Tennessee residents have spoken. Yesterday (election day), Tennessean’s voted to amend the state constitution by saying “the citizens of this state shall have the personal right to hunt and fish”. The citizens of this state have always had the right to hunt and fish, this just reassures that we will always have this right. This is a big win for the different habitat and hunting organizations of this nation. I am really glad that the people of the state have spoken and that they believe we have the right to hunt. Did your state pass a consitutional amendment during the recent election?

Q: When hunting a field for pheasants, in which direction should you and your dog hunt?

A: Walk your dog into the wind so the scent of any birds ahead of him will be blown to him. Also, the wind will help mask the noise of your approach, allowing you to get closer. Walking into the wind will also likely force flushed birds to fly into the wind, making for an easier shot.

Q: If you want to get a walking or even running deer to stop so you can get a good shot at him, what should you do?

A: Whistle loudly. A hunter several years ago tells of a doe that came running straight at his stand in northern Minnesota at noon. He shot once and missed. The doe kept coming straight at him, but then turned to run around the stand. She was about to jump a fence and disappear into the woods when the hunter simply gave a loud whistle. The stopped in her tracks, affording an easy shot at about 40 yards!

On September 1st at 12:00 noon dove season officially opened in Tennessee. Unfortunately, I was unable to go hunting until the 4th. Every year my aunt and uncle host a family dove hunt on the first weekend of the season. This year all the family went to Wakefield Place and had good southern bbq for lunch then we headed to the field around 1. We didn’t have much luck that day, but the next day many people limited out. It is great to get all the family together and share our fondness for dove hunting. Do you dove hunt or do you and your family get together and go hunting?

Youth Hunting

Lifetime PF member, Brad Gustafson spends the day with son Alec, and dog Max, at Blonhaven Hunt Club, WI.

by Mark Herwig

Did you ever wonder why elk and antelope sometimes gather in big herds?

A few autumns ago I tagged along with a friend to learn how to hunt elk. His license was for the rugged wilderness south of Rawlins, Wyoming.

The night before, the high country where the elk, deer and antelope like to eat received a lot of snow, covering up their feed. In the morning, we found snow clogged roads and no elk.

We knew, however, that when it snows a lot, the animals have to migrate down to lower, snow-free range to eat. So, we headed off the mountain . . . and it wasn’t long before we found game. As we drove around a big hill on a lonely dirt trail, we spotted a huge herd of antelope walking fast down a broad, flat valley! But still, no elk.

The next day, we stayed low, but had to stop where the road was blocked by deep snow. So, we got out to walk. We didn’t go far before we spotted a big hill to the south that was covered with hundreds of elk! more…