Category: Blog

Turkey hunting in a place as notoriously tough as South Carolina requires a few specific pieces of equipment to aid in a successful hunt. Dating wild turkey aficionado Robert Abernethy certainly increases your chances as well.

First Lite Phantom Leafy Suit
In a state where gobblers have long been hunted, visual matching is a crucial aspect of hunting. The top of the First Lite Phantom Leafy Suit can help you hide from the most cautious wolverines. This lightweight mesh top uses 3D camo to break up your silhouette. It’s also intentionally oversized to fit any layering system.

Phelps Diaphragm Three Call Pack
When spring thunder lights up the forest, you must be ready to respond. Once you get a turkey close enough with a pot call or box call, you need to free up your hands to aim. This is where reliable diaphragm calls come into play.

Phelps offers a pack of 3 diaphragm calls ranging from medium to high volume. With these calls, you can talk turkey with your shotgun at the ready. It purrs, clucks and screams to land a real string-puller.

Snow’s Snow Vault Boots
Despite some people’s ideas that hunting turkeys is just leaning against trees and watching ticks crawl up your legs, it’s actually an active hunt that requires a lot of walking. Schnee’s Timberline boots are an amazing versatile warm weather boot. They’re extremely lightweight yet tall and stiff enough to offer support on rough terrain.

For a full description of what Steve wore in this episode, check out the full gear list here. And if you haven’t seen it yet, head over to Netflix now.

I hate video games. My radicalization started years ago when I saw a friend of mine, who was eight months pregnant, physically straining to cook dinner and set the table while her husband was sitting on her living room couch playing golf. Just as seeing a junkie might lead you to hate the heroin more than the addict himself, that was all he needed. Things got worse years later when I took my kids to my friend Jimmy Doran’s pizzeria. They would stand and stare, mouths agape, at the Big Buck Hunter console that occupied one wall between the men’s and women’s restrooms. I’d warn them to stay away, arguing that Big Buck Hunter promotes everything that’s wrong with hunting: shitty marksmanship, half-hearted target selection, and a grotesque ambivalence toward the limits of the bag. My complaints did me little good. Jimmy Doran just laughed and handed them a roll of quarters.

I have turned down all opportunities to involve MeatEater in video games. I refuse to lend my name or likeness to a video game and I refuse to let our company fall for offers that promise generous earnings in exchange for minimal amounts of work in the field of video games. What I can no longer avoid, however, is my own 12-year-old son’s constant pleas for an Xbox. After years of ignoring his requests, things have gotten to the point where I feel like a fatherly version of one of those sadistic jailers you see in the movies. I’d take things too far one day, and the inmates would rise up and burn the whole place to the ground with me locked inside one of the cells.

Instead of simply giving in, I have followed an approach similar to Nixon’s “Peace with Honor” campaign that he used to end the Vietnam War without simply coming out and saying America had lost. For me, the honor comes from the fact that I got my son’s signature on a contract that MeatEater’s legal counsel prepared for us. I read sections of this contract on a recent episode of The MeatEater Podcast, “Getting Skunked at the Navel.” Many people wrote, hoping to get their hands on a copy so that they could reach a similar agreement with their own children. Here is a free downloadable version.

And if you want more information on how to get your kids outside and away from the scourge of flickering screens, you should read my new book, “Outdoor Kids in an Indoor World.” It is available wherever books are sold.

Click here to download your own copy of our video game agreement.

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Outdoor weekend for women

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will host its eighth annual Ohio Women’s Outdoor Adventure Weekend at Hueston Woods State Park and Lodge, September 16-18.

Organized by the ODNR’s Parks and Boating, Forestry and Wildlife divisions, Ohio Women’s Outdoor Adventure is a weekend program that introduces women to outdoor skills such as boating, fishing, hunting and nature programming. . It is open to women over the age of 16 (minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) and is designed for beginners.

This year’s participants will be able to choose from a variety of outdoor activities and sessions including kayaking, disc golf, sailing, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, dutch oven cooking, hiking, gun basics and more.

Participants will spend the weekend at the Hueston Woods State Park Lodge and Conference Center, located in College Corner, Ohio, near Oxford. Hueston Woods’ thousands of acres of land and water offer many areas to explore. Guests will have access to the indoor and outdoor pools, restaurant and lounge, and championship golf course.

The temperatures are starting to rise and the days are long, and that’s good news for recreational shooters looking to get out of the city limits to shoot. Summer is a popular season for recreational shooters statewide, but it’s also a critical time of year for some non-game bird species that nest or are commonly found in popular shooting areas.

While most recreational hunters and shooters follow the law, Fish and Game enforcement officials remind shooters that they are likely to encounter protected wildlife that is not game, and to pay a high price for pulling the trigger on a protected species.

Two men recently pleaded guilty to illegally capturing a golden eagle (a protected bird of prey) in the Morley Nelson Snake River National Raptor Conservation Area. A judge sentenced both men to two years probation, as well as a two-year ban on hunting and possession of firearms. They each had to pay restitution of more than $3,000.

It is a shooter’s responsibility to know the law, and a good rule of thumb is to shoot at targets rather than wildlife, unless you know exactly what you are shooting at and are doing so legally.

“Illegal shooting of protected non-game wildlife such as owls, hawks, eagles and other birds such as long-billed curlews is a persistent and frequent problem in Idaho,” said Deniz Aygen, observable wildlife biologist at Fish and Game. “Long-billed Curlews and many species of raptors are identified by Fish and Game as most in need of conservation, and unfortunately substantial poaching occurs in areas that were established to aid in their conservation, but are also Widely used by recreational shooters.”

Nearly all non-game bird species found in Idaho are protected and therefore illegal to shoot. There are some non-native species that can be taken year-round with a valid hunting license, including European starlings, Eurasian collared doves, house sparrows and rock pigeons.

Shooting sheltered birds may seem harmless, but it has been shown to affect some bird populations.

Research published in 2020 shows that shooting at protected non-game species, specifically raptors and long-billed curlews, is more common in areas with high recreational shooter use and occurs more frequently than previously known.

Where was the study conducted? In southwestern Idaho, in the Morley Nelson Snake River National Bird of Prey Conservation Area.
The study suggested that illegal shooting may play a role in the observed long-term declines in the local long-billed curlew population in the conservation area, which had declined from more than 2,000 in the late 1970s to less than 200 in 2014. and now has fewer than 100 curlews.

The study also implied that a small segment of recreational shooters appear to be poaching protected non-game species while target shooting or hunting unprotected non-game species such as ground squirrels.

This time of year, many shooters target ground squirrels throughout the state. While there are some species of ground squirrels open to hunting, such as the Uinta or the Colombian ground squirrel, some ground squirrels are protected. For example, northern and southern Idaho ground squirrels, rock squirrels, Piute ground squirrels (in eastern Idaho), Merriam ground squirrels, golden-mantled ground squirrels, and Wyoming ground squirrels ( in southwestern Idaho) are all protected species and should not be attacked.

If you can’t tell the difference between an unprotected and a protected species of ground squirrel, or any other wildlife, you shouldn’t target them.

Visit Fish and Game’s Ground Squirrel website for a complete list of protected and unprotected ground squirrel species before you head out.

Individuals can help preserve Idaho’s hunting and fishing heritage by reporting poaching. Make the call if something doesn’t seem right. Contact Citizens Against Poaching at 1-800-632-5999.

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) says one of the state’s newest game species is a great gateway for novice hunters. Red squirrel hunting hones the skills of the larger game animals.

An Idaho family took advantage of the new opportunity to introduce their son, Wyatt Creson, to the hunt last fall.

“We were really looking for opportunities that were available to a kid that young, where he could have a little bit of success,” said Jaime Creson, Wyatt’s mother. “We learned that red squirrels have recently become a game animal and decided that might be a good place to start.”

Red squirrels are native to Idaho, became a game animal in the state in 2018, and are a game species in many neighboring states. IDFG says they are abundant and can be found in all forests, providing an opportunity for hunting that people may miss.

Fall is the best time to hunt red squirrels, as they are often active during the day as they store food for the winter. For the Cresons, the timing worked out perfectly, as it went so well with the family’s annual deer hunting trip.

IDFG says Wyatt went on a hike with his parents as they worked to fill out their deer tags and around noon, they would pick up Wyatt’s shotgun from camp before heading back. With most of the deer hunters back at camp for the day, the Cresons had the forest largely to themselves.

“We really enjoyed being alone with Wyatt and having this opportunity available to him,” said Jamie Creson.

That fall, Wyatt hunted three squirrels under the guidance of his parents, learning the same skills he’ll need to be a big game hunter when he’s old enough. That includes observation, handling and shooting of a firearm and marksmanship, with an emphasis on safety and ethics. Wyatt also learned how to dress the animals in the field.

“Part of the reason we chose Wyatt to hunt red squirrels is because we knew we could eat them,” Jaime said, noting that larger tree squirrels, like eastern fox and gray squirrels, are popular foods in parts of the eastern United States. . “In our family, we eat everything we grow and we weren’t interested in something we weren’t going to eat.”

IDFG says in a press release that the Cresons returned to camp and cooked the squirrels for dinner that night.

“We just put it in the dutch oven and fried it, and the meat was very good, almost sweet in flavor,” Jaime said. “With such a delicious taste, I think it’s a great opportunity for kids to eat a little of what they grew and get excited about putting food on the table.”

Red squirrel season runs from August 30 to March 31 each year. For more information on this opportunity, see the 2020-21 Idaho Upland Game, Turkey & Furbearer Seasons and Rules brochure.

Bob Stoughton, Xenia, about her father, Lincoln (Linc) Stoughton

A brave father sets a precedent

I always knew my dad was special when I was young. Sure, he did daddy things like play in the snow and take us camping, but he went above and beyond in his daddy duties. As an example, he used to take my swing set to the basement for the winter every year so he could swing me inside.

In 1972, my mother passed away when I was 8 years old and my brother was 10. At that time, girls were not usually raised by a single adult male. Our little family was summoned to trial. I had to tell the judge that I wanted to stay with my dad and be raised by him. What a memory for an 8-year-old boy sitting in the judge’s chamber, sitting in a big leather chair, swinging his legs that didn’t reach the ground. For the next five years, he was a mother and father to me and my brother. Oh how we defy it. It wasn’t perfect, but we were perfect together and loved.

At the same time, my father took the state of Ohio to court to ensure that widowed fathers received the same benefits as widowed mothers. He won and set precedence for many other men.

The story does not stop here. She put all the money he received into bonds. Many years later, after my marriage failed and I had to go back to college, he explained to me that he kept the money aside and that I could use it for college. I graduated from nursing school in 1995 with no student debt. What an amazing gift from the man who never let me down.

Elaine J. Raptosh, Dayton, about her father, Conrad Skarha Jr.

A father’s support means everything

My father, Harmon A. Kerns, passed away in 2005 and was the best father to his eight children. He married my mother (who also passed away in 2005) in October 1941 and was sent abroad after Pearl Harbor. During the three and a half years of the war he was in Australia, New Guinea, Biak and other regions of the Pacific. We also learned after his death that he had received two Bronze Star medals, but he never talked about it; and his military records had been destroyed in a fire. His discharge was in August 1945.

After returning home, I was born in October 1945. My mother told me that he wanted a boy, but I won his heart by sitting on the doorstep in my high chair kicking my feet as I walked home from work. There are 11 years between my younger brother and me. My dad loved each of us unconditionally, and I know my brothers and sisters have their own special memories of dad.

When I was a kid (maybe 6), he took me squirrel hunting. He encouraged me to be quiet so as not to scare the squirrel away, but what was he doing? Whispering through the leaves picking horse chestnuts. When I was very young, he took my two brothers and me fishing. He always spent time with his children, and we have all grown to be good citizens and helpful neighbors because of the examples he set for us.

A major event affected my entire adult life. When I was a junior in high school, he knew he wanted to go to college, but with seven other kids to care for, even the youngest who was in first grade, money was tight.

Unbeknownst to me, he withdrew the last $125 from his savings account, took my transcript to the University of Dayton, and told them he had a daughter who wanted to go to college but would need help. I made my way through college with the help of a federal student loan available to teachers and a job in the admissions office. I have been retired for 25 years after 31 years of teaching.

Beverly J. Neubauer, Englewood, on her father, Harmon A. Kerns

He loves surprises from his father.

It was March 2019, my senior year in high school. It was March 29th, my birthday to be exact, and I was having a birthday dinner at Roosters eating what I think is the best chicken in town and enjoying my day celebrating with family and friends. Just enjoying it all day and being thankful that I am 18 years old and very excited about life. I noticed when I was opening my presents that my dad was talking to my mom and he was looking at me and smiling.

My dad handed me his phone and wrote on a cardboard cutout photo of Justin Timberlake that it said “I’ll see you Sunday.” I thought to myself, yes! I’m getting a cardboard from Justin! But no, he said “Nooo girl, see you on Sunday with Justin Timberlake!!!” I screamed! I was so excited because my dad knows that I’ve been a fan of his music for a long time. When we went to Columbus for the concert we had the best time. The concert was phenomenal and unforgettable! I really appreciate that my dad came with me to celebrate my birthday and show me how much he loves me and the things that matter to me. I really love my dad, to infinity and beyond!

Jasmine Jennings, Miamisburg, about her father, Andta’Juan L. Jennings Sr.

ExploreDads get free admission to the Cincinnati Zoo for Father’s Day

Softball unites father and daughter

Like many daughters, I grew up idolizing my dad. When I was a little kid, I would run out the back door to meet my dad every time he heard a car door. As he grew up, my dad and I were always close. He coached my softball team and I started playing on his co-ed team at 16 years old. We played together for more than 32 years. The last two seasons he was battling pancreatic cancer and every time we went out on the field he was thankful that he was fighting to stay with his family. He passed away in May 2015.

Barbara Goralski, Miamisburg, on her father, Michael Behr

His father was loved so much by his community

He was the father of nine, grandfather and great-grandfather of 45, at his death. He loved by so many, not only family members, but also friends, neighbors, and just people walking down the street or driving down the street. Even the kids on the school bus that stopped at the corner where he lived waved and said “Hi Dad” every day. He loved sitting on the porch waving and talking to anyone who passed by. We all miss him very much. More than 200 people attended his funeral. There was only room to stand. He was a veteran of the Korean War and was very proud of his service. I’m sure he was very proud and honored by the service he received. We loved him so much and miss him every day.

Robyn Heeter, West Carrollton, on her father, James Gengler

The father’s life was a history lesson.

My memory of my father is that he was a much older man when he married my mother. He was a World War II combat veteran and former United States Congressman (1949-51). As he grew up, he wanted to take his family to the places he had been in life and that meant something to him. So he took us to Washington and showed us his seat in Congress. He made us eat in the congress dining room and order his famous bean soup. He then took us to meet his friend the famous House Keeper William “Fishbait” Miller. He later took us to Casablanca in North Africa and showed us the beach where he landed with the western task force. He pointed out buildings that he remembered being there.

He then took us to Gibraltar where he was reunited with his sister during the war. (She was a spy working for Army Intelligence.) He then took us to Italy and showed us Salerno Bay where he was at the Italian landings and took us to Naples, Italy and described the port city as it was during the war just after the German army withdrew. The city had been virtually destroyed. She sought out a baron she once knew only to find that he had passed away. It was a walk down memory lane for him. A real life history lesson for us.

Edward F. Breen, Kettering, about his father Edward G. Breen

Bob Stoughton, Xenia, about her father, Lincoln (Linc) Stoughton

A brave father sets a precedent

I always knew my dad was special when I was young. Sure, he did daddy things like play in the snow and take us camping, but he went above and beyond in his daddy duties. As an example, he used to take my swing set to the basement for the winter every year so he could swing me inside.

In 1972, my mother passed away when I was 8 years old and my brother was 10. At that time, girls were not usually raised by a single adult male. Our little family was summoned to trial. I had to tell the judge that I wanted to stay with my dad and be raised by him. What a memory for an 8-year-old boy sitting in the judge’s chamber, sitting in a big leather chair, swinging his legs that didn’t reach the ground. For the next five years, he was a mother and father to me and my brother. Oh how we defy it. It wasn’t perfect, but we were perfect together and loved.

At the same time, my father took the state of Ohio to court to ensure that widowed fathers received the same benefits as widowed mothers. He won and set precedence for many other men.

The story does not stop here. She put all the money he received into bonds. Many years later, after my marriage failed and I had to go back to college, he explained to me that he kept the money aside and that I could use it for college. I graduated from nursing school in 1995 with no student debt. What an amazing gift from the man who never let me down.

Elaine J. Raptosh, Dayton, about her father, Conrad Skarha Jr.

A father’s support means everything

My father, Harmon A. Kerns, passed away in 2005 and was the best father to his eight children. He married my mother (who also passed away in 2005) in October 1941 and was sent abroad after Pearl Harbor. During the three and a half years of the war he was in Australia, New Guinea, Biak and other regions of the Pacific. We also learned after his death that he had received two Bronze Star medals, but he never talked about it; and his military records had been destroyed in a fire. His discharge was in August 1945.

After returning home, I was born in October 1945. My mother told me that he wanted a boy, but I won his heart by sitting on the doorstep in my high chair kicking my feet as I walked home from work. There are 11 years between my younger brother and me. My dad loved each of us unconditionally, and I know my brothers and sisters have their own special memories of dad.

When I was a kid (maybe 6), he took me squirrel hunting. He encouraged me to be quiet so as not to scare the squirrel away, but what was he doing? Whispering through the leaves picking horse chestnuts. When I was very young, he took my two brothers and me fishing. He always spent time with his children, and we have all grown to be good citizens and helpful neighbors because of the examples he set for us.

A major event affected my entire adult life. When I was a junior in high school, he knew he wanted to go to college, but with seven other kids to care for, even the youngest who was in first grade, money was tight.

Unbeknownst to me, he withdrew the last $125 from his savings account, took my transcript to the University of Dayton, and told them he had a daughter who wanted to go to college but would need help. I made my way through college with the help of a federal student loan available to teachers and a job in the admissions office. I have been retired for 25 years after 31 years of teaching.

Beverly J. Neubauer, Englewood, on her father, Harmon A. Kerns

He loves surprises from his father.

It was March 2019, my senior year in high school. It was March 29th, my birthday to be exact, and I was having a birthday dinner at Roosters eating what I think is the best chicken in town and enjoying my day celebrating with family and friends. Just enjoying it all day and being thankful that I am 18 years old and very excited about life. I noticed when I was opening my presents that my dad was talking to my mom and he was looking at me and smiling.

My dad handed me his phone and wrote on a cardboard cutout photo of Justin Timberlake that it said “I’ll see you Sunday.” I thought to myself, yes! I’m getting a cardboard from Justin! But no, he said “Nooo girl, see you on Sunday with Justin Timberlake!!!” I screamed! I was so excited because my dad knows that I’ve been a fan of his music for a long time. When we went to Columbus for the concert we had the best time. The concert was phenomenal and unforgettable! I really appreciate that my dad came with me to celebrate my birthday and show me how much he loves me and the things that matter to me. I really love my dad, to infinity and beyond!

Jasmine Jennings, Miamisburg, about her father, Andta’Juan L. Jennings Sr.

ExploreDads get free admission to the Cincinnati Zoo for Father’s Day

Softball unites father and daughter

Like many daughters, I grew up idolizing my dad. When I was a little kid, I would run out the back door to meet my dad every time he heard a car door. As he grew up, my dad and I were always close. He coached my softball team and I started playing on his co-ed team at 16 years old. We played together for more than 32 years. The last two seasons he was battling pancreatic cancer and every time we went out on the field he was thankful that he was fighting to stay with his family. He passed away in May 2015.

Barbara Goralski, Miamisburg, on her father, Michael Behr

His father was loved so much by his community

He was the father of nine, grandfather and great-grandfather of 45, at his death. He loved by so many, not only family members, but also friends, neighbors, and just people walking down the street or driving down the street. Even the kids on the school bus that stopped at the corner where he lived waved and said “Hi Dad” every day. He loved sitting on the porch waving and talking to anyone who passed by. We all miss him very much. More than 200 people attended his funeral. There was only room to stand. He was a veteran of the Korean War and was very proud of his service. I’m sure he was very proud and honored by the service he received. We loved him so much and miss him every day.

Robyn Heeter, West Carrollton, on her father, James Gengler

The father’s life was a history lesson.

My memory of my father is that he was a much older man when he married my mother. He was a World War II combat veteran and former United States Congressman (1949-51). As he grew up, he wanted to take his family to the places he had been in life and that meant something to him. So he took us to Washington and showed us his seat in Congress. He made us eat in the congress dining room and order his famous bean soup. He then took us to meet his friend the famous House Keeper William “Fishbait” Miller. He later took us to Casablanca in North Africa and showed us the beach where he landed with the western task force. He pointed out buildings that he remembered being there.

He then took us to Gibraltar where he was reunited with his sister during the war. (She was a spy working for Army Intelligence.) He then took us to Italy and showed us Salerno Bay where he was at the Italian landings and took us to Naples, Italy and described the port city as it was during the war just after the German army withdrew. The city had been virtually destroyed. She sought out a baron she once knew only to find that he had passed away. It was a walk down memory lane for him. A real life history lesson for us.

Edward F. Breen, Kettering, about his father Edward G. Breen