by Chad Love

There was an interesting article last month in a Texas A&M University publication called Agrilife Today, which sought to put a monetary value on the bobwhite quail.

The story has been making the rounds among quail hunters across the nation, and as it turns out, the average quail harvested in Texas is worth about $253 apiece. That's some expensive quail gravy right there. I'm sure that figure probably wouldn't vary too much for other regions of the country and other upland gamebirds, either. The article can be found here and it's well worth a read, but I'd like to touch on one aspect of that story as it relates to gundogs.

I don't know if the methodology used in this economic analysis included the cost of purchasing, training and caring for the dogs that most dedicated quail hunters own, but it got me to thinking about how much of a purely financial investment (aside from the emotional) we have in our dogs. From the initial cost of a puppy and its routine vet care, food, housing, training, equipment, and the myriad other small, day-to-day expenses... [ Read Full Post ]

--Chad Love

If you've ever seen the classic horror/comedy flick "An American Werewolf in London" you know that Old Blighty is a hotbed of lycanthropic activity. With all the rending and tearing of human limbs and such, it's entirely understandable that some werewolves must be controlled to maintain public safety. But British authorities may have gone too far this time in their persecution of a poor, gentle wolfman whose only crimes are poaching rabbits and maybe skipping a few too many baths...

From this story on foxnews.com:

A "wolfman" who has been living wild in dense British woods for five years was being hunted by detectives Thursday. Police issued a photo of eccentric Wayne Morgan, 37, late Wednesday and appealed for help tracking him down amid fears he could die in the cold weather. The long-haired loner, dubbed "wolfman" because of his wild appearance, apparently has hidden deep in the forest since 2007. He survives by hunting rabbits and foraging for plants and berries.

Locals used to glimpse him through trees as they hiked or walked dogs, but he always slipped back into the shadows, shunning contact. He was... [ Read Full Post ]

by Scott Bestul

If you’ve been following this blog, you may remember that one of our most popular caption-contest photos ever featured a kid hauling a deer on his shoulders as he rode a bike down the street. You gave us a ton of good captions for that one, but of course only one person could win. When I stumbled on this picture a couple of days ago, I though of all you poor folks who came oh-so-close last time but still wound up with nothing.

So here’s your second chance with a deer-on-a-bike photo. Go ahead and have at it; if the judging team (Hurteau and I--plus whomeever we wind up calling to settle our differences) chooses your caption, you’ll win a $100 gift card to buy some swag from our friends at Bass Pro Shops.

[ Read Full Post ]

by Kirk Deeter

Since we first introduced you to Robert "The Bug Guy" Younghanz last April, he's been a busy man--hatching a cool new DVD set, spreading his wings on the speaking circuit, taking flight with new articles and tips (Okay, I'll leave the hokey insect references out now).   

I have always thought that fly fishing could be broken into basic areas of understanding--how to cast, how to read the water (to know where to cast), and how to present your flies (so they act right after you put them in the spot). Of course, none of that stuff matters unless you know what fly to put on in the first place! Yet despite that, I would also say that the entomology (understanding bugs) part of fly fishing is the average angler's weakest suit.

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--Chad Love

Coyote hunters in North Carolina might soon be able to go nocturnal for 'yotes and feral pigs if a proposal being considered by the state wildlife commission passes.

From this story on charlotteobserver.com:

Coyote-haters, here's the news you've been waiting for. North Carolina wildlife officials are considering expanding the time when coyotes could be hunted. At a time of increasing complaints from urban residents across the Southeast about the increasing coyote population, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing that coyotes -- along with feral pigs -- could be hunted at night. It is not clear how the proposal would affect residents in Charlotte and other urban areas, where the use of firearms and archery equipment is limited by law. Coyote hunting is legal in North Carolina, with no limits, except that it must take place during daytime.
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--Chad Love

Two years ago the discovery of radioactive fish near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant caused an uproar (and some "Simpsons" jokes. Sorry, Vermont...)

At the time there was speculation that proximity to the power plant was the cause, but in a nod to the old saw that "correlation does not necessarily mean causation" a new batch of radioactive Vermont fish have been discovered - 150 miles away from the power plant.

From this story on wptz.com:

A new report finds fish in the northern part of Vermont are radioactive like the fish living in the waters near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The significance of this finding is not just that these fish have radioactive elements in their bones, it's that the ones found up north have no physical connection to those in the Connecticut River by Vermont Yankee.
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