The Great Outsmores

Viewing topo maps just got a whole lot easier. It appears that Google Maps now has a topography layer in addition to the satelite and map view.

The above route is a KML (Google Earth) file of the Lowest-to-Highest trail, which by the way looks like one heck of a trail.

TIP: TO DISPLAY A KML OR KMZ FILE IN GMAPS, JUST COPY THE LINK LOCATION AND PASTE IT INTO THE SEARCH BOX ON THE MAIN GOOGLE MAPS PAGE

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As a long time Fulton County resident, this one came as quite a surprise. Jay Maxwell, of Bethleham, bagged what maybe the non-typical, state-record bow-kill in

THE SUBURBS!

The guys over at Burnt Pine Plantation taped it at over 225″, which would potentially smash the previous thirty year old record. All on a three acre tract just outside of a Atlanta!

Read the whole Georgia Outdoors News article here…

On a personal note, I love seeing the deer come back in our area. Running around as a kid, I’d never see whitetail in these parts…. now they’re all over the place, usually does, fawns, and some small bucks. Makes me want get over to my in-laws place in Milton a little earlier next time………..

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In response to recent public comment regarding Georgia’s dove hunting season structure, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has created a convenient online dove season questionnaire, available at www.gohuntgeorgia.com . The purpose of the questionnaire is to provide hunters an opportunity to share their opinions on certain aspects of Georgia’s current dove hunting season schedule. The 2007-2008 season runs Sept. 1-15, Oct. 6-15 and Nov. 22 – Jan. 5. Questionnaire responses will be considered as public input in the Department’s effort to evaluate potential season alternatives.

“WRD recognizes and appreciates the desire recently expressed by many hunters for late-season dove hunting opportunity,” says assistant chief of Game Management John Bowers. “We value public input in developing seasons and regulations that are not only biologically sound but that also reflect the desires of the public.”

Classified as migratory birds by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), doves are regulated under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Under this authority, states must adhere to the USFWS framework which provides for an opening date no earlier than Sept. 1, a closing date no later than Jan. 15, no more than three seasons and a total of no more than 70 days. Georgia’s current season conforms to this framework. However, considering the recent feedback regarding the desire for more late-season hunting opportunity (i.e. additional days in January), WRD is assessing the possibility of adjusting the current season structure to accommodate the public input. In order to do so, the proposition to adjust the current season must be presented and approved.

Upon assessment of public input, WRD will evaluate potential season alternatives and present these to the public through a series of public meetings in Jan. 2008. Based on those meeting responses, WRD may or may not propose a regulation change to the Board of Natural Resources. The board will review any submitted proposals in the spring of 2008.

Hunters and other interested parties can access the online survey at www.gohuntgeorgia.com - click on “Hunting” and then the link “New: Dove Season Evaluation,” located near the top of the page. The online evaluation is available through Jan. 18, 2008.

For more information or questions regarding the dove season survey, contact WRD Hunter Services at (770) 761-3045. For general information regarding dove season, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com or call (770) 918-6416.

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It was James Pirkle’s first deer, but it was a huge milestone for the charitable program. Sealey’s Deer Cooler in Jefferson, one of the deer-processing companies that accept venison for the GH4H program collected the donation while GA DNR officials were on hand, and even doled out a prize pack.

Read more

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WHAT DO DEER THINK?
Ted Nugent, rock star and avid bow hunter from Michigan, was being interviewed by a French journalist and animal rights activist.

The discussion came around to deer hunting.
The journalist asked, ‘What do you think is the last thought in the head of a deer before you shoot him?
Is it, ‘Are you my friend?’ or is it ‘Are you the one who killed my brother?’

Nugent replied, ‘Deer aren’t capable of that kind of thinking. All they care about is, ‘What am I going to eat next, who am I going to screw next, and can I run fast enough to get away. They are very much like the French.’

The interview ended at that point.

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With the upcoming Georgia Hunters for the Hungry (GHFTH) collection weekend scheduled for Oct. 27-28, 2007, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) announces a change in the Dawsonville collection site location. WRD has relocated the Dawsonville collection site from Dawsonville City Hall to the Georgia Forestry Commission – Dawson Forest Unit/Hightower Educational Forest to avoid potential conflict with the annual Moonshine Festival, which is scheduled for the same weekend. The new site, just one mile east of the old site, offers improved convenience to hunters who want to participate in the event.

The new location, the Georgia Forestry Commission – Dawson Forest Unit/Hightower Educational Forest, is located on Hwy. 53, adjacent to the Etowah River, one mile east of Dawsonville City Hall or approximately 1.5 miles west of GA 400 (4500 Hwy. 53, Dawsonville, Ga. 30534).

See the Press Release for more info.

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Quail Unlimited has introduced The Canine Lifetime Hall of Fame last month to honor bird dog’s that have made a lasting impression on their owners.  The web page on Quail Unlimited’s website allows you to”nominate” your favorite bird dog for the not so nominal fee of $200.  That being said, proceeds do go habitat restoration, and since its a 501(c) organization, your donation may be deductible.

My bird dogs are to spoiled to go hunting, they prefer sunbathing and drinking fruity drinks:

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The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released preliminary data from its 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation, an assessment of participation trends among Americans over age 16, compiled at five-year intervals. Hunter numbers, according to the survey, fell by 4 percent nationwide since 2001. Only 5 percent of Americans now consider themselves hunters.

This isn’t just bad news for the hunting community, but for all of us who enjoy public lands and wildlife whether through a scope, binoculars, or a camera lens. Hunting permits and fishing licenses provide the bulk of state and national wildlife services’ revenue, so a steep decline in hunting impacts the bottom line of the regulatory bodies that protect our most valuable assets.

Read the articles here and here.

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