© By Othmar Vohringer
It makes me cringe each time I learn of a hunting accident, especially those that occur because of mistaken identity. Last week two “mistaken identity” accidents occurred on opening day of the spring turkey hunting season in Indiana.
In the first case 55-year old David Iron of Cicero mistook his brother, 35-year old Brian Iron of Noblesville, for a turkey. According to the investigating conservation officer, the shooter fired his shotgun at his brother. The pellets hit the victims face and chest. The accident occurred in Morgan Monroe State Forest north of Bloomington. Because of the remote area it took rescuers several hours to find the injured man and move him from the forest my hand and off-road vehicle to the waiting Life Line Helicopter that took him to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
Meanwhile, in Orange County, Jesse W. Boyle, age 26, was shot at by his father-in-law, 49-year-old Gerlad D.Walton. The men had been hunting near each other when the father-in-law was heading to meet his hunting partner. He saw movement from behind a tree and discharged his shotgun, injuring Boyle in the face, neck and on the shoulder. The victim has been transported to the University of Louisville Hospital where he is been treated.
These accidents could have been avoided if the hunters would have taken their due time to make absolutely sure that what see is indeed a turkey and not a human. I understand that at times buck fever or in this case tom fever can rattle us, but there never ever should be any reason not knowing what you’re shooting at.
Be careful out there and before you bring up your gun make absolutely sure you identified the target. As my father used to say, “You can reverse every decision you make in your life with one exception. When you decide to pull that trigger it cannot be reversed or changed. You just played God and will have to live, for good or worse, for the rest of your life with that decision.” Think about that when you’re out in the turkey woods.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The List Of The 10 Outdoor Blogger That Been Doing It Since The Beginning
© By Othmar Vohringer
Steve Remington from the OutdoorBlogger.Org has compiled a list of the top ten outdoor bloggers that have been doing it since beginning of the “bloger age”.
I am humbled to be included in that list. Sure it is not an official ranking but nonetheless it is nice and encouraging to be recognized by a fellow blogger as one "of the first hour". Back then in 2005 when I published my first blog post only a small handful of outdoor blogs doted the Internet landscape. Times have changed since then and there are now more outdoor blogs on the Internet then you can shake a stick at.
With that said my thanks go to my longtime and new readers of Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer. Without you this recognition would not have been possible. My thanks also goes to Steve Remington for remembering and recognizing the “old brigade” of the outdoor blogging world. In many ways we were the pioneers of this communication medium.
Here are the other members of this list and I encourage you to visit their blogs too.
Steve Remington from the OutdoorBlogger.Org has compiled a list of the top ten outdoor bloggers that have been doing it since beginning of the “bloger age”.
I am humbled to be included in that list. Sure it is not an official ranking but nonetheless it is nice and encouraging to be recognized by a fellow blogger as one "of the first hour". Back then in 2005 when I published my first blog post only a small handful of outdoor blogs doted the Internet landscape. Times have changed since then and there are now more outdoor blogs on the Internet then you can shake a stick at.
With that said my thanks go to my longtime and new readers of Outdoors with Othmar Vohringer. Without you this recognition would not have been possible. My thanks also goes to Steve Remington for remembering and recognizing the “old brigade” of the outdoor blogging world. In many ways we were the pioneers of this communication medium.
Here are the other members of this list and I encourage you to visit their blogs too.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
In Search Of Wild Turkey
(Originally published in the Merritt News – Othmar Vohringer The Outdoorsman)
© By Othmar Vohringer
On Monday morning at1:00 a.m. the alarm went off and an hour later I was on my way towards Kelowna to meet up with my good friend Rick. The sparkling stars in the sky promised a beautiful sunny day. “The perfect weather for turkey hunting” I thought as I drove along highway 79 in anticipation of hunting my favourite game birds.
At 4:00 a.m. I pulled into Kelowna and shortly afterwards Rick arrived too. I loaded everything into his truck and off we went toward Beaverdell. During the drive Rick kept telling me about his past turkey hunting successes in that region, which, he said, “is loaded with turkeys”. I had no reason to doubt him. Rick is an accomplished turkey hunter. We arrived at our first hunting spot right at dawn. It’s the perfect time to locate a male turkey. This is accomplished by using a raven or crow call, a few loud “caw-caw-caw” calls makes the toms gobble. In fact any sudden loud sound makes a male turkey respond with a thunderous gobble that can be heard from a far distance away. Once a tom is heard the hunter tries to get as close as possible without alerting the bird and then by using female turkey calls to “love talk” with the hopes of luring the tom to within shooting range.
© By Othmar Vohringer
On Monday morning at1:00 a.m. the alarm went off and an hour later I was on my way towards Kelowna to meet up with my good friend Rick. The sparkling stars in the sky promised a beautiful sunny day. “The perfect weather for turkey hunting” I thought as I drove along highway 79 in anticipation of hunting my favourite game birds.
At 4:00 a.m. I pulled into Kelowna and shortly afterwards Rick arrived too. I loaded everything into his truck and off we went toward Beaverdell. During the drive Rick kept telling me about his past turkey hunting successes in that region, which, he said, “is loaded with turkeys”. I had no reason to doubt him. Rick is an accomplished turkey hunter. We arrived at our first hunting spot right at dawn. It’s the perfect time to locate a male turkey. This is accomplished by using a raven or crow call, a few loud “caw-caw-caw” calls makes the toms gobble. In fact any sudden loud sound makes a male turkey respond with a thunderous gobble that can be heard from a far distance away. Once a tom is heard the hunter tries to get as close as possible without alerting the bird and then by using female turkey calls to “love talk” with the hopes of luring the tom to within shooting range.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Deer And More Deer
© By Othmar Vohringer
Yesterday was a gloriously nice day day. For the first time it felt like spring here in Merritt. My wife and I celebrated that day by taking our cameras and driving out on a Nicola Valley photography tour. In all the years we live here we've never seen that many deer out and about in the fields in the middle of the afternoon. Deer where everywhere and by the time we came back home we must have seen over 100 deer. Here are a few images from yesterday.
Yesterday was a gloriously nice day day. For the first time it felt like spring here in Merritt. My wife and I celebrated that day by taking our cameras and driving out on a Nicola Valley photography tour. In all the years we live here we've never seen that many deer out and about in the fields in the middle of the afternoon. Deer where everywhere and by the time we came back home we must have seen over 100 deer. Here are a few images from yesterday.
Friday, April 06, 2012
In Support Of grizzly Bear Hunting in British Columbia
© By Othmar Vohringer
Every year like clockwork anti hunting and animal rights groups get together to launch a “ban grizzly bear hunting” lobbying assault on the public and the political parties. These operations are based on little more then myth. Not only is British Columbia home to a healthy and thriving grizzly bear population, in some cases grizzly bears have populated near towns and cities where they pose a thread to people, pets and livestock.
Grizzly bear hunting in BC is subject to strict regulations and only possible through a limited entry hunting (LEH) system. This means that only very few grizzly bears can be hunted each year. This system has proven to be of great benefit for the bears as current population growth are evident across the province.
When anti hunting groups claim to protect wildlife and nature, in this case protecting grizzlies from hunters, it is worth mentioning that most of the money they collect from people is used to pay for the salaries of their leaders and very little if anything of that money is spent on the cause/s they proclaim. To verify where your donations actually go check this link. You will be surprised what happens to the money you thought is used for wildlife conservation.
To help bears please sign the petition in support of bear hunting. Hunting is a vital important ingredient of sound wildlife management based on science. It is this wildlife management system that has made British Columbia one of the wildlife richest regions in North America and the World.
If you’re a resident of British Columbia you may also contact your local NDP MLA and tell him/her how you feel about the NDP’s continued anti hunting stance. We’ve a provincial election coming up in 2013, and with all likelihood the NDP will be voted into power. Should that happen hunting for some species would be banned imminently. Among them are grizzly bears, black bears, mule deer and can you believe it even coyotes are on a long list of animals that according to the NDP need “urgent protection”.
Grizzly bear hunting in BC is subject to strict regulations and only possible through a limited entry hunting (LEH) system. This means that only very few grizzly bears can be hunted each year. This system has proven to be of great benefit for the bears as current population growth are evident across the province.
When anti hunting groups claim to protect wildlife and nature, in this case protecting grizzlies from hunters, it is worth mentioning that most of the money they collect from people is used to pay for the salaries of their leaders and very little if anything of that money is spent on the cause/s they proclaim. To verify where your donations actually go check this link. You will be surprised what happens to the money you thought is used for wildlife conservation.
To help bears please sign the petition in support of bear hunting. Hunting is a vital important ingredient of sound wildlife management based on science. It is this wildlife management system that has made British Columbia one of the wildlife richest regions in North America and the World.
If you’re a resident of British Columbia you may also contact your local NDP MLA and tell him/her how you feel about the NDP’s continued anti hunting stance. We’ve a provincial election coming up in 2013, and with all likelihood the NDP will be voted into power. Should that happen hunting for some species would be banned imminently. Among them are grizzly bears, black bears, mule deer and can you believe it even coyotes are on a long list of animals that according to the NDP need “urgent protection”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
