The workshop is going to be held on Saturday, February 18, 2012. If there is snow, they will move it to February 19. It is being held at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, Hew Hampshire.

The workshop costs $55 to attend for the day and it covers most of the equipment and lunch. The participants have to be at least 18 years of age or older. The BOW program is sponsored by the New Hampshire Fish and Game and Wildlife Federation. The Winter BOW participants get to choose one single activity that they would like to explore more during the daylong workshop.

They offer the chance to learn how to ice fish, track wildlife using snowshoes, learn winter survival skills, try out snowmobiling if you’re a beginner only, and get to experience the popular ‘Shoe and Shoot’ class. This allows you to learn woodland target shooting while wearing snowshoes.

To register for this event, you can download the registration forms and the brochure for the workshop right online from http://www.nhbow.com or you can email Lisa.M.Collins@wildlife.nh.gov for the information. Call 603-271-3212 for more information. BOW Workshops always fill up fast, so make sure to get your forms in as soon as possible.

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There is a new national environmental education resource that is available for any educator through workshops that are given by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. It is called: Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children. It is an early childhood education curriculum guide for teachers to teach their students wildlife education.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has been offering the Project WILD and Aquatic WILD training workshops to grades K through 12 teachers, college students, and environmental educators for many years. Now, the Growing Up Wild program is being offered within the list of training programs.

Growing up Wild is said to be an incredible resource to use within the classroom setting. The curriculum fits early childhood education to a T. All of the lessons address many concepts in science, math, physical education, and even literature while being able to incorporate multiple learning styles and optional fun activities such as movement and music, snack ideas, connections with home and much more.

These extras are necessary for successful early childhood learning. The guide for curriculum and online materials are easy for educators to use and very fun to do. It is an effective teaching tool to use in any type of setting.

Growing Up Wild was developed by a national nonprofit organization known as the Council for Environmental Education (CEE). The funds needed to create the program came directly from a grant awarded to the CEE by the Environmental Protection Agency with a goal of strengthening the national effort to connect younger children to nature.

This program was developed with the vision of changing the culture of early childhood education in order to embrace learning in the outdoors. Growing Up WILD is the first ever national distributed professionally developed program and activity guide that integrates any environmental education into the early childhood curriculum.

For more information on Growing Up WILD
http://www.projectwild.org/GrowingUpWILD.htm
Ali Thomas
VT Fish and Wildlife Department
802.241.4094
Alison.Thomas@state.vt.us

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Well, if you’re going to be bringing it, you might as well make it work for you.

Here are five apps for your smartphone that will actually be useful while you’re out in the woods.

iSonular Hunting & Fishing Times

This little application is designed to give hunters and anglers all the information they need when it comes to keeping track of the best time for going out into the field. Using data that is retrieved from the US Naval observatory, the application allows users access to specific information for their location regarding sunrises, sunsets and even the best feeding and activity periods throughout the day.

Primos Hunting Calls

Hunting calls can be the difference in a successful hunt and one that leaves you empty handed. That’s why Primos, making of some darn fine equipment and calls, created this app to let you, as they say, “speak the language.” There are over 20 interactive calls on the app, which allows you to call for waterfowl, deer, elk, predators and even turkeys, as well as some “specialty” sounds that will help hunters customize their calling.

Hunting Light & Blood Tracker

Let’s be honest and say up front that we haven’t actually tried this app out in the woods yet, but it is designed to help hunters with improved visibility in all lighting conditions. The app has a green light that helps with night vision, while the blue light helps define green objects (often blended in with the woods around you) and white is for, well, lighting the area. The app also has a “blood tracking filter” which is designed, they say, to enhance the visibility of blood so you can follow the trail when tracking. With how small the smartphone screens typically are, this might be better suited for the hunter who brings their iPad out to the blind…

SAS Survival Guide

It’s always important to be prepared when you’re heading into the woods, be it for a simple scout, a hike or for an all-day or overnight hunt. The SAS Survival Guide, written by a former Special Air Service soldier, provides information on safety and survival and includes a detailed photo gallery that includes a variety of photos to help you stay safe in the woods (is that mushroom poisonous? Let’s check the photos!). In addition, there is a signaling device and a compass. Having this handy might just save a life one day.

Bug Spray

It’s winter right now, so there’s really no way to try this out and see if it is legit, but the idea is an interesting one nonetheless. This app is designed to emit high-frequency tones that won’t bother you one bit but are apparently vicious for bugs, thus repelling them. The ultrasonic tones are well above what humans can typically here, but remember that it doesn’t mean the animals you are out hunting can’t hear them. Probably best used on hikes and maybe while fishing.

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A lengthy investigation was conducted, and meat from illegal deer was seized from three different residents that all reside in Bristol Village. There were also several deer hides, electric chainsaw, tools, three rifles, and the head of a 7 point buck that was confiscated. The three rifles used by the poachers were a 30-06, .22, and a 30-30.

Late into Saturday night, the poachers shot 11 times during their chance to jack deer in the Lincoln, Ripton, and Bristol areas. Four deer were confirmed as being killed, the last one was shot on Carlstrom Road at 4:30 Sunday morning. One of the deer was not recovered by the poachers because of landowner intervention.

Several other deer were injured, and of the four confirmed there were a yearling doe, an adult doe, a button horn buck, and a 7 point buck. The poachers were called in by a concerned resident of Lincoln. A person was awakened in their home by the sound of gunshots around 1 in the morning, and then was called in. After this initial call, more people started to call in as suspicions grew.

Not only is this illegal, but it can be dangerous as well. The deer were shot from a pick-up truck using only a spot light, and at times the passenger would sit on the ledge of the truck’s window and shoot up over the roof. Three of the shootings occurred very close to occupied homes that were not protected by backstops for high powered bullets.

Those men involved in the shooting are ordered to appear in court for their arraignment at Addison County Court in Middlebury. They are Steven Clark, Israel Clark, Collin Bell all from Bristol, Adam Josey from Richmond and Dana Lathrop from Florida but formally from Bristol. They are faced with many different charges such as taking big game through illegal measures, possession of deer during closed seasons, locating and spotting deer, and shooting from a moving vehicle.

The fines can be as high as $500 with $1,000 restitution for each of the deer killed. They could also lose their licenses for three years, while also having to take a remedial course before being able to hold a hunting license again.

Anyone who witnesses a Fish and Wildlife crime should report the crime immediately to the Game Warden. This can be done by calling the state police dispatch or by dialing the toll free number – 1-800-75ALERT (1-800-752-5378).

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But the key to hunting these speedy critters is more than just good shooting and a dog at your side, which is exactly why the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will be hosting a free workshop about snowshoe hare hunting come March 3. The event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will be held at the Owl Brook Hunter Education Center in Holderness, New Hampshire (register by calling 603-536-3954).

The workshop will include presenters Edward Vien, Bob Drozdowski and Adam Gauthier. Vien is the president of the NH Beagle Club and Drozdowski is a past president. All three are hunter education instructors.

Workshop participants will be introduced to one of New Hampshire’s finest small-game hunting experiences — hare hunting with beagles. You’ll learn about snowshoe hares and where to find them, equipment needed for hunting hares, dogs and their needs and training, safety considerations, hare and rabbit hunting resources, and how to find clubs in New Hampshire that focus on dogs and hare hunting.

Participants should bring warm outdoor clothing and be prepared to spend some time outside. The first portion of the workshop takes place in the classroom, and then the class moves outdoors, where the dogs will show their stuff. Please note that this workshop does not include lunch.

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It was only natural for man to use metals to make the knives from since it is strong, durable and can be very sharp. Some of the metals are iron, bronze and copper. Currently steel is the most used material. This makes them useful and high in quality compared to the other materials.

Those that are in the outdoors normally carry knives with them since they can come in handy in a number of situations. Sometimes it is a pocket knife, and sometimes it is a sheath knife. This means that there is a backup knife if you have both for any reason that might happen. Both of these knives do not do the same job, but they can provide protection if needed. A pocket knife is definitely a utility knife that we will go over.

There are a number of styles and types of pocket knives that can be used today, but there are also multi-purpose knives, pen knives, and jack knives which are very common to the hunter. There is so much more to choosing a pocket knife then visual attraction. Although it might jump off the shelves at you because you like the way it looks, it doesn’t mean that this is the best knife for you.

Jack Knife

A jack knife comes with a hinge on one end, but may have more than one blade. The blades then fold right into the handle for easy carrying in your pocket or bag, or wherever you need to put it. This is probably one of the most popular types of knives that hunters, fishermen, soldiers, hikers and campers carry around with them.

Multi-Blade Knife

The multi-blade knife or otherwise known as the Swiss Army knife is the second most purchased knife sold today. Normally these knives come equipped with a tooth pick, wrench, can opener, scissors, corkscrew, and even a screwdriver among other things. They can become bulky if you’re carrying them around in your pocket however, but might come in handy at some point. A lot of the extras that come with the knife however, might not be needed by the hunter. Of course since they have so much within them, you have to wonder just how good the quality of the knife really is.

Pen Knife

The pen knife is hinged at both ends of the handle, and two or three blades are at each end of these hinges. It provides the user with more than one type of blade to use. It is called a pen knife because it was designed years ago to create and shape quills for writing. A positive about this type of knife is that it is light weight, and very compact. It is the third most commonly carried pocket knife throughout the world.

There are many different variations to these knives. Some have locking blades, one hand opening and closing of the blades, and assisted opening of the blades amongst other things. The design is always being expanded, re-done, and re-developed. This means that there might be many changes in the time to come. This has already been done with the knives that we use to this day.

Choosing the Steel

You need to know what type of steel to choose for your knife. A lot of knife experts will say that S30V is probably the best steel on the market for the blade, but there are many different types to choose from that are all different prices. A lot of hunters prefer a blade made from 420HC. It is stainless steel so it is resistant to rust, easy to sharpen, and provides a strong durable blade when needed.

Make sure to look around and compare before jumping into the knife steel type. There are also different grind styles that have been used to make the blades on the knife. The most common of these grinds would be the semi-hollow grind. This combines a sharpened edge with strong blade strength. The flat grind is also another great grind for a blade. It is also known as the V grind and is mostly used in small pocket knives.

Overall, you want to find a good high quality type of steel that has a good edge, easy to sharpen, and is also able to resist rust. Try to avoid any cheap imported knives. These are poor quality, potentially dangerous, and most likely useless while in the woods.

The handle on the knife should be comfortable while holding. You want it to be comfortable in case you have to use it for a long period of time. Textured or even rubber handles can give you a better grip if your hand gets sweaty or if it is raining. Plastic or composite knife handles are durable and can easily stand up in severe weather conditions. Try to avoid using metal handles since they can stick to the hand if the temperatures are low enough.

You need to make sure you keep up on the upkeep of your knife once you have it at home. There are some basic steps you want to make sure you do.

• Wipe the blades with a light film of silicon or oil. Use a soft cotton cloth.

• Do not throw the pocket knife that you have. They were not designed for throwing.

• Keep the blade sharp; dull blades can be dangerous since they need more force to full cut. If you need to use more force while cutting, you might need a different knife or your knife needs to be sharpened.

• Keep the knife dry and clean without fingerprints or smudges.

• Make sure the hinged edges are clean and free of dirt or debris.

• Oil the hinges to have an easy opening, but has a noticeable snap when closed.

• Cut away from your body when using the knife, never towards.

• Never sharpen the blade of the knife on a powered wheel. This raises heat in the blade and can ruin the temperature within the steel.

If you’re a hunter or just someone that is in the woods a lot, you would not dream of leaving your home without a high quality pocket knife. There are so many to choose from with different colors, designs, sizes, and much more on the market today.

Now you know what to look for when it comes to choosing the best knife for your needs. Just keep in mind the type of construction you want for the blade, the number of hinges, the number of blades, and the type of handle you prefer.

It is not difficult to pick the one that best match you and your purposes but you should take a little time deciding on the best one. Try to avoid cheap, imported models and go with higher known brands. Stores can suggest the best ones on the shelves.

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In the past, hunting on a Sunday was an offense that had to be paid for. The fine ranged between $7 to $25 if found guilty. Recently, there have been several bills proposed and brought to office to allow hunting to happen on Sundays, but unfortunately none of them have been passed as of yet.

Of course, the bills that were proposed only allowed hunting on Sundays on private land with the land owner’s permission. Some of the bills even went on to state that only bow and arrow hunting was able to be done on this day while on private land.

The Department of Environmental Protection has continued to support bills that allow hunting on Sundays in limited quantities. This extra day helps the state deal with the over population of deer.

The DEP commissioner is the one that states where deer hunting will be allowed to take place on Sundays. This would limit the hunting to only those areas that have high deer populations. This would be the counties of New Haven, Fairfield, and the shoreline areas.

A lot of those people that are objecting the hunting on Sundays rule is because they find hunting to be dangerous, and do not want to stay inside for fear of hunters. They want to enjoy the outdoors. A lot of them also are firmly against hunting as well.

Of course, Connecticut’s hunting record is impeccable, and bow and arrow hunting seems to be safer than gun hunting. This is because the target has to be within short range, which means they are more visible to the hunter.  Hunters that use bows also tend to shoot from above their targets, aiming towards the ground.

Massachusetts is another state that does not allow Sunday hunting, as well as five other states throughout the US. By allowing hunting on Sundays, this would open up opportunities and even introduce children to the sport of hunting.

Purchasing alcohol on Sundays has been banned since the late 1800’s, and people could have been fined anywhere from $50 to $100 from selling or purchasing it on a Sunday. Imprisonment was also an option.

A lot of people believe that both the alcohol and hunting laws on Sundays are harsh and unreasonable, and should be lifted. They have severe punishments, and everyone should be able to do as they wish since it is a free country. A lot of the laws that were made in the 1800’s have been lifted, but not all of them which include the sale of alcohol and hunting on Sundays.

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They will be setting up and running in the Connecticut Convention Center. This is located at 100 Columbus Blvd. in Hartford. They are open from 12 noon to 8 at night on Friday the 17th, 10 am to 8 pm on Saturday the 18th, and 10 am to 5 pm on Sunday the 19th.

Wondering what the show is going to feature? There are hundreds of booths that are going to be operating, that showcase some of the latest products that hunters and fishermen are going to want to check out. This is probably one of the best outings that the entire family can take part in.

There are seminars that are also being held in the building, over 65 hours’ worth. They are being presented by regional and national hunters, as well as expert and professional fishermen. Admission includes these seminars and hands on activities for the whole family.

Those that visit the event can learn a lot of new fishing and hunting techniques, while also being able to purchase some of the newest equipment to get the job done. The newest models of boats, guns, hunting and fishing gear, and so much more is going to be on display. Demonstrations of the products are also going to be on-going for spectators to learn how the equipment works, and to get a feel for them.

The World Record Holder for the largest striped bass – Greg Myerson is going to be available to talk to and also listen to a seminar he hosts about how he did it. The 81.88 catch that won him the tournament is going to be talked about. Professionals are going to be there, as well as a lot of hunting and fishing gear manufacturers.

The hunter that got the largest ever whitetail deer to be taken by bow – Dan O’Brian is going to be present to give away his secrets and tricks. Expert hunters that use guns and bows are going to be there telling all that they have about shooting some of the biggest and best deer.

Some of the activities that they are going to showcase include: the “Score Your Rack” exhibit, live fishing Catch and Release Trout Pond, panning for gold, Virtual Reality Fishing Simulator, Archery Range, Kids Casting Competition, and NRA Laser Shooting Range. Some of these activities give out prizes to those that win.

Rules and regulations for the upcoming hunting season are going to be given from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for anyone that wants a sneak peak at what is in store for next year. Say thanks to the Coalition of Connecticut Sportsmen and STIHL(R) for sponsoring the event.

It is $12 for adults, $4 for children 4 to 12 years of age, and children 3 and under are free at the door. They are only accepting cash at this time.

To find out more about this event check out www.fishinghuntingshow.com or give them a call at (860) 844-8461.

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The estimates might be off however, they added those tags that were purchased and not necessarily used as well. This makes the numbers a bit higher than they would actually be since the deer might not have been captured and killed.

It also might be lacking information from some of the registration stations. The 2011 statewide total is up around 4 percent more than it was in 2010 coming in at 9,723. The increase is due to the bump in registrations in the Rockingham and Belknap counties.

The firearm season normally runs until December 4th, although some of the WMU-A areas end their firearms season on November 27th. Archery continues through until December 15th, and WMU-A ends on December 6th.

The reported deer kill for the following counties, go as followed:

• Belknap: 2010 – 554 and 2011 – 780

• Carroll: 2010 – 445 and 2011 – 458

• Cheshire: 2010 – 1027 and 2011 – 963

• Coos: 2010 – 676 and 2011 – 560

• Grafton: 2010 – 1168 and 2011 – 1218

• Hillsborough: 2010 – 1799 and 2011 – 1839

• Merrimack: 2010 – 763 and 2011 – 909

• Rockingham: 2010 – 1368 and 2011 – 1704

• Stafford: 2010 – 634 and 2011 – 628

• Sullivan: 2010 – 631 and 2011 – 664

• Totals for each year: 2010 – 9,339 and 2011 – 9,723

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They’re designed for fishing, but the demands of that sport make them great for a ton of outdoor activities. But sunglasses are far from one-pair-fits-all, especially when it comes to the stronger sex — I’m speaking of women, of course.

So Costa set out to create a new selection of their high-quality sunglasses for women, who want the same performance, but are pickier about things like shape, design, frame size, and flexibility.

Among that new range is the Tippet, which has a small frame size better for many women, and a pretty stunning array of choices for frame colors and lens type.

Since my head is way too big for these elegant sunglasses, and I’m not about to presume to tell you what a woman would think of them anyway, I asked my wife, Kim, to try out a pair with amber lenses, which she usually favors for fishing.  You also can get mirrored, gray and copper, among other choices.

Here’s what she had to say:

One of the first things I noticed about the Tippet sunglasses was their neat, flexible hinge design. A lot of sunglasses have fixed hinges, and that makes them difficult to push up on top of your head when you’re not wearing them, because eventually, you spring the hinge too far open, or they break.

Costa Del Mar must have paid attention to what women actually do with their sunglasses. They also look great – as if they might be couture, except that they are deceptively sturdy despite the clean, curvy lines and sleek metal accents.

I first tried these out while fishing from shore in a small lake on a sunny day – you know, the kind where most of the silver you’re seeing is off the surface of the water. The difference when I slipped these on was remarkable. The surface reflection was almost entirely gone, and I could see not only my bobber but the fish hitting the bait underwater.

I’m sure I annoyed everyone there who was not wearing sunglasses as awesome as these, because I kept remarking how well I could see, and pointing out fish they couldn’t see yet.

This performance inspired me to take them everywhere with me after that, testing them out while driving, walking or even reading a book outside in my yard. Yup, you can read a book with these on, because what they do best is filter out unneeded light, yet somehow let through exactly enough to see what you’re doing.

I’ve even used them for driving on those grey, partly cloudy days that have you straining your eyes to see everything through that half-light; the Costas remove the eyestrain and have you seeing clearly.

And I have to say, I happened to put them on during one particularly piercing sunset, and was blown away by the intensity of color I could see without being blinded by the setting sun. That’s probably not what the makers intended with their optic engineering, but it’s certainly a neat side bonus.

I actually tried to hold the sunglasses over my camera so I could capture how cool it looked for everyone to see, but I wasn’t coordinated enough to pull that off, sorry.

Now if the lakes would freeze so I can see how they work for ice fishing – I am willing to bet they are great at cutting down glare from snow and ice, too.

Quality (★★★★★)

I haven’t found a better pair of sunglasses. They could easily replace all other pairs, because they’re good at everything, and incredible at outdoor uses in all seasons. And, people complimented me on how cute they are all the time.

Reliability (★★★★★)

I found them to be really reliable, and used them for everything. They do come with a hard case that protects them well in between uses. If you take care of them (do I sound like your mom yet?), they should last for years.

Price/Value (★★★★)

The Tippets range from $149 to $249 depending on what kind of lenses you choose. Yeah, that’s pricey, I’m guessing because of the work that went into them, which is pretty obvious.  But consider how many pairs of cheap sunglasses you can trash in a year, and how much less performance they offer.

Referability (★★★★)

I can’t recommend them to everyone, all the time, because of the price range (sometimes that’s just not appropriate). But I can say for certain these are the kind of sunglasses you cherish, take care of, and use every day.  If you fish, they’re really hard to beat. Or, if you know a woman who fishes, look no further for an amazing holiday gift. (Hint… hint…)

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