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BWA Newsletter - Fall 2007A Bluffland Whitetails Association quarterly publication for
Donated deer to be processed at no cost to huntersDeer donated to food shelves will be processed at no cost to hunters this year, thanks to a new program coordinated by the Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Agriculture. The program is aimed at providing a sought-after food source to those in need while encouraging hunters to harvest additional animals to help manage the deer herd. Previously, hunters could donate deer to food shelves but had to pay processing costs. “DNR staff recognizes that ethically, hunters will not take more deer than they can consume,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game program coordinator. “Simply asking someone to take another deer to manage populations provides only half of the picture. The venison donation program was developed to provide hunters an avenue to donate, at no cost to them, the extra deer they harvest.” Processing costs are being offset through a $160,000 appropriation approved by the 2007 legislature as well as an increase in non-resident hunting license fees. Hunters may also donate to the program. When purchasing a deer license purchase, hunters will be asked if they want to voluntarily donate $1, $3, or $5 to the program, and any interested individual can also donate by visiting one of 1,800 ELS agents statewide. For 2007, a minimum of $280,000 is available to the program and will pay for processing more than 4,000 deer. Additional donations will allow for more processing. “DNR has been working closely with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to create a program that is easy for all parties involved,” Cornicelli said. More details, on the venison donation program, as well as a list of participating meat processors are available online at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/deer/donation/index.html. To donate a deer, hunters will need to adhere to the following guidelines:
Hunters are strongly advised to contact the processor prior to donating the deer. The list of processors accepting deer will be continually updated as more processors register.
Venison donation program up and runningThe venison donation program that was passed into law in this year’s legislative session is off the ground and some deer have already been processed. As of Sept. 20, seven processors were set up with their paperwork completed and ready to take in deer.
More processors are working on their paperwork to get set up for the program, and hopefully many more will come on board. BWA's goal is to have the different processors spread out enough so anyone who wants to donate will have a short drive to drop off their deer. When BWA spoke with Lynn Mensink from the Preston Food Shelf and asked her opinion on the venison donation program, Mensink replied, "This is a fantastic program for low income families of Fillmore County, as well as the entire state." People have already called asking when the venison will be available. This is the kind of response BWA was hoping for when this program was in the developing stages.
A message from BWA's president...August 18, 2007, a date some of us in southeast Minnesota will remember for the rest of our lives. Yes, that was the night of our Caledonia banquet, but it was also the night of "the flood." My wife and I drove through some standing water on the way home from the banquet but didn't think much of it at the time. We checked the weather and soon found out we were going to have some serious flooding. Words can hardly describe what happened to the residents of the hardest hit areas. We have heard many stories about daring rescues from trees and rooftops with boats in the middle of the night, bridges collapsing within seconds of vehicles passing over them, mudslides destroying houses while the occupants slept—a terrifying night for many. As always, it seems when disasters happen, the biggest heroes step forward. It was a miracle there weren't more lives lost that night, and we can thank the heroes for that. The amount of soil erosion was beyond comprehension; a real test of even the very best conservation practices. When we look at the trout streams, we can only wonder how long it will take to restore the streams to the wonderful habitat teeming with aquatic life that we have taken for granted in the past. If any of your favorite deer stands are near the bottom of ravines and you haven't checked them yet, you may be in for some surprises. Many of the ditch banks are washed out, and some of the trees are tipped over. At the very least, they will not look the same. If you are inclined to hunt over waterholes, good luck, they are everywhere. On a more positive note, this is the time of the year that seemingly normal, level-headed individuals start painting their faces green and brown, walk around with dirt scent wafers pinned to their caps, shirts, and who knows where. They search for the very best fox and raccoon urine and vow to "not leave home without it." Guys that hardly know what room the washer is in start washing their camos in the latest, most scent-free soap known to mankind. Must be hunting season! I've seen pictures of some nice bucks harvested the first weekend of bowhunting, and many hunters claim to have legitimate excuses for coming home empty handed. Some deer are headed to the food shelves, and we have an early anterless season, so some changes, albeit slow, are being made. In closing, good luck to all hunters, and remember to take a kid along, even if only squirrel hunting. Encourage your friends and neighbors to harvest does and let the immature bucks grow up. —Gary Bartsch, president
Member profile
Aaron Bartsch
I harvested my first deer with a shotgun when I was 13 and my first antlered buck when I was 14. What a thrill! A few years later I got interested in archery, and I was the first one in my family to get a bow. I started bow hunting, and soon after, my dad and brothers got bows and really got the archery bug. When I got my first buck with a bow, it was an experience I will never forget. I really enjoy being in a tree stand with the woods so quiet and still, and all the critters doing their thing like I'm not even there. I must admit, I get a little frustrated with the squirrels making all that racket in the leaves, but they are fun to watch. I usually harvest some does for our freezer and to help manage the herd. I enjoy passing up the small bucks while waiting for a shot at a wall hanger. When my daughter Alexus was five, I took her deer hunting during the 3B season from an enclosed tower stand. We got into our stand before daylight, and it wasn't long before she was taking a nap. I would wake her whenever deer were close by, and after awhile, I got a shot at a small doe and Alexus watched the whole thing. Needless to say, she was pretty excited, and I'm sure she will remember this for a long time. Hopefully, Alexus will take an interest in the outdoors and do some hunting on her own when she is older. I appreciate what BWA has done to promote youth hunts, getting the 3A season either-sex, and educating hunters about herd management. I think the venison donation program is a great tool to reduce the herd and provide for the needy. I agree with BWA's approach to deer hunting as far as harvesting does and letting small bucks walk. Keep up the good work.
Taxidermy: Field preparation of trophies
Taxidermy HistoryIn general terms, taxidermy is the method or reproducing a life like three dimensional representation of an animal for permanent display. The word "taxidermy" is derived from two ancient Greek words; taxis, meaning movement and derma meaning skin. Loosely translated taxidermy means the movement of skin. This is a fairly accurate definition as many taxidermy procedures involve the removal of skin from the animal, treating it and then placing the skin over an artificial replica of the animal. Thus the skin moves from the actual animal to the replica. Taxidermy dates back thousands of years to when man hunted for food and found that the skins of the prey when treated with certain substances could be preserved and used for clothing and shelter. As the demand for quality leather and skins grew, so did the methods of preserving them. By the mid 1700s, tanning businesses began to flourish; and by the 1800s, hunters started taking the skins they had received from the tanners to upholstery shops. The upholsterers would sew up the animal skins and stuff them with rags and bits of cotton they had lying around their shops. This gave way to the term "stuffed animal." Taxidermy as we know it today began around the beginning of the 20th century. At that time taxidermists developed anatomically accurate manikins which incorporated every detail of the animal and placed the animals in realistic settings and poses that were more appropriate to the species and more pleasing than the "stuffed animal" creatures previously presented. Today taxidermy incorporates many crafts such as carpentry, woodworking, tanning, molding and casting, but the artistic talents of sculpture, painting, drawing and design are what distinguish the professionals from the novice. In a modern shoulder mount, the only natural parts are the skin and the antlers. The eyes are made of glass, and the manikin, or form, is made of polyurethane foam. The face is sculpted of clay, an earliner of fiberglass is used to keep the ears erect, and putty is used to finish off around the eyes. Some mounts (mainly fish) do not contain any part of the original animal, they are totally recreated from man made materials based off the measurements and photographs. Green hunting, which is the stalking and darting of endangered species such as rhino, has led to the creation of replicas for these exotic types of animals. Given the measurements and photos of the animal, taxidermists can now provide the hunter with an accurate replica while allowing the animal to live another day.
Field PreparationOnce your effort has been rewarded, it is now time to begin the first steps of preserving your trophy. Good hide preparation can make or break a mount. As soon as the animal has been taken, bacteria will begin to break down the tissue, and the only way to avoid this decomposition is to begin the process of preservation immediately after the kill. The faster you get the specimen cooled down, frozen and to the taxidermist, the better the finished product will be. Also, don't assume that the outfitter or the meat processor understands how to properly prepare your specimen for the taxidermy. With some basic information, a sharp knife, and a little patience, you can cape your own trophy before the animal goes to the processor. This will ensure your animal doesn't sit on the processors floor as it continues to decompose. Outlined below are basic steps and tips for preparing your trophy for a shoulder mount. If you prefer a full body mount, 3/4 mount or a rug, it would be best to contact your local taxidermist before skinning. The larger mounts require more complicated methods of caping*, such as flat incisions which are along the bottom of the animal or dorsal (back) cuts which involve a slit lengthwise down the back. Both of these methods are best performed by an experienced taxidermist. (* The slang words cape and caping are frequently used both in taxidermy and this article to reference the usable portion of the animal's skin). It cannot be stressed enough how important field preparation is to the quality and overall appearance of the final trophy mount. To ensure the best possible mount makes it to your wall, some local taxidermists have offered a few helpful recommendations for the preparation and care of your prized animal.
CapingThe caping process of skinning out the trophy animal is ultimately left to an experienced taxidermist, but if necessary, anyone can prepare a cape for a basic shoulder mount. Below are three simple steps to cape your own animal. Step one: Slit the hide circling the body behind the shoulder. Your cut should be at least five inches behind the front legs. (See figure 2A) Step two: Cut a slit around both front legs at the knee joints. Then an additional slit is needed on both sides from the back of the leg to the body cut behind the legs. The junction of white hair and darker hair is a good reference point for this cut. (See figure 2B) Step three: Peel the skin forward up to the ears and jaw exposing the head/neck junction. Cut into the neck approximately three inches back from the head/neck junction encircling the body down to the spinal column. Then grasp the base of the antlers and twist the head off of the neck. (See figure 3) Whether you are in need of a professional to preserve your trophy, or are not quite sure how to care for your newly harvested animal, contact one of the proud supporters of BWA's mission listed below.
2007 Whitewater Youth Hunt winnersThe following 75 youth were winners for the 2007 Youth Hunt to be held in Whitewater October 18-21, 2007:
Pope & Young Club announces 2 new world's recordsCHATFIELD, MN—Two new World's Records were officially recognized during the Pope and Young Club's 25th Biennial Convention and Awards Banquet in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this spring.
This bull exceeded the previous world's record by almost 3 inches (409 2/8, Rosebud County, Montana, Chuck Adams, 2000) and is only the fifth 400+ inch typical American elk ever taken by a bowhunter. Shawn's gigantic 7 by 7 bull had 60" main beams and a 56" inside spread.
Washington state bowhunter Shad Wheeler traveled to BC on a hunt that resulted in a billy that bested a world's record that had stood for 18 years (52 4/8, Park County, Colorado, Lyle Willmarth, 1988). A second mountain goat, this one taken by Allen Bolen in BC scoring 52 6/8, also topped the previous world's record. Close to 100 of the biggest and best animals taken in the last two years were requested and received for verification by the 25th Biennium Panel Judging Session prior to the Lancaster Convention. These outstanding specimens represented all 33 categories of North American big game and, in addition to the two new World's Records, included many other extraordinary animals. These included the second largest bison ever (a bull from northern Arizona, taken by Russ Richardson), the all-time second largest woodland caribou (a bull taken near Dolland Pond, Newfoundland, by Larry Welchlen), two incredible typical Coues' deer (the second and third largest ever: 120 2/8 by Eric Rhicard and 120 1/8 by Bill Mattausch, both from Pima County, Arizona, in 2006). The third largest typical whitetail deer (198 3/8 by Tim Reed in Muskingum County, Ohio) and the new #2 bighorn sheep (a ram from Fergus County, Montana, taken by Robert Seelye). All of these extraordinary animals were displayed in a public exhibit at the Cabela's store in Hamburg, PA, for five weeks leading up to the Club's convention and then were displayed in an unforgettable public exhibit during the three-day convention in Lancaster. The 25th Recording Period (two-year period 1/1/05 to 12/31/06) set a new record for total number of entries, with 8,354 entries accepted. Of course, typical whitetail deer represented by far the most recorded species, followed distantly by American elk and black bear.
Antlerless deer harvest patterns associated with alternative deer hunting regulations
Marrett Grund, Ph.D. This is one of the first updates that I am able to provide hunters regarding the DNR research project that was started two years ago. This project focuses on how different hunting regulations can increase the antlerless deer harvest in areas where deer densities are above population goals and current hunting regulations are not producing adequate harvests to bring deer numbers toward goal. The study tests three new hunting regulations and compares the results from those regulations against regulations that we currently have in place. The regulations that we are testing include the October Antlerless-Only Season, Antler-Point Restriction Regulations, and Earn-A-Buck regulations. The Antlerless-Only hunting season is being tested on eight study areas in Northwestern Minnesota and in the North Metro. The Antler-Point Restriction and Earn-A-Buck regulations are being tested on seven state parks. Most Deer Permit Areas that currently have deer densities above management goals are being managed with “Intensive” management regulations and are located in Hunting Zone 2; I am using these Deer Permit Areas as my “controls” to compare the new hunting regulations against. Comparing the hunting regulations against each other is a little tricky because the seasons occur at different times of the year with different numbers of hunters in each study area. What I am really interested in is determining the number of hunters willing and able to harvest an antlerless deer under each hunting regulation. Essentially, I want to determine if hunters are willing to harvest an antlerless deer, and if they are, does the regulation that hunters participate in afford them the ability to harvest an antlerless deer. To compare these hunting regulations, I first examined the number of hunters who hunted under each regulation. After I had an estimate of the number of deer hunters in each study area, I then examined deer registration harvest data to determine the number of hunters who harvested one antlerless deer, two antlerless deer, and three or more antlerless deer. After I tallied the number of hunters who harvested at least one deer in each study area, I could then subtract that number from the number of hunters in each study area to come up with an estimated number of hunters who harvested no antlerless deer. With this information, I was able to estimate the number of antlerless deer that could be harvested under each hunting regulation based on the percentages of hunters who harvested zero, one, two, or three or more antlerless deer. Here are a couple of examples on how I estimated the number of antlerless deer that could be harvested under different hunting regulations. Example 1—If there were 100 hunters participating in Hunting Regulation #1 and I knew that 50 percent of them would harvest no antlerless deer and the other 50 percent of hunters would harvest one antlerless deer, I would then be able to estimate that about 50 antlerless deer would be harvested under Hunting Regulation #1 because there were 50 hunters who killed one antlerless deer. Example 2—If there were 100 hunters participating in Hunting Regulation #2 and I knew that 25 percent would harvest zero deer, 50 percent would harvest one deer, and 25 percent of hunters would harvest two deer, I would then be able to estimate that a total of 100 antlerless deer would be harvested by 100 hunters under Hunting Regulation #2. Under Hunting Regulation #2, 25 of the 100 hunters killed no antlerless deer (zero deer killed by those hunters), 50 hunters harvested one antlerless deer (50 antlerless deer killed by that group of hunters) and 25 hunters harvested two antlerless deer (25 hunters killed two antlerless deer which provides a total of 50 antlerless deer killed by those hunters). Fifty antlerless deer by the 50 hunters who killed one antlerless deer plus 50 antlerless deer by the 25 hunters who killed two antlerless deer equals 100 antlerless deer. Early Antlerless-Only Seasons—The projected antlerless harvests associated with Early Antlerless-Only Seasons were slightly higher than Zone 2 Intensive Management regulations in both 2005 and 2006 (see Table 1). About 40 antlerless deer were harvested for every 100 hunters who hunt in these study areas (42 antlerless deer harvested per 100 hunters in 2005 and 38 antlerless deer harvested per 100 hunters in 2006). The concept of Early Antlerless-Only Seasons is to provide an opportunity for hunters willing to harvest an antlerless deer the ability to do so during an additional season. After the second year of the study, it appears that the Early Antlerless-Only Season will add approximately 14-19 percent to the total antlerless deer harvest that would have occurred if only Intensive Management regulations were in place. In other words, the Early Antlerless-Only Season might cause deer densities to decline if only a small increase in antlerless harvests is needed to cause population reduction. Many Deer Permit Areas in Minnesota that have deer densities above goal fall under this category, so I suspect this regulation may become more common in parts of Minnesota where wildlife managers need additional antlerless deer killed. Antler-Point Restriction Regulations—In 2005, the projected antlerless harvests associated with Antler-Point Restriction Regulations were comparable to Zone 2 Intensive Management regulations (36 antlerless deer harvested per 100 hunters). The concept of Antler-Point Restriction Regulations as they apply toward increasing the number of antlerless deer killed is that hunters will harvest less bucks as fewer bucks are legal in a population. Hopefully, the hunters who did not harvest a buck would then harvest an antlerless deer instead. The Antler-Point Restriction Regulation did successfully reduce buck harvests by about 50 percent in 2005, which demonstrates that the regulation will protect bucks in a population. However, it appears that the 2005 hunters who participated in the Antler-Point Restriction Regulation study areas did not harvest an antlerless deer as a result of not harvesting a buck. I did measure a noticeable increase in antlerless deer harvests during 2006, however. In fact, antlerless harvests associated with 2006 Antler-Point Restriction Regulations were 38 percent higher than Intensive Management regulation harvests and were 16 percent higher than Early Antlerless-Only Season harvests that occurred the same year. This might suggest that hunters who hunted under Antler-Point Restriction Regulations in 2005 learned that they needed to take an antlerless deer to increase their chances of bringing venison home in 2006. Earn-A-Buck Regulations—Antlerless harvests associated with Earn-A-Buck regulations were remarkably higher than harvests associated with other regulations. Almost 70 antlerless deer were harvested for every 100 hunters in 2005. Earn-A-Buck Regulations were 84 percent higher than Intensive Management Regulations in 2005 and were 56 percent higher than Intensive Management Regulations in 2006. Under this regulation, hunters must harvest an antlerless deer whether they are willing to do so or not. Thus, I expected this regulation to be the most effective at increasing antlerless harvest numbers. Essentially, these results are suggesting that Earn-A-Buck regulations may be a logical regulation in situations where extremely high antlerless harvests are needed to reduce deer densities over a short period of time. Summary—This study will ultimately facilitate implementing science-based hunting regulations that address overabundant deer populations. The study will tackle a lot of the unknowns related to these regulations and eliminate the guesswork associated with these regulations. My past experience with introducing new hunting regulations tells me that hunters will have a lot of questions and opinions about the regulations when the regulations are proposed to be implemented. This study will provide answers to the many questions that hunters and the public will have with these new hunting regulations. All three regulations are showing that they will increase antlerless harvests, but all to varying degrees. Additional research during the next three years will improve our understanding of these regulations by further studying the trends in harvest patterns. Finally, this article only focuses on one of the biological components of this study. Determining which regulations hunters prefer to use when deer densities need to be reduced is another part of this project, but I will need to save that article for another day.
From the treetopsby Jeff Heil, Sr. This is the third installment of tips that I will be writing for the BWA newsletters. These tips will aid in a safe and healthy hunt.
After a serious treestand fall in 2002, I have dedicated time to educate the public whenever possible and also donate time to Firearm Safety classes whenever I can.
Clearcut
Jim Edgar Clearcut is a word that has a lot of negative meaning to some people. Clearcut is a forestry term used to describe the removal of all (or most) of the large trees from a site. This complete removal of large trees allows their use as lumber and veneer and gives sunlight to young trees that will grow to replace those removed. Most of the Bluffland clearcuts that I am familiar with occur on State Forest Land or in the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. On these state-owned lands, there is an extensive evaluation of the potential harvest site before cutting begins. Land managers look at the amount and species of young trees and other vegetation, the presence of rare and endangered species, and the potential productivity of the site to determine what kind of harvest should be made. When the goal is a forest that contains a large number of oak trees, a clearcut is almost a necessity. Young oak trees need a lot of sunlight to be able to compete with other vegetation. A timber harvest that removes just a few trees and leaves a lot of shade on the ground favors shade tolerant trees such as maple and basswood. These are good trees, but not the acorn-producing oak. In order to grow oak trees for future timber and wildlife habitat, a harvest must leave the ground and any little trees growing there open to full sunlight. A clearcut provides that sunlight. Few clearcuts have all the trees removed. Most harvested areas will have remaining pockets of younger trees, mature trees remaining along creeks, and hollow or non-merchantable snags remaining to provide habitat for wildlife. A close look at a well-planned clearcut will show many young trees that aren’t visible from afar. Young oak, walnut, cherry, basswood, hickory, hackberry, maple and other species are present and ready to grow. These small trees are just waiting to use the sunlight that reaches the ground after a clearcut. These trees are seedlings, or possibly larger saplings, that were broken or damaged during the logging process. Small trees damaged by the timber harvest can re-sprout (see forestry article in Fall ‘04’ Bluffland Newsletter) and grow into straight, healthy, big trees. If the number of natural seedlings is inadequate to re-grow the forest, seedlings from a nursery are planted before, or just after, the harvest to provide enough young trees to re-forest the area. Within three years of a clearcut, the new forest is too thick for a person to walk through comfortably, due to dense blackberry and raspberry bushes. The young forest is nearly impenetrable until about 10 years after the timber harvest. At about that age, the young trees begin to shade out the thick undergrowth, and you can walk through the area without damage to your body from the brush. That first walk through will reveal the dense forest of young trees that has replaced the trees that were clearcut. During those 7-9 years when people don’t want to go through the clearcut, it is a haven for some species of wildlife; particularly whitetail deer. That dense young growth of trees and shrubs provides escape cover and plenty of browse for deer. Suitable habitat for ruffed grouse, woodcock and rabbits is also provided by this young, growing forest. Remember, a clearcut is a type of timber harvest used by land managers to grow trees that can’t be grown in the shade of other trees. Often it is not pretty, but it is a tool that helps get a valuable tree species re-established.
Caledonia banquet a successA near-capacity crowd attended the fall BWA Caledonia banquet/fundraiser August 18, 2007, at the Ma Cal Grove Country Club. The banquet hall was a great facility for our banquet, the caterer did a wonderful job with a sit-down meal, a lot of guns found new homes and everyone had a fun night. Phil Costigan was the emcee for the evening and did a super job, as usual. We were very fortunate to have Phil run the show and provide a little humor! Thanks Phil. Senator Sharon Erickson Ropes was on hand to accept her certificate of appreciation from BWA for her work getting the venison donation bill passed. Senator Ropes also introduced Army Specialist Jared Vaske who had recently returned from duty in Iraq. Thanks Senator Ropes, and a special thank you to Jared from all BWA members for doing our dirty work. Thanks also to Mike Staggemeyer and the committee members for a great banquet. Keep up the good work. We're already looking forward to next year. The Bluffland Whitetails Association Banquet Committee would like to extend our thank you to the following sponsors for their donations and prizes to our annual banquet.
The banquet was a great success, and we also extend our congratulations to all the prize winners. We hope to see you back in 2008! Special thanks to Phil Costigan and Mike Sieve.
Steve Bjerke, Rick Boyer, Jason Wiebke, Tom Sawle,
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I hardly remember my first deer hunting experience as I was just four years old. I was with my dad on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon on the south side of a bluff. I laid down in the leaves and promptly went to sleep. We didn't see any deer that day, but it got me interested in hunting.
