Team USA Shines at Paralympics : The Outdoor Wire

Team USA Shines at Paralympics : The Outdoor Wire

The first round is complete and TEAM USA is leading the way !  These men can get the arrow on target, something I am hoping to do this September on a few whitetail deer.

Shooting 2'' High

I went to the archery range yesterday evening and was surprised to see my crossbow was shooting 2'' high all of a sudden...

It was shooting great the last time out so maybe it was me.  I know I will be back at Falcon Archers and get it dialed in before doe season this September.

I was on a little bit of a slope so I was fighting gravity and my brace that holds the crossbow was a little unsteady... that may have added to the issue.

My brother is going to make me a small ramp from three 2 x 4's glued together.  This mini ramp will be 12'' long and allow me to drive one wheelchair tire up as needed, to level out while hunting in a ground blind this year.

something like this

Being level makes a huge difference when you have no trunk control, gravity sucks!

Zombies 2012, Are you ready?

Air Pistol 2012 Paralympic's

Eric Hollen Set to Compete in Air Pistol to Begin Paralympic Games : The Outdoor Wire

Good luck Eric Hollen and TEAM USA , as you compete for gold in this years Olympics ! I have two friends who won gold at the veterans games in air rifle this year in Pittsburgh Pa. It seems these wounded warriors can still put some lead on target down range.

"Hunting With Heroes" Sponsors Deer Hunts for Disabled Hunters : The Outdoor Wire

"Hunting With Heroes" Sponsors Deer Hunts for Disabled Hunters : The Outdoor Wire

Sounds like a great program in Ohio, good luck to all who get a chance to go after an Ohio whitetail !

GAME COMMISSION LOOKING INTO DEER DEATHS IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officers are investigating the cause of death for more than 35 white-tailed deer in Beaver and Cambria counties. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) is suspected.

Game Commission biologists recently submitted three samples for testing from deer found in Greene Township and Ohioville Borough in Beaver County (one male and one female), and Summerhill Township in Cambria County (one female) to the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia. The agency will continue to gather samples from other dead deer being found in other municipalities.  Due to decomposition, samples must be collected within 24 hours of the animal’s death for the samples to be viable.  Once the results are available, the Game Commission plans to release the findings to the public.

“While we must wait for test results to confirm just what caused these deer to die, at this time, we are suspecting that the deer died of EHD, based on field signs that we are seeing,” said Dr. Walter Cottrell, Game Commission wildlife veterinarian.  He noted that, earlier this month, EHD was confirmed in Oklahoma and Nebraska.

EHD is one of the most common diseases among white-tailed deer in the United States, and is contracted by the bite of insects called “biting midges.”  EHD usually kills the animal within five to 10 days, and is not spread from deer to deer.  While EHD is not infectious to humans, deer displaying severe symptoms of EHD may not be suitable for consumption.

Cottrell stressed that even though some EHD symptoms are similar to those of chronic wasting disease (CWD) – such as excessive drooling, unconsciousness and a loss of fear of humans – there is no relationship between EHD and CWD.

Cottrell also pointed out that EHD should be curtailed with the first hard frost, which will kill the insects that are spreading the disease.  He noted that EHD, unlike CWD, is a seasonal disease and the affected local deer herd can rebound quickly. 

“The good news from this situation is that the public is reporting these sightings to the Game Commission,” Cottrell said.  “Should the state’s deer herd be infected with more serious diseases, the Game Commission will need to rely on the continued vigilance of the public so that we can respond in a timely manner.”

Game Commission Southwest Region Director Pat Anderson is urging residents to report sightings of sickly-looking deer, particularly those found near water, by calling the Region Office at 724-238-9523.  The Southwest Region serves Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington and Westmoreland counties.  Residents in other counties are encouraged to contact their respective regions

NWTF Youth Calling Contest Sept 15th

Team DBR Bow Bash 2012

I want to thank everyone who came out to Rogersville park yesterday to support Team DBR and raise money for veterans and people with disabilities.

Several hunters will get to go on a once in a lifetime hunt this year thanks to your help !  I was not able to stay as long as I would have liked due to the heat.  But it was great to meet so many new friends !

Team Work

Being a hunter with a disability I rely on lots of people for assistance.  When I seen this photo today I had to post it.

Hunting solo can be fun but I enjoy getting out with family and friends.  Sharing the hunting experience together can be the best part of the hunt.  One man may not be able to change the world, but a Team, well that's a whole different story.

Crossbow Hunting Checklist

This is my generalized crossbow hunting list.  It changes by a few item's depending on where I hunt and for what...

1.      Bolts

2.      Brace for wheelchair

3.      Broadhead’s

4.      Cocking rope or crank

5.      Crossbow…duh

6.      Drag rope

7.      First aid kit  

8.      Flashlight

9.      Gloves, wet ones, zip ties, zip lock baggies

10.   GPS

11.   Ground blind

12.   Head net

13.   Knife

14.   License

15.   Lighter

16.   Range finder

17.   Scent eliminator

18.   String wax, rail lube

19.   Trigger activator

20.   Water bottle

Game Commission Announces Stocking Plans For 200,000 Pheasants

Game Commission Announces Stocking Plans For 200,000 Pheasants : The Outdoor Wire

The 110,090 males and 89,910 female pheasants to be stocked this year includes 15,000 birds for the junior-only season (Oct. 6-13) and 1,500 pheasants allocated for those clubs sponsoring mentored pheasant hunts for juniors on Oct. 6.

Thats great news for local pheasant hunters.

Edible Fire Starter

Edible Fire Starter, really?  You bet, and they taste great....

Toss a bag of Fritos corn chips in your bug out bag.  If you ever need to start a fire, just light a corn chip up with a match !  I have been using them while camping for years.  They work great as tinder and are safe around kids and pets...well sorta.

PFATA Outdoor State Championsh​ip - August 26, 2012

I wanted to send out this information to let everyone know that the PA Field and Target Archers (PFATA) Outdoor State Tournament will be held at Falcon Archers in Canonsburg, PA on August 26, 2012.  That’s only two weeks away folks.


For those of you not familiar with the organization, PFATA is the state affiliate of the National Field Archery Association (NFAA).  Each year PFATA conducts an Indoor and Outdoor State Tournament to meet our obligations as an affiliate organization of the NFAA. In past years, in accordance with NFAA rules, only PFATA and NFAA (or NAA/USAA) members were allowed to shoot in these tournaments.  But thanks to some hard work and efforts by our PFATA President/NFAA State Director, John Pawlowski, this rule was changed at the 2012 NFAA Board of Directors meeting in Las Vegas. 

As of June 1, 2012, anyone can participate in the Tournaments.  The only restriction is that if you are not a member, you can only participate and not compete for awards, titles or records.The purpose in allowing “Guest Participants” is to give the non-member a taste of what the NFAA/PFATA Tournament games are like, and hopefully, entice some of you to join the NFAA/PFATA.  NFAA/PFATA memberships will be available at the Tournament.  You can join at the Tournament and compete for the awards.  Or you can just participate for the experience.


The format of the Tournament is 14 Field Faces, 14 HunterFaces and 14 Animal Faces.  Registration starts at 9:00 AM and a shotgun start will ensue at 10:00 AM.  The registration fee is $20.00 for adult shooters and $10.00 for youth (17 years and younger).  Scores will be tabulated and awards presented at the conclusion of the Tournament.  Following the awards presentation, the Annual PFATA Members Meeting will be held. All members and potential members are encouraged to attend.


 The range will be open for practice on Saturday August 25, from 5:00 PM until it’s too dark to shoot.  PFATAand NFAA (or NAA/USAA) members planning to shoot Sunday’s Tournament may practice free of charge.  Any non-member may use the range for practice for the standard range fee.  This fee is $2.00 for Falcon Club members and$4.00 for non-Falcon members.


More information on NFAA can be found on the Web at www.fieldarchery.com.  PFATA can be found on the Web at www.pfata.net. More information about Falcon Archers can be found on the Web at http://falconarchers.hypermart.net.


If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  I hope to see many of you that I haven’t seen for a while out at the shoot.


Thanks,


Darrell Shipley
Falcon Archers President/PFATA VP

Public Shooting Range now Open

Last week the state Game Commission concluded the first stage of a $250,000 shooting range project with the opening of a new public handgun range on State Game Land 203 near Wexford Pa.

The project was financed by Pennsylvania hunter dollars from the agency's Game Fund and a $50,000 contribution from the National Rife Association.

Phase 2 of the project, the reconstruction of the game land's existing rifle range, is scheduled to get under way next year.

As per a 2001 regulation change, those who use Game Commission shooting ranges must be in possession of a valid hunting or furtaking license or a range use permit, which costs $30.

To access the new range from the I-79 Wexford exit, travel east on Route 910, turn left onto Mingo Road, drive 0.8 miles and turn left onto State Game Land Road. The shooting range's parking lot is one mile ahead on the right.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/hunting-fishing/outdoors-notebook-new-public-handgun-shooting-range-opens-in-allegheny-county-648619/#ixzz23KiDp9b8

PHD Whitetails by John E. Phillips

I started reading this on my kindle this week and love it.  If you are looking for a great read, give this a try.  I take hunting deer very seriously and so does the author of PHD Whitetails !

August PN Magazine

Pn Magazine (Paralyzed Veterans of America) did a very nice article about Accessible Hunter in this month's issue.  It's great that people are using this blog as a resource,  If you have a story, idea or suggestion please send it in.

Pa State Game Lands APP

The Pennsylvania State game commission recently came out with a game lands APP for $9.99.... I think I will save my money for now, what are your thoughts and opinions?

Description

This official Pennsylvania Game Commission application is GPS enabled and designed to provide outdoor enthusiasts with easy access to all of Pennsylvania's State Game Lands. Using your smartphone or tablet's built-in navigation features, it provides turn-by-turn directions to parking lots, shooting ranges and check stations and includes details on 2012-13 seasons and regulations for the destinations you select.

Using the internal map function, each destination can be viewed on a roadmap, with satellite imagery or in a hybrid view allowing you to identify the key features of the local area.

Simple menus allow you to search for State Game Lands by SGL number or WMU or to list State Game Lands closest to your present location. All results appear in distance order allowing you to find the nearest State Game Lands access no matter where you are.

Looking for State Game Lands beyond your current location? Just enter any Pennsylvania city into the search criteria to plan your next adventure. You can even save your favorite destinations for future use.

Use the "Report Your Harvest" feature to phone in or input your harvests and follow turn-by-turn directions to check stations.

The "Find Game Commission Facilities" feature provides turn-by-turn directions and contact information to Pennsylvania Game Commission offices and facilities

DPMS AR-15 5.56

With the recent shootings I am sure there will be new calls to ban "assault" rifles like this AR-15.  It's my opinion that this rifle is just like any other weapon, its an object....

The rifle is not the problem, it's the person behind the weapon we need to be aware of....  Increase funding for mental health services and counseling.  Try to identify the people at risk for this type of behavior and provide increased security.

If your state has a concealed carry law, get the proper training, spend the time at the range and get the license to protect your family and those around you.

PWD Bug Out Bag

What if you had only five minutes to grab whatever you could take from your home, and had to leave the rest of your belongings at home for several days or week’s…..

What would you take?

Let’s look at my Person With a Disability (PWD) Bug Out Bag. This bag (B.O.B. for short) is a collection of goods that you would need to survive if you had to flee your home with no guarantee of shelter, food or water during an emergency. Think of the B.O.B. as your survival insurance policy for any disaster situation.

Most people use either a backpack or a duffle bag as the container for their goods, which should include basic survival essentials and a few irreplaceable items. Any good B.O.B. should include a minimum of the following-with most things sealed in zip-top bags to prevent water damage:

• Necessary prescription meds that you need to live and a wheelchair charger !
• Shelter items like a backpacking tent and sleeping bag, or at least a 12x12’ tarp and blanket
• A couple quarts of drinking water, and purification equipment to disinfect more water
• High-calorie, no-cook foods like protein bars, peanut butter, trail mix, etc.
• First-aid, sanitation and hygiene supplies (extra catheters, gloves, ky, bed pads ect.)
• Fire starting methods, and a small pot to boil water or cook
• A few basic tools like a knife, some duct tape, plastic wire ties, rope, etc.
• Extra clothes appropriate to the season
• Flashlight with extra batteries, personal firearm, extra ammunition
• Cash, small bills $5, 10, 20’s

• A digital backup of all your important documents and family treasures. This could be a thumb drive with your bank info, insurance documents, wills, family photos and videos

I also keep portable wheelchair ramps in my van at all times. These ramps allow me to navigate 5 steps and a threshold step anywhere I need to go. A cell phone charger and 100’ extension cord are also available. If I need to, I can charge my wheelchair from my van. I keep a list of phone numbers in my glove box in case my cell phone crashes. I also try to keep my van with at least half a tank of gas at all times.

You could keep a B.O.B. by the front door, or even have multiple bags at home, at the office and in your car. This might seem like overkill, or even a little paranoid to some, but hey, just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean an emergency can’t happen.

 My Bag:

- 1 Book of matches

- 1 zippo Lighter

- 2 Carabiners

- 2 Zip Lock Bags (Cover w/ 100 mph tape)

- 50’ 550 cord

- Air force survival Knife

- Band Aids

- Canteen w/ Cup

- Catheters/kit

- Cotton Balls

- Emergency Space blanket

- Extra glasses

- Gauze

- Gerber Multi-Tool

- hand sanitizer

- Iodine

- Lip Balm (Carmex)

- Medication

- Motrin

- Neosporin

- Poncho & Poncho Liner

- Propane

- Sewing Kit

- small stove top

- SOG Tomahawk

- Surgical gloves

- Surgical Tape

- Tweezers

- USB important numbers, information

-4 glow sticks

-Backtracker GPS

-Emergency radio

-Headlamp extra batteries

-Q-tips

-tea bags, sugar, power bar, beef jerky

-tissues

DBR Bow Bash 2012

Come out and show your support for American Veterans on August 18th 2012!

Range Cards

I always want to be the best marksman that I can be, we owe it to the game animals we pursue. It takes a lot of practice to become a proficient shooter and it also takes having the right information.

Shooting is a science. Using a range card will not make you the next Carlos Hathcock but it will improve your shooting. Create a range card for each rifle you shoot and that specific round of ammunition.

This year when you are at the rifle range sighting in your rile, use your laser rangefinder in conjunction with your range card. Then when you get to the deer stand use the laser rangefinder again and compare the data. When the time comes to make that shot on your trophy animal, you should have all the data you need to make the shot.

Here is a excellent example of a range card in use.

Hunting with a Veteran in Pa

fyi...

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Game Commission officials, in partnership with the state chapters of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), are encouraging hunters to help veterans discover or rediscover the thrills and joys of hunting in Pennsylvania.

“This is an opportunity to do something special for the fine men and women who have served or continue to serve in America’s armed forces,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “Our armed forces have defended our country and the rights we enjoy for more than two centuries.”

In 2012, Veterans Day will be observed on Monday, Nov. 12, rather than the traditional Nov. 11, which falls on a Sunday this year. In recognition of this situation, the Board of Game Commissioners moved to extend this year’s archery deer season to include the Monday holiday, for which many Pennsylvanians will have the day off of work.

“Since that action was taken by our Board, the Game Commission is encouraging licensed hunters to serve as a volunteer guide for a veteran not only as part of the archery deer season, but for any of the lawful species that may be hunted on Veterans Day or throughout the 2012-13 seasons.”

Hunting seasons that are open on Nov. 12 include: archery deer; archery bear; fall turkey (in some Wildlife Management Units); squirrel; ruffed grouse; rabbit; pheasant; and various migratory game birds and furbearers.

The Game Commission offers several classifications of free or reduced fee licenses for resident active duty military, as well as former prisoners of war or disabled veterans.  For more information, go to the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), put your cursor over “HUNT/TRAP” in the menu bar under the banner at the top of the page, then put your cursor over “Licensing & Permits” in the drop-down menu listing and then click on “License Types.”

To recognize those who step up to serve as volunteer guides for a veteran, the Game Commission will conduct a drawing to present six framed fine-art wildlife prints. To be eligible for one of the prints, a participating hunter must submit a brief e-mail that outlines the name and address of the veteran taken afield, type of hunting taken part in, and county where the shared hunt took place. American Legion or VFW members who take another veteran hunting also should include their member number.

All participating hunters, including those not affiliated with the American Legion or VFW must send an e-mail to either dsandman@vfwpahq.org or hq@pa-legion.com.  A drawing will be held to select the six winners from all e-mails received by Dec. 31, 2012.

Hunters and veterans must meet licensing requirements and follow the laws and regulations that govern hunting in Pennsylvania.

To Connect with Wildlife, visit the Game Commission at the following:

Website: www.pgc.state.pa.us
Twitter: www.twitter.com/PAGameComm
YouTube: www.youtube.com/pagamecommission
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaGameCommission

2012 Pa Doe License

Just a reminder that round One of unsold antlerless deer applications go on sale Monday August 6. Make sure yours is ready to mail. Application & information: http://ow.ly/cDa0u