© By Othmar Vohringer
A recently published article in the National Post about an unfortunate shooting accident brought it home that we never can be to careful when handling firearms and always have to make sure we identify the target clearly before we pull the trigger.
According to the news article two men were camping near Vancouver Island’s Nitinat River when one of the man was woken up by a noise what he believed to be made by a marauding black bear trying to break into the tent.
Const. Grant Desmet of the Lake Cowichian RCMP reported that the man grabbed his shotgun and fired several rounds in the direction of the “bear”. Instead, the gun loads hit his sleeping friend in the face and arm, causing severe injuries.
The shooter drove his badly injured friend to Youbou, BC, where the injured was handed over to Ambulance paramedics. The victim was then taken to Cowichan District Hospital and from there to Victoria General Hospital where the 22-year old man is in stable condition.
Lake Chowichan RCMP says that they are investigating the accident but they do not anticipate criminal charges against the shooter. Desmet said that the men were fishing on the river and brought the gun along for protection against bears. The BC Conservation Service said they could not find any evidence of a bear near the camp.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Bowhunting Is still One Of The Most Popular Hunting Methods
© By Othmar Vohringer
According to an article, published on the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Website, bowhunting is a popular pastime for millions of Americans.
The National Sporting Goods Association reports that more than five million Americans hunted with bow and arrow in the year 2010. This was roughly the same as the number of people who went water skiing that year. With the inclusion of crossbows into the archery season in many U.S. states the number of bowhunters is likely to increase in the coming years.
According to an article, published on the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Website, bowhunting is a popular pastime for millions of Americans.
The National Sporting Goods Association reports that more than five million Americans hunted with bow and arrow in the year 2010. This was roughly the same as the number of people who went water skiing that year. With the inclusion of crossbows into the archery season in many U.S. states the number of bowhunters is likely to increase in the coming years.
Monday, September 26, 2011
BC Bear Facts
(Originally published in the Merritt News – Othmar Vohinger The Outdoorsman)
© By Othmar Vohringer
Part 1
I decided to write this column not as a hunter but as an animal behaviourist with a better-than-average knowledge of wildlife biology. In the past few months, a lot has been said and written here in Merritt and elsewhere in British Columbia about bears invading our communities and how we can prevent that. Over the years, bear/human encounters and cases of marauding bears in communities have risen sharply and so have incidents that ended in injured persons and, in several cases, with the death of a person. Despite all the efforts of organizations, like Bear Aware, the bear and human incidents are on a constant rise throughout British Columbia—even with all the information provided to the people on how to limit such encounters or attracting bears to our communities.
Are people to blame for this bear problem? If we listen to special interest groups, one could certainly think so, and in some cases, that might even be true, to a degree.
However, we’re never told the full truth as to why there are more bears scavenging in our communities. The truth and biggest factor of why these encounters happen more frequently should not be entirely blamed on people’s negligence but rather on an out-of-control growing bear population.
© By Othmar Vohringer
Part 1
Are people to blame for this bear problem? If we listen to special interest groups, one could certainly think so, and in some cases, that might even be true, to a degree.
However, we’re never told the full truth as to why there are more bears scavenging in our communities. The truth and biggest factor of why these encounters happen more frequently should not be entirely blamed on people’s negligence but rather on an out-of-control growing bear population.
Monday, September 19, 2011
It’s That Time Of Year Again
(Originally published in the Merritt News - Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)
© By Othmar Vohringer
As you read this the 2011 fall hunting season will be open for exactly eight days. This is the time many hunters have anticipated like children anticipate Christmas. The closer the hunting season opening date comes the more time we spend preparing and dreaming about the endeavors, adventures and good times we will spend in the great outdoors with friends.
This year is going to be a very special hunting season for me, probably the best of my life. My brother from Switzerland is arriving here in two weeks to stay with us for a month. I haven’t seen him in almost twenty years. As a child my brother rarely joined my father and I on hunting and fishing trips; he was always more interested in extreme sports such as car racing, freestyle mountain climbing, extreme mountain biking and things of that nature. It is with the latter that he made a living as a custom mountain bike builder and racer. Some of the videos I’ve seen of him racing down steep mountains are hair rising to say the least.
© By Othmar Vohringer
As you read this the 2011 fall hunting season will be open for exactly eight days. This is the time many hunters have anticipated like children anticipate Christmas. The closer the hunting season opening date comes the more time we spend preparing and dreaming about the endeavors, adventures and good times we will spend in the great outdoors with friends.
This year is going to be a very special hunting season for me, probably the best of my life. My brother from Switzerland is arriving here in two weeks to stay with us for a month. I haven’t seen him in almost twenty years. As a child my brother rarely joined my father and I on hunting and fishing trips; he was always more interested in extreme sports such as car racing, freestyle mountain climbing, extreme mountain biking and things of that nature. It is with the latter that he made a living as a custom mountain bike builder and racer. Some of the videos I’ve seen of him racing down steep mountains are hair rising to say the least.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting
© By Othmar Vohringer
We all dream of hunting big bucks but some of us don’t know how to hunt mossy old horns while others, hunting on public land, believe that there are no big bucks where they hunt. Well I’ve got good news for you.
Rick DeStefanis, a veteran public land big buck hunter of many years, is the author of a new book, ”The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting”
After reading the book from cover to cover there was no doubt in my mind that this IS the book many hunters have been waiting for. “The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting” is not your run of the mill book written by some celebrity hunter having the good fortune to hunt on managed land or go on guided trips to prime whitetail destinations. No, Rick hunts where ninety-five percent of all hunters hunt: on heavily pressured public land.
The wealth of knowledge Rick gathered in over fifty years of hunting pressured big bucks is represented in a book that is written in a language everyone can comprehend and without the usual hype common to other “big buck hunting books”.
The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting contains 4 chapters, six key principles and over forty tips on hunting big bucks. It starts with the most important information every aspiring big buck hunter needs to know: “How a trophy whitetail hunter thinks”. If you want to hunt big bucks the road to success starts with you, not with what camouflage you wear, what scent you use or what rifle caliber you shoot. Trophy whitetail hunting is about a change in hunting philosophy and Rick does a great job of explaining what it takes to acquire the mindset of a trophy hunter.
What follows are pages upon pages loaded with solid and practical field proven tips and tactics about scouting, stand placement, how to read deer sign and much more. The book closes with a chapter on equipment tips, advice for new and experienced hunters and another chapter on the future of hunting.
As a veteran deer hunter myself I highly recommend this great book, not only for the aspiring trophy deer hunter, but also for every hunter regardless of his or her skill level.
For more information about the author and the book visit whitetailbuckhunter.com
Photo Credits:
Top left: © Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
All other photos are © of Rick DeStefanis
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This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
Rick DeStefanis, a veteran public land big buck hunter of many years, is the author of a new book, ”The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting”
After reading the book from cover to cover there was no doubt in my mind that this IS the book many hunters have been waiting for. “The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting” is not your run of the mill book written by some celebrity hunter having the good fortune to hunt on managed land or go on guided trips to prime whitetail destinations. No, Rick hunts where ninety-five percent of all hunters hunt: on heavily pressured public land.
The Philosophy of Big Buck Hunting contains 4 chapters, six key principles and over forty tips on hunting big bucks. It starts with the most important information every aspiring big buck hunter needs to know: “How a trophy whitetail hunter thinks”. If you want to hunt big bucks the road to success starts with you, not with what camouflage you wear, what scent you use or what rifle caliber you shoot. Trophy whitetail hunting is about a change in hunting philosophy and Rick does a great job of explaining what it takes to acquire the mindset of a trophy hunter.
As a veteran deer hunter myself I highly recommend this great book, not only for the aspiring trophy deer hunter, but also for every hunter regardless of his or her skill level.
For more information about the author and the book visit whitetailbuckhunter.com
Photo Credits:
Top left: © Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
All other photos are © of Rick DeStefanis
###
This blog post has been brought to you by Othmar Vohringer Outdoors
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