July Deer Hunt

It was depradation time in July. It just doesn't seem right to hunt deer this time of the year.   Even the early morning at 4 AM  was hot. Out of the house by 5 AM and walking into the woods at 6 AM, I was covered in sweat.  Trying to find clothing the previous night that was not thermal, insulated, but dark in color was something difficult to find.  The mosquitoes were horrible and just seemed to be in clouds.  The buzzing was enough to drive a person crazy.  How did  Lewis and Clark deal with this when they came up the river?

The Thermacel Mosquito Repellent slowly did its job, and after about five minutes they left me alone.  The air was thick.  I could barely see through the timber as entering it became instantly dark under the canopy of leaves.  Finding a place to sit was not a problem.  Up against an old dead tree my head and shoulders just stood above the standing grass in the area I found.  I saw some shadows moving below me and in front of me along the deer run, but it was just too dark to shoot at anything without confirming what it was.  More than likely it was a deer.

As the sun came up behind the clouds, it provided just enough light to make out anything that moved.  And moved it did. Right in front of me, not more than twenty yards, a nice big doe moved quickly through the timber.  The gun was up, but I couldn't get a bead on her.  She was gone.  Ten minutes later, another doe appeared almost in the exact same place, but I failed to get a shot.  Their appearance was brief as they came into the timber.  I tried holding the gun to my shoulder, but that did not work.  I failed to bring a shooting stick to rest the rifle on.  That was a mistake to forget that piece of equipment.  At least I was seeing animals. 

The decision was made to move to a spot in the general area where I had better visibility rather than dealing with the fleeting glimpses I was getting.  That produced nothing.  By 7:30 the sun was high enough to provide adequate light below the canopy of the woods.  I moved up hill along the edge of the deer run.  My reasoning was if they moved along the run, I could get a good shot regardless of the direction they were heading.  By 8:30 nothing was produced, and I took off for location # 2.

It took about 30 minutes to get to the spot.  I faced northwest and the wind was right in my face.  This was great as I needed to cool off.  There was a downed tree that I sat on and another one just chest high that I laid the gun on.  Thirty yards inside the timber, the landowner said he had seen some deer traversing the area.  The land rose in front of me and then sloped down to the pasture on the opposite side.  I would be able to see animals as they crested the ridge.  The sun would be in their faces and behind mine.  It did not take long.

A young doe crested the ridge and came directly toward me.  She could not see me or wind me as the wind was in my face.  I took the shot and dropped the animal about fifteen yards from where I sat.  I did not move, but waited.  Not more than ninety seconds went by before a head peeked up over the ridge.  She saw nothing.  I sat and waited.  Deer are curious creatures.  The doe came up to the top of the ridge about 30 yards from my position.  She stood there looking toward my position at a 45 degree angle to me, and the shot was taken.  Number two was in the bag.  I waited some more, and then my phone rang.  It was the landowner and he said "Is that you doing all that shooting?"  "Of course", I replied, and added that we needed the loader to haul the deer to my truck.  He came immediately.

In 30 minutes both were field dressed and loaded into the back of my truck.  I headed to a quick shop for ice and then the locker plant. 

This was a great morning, and I drank at least a liter of water driving into Omaha.

Last February I bought a new scope for the rifle.  This gun will be the one I take to Wyoming in September for an Elk and Bear hunt with Bob Barlow of Barlow Outfitting.  Even though the scope had been sighted in, there is nothing like trying it out on a hunt to find out how it really works.  I was very pleased.  I was able to acquire the target immediately, and it gathered light well.  Follow this link to take a look at Bass Pro. Nikon Monarchâ„¢ Rifle Scope - 2.5-10x42 Nikoplex

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck. Hank




http://www.outdoorswithhank.com/    Look for us on Facebook  outdoorswithhank

Text 07/31/11

Depradation

The Missouri River flood, with water levels in excess of six feet above flood stage, has pushed deer and other animals out of the bottoms into the hills and in some cases the neighborhoods along the Missouri River.  Living less than a mile from the river, my wife and I vist the levee daily.  We have seen the river rising and flooding the ground from the levee to the river.  Rich in native timber, this ground is an outstanding habitat for wildlife.  Some are nice and some are not, but it is like a refuge along the river.  A farmer north of Omaha has timber, pasture, and cornfields on his ground just off the bottoms into the hills.   His ground now has a lot of deer that were not there before the flood.   He called and asked if I would come up and take some of the deer off of the ground.  This is prime turkey ground for me, and only one other person is allowed hunting privileges.   How can a person turn him down?  He was awarded depradation tags from the state of Nebraska after an inspection of his corn fields. With seven dollar a bushel corn and 225 to 250 bushels to the acre, how do you say no?  I said yes.

The first thing I did was to scout the ground.  The only time I've been on this farm was during early spring and late fall turkey season when the trees were bare and there was no foliage on the ground.  Having never seen the farm in the summer, it was decided a scouting expedition should be done to figure things out.  These are some of the questions I had in mind. 1. Are the deer running in the same general area as in the fall. 2. Are the deer runs visible. 3. Are the deer scattered or herded together.   Not knowing how to hunt the ground in July had me confused and concerned.

The first thing seen was the thick foliage on the edge of the forest.  Pathways used during the fall and spring were not visible.   In some cases, it was like a wall of green vines, leaves, and other greenery that blocked my path into the timber.  A machete would be needed to hack my way into the deeper standing woods.  Past this wall of shrubs, the timber opened up into a canopy with limited ground foliage, and I was able to move around as in the fall or spring.  Areas where deer had previously been hidden produced nothing and no signs (tracks and droppings). 

The second problem was the pastures on the edge of the woods.  The native grass was waist deep, and deer could just lay hidden and not move.  They would never be seen.  Stomping around in the pasture along the edge of the timber seemed to be noisy and counterproductive.

The third problem was the mosquitoes.  I thought I was going to be carried away.  They were terrible and seemed to come in swarms.  This was a big problem, because to sit, hide and stay motionless for long periods of time would not be possible.  This problem was overcome later after visiting the local Bass Pro Store.  The clerk led me to a product they were selling and I bought one right away.  On the front page of the website is a picture of this product.  Click on the pic or the following link to learn more.  
ThermaCell Mosquito Repellent - Olive Green  As I found out later, this really worked and kept me bug free.

Seeing lots of deer on the farm was not an issue.  They were there and in big numbers, but not in big groups.  No fawns were seen.   The landowner  was told a lot of fawns did not make it out of the flooding.  As the does were being pushed out, they moved just ahead of the water picking out high places which became quickly surrounded by water.  The fawns were overrun as the water rose.  Mother Nature supplies us with so much beauty with wildlife but this was her other side.

Checking with a local meat processor, they confirmed their company would take any deer on a depradation tag from Nebraska and donate the meat to one of the shelters.  With all this in mind, the plan was then laid on how to go at this project.

The first problem was the heat.  Therefore, it was decided to only  hunt early in the morning till about 10 AM.  That would give me time to harvest an animal or two, get it field dressed and be gone.   The meat processor told me to pack ice into the chest cavity and in the area of the hind quarter, and head to Omaha right away.  The mosquito problem would be solved with the Thermacell Mosquito Repellent.  I picked out three places to hunt.  The first was along a known run close to a stream on the edge of a cornfield.  I would be up on a bank looking down.  The second was again on the edge of the timber, but inside 30 yards, where I could look out into the pasture.  Traveling deer would stay in the shadows and move along the inside edge of the timber.  I found a good place to sit on a fallen tree with another right in front of me chest high.  It was like having a desk to lay the rifle on.  The third was 100 yards below the landowner's home on his lane.  On the edge of standing timber, I would be facing downhill.   Deer tracks showed a lot of traffic moving up and then crossing into another section of the farm. 

Read next week to see what happened.  Good hunting, good fishing and good luck.  Hank







If you have a great story with picture, e-mail them to me, and if published receive a $25.00 gift card to Bass Pro.

http://www.outdoorswithhank.com/, Look for us on Facebook, outdoorswithhank.

The Missouri River Flood of 2011

Pictures below show the devastation of the Missouri River flood along with the success that has taken place. The front page of the website provides some good views of how bad things became.  It was the middle of May when we first were given an indication of what was about to take place.  Living about two-thirds of a mile from the river, when authorities speak about a flood of "Biblical Proportions," we listened.  Going to the levee daily is not a big thing when you live so close you can walk right down to the new bridge across the river.  The state has so graciously provided a bike and a walking trail that runs along the "old South Omaha Bridge Road."  The old "South Omaha Bridge" was re-named some time ago as the Veterans Memorial Bridge, and the road referred to as the Veterans Memorial Highway.  Having lived here the majority of my life, a clear vision of the history for the area exists.

As of this writing, it appears the worst may be over.  The river has dropped almost a foot even with steady out flow from Gavins Point Dam.  The work that has taken place to maintain the levees has been outstanding and is still going on.  The levee west and south of our home had work going on around the clock.  It looked like daylight at night as the heavy equipment worked on the levee and the trucks came and went in an endless stream.  Pictures of some of the work are shown below. 

While our home is above the known flood plain, with the term "Biblical Proportions," it could mean a new flood plain was about to develop. The trips to the levee showed a slowly increasing water level.  At first the water was at the base of the levee.  There was no current here as there is nothing but standing timber to the west and to the river's edge.  The wildlife started moving out, and deer with fawns were plentiful in the fields just to our west.  A fox and her kits moved into a pile of timber along a road and provided some enertainment, and then they were gone.  Other creatures not so nice made their way out of the flooded area.  Fortunately for them and us, just east of the levee is standing timber and that remained dry. 

The water rose quickly as the Corp of Engineers raised the discharge level to 160,000 cubic feet per second.  It was not long and the water was just five feet below the top of the levee.  Seep water formed in spots behind the levee and this became a concern.  The fields to the south of us became totally flooded.  Then came a four inch rain.  That was an attention getter as it caused the river to rise.  As of this writing, it was reported that the Corp will slowly start lowering the discharge rate.  With the intense heat we are now experiencing, increased evaporation will help the situation.
With slowly falling water levels, everyone I know now feels confident the worst is over.

I had great response by posting the article by Joe Herring "The Purposeful Flooding of America's Heartland."  If you enjoyed the article, you can subscribe to future articles at his website http://www.readmorejoe.com/, and also read past articles. I have subscribed.








The first week of June.  The top of the levee is 10 feet above the level of the water at the base of the levee.  It is 1/4 mile to the river from this spot.  I have hiked the whole river bottom south of this point. 

Looking to the back side of the levee which would be east.  All of that is private ground flush with turkey and deer The original river channel is just inside the tree line and became a serious problem with seep water.



See if you can find the deer in the tall grass.  This is a drainage ditch just east of the levee.



The Missouri River at peak flood stage during the first week of July.  To the left is Iowa



Notice how high the river is at the same location compared to a few short weeks ago.  Also you can see the work that has gone on with the expanded roadway down the top of the levee.  The water here is about 5ive feet from the top of the levee.



Seep blanket just behind the levee.  You can compare the second picture to the one now to see how much work was done to keep the levee from breaching.



Levee straight south of the highway and looking northwest.  The field is totally flooded, but the seep blanket is plainly visible.



Looking west north west from the same position as above, the water here closer to the top of the levee. A farm house is to the left of the picture but not seen as only the roof was visible above the water. From this position on top of the levee to the river's edge is about a mile.

My fishing has been shut down as I have not wanted to leave our home for any length of time.  However a farmer needed help with invading deer.  He obtained depradation tags from the state after they examined his fields, and I have helped him thin the herd.  The meat goes to a processor in Omaha and is donated to the shelters.  The next several articles deal with hunting deer in the summer.   It is nothing like the fall and winter.

Sixty-five days to go and I will be in Wyoming on an Elk and Bear hunt with Bob Barlow of Barlow Outfitting (http://www.barlowoutfitting.com/).  It is time to start riding and get my backside in shape plus heavier workouts than I usually do.


Good fishing, good hunting, and good luck.







                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

The Purposeful Flooding of America's Heartland

Introduction

My duck hunting spot is probably under water right now as I type this posting.  Several deer stands and turkey hiding places are also under water.  I know one farmer that is asking the state for depradation tags to take the deer off of his land.  They are being pushed out of the bottoms into the hills along with a lot of other creatures, some not so nice.   With seven dollar a bushel corn, these people do not want to see their fields destroyed by the deer.  If he gets the tags, there is a processor in Omaha that will take the deer and give them to the shelters. 

Growing up in southwest Iowa and remembering the flood in the 50s, I am appalled we are having this problem.  I had thought all the dams up the Missouri River were for flood control and hydro electric power.  Apparently this is not the case.  The article below gives excellent insight as to the "why" of what is happening.  The article is reprinted from http://www.americanthinker.com/ with express permission of the author Joe Herring.  Mr. Herring lives in Bellvue, Nebraska.  He is a professional writer, and writes nationally on a wide range of subjects.  This article is an excellent read and I hope you find it as educational as I have.

The Purposeful Flooding of America's Heartland

By Joe Herring

The Missouri River basin encompasses a vast region in the central and west-central portion of our country. This river, our nation's longest, collects the melt from Rocky Mountain snowpack and the runoff from our continents' upper plains before joining the Mississippi river above St. Louis some 2,300 miles later. It is a mighty river, and dangerous.

Some sixty years ago, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) began the process of taming the Missouri by constructing a series of six dams. The idea was simple: massive dams at the top moderating flow to the smaller dams below, generating electricity while providing desperately needed control of the river's devastating floods.

The stable flow of water allowed for the construction of the concrete and earthen levees that protect more than 10 million people who reside and work within the river's reach. It allowed millions of acres of floodplain to become useful for farming and development. In fact, these uses were encouraged by our government, which took credit for the resulting economic boom. By nearly all measures, the project was a great success.

But after about thirty years of operation, as the environmentalist movement gained strength throughout the seventies and eighties, the Corps received a great deal of pressure to include some specific environmental concerns into their MWCM (Master Water Control Manual, the "bible" for the operation of the dam system). Preservation of habitat for at-risk bird and fish populations soon became a hot issue among the burgeoning environmental lobby. The pressure to satisfy the demands of these groups grew exponentially as politicians eagerly traded their common sense for "green" political support.

Things turned absurd from there. An idea to restore the nation's rivers to a natural (pre-dam) state swept through the environmental movement and their allies. Adherents enlisted the aid of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), asking for an updated "Biological Opinion" from the FWS that would make ecosystem restoration an "authorized purpose" of the dam system. The Clinton administration threw its support behind the change, officially shifting the priorities of the Missouri River dam system from flood control, facilitation of commercial traffic, and recreation to habitat restoration, wetlands preservation, and culturally sensitive and sustainable biodiversity.

Congress created a committee to advise the Corps on how best to balance these competing priorities. The Missouri River Recovery and Implementation Committee has seventy members. Only four represent interests other than environmentalism. The recommendations of the committee, as one might expect, have been somewhat less than evenhanded.

The Corps began to utilize the dam system to mimic the previous flow cycles of the original river, holding back large amounts of water upstream during the winter and early spring in order to release them rapidly as a "spring pulse." The water flows would then be restricted to facilitate a summer drawdown of stream levels. This new policy was highly disruptive to barge traffic and caused frequent localized flooding, but a multi-year drought masked the full impact of the dangerous risks the Corps was taking.

This year, despite more than double the usual amount of mountain and high plains snowpack (and the ever-present risk of strong spring storms), the true believers in the Corps have persisted in following the revised MWCM, recklessly endangering millions of residents downstream.

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt agrees, calling the management plan "flawed" and "poorly thought out." Sen. Blunt characterized the current flooding as "entirely preventable" and told reporters that he intends to force changes to the plan.

Perhaps tellingly, not everyone feels the same apprehension toward the imminent disaster.

Greg Pavelka, a wildlife biologist with the Corps of Engineers in Yankton, SD, told the Seattle Times that this event will leave the river in a "much more natural state than it has seen in decades," describing the epic flooding as a "prolonged headache for small towns and farmers along its path, but a boon for endangered species." He went on to say, "The former function of the river is being restored in this one-year event. In the short term, it could be detrimental, but in the long term it could be very beneficial."

At the time of this writing, the Corps is scrambling for political cover, repeatedly denying that it had any advance warning of the potential for this catastrophe. The official word is that everything was just fine until unexpectedly heavy spring rains pushed the system past the tipping point.

On February 3, 2011, a series of e-mails from Ft. Pierre SD Director of Public Works Brad Lawrence sounded the alarm loud and clear. In correspondence to the headquarters of the American Water Works Association in Washington, D.C., Lawrence warned that "the Corps of Engineers has failed thus far to evacuate enough water from the main stem reservoirs to meet normal runoff conditions. This year's runoff will be anything but normal."

In the same e-mail, he describes the consequences of the Corps failure to act as a "flood of biblical proportions." His e-mails were forwarded from Washington, D.C. to state emergency response coordinators nationwide. The Corps headquarters in Omaha, NE which is responsible for the Missouri river system, claims they heard no such warning from Lawrence or anyone else. Considering the wide distribution of this correspondence, and the likely reactions from officials in endangered states, their denials strain credulity.

Whether warned or not, the fact remains that had the Corps been true to its original mission of flood control, the dams would not have been full in preparation for a "spring pulse." The dams could further have easily handled the additional runoff without the need to inundate a sizeable chunk of nine states. The Corps admits in the MWCM that they deliberately embrace this risk each year in order to maximize their re-ordered priorities.

MWCM (Sec 7-07.2.6):

Releases at higher-than-normal rates early in the season that cannot be supported by runoff forecasting techniques is inconsistent with all System purposes other than flood control. All of the other authorized purposes depend upon the accumulation of water in the System rather than the availability of vacant storage space. [Emphasis added.]

Perhaps the environmentalists of the Corps grew tired of waiting decades to realize their dream of a "restored Missouri River." Perhaps these elements heard the warnings and saw in them an opportunity to force an immediate re-naturalization of the river via epic flood. At present, that is impossible to know, but to needlessly imperil the property, businesses, and lives of millions of people constitutes criminal negligence. Given the statements of Corps personnel, and the clear evidence of their mismanagement, the possibility that there is specific intent behind their failure to act must be investigated without delay.

In recent decades, many universities have steeped their Natural Sciences curriculum in the green tea of earth-activism, producing radically eco-centric graduates who naturally seek positions with the government agencies where they can best implement their theories. Today, many of these men and women have risen high in their fields, hiring fellow travelers to fill subordinate positions and creating a powerful echo chamber of radical environmentalist theory.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a victim/tool of the above-described process. The horrifying consequence is water rushing from the dams on the Missouri twice as fast as the highest previous releases on record. Floodgates that have not been opened in more than fifty years are in full operation, discharging water at a rate of 150,000 cubic feet per second toward millions of Americans downstream.

This is a mind-boggling rate of release. Consider that 150,000 cubic feet of water would fill a football field instantly to a depth of four feet. This amount of water, being released every second, will continue unabated for the next several months. The levees that protect the cities and towns downstream were constructed to handle the flow rates promised at the time of the dam's construction. None of these levees have ever been tested at these levels, yet they must hold back millions of acre-feet of floodwater for the entire summer without failing. In the flooding of 1993, more than a thousand levees failed. This year's event will be many orders of magnitude greater.

There are many well-publicized examples of absurd obeisance to the demands of radical environmentalists resulting in great economic harm. The Great Missouri River Flood of 2011 is shaping up to be another -- only this time, the price will likely be paid in lives lost as well as treasure. Ayn Rand said, "You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."

We need to begin the investigations immediately. It seems that it is sanity, and not the river, that needs to be restored.

My thanks to Mr. Herring for allowing me to share this excellent article.  Good hunting, good fishing and good luck.  Hank

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