Liberte Austin’s Hunting Digest

Forget kindergarten cop give me kindergarten hunter! These danish kindergartners are going on a “field” trip to learn where their food comes from. I think American children should be learning firearms safety and hunting in public schools . . . can I get an Amen? Meet the kindergarten that took its children deer-hunting – “A pre-school child sits with the leg of a deer in her hand, the dead deer lying behind her. Smiling, she predicts that the deer will be delicious and explains to the camera why hunting is needed. This is the start of a video that shows a kindergarten school trip in Denmark to a hunt organised by the Danish Hunting Association. In a world where many are disconnected from the food they eat and where it comes from, this trip aimed to educate children in the journey of meat from land to table. To do that, the children help the hunters cut up the deer and prepare the meat. Jens Bjorn Andersen, board member of the Danish Hunting Association, says that “this scheme is all about showing future generations what hunters are doing and making it easy to digest.” OMFG can you imagine the outrage in the US if schools started taking kids hunting?

What is life after turkey season?  Why, bear season of course. Except for in Connecticut apparently.  Connecticut Senate votes against bear hunt, amends bill language to forbid trophy-hunting activities –“The Connecticut Senate voted against legislation that would have permitted a bear hunt in Connecticut for the first time in more than 100 years. After an hour-long floor debate, the Senate removed language allowing a bear hunt through a legislative process known as a “strike all” amendment to S.B. 522 that instead forbids trophy hunters to import, possess or offer for sale or transport in Connecticut five species of African wildlife. After the Senate approved the amendment, the bill transferred to the Judiciary Committee. Annie Hornish, Connecticut state director for The Humane Society of the United States, says: “We are thrilled that the Senate acted to squash Connecticut’s first black bear hunt in a century. The best available science indicates that a trophy bear hunt will not benefit public safety, as bear hunters seek large, trophy-sized male bears deep in the woods, not in our neighborhoods. Rather than killing this slow-to-reproduce species, people can employ commonsense measures to minimize encounters with bears, like using bear-resistant trash cans and feeding pets indoors.”

Wow!  This is one of the most intense videos I have ever seen. Hunter in tree stand is joined by a bear in intense close encounter – “This black bear was literally breathing down the neck of the bow hunter who was filming it. The bear spotted the hunter and his partner in their treestand from below and quickly climbed up to check them out. One of the hunters had his camera rolling the whole time, and it’s a good thing he did. This is one of the most adrenaline-pumping bear hunt encounters we’ve ever seen. But the action doesn’t end with the standoff in the tree. This video has lots of action, including big black bears battling for dominance and an epic kill shot.”

A portable hunting blind!!  This reminds me of a time a couple years ago during a very tough deer season, on my private ranch, I would sit in my Prius and watch for deer.  The Prius is so quiet, all I needed was camo wrap and it would have been a great blind.  OMG stop, yes I HAD a Prius ugh I’m not a closet liberal. And yes, for the truly lazy, in Texas certain hunting from vehicles is permitted when you’re on private property. When you hunt for years and years you try anything, I’m not ashamed. Real Tree AP HD® Camouflage Universal Enclosure – “Turn your golf cart into a stealthy hunting vehicle! This camo golf cart enclosure provides concealment and protection from the elements.”

I just ordered the VX3i 4.5-14x40mm from Leupold with the Boone & Crockett reticle. I wanted something really special for my Camila Weatherby 7mm that I could take out to longer distances without over complicating things. Shooting at longer distances requires complete trust in your optics to ensure your shot is going to put an animal on the ground. Review and dead animals coming soon.

I must admit that when I read this next story, the first thing that popped out at me was “a single shot 10 gauge“! Where did he get it, did he inherit it, what kind was it? These are often unique guns people! – Two charged with illegal turkey hunting – “Two men were arrested in Shenango Township Sunday for alleged illegal turkey hunting. Shenango Township police, with help from other police departments, arrested two men around 8:30 a.m. when they allegedly caught them hunting in a wooded area off Cochran Hill Road, a road closed to traffic. Vincent J. Sorbo, 26, of 830 State Route 956, Volant, and Edward J. Barbato, 26, of 23 E. Moorehead Ave., New Castle, are facing charges in connection with the incident. According to a criminal complaint, a Shenango police officer on patrol was driving on Cochran Hill Road and noticed a turkey decoy sitting on an old strip mine. He then spotted an unoccupied tan Ford Ranger pickup truck in a field and found two fresh sets of footprints in the mud in a tractor path leading to the decoy.  The police confiscated two loaded shotguns – a 12-gauge pump and a single-shot 10-gauge — that were lying near the men on the ground.” Why do people commit hunting crimes that lead to the loss of the privilege to do the thing you love the most? Not to mention the loss of your guns.

Great job of keeping things interesting Turkey Reapers! Maybe you should change your name to Turkey Whisperers.

For those of you that want to ensure you get a bear during this bear season . . . try bear bait (where it’s legal of course). From so many methods and types to choose from just remember bears love to eat. Here are some great tips on common mistakes made when bear baiting. What bear baits work best for you?

Finally, a letter from a reader: