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Team Fur News

Enough?

By FUR-FISH-GAME Editor, John D. Taylor

When is less than a limit enough? When you gauge an outdoor experience by
its quality, not its quantity. Photo: Greg Johnson/Unsplash

Gimpy, a name I came up with myself, was a South Mountain ruffed grouse covert, a short drive from home. Gimpy was created when a clearcut timber harvest sprouted a 15-year-old regenerating forest. It had mountainsides right and left, with a smaller mountain the middle. Two small streams gurgled on the flanks of the middle mountain and flowed down to the covert’s flat, its smallest part. Gimpy wore a cloak of dense saplings punctuated by small stands of white pines, and an understory of greenbrier, blueberry bushes, and patches of mountain laurel, a grouse cornucopia. In those creek bottoms, wild grapes festooned the tops of saplings and climbed into subsidiary oak hollows. It was a magical place, full of grouse, deer and turkeys.

Gimpy earned its name when I took the neighbor kid hunting there. He’d been injured during a high school football game, the coach demanding he stay off that leg because he was the team’s field goal kicker, and a good one. But he wanted to hunt. When I said I was going hunting, he wanted to come along. He mentioned the injury, the coach’s edict and said he’d deal with the consequences later – including his old man’s wrath. His dad, he told me, lived vicariously through his son's football successes.

So, we went. When the hunt was done, and we were climbing the steep sidehill back to the truck, I noticed he was gimping on that injured leg, hence the name. Yet Gimpy worked for anyone – me, too – ascending that blankety-blank sidehill after chasing bird dogs and grouse up and down those mountains for several hours.

Late one season, I decided to give Gimpy a final hunt. The eternal wisdom of the Pennsylvania Game Commission stretched grouse season, which previously had ended in November, into December, then to the end of January, matching the surrounding states. The biologists claimed this would do no harm to grouse numbers. But grouse gurus like West Virginia’s George Bird Evans believed winter seasons would be the ruination of Appalachian ruffed grouse. Grouse biology there was different from the Lake States grouse – slower reproduction, more mortality at different times, less habitat.

Whatever I’d seen in Gimpy over the years I hunted it – the late 1980s through the early 1990s – substantiated this. My records showed grouse numbers down all over the South Mountains. When I first hunted those coverts, I was moving between three and a half to four grouse per hour on average. (I took a couple to three birds annually from the entire region, because I was just learning how to hunt ruffed grouse, having switched from pheasants.) By the early 1990s, that number had fallen to a bird and a half per hour – if you were lucky and knew the covert. I backed way off my coverts there, drove three to four hours north, rather than pressure the birds.

However, entering Gimpy that day, the snow told the story. Two other hunters and their dogs had been there. I followed their tracks with Nash, my very first English setter, dreading what I might find.

And then I found it, grouse feathers in the snow. And 25 yards away, half-buried yellow 20 gauge shotshells. Four times I saw this. Two hunters, two limits of grouse.
I figured Gimpy held maybe 10 grouse total that year. I’d taken none earlier. And while there might be birds filtering in from other areas, especially in the spring, when a secondary dispersal of grouse seeking breeding territory would take place, no connective tissues linked nearby coverts or even suitable habitat to Gimpy. It stood alone. And those four grouse – perhaps 40% of the total birds there – represented a significant loss to the future of that covert.

Questions flooded my mind: How many other grouse would get picked off by predators? How many birds would succumb to winter? How many other hunters had been there? Since I recognized the tracks – possibly two Ruffed Grouse Society friends’ boot prints, combined with Brittany-sized dog tracks – why did they betray the unwritten grouse hunter’s code of not violating another’s coverts without permission? (I’d shared Gimpy with them two seasons earlier.) I loved that covert. It was such a unique place. What would “my” Gimpy be without grouse?

Fast forward 32 years, to a sharptailed grouse covert in South Dakota. Just as Gimpy was on state forest land, this covert was also on state-owned land. I called it Willa’s covert, because it was where Willa, my latest English setter, pointed her first sharptail.

A couple seasons earlier, before Willa, on the sharptail opener, I'd come upon a trio – dad and two teenage sons – who’d hunted the area before I arrived. They told me they hunted that spot every opening day and each of them always bagged a trio of birds, South Dakota’s daily sharptail limit. They saw this as an accomplishment, a hallmark of hunting skill. In some ways it was. Sharptails are always jumpy.

Yet that covert held only about 30 birds that year. They removed nine, reducing bird numbers by roughly a third, assuming my count was correct. It was also a drought year, and birds were slim pickings. How many times, I wondered, could that covert be hunted before the sharptails in it were all but gone?

Wildlife biologists, when establishing seasons and bag limits, are asked to set the number of critters or fish an individual hunter or angler can take – surplus production – while keeping the populations of those species sustainable. It's the crux of the very successful North American Model of Wildlife Management.

This conservation model’s seasons and bag limits have restored wildlife and fish numbers from nearly extinct after 300 years of unlimited market gunning and fishing (selling game and fish for a profit) to abundance for many species. Whitetail deer, for example, were nearly gone from many states by the turn of the 20th century. Today, more than 30 million whitetails roam the country. Pronghorns, elk, mule deer, waterfowl and several game birds and sport fish are additional examples of the model’s success.

So, bag limits serve a purpose. Yet ethical hunters and anglers should temper this with local knowledge. Had I shot another pair of grouse in Gimpy, removing six birds total, leaving just four grouse to repopulate the entire covert – not enough. Bird numbers would be reduced in the future. Extend this over several years, and it could eliminate grouse from the covert. Add stresses like climate change, more people coming into the forest, more predators, and it becomes a dog chasing its tail situation. I judged two more birds in my pouch weren’t worth destroying any South Mountain covert, so I quit grouse hunting there altogether.

Outdoors people develop by steps, the experts say. The nimrod stumbles along, eventually gaining skills and seeks to take all the legal game or fish they can. Eventually the thrill of “limiting out” may wear off, and the outdoor person develops a higher state of mind, becoming a conservationist, where the quality of the outdoor experience is most important, not the bag.

Seeking to “limit out” has always struck me as absurd. The experience is where it’s at – good dog work, completely understanding game and their habitats so you can enter that environment creating a sense of oneness with the natural world. When it comes to taking game, I prefer the physician’s credo, do no harm, coupled with Native American thinking, take only what you need. (And that’s no justification for shooting more than a limit, even if you’re feeding a hungry family.)

There are times, when game is plentiful, circumstances might warrant a limit. If Willa was pointing sharptails left and right in covert loaded with birds, I’d have no qualms shooting three (pointed) sharptails. Yet when I ask myself what I truly need, two birds – two meals, more than enough for my wife and me – is it. Better yet, this maintains the coverts I’ve come to love into the future, and that’s worth some self-control.

Maine Creates Two Do Not Eat Wildlife Consumption Advisory Areas

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife along with the state’s Center for
Disease Control and Prevention has issued a “Do Not Eat” wildlife consumption
advisory for areas in portions of Unity, Unity Township, Albion and Freedom, due to
contamination by PFAS. Photo: Chris Robert/Unsplash

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) with the state’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (MCDC), has issued a “Do Not Eat” wildlife consumption advisory for two different areas in portions of Unity, Unity Township, Albion and Freedom. MDIFW and MCDC recommend no one eat deer or wild turkeys harvested in these wildlife consumption advisory areas.
One advisory area is 5.5 square miles, the other 4.3 square miles. These advisory areas are in addition to the current advisory area in Fairfield and parts of Skowhegan.

The new advisory areas are the result of extensive wildlife sampling in eastern Kennebec and western Waldo counties to examine the impact of PFAS on wildlife. MDIFW and MCDC tested 54 deer and 55 wild turkeys in these counties for the presence of PFAS. Research showed that wildlife within a mile of the areas with high PFAS soil concentration levels resulted in animals that had levels of PFAS in their muscle tissue. This warranted the advisory, MDIFW says.

The advisory locations have been contaminated by high levels of PFAS through the spreading of municipal and/or industrial sludge containing PFAS. Deer and turkeys fed in these contaminated areas, ingested these chemicals and now have PFAS in their meat and organs.

PFAS (per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as “forever chemicals,” have been used for decades in a variety of household and consumer products, including non-stick cookware, carpet, waterproof clothing and food packaging products such as pizza boxes and microwave popcorn bags. PFAS persist in the environment – why they’re called forever chemicals – in soil, water, plants and animals. Over time, exposure to these chemicals has been known to increase the risk of some types of cancer, decrease infant and fetal growth, increase cholesterol levels and impair the immune system. New Hampshire, Michigan and Wisconsin have also issued consumption advisories concerning PFAS and deer. The New Hampshire and Wisconsin advisories are for non-consumption of the liver and do not include meat.

MDIFW plans to continue working with other state agencies on this issue and to continue to test deer and other wildlife to determine the extent of PFAS in Maine’s wildlife.

For more information on the advisory areas, visit https://www.maine.gov/ifw/hunting-trapping/hunting/laws-rules/pfas-related-consumption-advisory.html. For more information on the environmental impact of PFAS, visit https://www.maine.gov/dep/spills/topics/pfas/index.html, or call (207) 287-8000.

Bear Appetites Spike Going Into Denning Season

A bear goes after a bird feeder to sate its hyperphagia. Photo: NCWRC

Hyperphagia means a significant increase in appetite. That’s exactly happens to black bears during late summer and autumn. Bears are in “eat mode” through fall, sometimes even into winter, so they can put on extra weight – 3 pounds per day – getting ready for denning season. Hyperphagia is also behavior adapted by some bears to combat a decline in natural food availability in the colder months. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) wants the public to be aware of this seasonal increase in bear activity, especially near homes, business areas, in the woods and on roadways to prevent unwanted bear encounters. Bears seek food up to 20 hours a day during hyperphagia. Typically, most active at dawn and dusk, and their constant search for food can take them across roads and into conflicts with people more often. NCWRC encourages people to watch for bears on roadways, if you see one honk your horn repeatedly, flash your high beams and try to avoid it if you can do so safely. Don’t swerve into another lane or slam on your brakes unless you know you can do so safely. Also, bears range far seeking food. Avoid leaving bears food around your home or business. Stow grills and other outdoor cooking tools when not in use. Don’t leave pet food on porches or outdoors. Stow bird feeders until mid-winter. Clean up any garbage and make sure it is in bear-proof containers. In addition, make sure your property doesn’t become a bear den site. Seal up crawlspaces, under porches and decks. Visit Bearwise.org for more tips on bear-proofing your home. Call the (866) 318-2401 or your local district wildlife biologist for questions or to report information about a bear incident.

Boat Seized After Walleye Tournament Scandal Auctioned

This 22-foot Ranger fishing boat, valued at $100,000, was seized by ODNR after two men
tried to cheat and win $28,000 at a Lake Erie Walleye Trail fishing tournament.
Photo: Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Office

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife, seized Chase Cominsky’s 22-foot Ranger fishing boat after he and Jacob Runyan tried to cheat their way into winning a 2022 Cleveland Lake Erie Walleye Trail fishing tournament. Cominsky, 37, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, and Runyan, 44, of Ashtabula, Ohio attempted to snatch $28,000 in prize money by stuffing fish they turned in to be weighed with lead and fillets prior to the weigh-in. In May of 2023, the pair was convicted of felony cheating and misdemeanor animal ownership charges, following a plea deal where a misdemeanor charge of possessing criminal tools and a felony charge of attempted grand theft were dropped. The duo, winners of 19 previous competitions on the Walleye Trail, was also fined $2,500 each, given a three-year fishing license suspension and a year’s probation after release from jail. Cominsky’s $100,000 boat was also forfeited. The boat, its motors and trailer were sold in an online auction in July for a winning bid of more than $96,000, including taxes. Using this money, ODNR will purchase a new Lake Erie law enforcement patrol vessel. Anyone who witnesses a wildlife violation in Ohio can call 1-800-POACHER (1-800-762-2437). Reports are kept anonymous.

SCDNR Acquires 10,570 Lowcountry Acres to Protect Habitat

Among the 68 priority plant and animal species identified on the new
Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area are federally at-risk species,
like this gopher tortoise Photo: SCDNR

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), along with state, federal and private partners, has acquired more than 10,000 acres in Jasper and Hampton counties – the Buckfield and Slater properties – to protect critical plant and animal habitats and expanding public recreation opportunities in the Lowcountry. The $50 million purchase of establishes the Coosawhatchie Heritage Preserve/Wildlife Management Area, adding to a large network of such properties throughout the state. In total, the property includes 10,570 acres, with an additional 1,992 acres pending. Another 13,100 acres of adjoining and nearby land is already protected by public and private entities. Acquiring the property was a joint effort of the Open Space Institute Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, the state Conservation Bank and SCDNR’s Heritage Trust Program, along with help from state and federal funding. Coosawhatchie HP/WMA consists of upland mixed pine hardwoods, sand ridges, open fields, bottomland hardwoods and waterfowl impoundments. There are 68 priority plant and animal species identified in state’s Wildlife Action Plan on the property, including federally at-risk species like the gopher tortoise, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake and Florida pine snake. The property also protects more than 8 miles of frontage along the Coosawhatchie River, 3 miles along the Tulifiny River and 25 miles of internal creeks and streams. Coosawhatchie HP/WMA is open to the public. The property will be closed during scheduled hunts.

Minnesota DNR Wants Bird Hunter’s Diaries

Minnesota wants more detailed information from upland bird hunters. Photo: Alan Davy

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) is inviting upland bird hunters to voluntarily log details about their hunts. Nate Huck, MDNR resident game bird specialist said the agency wants to work with bird hunters to improve its understanding of what they’re seeing afield. This information will complement existing monitoring. MDNR currently monitors upland bird harvests — grouse, woodcock, pheasants, prairie chickens and Hungarian partridges — using a once-a-year small game harvest survey. While this information is useful in estimating total hunter effort and harvests, it doesn’t provide specific, localized or season-long insights. This fall, hunters can use what’s called an upland bird hunting diary, available in electronic form using web browser or app versions available on MDNR’S website (mndnr.gov/wildlife/sightings/upland-field-log.html). Hunters can also print a paper version of the diary and enter their hunts online. Participating hunters will be asked to report the date, location of the hunt (public land including wildlife management areas, Walk-In Access or private), if the hunter used a hunter walking trail, the species pursued, dog use, total hours hunted, the number of birds flushed, birds harvested, the age of their harvest for pheasants and ruffed grouse, and the sex of their harvest for ruffed grouse.

Help Maintain Healthy Wisconsin Deer Herds

This map shows where baiting and feeding bans are currently in place.
Photo: WDNR (click image for larger map)

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) reminds hunters and the public to help prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and other illnesses between deer by following all baiting and feeding bans and refraining from baiting and feeding in areas where no bans are in effect. CWD is an always-fatal disease that affects the nervous system of deer, elk, moose and caribou caused by a misshapen prion protein. The disease can spread via contact with an infected animal's saliva, urine, feces or blood. It can also spread indirectly through exposure to a contaminated environment. CWD prions are extremely resilient, and they can stay in the soil for a long time, making contamination of an affected area a challenge. Baiting is the intentional placement of any material, including food, scented materials, salts, minerals and grains, to attract wild animals for hunting purposes. Feeding is the deliberate placement of material used to feed or attract wild animals for non-hunting purposes, except as allowed for birds and small mammals. Baiting and feeding encourage deer to congregate unnaturally around a specific location, creating an environment where infected deer can quickly spread diseases like CWD through direct contact with healthy deer or through indirect contact in the environment. To mitigate these risks and slow the spread of CWD, state law directs the DNR to impose baiting and feeding bans within any county with a confirmed CWD-positive wild or captive deer, or any county within 10 miles of the location of the positive deer. Counties fall under a three-year baiting and feeding ban when a deer tests positive for CWD in the county. If the CWD-positive deer is found within 10 miles of an adjoining county, it falls under a two-year ban. Additional CWD cases found during a baiting and feeding ban, result in the ban being reset two to three more years. In counties where baiting and feeding bans are in effect, individuals may still feed birds and small mammals within 50 yards of a human dwelling and if deer access can be prevented. Visit dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/hunt/bait.

Public Asked to Report Dead, Sick Big Game

Nebraska Game and Parks are asking the public to report unexplained death or illnesses in
deer, pronghorn, elk and bighorn sheep. Photo: Mister A/Unsplash

Nebraska Game and Parks (NGP) wildlife officials say conditions in certain areas of Nebraska were suitable for the spread of deadly viral diseases among big game populations. They’re asking the public to report unexplained death or illnesses of deer, pronghorn, elk and bighorn sheep. Observations of unhealthy big game animals or unexplained deaths should be reported to the nearest NGP office. In big game, epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, often causes high fever, internal bleeding, swelling, lesions, lethargy, increased heart rate, dehydration, salivation, incoordination and loss of fear of humans. The symptoms and spread are similar to bluetongue disease, another disorder that can kill certain wildlife and affect livestock. Both are hemorrhagic diseases and indistinguishable without laboratory analysis. While the diseases do not affect humans, they can be destructive to big game populations. Both EHD and bluetongue are spread by tiny midges or gnats that bite a host and move these viruses to nearby animals. When animals congregate at water during drought –recent drought monitors show southwestern Nebraska and the western Panhandle’s range conditions in abnormally dry to severe drought – the insects have potential to spread the virus. Infected animals often seek water for relief and die in or near it. The diseases are most prevalent until the first frost. For contact information and details, visit OutdoorNebraska.gov.

Waterfowlers: Boat Safely This Fall

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is urging waterfowl hunters to boat safely this season. Wisconsin had 12 boating accident deaths as of September in 2024. That’s why it’s important for hunters to follow these safety tips:

• Wear A PFD - Wearing a life jacket is a critical safety measure. As water temperatures drop, the risk of hypothermia increases. Life jackets keep you afloat and conserve energy, allowing you to stay warm and increasing your chances of survival.
• Don’t Overload the Boat - Ensure your boat is not carrying more weight than it is designed to handle, including all passengers, gear, a hunting dog and any harvested waterfowl. Distribute weight evenly and avoid sudden movements that could destabilize the boat. A balanced boat is a stable boat.
• Check the Weather - Always check the weather forecast. Severe weather? Don’t go.
• Firearms Safety - Take extra precautions to make sure firearms are unloaded and secured so they won't go overboard.
• See and Be Seen – Make sure your boat has the proper lighting for visibility, especially during low-light conditions or when navigating in darkness or fog.
• Inform Someone - Give your hunting plan to someone on land, including expected return time and location.

Osage County Bowfisher Shoots State Record Grass Carp

Frank Reynolds, of Linn, Missouri, was bowfishing in a private pond in mid-August
when he shot this 74-pound, 2-ounce fish. Pictured with Reynolds is Osage
County Conservation Agent Katie Stonner.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) congratulated Frank Reynolds, of Linn, Missouri, for his state record grass carp. Reynolds was bowfishing in a private pond in mid-August when he shot the 74-pound, 2-ounce fish. The previous grass carp record was a 71-pound, 4-ounce carp caught from Lake Showme in 1999. “I’ve been trying to get this thing for years now,” Reynolds said. “We had four of these fish stocked in 2002, so I’ve been on the hunt for this one for a while, but it’s just been so skittish. It’s hard to get close enough without him getting away or going underwater.” Reynolds said he didn’t have a scale that went beyond 50 pounds, and he knew the carp was “way over that.” Reynolds’ grass carp is the fourth Missouri record fish recorded for 2024. Missouri record fish are recognized in two categories: pole-and-line and alternative methods. Alternative methods include trotline, throwline, limb line, bank line, jug line, gig, bow, crossbow, underwater spearfishing, snagging, snaring, grabbing or atlatl. Visit https://mdc.mo.gov/fishing/trophies-certificates/state-record-fish.

Rare Wisconsin Plant Re-discovered

George Riggin, a trained Wisconsin Rare Plant Monitoring Program volunteer, and Bridget Rathman, DNR Habitat Biologist, spotted the Maryland senna, not been seen in Wisconsin since 1911. Photo: WDNR

Earlier this year, Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) announced that a population of Maryland senna (Senna marilandica), a rare plant not seen in Wisconsin since 1911, was rediscovered in the southwestern part of the state. George Riggin, a trained volunteer for WDNR's Rare Plant Monitoring Program, and Bridget Rathman, WDNR Habitat Biologist, spotted the plant. Almost 15% of Wisconsin's 2,366 native plant species are considered rare, meaning they are listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern. WDNR's Rare Plant Monitoring Program has trained and sent volunteers to check on the health and size of rare native plant populations in nearly every county in the state since 2013. In 2023, more than 50 trained volunteers submitted 178 reports of rare plants, including 31 populations in areas of Wisconsin where they had not been documented before. Jessica Ross, DNR Rare Plant Monitoring Program Coordinator said she is continuously impressed by these volunteers, who play a significant role in helping WDNR understand the state of rare plants and how to conserve them. WDNR continues to look for additional volunteers to help find rare plants. Specific knowledge is not required. To participate, visit https://wiatri.net/inventory/rareplants/volunteer/training.cfm.

Events

Indiana State Trappers’ Association Fur Sales
Two 2025 Indiana State Trappers’ Association (ISTA) Fur Sales will take place in 2025: The first takes place on January 25, 2025, at the Old Friendship Church, in Linville, Indiana. The second will take place on February 8, in Peru, Indiana, at the Miami County Fairgrounds. You must be an ISTA member to sell. Lot numbers can be purchased prior to the sale date. Doors open at 8 a.m. Sales begin promptly at 9 a.m. local time. Note: Linville is in the Central Time Zone and Peru is in the Eastern Time Zone. Fur buyers from several states will be in attendance. The events include food, trap raffles, 50/50 contests and other activities. Come for the fun and enjoy the largest fur sales in Indiana. For more information call or text Byron Tiede at (219) 863-3803.

New Mexico Trappers’ Association Fur Sales and Rendezvous
The New Mexico Trappers’ Association (NMTA) will hold three events in 2025: A Trappers’ Fur Sale will take place on February 28 and March 1, 2025, at the Torrance County Fairgrounds in Estancia, New Mexico Contact. NMTA will also hold their rendezvous June 13 and 14, 2025, at the Mountain View Christian Camp, in Alto, New Mexico. Contact Shelly (575) 649-1684 or gypsytrapper@yahoo.com.

Idaho Trappers Association 2025 Calendar
The Idaho Trappers’ Association (ITA) will hold two fur sales in 2025. During January 17 and 18 and March 8 and 9, fur sales will take place at the Elmore County Fairgrounds, in Glenns Ferry, Idaho. ITA’s Summer Convention will take place June 13 and 14, at the Lemhi County Fairgrounds, in Salmon, Idaho. And ITA, in conjunction with the National Trappers’ Association, will hold their annual banquet September 6, at the Shoshone-Bannock Casino, in Fort Hall, Idaho. For more information on any of these events, contact Rusty Kramer, ITA President, at (208) 870-3217.

Coming in December

Features
Cold Weather Cow - Casey Freise, his daughter Elsa, and son Zach try to fill a late season Montana cow elk tag.

Chipper School - Tom Miranda experiences his first professional trapping adventure working beavers through the ice in Michigan’s frozen Upper Peninsula.

Refugee - Matt Geiger shares how he mentored a Ukrainian war refugee through his first Wisconsin whitetail hunt.

Quest for a Mountain Goat - Richy Harrod, his brother Ron and lifelong friend Riley Pratt try to fill Pratt’s once-in-a-lifetime Oregon mountain goat tag.

Flight of the Bandtail Pigeon - Keith Hartman Hartman relives the kind of December bandtail pigeon hunts he knew as a kid in modern day California.

Other Stories
• West Point Beaver Trapping - Jim Zumbo shares his experiences managing and trapping beavers at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
• Wolves of the Birchwood, Chapter 4 - The Lew and Charlie adventures continue
• Ancient Trails – Paul F. Noel reflects on his trapping experiences following the trails laid down by wildlife and himself.
• Canada Solo: Canoeing and Fishing – Frederick Prince shares what it’s like to solo canoe the Quebec wilds.
• Flintlock Whitetails – Randy D. Smith tells how to get the most out of your flintlock and shares his adventures in hunting with one.
• Camp Meat – Mike Fitzgerald looks at the pluses or minuses of acquiring protein via fishing or hunting on camping trips.
• In the Trench for Badgers - John Murray offers badger trapping tips, including a special set that has worked for him.
• Every Boy Is a Hero Until the Light Fades – Phil Goes shares a winter camping adventure in the woods with his sons and one of their friends where courage is required.