Free Fishing Weekend June 5th and 6th

Kentucky's free fishing weekend will be June 5th and 6th this year. The event is a part of National Fishing and Boating Week. You may fish in Kentucky without a fishing license or a trout stamp.

Last Weekend of Spring Turkey

Sunday will be the final day of the 2010 Spring Kentucky Turkey season. Sad to see it end because it's been a long frustrating season seeing endless days of gobblers hanging out with hens. One more day for that luck to change. Good luck.

Elk Draw Results Posted

The Elk draw results are posted at F&W. I did not get drawn. I'm hoping somebody in my family might.

You can check with your social or liscense number here:

http://fw.ky.gov/app/ElkQuotaLookup.aspx

GOOD LUCK.

400 Pound Buck Article

http://www.buckmasters.com/BuckmastersLinks/ViewAllArticles/tabid/135/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2637/Thats-a-Hawg-of-a-Buck-But.aspx

If anyone has seen this photo and thought it was a fake like me, well I guess we were wrong. It was however taken on a high fenced place in Wisconsin. Check out the Buckmasters article on this monster 400 pounder.

Rainy Weekend

There's only 1 more week remaining in the 2010 Spring Turkey Season and it looks rough with the monsoons. We worked quite a few birds yesterday but the hens still have them on lock down. Some hens are sitting but these hens seem to be staying with the gobblers until about 11 and then dispersing.

Also, last night was your final chance to get a elk lottery permit. Not sure on a draw date yet. For those who have yours......good luck.

Hens beginning to Sit

Finally, the hens are beginning to sit. Hopefully the gobblers will get a little more workable over the next week. Over the first week of the season, they've been hanging out with the hens and won't even look at a decoy. Good luck.

Spring Turkey Begins Saturday

Big day Saturday. Spring Turkey officially opens and with this weather, the gobblers are fired up and gobbling hard. Here we go. Good luck folks.

Ethan's Turkey Hunt 2010

Ethan's Easter Sunday afternoon youth hunt was a lot of fun. We had no luck with gobblers avoiding us in both youth hunt morning sessions. This afternoon, my brother spotted these turkeys out and about. We crawled about 200 yards to the blind. The video is poor because I couldn't find my tripod today before I left and I have no idea how to edit. Ethan misses this bird the first time, then you hear a click as he didn't jack the next shell in all the way. I barely got the camera back on the bird when he blasted him on try #3! The bird had 9 1/4 inch beard and weighed 22 lbs. It's seldom that you get to see four mature gobblers in the same field all strutting. One of these days, I'm going to learn how to video. Fun day. Warning: My dad uses a few expletives you may not want your child to hear.

Youth Turkey Ends Today

Youth Turkey season ended this evening. The regular turkey season is just two weeks away. My boy scored on a 9 1/4 inch-22 lb bird tonight. I'll have horrible quality video later.

Spring Turkey Guide

http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/10SpringTurkeyComplete2010Guide.pdf

Youth Turkey Two Weeks Away

Youth Turkey season is just two weeks away on April 3rd and 4th. Remember, regular turkey season opens two weekends later on April 17th.

Here is a link to the spring turkey guide or you can find it on the tool bar to the right.

Commission Proposes Baffling Elk Changes

The Commission proposed just baffling changes recently. Some questions need to be answered about the elk program. Elk permits will be cut from 1,000 to 800 tags. Some big questions are:
1. Why the reduction in permits???? Did the herd decline or do they not have the herd at the numbers they want yet.
2. WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU ISSUE 75 SPIKE ONLY PERMITS?????? Maybe the deer program will introduce button buck only permits.............stupid!
3. Why the reduction in bull tags? Is the brain worm hitting the elk harder than we know?

F&W needs to come out and answer some questions. I'd love to understand why we want to kill 75 spikes................GEEZ.


HERE ARE ALL THE PROPOSED ELK CHANGES------------------------------

Proposed Elk Hunt Changes for 2010-11

Commission members proposed issuing 800 permits through Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s quota elk hunt drawing for the upcoming season. Of this number, 600 would be valid for antlerless elk (cow or a bull without visible antlers). Another 125 permits would be valid for bulls with a minimum of four antler points on at least one side. The remaining 75 elk hunting permits would be spike permits, valid for bull elk with up to two antler points on each side.

The number of permits issued for the special youth-only elk hunt in September remains at five.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife commission members also proposed eliminating the November gun season for antlerless elk (cows or a bull without visible antlers). Last year, cow elk hunters could use rifles during November’s modern gun season for deer. Hunters with an antlerless elk permit could still use rifles or muzzleloaders during their assigned week in December.

Other proposed changes for this season include:

Subdividing elk hunting unit 3 into two subunits to help spread hunting pressure. Unit 3 is located southeast of Hindman, bordered by KY 80, U.S. 23 and KY 15.
Increasing the amount of property open for the September youth elk hunt.
Eliminating metal permit tags.
Eliminating the deer permit requirement for those hunting elk outside southeastern Kentucky’s 16-county elk restoration zone. Hunters still must have an out-of-zone elk permit, however.
Limiting the number of times a hunter could be drawn for a bull elk permit. Under this proposal, a hunter drawn for a bull elk permit could not apply for another bull permit for the next three years. However, the hunter could continue to apply for a cow elk permit. This is designed to increase the number of people hunting elk in Kentucky for the first time.
Allowing a young hunter to only be drawn once for the special September youth hunt. After being drawn, the hunter could not apply for the youth hunt again. However, the hunter could enter the general drawing for an elk hunt.


2010-11 Elk Season

Firearms
Week 1 (bull) – Oct. 2-8

Week 2 (bull) – Oct. 9-15

Week 1 (cow) – Dec.11-17

Week 2 (cow) – Dec. 18-24

Archery
Week 1 (bull) – Oct. 2-8, and Oct.16, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Week 2 (bull) – Oct. 9, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Week 1 (cow) – Oct. 16 – Dec. 17 and Dec. 25, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Week 2 (cow) – Oct.16 – Dec. 10 and Dec.18, 2010 – Jan. 17, 2011

Crossbow
Week 1 (bull) – Oct. 2-8, Oct. 16-17 and Nov.13 – Dec. 31

Week 2 (bull) – Oct. 9-17, and Nov. 13 – Dec. 31

Week 1 (cow) – Oct. 16-17, Nov.13 - Dec.17 and Dec. 25-31

Week 2 (cow) – Oct. 16-17, Nov.13- Dec. 10 and Dec.18 – 31

Youth-only
Sept. 25-27

Hunting Liscense Expires Sunday

Remember, your hunting and fishing liscenses expires this Sunday. Purchase a new one below. Also, go ahead and get your elk drawing chance while you're there. You can get your elk chance now through April 3oth.

https://fw.ky.gov/license/olpsintro.aspx

New State Record Non-Typical Elk

The record has fallen yet again. Terrell Royalty from Harrodsburg killed a huge 7x7 elk that scored 372 6/8 non-typical breaking last years state record of 367 7/8. The bull game from public property in Knott County. Remember, the elk draw application deadline is April 30th. Youth can actually apply twice. Once in the regular draw and once for the youth only draw. Good luck. I think it's gonna be my year again!

Hunting Seasons Update

**Squirrel runs until Feb. 28th.

**Crow season runs until Feb. 28th.

**Otter, Mink, Muskrat, Fox, and Beaver runs until Feb. 28th.

**Wild Hog and Groundhog runs year-round.

Remember, you can purchase your elk draw chance anytime until April 30th.

https://fw.ky.gov/license/olpsintro.aspx

Also, don't forget to purchase a new hunting liscense. Your current liscense expires February 28th.

Team USA's dreams are on the line! We're in the final countdown to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games! With just weeks to go before our athletes take the world's stage in Vancouver, your support of Team USA right now makes a difference.

Each Team USA athlete and hopeful has been training hard and dreaming big, waiting to realize their long-held ambition of Olympic and Paralympic competition. There are so many ways to help them get there! Make a donation, become a member the Sixth Ring, or cheer on Team USA in person in Vancouver.
Go Team USA!

Follow Team USA here and get insider info from your favorite athletes and sports.
http://support.teamusa.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=1320

Keep up to date with the latest news about Team USA and the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The Games begin February 12.

February Sucks

The only good thing about February is pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training.

If you have nothing to do like me except watching UK roll through college basketball like butter, how about a little coyote hunting in the snow? Saw a yote and the bobcat last night coming home. If it snows Tuesday, I'm there. The coyotes should be breeding pretty heavy this month. They're a little more out in the open during February.

It's pretty dead in the hunting world right now. Some folks are doing some shed hunting. It's time to get those stands down and get them put away until summer. I've got to do all that in the next few weeks. Count down to Turkey '10 is on.

Sport, Boat, and Recreation Show Lexington

Lexington's Lexington Center (Rupp Arena) will host the Sport, Boat, and Recreation Show beginning Thursday February 4th until Sunday Feburary 7th. Prices are $7 for adults and $3 for children.

F&W Bust Poacher with 34 Deer

http://fw.ky.gov/newsrelease.asp?nid=694

F&W busted a Livingston County man with 34 deer heads and 2 turkey. The man, David Ray, had previously be busted in in 1995 for illegally taking game. Ray will pay at least $753 for each deer and $563 for each turkey so that's a minimum of $26,728 +$1,000 fine, a year in jail, and loss of hunting previleges. He also needs a good kick in the behind from residents of Livingston County!

Deer Season Withdrawal Symptoms

It's been over for only about two weeks and I already can't wait for that opening day 2010. Luckily, a fairly long turkey season will ease the pain. Then it's time for food plot planting, putting out the scouting cameras, sighting in the bow, hanging stands, and back at it again in 10. September can't get here fast enough.

Terrorists from PETA Continue Thier Rediculous Behavior

Well, what can I say. Hunting season is over and it's time to get back to showing the stupidity of America's #1 terrorist organization. This time, they smashed a pie in the face of Canada's Minister of Fisheries. This is not the first pie. These idiots are going all over pieing folks in the face.........including a Ronald McDonald mascot.

If you have any doubt these people are absolute nutcases.............
PETA head, Ingrid Newkirk has stated that there is no moral difference between poultry farms and Nazi death camps.

2010 Spring Turkey and Squirrel Guide Released

http://fw.ky.gov/pdf/10SpringTurkeyComplete2010Guide.pdf

Check out the new spring turkey and squirrel guide released today by Fish and Wildlife. Remember, Youth Turkey will be April 3rd and 4th and the general turkey season will run from April 17th to May 9th. Squirrel season will run June 5th through the 18th.

Plan for Communications During Your Alaskan Hunt

Now's the time to start getting into the details of your Alaskan hunt. In previous posts I have mention A DIY hunt here for Moose or Caribou would cost you around $3K-$4K. That's close but it could cost more if you take both species and then fly all the meat and antlers out. They just weight too much or take up too much room to pack it all out in 1 or even two flights. That starts to get expensive.

Strader Lawsuit is Very Interesting..........

Wow, the more you dig into the Strader lawsuit, the more interesting it gets. I'll be going though Strader's Complaint Page and commenting on some of those complaits over a series of posts. The lawsuit itself centers around Freedom of Speech, Defamation, and Freedom of Press. When you really get into the Complaints Page, things get interesting with Strader's claims. Many of which center around unethical practices by Fish and Wildlife officials, especially the commish and representatives. I've made it very known that I don't agree with many of Strader's stances on issues that we'll get into such as some aspects of the Telecheck system, the elk program, and season dates in general. I believe Fish and Wildlife have made some amazing strides in deer, turkey, and the elk restoration. I don't always agree with seasons and policies, I believe Fish and Wildlife have the right people in mind (the hunters themselves) when making most policies. However, if the claims against F&W that Strader states are true, they are very troubling and need to be dealt with on a very high level. I'm no lawyer so I have no earthly ideas if Strader's lawsuit will succeed in court but I'll be shocked if some high level heads don't roll in Fish and Wildlife.

More to come....................

Two Tickets to Sport, Boat, and Vacation Show

Anybody want two free tickets to the Sport, Boat, and Vacation show, shoot me an e-mail at moore.gj@insideconnect.net

Thanks.