hunting – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Brain cancer patient tries deer hunting, harvests 8-point buck

A Georgia woman who was diagnosed with brain cancer last May tried deer hunting for the first time recently and bagged an 8-point buck.

A Georgia woman who was diagnosed with brain cancer last May went deer hunting for the first time recently and bagged an 8-point buck.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday congratulated Zoe Ragon for her impressive “first harvest” and shared Ragon’s description of how the hunt came about:

“I was diagnosed with brain cancer in May of this year, it’s taken a lot from me and I don’t always have a ton of energy. My boyfriend is an avid hunter and wanted me to go with him to see if it would be something I’d like.

“I went hunting for the first time after growing up in a non-hunter household, it was the day after getting my hunting license, and first day shooting a rifle.

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“I took a shot at a doe that morning and missed. We left and came back that afternoon and I shot my first deer! To our surprise he was a 240-pound, 8-point buck! Talk about beginners luck!”

The Georgia DNR concluded its post by welcoming Ragon to the family of hunters “and wishing her health and happiness in her journey ahead.”

–Deer image atop this post is generic

Hunter butchers deer in front of school, offers decent excuse

A Pennsylvania hunter has upset some of his neighbors by hanging a deer from a tree outside his home and butchering the carcass in front of a middle school.

“I got a grandchild just down the street, and I think it would really upset him to see a gutted deer hanging upside down in a front yard,” Gene James told CBS Pittsburgh.

The story mentions that other neighbors also expressed anger, but does not identify them.

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One neighbor, Jodi Good, said, “My dad and my brothers are hunters, so I have no problem with it.”

Perhaps surprisingly, Lucas Smith, the hunter who lives across from Greensburg Salem Middle School, might have been the most upset of all.

Smith, who was processing the deer he bagged last week, told CBS Pittsburgh: “I feel terrible doing it in front of the school [but] this is where I live. I have no other choice.

“I have no other trees in my yard. If I did, I’d be doing it there.”

The report did not include input from faculty or students.

–White-tailed deer image courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Michigan deer hunters victimized by catalytic converter thieves

Michigan hunters are on alert in Ionia County after a continued uptick in catalytic converter thefts.

Hunters are on alert in at least one Michigan county after an apparent uptick in catalytic converter thefts.

The Ionia County Sheriff’s Office reported this week that at least two catalytic converters were removed from vehicles while their occupants were deer hunting.

The agency stated via Facebook: “Recently, Otisco Township Deputy Joseph Tefft took two reports of catalytic converters being cut and stolen from vehicles that were parked near rural hunting areas while the owners were out hunting for deer.

“We ask the public to watch for suspicious activity, and to report it immediately to Ionia Central Dispatch by calling 616-527-0400 or dialing 9-1-1.”

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One comment reads: “Wow!!! That takes some guts…..climbing under somebody’s vehicle and cutting off their converter…….knowing that person is in the woods with a loaded gun.”

The soaring number of catalytic converter thefts for their precious metals – including palladium, platinum, and rhodium – is a nationwide phenomenon and can involve sophisticated crime rings.

A single catalytic converter can fetch as much as $1,000 on the black market.

–White-tailed deer image is generic

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Hunters: ‘Don’t you dare put that deer head in the recycling bin!’

Minnesota’s Otter Tail County to hunters: ‘Don’t you dare put that deer head in the recycling bin!’

Deer season opens Saturday in Minnesota and at least one county is demanding that hunters act more responsibly after processing their animals.

“Don’t you dare put that deer head in the recycling bin!” Otter Tail County cautioned on Facebook. “Yes, we do see animal parts such as heads or legs EVERY hunting season, but there is no reason for anyone to put those things in the recycling.”

The county explained that it’s not fair to force its staff to separate deer parts from items that can be legally recycled, so “deal with your own deer head so they don’t have to.”

The county published a list of items that end up in bins every hunting season. Besides heads they include deer legs, deer hides, dead geese and ducks – “Yes, we see those too” – and bloody cardboard.

The county might be alone in publishing this type of warning/request to its citizens. But we’re guessing that other communities where deer hunting is popular would like to share it with their residents.

–White-tailed deer image courtesy of the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service

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Missouri bowhunter harvests two deer with one shot

A Missouri bowhunter hunter has been credited with the legal harvest of two antlered deer with one shot during archery season. But there’s a catch….

A Missouri bowhunter hunter has been credited with the harvest of two antlered deer with one shot.

Although Mike Lewis shot only one deer, the buck carried the skull of another buck in its antlers, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agency explained:

“Bowhunter Mike Lewis legally harvested two antlered deer in one shot during archery season. The deer he harvested still had the skull and antlers of another deer locked in its rack!”

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The MDC continued: “Mike contacted Nodaway County Agent Kris Smith after recovering the deer and asked for a wildlife disposition to legally possess the extra deer skull and antlers. What a find!”

Click here to view images of Lewis with his unusual harvest.

–White-tailed deer image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

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Montana hunters fire at charging grizzly bear, but apparently miss

Montana on Tuesday detailed several recent incidents involving grizzly bears, including one in which two hunters fired multiple handgun rounds at a charging bear.

Montana on Tuesday detailed several recent incidents involving grizzly bears, including one in which two hunters fired multiple handgun rounds at a charging bear in self-defense.

The “defensive encounter” occurred Oct. 14. The hunters were walking on a trail in the Madison Range when they heard brush breaking and saw a large bear emerge. Both hunters fired repeatedly and the bear fled without apparent signs of injury.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Department stated in a news release that the female bear probably was caught by surprise because of the wind direction, and that her charge was in defense of her two cubs.

Remarkably, the bullets seem to have missed the large target.

On Oct. 15, FWP staff flew over the area and did not find an injured bear. A ground search turned up bear tracks and shell casings, but no “blood, hair, or any other evidence the bear was injured.”

The incident remains under investigation.

FWP also reported that a female grizzly bear and two cubs were captured from the town of Gardiner, near Yellowstone National Park, and relocated after repeatedly feeding in apple trees in public areas.

The bears did not respond to hazing attempts and instead became more brazen. On Oct. 17, the bears were feeding in apple trees near a school bus stop and prevented children from boarding the bus.

They were deemed a public safety hazard, trapped, and relocated to a site pre-approved by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.

On Oct. 21, a female grizzly bear was euthanized after several conflicts with humans in Big Sky. Her two older cubs were relocated to a pre-approved release site.

On Oct. 23, an older male grizzly bear was found dead on U.S. Highway 191 after being struck by a vehicle near West Yellowstone.

FWP reiterated that grizzly bear populations “continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year.”

The agency asked residents to take more precautions to protect themselves and the animals. Unsecured attractants such as fruit trees, bird feeders, and garbage are often factors in bear-human conflicts.

–Generic grizzly bear image is courtesy of the National Park Service

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Idaho town on alert after rare grizzly bear sighting

Idaho is asking hunters and other backcountry users to exercise caution near the town of Salmon after a rare grizzly bear sighting.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game said in a news release that a bear photographed by a motion-sensor camera on May 14 has been identified as a grizzly bear.

Grizzly bears in Idaho are found mostly in northern Panhandle area and inside or near Yellowstone National Park in eastern Idaho. Salmon is in east-central Idaho, 170 miles from Yellowstone.

The bear was photographed in the North Fork area outside of Salmon.

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The last known grizzly bear sighting in the area was in 2020, involving a young male grizzly.

Idaho’s spring black bear hunting season is underway and hunters near Salmon “should not assume any bear they see is a black bear,” the IDFG stated, cautioning that grizzly bears are a federally protected species.

It’s not known if the grizzly bear is still in the area, but all backcountry users are asked to carry bear spray.

The IDFG explained that young male grizzly bears sometimes roam extensively, venturing into areas where people are not accustomed to seeing them.

“These young male bears typically wander through an area, but do not remain there,” the agency stated.

–Grizzly bear image courtesy of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Trophy moose poacher receives lifetime hunting ban

A Montana hunter who illegally killed a trophy-size moose in 2019 has received a lifetime ban from hunting and trapping in the state.

Shiloh Berry, 41, pleaded guilty last fall to unlawfully possessing and waste of a game animal, and hunting without a valid license. He was sentenced Friday in Broadwater County Court District.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Berry also received a three-year fishing ban and was ordered to pay $12,100 in restitution. He also received a suspended five-year jail sentence.

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An investigation was launched in November 2019 after Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks received a tip on its anti-poaching hotline. Wardens found the decapitated moose 17 miles east of Townsend. Nearby were “distinctive” tire and boot prints.

In April 2020, wardens were tipped off that Berry was in possession of moose antlers said to have been found at the same location. An authorized search of Berry’s premises turned up the antlers, which were an impressive 56 inches wide.

His boots and truck tires were found to have made the prints discovered at the scene. Berry confessed to killing the moose during interviews with wardens.

–Moose image courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Search on for Oregon deer poacher who ‘fled the scene’

Oregon officials are seeking help from the public in finding a poacher who “fled the scene” after killing a deer on private property and removing its head.

State Troopers continue to investigate the incident, which occurred Dec. 9, 2021, in Lane County.

The suspect is described as being 5-foot-1 with brown hair and beard. He was driving a late 1990s white Chevrolet flatbed pickup.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife stated in a news release issued Feb. 2 that the man shot the buck close to a private residence and alongside a driveway leading to other homes.

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The suspect “fled the scene” on foot, and later in his truck, after he was encountered by a passerby, the ODFW explained. The man left behind the deer carcass and head, which he likely removed to keep as a trophy.

Senior Trooper Josh Wolcott and a Conservation K-9 named Buck conducted a field survey and Wolcott collected evidence. Wolcott field-dressed the carcass and the meat was donated to local charities.

“The silver lining to poaching cases like this – where we are able to locate the animal while it’s still salvageable – is that the meat is put to good use,” he said.

A $500 reward is being offered to the person who can provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

Hunter bags 905-pound, problem-causing alligator; lively debate ensues

The hunter saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but plenty of critics voiced opposition as to the plight of the troublesome gator.

A renowned hunter from Mississippi was given a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to hunt a huge alligator that was suspected of eating livestock around a lake on private property in South Florida.

Doug Borries of Dynamic Outdoors TV, owner of nine world records and 36 state records for hunting and fishing, wound up bagging a 905-pound alligator and claimed it was the largest gator ever taken in Florida by a non-resident hunter, as reported by WXXV 25.

https://www.facebook.com/DynamicOutdoorsTV/posts/2268475133299757

The alligator measured 13 feet, 4 inches and was about a foot short of a state record, according to the Sun Herald. The longest gator captured in Florida was 14 feet, 3.5 inches, caught in Lake Washington in Brevard County. The record weight is 1,043 pounds for a 13-foot, 10.5-inch gator taken in Orange Lake in Alachua County.

“This guy said he’d seen the gator since he was a child,” Borries told WXXV in Mississippi. “It was time for the gator to go because some of the calves were disappearing. So, he was down deer hunting with me, and he asked me if I wanted to come and hunt the gator. I said, ‘Absolutely.’ To me it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Borries told the Sun Herald the meat was processed for eating and he was having a full, life-size mount made of the hide.

However, not everybody on the Dynamic Outdoors TV Facebook page was pleased with the story, many suggesting the troublesome alligator should have been trapped or sedated and relocated to a zoo or wildlife sanctuary.

“It is really sad to take the life of a creature that is part of our world,” one commenter wrote. “We need to leave nature alone, they are part of our ecosystem.”

Another wrote, “So sad. It sickens me.”

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Others defended the legal and ethical hunt Borries conducted.

“Some of these people clearly don’t understand hunting regulations or why they are necessary for a healthy animal population,” one wrote.

And yet another wrote, “It’s easy for other people to condemn another when it’s not their family or livelihood at stake.”

At last count, there were 372 comments about the story on the Dynamic Outdoors TV Facebook page.