Hunt Smart Think Safety

I’ve written a lot about treestand safety and about deer hunting safety on this blog. As anyone who hunts knows, each kind of hunting has special safety challenges and safety requirements. I tend to write about treestand safety and deer hunting safety because our product is designed to be used during that sort of hunting. Despite the fact that deer hunting is our main focus, I know that many friends of this blog hunt other sorts of game. I know several readers hunt waterfowl. Given that fact, I thought today would be a good time to focus on how to stay safe when hunting for ducks, geese or other waterfowl.

One potential danger that those who hunt waterfowl need to keep in mind is hypothermia. If you fall in the water and get soaked, your best bet is probably to go home. You should also always make sure that you dress for the temperatures and the weather. The following tips can help you avoid becoming overchilled and at risk for hypothermia.

• Wear wool clothing, or clothing that will stay warm even when wet. Bring a spare set of clothes in a waterproof carrier.


• Make sure all your gear that is meant to be waterproof is waterproof. Test it before you leave on the hunt. The time to find out that something isn’t working as advertised is not when you’re in your hunting blind.


• Keep your head covered. Everyone has probably heard this before, but a lot of heat escapes through your head.


• Bring snacks that are high energy and have high sugar content. The calories will help keep you warm.<.li>
  

Many waterfowl hunters also hunt from a boat. Hunting from a boat or taking a boat to your hunting spot requires that you know the basic elements of boating safety. The number one rule is to always wear a life jacket, even if you know how to swim. If you were to fall from the boat and somehow become incapacitated, a personal floatation device could save your life. Wearing a life jacket and following the tips outlined below should help keep you safe.

• Never stand in an unsecured boat to shoot. Only shoot from stable platforms.


• Always know the location of every person and every dog with which you are hunting. If you are not sure where everyone else is, don’t shoot.


• Unload your gun when switching positions in your boat or blind.


• Store your gun in a floating gun case. If your boat tips, a floating case could help save your gun.

I also found a series of videos about duck hunting, one of which deals with safety. I think the videos are interesting enough to share. You can find the videos at Expert Village.

On a final note, Othmar wrote a great post about his first duck hunt in 19 years. I hope you take a minute to go read it. He wrote a terrific post.

Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, waterfowl hunting, duck hunting safety tips]

I did not grow up with hunters in my house. I remember exactly one deer being taken during my childhood, and that was one my father hit with his car. The fact that the accident totaled the car made more impression than the deer did. I wasn’t really exposed to hunting until my Mom married her second husband. Dad is a dyed in the wool hunter and fisherman and actually had the trophy mounts to prove it. A lot of what I’ve learned about hunting and hunters I learned from Dad, but that education didn’t start until I was 19 years old.

When I was a kid, fishing was the outdoor sport of choice. I remember fishing with my grandparents and, to a lesser extent, with my parents. I don’t know exactly how old I was the first time I went fishing, but I’m certain I wasn’t very old. Fishing was part of every camping trip and every summer vacation. Mostly it was fishing from the shore, or from a rowboat, and we never caught any record breaking fish. The point wasn’t to catch a record breaker. The point was simply to enjoy the outdoors and hopefully catch enough fish to make a nice fish fry.

They say that the things you learn in childhood stick with you and, in the case of fishing, that’s true for me. I don’t fish as often as I like, mostly because of my other commitments and a bit of laziness on my part, but I still love to fish and enjoy every opportunity I get. I certainly won’t claim to be the best angler in the world, and I still don’t like putting worms on the hook or taking fish off, but I always enjoy any time I spend with a fishing pole in my hand.

A lot of people are spending a great deal of time lamenting the fact that kids today don’t get out and enjoy the outdoors like they used to do. There are programs in place, like “No Child Left Indoors” that are designed to get kids outside. While I applaud anything that aims to bring more hunters and anglers into our ranks, I have to wonder if elaborate programs are needed. All that’s really required is that someone in the child’s life, a grandparent, a parent, a relative or a friend, take some time and introduce the child to hunting or fishing. It’s really that simple.

Now, I’m not saying that introducing a kid to hunting or fishing won’t require some sacrifice. As I remember from my own childhood, whoever fished with me didn’t get to do a lot of fishing. They were occupied with reminding me to watch the bobber, putting worms on my hook, taking fish off my hook, making sure I didn’t fall in the water when I got excited about hooking a fish and, occasionally, holding my rod because I was “tired”. Kids also have notoriously short attention spans. You could go through all the trouble of setting up at your favorite hunting or fishing spot only to have the child you’re with want to go home in half an hour. Still, despite the patience and time needed, I think introducing a kid to hunting and/or fishing is worth it.

After all, I’m just a few months shy of 40 and I still remember the fishing trips that I took when I was a kid. I still carry the love of fishing with me. There’s a good chance any kid that you take hunting or fishing will carry that love into their adulthood as well.

Technorati Tags [No Child Left Inside, taking kids hunting, taking kids fishing]

Welcome to the World, Abigail
Well, the biggest news from the past week is the birth of Arthur’s daughter Abigail. After months of waiting, we have a new future huntress in our midst. She’s a cutie too. Congratulations Arthur and Jen and welcome to the world little Abby. We’re glad to finally meet you.

Holly Crunches More Numbers
I always love it when Holly at NorCal Cazadora puts on her number crunching hat and analyzes some data for us. This week she’s taking a look at hunters, religion and politics. She’s come to some interesting conclusions. Stop by and check them out.

I Want a Monty
Mungo at Mungo Says Bah is continuing his tales of his solo canoe and camping trip. His latest post is all about Monty, his beagle. I want a Monty. He’s just too cute.

Sometimes You Shoot, Sometimes You Don’t Shoot
Phillip at The Hog Blog has tales of his hunting trip this past weekend. He writes about the bear he didn’t shoot and how and why he made that decision. This piece should be a must read for those who claim that hunters are heartless killers.

Just One Meal with Hank
Hunter,Angler, Gardner, Cook has rapidly become one of my favorite blogs. Just look at his latest post and what he did with a spiny lobster. The food looks fabulous. One of my new goals in life is to have a meal with Holly and Hank.

Not the Start of a Bad Joke
So this librarian walks into a bar and dispenses some enlightenment. I found The Breda Fallacy by way of The Munchkin Wrangler. After all, there can’t be enough smart women writing about guns and safety, can there?

Some Old Friends Get New Looks
I just wanted to point out that some familiar sites are looking a bit different lately. Mike Hanback’s Big Deer Blog has become the Big Deer Website complete with a blog and a forum. Our friend Tom Sorenson has also given his Base Camp Legends site a new looks as well. Both sites look awesome. Stop by and check them out.

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]

Since hunting season has started in most places, I just wanted to remind everyone about the GunTriever and how it can help you be safe this hunting season. If you hunt from a tree stand, the GunTriever can help keep you and your gun safe from harm. The GunTriever protects your gun should it slip or fall from the stand. The product helps protect you and those around you as well. Accidental discharges from guns that are dropped or fall injure or kill hunters every year. The GunTriever can help you avoid those kinds of accidents when you hunt from a tree stand.

I also wanted to remind everyone about the Instructor Discount that is available on the GunTriever during this hunting season. It was originally intended for IHEA certified hunting instructors, but I’m feeling generous today, so I’m going to share the information with all the loyal readers of this blog. To receive the discount, simply enter the coupon code IHEA 01 when you checkout. This will take 20% off the price of any GunTrievers you order.

I also wanted to remind everyone that GSI Logowear is available. We are also working on plans right now to expand GSI Logowear into a business that makes custom logowear for hunting, conservation and fishing organizations. If you know of an organization that typically offers caps, shirts, sweatshirts or other logowear, please let me know about them. While we’re still setting up ordering on the website, we could certainly quote and complete orders now.

I also wanted to restate GSI’s commitment to supporting conservation and hunting and fishing organizations with the profits from GSI Logowear sales. We have pledged to donate a portion of our profits from logowear sales to organizations that support conservation and/or hunting and fishing. If you’re looking for a way to get logwear for your organization and to help support organizations like yours, please consider working with GSI Logowear. If you have any questions about our programs, please feel free to contact me.

Technorati Tags [The GunTriever, Gun Safety Innovations, GSI Logowear]

I don’t own a weapon. In fact, other than holding a few of my Dad’s guns over the years, I’ve never even held a real gun, let alone shot one. Although I’m conversant with the rules of gun safety and proper gun etiquette, I’ve never had the chance to put that information into practice in a real world situation. I’m aware that hunting equipment, guns and/or bows, can have the ability to harm others if used improperly. I also know that this fact is why people are trained to use guns and bows. No one or at least no one that I’ve ever heard about that hunts is ever given a gun or bow and just turned loose to do what they will.

Despite this fact, there is a still a large segment of the population that seems to have a blind spot in their heads. Somehow, at some point, a gun or a bow came to equal danger. Instead of applying common sense to the situation and determining the context in which the weapon was being introduced, people just automatically assumed that a gun or bow, in any form, spelled danger and the person in possession of the gun or bow was dangerous too.

This sort of thinking leads to incidents like this one at Milaca High School. A senior with an exemplary school record was suspended for 10 days because he had a cased bow in the back of his car. When he remembered the bow, during first period, he reported it to his teacher, as students are required to do. The school still suspended him and even talked of expulsion.

Let’s examine this young man’s crime. He had a cased bow in the back of his car. He didn’t bring the bow into school and shoot it at anyone. He didn’t even intend to bring the bow to school at all. The young man simply had his hunting gear in the back of his car and had forgotten it was there. When he remembered, he reported it, as the school required him to do. For following the rules, the school rewarded him with a 10 day suspension.

There are many things I don’t understand about why this incident happened, but the main one is this, where’s the danger? The student was a well known, well liked kid with an exemplary record. The bow was cased in the back of the car. When the young man remembered the bow, he immediately notified his teacher that he had it, as was required by school regulations. There was clearly no intent to cause harm or to hide anything. Yet, despite this fact, the school still felt that simply having a bow in his possession made this student a danger.

A lot of people seem to think that making it illegal to even have a gun or a bow in your possession will stop people from using guns and bows to do harm. What they don’t seem to understand is that having a weapon doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll use it to harm others. In my opinion, we need to stop demonizing the weapons.

I think, instead, we should be demonizing the people who use those weapons to do harm.

Technorati Tags [Milaca High School, weapons policy in high schools, attitudes about guns]

I read the Moose dropping blog earlier this week and immediately knew what my Safety Friday post would cover. According to Moose there have been four falls from treestands in North Carolina already this season. Two of them were fatal.

I could go over all the reasons why wearing a safety harness is smart and why you’re abysmally stupid if you don’t wear one, but I’m guessing that I’d be preaching to the choir for the most part. I’m also guessing that people who don’t want to wear a harness won’t be swayed by my saying they should wear one. I wish it were that easy to make people be safe but, sadly, it isn’t.

Since I don’t plan to do a plea for people to wear safety harnesses (if you want to read my thoughts on that subject, search this blog, they’re in here somewhere), I thought I would simply provide some evidence that safety harnesses do work and do help prevent injury. One piece of evidence I found was this video from Bowsite.com. They tested two of the top brands of safety harnesses and gave their reviews. The videos are interesting because they clearly show how a safety harness can help protect you. I’d say they’re pretty convincing.

If you need statistics to be convinced, I can provide those too. TMA research done in cooperation with the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that 82 percent of all hunters injured in tree stand falls were not wearing a safety harness. A 1993 study conducted by Deer and Deer Hunting Magazine found that more than a third of those who hunt from treestands will fall sometime during their hunting career. Those odds aren’t all that great.

Finally, I’ll make a plea for common sense. Those who hunt have family and friends that depend on them and love them. Maybe luck will be with you and you’ll make it through every hunt without a problem. It really doesn’t make sense to take that chance though. A safety harness provides a relatively simple way to protect yourself from severe injury or from a life ending accident. If you don’t do it for yourself, wear a safety harness for those who love you. Being safe will only take you a minute and it could mean a lifetime to those you love.

Now for something completely different.

I saw this test on another blog and it seemed like fun, so I took it. I thought all my female friends would enjoy it. Apparently there’s a test for Classic Leading men too.

Your result for The Classic Dames Test...

Katharine Hepburn

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women.

Take the Classic Dames Test.

Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, treestand safety, treestand safety harness]

I’ve written about this subject before, but given that hunting season has started or is about to start in most places, I thought it was time to mention it again. Actually, it was a post by Darrell that brought the subject to the top of my mind. He’s currently training to get fit for his hunt. I’m hoping the rest of you are training too.

For a lot of people the image of a hunter is someone with a beer gut who only walks a few steps from his truck before he takes a shot. In reality, hunting can be a very strenuous activity. Many hunters hike to the area where they hunt. Climbing into a tree stand requires balance and agility. Taking a shot floods the body with adrenalin. If you are lucky enough to make a kill, field dressing and packing out the meat can demand a lot from your body. If your body isn’t ready for the demands that hunting can make on it, the results may not be good.

Being physically fit can have a lot of benefits for hunters. One benefit could simply be the ability to take an accurate shot. If you have a long hike to where you’re hunting and you’re huffing and puffing and shaking with exertion, you won’t be able to steady your gun or bow to achieve the kind of accuracy you need.

Another benefit would be the ability to make the long hikes that might be necessary for reaching prime hunting spots. Animals that are in less accessible locations might be less wary of humans. If you are in good physical shape, and your lungs, heart and muscles are strong, you can easily make the hike, and carry all the supplies you need with you. If you’re not in shape, you’ll be less likely to be able to hunt when you arrive at your destination. Collapsing in a panting heap at the campsite isn’t going to help you bring home that trophy animal.

Hunters should always have a physical and be aware of any health concerns that may cause issues while hunting. Always carry a cell phone or some method of communicating with others. Let someone know where you will be and what time you expect to be back. If you do have health issues or are on medication, make sure you have a complete explanation of your health problems and any medications you are taking in an easily accessible place on your person. That way someone who is trying to help you will be able to find that information and act on it even if you are unconscious.

Ultimately hunting is much safer and a great deal more fun when you’re physically fit enough to handle the demands hunting can make on your body. The stereotypical huffing and puffing overweight hunter isn’t the reality for most of us. This hunting season, let’s see if we can banish that image once and for all.


Technorati Tags [physical fitness for hunters, physical demands of hunting, hunters and health]

The Thinking Hunter
A new blog makes its debut on Community Wednesday courtesy of NorCal Cazadora. Holly first pointed him out, but once I started reading I knew this was something I had to share. If for no other reason than the last sentence in this post you should go read this blog.

Bugler Gets an Elk
I know how all my hunting buddies like pictures of the successful hunts this time of year. Bugler, who writes Colorado Hunting 2 Fishing has a good story about his successful elk hunt up on his blog. There’s also a slide show. Looks like a nice elk.

Flyfishing Fool Spotlights a Great Organization
I love hearing about the great things that hunters and anglers do to help others. Zach at Flyfishing Fool wrote about the day he spent working with the Casting for Recovery organization. This group works with women who have breast cancer. It sounds like the organization does a lot of good and like Zach had a great time working with them.

Yet Another Reason to be a Mentor
Deerslayer has written a lovely tribute to the man who mentored him when he was first starting to hunt. As he says, even though his mentor has long since passed away, his spirit lives on in the people he taught to hunt.

Do You Have an Opinion on Crossbows?
Kris at Jake’s Outdoors is looking for opinions about hunting with crossbows. He’s writing an article on the subject. If you have an opinion about crossbows and how they should be legally used, go over and leave a comment.

Mungo’s Solo Excursion
Mungo from Mungo Says Bah just returned from a week long solo camping and canoeing trip. He’s put up some fabulous pictures from his trip. It sounds like he had a good time. By the way, how cute is Monty the Beagle? You just want to pick him up and squeeze him.

Marc Gets Another One (or Two)
Marc is rocking and rolling in the woods this hunting season. His latest kill was an 8 point buck. I’m not sure what the entire total is yet, but he’s taken quite a few deer.

One for the “Aww” Category
Hey, I’m a girl, so cute baby animals always make me a little sappy. Desert Rat has some adorable pictures of a baby moose. He has also spotlighted some absolutely amazing art. The baby moose will make you go “aww” and the art will simply make you gasp. Go check it out.

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]

Every once in a while I see an example of a marketing campaign that just makes me stop and say “Huh?” I’ve seen a few examples of those sorts of campaigns in the last few weeks and I’m interested to hear what you all think of them. Since I’m not a hunter myself, I’m wondering if people who actually hunt will perceive the campaigns differently than I do.

First up, we have the SarahCuda bow, first brought to our attention by NorCal Cazadora. It features a pink camouflage pattern and is offered as a tribute to Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. This doesn’t appeal to me personally, but I’m wondering if it would appeal to female bowhunters. Would you buy a bow because it was associated, however loosely, with Sarah Palin? Would the quality and utility of the bow matter a lot more than whether it had a fancy name? It will be interesting to see how many of these bows are sold.

Next we have Miller’s camouflage beer cans, which will be released October 1. Supposedly the cans spotlight Miller’s support for the outdoors and outdoor activities. Last year, Miller released limited edition blaze orange beer cans, which were quite a success. From a Marketing standpoint, I think Miller could achieve more by giving some of the proceeds from the sale of those cans to conservation organizations or organizations which support hunting and fishing. I didn’t see any mention of that in the reports I’ve seen. Simply making a camo can doesn’t really do a whole lot. If you want to support the outdoor sporting world, put your money where your beer can is. Still, I’m not the one who will be buying those cans. Those of you who are hunters or anglers, are you more likely to buy Miller if the beer is in a camouflage can?

Finally, the state of West Virginia has launched an advertising campaign designed to lure hunters from neighboring states to West Virginia. The ads tout West Virgina’s liberal bag limits, and abundant wildlife and public land. The state is attempting to replace funds lost due to the reduction in West Virginians who hunt. Personally, I don’t think the ads are anything to write home about, but I’m looking at them from a Marketing standpoint. If you’re a hunter would this ad influence you to travel to West Virginia to hunt?

Technorati Tags [outdoor marketing, outdoor marketing strategies, marketing to hunters]

I don’t often try to write humor because, unlike some others, I don’t do it very well. Although I’m told I’m funny, and even witty, in person, I don’t seem to have a knack for writing funny.

Even though I don’t seem to have a knack for writing humor, I have had my share of humorous outdoor escapades over the years. I referenced one of my best Kristine in the woods stories in the first post I ever wrote for this blog, but I’m saving the full tale of that experience for a guest post I’ll be doing for The Hunter’s Wife in a few weeks. Still, even leaving that tale aside, I have some fun little stories about my mishaps and misadventures in the woods and on the water that I thought I’d share with you today.

One thing you need to know about me is that I’m legendary among my family and friends for my poor sense of direction and my ability to get distracted. Words like North or South mean absolutely nothing to me. I navigate by landmarks. Tell me to turn at the corner with the old red barn on it, and I’m fine. Tell me to go west for three miles and then make a left, and I’m fairly likely to get lost.

This poor sense of direction has led to some problems over the years. There was the time my sister and I went driving on the trails on my parent’s property in my brand new Dad’s brand new Blazer. Dad and Mom had only been married for a while at the time and the whole family was still getting used to being a family. My sister and I wanted to go explore the property, with me navigating, and we were having a lot of fun until the dirt road we were driving on became a track and then a trail and then a path. We could hear the branches squeaking along the sides of the Blazer as we backtracked and tried to get back to a real road. Needless to say, we spent the next day washing and waxing Dad’s Blazer. I’m guessing that was one day he spent rethinking his decision to take on a couple of daughters as well as a wife.

My fear of snakes is also pretty legendary. I don’t like snakes and never have and don’t ever want to see one anywhere near me. The only real encounter I’ve ever had with a snake occurred when I was a kid. I still remember it vividly. I was walking home from a friends and one of the neighbor boys had released a pretty good sized garter snake. I almost stepped on it. I swear I levitated off the sidewalk and made it the rest of the way home without my feet touching the ground. My mother said I was also yelling at the top of my lungs and she thought someone had tried to kill me. I refused to go outside for the rest of the day, and wasn’t really even comfortable walking on the floors inside the house. I knew that snake was waiting for me.

I also hold the record among the family for catching the most bits of seaweed, branches and miscellaneous sticks when we fish. If there is a brush pile or something I can get hooked in, I always find it. Fortunately, I have very patient fishing partners, who always help me get untangled. I’m quite lucky.

I’ve made my peace with the fact that I probably will never be the consummate outdoor person, but I do give myself credit for trying. My adventures may not always turn out as well as I’d like them too, but at least I’m out there giving it a shot.

That’s got to count for something.

Technorati Tags [outdoor adventures, outdoor stories, hunting and fishing stories]

Anyone who’s read this blog probably knows that I’m not a big fan of snakes. In fact, it’s pretty safe to say I’m mortally afraid of snakes. I don’t even like looking at pictures of them. I recently saw a small garter snake near the stairs to the upper parking lot at my office, and now I have to stop and scan the area near the stairs quite thoroughly before I can go up them. I don’t want a snake anywhere near me.

Still, even though I have a personal aversion to snakes, I know that a lot of them (the non-poisonous ones) do a lot of good for the environment. They eat bugs and other small pests. They are a vital part of the ecosystem. Most snakes are also non-poisonous and can’t do humans any harm. Given that, with most snakes, the best policy might be live and let live. The problem is recognizing which snakes are dangerous and which are not. Here are some tips to help you do that.

Look at the snake’s head - Poisonous snakes tend to have triangular heads that are broad. Non poisonous snakes will have narrower, rounded heads.

Do some research - Spend some time looking at pictures of venomous snakes that might live in your area. Learn to recognize their coloring and markings. This will not only help you avoid that particular type of snake, it will help you identify which snakes are harmless and should be left alone and which should be eliminated.

Most snakes are nocturnal - Many breeds of snake are nocturnal and will hide during the day. Snakes also tend to be wary of humans. Generally, if you give a snake an opportunity to get away from you, it will.

Snakes like specific hiding places - Snakes tend to like to hide in woodpiles, under large stones, or near piles of yard debris or stacks of lumber. Eliminating such hiding places near your home or near your treestand or ground blind may help keep the snakes away.

Snake bites are fairly rare - Statistically, you are more likely to be hit by lightening than you are to be bitten by a snake.

Check the snake’s pupils - If the snake has rounded pupils it is most likely not venomous.

There are more non-poisonous snakes, than there are poisonous ones - Of the 116 species of snake found in the United States, only 19 are venomous.

Snakes hibernate - Snakes hibernate during the cool winter months. If you live in a place that has a colder winter that may be your best time to enjoy the woods if you’re scared of snakes.

Identify snakes from a safe distance - Snakes can strike from a 1/3 to a ½ of their body length. Make sure you keep a safe distance from any snake you see.


Technorati Tags [Safety Friday, snakes, identifying snakes]

As many of you already know, this Saturday is National Hunting and Fishing Day. I have to confess, other than knowing this Saturday was the day, I didn’t know much about this initiative. I assumed it was one of those “days” like National One Hit Wonder Day or Peanut Butter Lover’s Day. As it turns out, National Hunting and Fishing Day is actually a national holiday, first declared so by President Nixon in 1972.

The first of what would eventually become National Hunting and Fishing Day happened in 1970 in Pennsylvania. It was then called Outdoor Sportsman’s Day. In 1971 a resolution was introduced in both the Senate and the House that proposed making the fourth Saturday in September National Hunting and Fishing Day. Both measures were passed in early 1972, and later that year, President Nixon signed a proclamation and National Hunting and Fishing Day was born.

We talk a lot about grassroots efforts and how one person can make a difference on this blog and on the OBS blog. When you look at National Hunting and Fishing Day it becomes apparent that small initiatives can grow into something much larger. The idea for what would become National Hunting and Fishing Day came from a gun shop owner in Pennsylvania named Ira Joffee. He liked his idea enough to get it presented to the governor of the state, who liked the idea enough to adopt it. There was no powerful lobby and no big fanfare. It was just one guy who thought he had a good idea and believed in it enough that he was able to get his idea in front of the people in power.

Since the beginning in 1972, National Hunting and Fishing Day has grown. Many towns and states will have celebrations this weekend. Hunting organizations use the day to encourage new hunters and anglers to learn more about hunting and fishing. Many sporting goods stores and gun shops have events as well. In a time when a lot of the news and opinion that we see and hear about hunting and fishing is negative, National Hunting and Fishing Day gives us at least one day a year where hunting and fishing are celebrated. That’s a good thing.

If you’re thinking about how you can help support hunting and fishing, remember National Hunting and Fishing Day. It is a lesson to all of us that change can start small, and that sometimes all it takes is belief in yourself and your ideas to start something big. Every positive action leaves a ripple, and the more positive actions you take, whether it is taking someone hunting who’s never been before or spending an extra minute at the grocery store telling someone why gun rights matter, the bigger the ripples you leave will be.

I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty cool.

Technorati Tags [National Hunting and Fishing Day, hunting and fishing, national holidays]

It’s Good to Have a Mentor
We had a couple of good posts on mentoring this week. Marian wrote about Rex from the Deer Camp Blog, who is her blogging mentor. She credits him with getting her started on hunting. Matt from Bright Idea Outdoors also wrote about his hunting mentor, his Uncle Tom. Both stories illustrate what an effect mentoring someone can have on their life. If you have an opportunity to mentor someone, please take it.

Home Improvement Contest
Just wanted to point you all to a contest Future Steel is holding. It’s called the Winterize Your Home Contest. To enter, just send in your tips on how you winterize your home. The prize for the winner is a DeWalt Heavy Duty Angle Grinder.

Parental Advice Needed
Arthur, who is expecting his first child soon, is struggling a bit with how to handle hunting and a new baby. He has some questions for parents who have already handled this issue. Please stop by his blog and give him some advice.

Beautiful Boxes a Great Hunting Gift
Terry at Women’s Hunting Journal has written a post about the beautiful Quail Flats Gunning Boxes she makes. These are handcrafted works of art and absolutely gorgeous. If you’re looking for a unique gift for the hunter in your life or a treat for yourself, go check these boxes out.

A Great Hunting Season So Far
Marc at NY Bowhunter is having an excellent hunting season so far. He got his second doe last Saturday. What I really like about this story is the fact that he donated the doe to a local food bank. I hope more hunters keep that option in mind this season.

Why I Hunt – Kris at Jake’s Outdoors
Kris at Jake’s Outdoors has written a great post about why he hunts. I especially like that he hunts to enjoy time with friends and family, and that he doesn’t shy away from the fact that part of the reason he hunts is to make a kill and provide meat for his family.

Lost. No, not the TV Show
Travis at Addicted to Hunting tells the story of the time he got lost on a hunt. He also includes some good tips to help those who are lost make it back to safety. His biggest tip? Don’t panic.

He’s Braver Than I Am
Clint from Bonneville Mariner has done some really cool things in pursuit of a story. His latest adventure is one that would leave me wailing in terror. He seemed to handle it o.k. though. You can read all about Clint’s latest adventure on his blog.

Technorati Tags [Community Wednesday, outdoor blogs, outdoor blog posts]

I don’t often do memes on this blog, but every once in a while I’m offered a chance to do a fun one. This time Blessed at A Blessed, Crazy Life gifted this blog with the “I Love Your Blog Award”. According to the rules I’m meant to answer some questions, which I’ll do below, and pass the award along to some other people. I’m not sure about passing the award along, I think a lot of the blogs I would pick have already been mentioned.

Also, much as I would like to, I won’t be including a graphic of the actual award. For some reason, this blog doesn’t like having pictures added to it recently. I’m still working to figure out why that is.

Anyway, on to the questions.

1. Where is your cell phone? On the counter at home
2. Where is your significant other? Haven’t met him yet
3. Your hair color? Strawberry Blonde
4. Your mother? Passed away....
5. Your father? Probably fishing
6. Your favorite thing? Dark chocolate
7. Your dream last night? Don’t remember
8. Your dream/goal? To be fitter, richer and loved
9. The room you’re in? office at work
10. Your hobby? Reading and writing
11. Your fear? Snakes
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Thinner, wealthier, and happy
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you’re not? Negative
15. One of your wish-list items? A comfortable office chair
16. Where you grew up? Michigan
17. The last thing you did? Talked about a shipment with our COO
18. What are you wearing? Office clothes
19. Your TV? Annoying
20. Your pet? None at present
21. Your computer? Dell
22. Your mood? Fairly happy
23. Missing someone? My Mom
24. Your car? Saturn
25. Something you’re not wearing? Nail polish
26. Favorite store? Borders or any bookstore
27. Your summer? Hot and humid
28. Love someone? My friends
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Last week

I think the award has probably spread to most of the blogosphere by now, so I’m going to decline to pass it on. If you have a blog that I read, you can safely assume that I love your blog.

Technorati Tags [blog awards, blog memes, Hunt Smart Think Safety Blog]

Yesterday, as I was driving home from running some errands, I saw a lovely sight. A beautiful doe was poised by the side of the road pondering whether or not she should cross. Luckily I saw her soon enough that I had plenty of time to stop. The doe and I looked at each other for a bit, then I beeped my horn and she turned tail and ran back into the field. It was a nice encounter.

Unfortunately, I also saw a less than lovely sight while driving home. A deer, obviously hit by a car, lay on the side of the road. I’m not sure when it was hit, but there were no cars nearby. Sadly, dead deer on the side of the road are a pretty common sight this time of year. All of the locals know to drive carefully and be alert but that doesn’t always help stop a car deer collision.

If you live in an area where the deer and the antelope play, you should know how to drive defensively and how to avoid hitting a deer with your car. Here are some tips to help you drive safely.

Tip #1 - The most dangerous hours are from dusk to midnight and during the hours shortly before and after sunrise. You should be at your most alert at those times.

Tip #2 - If you see one deer there are most likely more nearby. Never assume that the deer that you spot are the only ones in the area.

Tip #3 - Use your high beams at night when there is no oncoming traffic. The high beams will reflect light from a deer’s eyes and help you spot them in the darkness.

Tip #4 - Always wear your seatbelt. If you do hit a deer, even if you are driving relatively slowly, there will be an impact. Wearing your seatbelt can help protect you from injury.

Tip #5 - If you see a deer, blow your horn and slow down. The noise of a horn will often frighten deer away from the road and out of the path of your car.

Tip #6 - Don’t swerve to try and avoid a deer. Swerving suddenly could confuse the deer and most likely won’t help you avoid it. A sudden swerve could also cause you to collide with another car or to lose control of your car and hit a tree.

Tip #7 - Don’t rely on gadgets. Deer whistles and other such gadgets have not been conclusively proven to deter deer. The best way to avoid a collision with a deer is to drive alertly and defensively.

Tips #8 - Drive at a safe speed. Take into account weather conditions and visibility when deciding how fast to drive. If a deer should cross the road in front of you, your speed will determine how much time you have to react and stop.

If you do hit a deer, do not approach the animal. A wounded deer can be dangerous and could hurt you or do more injury to itself. Pull over and put your hazard lights on. Call the police and let them know you’ve hit a deer.

Technorati Tags [outdoor safety tips, car-deer collisions, safe driving tips]