While most hunters appreciate a fine trophy, there’s another part of the hunt we can share with our friends and families as well… the meat of our harvest. I’ve found over the years that hunters are often fine cooks, often by necessity, and enjoy serving up the spoils of the hunt. Lately, however, the joy of wild game cooking has spawned a whole new following.
That following now has its own magazine, coming off the presses at the end of April. Here’s the official announcement:
New Magazine Launched to for the Food Focused Outdoors Person
(March 30, 2010, Sacramento, CA) – Power Media announced today that the first edition of its latest magazine, Cooking Wild – Hunt, Fish, Forage, Feast, will be available at the end of April. Created to bridge the gap from the field to the table, each issue will cover things important to the food-focused outdoors person — hunters, anglers and foragers alike.Cooking Wild Magazine is dedicated to helping improve and expand the wild cooking arsenal of home chefs everywhere. This new quarterly printed magazine will be loaded with tips, techniques and recipes from experts and home chefs from across the country. Available nationwide at the end of April, for a limited time interested subscribers can try it risk free.
Cooking Wild’s Editorial Director, Andy Donald, explained, “We’ve always loved to cook the food that we bring home ourselves. Be it hunting, fishing, foraging, or even our backyard garden. We combined this love with the desire to increase awareness and expand people’s knowledge of cooking wild game, fish, foragables, etc. To put it simply the magazine is going to answer the question, “You killed it, now what?” Cooking Wild is here to help!”For more information and to subscribe risk free, visit them online at www.cookingwildmagazine.com.
This promises to be a good magazine with tons of useful info for the successful hunter, or for the cook who just wants to explore new horizons. I’d say, check it out!
It’s been a fairly wet winter here in the central coast region of CA, and the hills and canyons are booming with life. Grasses and wild flowers are going gang-busters, and here at Native Hunt, the critters are looking fat and sleek.
I was able to get out for a short tour at the Jolon Ranch with Native Hunt owner/operator, T. Michael Riddle this past weekend. It’s my first visit in a few months, and I’ve got to say it was refreshing just to get back up in those beautiful hills. Everything is in bloom or nearly so, and from what I saw of the wildlife, there’s going to be a good crop of youngsters this season as well.
Of particular note were the bison. The trophy bulls are looking great right now, still in their full, shaggy coats. This would be the time for the hunter who wants a prime rug and trophy, and with all the fat on these guys, they’ll probably be pretty toothsome as well. Of course, for the meat hunter, there are a couple of young bulls that are at the perfect size and weight. They’re still fattening up on the green feast that covers the ranch, and they look great!
The Eurasian boar are also doing really well. While the animals are sticking primarily to the thick brush right now, Riddle and I were able to observe several excellent looking animals, including a couple of real trophies. We also saw a couple of sows that looked like they were about to pop, so there’ll be another generation of “Euros” on the ranch soon.
We didn’t get out to the other ranches, but from what I’ve seen so far, the feral hogs are also having a great spring. Food and water are plentiful in the hills. The hogs are fat and sassy, and should provide great sport AND great eating for the fortunate hunter.
It promises to be a banner season at all of the Native Hunt ranches. The hunting is going to be off-the-hook, and the scenery in the hills is at its best right now.
Received this in email recently, and it sounds like a good opportunity for some guides I know. Here’s the information:
Want to let everyone know about a new contest called “Are You Carhartt Tough?” You submit a short essay about why your job is tough…many hunters and outdoorsman certainly have tough jobs…and you could win a weekend duck hunting trip, designed by Ducks Unlimited or a Stihl Timbersports Series trip. Just go to www.CarharttRental.com to enter.
Have a go at it!
COMPETITIONS —
Rockcastle Shooting Center Hosts Tenn. Winter Series Sporting Clays Shoot
Overcast skies, wind and chilly temperatures could not keep away the many registered shooters, from six states and as far away as Brazil from attending this past weekend’s Tennessee Winter Series Sporting Clays Shoot at Rockcastle Shooting Center, part of Kentucky’s Park Mammoth Resort. | For More…
Team Bertha Jr./McKenzie Take Opening IFA Redfish Event
Sam Bertha Jr., of Daytona Beach, and Gary McKenzie, of Bartow, Florida, weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 14.42 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Jacksonville. | For More…
— ENVIRONMENT —
Watermen Collect Nearly 1,500 Abandoned Crab Pots
Maryland watermen have pulled nearly 1,500 abandoned crab pots from the West, Patuxent and Patapsco Rivers as a part of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Ghost Crab Pot Retrieval program. | For More…
— FACILITIES —
Alabama Forever Wild Opens New Horse Trail in WMA
The Alabama Forever Wild Land Trust has recently opened a new horse trail in the Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area (WMA) located in Colbert County, 5 miles south of Highway 72 near Barton and Cherokee, Alabama. | For More..
— FIREARMS —
AWC Systems Introduces TurboDyne Suppressor for Compact, Effective .50 Caliber Suppression
When deploying a .50 BMG rifle in any trouble situation, silence is the key to keeping the operator safe and hidden. The TurboDyne suppressor from AWC Systems Technology was designed to be the most compact, effective and quiet .50 caliber suppressor on the market, designed to reduce the noise of a .50BMG to less than that produced by a .22LR. | For More…
— FISHING —
Bass Pro Shops Kicks Off Annual Anglers’ Legacy Promotion
To coincide with Bass Pro Shops’ 2010 Spring Fishing Classic, the sporting goods retailer kicked off an annual Anglers’ Legacy promotion designed to leverage their Spring Fishing Classic to introduce newcomers to the sport for a third consecutive year. | For More…
— HUNTING —
New York Deer Harvest Continues At High Rate
Hunters harvested approximately 222,800 deer in the 2009 season, virtually the same number as were harvested statewide the previous season. The annual deer hunting report also showed that nearly 16,000 14- and 15-year-olds signed up for the “Junior Big-Game License”. | For More…
— INDUSTRY —
Cabela’s Expands Management Team
Cabela’s Incorporated (NYSE: CAB) announces the addition of Doug Means to the executive team as Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer. | For More…
Crosman Corporation Announces New European Distribution Center In Shannon, Ireland
Crosman Corporation announces the opening of a new warehouse and distribution facility in Shannon, Ireland. The state-of-the-art facility will serve as the company’s European distribution center (EDC) and warehouse. | For More…
Leupold Promotes Mundy
Leupold & Stevens, Inc. announces the promotion of Pat Mundy to communications manager. An avid hunter, shooter and handloader, Mundy oversees a staff of six in developing and implementing advertising, public relations, interactive and other marketing communications. | For More…
— MEDIA —
Outdoor Magazine Radio and Host Take Broadcast Excellence Awards
Veteran outdoor journalist Mike Avery has received a “Broadcast Excellence Award” from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB). | For More…
— NEW PRODUCTS —
Federal Premium Introduces New Black Cloud Snow Goose Offerings
Federal Premium® Black Cloud® ammunition announces new loads designed especially for snow goose hunters. The new 1-1/8 ounce, 3″ 12-gauge loads feature a muzzle velocity of 1635 fps for added effective range. Product now available. | For More…
— PARTNERSHIPS —
RMEF, ISE Partner for Stronger Expos, Elk Camps
For 35 years, no company has produced better consumer sportsman shows than International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE). Annual events in Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento, Salt Lake City and San Mateo, Calif., draw hundreds of thousands of hunters, anglers and conservationists. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has announced an expanded partnership with ISE to promote RMEF’s annual national convention, called Elk Camp. | For More…
— PEOPLE —
Longest Serving Wildlife Council Member Retires
Howard L. Calhoun of Akron, Ohio has retired from his position on the Ohio Wildlife Council His forty-six year tenure included nineteen years as chairman. | For More…
— PRODUCTS —
“Go Green” With Vita-Rack Seed Mixes
Rodney Dyer, certified wildlife biologist and consultant to Hunter’s Specialties®, recently explained how consumers can save money and reduce the amount of chemical fertilizer needed to maintain healthy food plots. | For More…
— RECRUITMENT —
Elementary School for Fishing, Hunting & Shooting Opens Its Digital Doors
The “elementary school” for America’s sporting traditions has opened at www.learnoutdoorsports.org. The School of Outdoor Sports is designed to be an outreach and educational site to help recruit and retain the next generation of outdoors enthusiasts. | For More…
— REGULATIONS —
PSA Says Fish And Game Commission “Betrays Recreational Anglers”
As part of the South Coast region’s Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) process, yesterday the California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) voted to only keep in consideration the alternative created by the Blue Ribbon Task Force (BRTF). The Commission’s action effectively terminates consideration of the three proposals created by the citizens selected to participate in the process. | For More…
North Carolina Approves Changes in Hunting, Fishing Regulations
After a yearlong process of gathering input from stakeholders, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has approved changes to state hunting, fishing and trapping regulations. | For More…
— SPONSORSHIPS —
Mission Archery Official Bow Sponsor Generationwild.com
Field & Stream announces that Mission Archery as the official bow sponsor of GenerationWild.com, the magazine’s youth-oriented blog and online destination dedicated to providing comprehensive information to young hunters and anglers on a wide range of outdoor topics. Mission will outfit the site’s four Junior Pro Staffers with archery equipment and accessories. | For More…
Brazos Custom Gunworks, Montana Gold Bullet and Shooters Connection Sign On as Area 6 Sponsors
The list of stage sponsors for the 2010 USPSA Area 6 Championship sponsored by Glock continues to grow as three more companies, Brazos Custom Gunworks, Montana Gold Bullet and Shooters Connection, sign on to support the match. | For More…
Gemini Increases Support for Collegiate Anglers
Careco Multimedia announcs Gemini Sport Marketing’s return as a sponsor of the 2010 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship Series. | For More…
— TELEVISION —
Name Change For Timberline Wild Adventures
When GhostBlind’s Timberline Wild Adventures begins on Sportsman Channel in July, it will be a new name, reflecting the addition of sponsor GhostBlind to the show formerly known as Timberline Wild Adventures. | For More…
VERSUS Features Fishing Friday Night
VERSUS Country presents an entire night of the best fishing shows on television with premiere episodes of Hunt for Big Fish with Larry Dahlberg and City Limits Fishing with Mike Iaconelli on Friday, March 5, beginning at 7 p.m. ET. | For More…
— WILDLIFE —
FWC to Premiere “Living With Florida Black Bears”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will premiere its new, 15-minute, “Living with Florida Black Bears” video during a public workshop Saturday on Okaloosa Island. | For More…
— WORKSHOPS —
March 9 Workshop to Focus On Recovery Plan for North Bay Tidal Marshes
A sweeping but voluntary plan to restore the health of more than 17,000 acres of San Pablo and Suisun Bay tidal marshes will be the focus of a public workshop by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), on Tuesday, March 9 in the PRBO San Francisco Bay Center, Petaluma. | For More…
— YOUTH —
NRPA and Hershey’s Track & Field Games to Support More Active and Healthy Youth
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) and The Hershey Company announce their 2010 partnership for the Hershey’s Track & Field Games program. Founded more than thirty years ago, Hershey’s Track & Field Games was created to promote physical fitness in a fun atmosphere for youth ages 9-14. It is the largest youth program of its kind, hosted by park and recreation agencies, schools, youth serving organizations and community groups in the United States and Canada. | For More…
FEATURE
McDonald v. Chicago: What constitutes a win?
Most of the conversational around the industry since Tuesday’s Supreme Court oral arguments in the McDonald v. Chicago case has been pretty optimistic. It seems a foregone conclusion that the Supreme Court will vacate both firearms restriction ordinances in Chicago and its suburb, Oak Park, lllinois.
But there’s been very little said about Otis McDonald, the 76-year old retired maintenance engineer who’s the primary name on a lawsuit that may become yet another fundamental rib in American jurisprudence.
McDonald and his wife live in the far South side of Chicago where they’ve watched their neighborhood deteriorate from familial to downright dangerous. Despite having his home wired with burglar alarms “wired right into the police station” and owning a legal firearm (a shotgun), McDonald said he felt he would be better protected if he also had a handgun. His rationale was simple: a handgun would be easier for an aging husband or wife to handle.
Despite the fact that Chicago police point out the fact that it’s mainly property crimes in his neighborhood, they can’t deny the fact they’ve gotten worse. Burglaries and thefts in McDonald’s area risen from 881 in 2006 to 1,215 in 2008 (the latest figures available). Murders have remained steady at 17 per year.
So, Otis McDonald joined the Illinois State Rifle Association, hoping to find an answer. What he found was attorney Alan Gura, looking for Chicago residents to bring a challenge to the city’s handgun ban – and a broader interpretation to the Heller decision.
For Gura, McDonald was a perfect case, an elderly black man seeking to protect himself and his neighbors in a neighborhood going downhill. McDonald, on the other hand, saw the situation as an answered prayer. Today, he still maintains his reason for wanting the ban overturned was a simple one, “I was doing this for me.”
As expected, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against McDonald and the other defendants, holding that the Supreme Court had ruled -more than 100 years ago – that the Second Amendment applied only to the federal government.
Chicago, like other cities with a liberal political philosophy, believes, unlike Otis McDonald, that allowing law-abiding citizens to possess handguns will create a wave of handgun violence, firearms accidents and suicides that trump any possible good a handgun could bring.
In a city where handguns were used in 410 of 412 murders in 2008, it would seem that the criminal element had empirically proven that handguns were more than present in the city. Overwhelmingly by the criminal element.
And as has been pointed out many times, the criminal element isn’t concerned with the law. They are unmoved by boundaries adhered to by law-abiding citizens.
Speaking with the NRA’s special counsel, former Solicitor General Paul Clement, following the oral arguments, he said the argument he presented to the court on behalf of the National Rifle Association (accorded a portion of Gura’s time) was pretty simple “Does,” Clement asked, “a citizen in Chicago have the same right as a citizen in Washington, D.C. We believe the only answer is ‘yes’”.
In presenting the only argument of the morning that wasn’t constantly interrupted by the sometimes sarcastic justices, it would seem Clement made a compelling case for a simple argument.
If the Supreme Court were to find that they didn’t, Clement said, it would be equivalent of the court saying “our decision on Heller really wasn’t all that big a deal.”
No one thinks that likely.
That unlikelihood is despite the fact that the three remaining justices who dissented on Heller still worked – energetically at times- to make the case for gun regulations. As Justice Stephen declared flatly during one of his more vocal points, “guns kill.”
That’s where the philosophical divide between gun owners and gun opponents seems irreconcilable.
To those who oppose firearms, it’s the tool that ultimately makes the decision to act, not the person using it.
To gun owners, that’s simply absurd.
Unfortunately, in situations where, as Chief Justice Roberts pointed out, “politics will still decide” emotional parades of weeping relatives will influence enough voters to keep the issue at a rolling boil.
Meanwhile, I have no way of knowing if the U.S. Supreme Court will take a look at a decision last week from the Supreme Court of the state of Washington regarding Second Amendment rights. But they should.
In that opinion, Justice Richard B. Sanders wrote a paragraph in his decision that could prove to be a critical point:
“Supreme Court application of the United States Constitution establishes a floor below which state courts cannot go to protect individual rights. But states of course can raise the ceiling to afford greater protections under their own constitutions.”
(pg 18. No. 82154-2, State of Washington v. Christopher William Sieyes. http://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/821542.opn.pdf)
That simple bit of writing may go a long way toward establishing states’ recognition of the fact that a Supreme Court decision is not the far limit of a law; it’s the minimums for protection. This decision says the decisions from the high court establish a broad-brush national minimum – one designed to work in all jurisdictions.
It also says that while states may go further to guarantee rights. That recognizes -at least in Washington’s State Supreme Court – that it may be necessary to do more to protect individual rights.
That would seem to reinforce recent legislative measures passed by Tennessee and Montana that extend firearms rights. Their new laws say firearms made, sold and kept only in those respective states are exempt from all federal laws.
On Wednesday, the Wyoming legislature passed a similar measure that actually assigns fines and sentences for any state or federal official trying to any federal gun law on firearms and sold in Wyoming. Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal says he’ll sign the bill into law.
That extension of rights is admittedly, not much more than a symbolic push back at the federal government’s current tendency to try and regulate, well, everything, but it is a definite message that residents of these states will vigorously protect their constitutional rights.
Finally, the Washington State decision establishes an instance of twenty-first century law with a lower court recognizing the intent -and appropriateness – of the Supreme Court in most instances.
It is especially significant for the Heller ruling, recognizing a first step in guiding the states in creation of jurisprudence at all levels of the court systems that will provide a web of overall guidance on the Second Amendment and firearms rights.
It wouldn’t be accurate, however, to say that the individual interpretation of the Second Amendment is now written in stone.
Earlier this week, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -one of the three remaining dissenting justices in Heller- comment that perhaps a “future court” would reverse the Heller decision.
For those who hold an individual right the founding fathers considered to be “granted by the Almighty” can’t be taken away by the stroke of a pen, we can only hope that the comment was Ginsberg’s wish and not a prophecy. Regardless, barring something sudden change in the makeup of the court, it seems unlikely she will serve long enough to vote on that reversal.
But there is only one rule regarding the Supreme Court that seems to always be quoted and believed: the court will do what the court will do.
That’s why it’s the Supreme Court. It’s also why we’ll be watching, and we’ll keep you posted.
–Jim Shepherd
Mar 4-7Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo Reno/Sparks Convention Center, Reno Nevada
Mar 5Alabama State Championships Steel City Ranges, Hoover, AL
Mar 10-12Pairs Conventional Pistol Shooting Camp U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s Phillips Range, Fort Benning, Georgia
Mar 12-14World Ice Fishing Championships Boom Lake, Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Mar 19-21STI International Double Tap Championships Double Tap Ranch, Wichita Falls, Texas
Mar 26-2823rd annual California Association of Taxidermist’s, Western States Taxidermy competition and show Red Lion’s Sacramento Inn, 1401 Arden Way, Sacramento, CA
I suppose it’s not really news that BLM officials have been trapping wild hogs off of Fort Ord. I tried a couple of years back to get some information about the possibility of opening some of the Fort up for hunters, but never got a reply. Well, from the looks of things, it’s too late now…
Officials have success trapping wild pigs on Fort Ord
By LARRY PARSONS – Monterey County Herald
Posted: 02/28/2010 01:30:21 AM PST
The real battle began in 2006, after federal land managers for thousands of acres of Fort Ord back country realized wild pigs had invaded their space.
Since then, the Bureau of Land Management, employing a trapping program so as not to spook the feral pigs deep into hiding, have rooted out more than 100 of the animals, whittling their numbers down to about five to 10.
“They are getting harder and harder to get,” said BLM botanist Bruce Delgado, who oversees efforts to rid the bureau’s natural resource lands at the former Army base of the critters.
You can read the full article here, in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
I wonder how long that investment will last? Anyone taking odds on when the hogs will be back?
Anyone ready for a Wild Boar hunt over in TURKEY? Our good friends at GONYE VENATORIA have some of the most beautiful specimens you can find. We should know, some of our very own Eurasian Wild Boar here at Native Hunt were purchased from over there!
You can contact them at: info@gonye.com Don’t forget to tell them that Native Hunt over here in the states sent you!!
Things are kinda slow around the Native Hunt Blog these days. It’s been literally weeks since I’ve been out to the ranches, and while I know Sam has had a fairly regular flow of clients out there killing hogs and such, it just seems like all the rain and weather lately has muted the activity.
February is gone now, and if things go as they usually do, the sun will start shining longer, the temps will start rising, and the hills will soon take on that shining green quality that preceeds the harsh yellow of summer. The barley will be popping up, lush and emerald. Mushrooms are already bursting out. The ground is soft, and pliable, and the hogs will be taking full advantage… rooting and digging for the tasty morsels buried by the rain and wind of winter. They’re already fat and shiny, and it’s only gonna get better over the next couple of months.
It won’t be long now. I can feel the sap rising and the blood flowing. Prime time is coming!
07EasyLivin Just click here! By: VALHALLA
Those title lyrics were written by one of my most favorite artists of all time: Gino Vannelli, and also was the inspiration for the name of my band which I performed with for five fun filled years of my life. The years that I spent with Chuck and Jon in Valhalla will always remain one of the more fond memories of which I posess concerning my time involved in the music industry. We traveled all over and into some of the most beautifully diverse and culturally rich areas of the United States, meeting a multihued variety of many very interesting people.
Some of those people still remain very close dear friends and are always quick to respond in times of need, or just simply to get together and sit around a crackling campfire somewhere in the depths of a faraway wilderness, indolent upon some fungi feathered deadfall and quietly sipping upon a warm Cognac or a smooth, single malted Scotch. And then as we comfortably drift into drowse within the ensivre of darkness approach, we then will begin to reminisce upon old times, the thrill of the hunt or simply pondering out loud upon new adventures which might soon forge their way into our lives once more.
Sarah of Sarah Lynn designs has fully captured those precious moments once lost in time, and has masterfully brought them to life once again in her newest creation for us at the Valhalla website. Please visit and experience a little of this past, but with a very robust flavor of the modern infused into it by Sarah herself.
My friend, Adam McInerny is presenting a free reloading class for Bay Area hunters and shooters. Adam and I are Field Directors for the US Sportsmen’s Alliance.
Here’s the release”
I just wanted to send out an invitation to all of those who live in the bay area to attend an upcoming class which I will be doing a presentation on the basics of reloading. The class is titled “Intro to reloading”.
I am teaching this course on behalf of my business Bullets and Brass, LLC and the 10th street indoor range to help promote the shooting sports, hunting and keep the local range in business by finding alternatives to skyrocketing prices on factory ammo.
If you shoot pistol, rifle, or shotgun and want to save money on ammunition, this course will help you decide if reloading is for you.
We will cover the basics that will help you determine what type of equipment you need to get started. It will also give you a break down on whether or not you really can save by reloading the quantities you would like to reload.
This event is open to the public and most importantly FREE. If this class isn’t for you, share it with your friends and family members who do shoot or hunt.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail.
-Adam McInerney
Owner – Bullets and Brass, LLC
www.getbulletsandbrass.com
E-mail: sales@getbulletsandbrass.com
Phone: 408-857-8902
Man, it seems that this age old question will never just “go away” ! And I really do not want it to altogether disappear because Ethic’s are an important part of who we are as a community of hunter’s, and the human race as a whole. But can we not just simply let it rest awhile so we can just get back to the joy of the HUNT!
It is been almost a year to the day since I decided to join the ranks of the outdoor writers and share my wondrous experiences with other’s of a like mind. And there are many fine discussions upon the subject of Ethic’s which were generated by some of what I consider “the” finest outdoor writers and thinkers today. Holly Heyser and Phillip Loughlin as well as Albert Rasch immediately spring to mind.
And also I must mention Arthur from Simply Outdoors whom addressed this question almost a year ago as well, and which received many great responses from some wonderful thinkers within the outdoor and hunting communities.
Galen Geer over at his The Thinking Hunter blog also has re-opened the discussion with some very intriguing questions being posed by him. And for the record, I thoroughly am enjoying the discussion which is currently being generated from his stimulating explorations upon the subject, and the origins of edict concerned with sport hunting.
* Please click on the highlighted names and read the above mentioned people’s wonderful blogs, and also don’t forget to leave a comment before you exit!
But, what I really miss is reading about the adventures which we all used to write about. You all remember? The stories which had me gripping vise like to the very edges of my chair, and so hard that the printed impressions of my fingertips were left behind long after I had vacated the seat. Stories which would strike a vibrant chord within the very depths of my soul while for a brief moment and silently suspended in time, those marvelous tales made me feel as though I were actually there with the writer and experiencing all of their emotions, trials, tribulations and jubilation which were being committed from precious thought to Quill and Skin Parchment.
Don’t let the antis do as a smart lawyer would do when overwhelming and inundating the opposition with mounds of paperwork to confuse and disrupt. Stand tall and stick to the core reason for your writing about the outdoors and hunting in the first place. Begin the storytelling again!