Liberte Austin’s Hunting Digest: An Unlucky Bear, The Danger Tree Stands a 12-Year-Old’s Quadfecta

Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Dammit didn’t they ever see Bambi? . . . Hunter kills bear that had been saved from being euthanized

A hunter in Canada killed one of three young bears that were relocated to northern New Hampshire after the governor stepped in to save their lives.

The state’s Fish and Game department had planned to euthanize the black bears and their mother in May after repeated problems with them feasting on trash and bird feeders culminated with two of them entering a home near Dartmouth College. Several children were in the home at the time, but no one was injured.

Officials argued the plan was necessary because the animals were no longer afraid of humans, and would likely find new neighborhoods to frequent if moved. But Gov. Chris Sununu, a first-term Republican, instead ordered them relocated after public outcry.

This happens too often. I’m sad for the children who won’t have a father. Personally, I’m afraid of heights so I won’t be venturing into a tree stand anytime soon . . . Hunter dies after falling from tree stand in Clarkson

Monroe County sheriff’s deputies said John E. Henchen Jr., 35, of Greece went hunting Friday evening and fell from a tree stand on property near County Line Road and Edmunds Road in Clarkson.

Henchen’s fiancee became concerned when he didn’t return home and called his father, who along with some neighbors, found Henchen unconscious on the ground below his tree stand.

He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died from his injuries Wednesday afternoon, according to his cousin Colleen Pilon.

Atta girl! Much better than the majority of the current generation of women who believe Wonder Woman is a “real” hero . . . Girl bags quadfecta first year of hunting

A 12-year-old girl from Evanston (WY) has accomplished something in her first year of hunting that could make even some seasoned hunters envious. Kylie Hintz, a seventh-grader at Davis Middle School, successfully completed a quadfecta, harvesting a pronghorn antelope, an elk, a deer and a bear — all in 2017.

Although Kylie has practically been hunting since birth — her dad, Joe Hintz, started taking her when she was just 4 months old — this was the first year Kylie got to pull the trigger.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Kylie,” Melinda Hintz, Kylie’s stepmom, said. “From the beginning of the year she had a goal that she set her mind to and never gave up.”

Melinda said Kylie had the persistence and patience to reach her goal. Melinda noted “the long days in the bear stand without a sound, the laughs and times we shared while out on long grueling hikes.”

Good God why didn’t I know this? As much time as I spend in the outdoors you would think this would have come up at some point . . . Chris Ellis: Purple means ‘No Hunting’

While walking in search of deer sign the other day, I ran into another sort of sign that seems to be very popular this season.

Nope, it wasn’t the usual blaze yellow cheap posted signs that are effective for notification but always seem to be an eyesore no matter how well they are placed. It was a shade of purple paint smeared on trees, fence posts and bushes. The purple paint sure did work and get my attention. I have to admit, it isn’t my favorite shade of purple but again, no one can argue on its effectiveness.

As hunters, most of us probably already have seen the purple paint and understand the new law just as we know the date and bag limits for the antlerless deer seasons. But for others, the purple paint is still very new and can be a little confusing and very intimidating. Having said that, in case you were wondering about the purple paint showing up across the rural backroads of our state, here is a little light on the subject.

In 2016, West Virginia passed a law that allowed purple paint to be an option for posting private land. In addition to the traditional ways of posting land, West Virginia landowners now have another option – the use of purple paint, (typically in a shade known as “No Hunting Purple”) to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering their property.

Many of the hunting cabins (a.k.a., shacks) I’ve been in are tinderboxes. Sometimes its safer to sleep in a tent than one of these fire traps . . . Sheriff: Cause May Never Be Determined in Fire that Killed 2 Brothers

They were in northern Minnesota preparing for the opening day of deer season, but the two brothers from the north metro never made it back home.

Fifty-seven-year-old Scott Shoberg and his 52-year-old brother, Kurt Shoberg, were in Clearwater County over the weekend getting their hunting cabin ready for the deer opener when they died in an early morning fire on Saturday.

“The damage is so extensive that it makes it very difficult to determine exactly what had happened,” said Clearwater County Sheriff Darin Halverson. “They were both probably sleeping in the living room area of the trailer. That’s where their bodies were located.”

Hunters against venison. I rather enjoy the rare surprise of finding wild game available at a restaurant. Not sure I’d want to see it in every fast food joint. What is your opinion? . . . Hunting Conservation Group Objects To Arby’s Venison

Like a lot of people in Montana, White is a lifelong deer hunter. And he’s just the kind of person Arby’s wants eating their new venison and elk steak sandwiches.

The company rolled them out on Oct. 21 as many states were starting their annual hunting season. Arby’s tested elk steak sandwiches in three locations and they’re the first major fast food chain to serve deer meat nationwide.
Not everyone was drooling with excitement.

“We really shouldn’t be selling game animals for food,” Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, says.

His organization was founded by hunters, anglers and other conservationists. This month the group sent a letter to Arby’s asking the company to reconsider serving venison and elk steak sandwiches, in part because they hark back to a long and dark history of selling wild game in the United States.

“One of the real drivers of America’s wildlife crisis in the 19th century was unregulated market hunting and the idea that big game animals were being shot and sold for food,” he says.

Here’s another must have product for hunting season. And it makes a great stocking stuffer for your favorite hunter. Way better than an electric razor, cologne or another tie . . . Bog-Pod® Rapid Shooting Rest Tripod

The BOG-POD® RSR (Rapid Shooting Rest) is the perfect compact, collapsible, and portable shooting platform.  Easy to store in a backpack, and quick to set up, this rest will give you the accuracy and range you need to make that big game shot on the fly.