By Kim Hiss

     It seems worth asking again: how much do you worry about CWD? If you're in Michigan, the topic is certainly on your mind at the moment.
     After a 3-year-old doe at a Kent County captive breeding facility tested positive for the disease, the state's DNR has quarantined 580 deer and elk farms and banned baiting in the Lower Peninsula. According to this Grand Rapids Press story, the impact of such measures varies depending on who you talk to -- but everyone is feeling the effects.
     If you're a breeder, of course, the news couldn't be worse. "If you get it at your facility, it's terminal," Alex Draper, president of the Michigan Deer & Elk Association of Breeders told the paper. "The herd is terminated, and you are out of business."
     As for area hunters, the ban on baiting has drawn a number of angry phone calls to the DNR from sportsmen disagreeing with the move. But officials point out that CWD is easily spread in areas where deer congregate, so the ban is a necessary step. And I'm sure most area hunters understand the importance of containment.
     Then there's the meat processors, such as a Big Rapids business that typically donates 16,000 pounds of venison each year to the Sportsmen Against Hunger program. Kelly's Catering and Deer Processing expected to start receiving deer by Sept. 4, but now its owner wonders how much meat he'll be able to provide to local pantries.
     DNR officials are currently reviewing the records of six breeding facilities, and tracing the transport of deer between them. They also plan to test 300 wild deer in the area. A DNR spokesperson called the department's activities to determine the level of contamination, "a big detective job."
     Personally, I find the topic of CWD fascinating (though, of course, not in a good way). It's such a complex issue. There's the biology of a degenerative disease, its frightening spread through sometimes shady business dealings among deer facilities, and the complicated bureaucracy of containing it. Not to mention the fact that the prions responsible for the disease just don't go away -- once they're in the soil, long term contamination is a major issue. The whole thing feels a bit like a sleeper epidemic. It goes through periods of seeming inactivity, before erupting into a very real chain of problems that affects every segment of the deer hunting community. -K.H.

By Kim Hiss

     If you missed the X-Files movie, no worries, today's developments in the most recent Bigfoot claim are possibly more entertaining.
     I'm sure we've all heard that an alleged Bigfoot 'corpse' was discovered in the woods of northern Georgia last June by hikers Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer. At a press conference last week, the pair presented a photo of what appeared to be a heap of fur in a refrigerator, as well as DNA samples from the supposed remains.
     Today Bigfoot enthusiasts from Searching for Bigfoot Inc. and Sasquatchdetective say in an online posting  that Whitton and Dyer's claim is a fraud.
    The duo had allegedly turned the frozen Bigfoot corpse over to members of the two Bigfoot groups, who proceeded to thaw it. When the actual "remains" were revealed, they were made of rubber, the statement posted today said. Whitton and Dyer then admitted their "discovery" was merely a costume.
     According to this CNN story, no one involved in the hoax, or the assessment of the remains, can now be reached for comment.
     Steve Kulls of Sasquatchdetective who 'revealed' the fraud in today's online posting didn't return a call from reporters. A woman who answered the phone at Searching for Bigfoot Inc said Bigfoot hunter Tom Biscardi, who was also involved in assessing the remains, was ill and unable to comment. Whitton's phone appeared to have been disconnected, Dyer's number couldn't be located, and the pair failed to show up for a press appearance on CNN's "American Morning" last Monday.
     The online posting really is worth the read -- it's as unnerving as it is amusing. And unlike the X-Files movie, which some of us may have unfortunately found out was a waste of time and hard-earned money -- reading the post is free. -K.H.

     We rarely have occasion to talk about moles and secret operatives, so what do you make of the case of Mary McFate, also known as Mary Lou Sapone, who allegedly infiltrated anti-gun groups as a spy for the pro-gun lobby?
    There's been so much coverage of the story recently, it's hard to know which source article to reference. So I'm going with the investigative piece that broke the news in Mother Jones magazine on July 30 called, "There's Something About Mary: Unmasking a Gun Lobby Mole." 
     According to that report, Mary McFate began working with various gun control groups starting in the mid 1990's. She was involved with the Million Mom March, worked for the coalition group States United to Prevent Gun Violence, and collaborated with organizations such at the Brady Campaign, among many other initiatives. Such involvement gave her access to everything from legislative strategies and event planning to insider gossip.
     While some gun control colleagues noticed that McFate would occasionally drop out of contact and frequently declined media appearances, she was widely regarded as a committed and passionate anti-gun activist.
     However, according to the investigative report, during the time that McFate was increasing her involvement with the anti-gun movement, she was also Mary Lou Sapone, a "research consultant" hired by the pro-gun lobby. (Interestingly, in the 1980s, Sapone had "infiltrated the animal rights community" as an "operative" for a security firm.) Now gun control advocates are wondering who she reported to, and if she's the only "mole" among them.
     As for McFate, she has been unreachable by the press, and ABC News reported last week that her Florida neighbors said she was on vacation in Belize.
      How much attention have you paid to the case, and how much of the alleged spy activity do you believe? I find the whole affair as interesting as it is unnerving, and I'm very curious to see how it develops. -K.H.

By Kim Hiss

     Some of you have commented on the Filson banners that started appearing on our blog earlier this year. So I figured we should meet the person responsible, and invited Filson Director of Marketing Amy Terai to write a few words. 

     So, in place of our bi-weekly Q&A, I'm happy to introduce Amy (that's her on the left, along with Sales Manager Jeanne Johnson at the Washington Outdoor Women's shotgun workshop). Below she talks about her pride in Filson's women's line, as well as her excitement for the outdoors. -K.H.

     I came to
Filson fresh from college looking to work
in the garment industry.  Never in a
million years did I think I’d be
working for a company that specializes in
outdoor clothing and gear, especially hunting and fly fishing gear! Within a few
months at Filson I fell in love with
the brand, from its rich heritage in
the NW, and its quality garments and
lifetime guarantee, to its trans-generational
qualities and the deep connection we share
with our customers. I joined a huge
family when I came on board with Filson
and I am so very proud to be a
part of it.

     This year
Filson launched a women’s line. It seems
to be a long time in the making,
considering Filson has been around for over
110 years. We tend to do things a
little slower here and really gather input
from our customers before we make any
drastic changes. In order to fully
understand the women we were planning on
outfitting we decided to form a women’s
council. The Filson women’s council is
made up of several different women from
all walks of life. The commonality they
all share is their love for adventure
and the outdoors. Whether they are fly
fishing, wing shooting, busting clays or
tracking a trophy bull elk they are
indeed the inspiration for our women’s
line.

     The Filson
women’s line has inspired a co-worker and
myself to learn more about the shooting
sports. It was empowering the first time
I held a shotgun and hit my first
clay target. Since then we have connected
with a local organization, Washington Outdoor
Women to learn more outdoor skills. It
is wonderful for women to come together
and have an outlet where we can
comfortably learn about the outdoors together.

     Filson has
given this city girl the opportunity to
respect and enjoy the outdoors and the
pursuits and challenges Mother Nature has to
offer. - A.T.