Vermont's State Parks aren't just warm-weather destinations.
The camping, fishing, hiking, biking and other activities that can be found at Vermont's parks throughout the warm-weather months are well-known among Vermont's outdoor recreation crowd.
But because many of Vermont State Parks are open for winter activities and are popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts.
Read about the winter fun at Vermont State Parks here.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Good Article on "Critter Groups"
Great Falls (Montana) Tribune Outdoor Editor Michael Babcock has written a great piece on how the economy is affecting outdoor organizations dedicated to specific species.
Babcock writes: "'Critter groups' — species-specific, hunter- and angler-supported foundations that watch out for elk, mule deer, wild sheep, wild trout and others — seem to have weathered the recession well."
Organizations like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Wild Sheep Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation and Pheasants Forever talk about how they are dealing with members expected to be a little tighter with their purse strings.
Read the article here.
Babcock writes: "'Critter groups' — species-specific, hunter- and angler-supported foundations that watch out for elk, mule deer, wild sheep, wild trout and others — seem to have weathered the recession well."
Organizations like the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Wild Sheep Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation and Pheasants Forever talk about how they are dealing with members expected to be a little tighter with their purse strings.
Read the article here.
Friday, January 23, 2009
OutdoorsVT 1-23-09
Exploring the backcountry in the middle of winter on a pair of skinny skis can be intimidating for someone not accustomed to venturing out in what can be an unforgiving environment.
If a person gets lost while hiking in the summer, an uncomfortable night in the woods is about the worst that will happen. But in winter, it can be deadly.
With a little knowledge and the right gear, heading into the woods on skis can be a way to escape the stress of life and enjoy the beautiful Vermont backcountry.
Sunday, newcomers to cross-country skiing will have the chance to learn the basics of the sport while experienced skiers can learn additional skills.
The Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival on Sunday is the work of Bolton Valley Resort and the Catamount Trail Association.
Read about the event here.
If a person gets lost while hiking in the summer, an uncomfortable night in the woods is about the worst that will happen. But in winter, it can be deadly.
With a little knowledge and the right gear, heading into the woods on skis can be a way to escape the stress of life and enjoy the beautiful Vermont backcountry.
Sunday, newcomers to cross-country skiing will have the chance to learn the basics of the sport while experienced skiers can learn additional skills.
The Get Out and Backcountry Ski Festival on Sunday is the work of Bolton Valley Resort and the Catamount Trail Association.
Read about the event here.
TRCP Leader Dies
The chairman of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has died.
James D. Range, 63, died Jan. 20 after losing a battle to cancer.
Range was widely respected for his dedicated work in fish and wildlife circles. He had worked as an advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker who said Range "helped to fashion some of this country's most vital environmental legislation.”
Range was involved with Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Wetlands America Trust, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the American Bird Conservatory, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Yellowstone Foundation and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.
He was also a board member and chair of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a White House appointee to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council and the Valles Caldera Trust.
The Department of Interior honored Range with the 2003 Great Blue Heron Award, the highest honor given to an individual.
Also in 2003, he was named the Outdoor Life Magazine Conservationist of the Year and the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given by the American Sportfishing Association.
For more details on Range's achievements and life, see the release at the TRCP site here.
James D. Range, 63, died Jan. 20 after losing a battle to cancer.
Range was widely respected for his dedicated work in fish and wildlife circles. He had worked as an advisor to former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker who said Range "helped to fashion some of this country's most vital environmental legislation.”
Range was involved with Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the Wetlands America Trust, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, the American Sportfishing Association, the American Bird Conservatory, the Pacific Forest Trust, the Yellowstone Foundation and the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust.
He was also a board member and chair of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a White House appointee to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council and the Valles Caldera Trust.
The Department of Interior honored Range with the 2003 Great Blue Heron Award, the highest honor given to an individual.
Also in 2003, he was named the Outdoor Life Magazine Conservationist of the Year and the Norville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given by the American Sportfishing Association.
For more details on Range's achievements and life, see the release at the TRCP site here.
Friday, January 16, 2009
OutdoorsVT 1-16-09
Downhill skiing is a thrilling sport that allows a person to pick their type of fun.
There are bumps for those who appreciate the challenge of precision turns and strong thighs, terrifyingly steep drops for the thrill seekers, nearly flat routes for those who are learning their skills but refuse to be relegated to the beginner hills at the bottom, flowing blue runs with rippled corduroy for relaxed cruising, deep powder and even terrain parks.
But one thing all these types of terrain have in common is the need for safety.
Beginning Saturday, ski areas nationwide will be focusing on safety as they participate in National Ski Areas Association's National Safety Week.
Read the rest of the column here.
There are bumps for those who appreciate the challenge of precision turns and strong thighs, terrifyingly steep drops for the thrill seekers, nearly flat routes for those who are learning their skills but refuse to be relegated to the beginner hills at the bottom, flowing blue runs with rippled corduroy for relaxed cruising, deep powder and even terrain parks.
But one thing all these types of terrain have in common is the need for safety.
Beginning Saturday, ski areas nationwide will be focusing on safety as they participate in National Ski Areas Association's National Safety Week.
Read the rest of the column here.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Article Claims Hunting Results in Smaller Animals
Found this interesting article that seems to claim that trophy hunting -- and hunting in general -- is causing rapid evolution of species resulting in smaller animals with smaller antlers/horns.
It is based on a study that says that hunting trophy animals leaves a disproportionate number of smaller animals to reproduce and is creating an artificial "natural selection" resulting in smaller animals with reduced headgear.
It's an interesting theory, but I can't judge if it is biologically sound science. What do you think?
To read the full story, click here.
It is based on a study that says that hunting trophy animals leaves a disproportionate number of smaller animals to reproduce and is creating an artificial "natural selection" resulting in smaller animals with reduced headgear.
It's an interesting theory, but I can't judge if it is biologically sound science. What do you think?
To read the full story, click here.
Friday, January 9, 2009
OutdoorsVT 1-9-09
A national celebration aimed at getting people out onto the trails on snowshoes and cross-country skis.
The 14th-annual Winter Trails offers people a chance to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at more than 100 locations across the United States and Canada for free.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are among the fastest growing winter sports. There were 1.4 million snowshoers, a number that has increased 60 percent in the last decade. Cross-country skiers number 2.4 million participants, which is a 21.6 percent increase since 2003-04.
Read more about Winter Trails in my column here.
The 14th-annual Winter Trails offers people a chance to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing at more than 100 locations across the United States and Canada for free.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are among the fastest growing winter sports. There were 1.4 million snowshoers, a number that has increased 60 percent in the last decade. Cross-country skiers number 2.4 million participants, which is a 21.6 percent increase since 2003-04.
Read more about Winter Trails in my column here.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New World Record Elk
478-5/8
Bull Elk
Utah
A Utah hunter has killed what appears to be a new world record bull elk while on a public-land hunt in south-central Utah.
Denny Austad of Ammon, Idaho, killed the nontypical bull in the Monroe Mountains on Sept. 30.
The bull was confirmed Jan. 2 by the Boone and Crockett Club as measuring 478 5/8 after it was taped by a special judges panel. The elk, which sported a 14x9 rack, gross scored 499 3/8 inches.
The bull was officially recognized after it was measured for a final time and an investigation into the hunt proved the bull met requirements for inclusion into the trophy record book for big-game animals taken with a firearm.
"Through our entry process, signed affidavits and follow-up interviews with the hunter, his guides, and state and federal officials, we were satisfied that this bull was indeed a wild, free-ranging trophy and that the tenets of fair chase were used in the harvest," said Eldon Buckner, chairman of the Club's Records of North American Big Game committee.
Austad had hunted for 13 days before connecting with the trophy, which was called "spider bull" because of its antler configuration.
The old world record for a nontypical elk was 465 2/8 B&C points, but that bull was found dead in British Columbia. The previous largest hunter-killed elk scored 450 6/8 B&C points. That elk was killed in 1998 in Apache County, Ariz., by Alan Hamberlin.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
NWTF Founder Dies
The National Wild Turkey Federation has announced the death of Tom Rodgers.
Rodgers, 64, died Dec. 25 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Rodgers is the man who started the NWTF in Fredericksburg, Va., in 1973. He was recently honored with the one-of-a-kind Founder's Award.
"Tom is the reason the Federation is here, working daily to promote wildlife conservation and preserve North America's hunting heritage," said James Earl Kennamer, NWTF chief conservation officer. "The organization is reflecting on its rich history and honoring the man who started it all. He was a great friend personally, a great asset for wildlife and he'll be greatly missed."
NWTF CEO George Thornton said Tom's influence on the conservation industry, wildlife and hunters' rights was immeasurable.
"Without him, the NWTF wouldn't exist, and wild turkeys literally would not be where they are today," Thornton said. "Knowing the man who created the NWTF and recognizing his contributions, which helped make NWTF one of the most dynamic and respected conservation organizations in North America, is truly an honor. "
Today, the NWTF is one of the nation's premier conservation organizations.
Rodgers, 64, died Dec. 25 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
Rodgers is the man who started the NWTF in Fredericksburg, Va., in 1973. He was recently honored with the one-of-a-kind Founder's Award.
"Tom is the reason the Federation is here, working daily to promote wildlife conservation and preserve North America's hunting heritage," said James Earl Kennamer, NWTF chief conservation officer. "The organization is reflecting on its rich history and honoring the man who started it all. He was a great friend personally, a great asset for wildlife and he'll be greatly missed."
NWTF CEO George Thornton said Tom's influence on the conservation industry, wildlife and hunters' rights was immeasurable.
"Without him, the NWTF wouldn't exist, and wild turkeys literally would not be where they are today," Thornton said. "Knowing the man who created the NWTF and recognizing his contributions, which helped make NWTF one of the most dynamic and respected conservation organizations in North America, is truly an honor. "
Today, the NWTF is one of the nation's premier conservation organizations.
Friday, January 2, 2009
OutdoorsVT 1-2-09
Happy New Year!
In the spirit of celebration, which hopefully isn't still pounding between your temples, I propose a belated toast.
Raise your coffee mugs please: To the outdoors, to wild places, and to having smart, ethical outdoor fun while in those wild places.
Read the New Year's column by clicking here.
In the spirit of celebration, which hopefully isn't still pounding between your temples, I propose a belated toast.
Raise your coffee mugs please: To the outdoors, to wild places, and to having smart, ethical outdoor fun while in those wild places.
Read the New Year's column by clicking here.
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