This is a warning to outdoor users about a potentially deadly biological event that could result from one’s curiosity to poke at and kick through scat from wolves, coyotes and foxes. Of course not everyone knowingly does this but many hunters, trappers and simply the curious, want to know what these animals have been eating.

Back in the end of November I gave you a link to a story, “Of Wolves and Worms”. That story introduced many of us to the subject of worms being found in wolves in the Greater Yellowstone area.

According to a new study out in the October issue of the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, three-millimeter-long tapeworms known as Echinococcus granulosus, are documented for the first time in gray wolves in Idaho and Montana. And the authors didn’t just find a few tapeworms here and there… turns out that of 123 wolf intestines sampled, 62 percent of the Idaho gray wolves and 63 percent of the Montana gray wolves were positive. (Ew!) The researchers wrote: “The detection of thousands of tapeworms per wolf was a common finding.” (Again… Ew!!) This leads to the interpretation that the E. granulosus parasite rate is fairly widespread and established in the Northern Rocky Mountain wolves.

There is discussion about how some think the worms ended up in the wolves in this region but the article tends to downplay any serious concerns people should have from coming in contact with these tapeworms and the eggs they leave behind.

In the comments section of the article, Will Graves, author of the book “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages“, left his thoughts on his own research discoveries about the dangers to humans of these parasites.

In the first paragraph in my letter to Mr. Bangs dated 3 October 1993 on the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) which was titled “The Reintroduction of Gray Wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho,” I warned about the damages and problems wolves would cause to Yellowstone and other areas by carrying and spreading parasites and diseases over larger areas. Some of these parasites are damaging not only to wild and domestic animals, but can also be dangerous to humans. One of these parasites is Echinococcous Granulosus and Echinococcus M. Since 1993 I have been working to tell people what I have learned from about 50 years of research on the characteristics, habits and behavior of Russian wolves. From that research I came to the conclusion that one of the most serious consequences of bring wolves into the US would be the wolves carrying and spreading around damaging/dangerous parasites and diseases. I did my best to explain this in my book titled, “Wolves in Russia – Anxiety Through the Ages” edited by Dr. Valerius Geist. Details about my book are in my web site: wolvesinrussia.com.

After several years effort, I finally recently obtained help from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Parasitic Research Center in Beltsville, MD. This research center will try to conduct research on the blood taken from wolves in our western states. Oneparasite they will be researching is to determine if wolves carry and spread the parasite Neospora Caninum around. It is established that coyotes and dogs carry this damaging parasite.

I remember that about two years ago there was a report about one wolf carrying Echinococcus Granulosus in Montana.

Much more research is needed about the danger wolves bring to our environment. Some of the parasites carried by wolves are dangerous to humans.(emphasis added)

Around this same time that Will Graves posted his comments, he contacted me by email and asked if I could somehow be of assistance to him in obtaining blood samples from wolves taken during the Idaho and Montana wolf hunts. The word went out quickly and hopefullyGraves gets what he needs to help him in his research. This can become extremely valuable information for all of us.

In the meantime, Dr. Valerius Geist, professor emeritus University of Calgary and Dr. Charles Kay, of Utah State University, who holds degrees in wildlife ecology, environmental studies and wildlife biology, exchanged thoughts on the discovery of worms in Yellowstone wolves in emails I received.

Well, Charles? What else is new? What did we warn about, how we were censored as alarmists………………………
And yes, a colleague assured us that all that is not a problem for us, but for some native types. Nothing to worry about, really. Remember how, early on, we put out a warning – do not kick dry wolf feces or poke about in such looking for evidence of food habits. Do not handle wolf feces as it will disturb the tiny Echinococcus eggs that float up like little dust cloud to envelop you, and you are very likely to ingest some of that “dust”. This know-how, which we older Canadian types carried away from our parasitogy lessons was poo-hood by some American colleagues. Wolves are after all, harmless! Remember the question we posed: is it really such a great idea completing ecosystems when the progression is herbivores, carnivores, finally diseases and parasites?

It is not my intention nor that of Drs. Geist and Kay to attempt to instill unnecessary fear in people but to educate, as it was back in the day before wolf reintroduction. There are very important lessons and warnings that all should heed and take into consideration when in the woods or maybe even in your own back yard.

Dr. Geist emailed me the other day and asked me if I would be kind enough to post this information so that anyone and everyone will be aware of the potential for some very serious health issues.

Urgent: could you make a point of it that now, that we know that the majority of wolves are infected with Echinococcus, that all hunters control their curiosity and not poke about in wolf or coyote feces to find out what these predators ate. these feces are saturated with tiny, lightweight Echinococcus eggs that rise like dust plume from the disturbed feces and envelop the poking hunter. If the air-born eggs are ingested, the an infection is possible, and having Echinococcus cysts grow inside oneself is not a desirable condition. Trust me!

He followed that up with more information about the dangers.

As to the pathogenicity of Echinococcus granulosus: Yes, I noticed that Foayt, leaning on Raup’s research in Alaska, toned down the dangers from this northern form. My understanding based on what we learned from an old, experienced parasitologist at the University of British Columbia is that it’s nothing to fool around with. It’s serious! In my career as a biologist in touch with the north, I have heard nothing else. I have not, however, done a recent literature search. Foayte’s assessment may be on even though it conflicts with mine. Either way, getting an Echinococcus cyst of any kind is no laughing matter as it can grow not only on the liver or the lungs, but also in the brain. And then it’s fatal.

There is however, another much more alarming angle. Echinococcus multilocularis is a nightmare, and much more virulent than Echinococcus granulosus of any strain. We cannot encapsulate this cyst, and it grows and buds off like a cancer infecting different parts of the body incessantly. Were some of the wolves infected with multilocularis? Coyotes and foxes carry it and it has been spreading. Do canids in Idaho, Montana, etc. have it? It’s found in Alberta. Regardless, now is the time to send out an SOS to ALL outdoor users. Hold your curiosity in check, do not poke into the feces of wolves, coyotes and foxes. If you do you will release clouds of Echinococcus eggs which will envelop you, and you may ingest the eggs, bring the eggs home and endanger your family. This is nothing new to me and I have lived with this constraint on my curiosity for over 40 years. This is just a know how that maintains your personal and your family’s safety. Also, never feed uncooked offal to your dog as it may become infected with Echinococcus and infect you and your family. Echinococcus cysts love to be in lung and liver, and if consumed by dogs you have a health hazard on your hands. And such cysts now grow in deer and elk where you live. Somebody should take a second look searching out Echinococcus multilocularis.

You and I probably have no idea in the world whether these worms exist in the woods we hunt, trap, hike, etc. but good advice given by Dr. Geist should tell us it’s not something we should mess around with. Squelch the curiosity to dig in the poop and just assume there could be hidden danger.

I want to take a moment to thank Will Graves, Dr. Val Geist and Dr. Charles Kay for caring enough about the rest of us to be willing to share their findings and experiences.

•    Gear: Clothes, utility tools, ATV’s…
•    Favorite weapons: guns, bows, sticks, stones…
•    Best Duck Blind or Hide…
•    You, family or friends dressed for the hunt…
•    Where you hunt

All I need is a digital picture in any PC compatible format and a description of the picture.  You can make the description as long or short as you would like.  If there is a story behind the picture we would love to hear about it.

Send Pictures to:

Todd Krater
U.S. Hunting Today
Managing Editor
todd@ushuntingtoday.com

Note: If you want a picture posted and do not have a digital copy I would be willing to scan it for you.  Please contact me for details.

US Hunting Today reserves the right to refuse any picture for any reason as well as edit it where appropriate.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers have determined a Santa Rosa County farmer was justified in shooting a large male bear while it was killing his goats.

Holley resident Jerry Lee Cash, 60, shot the 370-pound bear at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday inside a fenced enclosure at his farm on 3319 Bob Tolbert Rd. The bear killed two goats and was chasing others. FWC biologists already had been to Cash’s home twice in the past week after the bear killed five other goats.

“Mr. Cash contacted the FWC and followed our recommendations to keep the bear away from his goats. He had put up an electric fence and moved his other goats to smaller pens inside his property, but unfortunately the bear was still able to get at them,” said FWC wildlife biologist Barb Almario. “Biologists had set two traps on the property, but the bear bypassed them.”

FWC Officer Howard Jones responded to the scene and said Cash told him he shouted repeatedly at the bear and tried to run him off, but the bear was unfazed and chased the remaining goats until Cash shot him.

“It’s my opinion that Mr. Cash acted responsibly throughout this matter,” Jones said, “and that his killing of this large bear was justified under the circumstances.”

Intentional killing of a black bear in Florida is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. FWC officers investigate and determine whether a bear-killing is intentional and/or justified on a case-by-case basis. Officers say it’s not always a simple decision, but in cases where there are alternatives to killing the bear, they will make an arrest or file charges.

Florida’s black bear population has expanded in recent years, and the FWC estimates there are 2,500-3,000 animals. As bear numbers have grown, so have the animals’ incursions into backyards, neighborhoods and urban areas.

The FWC database of bear incidents in Florida between Jan. 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2008, documents 334 reports of bears attacking or killing domestic animals and livestock. Over the same period, there were 3,413 complaints about bears in garbage.

Loss of habitat from urban growth and the expansion of the bear population combine to cause bears to make forays into residential areas where they get into garbage, pet foods, birdseed, livestock feed and a host of other high-calorie foods, according to FWC biologists.

“The best way to avoid conflicts with bears is to remove or secure anything that attracts them,” said Dave Telesco, the FWC’s Black Bear Management Program coordinator. “When bears lose their natural fear of people and associate homes with food, there aren’t many good options.”

Anyone wanting to report black bear incidents can contact the FWC’s regional office or the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Information about black bears is available at MyFWC.com/Bear.

Posted by Tom Remington

They took $6 million from the Division of Licensing Concealed Weapons and Firearm Trust Fund that is intended, by law, to be used solely for administering the concealed weapons and firearms licensing program. (Read background information below)

Please Call, Fax, or Email Governor Charlie Crist IMMEDIATELY, and ask him to veto the $6 Million trust fund sweep from the Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Division of Licensing authorized under Section 59 of the Conference Report of SB-2600.

Please send your email today!!!!!

And/or please contact the Governor’s office by phone or fax ASAP.

Phone number: (850) 488-4441 or (850) 488-7146
Fax number: (850) 487-0801

Send your email to the Governor at this address: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com

Posted by Tom Remington

1. Jim Pollard, Charleston AR 453
2. Chris Parrish, Centralia MO 452
3. Sadler McGraw, Camden AL 446
4. Shane Hendershot, Zanesville OH 445
5. Mitchell Johnston, Purlear NC 444
6. Billy Yargus, Ewing MO 443
7. Mark Prudhomme, Georgetown SC 440
Doug Benefield, Newnan GA 440
8. Scott Ellis, Mulberry FL 439
Matthew Van Cise, Brookville PA 439
JR Lanham, Bunker MO 439
Josh Grossenbacher, Port Clinton OH 439
9. Kindell Keeton, Wilmington OH 437
10. Bradley Ruff, Elberton GA 432

Gobbling

1. Stephan Richardson, Springdale AR 226
2. Doug Benefield, Newnan GA 224
3. Scott Wilhelm, Chippewa Falls WI 224
4. Scott Ellis, Mulberry FL 220
5. Alex Vedrinski, Streetsboro OH 219

~~~~~~~~

The Florida State Chapter & Bass Pro Shops is proud to announce: The 2008 Florida NWTF Turkey Calling Championship to be held at the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World on International Drive in Orlando, Florida on the 16th of August, 2008.

Registration will be held from 10am to 11:30am with the contest starting at 1:00pm. Contest Scheduling will be posted at 12:00pm. There will be six (6) calling divisions in this years contest.

This will be a sanctioned contest and sanctioned rules will be enforced. You MUST be a current member of the NWTF and provide proof of membership.

Entry fees and prizes are listed below:

Southern Open – entry $50, 1st Place $1,000, 2nd Place $500, 3rd Place $250.
Florida Senior – entry $35, 1st Place $500, 2nd Place $250, 3rd Place $125.
Friction Open – entry $35, 1st Place $500, 2nd Place $250, 3rd Place $125.
Juniors – entry $10, Trophy for 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place & Merchandise.
Owl Hooting – entry $35, 1st Place $500, 2nd Place $250, 3rd Place $125.
Gobbling – entry $35, 1st Place $500, 2nd Place $250, 3rd Place $125.

For questions please contact:

Scott A. Ford Turf64@comcast.net
Tom Andrews jandrewsacres@aol.com

Tom Remington

1st- Matt VanCise
2nd Sadler McGraw
3rd Billy Yargus
4th James Harrison
5th Doug Bennefield
6th Chris Parrish
7th Mark Prudhomme
8th Scott Ellis
9th Walter Parrot
10th Mitchell Johnston

News4JAX has a brief story about the proposed bill, SB1130, and quite interestingly they are running a poll to see what readers think of this bill. Here’s what the poll asks.

Should the legislature pass a bill allowing employees to keep a gun in their vehicle on company property?

1. Yes, it’s their constitutional right to bear arms.

2. Only if the employee has a permit to carry a gun.

3. No. It’s the employer’s right to set the rules on company property.

4. I see both sides and haven’t decided.

Go over and participate in the poll offering your thoughts and make sure to check out the results of this poll. You might just find it interesting.

Tom Remington

As the days start to grow longer and the fall hunting seasons have passed, our thoughts start wandering to the upcoming spring turkey season. If anyone out there is a quarter like I am, you are starting to prepare your “tools of the trade” for that glorious opening day.

Shotgun Patterning

Just a short time before writing this article, fellow Quaker Boy Pro Staffer Chad Hodge, his wife Jessica and myself; conducted an extensive patterning session. It was a blast and between us both we had numerous chokes and loads to test. Patterning your shotgun is something very important and is neglected by a large portion of the turkey hunting population.

Often, turkey hunters will take to the field with their shotgun and absolutely no clue the point of impact for their gun and the range limitations. Its really simple to accomplish this task and you won’t be scratching your head when your gobbler flies off after the shot at thirty yards.

Start you session with basic dove loads at around twenty yards to determine your point of impact. Your gun may not shoot center and require adjustable fiber optic sights such as those offered by Tru-Glo. I use old wrapping paper, using the backside(unprinted) of the sheet with a about a three inch diameter black dot for an aiming point. Once you’ve established your guns center of impact its time to take the next step.

Pick any one of the great turkey head and neck turkey targets on the market and begin experimenting with the different loads and chokes available. There are several lead pellet loads ranging from five to fifteen dollars a box, all the way up to thirty dollars a box for the more expensive alloys. There are choke tubes ranging from around twenty dollars all the way to nearly one hundred dollars.

Start your patterning again at twenty yards and step it all the way out until you do not have a killable pattern. When I say killable I mean 7-9 pellets in the skeletal regions of the turkeys head and neck. At that point you will know the range of your shotgun. Bear in mind that anything inside twenty yards is going to be about the size of a grapefruit so make sure your aim is true if you get a gobbler in on top of you. Also it can be very beneficial to your pocket book if you and several buddies team up and have these sessions. Have everyone bring their choke tubes and shells and hopefully you’ll find a combination that works for you.

Practice Your Calling

It is no secret that most hunters only break out their calls about a week before the season. Instead start practicing a few months out. Take the time to obtain recordings of actual wild turkeys and mimic those sounds. You can locate them all over the Internet. It will benefit you in the woods. I’ve always said a mediocre caller with great woodsmanship will kill his share of turkeys. But, a great caller with great woodsmanship is a “predator”.

Unfortunately this aspect of turkey hunting is neglected by turkey hunters across the nation. Learn to call better than the average “joe” in the turkey woods and it will pay dividends. The more you sound like a real wild turkey and not a turkey hunter, the more turkeys will ride in your truck with you.

Also recording your calling and your sequences can aid in the improvement of your calling. Do not use your basic tape recorder, the microphone in those radios do not give an accurate recording of the sound. Use your camcorder. It will give you better quality and a more three dimensional sound.

Lastly, practice the call that you are the least proficient on. Whether it be a mouth call, tube call or even a pot and peg style call. Become confident on multiple type calls. You never know which particular sound will strike a nerve with the bird your working. The more “tricks” you have in your vest, the more “treats” your liable to end up with.

Turkey Vest and contents

Today’s turkey vests have become a key tool in organizing your gear and making your hunt as comfortable as possible. Most vests available on the market have a pocket for everything from your box call, to your water bottle and also have a padded seat and back rest. Everything you need is right at your finger tips. One key point is to memorize where you store each item in your vest. It is important not to be fumbling around with all those pockets looking for your headnet or mouth calls when your at that critical moment and a gobbler is approaching.

There are a couple of items to think about putting in your vest to aid you in your quest of that longbeard this spring. One is a pair of compact binoculars. They can prove to be worth their weight in gold when in the spring woods and trying to identify gobblers at long ranges especially in fields. Another is a pair of good hand shears. They work great when your needing to cut some palmettos for a blind or remove any brush obstructing your view.

Lastly, I know you’re all about to say it, thats right, a Therma-cell! If by some chance you’re reading this and have never heard of one, well today my friend is your lucky day. Its the most effective form of mosquito repellent on the market. Run to the nearest sporting goods store and pick one up. Spring turkey hunting will never be the same for you. This little appliance is worth its weight in platinum and I don’t have any idea how I turkey hunted all those years before its inception.

In closing, try these simple ideas to prepare for your upcoming season. Sometimes we only get one or two opportunities to pull the trigger on a bird each season. Make the best of that by preparing properly and having your gun and gear fine-tuned so that you can make it happen when it’s crunch time.

Scott Ellis

We all hear stories everyday of bears coming into neighborhoods looking for food. More times than not garbage cans are their target as they put off some pretty attractive aromas for a bear. If people don’t properly care for their garbage, they can have unwanted visitors, not just bears.

We also know that often times people move into the suburbs and do what they can to draw wildlife into their back yards, even to the point of putting out food for the animals. According to one report in the Orlando Sentinel, someone in the Tivoli Woods neighborhood was feeding this particular bear.

When the bear appeared in the area on Tuesday, some frightened neighbors called 911. Orlando police responded and followed the instructions of the FFWCC in dealing with the bear. Once again, according to this report in the Orlando Sentinel, this is how officers dealt with the bear.

Residents in the 4700 block of Walnut Ridge Drive complicated efforts to shoo away the bear by refusing police requests to go inside their homes.

“We also observed dozens of citizens standing on their front lawns taking pictures of the animal,” wrote Officer Frank Sikos of broadcasting pleas over his patrol car’s public address system to avoid the bear. “Many of the residents did not comply.”

For 45 minutes, police followed the bear blaring sirens and flashing emergency lights as it wandered house to house along Walnut Ridge Drive, Oak Crest Road, Tarflower Lane and Spindletree Lane.

When the bear returned to Walnut Ridge Drive, it walked into an open garage where residents Jennielyn Rodrigues, Sovet Navarez, William Hodge and Gary Navarez were sitting at a table.

“All four began screaming as the bear charged at them,” the report states. “Hodge threw a chair at the bear as (they) attempted to enter their home.”

One of the police officers got ready to use his shotgun to shoot the bear but feared hitting the people. The bear wandered outside again, where police officers tried to encourage it to escape harm by heading into nearby woods.

“The bear did not comply and instead turned toward us,” Sikos wrote. “The bear was more interested in entering the garbage cans around the homes than avoiding the officers on the scene.”

The animal came within a car length of Sikos and took two more strides despite his efforts to scare it away.

“I did not want to use deadly force on the animal,” he wrote. “I deployed my department-issued Taser, striking the bear in the torso.”

The 50,000 volts of electricity slowed the bear long enough for officers to lasso one leg and its neck with animal-catch poles. That didn’t do much other than upset it.

“The bear became agitated and we moved from yard to yard as the bear tired. However, the bear had spurts of energy,” Sikos wrote of being pulled around the neighborhood.

Another officer zapped the animal a second time with a Taser and a second leg was harnessed with a catch pole, according to reports.

“We again moved from yard to yard as the bear wrestled with us,” Sikos wrote. “We then observed the bear appeared to have passed out. A short time later, we determined the animal had passed away.”

It certainly appears to me that these officers did everything in their power to avoid killing the bear. In all honesty, I think in most cases the bear would have been dispatched much sooner than as happened in this case. The efforts of the Orlando police and the instructions of FFWCC should be commended but instead many of the same residents who refused to go inside as instructed by police, are complaining that the bear didn’t have to be killed. Their ignorance and uncooperative attitudes actually contributed to bear’s death.

The officers went out of their way to avoid having to kill the bear. Even when they Tasered the bear for the second time, that ended up killing the bear, it was still not their intention to cause death.

The job of the Orlando police department is to protect the citizens of the Tivoli Woods. Had the people gone inside and stayed there, the police could have observed the bear until it returned to the woods. Police Sgt. Jones tells reporters the same thing.

“We couldn’t leave until the people went inside and the bear went into the woods. As long as the people remained there we had to treat the bear as a threat,” she said. “Everybody loves animals and they’re cute, but they’re not cute if they maul somebody.”

If you don’t want to see a bear killed needlessly, as some would say this one was, then take care of your garbage and when authorities do show up in your neighborhood to respond to a bear encounter, cooperate with them and perhaps you can save the life of bear.

Tom Remington