tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1051623757436210452024-03-13T13:35:51.277-04:00Average Guy OutdoorsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-67358211957793940362020-02-19T22:34:00.000-05:002022-01-17T09:59:20.265-05:00Jurgen Blind Search<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jx_JTZxGV4I" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-67508827508862037932019-10-08T12:27:00.001-04:002022-01-17T09:59:30.720-05:00Tulla the GSP with a Dummy RetrieveTullamore Do with the retrieving dummy. Making the transition from balls to dummy without a hitch.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kSn2XhvoG48" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-27763021781273102652019-08-27T13:44:00.001-04:002022-01-17T09:59:42.019-05:00New Dogs, Old Dogs, Same Tricks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMBEzTA6lBM/XWU63xgxkjI/AAAAAAAANuc/RcLJpMEM6GsiYk4_bYhjwOWW53ILrQxMQCLcBGAs/s1600/Tulla_Jurgen_whoa_20190825_154514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMBEzTA6lBM/XWU63xgxkjI/AAAAAAAANuc/RcLJpMEM6GsiYk4_bYhjwOWW53ILrQxMQCLcBGAs/s400/Tulla_Jurgen_whoa_20190825_154514.jpg" width="400" height="225" data-original-width="1600" data-original-height="900" /></a></div>
My daughter recently joined the GSP family with Tullamore Dew (Tulla) found locally in Ohio but with a sire out of Willowcreek Kennels in Minnesota. Jurgen being too hard to pet when he's a couple of states away. If you've followed here, you've seen Jurgen in various stages <a href="http://averageguyoutdoors.blogspot.com/2014/02/meet-jurgen-von-stillwater.html">stacked on rock</a>s around the yard. This was their first time semi-free outside. Tulla has him all day on retrieving thrown balls for sure. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-46355059842643222522018-11-16T10:15:00.001-05:002018-11-16T10:19:22.080-05:00County Lines - Preserving Habitat and a Way of LifeGreat piece from a non-hunter, Renee Wilde on WYSO.org about some of the attraction of the upland.:
"When I first asked Ray if I could tag along with him today, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Although I don’t ever see myself picking up a gun, I have to admit that hiking around in the woods and fields, watching the dogs doing something that they were bred to do, and they obviously loved, was actually, really fun."
Next step, getting the author connected with Pheasants Forever.
You can read and hear the story here: <a href="https://www.wyso.org/post/bird-dogging-perfect-fit-sesquicentennial-farm">Bird Dogging A Perfect Fit For Sesquicentennial Farm</a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-63927175063063107162018-10-31T17:08:00.000-04:002018-11-16T10:08:51.371-05:00Dog BenefitsThis list could go on and on ... thanks @Orvis<br />
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<p><a href='http://www.orvis.com/the-real-benefits-of-having-a-dog'><img src='http://www.orvis.com/orvis_assets/corpimg/031516_dog-benefits-infographic.png' alt='Benefits of Having a Dog' width='550px' border='0' /></a></p><p><h2>The Benefits of Having a Dog Infographic: Developed by <a href="http://www.orvis.com" target="_blank">Orvis.</a></h2></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-68102286652581876542018-10-12T10:03:00.000-04:002018-10-12T10:03:10.168-04:00Our 1st Darby Plains Pheasants Forever Youth Pheasant Hunt<h2>
Presented by the Darby Plains Pheasants Forever Chapter #0956, ODNR Division of Wildlife, and The Madison County Fish and Game, Saturday, October 27, 2018</h2>
Pheasants Forever (PF) is a non-profit conservation organization, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of wildlife and habitat. PF believes that the pheasant, and all wildlife, can be appreciated and admired by hunters and non-hunters alike. Education is necessary to develop the ethical hunter and outdoorsman. Although nothing can replace good common sense, much of the knowledge, technique, and etiquette of hunting is not intuitive. Only through guidance and experience can the proper lessons be learned. Recognizing the need to provide young hunters with the appropriate hunting educational opportunities, the Darby Plains Pheasants Forever Chapter is presenting the 2018 Youth Pheasant Hunt on Saturday, October 27, 2018.<br />
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<h3>How Do I Sign Up?</h3><br />
If you have a son or daughter, or know of any young boys or girls, who would like to participate in the Youth Pheasant Hunt, please have them complete the attached application (make copies if you like) and mail to:<br />
Dean Retterer<br />
4977 Mumper Rd.<br />
Springfield, Ohio 45502<br />
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or e-mail Dean at gdretterer@gmail.com.<br />
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Spaces are limited ... Fill out your application and waiver forms; and returned to Dean Retterer. We will contact you when we receive your application. Then go to the Madison County Fish and Game, 4700 Deer Creek Lane, London, Ohio 43140 on October 27, at 8:00am for registration.<br />
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If you would like to mentor, guide, take pictures, or help serve food, or volunteer your time in any way, please call Dean Retterer @ 937-206-4111 or e-mail @ gdretterer@gmail.com.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZffawonFlpVuTqDnAgGl-YKfg0A3DWd8/view?usp=sharing">Download</a> the PDF with registration and volunteer information to participate ... space is limited! <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZffawonFlpVuTqDnAgGl-YKfg0A3DWd8/view?usp=sharing">REGISTER NOW</a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-13194749534028598592018-08-17T08:00:00.000-04:002018-08-17T08:00:07.588-04:00New Sights - Thirteen Lined Ground SquirrelI've seen them in books, but never actually seen one live ... until this one wandered in. I redirected him back across the road and into a more appropriate habitat. Adding that to a list of first sightings this year, along with a weasel. Sorry, no video or photo of that one.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-70384975591743489322018-02-02T09:38:00.003-05:002018-02-19T14:07:55.544-05:00The Final Gun<h2>
<b>Think you know how Super Bowl VI ended? You're Probably Wrong.</b></h2>
If you're a sports buff, you probably think <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_VI#Officials" target="_blank">the game</a> ended 24-3 in favor of the Dallas Cowboys. That part isn't disputed. But what actually ended the game was the final gun. That's right, not a buzzer. Not a whistle. Not a horn. Up until the 1980's, a gunshot from officials marked the end. And more specifically, it might have been this revolver that signaled the actual end of that game. Maybe. Trying to confirm that.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-60_N6RXnxCQ/WnNJTkhqIQI/AAAAAAAAEoQ/KUL3Npa3g8U72fdnvkCsdY997AS5RZ9vQCLcBGAs/s1600/20180124_192843%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-60_N6RXnxCQ/WnNJTkhqIQI/AAAAAAAAEoQ/KUL3Npa3g8U72fdnvkCsdY997AS5RZ9vQCLcBGAs/s640/20180124_192843%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">It's a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%26R_Firearms" target="_blank">Harrington & Richardson .38 S&W </a>double-action revolver carried by my grandfather who was the back judge (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_VI#Officials" target="_blank">Ralph Vandenberg, #47</a>) during that game. How times have changed! You might expect a traditional starter's pistol since only blanks would be used. Evidently, the NFL left the decision to the official's discretion. While it's not as powerful as the .38 Special, it is a 200g bullet coming out of a rifled barrel with more than <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_S%26W" target="_blank">150 ft. lbs of energy</a>. It was a common caliber in the first half of the last century and the blanks give a much more authoritative report than a .22 or crimped shell for sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;">I know because the fall of 2017 was a miserable bird season, due to my unpreparedness. I wanted to make sure tha</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">t </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://averageguyoutdoors.blogspot.com/2017/04/frog-pointer.html">Jürgen</a> didn't forget his association of gunfire </span><a href="https://averageguyoutdoors.blogspot.com/2017/04/frog-pointer.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">with good things</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It was around and we had some shells, so what the heck. He hasn't forgotten the association, but it's louder than I think is appropriate for a neighborhood backyard.</span></span><br />
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On Super Bowl Sunday this year I'll be watching NFL Films of the game from '72. Maybe I can determine if he was carrying this revolver on the field for that game, which would make it even more special.<br />
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UPDATE: To end the 3rd quarter, the announcer, , counts down the seconds and states "there's the gun, which is distinctly heard here. However, it's offscreen and it's impossible to tell the actual direction or who fired the shot. So it can neither be confirmed nor denied at this point.
<a href="https://youtu.be/Aw2CiGXmTgg?t=1h9m46s">https://youtu.be/Aw2CiGXmTgg?t=1h9m46s</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-36237269205027689872018-01-22T12:40:00.000-05:002018-03-13T10:35:14.687-04:00The Habitat Organization is Growing in Ohio<div class="p1">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PS7tb6kk1d4/WmYf2V-Q8VI/AAAAAAAAEkE/s131XjuOMBcMmw49Z-g7Vve-gEzR_9SFACLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B12.29.53%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="920" height="337" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PS7tb6kk1d4/WmYf2V-Q8VI/AAAAAAAAEkE/s131XjuOMBcMmw49Z-g7Vve-gEzR_9SFACLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2018-01-22%2Bat%2B12.29.53%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pheasants Forever Darby Plains Chapter</span></b></h1>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.</span></strong></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How do we achieve this mission across more than 45 U.S. states and parts of Canada? Through the dedicated efforts of our:</span></span></strong></span></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #212121; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 35px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">149,000 members</span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Diverse staff – including more than 100 wildlife biologists</span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Local chapters </span><span style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">– more than 700</span></span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Many non-governmental, governmental, nonprofit and corporate partners</span></span></li>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tRsC01iA7e4/WqfeD8EfNrI/AAAAAAAAFCM/law6O641WLAnpAY7qC7MuKi8uzsTOaU1ACLcBGAs/s1600/PFpiechart2017.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tRsC01iA7e4/WqfeD8EfNrI/AAAAAAAAFCM/law6O641WLAnpAY7qC7MuKi8uzsTOaU1ACLcBGAs/s1600/PFpiechart2017.png" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The sum of these parts has made Pheasants Forever the recognizable leader in wildlife habitat projects accomplished and the leading advocate for wildlife habitat conservation. </span>Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $708 million on 517,000 habitat projects benefiting 15.8 million acres nationwide, including thousands in Ohio. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms""><b><h1>First Darby Plains Chapter 956 Banquet </b></h1></span>
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><h1>Saturday, March 31st, 2018</span></h1></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Doors open @ 5:30pm at the </span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Madison+County+Fairgrounds/@39.8970649,-83.4468445,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xe14f6d0b0edc49f4?sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil6K26wOnZAhWJ21MKHT87Av0Q_BIIrAEwCg" target="_blank">Madison County Fairgrounds</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Join us for an evening of Food, Games, Prizes, Raffles, and Auctions. Proceeds stay with the <a href="https://www.pheasantsforever.org/getdoc/5dee6cc7-d6ca-475c-aa05-6195cdcd1942/Unique-Model.aspx" target="_blank">local chapter</a> and go where it's needed most as determined by local members. This helps to give Pheasants Forever a <a href="https://www.pheasantsforever.org/Newsroom/2014-December/Charity-Navigator-Names-Pheasants-Forever-4-Star-C.aspx" target="_blank">Four Star rating with Charity Navigator</a>.</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Single Ticket $50.00</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Couples Ticket $75.00</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Youth Ticket $15.00 </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">*All tickets include dinner and 1 membership ($35 value), youth ticket includes youth membership*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Registration qualifies for a special early bird raffle if submitted by March 15st.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">For information or questions contact:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Mike Retterer @ 937-631-1064 <a href="mailto:mretterer@pheasantsforever.org">mretterer@pheasantsforever.org</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">or John Howard @ 937-631-5202 <a href="mailto:jhoward2762@gmail.com">jhoward2762@gmail.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:jhoward2762@gmail.com"><br /></a> </span><br />
<a href="mailto:jhoward2762@gmail.com"><br /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-82184851787317413662018-01-09T10:46:00.004-05:002018-10-25T10:35:37.112-04:00Tall Grass Prairies, Water, and Flood Control<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PqkaT4Gurc/WlTjxIY_P1I/AAAAAAAAEgM/ZqzJQ_iR6SQI4rTPraGAfbmVgqJ1EflbQCLcBGAs/s1600/Katy%2Bprairie%2Bflood%2Bretention.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5PqkaT4Gurc/WlTjxIY_P1I/AAAAAAAAEgM/ZqzJQ_iR6SQI4rTPraGAfbmVgqJ1EflbQCLcBGAs/s640/Katy%2Bprairie%2Bflood%2Bretention.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/09/26/237517/will-the-katy-prairie-save-houston-homes-from-flooding/</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You could say that nobody predicted Hurricane Harvey, but the flooding in Houston, has been a known issue. In fact prior to 2017, "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16px;">Houston has more casualties and property loss from floods than any other locality in the US." And they're going to keep that unwanted distinction for some time. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This article appeared this June, months before Harvey: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span> <i><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/16/texas-flooding-houston-climate-change-disaster?CMP=share_btn_tw" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Houston fears climate change will cause catastrophic flooding: 'It's not if, it's when'</span></a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And this years before: </span></div>
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<a href="https://usa.streetsblog.org/2011/04/28/third-houston-outerbelt-would-turn-prairies-into-texas-toast/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Third Houston Outerbelt Would Turn Prairies Into Texas Toast</span></i></a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While in the end, Harvey was well beyond the scope of even the most hyperbolic weathercaster, the fact remains that many of the issues were known beforehand. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGKzqn1h5YY/WlTiqmQOWrI/AAAAAAAAEgE/7XEFcl2eC0g3Y1QUYO2JjnP44kamZcrrwCLcBGAs/s1600/parkway-prairie-325x294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="Houston, Katy Prairies and flooding" border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="325" height="288" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGKzqn1h5YY/WlTiqmQOWrI/AAAAAAAAEgE/7XEFcl2eC0g3Y1QUYO2JjnP44kamZcrrwCLcBGAs/s320/parkway-prairie-325x294.jpg" title="" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.houstontomorrow.org/livability/story/sierra-club-files-suit-against-grand-parkway/##Houston</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">We may not be able to stop flo</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "guardian text egyptian web" , "georgia" , serif;">oding but we ought to be able to better manage it,” said Mary Anne Piacentini, the executive director. “Our grasses are great water-holding reservoirs. Initial studies that we were doing with the Harris County Flood Control District show that our prairie grasses can hold up to about 8in of water.”</span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1rem; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Her colleague, Wesley Newman, likens tallgrass prairies to an upside-down rainforest: the grass can grow to 6ft to 8ft above ground and two or three times as much below. “We’ve come to realise that the grassland, the tall grass prairie, is maybe even more important than the wetlands,” Piacentini said. “The more that we can restore, the more likely it is that we will be able to increase the water-holding capacity of what we do, and that affects directly downstream Houston.”</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> It turns out that natural spaces do more than restore the soul, but can protect our lives. Flood control is just one of the ways. I firmly believe that the way to smart conservation is through the water. Eventually, between the algae blooms and floods, people will have to pay attention. At least one hopes. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-41967506355384679162017-07-29T07:30:00.000-04:002017-08-07T13:58:35.454-04:00Matching Birds to the Habitat<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n9RICMPEZrM/WXtBXIVSaiI/AAAAAAAACn4/Jzchc0PEAesow7KxXzf36nJEGF5i_meOACLcBGAs/s1600/15-6-10-%252C2%252Craising-partridges%252C-the-poultry-site%252Cshutterstock_109777832-a-covey-of-Hungarian-Partridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Hungarian Patridge Ohio" border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="500" height="271" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n9RICMPEZrM/WXtBXIVSaiI/AAAAAAAACn4/Jzchc0PEAesow7KxXzf36nJEGF5i_meOACLcBGAs/s400/15-6-10-%252C2%252Craising-partridges%252C-the-poultry-site%252Cshutterstock_109777832-a-covey-of-Hungarian-Partridge.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/3468/how-to-get-into-partridge-production/</td></tr>
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Climate change debates aside, the environment has changed radically in the last 150 years in North America when immigrant species arrive. The first of these and most disruptive are obviously humans. From farming to controlling fires to altering river beds the impact can't be ignored. In Ohio, and western Ohio specifically, a change was profound and impacted a number of game birds.<br />
<br />
This is taken from the <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.624.2406&rep=rep1&type=pdf">Ohio Journal of Science</a>, March 1956. "Ohio was originally 95 percent forested. Today a relatively small percentage of the state is in forest. This drastic change in landscape naturally affects the game of the state. The wild turkey and prairie chicken disappeared; the ruffed grouse became scarce and is presently restricted to southeastern and eastern Ohio; the bobwhite quail expanded its range, and none of the prairie grouse immigrated from the west into the newly created open lands of Ohio."<br />
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The turkey has obviously made a comeback, while ruffed grouse have decidedly not. Habitat plays the deciding factor, but that's not the complete story. If anybody is left that Regals in the glories of bobwhite quail hunting in the old days, they should know the actual truth: "The bob white quail is close to its northern limit in Ohio; it has never consistently occurred in large numbers in this state, and it has been protected from hunting since 1912."<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Hungarian Partridge in Ohio</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LthmcB3TJBE/WYip0iSaGoI/AAAAAAAACsQ/mKYk7SQg-TMQmLnddoeId2JKwKDhac8RgCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-08-07%2Bat%2B1.55.53%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="496" height="207" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LthmcB3TJBE/WYip0iSaGoI/AAAAAAAACsQ/mKYk7SQg-TMQmLnddoeId2JKwKDhac8RgCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-08-07%2Bat%2B1.55.53%2BPM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The solution then was the introduction of non-native species that adapt to the habitat. Specifically ring-necked pheasants and Hungarian partridge. The ring-necked proved adaptable and became well-established and self-sustaining. Covey Hungarian did for a time, then dropped off. They seem to thrive in the west on big spaces. It would be interesting to see how they could adapt to the modern farming practices today around western Ohio that create huge expanses of open spaces.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwdgIGpXSg4/WXs_LsXGhNI/AAAAAAAACns/cFDwLCTHQ0wJC0yb6fW-zjCyj_H83Hw9gCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-28%2Bat%2B9.41.40%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="805" height="273" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cwdgIGpXSg4/WXs_LsXGhNI/AAAAAAAACns/cFDwLCTHQ0wJC0yb6fW-zjCyj_H83Hw9gCLcBGAs/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-07-28%2Bat%2B9.41.40%2BAM.png" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Read the complete study here: <a href="http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.624.2406&rep=rep1&type=pdf">http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.624.2406&rep=rep1&type=pdf</a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-86132990254917528952017-04-19T10:36:00.000-04:002022-01-17T10:00:00.615-05:00Frog PointerAfter three years in the yard, Jurgen has suddenly become interested in frogs for some reason. Pointing obviously too close, but with a headlamp, he might be useful. Then again, probably not. <br />
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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dmggbbrz09Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-6464563504794095482017-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:002017-03-10T08:00:13.290-05:00Cicadas BuffettLast spring in Eastern Ohio marked one of the largest regular cicada hatches, the Brood V 17 year hatch. While at the time it made for an ever-present din for a few weeks, the long-term effect is on other wildlife.<br />
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From bass to opossums to turkeys, the cicadas create a veritable smorgasbord in life and death. This is especially beneficial for young of the year. Translation, the next couple of years should provide excellent turkey populations. With luck, and where I am most interested, is it can help our struggling grouse populations at all. They <a href="http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/season-forecasts-2016#.WL78HxIrI60" target="_blank">really need it</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Dx8fvfvVmw/WL78g5xEkSI/AAAAAAAAA5s/th9cJc0zv3YJY4Nxn7-UMez4pYL4FAqtgCLcB/s1600/OH%2BRangewide%2BRUGR%2BDrumming%2BIndex%2B1972-2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Dx8fvfvVmw/WL78g5xEkSI/AAAAAAAAA5s/th9cJc0zv3YJY4Nxn7-UMez4pYL4FAqtgCLcB/s320/OH%2BRangewide%2BRUGR%2BDrumming%2BIndex%2B1972-2016.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From: http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/UserFiles/Image/spotlightnod/forecast2016/OH%20Rangewide%20RUGR%20Drumming%20Index%201972-2016.png </td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cicada Lifecycle
</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b> What Brood V Looked Like in Ohio
</b></span><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SypxLcqjJbk" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-39048852213043867832017-03-03T12:27:00.000-05:002017-03-03T12:27:02.617-05:00Most Challenging Gamebird ...<br />
Turkeys aren't as bright as crows, that's understood. But they do adhere to strict hierarchies. That makes me curious about the thought processes from the leader to the lowest member with this behavior.<br />
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<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
These turkeys trying to give this cat its 10th life <a href="https://t.co/VBM7t4MZYr">pic.twitter.com/VBM7t4MZYr</a></div>
— J... (@TheReal_JDavis) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheReal_JDavis/status/837301561500057605">March 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<br />
Found via: http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/strange-turkeys-circle-dead-cat?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=atlas-page<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-60477427637385993262017-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:002017-02-08T09:00:22.749-05:00Sportsmen—Hang On To Public Land Access<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #272727; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">Public lands are unique to America and make America unique. It was because of the foresight of a previous generation of leaders, Muir and T. Roosevelt, that we have these opportunities today. They faced many of the same challenges we face today, from the same factions with the same dialog. They're back again and will try to move quickly and disguise what is actually happening. Don't be fooled. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #272727; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #272727; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">From the group leading the charge, the <a href="http://www.trcp.org/mission/" target="_blank">Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership</a>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #272727; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #272727; font-family: , sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">"In 1912, Roosevelt said, “There can be no greater issue than that of conservation in this country.” While in the political arena, he succeeded in making conservation a top-tier national issue. T.R. had the foresight to address these issues still so significant to sportsmen today, understanding that if we want to safeguard critical habitat, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations, we must plan carefully today."</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ekv996IhjLM" width="650"></iframe><br />
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<a href="http://www.trcp.org/mission/">http://www.trcp.org/mission/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-2867254219599576362017-02-07T10:07:00.000-05:002017-02-07T15:37:07.268-05:00Turns Out, Common Ground is Common Ground – Trump and Non-Trump Voters Agree <h3>
</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YcwBpmCnzWA/WJovd2Ix7uI/AAAAAAAAA40/GdSv6uqPpwkLXBgFXc0y2B7Y7WjUQVWGACLcB/s1600/yellowstone_ecosystem_montana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="trump and non-trump voters agree on public land" border="0" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YcwBpmCnzWA/WJovd2Ix7uI/AAAAAAAAA40/GdSv6uqPpwkLXBgFXc0y2B7Y7WjUQVWGACLcB/s320/yellowstone_ecosystem_montana.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madison County, Montana (Creative Commons license)</td></tr>
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<div>
You suspected it might be true, but now there's proof. Article excerpted in it's entirety, access the complete article here: <a href="http://www.rgj.com/story/life/outdoors/recreation/2017/01/31/poll-trump-and-non-trump-voters-agree-public-lands/97307654/">http://www.rgj.com/story/life/outdoors/recreation/2017/01/31/poll-trump-and-non-trump-voters-agree-public-lands/97307654/</a></div>
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<h3>
<i>"Respondents in western states want land protected, access for recreation, oppose increased fossil fuel development </i></h3>
<br />
Updated to include response from Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev.<br />
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If bitter political fighting is tearing your Facebook feed apart at the seams, take heart. There’s at least one issue that does more to unite than divide voters in the western United States; public lands.<br />
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Polling from seven western states shows Democrats, Republicans and independent voters have similar interests when it comes to federally managed public land. The poll, conducted through the Colorado College State of the Rockies project and led by Democratic and Republican consultants, measured the attitudes of voters in Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. And the results showed that, despite the volume of political vitriol on social media, most people who responded want the same thing.<br />
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“The overwhelming sentiment voters are expressing is wanting to protect and preserve public lands,” said David Metz, the Democratic pollster on the project.<br />
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“It was more striking where we saw agreement than where we saw big differences,” Republican pollster Lori Weigel said."<br />
<br />
Read the complete article here:<br />
<a href="http://www.rgj.com/story/life/outdoors/recreation/2017/01/31/poll-trump-and-non-trump-voters-agree-public-lands/97307654/">http://www.rgj.com/story/life/outdoors/recreation/2017/01/31/poll-trump-and-non-trump-voters-agree-public-lands/97307654/</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-80422496611394164342017-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:002022-01-17T10:00:10.150-05:00Monarch Rising in the North<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In many respects, the Monarch Butterfly is the canary in the coal mine for North American prairies. They are species with an amazing life story that relies on a variety of interdependent connections throughout its migration. But at the end of the day, they are dependent on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias" target="_blank">Milkweed</a>. Because of that, gaps in prairie conditions (the same gaps that can lead to trapped and zombie populations of other native species – can be especially trying for Monarchs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ezutVJUSANg/WH-H2ti1l1I/AAAAAAAAA4U/7hQsvOEJqbYlqBGjsbjJqWQL3DkAH6MnACLcB/s1600/IMG_1417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ezutVJUSANg/WH-H2ti1l1I/AAAAAAAAA4U/7hQsvOEJqbYlqBGjsbjJqWQL3DkAH6MnACLcB/s400/IMG_1417.JPG" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The great swaths of tall grass prairie are few and far between. Milkweed has been cursed as a weed. Clean farming techniques have wiped out ditches and "dirty" fencerows that used to at least harbor pockets of the necessary plant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's what lead this group, <a href="http://www.monarchrising.com/" target="_blank">Monarch Rising</a>, in Fitchburg, WI to take action.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From their website:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Rooted in Fitchburg, WI, Monarch Rising is a public effort and awareness to keep Monarch Butterflies from becoming extinct. </span><br />
<div class="paragraph" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px auto 2em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Goals:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Increase awareness</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Plant Milkweed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Create Monarch way-stations"</span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.75; margin: 0px auto 2em; word-wrap: break-word;">
<div style="color: #333333;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes, it really is that simple to do good for a species as the second bullet: "plant milkweed." To that end, their site even makes it possible to <a href="http://www.monarchrising.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html" target="_blank">buy Milkweed seeds</a> to start your own Monarch way-station. That will benefit all pollinators, upland prairie species, and the entire ecosystems that depend on them. That includes us.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can learn more through these links:</span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.4px;"><a href="http://www.monarchrising.com/">http://www.monarchrising.com/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.4px;"><a href="http://www.monarchwatch.org/">http://www.monarchwatch.org/</a></span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-25846743324103224692016-10-20T08:00:00.000-04:002016-10-20T08:00:00.543-04:00Great News for Ohio Bobwhites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lo_GwvY3o_4/TYo1ooM8FuI/AAAAAAAAAIE/JipI_o3CNVoOg2MofDsjLq9xAsaMBwv4gCPcB/s1600/Quail_head_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lo_GwvY3o_4/TYo1ooM8FuI/AAAAAAAAAIE/JipI_o3CNVoOg2MofDsjLq9xAsaMBwv4gCPcB/s320/Quail_head_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Bobwhite Quail might be native to much of the country, but they haven't had an easy time lately. The problem is almost 100% habitat related. But there might me help from what many might consider an unlikely benefactor for small animals: roadways.
There are several programs underway that should benefit Bobwhites and other upland animals with minimal impact.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Buckeye Sportsman Podcast Roadways Projects</b>
ODNR Pheasant Biologist Mark Wiley talks Pheasant hunting and Attorney Jack Moser discusses legal issues facing Ohio Outdoorsmen.<br />
<b>Listen: </b> <a href="http://buckeyesportsman.net/2015/12/dec-19-2016/" target="_blank">http://buckeyesportsman.net/2015/12/dec-19-2016/ </a><br />
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<br />
<b>OHIO TAKES ACTION FOR BOBWHITE QUAIL WITH FIRST QUAIL FOCUS AREA IN HIGHLAND COUNTY
</b>Bobwhite quail—a native species, as well as a current species of concern in Ohio—have a brighter future in the state after a successful landowner meeting established Ohio’s first-ever quail focus area. Forty-two landowners attended the meeting, voting to name the 9,930-acre, 10-year focus area the Fallsville Quail Heritage Area. Quail habitat restoration will be the focus of the area, which is located in Highland County, just north of Hillsboro.<br />
<b>Read more:</b> <a href="https://quailforever.org/Newsroom-(1)/2015-April/Ohio-Takes-Action-for-Bobwhite-Quail-with-First-Qu.aspx" target="_blank">https://quailforever.org/Newsroom-(1)/2015-April/Ohio-Takes-Action-for-Bobwhite-Quail-with-First-Qu.aspx </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-11579456771380702842016-10-18T15:20:00.001-04:002022-01-17T10:00:18.593-05:00Slow Motion ShorthairSomehow managed to catch two chipmunks at the same time in a live trap. Jurgen was really interested in that ...
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VbVpJMmpfac" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-8161602373642679562016-04-18T15:36:00.000-04:002016-04-18T15:36:00.363-04:00New Rural ActionPick your site: coal pile or deer carcass? If you want to catch wildlife on video in a reclaimed area, it seems both can be a good draw. With some work.<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2016/04/10/1-wildlife-making-comeback-on-reclaimed-mine-lands.html#" target="_blank">this article</a> in the Columbus Dispatch:<br />
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"With a pH level of 4.5 when the cleanup started two decades ago, 'Monday Creek was comparable to vinegar,' Schlater said.</div>
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Aquatic wildlife has increased since then, from four fish species to 35 species today, including seven types of darters, and large-mouth, small-mouth and spotted bass. 'This shows that water quality is improving significantly,' Schlater said."</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-43703898076803328262016-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:002017-03-07T12:12:46.990-05:00Timberdoodle Dancing<h3>
<b>Peeenntt</b> </h3>
Nature's mysteries are all around us, and many don't know it. Consider the American Woodcock. It is widely distributed in the Midwest, but because it is often active at night and migratory, most have never seen one. However, late February through March in Ohio are the perfect time. This is when the males perform their courtship dance at dusk. Find an open area with successional brush and marshy or soft ground. Listen for a distinctive "peeentt" sound (you can hear it in the video below). Then watch for the bird to take flight, circling and climbing until it corkscrews back to earth. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="343" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xxb95xTZTeA" width="610"></iframe><br />
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It's also, if you're interested, a great time to scout for these birds for the fall seasons. And a great excuse to get outside. You can even follow their migration live via <a href="http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/woodcockmigration#.VugOJ-mKR9W" target="_blank">satellite tags</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-8503740023847753012015-08-04T09:00:00.000-04:002017-08-07T13:58:58.501-04:00So Fetch!Part of a GSP's repertoire has to be retrieving - and retrieving from water. And it is hardwired into them. In a thoughtless, bone-headed dog owner move, I casually threw a stick into a flooded river when Jurgen was a pup. He went after it full force, which wasn't my intent, but the current and water depth was more than he bargained for.<br />
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Since that time, he hadn't swam. He did get back in the water, but as for getting his beyond wading, he wasn't having any of it. And that's kind of big deal for a dog that's supposed to retrieve ducks like it's second nature. I didn't want him to get laughed at by people and Labradors. Something had to be done.<br />
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As luck would have it, we were going out of town and didn't have anybody to watch him overnight. So I called the breeder, Tate Stratton and he said that he had room and could keep him. When we got there, I sort of mentioned that he didn't like to swim. He said "I think we can get him swimming." And the result was Jurgen completed his first live-bird retrieve and water retrieve in the same day. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GyIY7SW-Ta0" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-27020475270072161172015-06-12T11:14:00.002-04:002015-06-12T13:18:07.555-04:00Hunting Dog Breeds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/features/gun-dogs/?dom=fas&loc=hpslider2&lnk=IMG#image-2" target="_blank"><img alt="21 greatest gun dog list from field and stream" border="0" height="321" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dSpELREr3tM/VXr1hSc7N1I/AAAAAAAAAvc/tSaBj9Ng1IE/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2015-06-12%2Bat%2B9.54.26%2BAM.png" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
Hunting without a dog sucks. In my opinion, any way. Dogs bring enthusiasm and vibe to the event that never lets up. That's why, as much as I enjoyed the challenge of bowhunting, I don't go because I can't involve a dog.
On my very first hunt ever at 12 years old I watched amazed as a German shorthair - from another hunting party - swept the field before us. My father was a bowhunter and for us in the uplands as a kid, we took turns being the "dog." It was pretty evident when they left the field that the real deal had not left much to be found by us.<br />
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At that time, a real hunting dog seemed out of reach. I had Siberian Husky that was hell on groundhogs, but the February she put up 7 pheasants on a random walk woke me up. I took a dog every time I could, regardless of breed. A terrier mix. What our Southern Ohio neighbors called squirrel dogs but looked like no recognizable breed. No matter what breed if any, they have better noses and perspectives that humans will never understand.<br />
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When I found out that my roommate in college had Brittany Spaniels, owning a legitimate bird dog seemed more real. Then my friend moved to Missouri and got his first GSP, Fowl Weather Abby and it seemed possible. And actually happened with <a href="http://averageguyoutdoors.blogspot.com/2011/12/sundance-west-eva-diva-oct-15-1998-dec.html" target="_blank">Sundance West Eva Diva</a>, and now <a href="http://averageguyoutdoors.blogspot.com/2014/02/meet-jurgen-von-stillwater.html" target="_blank">J<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">ü</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">rgen vom Stillwater</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
I have had well-bred GSP for sometime now, but I'm glad that this list from </span><a href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/features/gun-dogs/?dom=fas&loc=hpslider2&lnk=IMG#image-2" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Field and Stream</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"> includes what some would call non-traditional hunting breeds. </span><br />
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Any dog makes almost any hunt better in my opinion.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-54956979581036309162015-06-12T08:29:00.000-04:002015-11-18T09:57:35.913-05:00Grass Connectors and RoadwaysWe need more native grasses in Ohio. It's that simple.<br />
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Virtually everything that lives here depends on and needs those plants at some point during the year. During my commute, one of the very obvious things I've noticed is what appears to me be unnecessary mowing - a big why? Why do we mow so much land along our roadways? If nothing else, go ahead and mow from the road to the ditch, but from the ditch to the fence establish warm-season grasses. Nobody walks or plays ball there, or will they ever. And all kinds of wildlife would benefit from the better habitat.<br />
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I couldn't come up with a valid objection in my head, so I looked for more informed opinions. I wrote a letter to the ODNR asking if they had a program working with ODOT to somehow minimize mowing and allow for warm-season grasses to grow. I received a very cordial return phone call from John Kaiser at the ODNR Division 5 office. He let me in on some of his <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/science/2014/08/10/1-buicks-bmws-and-bees.html" target="_blank">current roadside grass project</a>, which were very close to what I had been thinking. And he let me know what I could do personally: write a letter to ODOT. Letters can be persuasive and get attention. So that's what I'm doing and encouraging others to do.<br />
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Here is my letter to ODOT.<br />
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Shawn Anverse<br />
Ohio Department of Transportation<br />
Transportation Administrator<br />
1630 W. First Street<br />
Springfield, OH 45504<br />
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Dear Mr. Anverse,<br />
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I would like to propose that we find a solution other than attempting to mow everything on the roadsides and make space for native grasses and forbs. Native plants benefit all kinds of wildlife in addition to reducing costs in the long run. I know that Indiana and Minnesota have plans involving roadsides and grasses. I'd like to think that Ohio is leading the way on this area but it doesn't seem to be the case.<br />
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I'm aware that there is a pilot program in Darke county, but believe that we should move swiftly to enact some sort of program statewide. I propose that we begin by continuing to mow from the road to the ditch but return the area from the ditch to the fence to native plants.<br />
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This would create vast natural corridors for wildlife and plants and enable the mowing to attend to mowed sections more often and improve their appearance.<br />
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I am willing to help, discuss, communicate, whatever it takes to make this happen. Please let me know how I can be of assistance.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
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Devin B. MeisterUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105162375743621045.post-60442356280159785272015-05-28T12:30:00.000-04:002015-05-28T12:30:00.615-04:00There, I Fixed It - In 3D<div class="p1">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yx7p8aPnvpg/VWcauIOBABI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/iadj3Q8yBrM/s1600/photo%2B4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yx7p8aPnvpg/VWcauIOBABI/AAAAAAAAAsQ/iadj3Q8yBrM/s200/photo%2B4.JPG" width="149" /></a>If you want an example of how tech and manufacturing are changing before our eyes, you don't have to look very far. </div>
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Recently my daughter wanted a holder for her kayak paddle to keep it from rolling around the top. It's nice to have if you're fishing or want to take your hands off of the paddle to take a picture . </div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">She happens to be a mechanical engineering student, so naturally she was going to make something.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3fLF_G8QkZ8/VWcdDJG1bHI/AAAAAAAAAss/Wc3gvN2xKgo/s1600/Jon%2Bboat%2Bw%2Bswivel%2Bseats.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3fLF_G8QkZ8/VWcdDJG1bHI/AAAAAAAAAss/Wc3gvN2xKgo/s200/Jon%2Bboat%2Bw%2Bswivel%2Bseats.png" width="200" /></a>When I was her age I would have probably made something out of a crushed beer can and duct tape. You can scratch the probably because I likely did that for the boat I had when I was in school. And never mind the age, that's probably the solution I'd arrive at today.</div>
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Nope. Not her, not now. They have access to 3D printers at school. 3D printing, if you're not familiar is the process that's very similar to regular ink printing on paper. Instead of ink the machine drops a plastic resin that solidifies into hard plastic. Instead of one pass over a sheet of paper, the 3D printer can make multiple passes to build up the piece into the final design. </div>
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She designed a snap-on piece that swivels to accommodate the angle of the paddle no matter where it's placed on the cockpit of the boat. It's two pieces but made in one printing. Nice. Certainly better than a beer can. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0