From my article that appeared in The News Journal on October 7, 2010.

Although Delaware’s deer season officially began Sept. 1 for those who hunt with vertical bows or crossbows, October marks the month where hunters who use shotguns and muzzleloaders enter Delaware’s forests and fields. Those using shotguns can hunt antlerless deer Oct. 18, 22, 23, 25, 29 and 30. Muzzleloader users can hunt antlered or antlerless deer from Oct. 8-16.

During the 2008-09 hunting season (the last season for which deer harvest data is available), 1,246 deer were harvested during the October antlerless seasons, and 1,658 deer were harvested during the October muzzleloader season. Delaware’s stable white-tailed deer population and ample October hunting opportunities should lead to continued hunter success.

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Game Mammal Biologist Joe Rogerson said the state’s deer population is stable to slightly declining.

“It should be noted that the goal of the division has been to reduce the population through the liberalization of the deer seasons, so this decline is a desired result,” Rogerson said. “Once the population reaches more appropriate levels, then the division will scale back harvest rates.”

Although Delaware’s overall deer population is healthy, there have been some confirmed cases of epizootic hemorrhagic disease, commonly called EHD. EHD is a virus that infects white-tailed deer typically through bites from specific species of midges, gnats and mosquitoes. Infected deer exhibit various symptoms, including lethargy, internal bleeding, labored breathing, disfigured hooves, and swelling of eyelids, head, tongue and neck. Typically occurring during late summer and early fall, EHD outbreaks sometimes kill up to 90 percent of infected deer in concentrated locations, but the disease does not affect humans.

Rogerson said he has received reports of EHD mainly in Deer Management Zone 3, north of Townsend. “EHD is a virus that can have significant local impacts, but overall is relatively insignificant,” Rogerson said. “The southeastern states have dealt with EHD for decades, and their deer herds are still thriving.”

EHD, and a similar disease called bluetongue, have been discussed in the Delaware hunting community for several years, especially during times of drought. Many believe that drought draws high numbers of deer to common water sources where the diseases are easily spread. I have spoken with several landowners and hunters who have seen deer die-offs that they attribute to EHD or bluetongue. Several have questioned why Delaware deer hunters are still encouraged to harvest antlerless deer (does, mostly) during October seasons if deer could be dying from disease.

“The Delaware deer herd is extremely productive due to the abundance of food and mild winters,” Rogerson said. “It is unlikely that seasons would be adjusted due to EHD, although it is something that we monitor and would act accordingly if need be.”

Despite low incidences of EHD, Delaware hunters can experience tag- and freezer-filling success in October.

Ready for opening day

For those of you who follow my Delaware deer hunts on Facebook and/or Twitter, you didn’t miss much today.

I braved the 93-degree heat and headed to one of my suburban hunting spot after work today. Seriously, I have seen deer at this spot every time I went to check over the past month. Today, I saw nothing.

Because of the extreme heat, I honestly didn’t expect to see much. I am sure the deer were bedded down in the shade and were waiting for the sun to go down before they moved to feed. I will try again later this week.

On another note, I leave for a Maine black bear hunt this Sunday. I will try to post updates on this blog, as well as my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Delaware Archery Deer Season Opens September 1

Here is my article that appeared in The News Journal on 8/5/2010.

When the Delaware deer hunting season ends each January, I try to keep my mind somewhat focused on hunting by creating a list of hunting-related chores that I promise to complete before the next season begins.

Somehow — year after year — many of those promises go unfulfilled.

This year is no different. Sept. 1 marks the opening of mourning dove, resident Canada geese and archery deer seasons. Rather than counting the days to opening day like a school kid counts down to summer vacation, I find myself trying to add days to the calendar.

I want to shoot my bow more, because after all, practice makes perfect. Sounds hokey, but it’s true. I put on an old pair of eyeglasses this week (since my everyday pair was lost when I was buying salt licks for my deer hunting spots) and began practicing with my bow. Something about the glasses was causing me to shoot high. To make sure my bow sights weren’t off, I switched to a newer pair of prescription sunglasses. I shot perfectly with them. I am now scrambling to get a new pair of glasses and practice with them before archery seasons opens.

There’s nothing like waiting ’til the last minute.

Likewise, I really need to scout some more deer hunting spots and hang some more tree stands. I joined a new hunting club in June. I am embarrassed to say, I have spent less than an hour familiarizing myself with the property, and I have placed a whopping total of zero deer stands. I really don’t want to get lost walking through unfamiliar woods at 5 a.m., and I would rather hunt from a tree somewhere above the early season vegetation and bugs. However, with only several weeks to go before opening day, I am asking myself where the summer went. As one who frequently discusses the benefits of scouting and choosing hunting locations wisely, I have been lax in my preparation.

It gets worse.

In my June column, I talked about the importance of realistic-looking decoys, and I went so far as to write, “Upgrading my decoy stock is now on my summer agenda.”

After my experience with the bald eagle attacking my turkey decoy, I vowed to get new goose decoys before Sept. 1, and I am considering purchasing new duck decoys and maybe even a deer decoy. Well, guess what? Not only have I not even purchased a single decoy, I haven’t even started researching decoys yet.

I really need to get on the ball.

While many of you are snickering and asking how I procrastinated on completing my list of offseason chores, I know some of you are thanking me for reminding you of the uncompleted items on your list. It’s OK. We still have nearly four weeks to get our acts together.

If there is no way to finish up before opening day, there is a fallback plan. We can complete our chores on Sundays during the hunting season (unless Delaware finally drops one of its last blue laws and joins the other 40-plus states that allow Sunday hunting).

New Jersey’s wild turkey hunting season just wrapped up May 28. I achieved moderate success, harvesting a 21-lb gobbler on the second day of the season back in April. After that, things went downhill – literally.

Turkey hunting success on the second day of the season

During the second (or third?) week of the New Jersey turkey hunting season, I saw some great turkey sign, and I set up in a good spot. Right after first light, a bald eagle attacked my turkey decoy, thinking it was a live bird!

New Jersey bald eagle attacked my turkey decoy

As I continued hunting during the third week of the New Jersey turkey season, I hunted the morning after strong thunderstorms. I tried to drive over a land bridge, but the storms weakened the bridge! I almost slid into the creek! I backed out just in time!

This is when my turkey hunting season started going downhill!

Turkey hunting close call

During the fourth week of the New Jersey wild turkey season, turkeys were pretty hard to come by. When you can’t shoot things with your gun, use your camera. Here’s what I encountered while traversing the countryside one Saturday.

Snapper Turtle walking across a field

Box turtle walking across a field

Turkey egg, probably raided by crows

Nice scenic shot of old farm equipment

Toad at my feet

Wild Turkey Hen decoy "killed" by a Bald Eagle in New Jersey

I was turkey hunting New Jersey Friday morning and used a photo-imprinted hen decoy. I set the lone decoy about 15 yards into a plowed field, and I set up on the tree line of the field’s edge. Around 5:45 AM, I saw a bald eagle flying toward me. The eagle passed over me, and I lost site of it. About 30 seconds later, the eagle swooped down and blasted my hen decoy!

I heard the sound of wings, the sound of the bird crashing into the decoy, and the sound of the inflatable decoy popping! I at first thought someone shot the decoy, until I saw the bird standing next to the deflated decoy dumbfounded. After collecting my wits, I tried to photograph the eagle with my iPhone, but all the only photo I managed to get was one of the eagle flying away.

The eagle stood next to the decoy for about 30 seconds, then flew to a nearby tree and screeched for 30 minutes.

I attached some images that show the talon marks (holes) in the decoy.

I am truly impressed with new technology used in decoy manufacturing. If that decoy fooled an eagle’s eyes, it should work very well on wild turkeys!

There is no time like the present.

Now is the best time to buy your copy of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting.

First, if you order Hunting The First State through my web site (www.huntingthefirststate.com) by 11:59 PM on May 1, 2010 you can save on shipping costs. That’s right. Enter code FREEMAIL305 at checkout and receive $3.99 (the cost of shipping a single book) towards your final shipping cost.

Second, time is running out to get a copy of the first edition of Hunting The First State: A Guide to Delaware Hunting. The second edition will be hitting the bookstores this fall, so be sure to get a first edition before it’s too late.

Remember, if ordering through www.huntingthefirststate.com, enter code FREEMAIL305 at checkout to receive $3.99 (the cost of shipping a single book) towards your final shipping cost. This offer is only good through www.huntingthefirststate.com and www.lulu.com, and the offer expires 11:59 PM on May 1, 2010.

From my recent article for The News Journal.

Hunter "Turkey Tom" Morganstern with a nice longbeard taken with a bow

Spring brings warm weather, new growth, yard work and the start of the Phillies quest for another trip to the World Series.

Spring also brings wild turkey hunting.

The increased number of Delaware turkey hunters undoubtedly means that more first-time turkey hunters are opting to hunt the large, intelligent (and tasty) birds. Before heading to the turkey woods however, it is important to practice with the shotgun, muzzleloader or bow that you will be hunting with.

For shotguns and muzzleloaders, a properly placed shot at a turkey is on the head and neck area. It is important to use a choke tube that holds the shot pattern close together at the various ranges where you will be shooting the turkeys. Specially designed choke tubes are manufactured specifically for turkey hunting, but adequate sighting-in is crucial.

Practice shooting at turkey head/neck targets (available for purchase from gun and sporting goods shops and free on the Internet) at different distances and with different shells or loads. Your shot pattern will change based upon the distance and load, so carefully check your targets to ensure there are enough pellets in the kill zone. Although frequently overlooked, be sure to take a few shots at close range. You may be surprised to see that your pellets miss the kill zone completely when shooting at close targets.

To increase your chances of success, consider enhancing your standard shotgun or muzzleloader sights by adding fiber-optic or holographic sights that enable you to draw a bead on a turkey more quickly and accurately.

If you are up for the challenge of bow hunting wild turkeys, I can’t stress enough the importance of practice. Turkeys present much smaller areas for successful shot placement when compared with the vital organ areas of large animals like deer, and their keen vision makes it extremely difficult to draw a bowstring when turkeys are in range.

When hunting turkeys with a bow, optimal shot placement is the turkey’s wing butt, hip joint, heart, neck, or head — all extremely small targets. Pinpoint accuracy is key. Many successful bow hunters use mechanical broadheads for hunting turkeys because of their accuracy and wide cutting diameters. The extra cutting diameter allows a little forgiveness for a shot that is a bit off the mark. As an alternative, consider broadhead designs with long, fixed blades that extend perpendicular from the shaft and are designed for shooting at a turkey’s neck.

Whether using a gun or bow for turkey hunting, make your practice mimic as closely as possible actual hunting conditions. Since most turkey shooting is done from a seated position, practice shooting while sitting on your rear-end and while kneeling. If you will be hunting from a blind, practice shooting from your blind at multiple distances and angles. Since sleeves, hats, gloves, masks, glasses, and other necessary turkey hunting items can affect your shooting, be sure to take some practice shots wearing your turkey hunting attire.

DEL. TURKEY HUNTING INFORMATION

DELAWARE 2010 SPRING WILD TURKEY HUNTING SEASON:

April 10, 2010 to April 30, 2010. Private land hunters may hunt all 18 days of the season. Public land permits can only be used on the property for which they are issued.

TURKEY HUNTING HOURS:

Half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m.

LEGAL BIRDS AND BAG LIMIT:

Bearded birds only. Bag limit is one turkey per year.

DELAWARE TURKEY CHECKING:

All turkeys must be checked at an authorized turkey check station by 2:30 p.m. on the day the bird is killed.

DELAWARE TURKEY CHECK STATIONS:

Ommelanden Hunter Education Center, Woodland Beach Wildlife Check Station, Little Creek Wildlife Area Check Station, Williamsville Store, LP Sports Center, Wildlife Recreations, Rattle and Reel Sporting Center, Hook’ em & Cook’ em, Nanticoke Wildlife Area Headquarters

MORE INFO:

Division of Fish & Wildlife or 302-735-3600

Here is my most recent article from The News Journal.

I am occasionally asked what I do with the deer I harvest during a hunting season. Assuming that I had a productive season and actually harvested game that produced venison for my freezer, it’s easy enough to just say, “I eat it.”

However, after fielding the question again this week, I realized that it demands a more detailed response. Many people truly don’t know what hunters do with the meat they harvest, so allow me to explain.

An adult Delaware deer typically weighs anywhere from 110 to 210 pounds, but most tend to fall somewhere in the middle. For a 160-pound deer, less than 40 percent of the animal’s weight is edible meat because much of the weight comes from organs, bones and hide. Using this example, a hunter would get about 60 pounds of venison for his or her freezer.

Just like beef, a butcher can cut venison into various steaks, chops, tenderloins and roasts, and can grind the meat like hamburger. Offering more variety and making the meat of a single deer last even longer, some deer processors and specialty butcher shops mix the venison with beef or pork and produce Italian sausage, kielbasa, Slim Jim-like deer sticks, bologna, jerky and other types of fresh and smoked items.

I make a concerted effort to ensure the game I harvest is eaten, but my family can eat only so much deer. Therefore, rather than letting any meat spoil, I readily give venison away to friends and neighbors. On more than one occasion, people have offered to pay me for the venison I give them, but I politely decline and inform that it is illegal to sell or buy any meat from a deer harvested in Delaware.

Another way of ensuring my deer harvest is eaten is by preparing various venison dishes and sharing them at the game dinners I attend each year. Many hunt clubs and other sporting organizations hold annual dinners where hunters celebrate the end of the hunting season by sharing their harvests, recipes and hunting tales.

The game dinners are frequently potluck events, where venison is represented on the menu in the form of traditional dishes — like grilled steaks, bacon-wrapped tenderloin and southwest chili — and in some non-traditional dishes — like orange-glazed venison medallions, venison fajitas and sesame-crusted venison skewers.

As an ethical hunter, I am aware of “all that meat” I have in my freezers. I take frequent inventories and adjust my hunting accordingly.

Most importantly, I follow a rule that one of my hunting mentors taught me: Limit your kill, don’t kill your limit. It just doesn’t make sense to harvest more deer than you can use.

My hunting partners and I typically celebrate the end of deer season by switching our game animals of choice to crows.

On Saturday morning, my daughters and I headed to my gun club with my Johnny Stewart Prey Master digital caller, my Greenhead Gear crow decoys, and their new Christmas 20-gauges. Our plans quickly changed because I couldn’t get my truck into the club driveways! For those of you who don’t know, Delaware has received nearly 4 feet of snow in the past 10 days. Unfortunately, the plow trucks created huge mounds of snow at all of the club entrances, so we couldn’t even enter. I had a shovel, but there was nowhere to pull off the road! We went to a nearby public hunting spot for about an hour, but for the first time ever, we saw no crows.

Later that day, my buddy Curt and I went to a new spot to hunt crows. Our hunting location selection was great. We had crows for 2 straight hours, and we knocked down a bunch. In fact, I ran out of shells with 30 minutes of hunting time left! Check out the photos and video below.

Hunting The First State Crow Hunt 1

Hunting The First State Crow Hunt 2

From the Delaware DNR and Environmental Control

A draft version of Delaware’s Deer Management Plan is the first plan ever produced for formally addressing the future of a deer herd that has grown into a state success story of wildlife restoration.

Before the plan is officially completed, the Division of Fish & Wildlife is soliciting feedback  from anyone with interest in and concern about how deer are managed in Delaware. The new Delaware Deer Management Plan can be found at
http://www.fw.delaware.gov/Hunting/Pages/Delaware_Deer_Management_Plan.aspx

Comments can be submitted by mailing them to Deer Management Plan Comments, Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife, 6180 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna, DE 19977 or by emailing to Joseph.Rogerson@state.de.us .

Comments will also be accepted at three public meetings the Division will host in February, one in each of the state’s three counties. The dates and times include New Castle County – Feb. 18, 7-9 p.m., Ommelanden Hunter Education Center, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720;  Kent County – Feb. 16, 7-9 p.m., DNREC Auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building. 89 Kings Hwy,  Dover, DE 19901; and in Sussex County – Feb. 17, 7-9 p.m., Delaware Tech Owens Campus, Seashore Hwy (Rte. 18), Georgetown, DE 19947

Written comments and suggestions will be accepted until the close of business on April 1. The finalized Delaware Deer Management Plan is expected to be available for review in May or June.

For more information about the Delaware deer management plan, or anything else related to white-tailed deer in the state, please contact Joe Rogerson, Fish and Wildlife Deer and Furbearer biologist, at (302) 735-3600.