and a strong cup of coffee

Sunday night on 60 Minutes, Lara Logan did a story on big game hunting in Texas. The tag line for the article was "Can hunting endangered animals save the species?" and it interviewed Charly Seale who " is a fourth generation rancher and the executive director of the Exotic Wildlife Association based here in the heart of the Texas hill country. It's his job to represent the interests of some 5,000 exotic ranchers across North America ." As I watched this show, I was torn. I love the idea of working to raise awareness of the threat of extinction for these animals. I love the idea of being able to give the species an opportunity to thrive in a much different location than African and I love that through conservation, we can try to bring their population numbers back. But I really don't see the need in trophy hunting. I am conflicted. The naturalist in me wants to head down to Texas (even though the Mainer in me hates heat and snakes!) and see these ani

We met this little guy the year before (fall 2009). He is one of the triplets that we saw and watched play. It was my first experience just sitting and watching deer that were within 25 feet of me (I was in the Sky Condo looking down). We didnt see him this year, unless he is the monster 8 pointer or the 10 pointer (<-- I will post those pictures later). But I doubt he is cool enough to go from nubs to a monster rack in 16 months. Seriously though, he is adorable.

Over the weekend, I finally cracked into the trailcam and got the photos of the deer off it, or at least copied/emailed to myself. Here is the deer that Dad was looking for. There is no solid, solid proof that it was taken this season, so a little piece of us is holding out hope.

A few weeks ago (Jan 12), I posted the beginning of a sentence here as well as on my personal Facebook page. The sentence started: "Women Hunters..." The following are the responses that I got on FB. The picture is of me and my best friend Jodie who is also a hunter. 1. rock! 2. should bring me some meat... 3. Turn me on. (earned 1 like) 4. can climb my tree stand anytime ! 5. Are awesome! 6. ...are probably not vegetarians (earned 1 like) 7. Get bigger animals than boys do. (earned 1 like) 8. SUCK!!!! Lmao. But I love you!!!! 9. are the same as men hunters ‎10. . . .are a better shot :-) 11. have pet squirrels. 12. aim to please 13. scare the hell out of me..because they can shoot well ;o 4 of the 13 comments are men (#2, #3, #4 and #13) To my knowledge, only two are hunters (#1 and #4) Two are my best friends (#1 and #7) One is my sister (#9) One is my pseudo brother (#13) Things that I noticed: ~ None of the comments made by men are encouragin

2.4 BILLION dollars comes into Maine thanks to folks like you and me. I contribute directly to the 200 million that is brought in every year in connection with deer hunting. In this article , Bob Humprey gives an over view of impact that our hunting and fishing industry has on the economic health of the State. Each year, I have paid $27 to renew my hunting license. This gives me the right to shoot a buck, of any size, during the season. If I want to put in to get a doe permit, its a free process but its a lottery, so no guarantee. Then, assuming you shoot a deer, you pay $5 to tag it. They take your name, license number, where you shot the deer (town), what you used for a gun and they take your money. If you want your deer weighed, that costs more. Last year's buck, seen here, was 150 and it cost me an additional $1 to find that out. This year, Dad and I went some place different and it cost us $2 to weigh it. So, lets say its about $35 for me on a good year. I buy Dad

Whitetail Woods: Tasteful or not Tasteful, You be the Judge.

I like to be in my own little bubble when it comes to the possibility that my deer might not be perfect and instead, could have E.Coli or a number of any other gross things that I dont like (food illnesses, ticks etc). I was wondering what I could post before the weekend came and I found this article: kids getting sick from harvesting, butchering and eating their class project . It makes me happy that I enjoy well cooked meat - no pink. I know, I run the risk of it being more like a hockey puck than a juicy piece of meat, but its a risk I am happy to take, especially when I read articles like this.

Female hunters... I did this on my Facebook page and got some interesting response that I will post in another blog very soon. But, if you could, what is the first thing that pops into your head when someone says (or writes) "female hunters..." THANKS

If any of you want to read this book, I will gladly send you my copy. Normally, I can stomach my way through a bad book. In this case, I found myself arguing with what was being written. I hated the fact that she never did any real hunting, but instead always seemed to be on a preserve that allowed her to pick and choose what she shot. No deer to shoot, not a problem, shoot the 5 wild pigs that are nearby. She never shoots a deer (or any other large animal) in this book She spends maybe 8 pages talking about deer, but a lot of that is while she and the guide drinking diet coke, eating and drinking in their deer stand. The intro to this book (at least what I read on Amazon) was the only interesting part - the suspense of shooting a turkey and the excitement that comes from waiting to pull the trigger and getting your kill. That was the only good part of the book. Another SUPER annoying thing that I found was her use of "slapping the trigger". She uses a shot gun f

I found this link a couple weeks ago and thought it was really interesting. The idea that shooting guns is as relaxing as yoga is one I could back. I am not a yoga expert and really not a gun expert, but I totally agree that the adrenaline rush you get from shooting is relaxing and relieves stress. I think about the endorphins that are released while hunting, the excitement and the high that comes from a successful hunt. Even when I was sitting in my seat waiting (and waiting), I could feel the rush and muscle memory of shooting the gun and I think it did bring on a sense of a 'runner's high' that would help keep me warm while I sat in 20 degree weather =) So, while I agree with this article and the idea of shooting as something relaxing, what about all of you?

I got this book for Christmas. I asked for it. I saw it mentioned on a blog that I follow and put up a notice that it would be a great Christmas gift. I got it and started reading it, hoping that it would get better with the next chapter. I really wanted it to be good. To talk about the excitement of the hunt, the anticipation... I am still waiting. I am about half way through the book and struggling to actually enjoy it. I understand and appreciate the idea of someone getting back to how we all use to eat - hunting and gathering. I have read books about people moving from the big city to the country to farm, to hunt, to get back to nature. Ive read it. I wanted a book about the excitement of hunting and being a hunter, told by a woman. What this book is, is a book about a woman who gets asked to go on hunts in Texas, Montana, London etc but men who do this for a living. So far, all of these hunts have been birds, with the exception of a javelina and a super sketchy '

In my December 1 post, I talked about a string of dogs that had been shot in Maine and the hunters said they thought the dogs were really coyotes. Well, it happened again. In York over the long weekend, another dog was shot . So, I have to ask. Is this the newest CYA maneuver that hunters think will get them off when they shoot something they were not supposed to? I can see laying some blame on the owners of the last group of dogs, since everyone in the State should know that during deer season, idiots with guns are in the woods and the best and safest way to keep your pet safe is to know where they are and put some blaze orange on them. But, what about the end of December? Is this the new go-to when you shoot something you are not supposed to? Sorry, I was sighting in my rifle and thought I saw a coyote. I didn't realize it was a monster buck . At what point do we need to crack down on the people who are being so careless and shooting dogs?