Hunters for the Hungry

It is rare to ever catch a story about hunting in any mainstream media outlet, whether its television, newspapers, or even radio. When hunting does break into this territory however, it is almost always cast with a negative connotation, unless of course the great hunter (sarcasm) John Kerry takes to the woods during a presidential campaign. It seems that if hunting reaches the news reels it is due to a hunting accident, death, or claims that hunters are endangering animals. These pessimistic reports clearly undermine the overwhelming positives hunting produces. For instance, hunting is the most effective means for wildlife management, and hunters are the most active group of conservationists. Another story that I believe merits awareness is the amazing amounts of venison donated to the hungry of our nation each year.

Every hunting season hunters across the nation fill their freezers with deer meat, but they don’t stop there, they also help struggling Americans by providing them with this quality nutritious food. In my home state of Virginia alone, 405,340 pounds were contributed to the needy during the 2009 hunting season through the Hunters for the Hungry program. That is 1.6 million quarter pound servings of a 100 percent natural, low fat, high protein food source. The program requires hunters to drop deer off at processing locations, there the “professional processors skin, cut, wrap and freeze the meat.” Each deer carries an average cost of forty dollars to process. For a mature deer approximately fifty pounds can be harvested, working out to a cost of eighty cents per pound. The cost is covered completely through charity. It is not supported through any state funding. Once the meat is processed it is supplied at no cost to the needy of Virginia, through food banks and other nonprofit organizations. The Hunters for the Hungry program could produce more venison, but they lack sufficient funds to do so. The long term goal for the program “is to make 500,000 pounds of venison available to the hungry annually.” The potential is there for this program to reach and exceed these levels with proper financial support.

Virginia’s Hunters for the Hungry program was started in 1991 and represents the most successful of these programs, but hunters in other states are doing their part as well. Every state employs some form of a program for hunters to assist the needy, and hunters readily provide. Pennsylvania’s Hunters Sharing the Harvest program provided nearly 200,000 meals to the disadvantaged of their state this past season, and Tennessee hunters donated 71,348 pounds of venison. Numbers such as these can be found all across the United States. Yearly these programs are expanding and donations are increasing. We cannot depend on the mainstream media outlets to help these programs grow, instead we should do what we can to raise awareness and help provide these programs with what they need to mature.

New Article Coming Friday

I apologize for not posting in over a month. I have been very busy, and worse I have not had an opportunity to hunt. I will post a new article on Friday(2/19/10). I might also add another writer to the blog to help out. Please check back Friday, and I hope you enjoy the upcoming article.

Urban Fox

This past week I visited some family in Northern Virginia. Just before I departed to see them I received a predator mouth call that I had ordered in the mail. I couldn’t wait to try it out. The area I was visiting is in the suburbs and hunting is illegal. There is a large block of woods running adjacent to their property however, and in the past we had seen foxes there. So I brought the call along with me.

The neighbors might have found the squealing sound of a dying rabbit a little strange, but within five minutes of calling I spotted a large red fox trotting through the woods.

The call I’m using is Red River Bandit. I purchased it from redrivercalls.com. Aaron Glenn is a predator hunter and he has designed all the calls on this site. He has also posted videos that help show how he uses the calls successfully. The one I purchased is an open reed call. I have quickly learned it produces a very clear and loud sound with very little air pressure. Mouth calls I have used in the past have required a lot more air pressure to produce a similar sound.

The area I called, had no hunting pressure so the foxes are probably less skittish. Perhaps this is the reason one came in so quickly and during daylight hours. I cannot wait to try again in an area where hunting is permitted.

First Time Hunter: First Time Squirrel Hater

During the opening of late muzzleloader I had the opportunity of bringing a friend along who had never hunted before. Hunters should jump at the chance to pass on the tradition of hunting, to give outsiders of the sport an understanding of our hobby, our values, and grant them the opportunity to share in the enjoyment of hunting.

On this occasion I hunted alongside my friend in a stand that comfortably seats two. The anticipation and excitement of opening day was upon us. I had seen several does at this spot during general firearms; in fact I had seen a deer in shooting range every time I had hunted the stand. As luck would have it I only caught a glimpse of one deer way out of range during this particular morning. As my friend learned how patient hunters had to be he made an amusing observation, “I have never hated squirrels till now.”

Now I know this sounds as if he was growing to dislike nature, but I feel the opposite, and I believe most hunters would agree. This statement only displays a greater appreciation for the outdoors. Whitetail hunters focus on the slightest sounds and try to locate the perpetrator. It seems nine times out of ten, scratch that, 99 times out of a 100 a sound in the woods turns out to be made by a squirrel. You can quickly become frustrated with squirrels as they disappoint your anticipation of spotting something larger time and time again.

That afternoon there was still no action, except for squirrels of course. The next morning out I was sure we would see a deer. As the day drew on however our luck had not changed. New tactics were in order. My brother had been in a stand close by and we decided to see if he could jump something our way. Just as I had lost all hope for the drive he jumped a deer only a hundred yards from our stand. It had been bedded in thick brush and took off directly for our stand. I made the best deer sound I could as I passed the gun to my friend. The deer froze only fifteen yards away.

“All you have to do is pull the trigger.”

He did, and as the powder cleared the air we could see my friends first deer laying below. He was pumped, and I had a great sense of satisfaction from getting him one. My friend definitely enjoyed this experience and will never forget it. He will take with him a better understanding of hunting and a greater appreciation for the outdoors, even squirrels.

Christmas Ideas for Hunters

Christmas is fast approaching. As the clock winds down gift ideas can be hard to come by. As hunters we have a pretty good grasp on what other hunters want. This post is dedicated to helping each other in getting useful gifts for our fellow hunters, and maybe even strengthening our own wish list. I want to know what is one item that you use in the field that makes a difference in your hunts and might go overlooked. Please assist me by emailing us at hunthideout@gmail.com or simply commenting on the post.

My Item: backpack

Having a hunting tailored backpack is a huge assistance in the field. I am able to carry all my calls, binoculars, range finder, saw, clippers, camera, a blind, and any other odds and ends I might need. It makes for a much more comfortable hunt, and keeps me organized. This single item has made a huge difference for me while hunting, if you don’t use one you should consider investing in one.

Teenage Fad or Hunting Tool

During whitetail firearm season my brother and I attempted to implement a little technology into our hunts to help communicate. I have tried using walkie talkies in the past. I found them useful for putting on drives, but trying to remain as quiet as possible sitting in a stand and conversing with those things is not a combination I will try again. This time around my brother and I turned to texting with our cell phones to communicate during our hunts. Now I know many of you think of texting as a teenage fad and a strange concept all together, but I find it has many advantages for hunting purposes. Brief messages are all that need to be exchanged during a hunt. My brother and I were able to converse with each other without making any audible sounds to the surrounding wildlife. All of our words are typed and read quickly and quietly. By simply turning our cell phones on vibrate and keeping them in our jacket pockets this became possible. If you are going to attempt this strategy in your next hunt there are a few things you need to look out for. Be aware of the sun, a deer will easily spot the glare of the sun off a cell phone. Keep the phone covered if you can. Be careful in low light situations; better yet, don’t use the phone at all during these times. The illumination from your phone can give you away, and more importantly dusk and dawn is prime time to see deer, you should be focused and not fiddling around with your phone. Last tip: MAKE SURE YOUR PHONE IS ON VIBRATE. I don’t think a deer is going to mistake your ring tone for squirrel chatter, just a hunch. 

During one of our hunts my brother was in a stand overlooking a long field. At the far end of this field he could see deer cross and head down into the woods where my stand was located. Our text exchanges went like this.

(Brother 7:20am)- 4 does just crossed heading your way

(Brother 7:25am)- They just ran back across

(Me 7:25am)- Never saw them

(Brother 8:04am)- 6 point headed your way

(At this point I hear the six point coming and watch it in my binoculars cross in front of my stand and down into the creek bed. While still watching it I hear another deer coming from the opposite direction headed down towards the six. I spot the much larger buck and instead of sizing it up in my binoculars I chose the scope of my 30-06 instead.)

(Me 8:16am)- Down goes Frazier

After I had cleaned the buck I was able to ask my brother for assistance dragging it out of the woods by text without ruining his hunt. Now many of you might argue that a major aspect you enjoy about hunting is getting away from technology and getting to back to the basics. I completely understand and agree with this concept, but for me I was able to have a little more interaction with my brother which is a fair tradeoff for me.

There is no better time than now to launch this site. It is currently the heart of hunting season, and it is Thanksgiving week. Over the weekend I harvested a beautiful 11-point buck during a chance to hunt with my brother. It is moments like these that hunters cherish forever. For me it is what Thanksgiving is all about, the opportunity to spend time with family and friends out in the field, sharing the common interests of enjoying each other’s company, and the hope of bringing down some wild game. That is why I have started this site, because I know so many others share these common interests, and share my love of hunting.

This site will be dedicated to all hunting enthusiasts. My hope is for this to be outlet for hunters to enjoy the outdoors while they are stuck indoors, and to share hunting stories, tips, and in the general joy of the outdoors. Feel free to share at any time through comments or by emailing us at hunthideout@gmail.com. Please check back soon, as I plan to post some stories of hunting adventures from this upcoming week.