Trophy Care

You have spent the late summer and early fall planting food plots, setting trail cameras and scouting.  You have honed your shooting skills to the point a military sniper would admire your technique and control.  Up in the stand you see a creature that is so majestic you pause momentarily to admire its beauty before you lay the sights on the beast and gently squeeze the trigger.  Yep, he is a wall hanger.  This one will be a center piece in your man cave.  Heck, your wife will likely be so impressed she will let it hang over the fireplace (as long as you let her go shopping for shoes or dresses or something girly like that, of course).

You call several hunting buddies and have them come take a gander before you field dress him.  Then, you bring out the skinning knife and start your cuts.

This is where a problem could come in.  You plan on putting the head on the wall, deciding to do a shoulder mount.  You make a cut around the neck line.  Many do not realize just how far back to make that cut.  You have to be behind the front legs and shoulder for a proper shoulder mount.

I spoke with Pat Nicholson of Nicholson’s Taxidermy (Elm City, NC) a while back about proper care with your game you intend to display.  People, especially new hunters, are unaware of the care needed to take care of the hides.  Three factors spoil meat and destroy hides; heat, dirt, and moisture.  Cool the animal down quickly using ice and field dressing the animal by removing the insides such as the intestines.  Dry the hide by patting it down and add salt to soak up the moisture and preserve it.  Use game bags or plastic trash bags to keep dirt from the making contact with the meat and hide.

One thing I do is contact the taxidermist prior to making the cuts.  Let them know what you intend on doing with the animal.  They will help you on what to do and where to do it.   For instance, on the alligator hunt I recently went on, I spoke with Strickland’s Outdoor Creations (Middlesex, NC) prior to the hunt.  She advised me what to do with the hide.  I also spoke with a wildlife biologist in Georgia on how to handle the meat to prevent spoilage.  If I had not spoken to both, I may have had a problem with the gator since reptiles are handled slightly different than mammals.

Even trappers must learn proper field care, as a wrong cut could determine how much the fur will sale for or even if it will sale at all.  The North Carolina Wildlife website (ncwildlife.org) has much information on game care for the different game animals as well as a simple search with the keywords game care for field care on the internet.

Also, do not expect a taxidermist to ‘rebuild’ something that has been destroyed.  As Pat Nicholson told me, if you blow every feather off a duck or turkey, do not bring him a bag full and ask him to put them back on.  It took God several years to put them there; it would take him much longer to put them back.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Trees Beg to be Climbed

As a child, I spent countless hours climbing trees.  My cousins and I were still mastering the art of walking when we could be found climbing my Aunt Sue’s red leaf plum trees in her front yard.  They were perfect for learning low altitude maneuvers for toddlers like ourselves.  Though we were no more than 3 or so feet off the ground, we thought we were in the clouds.

Of course, as we aged we would seek new heights.  My cousin Chris and I had a favorite pine at his house where the limbs provided perfect rungs for us to scale to the top.  When I say top, I really mean top.  We would go as high as possible without causing the top to lean and break, often he on one side of the main trunk and me on the other.

At my grandfather’s house was a huge magnolia tree.  Its vast array of limbs provided not only easy steps but plenty of cover and handholds.  My friend Bobby and I experienced our first hunting from a tree there.  We would pick various limbs where we could sit and wait comfortably, with our bb gun beside us.  After a few minutes, we would often spot and shoot at an un-expecting bird that happened into our range.

Just before hitting our teens, Bobby and I were playing in a field where the trees had just been clear cut.  There was one particularly large and long tree that was leaning at a 45 degree angle.  Bobby got the bright idea to climb all the way to the end and have it double over bringing him close to the ground.  The tree had other ideas.  Perhaps the tree was upset from being cut down, but it only gave way slightly before dumping Bobby to the ground below.  The fall of about 20 feet  left Bobby unconscious and I was certain he was about to die.  I was recently reminded about that day and how I ran nearly a mile to the closest house with an adult inside.  We called the ambulance and his parents and they met me back at the field.  Bobby woke up as he was being placed on the stretcher and only suffered a concussion and broken collar bone, but to a 10 year old, it was a life threatening and changing moment.

It is funny how now as an adult, life has come full circle.  I again enjoy climbing trees.  The purposes are still much the same.  The objective is to get high enough to enjoy nature without nature realizing you are observing.  While in the stand this last weekend, I saw one deer which was way too far away.  However, I spent several hours enjoying watching a cardinal clan flitter from ground to tree to shrub.  Much like an aquarium can bring solitude and peace, sitting there with God’s creatures undisturbed brings inner reflection and comfort.

Still, just like with Bobby, the potential dangers are there.  Remember this season to use a safety restraint system if using a tree stand, particularly climbing stands.  When someone goes up, they never expect to come down the quick way.  However there have already been reports of falls, and they often end up far worse than a broken collar bone and concussion.

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Bucket List Dream Hunt - Alligator!

With opening day of archery deer season hitting this last weekend, you would think I might have a column on a bow hunt.  For a reason I cannot ignore, I had to forgo this weekend’s opening.  For the last three years I have attempted to pull a tag for an alligator in Georgia.  This weekend allowed me to put a check beside an item on my hunting bucket list.

Georgia Alligator tag for 2011.

I was notified in August that I was successful in drawing a gator tag for zone 4, which encompasses the counties around Valdosta, Georgia.  With less than a month before the hunt was to start, I had to find a place to hunt, decide what I was going to do with the gator if I was successful and find a the appropriate vendors to take care of it depending on my decision.  I had to do hours upon hours of ‘online’ scouting.  Looking trough different maps, contacting potential land owners, monitoring weather circumstances, and arranging my work schedule were critical in making this a successful hunt.

Lake Lewis. This would be my hunting 'land' for the next 48 hours.

Southern Georgia is in the middle of a drought, where many of their rivers are nothing more than small streams, often not even flowing because the water is so low.  I joined a hunting forum based in Georgia, and from information gathered there, decided a lake or pond would offer me the best opportunity.  I met one gentleman, Dane Lancaster, on the forum who received his first gator tag this year for zone 4 also.  We talked on the phone and agreed to tackle the hunt together rather than finding a guide.  He has a small camper he allowed me to stay in, which knocked off the cost of a hotel room.  He also would provide a boat for us to use and would work on permissions for us to hunt several areas.  I was to supply the equipment for the hunt, namely a Muzzy Gator Getter setup for the bow, as well as some lights.  We decided not to use a generator for fear of scaring the gators, and went with a couple of LED Lenser H7 head lamps instead.  Both of these ideas played to our favor in getting up close to the alligators.

READ ABOUT THE LED Lenser H7 HEAD LAMP HERE!

Now my wife, she had nightmares about this trip.  All she could envision was some swamp people with no teeth.  Their tools of the trade would consist of a chain saw and a banjo, and likely be using me for gator bait.  When I met Dane and his wife Sheri in person, I asked them to smile big for me.  Seeing they each had their teeth, I told them my wife's concerns and we all got a good laugh out of it.

Gator trying to get in the boat.



The hunt had its challenges.  After the first evening, we saw several dozen alligators, their reflective red eyes resembling a demon resting on the water’s surface.  We practiced calling, using a sound that imitates a young gator in distress.  Without fail, when we made the call, eyes would surface to see what was making the commotion.  Once we had a small alligator make a swim to the boat.  Dane commented if we had steps, the gator would have come right into the boat.  It is an eerie feeling in the swamps with the different noises, the glowing eyes, and the soft lifting fog in the middle of the darkness.  When we were pulling out that morning we heard a pop and watched the boat’s front end lower.  Upon investigation, the trailer broke near the tongue.  We set the boat and trailer to the side and decided to catch a few hours sleep, and then we would return with a generator and welder to secure the trailer in order to get it back to the house.

The killing shot.

After we made the repairs, we borrowed a boat from one of Dane’s relatives.  Things seemed to be working against us, but we were going to give it a good try with a positive attitude regardless.  Even if we did not harvest an ‘ole swamp lizard, we were enjoying the hunt and the pursuit.



Dane Lancaster (Nashville, Ga) and Bill Howard



Around 1am, we spotted a gator resting in some swamp grass.  With the lights, we were able to make out most of its head.  The rule to determine how big a gator is is to measure from the snout to the eyes.  Whatever the measurement is in inches, the total length will be that in feet.  Based on this information, we estimated the gator to be about 6 feet long, easily the largest we had come across.  I decided to take the shot, and we drifted in an arc behind the gator.  When the body lined up, I shot the arrow through the back.  After some thrashing and splashing, we pulled the gator to the side of the boat.  Usually in these instances, a pistol or ‘bang stick’ will be used to dispatch the gator before pulling him in the boat.  I wanted it to be strictly a bow kill, so I used a hunting broadhead to the base of the spine.  If anyone ever thinks a bow and arrow will not kill an alligator, I have testament to the contrary.

With the right photography, even this 6 foot'r looks like a monster!

In the end, I had experienced something I have only dreamed of.  I met new people and made new friends, all in the fellowship of hunting and the outdoors.  I had my trophy, regardless of size, taken the way I wanted to hunt it and by knowledge I had learned rather than watched.  If that is not considered a successful hunt, there is no such thing.

FIND OUT HOW I PLANNED MY LOTTERY QUOTA HUNT HERE!

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Dove Hunt 2011

Opening day of dove season has always been special to me.  This year, I hoped to make it special for someone else.  Mike Furiness and his son Ben came along for their first dove hunt.  My goal was for it to be as special in their hearts as it was in mine.

We met at Mike’s house and I went over what to expect on a dove hunt.  Unless you have been, it is different than other hunts.  For those that have been, it is so ingrained in our consciousness, we do not realize how different it is.

Learn what dove hunting teaches!

Unlike other upland game hunting, there is not stalking the bird, flushing it from cover and taking the shot.  Basically, you sit still in one spot and watch the skies.  The closest to it would be duck hunting, however most times there will be no decoys (they do make perching dove decoys as well as flying dove decoys) and I have never seen or heard anyone try to call a dove in.  That is unless you count the occasional “c’mon bird, fly THIS way!” as a call.

Ben Furiness with first dove.

I spoke about limits, how the birds will fly, how to help out the other hunters when a bird is near, what to do before and after you shoot.  I am sure there is more I went over, but once in the field, it would start playing out naturally.

As is customary here in the South, the hunt began with a cookout.  Usually pig or chicken is the main course, and this meal was no different.  Some of the best pork chops and bbq chicken was served Saturday.  Shortly after eating, we proceeded on a hay ride to the fields.  Mike, Ben and I were positioned near each other so I could help if needed.

We were not in the field five minutes and Ben took his first bird.  Ben handled it like it was an old hat.  He reloaded and prepared for the next opportunity.  Birds were plentiful, as well as smiles, shots, and sweat.  Exactly what you look for in an opening day dove hunt.  In the end, Mike and Ben seemed like seasoned hunters, nearly taking their limits on their first dove hunt.  We took a few photos to commemorate the occasion afterwards and headed our way back to the house.

Mike Furiness with his first dove.

If I had to wonder if it became as special to them as it is to me; that wonder was soon vanquished.  Ben called not ten minutes after we parted wanting to know when we could go again.

Special thanks to Linwood Vick and Vick Family Farms for another great dove hunt!



Mike Furiness, Ben Furiness, and Bill Howard



Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.

Few Things are Better than Opening Day of Dove Season

There are few things that I anticipate more than opening day of dove season.  The opening day is perfectly positioned as a precursor to all other seasons.  You know that after opening day, deer season is nearby, along with the appearance of the fall leaves, the chill of the autumn nights, the departure of the pesky gnats and mosquitoes, and the migrations of the various waterfowl.

I grew up dove hunting.  It was by far my favorite activity with a firearm.  Dove hunting provides the first classroom for many of our young hunters and new adult hunters.  First, it usually gives ample opportunity for shooting the shotgun.  You may have spells of no activity, but when they fly, it is constant and quick.  Usually within a few shots, you self correct and begin to understand how far to lead, what the maximum distances of a successful shot are, and when to take the shot.

It also teaches us patience.  During the waits between flights, we enhance our peripheral vision.  We spot the birds from great distances, able to recognize their flight pattern and silhouette.  Before ever hunting dove, that same bird would have gone unnoticed, not to mention unidentified.  These are skills needed as the novice hunter advances to other game.

Dove hunting teaches us how to be safe.  We quickly learn how to identify where other hunters are and instinctively know not to shoot in that direction.  We let low flying birds pass, shouting it out in order to make other hunters aware that a bird is too low to fire.

We learn the art of camouflage.  We use natural colors in our clothing.  We nestle in non-descript areas to help shield us from a flying bird’s view.

We recognize possible flight patterns and targets.  A lone tree makes a great point of reference for a fast moving bird, as well as a hiding place to dodge the flying lead.  This means it is a great location to set up as the birds will tend to target the location.

We learn the feeling of success.  One bird or a limit, you will remember the shots made.  You replay them, sometimes many years later.

Doves are easy to clean and fairly tasty.  Because of this, it is the ideal game for the new hunter to get their hands dirty.  Processing your own game, taking it from field to grill, makes the meal that much better.  You worked for the nourishment.  It was not bought at the store in shrink wrap in the cooler section.  It is exactly as God intended.  It was taken by man from the land.

And lastly, dove hunting provides the memories for which you never wish to relinquish.  The bridge of generations, hunting together, learning from one another.  Few other activities can teach so much.  Few classrooms can provide so much enjoyment.

If you enjoyed this column, try Bill Howard's Outdoors: Why Hunt?

Bill Howard writes a weekly outdoors column for the Wilson Times and Yancey County News and the bowhunting blog site GiveEmTheShaft.com. He is a Hunter Education and International Bowhunter Education instructor, lifetime member of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association, Bowhunter Certification Referral Service Chairman, member and official measurer of Pope and Young, and a regular contributor to North Carolina Bowhunter Magazine.