wild hogs carry swine brucellosis, a bacterial disease.”  
 
“When processing or butchering a wild hog, hunters should protect themselves against the blood and bodily fluids of wild hogs,” he said.  “When the wild hog meat is cooked, any swine brucellosis bacteria is destroyed by the heat.”
 
Trappers who catch wild hogs and owners of domestic swine also should practice good biosecurity to prevent spreading the flu to pigs.  “Don’t get around swine if you become ill, and avoid having visitors near your pigs,” said Dr. Hillman. “Have someone else feed the animals if you become ill with flu-like symptoms.  Notify your health department or the TAHC so your pigs can be monitored for disease.  Also, as a basic biosecurity measure, you should always wash your hands after handling animals.”
 
Dr. Hillman said wild hog trappers and domestic swine owners should call their veterinarian if their swine develop a sudden onset of respiratory illness.  The nearest TAHC area office or TAHC headquarters also should be notified so testing can be conducted according to the flu response protocol.  The TAHC headquarters may be reached at 800-550-8242.   

So, in light of the recent tragedy here in CA,  we saw that despite the best technology on the market we are sometimes at the mercy of Nature.  It was a reminder to be extra careful and have a really good backup plan. 

But sometimes, technology can save us… and one of the most useful tools at our disposal is the ubiquitous cellular phone.  Most of the newer phones include an emergency feature that transmits GPS location when a 911 call is placed.  While this feature can be turned off, I’d strongly recommend leaving it intact.  This recent story from Idaho Falls explains why. 

Just read the following press release out of Florida. 

Florida Cautions Hunters on Wild Hogs

2008-09-18

TALLAHASSEE, Fl. — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is encouraging hunters to take precautions when dressing and handling harvested wild hogs.

Wild hogs, though not originally native to Florida, are now found within all 67 counties, and like any wild animal, can carry parasites and diseases – some of which can be transmitted to people. One such disease for hunters to be concerned with is swine brucellosis.

The FWC is advising hunters handling wild hog carcasses to take the following precautions to protect themselves from exposure to this bacterial disease:

- Avoid eating, drinking or using tobacco when field-dressing or handling carcasses.

- Use latex or rubber gloves when handling the carcass or raw meat.

- Avoid direct contact with blood, reproductive organs and fecal matter. Wearing long sleeves, eye protection and covering any scratches, open wounds or lesions will help provide protection.

- Clean and disinfect knives, cleaning area, clothing and any other exposed surfaces when finished.

- Wash hands frequently with soap and water.

When cooking wild hog, as with any wild game, care in handling is an important part of disease prevention, and the meat should be cooked thoroughly to 170 degrees. Swine brucellosis is not transmitted through properly cooked meat.

“Hunters shouldn’t be overly concerned with swine brucellosis, but they should practice these good-hygiene, safety precautions when field-dressing wild hogs,” FWC wildlife veterinarian Mark Cunningham said.

Brucellosis in people is called undulant fever and could be transmitted if a hunter cut himself while field-dressing a wild hog or was exposed to the animal’s blood or bodily fluids. Symptoms include a recurrent fever, chills, night sweats, weakness, headaches, back pain, swollen joints, loss of appetite and weight loss.

Hunters who exhibit these symptoms or may have been exposed should contact a physician.

It’s a great reminder for all of us. 

It’s been a tough fire season here in the West so far, and the historic peak of the season is just arriving.  With these things in mind, I thought I’d take a sort of sidetrack from hog hunting and urge all hunters throughout the state, and the country, to be mindful of the risks of fire as you’re participating in outdoor activities.

Some things are obvious, of course.  Campfires, especially uncontained campfires, are a huge risk in the dry environment.  It takes only a spark to send the hills up in smoke.  Even in “developed” campgrounds with fire rings and circles, this is just a bad time to have a fire.  If you do insist on burning a fire in camp, don’t put paper, or loose leaves, grass, or pinestraw on the fire.  These cause big sparks that will ride the thermals quickly out of your reach, and can set down hundreds of feet away with disastrous results.  Burn clean, dry wood.  You should also consider using a grate over the fire, to help contain sparks and drifting embers.

Make sure your vehicle is in good condition, particularly the electrical and emissions systems.  A sparking wire can send, not only the woods but your whole car, up in flames.  And faulty emissions systems can spew sparks, or a catalytic converter that is in poor repair can heat up enough to set dry grass on fire.  Stay on the roads, and don’t go driving through the high grass or scrub. 

Another aspect to consider about vehicles is dragging metal parts.  A trailer chain, for example, kicks up sparks like a fireworks display when it’s dragging on pavement.  A dragging tailpipe, loose tie-bars, anything… make sure it’s all secured clear of the road. 

Keep a fire extinguisher handy when you’re driving in the back country, whether in a truck, car, or ATV.  It’s also a good idea to keep a shovel and five gallons or so of water on hand.  Quick reaction with the right tools can stop a fire before it gets going, although if the fire has a head start on you, don’t risk injury trying to stop it.  Odds are against you once the flames start to run over the ground, and a jug of water or a shovel are not going to do much good.  Get out of danger and contact the authorities. 

One thing a lot of folks don’t think about when it comes to forest-fire safety is target shooting.  Most of us probably understand that lead bullets won’t spark, but keep in mind that lead is only one component of bullets.  I saw this Letter to the Editor in the Grass Valley Union online edition:

Fire dangers and Steel Core Ammunition

About the time of the Y2K scare many sport shooters bought an abundance of inexpensive Russian Wolf, China Sports and Norinco ammunition. What was not known is that much of this ammo is soft, steel core with a copper jacket. Steel being less expensive than lead, foreign ammo manufacturers opted for steel. The substitution had nothing to do with armor piercing capability. The hollow point and metal jacketed steel core ammo can be identified using a magnet on the tip of the bullet.

When a shooter fires a steel core bullet and it hits a rock, another piece of steel, or a spent steel core bullet, it will cause a spark. The spark easily starts a fire in dry fuels such as grass: Same as a steel-bladed lawn mower when the blade strikes a rock. If you have any rifle ammo, .223 through .30 caliber, by Norinco, Wolf or China Sports, please check each lot for steel cores with a magnet and don’t shoot the steel core ammo when our fuels are dry or if you do not have an adequate dirt back drop with no combustibles near by.

Reference: The recent Telegraph fire near Mariposa.

VR Joe Satrapa,
Air Tanker 89
Nevada City

Not mentioned in the letter is the risk posed by muzzleloaders. If you’re hunting with a smokepole during the dry seasons, minimize the flame and spark by using proper powder, and flame-resistant wadding. Cloth, cork, and paper wadding almost always carries embers and sparks as it exits the muzzle. Properly lubing your bullets and using lubed wads can help. Wads made of synthetic materials are also preferable.

It really just requires a simple, visual test to see if your muzzleloader is a forest-fire risk. When you fire it, do you see flame or extensive sparking from the muzzle? Of course there will be some sparking, but if you’re seeing excessive flames or bursts of spark and ember, this is probably because your powder isn’t burning efficiently. Refer to your manufacturer’s user guides to determine if you can use a faster-burning powder, or if you can reduce the charge so that you burn more in the gun (where it will do the most good anyway). In my relatively limited experience with muzzleloaders, I find that the flame-throwing and sparking tends to come more from the traditional styled guns. The modern front-stuffers seem to burn powder more efficiently and completely. I certainly won’t suggest that anyone trade in your Hawken or Kentucky Long Rifle for an inline, but at least be aware and considerate of the fire risk with whatever you choose to shoot.

Remember that it really only takes a spark to get some of the tinder-dry western grasses burning, so it’s wise to consider if any of your actions, or your equipment, poses a risk of sparking.  Even archers should be aware… broadheads and field points can even spark off of rocks. 

This may all sound like panic-mongering, or hyperbolic hysteria, or whatever else you may want to call it… but the fact is, every year major forest fires throughout the western states, especially in CA, NV, and AZ, are caused by innocuous activities that people do “all the time”.  Target shooting, mowing the lawn, driving through the countryside…  all of these have been linked to devastating western fires over the last two years. 

Keep in mind, as well, that if you’re identified as the person who started the fire, you may very well be held responsible for the costs of fighting the fire, losses, and in the tragic event that someone is injured or dies, you may even be held accountable for that as well.  You’ll face fines, lawsuits, and potential criminal prosecution… not to mention the impact on your conscience if you cause loss of people’s homes, pets, or even their lives!   

Think ahead, be smart, and be responsible… Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires. 

The anti-hunting post has been occupying a bit of my mind the last day or so, so I haven’t been able to come up with new topics right now.  Hog hunting promises to pick up over the next couple of months, so there’s something to look forward to.

However, I can’t let the day go by without expressing my sadness and my frustration at the tragic news stories coming out of the turkey woods recently. 

First, a Minnesota father shot his eight year-old son.  What happened?  Well, the story doesn’t help the cause of hunters… the man followed some turkeys, the boy followed his father, the father turned and shot at “some movement”… discharging a full, 12ga turkey load into the boy’s chest at approximately 20 yards. 

Then a 19 year-old West Virginian shot a 16 year-old after apparently spotting movement and mistaking it for a turkey… and then he ran away and left him, according to the reports.  I wasn’t there, and I can imagine the panic in that teenager’s mind could have made him react thoughtlessly… not to let him off the hook, but to keep it in perspective.  The worst thing was that he shot the young man in the first place… by mistake. 

Now I hesitate to highlight these stories, because… well there’s just no good way to see it.  As hunters, we go on about our dedication to safety and ethics and all that, but just a couple of these stories take the wind out of those claims pretty handily.  Sure, statistics still tell you that hunting is much safer than almost any other sport you can take up.  But statistics probably don’t mean squat to the family of the dead youngsters right now, and they sure wouldn’t mean anything to me either. 

I could use this to launch another diatribe about the importance of maintaining our image as hunters and how these incidents really give us a black eye… but I really don’t have the energy, and honestly, I can’t see how that would be constructive.  All I can do when I think about it right now is imagine that father’s agony.  I doubt any of us needs to point out his errors to him… or to anyone else. 

Instead, I just want to say to all of you, “be careful out there, folks.” 

I know we all think we’re safe hunters, and I’m sure most of you are.  But it only takes a second…less than a second… and a lifetime of practicing safety is erased.