HUNTING - THE OTHER SIDE OF PORK

A PIG IS A HOG IS A WILD BOAR
By Jim Foster

The majority of people should know by now, there are no hogs or pigs native to North America. Every pig animal was brought here from somewhere else as a domesticated farm animal, only a few months away from becoming bacon.

So the term “wild boar” should be “feral boar/feral pig”. Unless it’s female then it would be a “feral sow/feral pig”. Not really to dramatic when you look at it that way.

In spite of that, one outfitter’s ad read, “The most exciting hunt you will ever take”. If that was the case then you either haven’t hunted much or maybe hunted nothing bigger than a red squirrel.

I have hunted and killed many a feral hog over the years and have found them to be a worthy as well as tasty quarry. Hunting methods have been from a blind and feeder, with dogs, spot and stalk with black powder rifle, rifle, pistol, and a bow. Feral hogs are not dangerous unless with young or wounded and cornered. But, then again corner a wounded or scared house cat and see what happens.

Sometime back someone got the idea that when a ranch hired them to trap excess hogs (there are always excess hogs) they could then turn around and sell them to other ranches whose idea was hunting them for profit.

A short time later the ranches that bought the hogs learned how reproductive and destructive these imported swine could be. Soon they were hiring the same trappers to get them off – almost an impossible task.

Moving on to Wisconsin – the year 2002, a motorist in Crawford County struck and killed a wild sow and five piglets. Next, farmers noticed their corn and soybean fields had been rooted up, followed by more wild pig sightings, crop damage and of course more car-pig insurance claims. It’s a proven fact a large hog can roll a car if hit head on.

Investigators learned the pigs came from a trailer pulled by a man from Texas accused of opening the trailer door and allowing 31 pigs to escape into the fields. It had begun. Complaints poured in and state legislators changed the law.

Robert S. Johnson, 55, of San Marcos, Texas, was cited this year for illegally stocking wild animals and is facing fines of as much as $31,000. His trial resumes October 24 before a Crawford County judge.

Oh yes, as an added note, Robert owns an elk farm in Crawford County, maybe they should shut that down as well. The kicker is his nickname is Bubba. Go figure, huh?

As of this writing feral pigs have now been sighted in more than 30 Wisconsin counties and are spreading.

So friends and hunters go enjoy a little pig hunting if you get the chance, in Texas and other states you will need a valid hunting license to hunt. But, in Wisconsin the Department of Natural Recourses has issued a plea to hunters to shoot all the wild pigs they can — no license is needed.

Maybe I need to take a trip to Wisconsin.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

HUNTING - TELEVISION AT IT'S WORST

OUTDOOR TELEVISION - OR THE LACK OF
By Jim Foster

In all fairness I have watched maybe two rather well done hunting and fishing shows. Yep, one for sure and one maybe – and a big maybe it was - I just can’t remember.

Just the other day I watched some old football guy talk about “harvesting” a moose in Alaska. My question is, did he run over it with a John Deere combine? Or did he kill it? I would put my money on the latter. Come on people, we harvest grain - animals we kill. Now if that offends someone, so be it. But back to the topic.

To put it straight out - if these television nightmares, with outdoors themes, were entered in the Olympics they wouldn’t even win a dirt medal.

If there is one group who has done more to cripple the outdoor communications field it’s these poorly educated, ego driven, mentally crippled, murderers of the English language, who can afford a digital video camera and have a big enough line of BS to get sponsors.

The other evening I tried once again to watch one – I don’t stay up late enough to watch the majority, and it was as bad as I remembered.

The program (and I use the word loosely) used up the first eight minutes with the opening, heavy with product mention, then the sponsors were mentioned, followed by a couple of commercials.

It sort of makes me wonder why Billy Mayes doesn’t have his own hunting or fishing TV show.

Here’s how most shows unfold.

First comes the title of the show and all the sponsors involved - and a few that may have come up with some product. The “star” opens with his/her comments, those words were entirely about where they were and about their “host’s” commercial hunting operation. They chatted about when they had hunted there the previous season. The name of the hunting lodge was mentioned several times with gratuitous plugs from the shows “star”.

Next it was again time for several commercials – then back to the program where our “host and star” are in a tree stand (brand name mentioned) and were whispering to each other about something I couldn’t make out from under their camo face nets (brand name mentioned). It might have been about the planted food plot (brand name mentioned) and how the deer just – eat it up.

During the few actual minutes of highly edited video the two passed up at least one “non-shooter” buck waiting for the big one. (NOTE: The whispering never stopped.) But within the time remaining our hero does kill a trophy buck.” Of course the cameraman had his video before the shot.

A few years back one such “star” on a large ranch crippled 2 animals before he got one to fall down for the camera. A real hunter huh?

Next, these two mental midgets KEEP WHISPERING. What is there about “the deer is dead” they can’t grasp? I want to yell, “HEY YOU TWO JERKS, THE DEER IS DOWN SPEAK UP!”

Now the animal is down, more editing from the “B” Roll and several more commercials. The next scene opens and we find our hero’s “trailing” the deer for the camera, its after dark – more dramatic but very poor video work.

EDITORS NOTE: The animal had been found during the commercials by a few of the “grunts” or “groupies” hanging around for the purpose.

Then as if on cue you hear the star yell, “There he is - OMG it’s a monster.” Followed by high 5’s, handshaking, horn holding, and again telling the viewers what a great hunting place it is complete with all the contact information be flashed up on the screen.

More head shots of the animal followed by the credits listing all the people or companies who made this outdoor infomercial possible. Where is Billy Mays? At least he speaks English and doesn’t whisper.

Don’t even ask me about fishing shows.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

BIRDING - A NEW BOOK

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America
By Jim Foster

“PETERSON’S FIELD GUIDE TO BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA” was written by Roger Tory Peterson with a forward by Lee Allen Peterson, his youngest son. This book marks what would have been Roger Tory Peterson’s 100th birthday on August 28, 2008.

This new book keeps the Peterson Field Guides alive with this splendid issue that includes 40 new paintings, all new range maps, and many more features worthy of the Houghton Mifflin publishing company.

I have used mine extensively in the field and office and find it one of the easiest to use and clearly helps identify birds quickly.

This book is now on sale at booksellers across the country. For more information you may also go to http://www.rogertorypeterson.com/

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

PHOTOGRAPHY - TWO'S

NATURE IN TWO’S
By Jim Foster

Going through some photographs to fill an order for an ad agency I noticed how many images I have where the subject is double or the count is two. Not thinking more about it at the time, I had time this morning and pulled a few.

A couple of these I moved closer together BUT the subjects were in two’s for the camera.

I do hope you enjoy seeing them.

As a special note for those who received the Email about my late summer photo workshop / safari, the dates are for 2009. There seemed to be a bit of confusion. Some thought they had received a late Email.

Thanks and like I say enjoy and nurture nature.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

JIM'S GEMS - WE NEED MORE GUMBO

HOW TO MAKE A SQUIRREL GO AWAY
By Jim Foster

It hasn’t been that long ago when I spent time in the East Texas woods hunting the crafty Red squirrel. Sitting still under a large tree waiting for that little bushy tailed rodent to show itself was fun and taught me to be a better shot with my old .22 single shot.

It’s a shame that Jason Needham who resides in Oak Place, New Jersey doesn’t live in the Texas piney woods, instead of New Jersey. As I recall New Jersey does have quite a bit of woods, squirrels to for that matter, but it also has plenty of do-gooders who can’t mind their own business.

As the story goes a neighbor who loves to feed and attract the little pests caused Jason to become irritated when the invasion took in his yard and house. He solved “his” problem by running them off with a BB pistol. Not killing mind you just making their stay, let’s say uncomfortable.

However, his brain-dead, squirrel loving neighbor called the police who then filed charges of disorderly conduct and criminal mischief on poor Jason. I am surprised these donut lovers filed charges.

It is heart warming to know these Krispy Cream Kojacks have all the “real” crime in their town under control. No robbery, drugs, car theft, or any of that kind of crime and all they have to do is arrest a guy for shooting squirrels with a BB gun.

To make matters worse the “animal rights” idiots got into the act and filed their own charges – animal cruelty. Oh yes, they threw in totally unprotected pigeons, or as I call them winged-rats, into the charge.

Some of my best pigeons shoots have been near feed-lots where thousands of winged-rats are a real problem. The only problem for me has been carrying enough shotgun shells to the kill site.

But, back to poor Jason. He will appear before a judge, Judge Michael D. Pugliese. Unless he is like that human speed bump in Montana who set aside the delisting of the gray wolf he will throw this stupid case out as well as give the cop shop a good talking to about stupid charges.

Oh yes, then slap a stiff fine on the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for just being stupid.

Here's my recipe for how I would solve the problem.

* Squirrels, cut into serving pieces,
Amount depends upon how many you can eat
* olive oil
* 1 large onion
* 1 large green bell pepper
* 2 cloves garlic
* Cajun spice
* 2 tbsp Tabasco sauce (Red & Green)
* 4 tbsp ketchup
* 1 tbsp Gumbo File seasoning
* cooked rice

In a deep pot or Dutch oven, heat some olive oil.
Season the squirrel on all sides with the Cajun seasoning.
Add to the hot oil and turn to brown on all sides. Continue to cook
until done.

Place the onion, bell pepper and garlic in a blender. Cover with
water and chop. Add to the pot when squirrel is done.

Sprinkle the added vegetables with Cajun seasoning.

Add the Tabasco sauce, ketchup and the Gumbo File. Stir to mix well.

Serve over the cooked rice.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please Email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com.

HUNTING - BIRD DOGS

YOU “ARF” WHAT YOU EAT
By Jim Foster

After a long morning in what could be described as other than ideal conditions, both hunter and dog were looking forward to a well earned rest.

An Oklahoma friend was hunting his English pointer and had been following my dog Bob, and I do mean following. Bob stayed ahead of me all morning working hard, finding and pointing several covey of quail.

The third dog with us that morning was not doing as well. The big dog had run out of gas about the middle of the last walk, and was now quite far behind.

“What’s with your dog?” someone asked.

“Just lazy.” the owner said. “He just can’t keep up anymore”.

“What are you feeding him?” I asked.

“Whatever’s on sale.” was the reply.

It is always surprising to learn how little regard some hunters have about what they feed their bird dogs. Then, when their dog’s performance falls short, the dog gets the blame.

Feeding a bird dog is a year round activity not to be taken lightly. Your dog deserves the best that you can afford. I will be one of the first one to admit that the dog food industry is getting a little carried away with the price of their products. Some brands are so expensive they are prohibitive unless you have hit the lotto or have a few oil wells in your back yard.

So what will do the job without putting you in the poorhouse? It’s a constant search. It should also be remember switching brands is not to be taken lightly, and sudden diet changes can upset pups systems.

Dogs have evolved over the years but the fact is they are primarily meat-eaters. It is a shame that some manufacturers of dog foods have shifted their ingredients from meat to grains, mainly corn with additives and obscure by-products and labeled as "HIGH PROTEIN" and "COMPLETE, AND BALANCED".

Look on the bag - a good food always begins with meat and not grain. Most of the better food will also include some grains like rice or corn but the meat is the key. Forget the sales pitch for corn based food that stresses High Protein.

Corn has a very limited variety of amino acids when compared to meat products (amino acids bunched together make up protein). Plus, corn is not very high on the list of substances readily digestible by the dog's intestinal tract.

It is a law, ingredients must be listed in descending order according to the weight of the substance in the food. If a manufacturer wants to make the diet appear less 'corny' and more 'meaty,' the corn can be listed farther down the ingredient list on the bag if the form of the corn is listed.

For example, if corn really makes up 80% of the total amount of the product, the forms can be listed as a lesser amount if the corn is labeled "ground whole corn," "ground corn meal," "corn gluten meal," it’s corn flour," "hydrolyzed corn protein" and so on. This is a corn diet.

Here are a few things to remember when buying dog food. Working dogs are special but a good dog food is better for Fifi the poodle” as well.

1. Read the ingredients listed on the bag.
2. Purchase only that food whose first ingredient is meat (not meat and bone meal) or poultry such as chicken or fish.
3. Buy only nationally recognized brands.
4. Observe the dog! The coat should not smell dirty, look dull with coarse, brittle hairs and the skin should appear clean.
5. At least consider buying the dog food at a professional pet center such as a pet mart, animal hospital or pet store. Some Ag feed stores carry a good product.

So if you want 100 percent in the field from your canine hunting buddy then give him the best you can afford in his feed dish.

Don’t just buy "Whatever’s on Sale".