# "No more pheasants in Michigan"



## akmountainman (May 11, 2005)

I'm GLAD there are "No more pheasants in Michigan". It make my opening day that much better! :lol: Good Luck all!!!!!!!


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## Josh R (Dec 4, 2010)

Got one nice rooster...seen a bunch of hens....wet, rainy, and running!!!
Josh

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## akmountainman (May 11, 2005)

We put up 4 (2hens 2roosters) shot 1 of the roosters.


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## riverroadbeagles (Oct 14, 2007)

Quit hunting them a few years ago got sick of tramping around our farm all day to maybe kick up one rooster. 10 years ago 3 or 4 guys use to almost limit out now no birds.


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## elysian (Oct 20, 2011)

Here is a couple...










Brought to you by those ugly... non-hunting... brown dogs.


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## VstarBR (Dec 15, 2010)

nice dogs!!


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## folktastic (Oct 20, 2012)

Can you find pheasants on public land in Michigan? I always figured that you had to be on someone farm, but then again I don't know anything about pheasant hunting.


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## kellyM87 (Oct 23, 2008)

This Rooster is from Public land. Her first wild rooster.


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)




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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

I see a few every year or two in NLP... 

Does anyone know what the major cause of the pheasant population crash was?.. I have heard a few reasons (uncomfirmed reasons)over the years but it was all before my time.


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## 1ludman (Jun 26, 2012)

Loss of habitat is the biggest reason,growing up in the 70'sthere were plenty of untouched fields and most fencerows were wide and undisturbed .Once the clean farming practices started birds started to disappear,if they have no place to live it and breed you won't have any.


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## elysian (Oct 20, 2011)

1ludman said:


> Loss of habitat is the biggest reason,growing up in the 70'sthere were plenty of untouched fields and most fencerows were wide and undisturbed .Once the clean farming practices started birds started to disappear,if they have no place to live it and breed you won't have any.


 +1


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## B Smithiers (Oct 3, 2010)

1ludman said:


> Loss of habitat is the biggest reason,growing up in the 70'sthere were plenty of untouched fields and most fencerows were wide and undisturbed .Once the clean farming practices started birds started to disappear,if they have no place to live it and breed you won't have any.


X2. When I was younger my dad started me hunting on pheasants, I could have cared less to deer hunt. Our favorite field that was good for at least 5 roosters a hunt is now all houses, its kinda depressing when I think of it. However we still hunt, but we cheat a little by raising a few birds a year and stocking the fields we hunt. We do pick up a wild one here and there. B 

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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

Loss of habitat was one of things i have heard over the years. Another one was that the DNR put out poison for **** and it killed many non-target species including pheasant...

Thanks for the info.


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## Whitetail_hunter (Mar 14, 2012)

I dont know much about pheasant hunting but i have seen 2 pheasants this year on my familys slp farm land, one of them was black?? Id never seen that before it had the ring and everything. Ive also seen 6 quail and i dont hunt birds at all so the numbers cant be that bad around here.

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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

Found a nice one today, long tail and spurs.


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## on_point (Sep 30, 2011)

Haven't hunted pheasants in Michigan in probably close to 20 years now. Used to be a family tradition back when I was a kid. My dad, me and my brother would all go down and hunt all over the place where we had relatives that relocated years ago to work the auto plants. 

Great memories but looking but talk about persistent hunting. We would cover acres and acres of land. If you missed a rooster in range there was hell to pay because most likely that was one of maybe 3 you would see all weekend.

Good times though. If anything it taught the value of persistence in order to succeed.


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

boomer_x7 said:


> Loss of habitat was one of things i have heard over the years. Another one was that the DNR put out poison for **** and it killed many non-target species including pheasant...
> 
> Thanks for the info.


I believe habitat loss is the largest factor and herbicides used by farmers. But I've never heard of the **** poison theory. Not a bad idea though, there's way too many of those nest robbers. They die by lead poisoning when I see them or a Rage broadhead.

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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

boomer_x7 said:


> Another one was that the DNR put out poison for **** and it killed many non-target species including pheasant...
> 
> Thanks for the info.


That is one of the most ridiculous things I think I've read on here to date. 

Posted from my iPhone.


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## Freestone (May 15, 2003)

We saw a rooster standing on the shoulder of M55 on our way home from Roscommon earlier today. We were like "HS that was a pheasant!"


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

Freestone said:


> We saw a rooster standing on the shoulder of M55 on our way home from Roscommon earlier today. We were like "HS that was a pheasant!"


I said the same thing when I saw one along 94 downtown Detroit...LOL 

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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

boomer_x7 said:


> . Another one was that the DNR put out poison for **** and it killed many non-target species including pheasant...
> 
> Thanks for the info.


Exactly!

Wiped out all the ring-tail lemurs, emu's and duck-billed platypus's as well.


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

michgundog said:


> I said the same thing when I saw one along 94 downtown Detroit...LOL
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Lol i see more game in detroit than anywhere, yotes, fox, pheasants... Etc

Maybe a stretch but you do see alot workin nights... I even saw 2 yotes chasing a buck next to 696/275 area at aroun 2:30 in the morning a few years ago...


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

William H Bonney said:


> Exactly!
> 
> Wiped out all the ring-tail lemurs, emu's and duck-billed platypus's as well.


Dont forget it killed the last wolverine in michigan too...

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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

DIYsportsman said:


> Lol i see more game in detroit than anywhere, yotes, fox, pheasants... Etc
> 
> Maybe a stretch but you do see alot workin nights... I even saw 2 yotes chasing a buck next to 696/275 area at aroun 2:30 in the morning a few years ago...
> 
> ...


I have family in Farmington Hills, deer including nice bucks strolling the neighborhood on a regular basis. 

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## anotherbadname (Aug 16, 2012)

There seems to be a lot of theories on why they are no longer around. How about theories on how to bring them back. South Dakota and other states have regulations in place to help with the population. I would love to see regulations to help bring them back.


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## BIGSP (Sep 16, 2004)

anotherbadname said:


> There seems to be a lot of theories on why they are no longer around. How about theories on how to bring them back. South Dakota and other states have regulations in place to help with the population. I would love to see regulations to help bring them back.


Regulations won't bring them back. Habitat will bring them back and regulations will help them stay. I agree you shouldn't be able to shoot pheasants off the roost. It's way too easy to wipe them out but, if there aren't many around regulations aren't going to get us back to the boom we were in 30-40 years ago.


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## anotherbadname (Aug 16, 2012)

Regulations could be put in place that would rebuild the population and protect the habitat needed for a recovery of the population.

A start to this could be:
a given distince established between road sides and fields sufficient for habitat, a bounty on *****, fox, coyotes, opossums, ect., discouraging fall plowing, follow a model similar to rejuvenating the turkey population. 

Nothing will bring back "the good ol' days" but we can put forth an effort to try.


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## Hardwoods89 (Oct 8, 2008)

boomer_x7 said:


> I see a few every year or two in NLP...
> 
> Does anyone know what the major cause of the pheasant population crash was?.. I have heard a few reasons (uncomfirmed reasons)over the years but it was all before my time.


My dad grew up in Richmond and he said that in the late 70's they didn't even have school on opening day of pheasant season because they knew so many people wouldnt show, and it was never an if but how long it would take you to get your limit...on the flip side he also said the deer back then in that area were much fewer and far between....nowadays it is a complete 180.....


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## Freestone (May 15, 2003)

anotherbadname said:


> Regulations could be put in place that would rebuild the population and protect the habitat needed for a recovery of the population.
> 
> A start to this could be:
> a given distince established between road sides and fields sufficient for habitat, a bounty on *****, fox, coyotes, opossums, ect., discouraging fall plowing, follow a model similar to rejuvenating the turkey population.
> ...


You really can't start telling farmers how to farm and property owners what they can and can't do with their property. It would take millions upon millions of dollars to pay for the habitat every year. Money we don't have.


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## riverroadbeagles (Oct 14, 2007)

This state only cares about deer plain and simple that's where the money is. It seemed I had alot more fun hunting when I was a kid before deer were around. Always couldn't wait for squirrel opener. Usually had 6 or more family members hunting on pheasant opener hunted rabbits and fox during the winter. Now nobody will let you hunt or trap because you will scare there deer away when before nobody cared if you small game hunted on there property. Oh we'll at least I have the family farm to hunt and trap but still no pheasants. 


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## cross3700 (Apr 7, 2010)

riverroadbeagles said:


> *This state only cares about deer plain and simple that's where the money is.* It seemed I had alot more fun hunting when I was a kid before deer were around. Always couldn't wait for squirrel opener. Usually had 6 or more family members hunting on pheasant opener hunted rabbits and fox during the winter. Now nobody will let you hunt or trap because you will scare there deer away when before nobody cared if you small game hunted on there property. Oh we'll at least I have the family farm to hunt and trap but still no pheasants.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I'd be interested in seeing the breakdown in revenue from small game licenses v. deer tags. My guess is the state sells a lot of small game licenses each year.


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

cross3700 said:


> I'd be interested in seeing the breakdown in revenue from small game licenses v. deer tags. My guess is the state sells a lot of small game licenses each year.


Small game lic sales have decreased 2% every year since the 60's


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

cross3700 said:


> I'd be interested in seeing the breakdown in revenue from small game licenses v. deer tags. My guess is the state sells a *lot* of small game licenses each year.


http://www.nssf.org/PDF/HuntingLicTrends-NatlRpt.pdf

See page 16 & 17 of this document.

Here in Michigan.. Small game license sales were down almost 2% 2011 compared to 2010, 2011 256,000,, 2010 261,000

Deer license sale pushed 1,500,000 here in Michigan


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## BIGSP (Sep 16, 2004)

gundogguy said:


> http://www.nssf.org/PDF/HuntingLicTrends-NatlRpt.pdf
> 
> See page 16 & 17 of this document.
> 
> ...


I may have this a bit wrong but, I will be close. 85% of hunting licenses sold in MI are for deer hunting and 85% of those people only buy deer licenses.


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## River Keeper (Apr 12, 2010)

michgundog said:


> I said the same thing when I saw one along 94 downtown Detroit...LOL
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


 Most of them been pushed out by Yotes.Thank you DNR .But the fact is there are all over the place in Detoilet.They feed alot off the grain the falls off the train carts. RK


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## anotherbadname (Aug 16, 2012)

Three pages of how it used to be and what went wrong. 

How about some ideas to bring it back and correct the mistakes?


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## River Keeper (Apr 12, 2010)

anotherbadname said:


> Three pages of how it used to be and what went wrong.
> 
> How about some ideas to bring it back and correct the mistakes?


 Kill on Sight Yotes !!!!!


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

River Keeper said:


> Kill on Sight Yotes !!!!!


Support you local trapper!


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## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

DIYsportsman said:


> Support you local trapper!
> 
> 
> _OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors._


And your local PF Chapter!

I honestly believe pheasants can come back. Will they be flying out of every nook and cranny and be as thick as gravy? Not likely, but who's to say its absolutely impossible to bring them back to a point at which the population is half of what it once was?


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## slammer (Feb 21, 2006)

Gottafish! said:


> The Black Bird probabbly came from a breeder. We gave up on the wild birds and every year plant about (20) pen reared Roosters on my place. We give them a couple of hours and hunt them up with dogs. Amazing how many we never see again. Just shot 11 out of the 20. The breeder had both black and ringneck birds. The black birds are much tougher, and they grow them because the DNR knowes they were pen reared.
> 
> [/QUOT
> 
> ...


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## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

slammer said:


> Gottafish! said:
> 
> 
> > The Black Bird probabbly came from a breeder. We gave up on the wild birds and every year plant about (20) pen reared Roosters on my place. We give them a couple of hours and hunt them up with dogs. Amazing how many we never see again. Just shot 11 out of the 20. The breeder had both black and ringneck birds. The black birds are much tougher, and they grow them because the DNR knowes they were pen reared.
> ...


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## answerguy8 (Oct 15, 2001)

I had a decent opening day. Four guys, seven roosters with several opportunities for the eighth if we really wanted it. But lunch and a beer was calling...

(Too bad I published my picture upside down)


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

Jim58 said:


> slammer said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone remember why they stopped the Sichuan program? It was my understanding they prospered in a more wooded type of cover and hopes were they would cross over into a Grouse type habitat for kind of a dual management program so to speak.
> ...


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

Jim58 said:


> slammer said:
> 
> 
> > Does anyone remember why they stopped the Sichuan program? It was my understanding they prospered in a more wooded type of cover and* hopes were they would cross over into a Grouse type habitat for kind of a dual management program so to speak.*
> ...


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

88luneke said:


> Speaking of corn, ethanol, and government, anyone know what's going on with the farm bill?



The Farm Bill is DOA. Why ? Because it is not a Farm Bill it is a Food Stamp bill!
We get the best government money can buy!


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

I believe the biological reason that they stopped the Sichuan program was they learned that the servivability of that bird was no better than the common ringneck. They still nested on the ground and the egg eaters - *****, skunks and possum - still ate their eggs. 

Fox/coyotes are not as efficient of a predator on the adult population as the aforementioned egg suckers are at preventing adults.

Even if we had the same large expanses of grass that the Dakotas have we would still not have the number of pheasants that they do. They lack the habitat for producing the egg eaters or the trees for producing ***** and hiding avian predators. A hawk or eagle there is soaring in the air and visible to the pheasant. Here, we have them roosted in trees just waiting for the pheasant to make a move, while the predator bird is unseen. And you can throw in owls that do the same thing all night.

The bottom line in Michigan is, with the lack of habitat, everything is tilted in favor of the predator


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## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

The Doob said:


> I believe the biological reason that they stopped the Sichuan program was they learned that the servivability of that bird was no better than the common ringneck. They still nested on the ground and the egg eaters - *****, skunks and possum - still ate their eggs.
> 
> Fox/coyotes are not as efficient of a predator on the adult population as the aforementioned egg suckers are at preventing adults.
> 
> ...


 
How do Grouse and Turkeys manage to keep the eggs in there ground nest from being eaten and the Sichuan was not?


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## BIGSP (Sep 16, 2004)

The Doob said:


> Even if we had the same large expanses of grass that the Dakotas have we would still not have the number of pheasants that they do. They lack the habitat for producing the egg eaters or the trees for producing ***** and hiding avian predators. A hawk or eagle there is soaring in the air and visible to the pheasant. Here, we have them roosted in trees just waiting for the pheasant to make a move, while the predator bird is unseen. And you can throw in owls that do the same thing all night.
> 
> The bottom line in Michigan is, with the lack of habitat, everything is tilted in favor of the predator


What do you base your information on? Have you ever been out west? I've never seen so many yotes, skunks and feral cats. I think you are sorely mistaken. If we had the habitat available we would have the birds maybe even more. Our winters aren't nearly as harsh as Sodak and Nodak.


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

I base my information on conversations that I had with a DNR area biologist and the fact that a high school class mate was in charge of raising the Sichuans when the project started. I have been to the Dakotas as well and have seen a large number of coyotes/fox but the cumulative affect of all the predators we have in Michigan, I believe, prevents us from having large pheasant populations. 

That being said, I do find a larger number of birds in the filter strips planted along the drains that head up to the Bay. These grass strips, from 50 to 200 feet wide, provide unbroken year round cover that gives them some protection. This versus having a predator run the ditches for the birds as generally that is the only available cover after the farming season ends.


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## jesseb (Jul 28, 2010)

SAD.... that's just what it is. My boys will not be able to shoot a pheasant. This state is a deer and turkey state. I hunt birds that's my obsession, but guys like me are few and far between. I will still fight to keep them arround but its a losing battle. We can all argue and point fingers but it will be nothing more than a waste of breath. Fact is those of us that care are to small of a voice and we can't fight this without government support. 
As far as the predators go, my grandpa told me back when there were lots of pheasants, trapping used to be phenomenal. The only exception is coyotes they weren't near as thick. But he says predators in general were just as plentiful if not more.
This leads me to believe that just like the moral of the country with the government currently. .. we have given up on the fight. Not enough people care enough to fight back and just like our government will corrupt and fall so will the pheasants population. Being 25 I sure would love to have seen Americans of old times that wouldn't take no for an answer and fought for what they BELIEVED in.

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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

jesseb said:


> SAD.... that's just what it is. My boys will not be able to shoot a pheasant. This state is a deer and turkey state. I hunt birds that's my obsession, but guys like me are few and far between. I will still fight to keep them arround but its a losing battle. We can all argue and point fingers but it will be nothing more than a waste of breath. Fact is those of us that care are to small of a voice and we can't fight this without government support.
> As far as the predators go, my grandpa told me back when there were lots of pheasants, trapping used to be phenomenal. The only exception is coyotes they weren't near as thick. But he says predators in general were just as plentiful if not more.
> This leads me to believe that just like the moral of the country with the government currently. .. we have given up on the fight. Not enough people care enough to fight back and just like our government will corrupt and fall so will the pheasants population. Being 25 I sure would love to have seen Americans of old times that wouldn't take no for an answer and fought for what they BELIEVED in.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Plus everyone back then had a small trapline, every kid on all the farms, fox were around $80 a pelt back then in the 70's... Now they are $20-$40


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

If pheasants were never introduced in Michigan would we still miss them?

Read an interesting article out of New York from their DEC website. They have lost 90% since 1970. Their heydays were very similar to Michigan's, 1960's and early 70's. 


Posted from my iPhone.


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## Deerslayer23 (Oct 24, 2012)

Maybe it's time to move to the up no problem getting limits here on public or private land


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

Deadshort, they are probably dealing with the same issues as us that have already been mentioned..


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

I wish they would make a comeback too. The habitat in our SGA's over here is by any sense optimal for different cover types and year round food sources. Just not much cooperation from the birds. 

Posted from my iPhone.


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

dead short said:


> I wish they would make a comeback too. The habitat in our SGA's over here is by any sense optimal for different cover types and year round food sources. Just not much cooperation from the birds.
> 
> Posted from my iPhone.


Are you on the west side?


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

The thumb, actually the thumb nail. Where money smells like cow manure and the deer double as traffic cones. 


Posted from my iPhone.


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## 88luneke (Jan 13, 2009)

Someone mentioned earlier in the thread but hunters safety. 

When I took hunters safety 13 years ago they didn't even hint at the fact there was such a thing as trapping. 

Why aren't they teaching any of that?


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## DIYsportsman (Dec 21, 2010)

dead short said:


> The thumb, actually the thumb nail. Where money smells like cow manure and the deer double as traffic cones.
> 
> Posted from my iPhone.


Ahh so you stay mighty close to verona, i saw a lot of hunters (bow and bird) there sunday, and i had a great time saw 3 birds shot 1 (first) with my halfway useless house dog...


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