See...We aren't heartless...

Jeff spotted this little guy as we were heading out to glass for our opening day buck...
He was right in between the double yellow line so we escorted him to safety in the direction he was traveling...

Scouting Trash Removal

Since I am going to try and remove trash every time I go....I will post a pic every time I can remember to do so. Trash is not the most fun thing to take a pic of so we shall see. In any case, This is a bag I picked up in about 1 minute in one of my hood spots as I was checking a cam by the road. It really takes no time. I chucked it in my trash can when I arrived home.

Found some bucks out galavanting around today while checking cams in the rain.

I was dodging rain showers leftover from Tropical Storm Lee today and I ran into a few deer in the same vacant lot where "Shaft" was the other day. I didn't really see anything huge but I did manage a few nice pics from truck. The biggest of the bucks is close to shedding and I may go back tomorrow and try finding him again to document the progress.

Saw a goofy old friend the other day.

I guess if I had to pick a name for this guy it would be "Shaft"

Cuz he only has like a shaft of a point on one side and you kinda get shafted if you shoot him....

This Buck first made an appearance on film 3 seasons ago when I shot a different buck with my bow during gun season at the Germans.

We had him on trailcam a few times as well...He was a goofball with a beam and small brow on one side and a normal antler on the other.

We have seen him every year since but never have had a shot at him. (Not that anyone would have wanted too) hehe

This year though might be different...Still not a great scoring deer but at 5 years old and a little bit more gnarly he may not get a pass if we see him.

I was driving in to check cams and saw him in an abandoned lot about a half mile from my stand with a few other bucks... Thought he was kind of neat looking...He is now a 6X2

Here are some screen grabs from the old video and the current shots I got of him.

Here is a link to that old video where he appears before I shoot an older 7 point.

Litterbugs get on my nerves.

I was running around the lake near my house the other day. (Im trying to get my self in shape....trying) I was running down the home stretch near the spot where all the kids jump in the lake from the esplinade and I caught something floating in the water out of the corner of my eye...WTF....It was a brand new bottle...some jackass had thrown it in the lake. Here I am running by and my water bottle was empty. Maybe I should just throw mine in the water too??? Maybe we all should and then it will be a big floating trash can....I still had a mile to go but I carried mine home....This is not the first time I have seen trash in the lake. One of the last times I was down there bow fishing I took some home in my carp bucket. Sorry I just had to vent!!!

Cherry tree setup.

Jeff and I were were scouting and setting up the new cherry tree spot. I guess its called the sassafras tree now...hehehe
We cleared some lanes and hung a new set. It looks pretty killer. Now if we can just get some critters to cooperate and walk into the trap.
















































I cleared a little trash as well as the debris from our trimming. Only takes a second.

Taking out the trash!!!

Doesn't it upset you? Getting all geared up to hunt and heading to your favorite spot only to see evidence that someone before you has trashed the parking area with bottles, wrappers, napkins, etc. I have forever been disgusted and ashamed by the actions of some of my fellow sportsman. There are some instances that stick out in my mind. I grew up hunting on Maryland's eastern shore. My Grandfather owned some pretty big properties that we hunted deer on. He also leased some of the properties to waterfowlers. I can remember numerous times rolling up to hunt and finding empty shell boxes, soda cans, and candy bar wrappers. It infuriated me...Not only because this was our land but because.........This Planet is "Our Land"!!!

This brings me to some of the other times I have been appalled at the sight of litter... I was in Sedona Arizona hiking a while back and was blown away by the amount of litter I came across as I traversed some of the most breathtaking scenery I have been fortunate enough to see. As I looked around I saw lots of notes and pictures stuffed in bags and tucked in the rocks. I know this place has special meaning and power for some so I kind of understood this, but besides all of these things there were tons of water bottles and wrappers from beef jerky and granola bars. I put as many items as I could in my pockets and walked them out myself. It wasn't that much of an inconvenience. This really doesn't have anything to do with sportsman but it brings me to some other multi use public places where we as hunters end up looking like a bunch of losers from the mess left behind.

Trash at the Seneca Creek parking area this morning.

I remember when Seneca Creek opened up to bowhunting a few years back. The battle was fought to get hunters in to this heavily over browsed park to control the deer. It was a tough enough battle to win over the public enough to get us in there so do we really need to have a bunch of slobs leaving litter at the parking areas? I remember pulling in there for the first time to scout being greeted with piles of garbage and it wasn't even actually hunting season yet. Was this all from hunters? Maybe not... but it did not take much effort to throw some of it in the bed of my truck to throw out the next time I got gas.

After taking a few pics of the trash I picked it up and put it in a bucket to take home to the trash can.

I guess what pushed me over the edge was the amount of trash I found while hiking some public parks this past spring looking for Morel Mushrooms. I mean...I would get into a little patch where I could tell other mushroom hunters had been and it wasn't only from their leaf scrapings or stems of shrooms left behind. It was the large amount of beer cans and soda/water bottles that these folks carried all the way in but could not carry out...even though they are carrying bags of mushrooms out....

This is the trash by the parking lot found after mushroom hunting.....

I hear stories every season about guys losing prime hunting spots for one reason or another. Bad public image is one that could cost us some of the great public hunting we have right now and it definitely wont help us get any new doors opened. If the property you are hunting is private...wouldn't the Landowner be happy to know that the guy or group that he is letting use his property was taking it upon themselves to not only remove their own trash but others as well. It may be something that could save you down the rd. If someone else causes an issue for the landowner that he/she knows that it could not be his responsible permitee because that does not fit your profile.

In recent seasons I have become increasingly more involved in hunting in suburban areas. Homeowners are more likely to see trash left behind in their yards than say a busy Farmer would in the woods surrounding his fields.

I am going to make an effort to remove trash every time I go in the woods this season starting with the next time I head out scouting. I mean how hard is it to carry a small empty bag in with me in my backpack or pocket. In the suburban areas that I frequent it is shocking how much waste I see in the woods and parking area. It will not be that big of an ordeal for me to pick up a few items after a morning hunt as I walk to the truck. I know it does not sound like much but figuring that I will probably spend around 50 or 60 days in the woods this season it will add up. Just think...1 bottle a day will fill up a giant hefty bag by the end of the season. I am going to ask all my Overkill boys to join me in this effort. We always try to stay in good graces with our Landowners and have a great relationship as it is so this can only solidify our place on their land for the future.

Imagine running into a landowner and having them ask "what's in the bag"?
I can promise they will feel like they made the right decision in letting you hunt their property.


I challenge every one of my fellow sportsman to take the time to take out the trash on your next hunt. It's a small step but a step in the right direction to giving hunters a cleaner image.

Some stuff to think about...

So I was checking out some posts on Facebook the other day and I saw that my Niece had started a blog and was asking for comments. I love reading blogs so I clicked on the link to check it out. I read the whole first post and was in the middle of agreeing with the content when I saw a logo on the picture she had attached from peta.....

Her writing was about not leaving your pets behind during an emergency. I agree that if you have taken on the responsibility of becoming a pet owner that you are then responsible for the health and safety of the animal as you are any family member. Leaving them behind and in harms way is a pretty crappy move. The content of the posting was not what I had an issue with. It was the peta poster. I hoped that this was an oversight and that she had attached the picture because of the cute little puppy dog that is the center of focus.

I am not one to make waves and argue with people just for the sake of arguing but when the topic is one that I feel strongly about I will argue until I am blue in the face. The problem is, most supporters of animal rights groups and anti hunting organizations cannot be swayed because they are brainwashed by false statements and lies.

I then noticed that my Sister in law was agreeing and I was like dayuuum I hope they are not following the dark side so I replied....

Here is the banter....Names have been left out to protect the innocent...hehe

• Perfect :)

  Thursday at 10:50pm ·
• 
  

  Thanks!!

  Thursday at 10:59pm ·
• 

  Troy Knoll I need to scold you two. PETA does not care about your puppies or kittens. They kill more dogs and cats than you could possibly imagine every year. So I agree with not abandoning them but please do not support one of Americas most radical terrorist organizations

  Friday at 10:20am ·
• 
  

  Listen here uncle Troy - lol- I'm not supporting PETA - they just had a picture that went well with the article topic :p I'll write a blog just for you tonight on the backass way of PETA :)
  
  But yu rea the blog - whatd you think ?

  Friday at 11:11am ·
• 

  Love it...I was checking on it because I love blogs and I am actually trying to get both of my oldest to write them...I think they are a great way to express yourself and love the fact that I can look back and share the last four years of mine with friends. If you crop that picture and get rid of that logo I will link yours to mine...hehe...I get some decent traffic..

  Friday at 1:13pm ·
• 

  Troy Knoll I told Angie I was hoping it was just cuz the doggie pic was cute...

  Friday at 1:14pm ·

Here is my point....This is perfectly innocent...but that is the problem. While I hate to give the crazies at peta or the hsus any credit they are good at trickery...

I mean when do you think of the Humane Society as bad??? You dont right??? and you shouldnt because they do a great service for animals in your local area.

Now add "of the United States" to the end of the Humane Society and we have a totally different animal. No pun intended.

Here is a small clip of information that can be easily found on the internet with little or no effort.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a radical animal rights group that inaccurately portrays itself as a mainstream animal care organization. The words “humane society” may appear on its letterhead, but HSUS is not affiliated with your local animal shelter. Despite the omnipresent dogs and cats in its fundraising materials and television commercials, it’s not an organization that runs spay/neuter programs or takes in stray, neglected, and abused pets. And quite unlike the common image of animal protection agencies as cash-strapped organizations dedicated to animal welfare, HSUS has become the wealthiest animal rights organization on earth.

HSUS is big, rich, and powerful. While most local animal shelters are under-funded and unsung, HSUS has accumulated $162 million in assets and built a recognizable brand by capitalizing on the confusion its very name provokes. This misdirection results in an irony of which most animal lovers are unaware: HSUS raises enough money to finance animal shelters in every single state, with money to spare, yet it doesn’t operate a single one anywhere.

keeping its multi-national agenda going.

Instead, HSUS spends millions on programs that seek to economically cripple meat and dairy producers; eliminate the use of animals in biomedical research labs; phase out pet breeding, zoos, and circus animal acts; and demonize hunters as crazed lunatics. HSUS spends more than $5 million each year on travel expenses alone, just

HSUS president Wayne Pacelle described some of his goals in 2004 for The Washington Post: “We will see the end of wild animals in circus acts … [and we’re] phasing out animals used in research. Hunting? I think you will see a steady decline in numbers.” But Pacelle may have more ambitious anti-hunting goals. In 1991, while he was the National Director of the Fund for Animals, Pacelle told the Associated Press: “[I]f we could shut down all sport hunting in a moment, we would. Just like we would shut down all dog fighting, all cock fighting or all bull fighting.”

These folks have been linked to numerous terror organizations, fire bombings, and other acts of violence. All in the name of saving animals?

peta on the other hand while maybe not as radical, is forever seeking out celebs that are in the public eye to spread their propaganda... These celebs and other supporters may have no clue as most people dont, what the organization is up to. You have to admit that its a pretty good way to get their ridiculously skewed message out to the masses as celeb gossip is probably more looked at by young and or impressionable people in the US than the daily news. Hiding behind the cutesy little furballs they put on adds and naked celebs telling you not to wear fur when truth be told....they would rather see a human die than get the medicine they need because it was tested on a rat. Give me a break....Puppies and Kittens....peta is responsible for killing more puppies and kittens every year than you could possibly imagine.

Here are a few of my favorite (Scary) quotes from these whack Jobs....Stew on these for a while.....

Peta Quotes

Quotes that peta members have made.

Ingrid Newkirk President Eating meat is primitive, barbaric, and arrogant. - Washington City Paper (December 20, 1985) There’s no rational basis for saying that a human being has special rights. A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. They’re all animals. - Washingtonian magazine (August 1, 1986) I openly hope that it [hoof-and-mouth disease] comes here. It will bring economic harm only for those who profit from giving people heart attacks and giving animals a concentration camp-like existence. It would be good for animals, good for human health and good for the environment. - ABC News interview (April 2, 2001) Six million people died in concentration camps, but six billion broiler chickens will die this year in slaughterhouses. [emphasis added] - The Washington Post (November 13, 1983) Even if animal tests produced a cure for AIDS, we’d be against it. - Vogue (September 1, 1989)

Alex Pacheco Co-Founder We feel that animals have the same rights as a retarded human child because they are equal mentally in terms of dependence on others. - The New York Times (January 14, 1989)

Bill Maher Endorser

If ten people in America died of mad cow disease, in the long run it would save probably millions of lives. Because people would stop eating meat. That’s not a catty thing to say, to say -- in the long run this is what I hope.
- Upon accepting the “Celebrity Animal Advocate of the Year award” at the “Animal Rights 2003” convention

Bruce Friedrich
Vegan Campaign Coordinator

If you can take Ronald McDonald and turn him into a psychotic, bloody butcher … that’s going to adversely affect McDonald’s’ stock price.
- “Animal Rights 2002” convention (July 2, 2002)


If we really believe that these animals do have the same right to be free from pain and suffering at our hands, then, of course we’re going to be, as a movement, blowing stuff up and smashing windows. For the record, I don’t do this stuff, but I do advocate it. I think it’s a great way to bring about animal liberation … I think it would be a great thing if all of these fast-food outlets, and these slaughterhouses, and these laboratories, and the banks that fund them exploded tomorrow. I think it’s perfectly appropriate for people to take bricks and toss them through the windows, and everything else along the line. Hallelujah to the people who are willing to do it. July 2, 2001

And perhaps the biggest terrorist of them all....

Rodney Coronado
Substantial grantee

Crimes of compassion that every animal advocate should support.
- Coronado’s description of two 1991 arsons at Oregon State University and the Northwest Farm Food Cooperative in Edmonds, Washington, as described in his 1995 Federal Sentencing Memorandum


Throughout the late ‘80s, me and a handful of friends just like you people here, we started to break windows, we started to slash tires, we started to rescue animals from factory farms and vivisection breeders, and we graduated to breaking into laboratories … As long as we emptied the labs of animals, they were still easily replaced. So that's when the ALF in this country, and my cell, started engaging in arson.
- SHAC rally, Edison, New Jersey (November 30, 2002)

A lot of people think that -- Oh my god, that’s going too far, you know. People can support bringing animals out of labs, but they can’t support arson. Well, I’m sorry. I’m not here to, to please people. I’m not here to win the support of people. I’m here to represent my animal relations who are suffering this very second. And I don’t care what anybody says about what I do to achieve their freedom.
- SHAC rally, Edison, New Jersey (November 30, 2002)


As a direct-action warrior, it made a lot of sense to me to attack institutions in the fur trade … We need to destroy them by any means necessary.
- "Conference on Organized Resistance," American University (January 26, 2003)

Do I need to go further???