OutdoorsVT 1-30-09

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

OutdoorsVT 12-26-08

Growing up, my parents instilled in me an ethic about leaving things as I found them. In fact, we left them better than we found them.

When we were packing away a campsite, my final job was to police the grounds. We picked up everything that didn't belong there — old gum wrappers, cigarette butts, tinfoil used in cooking over a campfire … everything. It didn't matter that we had picked up all our own trash, we took everyone else's with us as well.

Today, the "Leave No Trace" ethic is a strong part of many outdoor enthusiasts bags of tricks. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this thought pattern.

In Vermont, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has joined the Green Mountain Club, the Vermont Ski Areas Association and the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers to encourage the Leave No Trace ethic among backcountry enthusiasts.

Read about the initiative here.

OutdoorsVT 12-19-08

Just two days after Christmas, while most people will be tucked away safely in their beds, a group of dedicated bird watchers will be out in the cold on a day that could be, well, for the birds.

The 109th annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count began Dec. 14 and runs through Jan. 5.

Rutland County Audubon's 35th effort will be held Dec. 27, as local bird watchers join their state counterparts and those across the nation in for the longest-running wildlife census conducted.

Read about the annual bird census here.

OutdoorsVT 12-12-08

Killington is celebrating its birthday this weekend, and it's not just any old birthday.

It's the big five-oh.

For 50 years, skiers at Killington have hitched lifts to the top of the mountain and carved their way to the bottom.

Read about the festivities and details about Killington in this column.

OutdoorsVT 12-5-08

It's the holiday season and people are looking for gifts for the outdoor enthusiast on their list.

This list of Christmas ideas isn't the standard list with prices and where to get it.

This is a list of alternative ideas including local organizations memberships, the swag they sale, government agencies and gifts suggestions from those agencies.

Read where you can find innovative Christmas gift ideas here.

OutdoorsVT 11-28-08

With your turkey leftovers consider all the things we have to be thankful for as outdoor enthusiasts.

Much of what we have to be thankful for is here all the time, yet we take it for granted.

The list is long and varied.

Read the list here.

OutdoorsVT 11-21-08

There are many things to do in the area these days.

So, just because warm-weather fun has waned and winter hasn't quite arrived, take a look at a few local offerings to fill your time.

Read the roundup of events here.

Ghost Mountain Lion Seen in Mass.

In another case of people being told they didn't see what they thought they saw, several people in the town of Shirley, Mass., are being told they haven't seen a mountain lion.

This is despite the fact that several residents have seen what has been described as a mountain lion, including the town's public works director and the police chief.

Such stories are relatively common in these parts. Someone says they've seen a mountain lion and then describe the animal they saw as, well, a mountain lion.

But then a government agency steps in and tells everyone to relax, it was likely just a bobcat or another yellow Labrador retriever. -- 7-feet long with a round face and pointed ears.

A 7-foot-long bobcat! A round-faced, pointed-ears Labrador?

The reason the officials always snicker at the idea that someone might have seen a mountain lion is because "nobody has seen a mountain lion" -- at least that can be proven -- in so long most people in New England don't remember what they look like.

There has also not been any proof -- scat, hair, tracks, etc. -- found.

But there have been many mountain lions that have been seen, and evidence has been collected showing that the big cats are on the doorstep.

There weren't any wolves in Massachusetts either, until one was shot and killed by a rancher in March of 2008.

Eventually, someone will see a mountain lion, proof will be obtained, and state officials will believe them.

Or not.

OutdoorsVT 11-14-08

There is no shortage of reasons that hikers hit the trails in the fall.

The mild weather, lack of bugs, fewer people, even better views as the foliage thins and the landscape opens up.

But as is usually the case, for all the positives, there are negatives that have to be overcome in order to hike in the fall — particularly as the season heads downhill toward winter as we are now.

Safety becomes paramount. In addition to being in the backcountry during hunting season, the weather becomes a major concern.

To read about staying safe in the fall woods, read the full article here.

OutdoorsVT 11-7-08

During hunting season, hikers and backpackers need to take extra precautions when venturing into the woods.

While hunters are a safe group in general, there are incidents in which a hunter will misidentify a person as a game animal. The overwhelming number of these events are hunters on hunters.

But any time a hiker can make sure he doesn't look like a game animal, the better it will be for everyone.

Here are some tips for hikers and backpackers to help ensure everyone stays safe during hunting season.

Read the article here.

OutdoorsVT 10-31-08

Nov. 4, we're heading to the polls to choose a new leader for our country. Unfortunately, neither of these men have talked about issues near and dear to the hearts of outdoor enthusiasts across this country. The closest they have come is the clear difference the two have when it comes to gun control.

Fortunately, there is another party -- the Outdoor Party -- organized in the mind of someone tired of the same old tired party politics -- me.

Pull on your hip boots and wade into my final column about the Outdoor Party's run for the highest office in the land.

Read the column here.