Who misses hunting or hunting camp?
 

Who misses hunting or going up to deer hunting camp? What about pheasant hunting?

Our season doesn't begin for several months, however, hunting of a different variety has been ongoing lately.........hunting of pesty critters.

Within the past two days, we've trapped one oppossum, one groundhog (both in a have a heart trap) plus a field mouse* inside our furnace room in regular mouse trap. *The cooler days & nights are when they begin to seek shelter indoors.........plus all this rain we've had.

The first two critters were just taken to the "forest" for resettlement with the rest of their "cousins".....from long ago & far away......

Our daughter's husband has just trapped & shot three raccoons who were attacking & eating their laying hens........they are waiting for the rest of that crew of the raccoon family............they also had a bear who ate their groundhog.....who was attacking their chickens.

Quite a few years ago, we had a massive groundhog invasion, of which I took about 35 photos........my husband eventually believed me & set to work capturing them for "relocation".............they were HUGE. One more ornery than the next. (Might have been more or less than 35).

When we ran out of apples & fruit, we gave them chocolate chip cookies which they really loved.

Today's critter was young but also ornery. Many are. At first I thought he was more laid back & friendly as he would sit on the rock just gazing up at the house.......but he was becoming too familiar ; we needed to eliminate him; they are rodents after all.......and many grow quite large.

The chipmunks we tolerate as they are cute........but the rest need to go.

Years ago, our cousin in N.J. kept saying ours was the same groundhog returning.......the rumor being that they know their way back home....... Some old Jersey farmer had told him that "legend"....

Not so, as ours were all different sizes, colors, temperments.........not the same critter.

Some would whistle very loud.........they were brazen & would sun themselves on our patio........

Luckily, we caught our new visitor (and the opposum) with fruit.......in the have a heart trap. Luckily also that it was not a skunk.

At first his weight was too light to spring the trap door...........but guess we fattened the critter up after two weeks..........meanwhile, the rabbits, the squirrels, etc. & beautiful red & blue birds were enjoying the apples........sometimes the groundhogs liked tomatoes.

Because of the rainy summer, the deer family make frequent appearances, perhaps because of our pear & cherry trees.........or the fact that this property, this entire neighborhood was once apple orchards at the edge of town.............they must have a familial "memory" to return & sniff & dig in the soil.........even in places where we have had to remove old apple blossom trees.......the deer remember & return.




　

Not 100% sure about Florida you may be breaking the law.
In trying to do something kind for the animal you relocated
Problem animals are not supposed to relocated. In most states it illegal you may be spreading diseased or rabid animals to other locations .

I hunt very little now I was an avid deer hunter from opening day of archery in Sept till the end of rifle season late Dec I wouldn't miss a weekend
No matter the weather..My favorite was muzzle loader not the new inline .The Tc Hawken just like Jeremiah Johnson 50 cal you had to think and know how to shoot and be close

TMI. Sorry I opened your note.:Screen_of_Death:

Good memories for you of your hunting in the past.........

Vermont Wildlife Fish & Game does not seem to have any rules or regulations against disposing of groundhogs a.k.a. woodchucks.

Obviously , one would not relocate them to a residential neighborhood or park. Since we are surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest, and expansive farmlands, totally rural areas.......relocation is not an issue.

Groundhogs can undermine home foundations, swimming pools, decks & screened in porches..........which is just where ours was burroughing under.

The last place I wanted him to take up residence was under our new three season screened in porch or under the deck. It would be a nightmare.

In the past, we had them under our shed............ Prior to that, they had extensive burroughs under shrubs on the hill.......that was all done away with....following extensive excavation work.........before the new deck was put on........followed by the screened room which is all across the back of the house.

My husband would be aware if it was acting rabid. He takes precautions. We would then call a Game Warden if it was displaying any signs of rabies.

EVERYONE & THEIR UNCLE IN VERMONT RELOCATE THEIR GROUNDHOGS TO THE FOREST.........not hard to do; being a predominately rural state, it isn't a big problem up here as far as taking them to a new "home" away from residential neighborhoods.

This new one arrived in July...........we just read that is the exact month they separate from their mothers. After hibernating all winter, they breed & give birth in March? Hope this one doesn't have brothers & sisters.

Truthfully, everyone around here have havahart traps (I was misspelling it as have a heart trap....) and everyone relocates them to the forest.

Small world what memories

My father and his hunting buddies when I was a youth in 1950's and 60's and yearning to hunt
Were known as The Bingo Mt Boys making a trek each year from Conn up and over the Brandon Gap into Bingo Mt area Green Mt National Forrest in Vt.
They lived out of army surplus tents for a week along the Bingo Mt Rd.
One night during the week they would make a pilgrimage to the Manchester Inn for a night out that's when they would call home to their families I would be anxiously await his evening call to hear the stories of who got or saw what
I was like Ralphy in a Christmas Story
Finally when I became of age and hunted a few years with the group.
It was tough hunting . Unlike like today's Ranch canned hunting
All good things in life come to pass

I don't like hunting, never did. I hate seeing deer tied on the roof of a car. IMO, it's barbaric but at least those people are going to eat it.

To trap and then shoot three racoons is beyond barbaric, it's just wrong. I wouldn't trust this person around animals and children.

I miss listening to "The Second Week of Deer Camp..." Can we get the entertainment folks to book Da Yoopers?

I don't miss it. I look forward to it every year. Dove, ducks, geese, quail, pheasant, pronghorn antelope, deer, elk, turkey, javelina, even bear.

The FIRST thing I noticed when I walked into the Lake Sumter Landing sales office a few years ago were the mounted trophy size mule deer heads. I realized someone was a serious hunter when I saw those!

Unless you are specifically hunting because you are hungry and need to eat, I see hunting for sport as "who the heck made you God?" I understand some people feel it is quite ok to stalk an another species for fun and kill it. I don't see the pay off. I see it as the deck is stacked and it is an activity of making one feel superior. Try tracking and observing instead. You might gain an appreciation of how wonderfully different but wonderfully special every other species is.

I hear you but ths was attacking their chickens
 

I hear you, but........

This raccoon family were a nuisance as they were killing their chickens/laying hens.

The chicken coop is right up close to the home........so the critter was too close for comfort with children about.

Their house is up 600 feet of dirt road driveway.......from the regular dirt road which leads to another dirt road before one gets to a narrow paved road in very very rural area.......with forest all around them..........hard for city dwellers to imagine. It's a different way of life up there. Everyone hunts & has rifles. He is excellent with children by the way & very educated; Ph.D etc. I was surprised myself, however, it was a nuisance wild animal..........not a golden retriever.

Ten acres of wooded land equals a lot of critters. Believe me, my daughter is an animal lover as are the three children, however, this critter was killing their beloved laying hens. Our grandaughter loves the chickens so much, she brings them into the house. All the kids there bring their chickens to school.......it's a rural area. Smart people who just like to live in the country.

They also have a black bear or two on their ten acres of land in northern very rural Vermont. The black bear killed the groundhog (that killed their first group of chickens).

Plus ferrets & other nuisance animals...........all of which live in the wild.

Anyone who has come from a "rural life" prior to retirement in Florida will understand.

Those of us born in the cities, or suburbia.......even if now living in a small town, may not "get it". I'm glad we live where we do...as northern Vermont is quite rugged but beautiful. I could not deal with what they have to deal with but I guess it's worth it when you can chop down your own Christmas tree each year from your own land........

Second one down, after the bears,.....apparently, you can take the fur of a raccoon, etc.

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/wildlife_living_with_bears.cfm

ttp://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/AnnualTrappersReport.cfm

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/wildlife_furbearer.cfm

http://www.conservewildlife.org/animals/raccoon.html

http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/laws_nuisance.cfm

We lived with raccoons all our lives. Never saw the need to kill any of them. In fact, one night our teenage son put gloves on, dragged a ladder out and rescued three babies from the top of our open garage door(how they got there?:shrug: ) while the mother was in the driveway screaming for her babies.

I don't need to open five links to see why they should be killed or relocated. If it isn't a rabid animal in the wrong place at the wrong time, learn to live with them and teach your children how to respect wildlife.

A nostalgic remembrance to Bingo Brook
 

Personally, I've never heard of Bingo Mountain.....but here's Bingo Brook, which conceivably they probably hunted in that region.

http://www.gmc4x4.com/topic/87-vt-green-mountain-national-forest-bingo-brook/

CLICK HYPERLIK ABOVE , then SCROLL LOWER TO PLAY VIDEO OF THE AREA YOUR FATHER WENT TO......
This area has about 15 miles of forest service roads that allow you to wander around for a while
scattered along these roads are primitive campsites where you can camp up to 14 days
Vermont Green Mountain National Forest Bingo Brook *


http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=BGN080-041

Pine Brook Trail | Rochester Vermont

Use upper menu to see topography, etc.

This ride's general location is Rochester. The first few miles parallel Bingo Brook, which has unusual boulders and crevices; the trail section is densely wooded. This primo ride is good for families and beginners. If short and sweet is your style, this loop is for you. It begins with a pleasant, gradual climb on Forest Service Road 42, parallel to Bingo Brook, a scenic brook with unusually large boulders. You then climb more steeply, which affords scenic views to the south. Eventually you connect with Pine Brook Trail, a grassy, smooth, double-track trail that descends through the woods back to FR 42

Read more at Trails.com: Pine Brook Trail | Rochester Vermont Mountain Bike Trails | Trails.com http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailId=BGN080-041#ixzz39HnJVRwK

THEY MUST HAVE ENJOYED THAT RUGGED EXPERIENCE GETTING AWAY TO PURE NATURE..........

My hubby went to hunting camp from his twenties to perhaps about age 50..........hasn't gone the past twenty years. None of them ever got a deer, however, it was three days away from work, with the hope of getting one. Neither myself nor the kids would have enjoyed the venison as we were "on Bambi's side" for survival.

Hunting is still big in Vermont........beginning with bow hunting & then rifle hunting which ends around Thanksgiving........

I am looking forward to the middle of November thru the first week of December when I will be back in Maryland to goose hunt in the morning and bow hunt in the evenings. This will be my shortest hunting time in 40 years and probably my last so it will be really special!

What I find most objectionable is to catch the racoons and then shoot them. Kind of like throwing a lobster pot in the tank at Red Lobster. To me, it smacks of sadism (IMO).

Please don't assume who came (or did not come)from a rural life. Guess what, we cut down Christmas trees, had wild "critters".

Enjoy the journey & don't think of it as your last.......but one of your finest.
It's always good to get back to nature.

These raccoons were KILLING THEIR CHICKENS which they use for eggs.
They are nuisance animals........not pets. I don't assume anything. Why are you always trying to start an argument? Life is too short for that.


The raccoons were an ongoing problem. Right up close to their home.
It's what people do in a rural environment. We've had wild ones in our town which the game warden has had to come & shoot/kill.


Raccoon Outside in the Daytime - Is it Rabid or Dangerous?

Raccoon Outside in the Daytime - Is it Rabid or Dangerous

...

Again, not to be argumentative, I just DON'T GET how shooting a caged animal is "hunting".

Anyone want to go on safari at the Bronx Zoo?

If you think killing animals is tantamount to "getting back to nature,"
you need a pre-frontal lobotomy.

What I really look forward to eating at hunting camp is the liver of a freshly killed deer. I usually saute it in butter but this looks like a really great way to prepare it. Waste not, want not. “Deer Hunting VI: How to Cook a Deer Liver”

I find the sales office at Lake Sumter Landing with all those animal heads disgusting. I couldn't even sit in that particular room. The person to whom you refer as being a "serious hunter" is no other than our developer, Mr. Morse. That's right . . . Mr. Morse. Two years ago he was fined in Montana for poaching out of season. He has also purchase property east of Ocala where he has built a lodge and will operate the property for the purpose of having a "canned hunt" operation for himself and his friends.

Please read this excerpt from Wikipedia:

A number of groups object to the practice of canned hunting for reasons such as cruelty to animals or that it takes away what is known as "fair chase."

The Humane Society of the United States is an outspoken critic of canned hunting. In a statement, the HSUS called canned hunts "cruel and brutal activities," in which the hunted animal has "absolutely no chance of escape." It went on to say that animals have been "psychologically conditioned to behave as a target by life in captivity," among other objections.

Some hunting groups, especially those who focus on hunters' ethics, also object to canned hunting. These objections are on the grounds of "fair chase," the idea that an animal has a fair chance of escaping the hunter, and it's not too easy for the hunter to kill the animal. It is believed that canned hunts take this element away.

I do not go on or support canned hunts in any manner. They are pathetic.

Although I never got into hunting and shooting deer, I remember some people in the old neighbor did. Once in a while, I would see a deep strapped to a hood of a car.

They once served venison in our old club. Very good.

For the people who do hunt and decide to gut the animal to feed their family, it is a good thing. Killing a deer for the sake of sport, is senseless to me..... IMHO

To each their own but that's not me. I could never kill and or gut an animal.

Teddy Roosevelt must be spinning in his grave when he sees, this thread. :D

Please don't get me wrong
I love animals they taste great
For all you anti hunting posers next time you consume anything made with egg products just think of all the abortions of young chickens you just supported

Neither would I, myself, be able to shoot or otherwise kill a deer, bird or whatever for food or "sport", however, when we arrived in Vermont in 1970, we soon found out that nearly EVERYONE went hunting beginning in bow season......(bow & arrow) followed by the three weeks of going up to camp with their deer rifles, beginning around Veterans Day & ending right around Thanksgiving.......

Out came the red / black plaid wool jackets, the orange hats, etc. & they'd think nothing of walking in the woods behind houses, which at first alarmed me in our rental farmhouse (before we found a home to buy). NO ONE IN NEW JERSEY WENT HUNTING THAT I KNEW OF.......NO ONE CARRIED RIFLES OVER THEIR SHOULDER. I had a two year old little girl in 1970.....so was alarmed until I was told it was the beginning of hunting season.

We soon moved down into town......so that was a safer feeling.
I can laugh at it all now..........but it was alien to me back then.

Mine went for the Friday/Sat./Sun morning up to his friend's deer camp.......with many other young fathers/husbands..........although they never did get their deer, they enjoyed hiking around the woods, having "man talk" & enjoying all of the big pots of food we wives sent up with them.

I always made chili with red kidney beans/ground beef.......however, some others brought up squirrel stew (not teasing, this is true) and other strange concoctions.

The modern day preppers (t.v. show we enjoy) have nothing on these old time "born in Vermont" guys who will eat the wild type critters......& know how to prepare them in a savory manner.

My husband says we will all be eating them if something happens to our power grid......and supermarket food is no longer available.
This is why I'm stocking up on beans and rice (said tongue in cheek) as well as peanut butter.

These were the real Vermonters.............and yes their husbands did hope to provide food for their families. Many who have been to "game suppers" say venison is really good, if prepared correctly.

The climate changed over the years & it went from hunting on freshly fallen snow.......up in the mountains.........to hunting in the heat on green grass with the leaves on top.

He stopped "hunting" awhile ago........but it was a once a year enjoyment of nature up in the forest at a camp with an outhouse.

Our son was taken up to "camp" once as an adolescent but wanted nothing to do with killing animals......for sport or for food. He still loves camping & enjoys the wilderness in his neck of the woods/mountains. Is proud of his homestate, the state he was born in, Vermont, but Colorado is now truly HOME.

For all of the naysayers re hunting, if you eat meat, those animals were also slaughtered..........perhaps in a more horrible fashion.
In many rural states, hunting is still popular........especially out west.

Good thought. One really can't win. There are so many lifestyles out there today among the younger generation.

Urban homesteading is popular with many who have chickens to supply eggs/baby goats for milk/cheese. Their chickens & goats are much loved members of the family.

Whether they choose to be city mouse or country mouse, they are trying to be self sufficient. These are NOT poor people, by the way, but highly educated ones.

May not be something I would want to pursue......however, I respect their right to do so as well as my daughter's husband's right to protect his chickens/laying hens. These vicious raccoons are not "bambi" in the forest.....but predators.

If I am raising hens and take an egg to eat 1) it is not fertilized, and 2) I have not killed a living animal for my sport pleasure. Please let us not move this discussion to abortion...especially when it comes to eggs.

What?
 

Sorry, but I have NEVER killed any living creature & would not want to. However, Vermont is a hunting state & when younger, it's what the guys do.......go up to hunting camp for a weekend. Whether they get one or not.......they are communing with nature, not in the city noise & crowds which tend to make people uptight & ornery. I'll let you know when I need a lobotomy. That was funny.