Youth Deer Season is Approaching!!

Youth deer season is approaching really fast so I hope all the youth hunters are getting ready for opening day. Opening day for youth season is October 30, 2010 and November 1, 2010. You should be getting their gun sited in at 100 yards at least. The youth should be out in the timber scouting and looking to put a tree stand or a blind up. If they have some trail cameras out you might want to check them just to see what monsters are in the area.  The season is one weekend away so everyone should be getting ready. This is a really great opportunity for youth to safely get involved in the outdoors.

(http://mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping)

(Youth season in Missouri)

Grants Available for Getting Kids Outdoors

People that work with students and try to take them out in nature should be applying for grants. There is money out there to help you to take kids places to learn about the outdoors. The grants will help with field trips that relate to the outdoors just like fish, wildlife, natural habitats, and forests.  All of those fields are awesome to have some knowledge in. Also there is some grant money for organizations to help older students in the outdoors. That grant money could help older students to get knowledge and skills in the outdoors that could help get them a job someday. If you are an educator or work with kids please check out these grants and help get children outdoors.

(http://mdc.mo.gov/education/grants)

Restoration of Elk in Missouri

One thing that is exciting me is the idea of restoration of elk in Missouri. It has always been a dream of mine to go elk hunting. With the Missouri Department of Conservation trying to restore elk back in the show-me-state it will cause them to open up hunting season eventually. Being a resident of Missouri it will be cheaper to buy a tag than going out of state to hunt. I would still like to go out west one day to hunt elk and the only reason I haven’t yet is because of the cost. The Missouri Department of Conservation is planning to start releasing elk in part of Carter, Shannon, and Reynolds counties. They are down by the boot hill but if this campaign continues they could release more elk all over Missouri. I never really thought I could fulfill my dream of elk hunting right here in my home state of Missouri!

http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/conservation-commission-approves-elk-restoration-plan

Youth Archery Increasing in Schools

Schools are now starting up archery which helps kids learn about a bow and arrow. Also they are learning how to handle a weapon carefully. The kids can go to competitions against other school. A lot of states have archery in the school program and there are about 7,350 schools that are teaching it in the United States. This program has about seven million kids that are active throughout the nation. This program is not just helping the school attendance but is also helping the kids with better self-esteem as well as more physical activity.  There are grants for schools to help fund the program and help with equipment and instructor costs. I hope schools take this opportunity to teach children skills that can be used in the outdoors.

(http://mdc.mo.gov/education/inside-classroom/missouri-national-archery-schools-program)

Fishin'

The weather has been nice around this part of the area which has probably given all the fishermen one last time to get their line wet. Here is my story from my fishing trip to Canada a few years ago to inspire you to go out and try to hook a big one. When I was in Canada I caught a 35 inch northern pike. I was relaxing in the boat and looking around at the trees surrounding the lake. Then I felt something on my line and the relaxation was over. I could tell she was big because the pole was bending almost in half. I kept my drag really loose and it took me over fifteen minutes to get the fish in the boat. I was so afraid that I would mess up and lose the fish. Finally, it gave up and I got it onto the boat. I hope you can have a fishing experience as great as mine!

Here is a picture of a Northern Pike.

Turkey Hunting

All of the fall turkey hunters should be filling their tags. I have seen a bunch of turkeys in freshly harvested corn fields and a few crossing the road. Last night a saw a group of hens with their mostly grown chicks. If you are looking for a place to hunt defiantly consider trying a newly harvested corn field. They are out in the cut field picking up grain and also hunting for insects.  Sometimes you can also find turkeys eating straight out of a creep feeder. With the numbers of turkeys I have been seeing I think the turkey hunters should be finding success.

Bow Hunting

I hope all the bow hunters out there are shooting some nice deer. Up here in Northwest Missouri the weather is still warm throughout the day and part of the evening. This is causing the deer to move late at nights and in the early morning. This isn’t so good for the hunters since the deer are probably bedded down when you are hunting. There is hope though because the farmers are harvesting a lot of crops. That is pushing all the deer to the wooded areas to find protection. With the corn out the deer have a lot harder time hiding and a bigger chance of being seen by their predators including hunters. If it cools down soon the deer will start moving more to keep their body heat up and the bow hunters will have better luck.

Reason for Cowboys and Cowgirls Outfit

Most of them would wear boots with a heel to secure their feet in the stirrups. On their boots were spurs, decorated or plain, used to motivate their horse. They would wear jeans and long sleeved shirts to protect themselves from the sun and brush. They would also wear leather gloves to protect their hands during a hard day of cattle drives or fixing fence. Over their jeans they would wear chaps to help protect them from brush. Also, they would wear bandanas over their nose and mouth to keep from breathing in the dust.   Cowboys and Cowgirls would wear trench coats to help protect them from rain and winter weather. Some of those things are still worn by rodeo competitors, trail riders, and other horseback riders today. Do you think it is interesting that they do so even though they no longer do the things that those objects helped with like working cows or riding in harsh elements? Why do you think everyone still wears the traditional cowboy garb?

Disagreement on a Quote

“For the sake of animals, there’s nothing more powerful than changing your diet." - 1998 interview with Pacelle by Erik Marcus. I think that if God didn’t want humans to eat meat he wouldn’t have put animals here on earth. People use the animal to eat and use the body parts for clothing, shelter, and tools. Why should we change our diet to make those people happy? We don’t go around and tell people not to eat plants. If you think about this argument it isn’t practical. What I mean is if every person was a vegetarian we would have to refocus all of the agricultural and food production. There are not enough plants to feed the 6.8 billion people that live on the earth today.  When you consume meat it gives you protein and other essential nutrients not found naturally in plants. That is why I think eating meat is important. “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity” says Voltaire.”