DNR: CWD testing and how to quarter and cape a deer [videos] https://ift.tt/2IwfXtR

The Minnesota DNR has created videos on how to get deer tested for chronic wasting disease, how to quarter a deer, how to cape a trophy deer and how to remove lymph nodes.

“We’re informing hunters about what they can do to minimize risk to our wild deer population,” said Lou Cornicelli, wildlife research manager. “There are a few changes to this year’s surveillance areas and the informational video should help clarify the changes.”

Hunters also should consult the DNR website and the Minnesota Hunting Regulations book for more information, the agency said in a news release Monday, Oct. 1. This year, the CWD testing locations are in the regulations book.

The majority of states have implemented CWD-related carcass import and export restrictions, which are designed to reduce the risk of CWD spread. In Minnesota, it is illegal to import a whole carcass from any state or Canadian province whether or not CWD has been documented.

“We instituted a nationwide ban in 2016 because the increased discovery of the disease in both captive and wild deer which made it difficult to manage on a county-by-county basis,” Cornicelli said.

Over the last two years, the DNR has been working with taxidermists and venison processors to educate them on the rule change.

“The risk is low when you quarter and go – that’s the mindset the DNR wants to create,” said Erik Hildebrand, CWD project leader.

Bluffland Whitetails Association has provided a quartering station hunters can use in Preston to help hunters comply with the export restrictions that are in place within the CWD management zone, deer permit area 603.

Proactive surveillance and precautionary testing for disease is a proven strategy that allows the DNR to manage CWD by finding it early and reacting quickly and aggressively to control it. These actions, which were taken in 2005 to successfully combat bovine tuberculosis in northwestern Minnesota deer and in 2010 to eliminate a CWD infection in wild deer near Pine Island, provide the best opportunity to eliminate disease spread.

For complete information about mandatory CWD testing this fall, sampling station locations and a related precautionary feeding ban, click here.

Categories: CWD, Hunting, Hunting News, Minnesota Videos, Whitetail Deer, Whitetail Deer Videos

Tags: chronic wasting disease, CWD, Deer, Hunting, Minnesota DNR, white-tailed deer, Whitetails

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Spork, Filter, Harness: 3 Steals to Start Your Week https://ift.tt/2Owmieg

Great outdoor gear at an amazing price: That’s our goal each Monday. Check out the bargains below and save on gear for your next adventure.

Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System: $19 (23% Off)

This filter removes 99.99999 percent of all bacteria, like salmonella, cholera, and E. coli. It also removes 99.9999 percent of all protozoa, like giardia and cryptosporidium. You can drink directly from the source after screwing it onto the included water bottle or attaching it in-line to a reservoir.

Check it out

Arc’teryx SL 340 Harness: $73 (39% Off)

Arc’teryx makes very lightweight, packable, and comfortable harnesses. But they’re usually expensive. Mountain Steals currently has a number of Arc’teryx harnesses on sale, like the SL 340, which should work great for sport climbing, top rope, and crushing it in the gym.

Check it out

Light My Fire Original Spork: $2 (66% Off)

This is a simple spork. It can cut, spoon, and fork your camp meals and only weighs 0.3 ounces. Don’t be caught without an eating utensil when dinner is ready!

Check it Out

Looking for more gear savings? Check out this half-off flannel sale:

Get an Awesome Flannel 'Shacket' for Fall at Half Price

One of our favorite fall-weather items, the flannel "shacket," is on sale now for half off. Check out this deal quick! Read more…

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Deer tests positive for CWD in disease management zone https://ift.tt/2P3Jtte

Vail in the Fall

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DNR survey: Minnesota small game license sales down again in 2017 https://ift.tt/2P3h8Dx

Columbia Omni-Heat 3D Review: Thermal Tech Introduces Warm Nano Fuzzies https://ift.tt/2OtUBm2

A baselayer unlike any other, Columbia’s Omni-Heat receives a microscopic 3D upgrade with noticeable effects.

From the Canadian Rockies to the Peruvian Andes and the autumn streets of downtown Denver, we’ve had a chance to test out the latest product from Columbia.

Part of the brand’s Titanium line of high-tech outerwear, the Omni-Heat 3D baselayer underwent comfort and performance upgrades. Originally launched in 2010, the Omni-Heat line introduced reflective elements on the underside of garments to help reflect body heat and improve baselayer performance.

With the “3D” release, Columbia claims to have improved the reflective patterning for better heat retention. But it also made a more tangible innovation: microscopic tufts of soft fibers scattered across the garment’s interior. Though too small to see with the naked eye, the fibers work to add an “air gap” to further improve heat retention and add literal warm fuzzies.

In short: Columbia introduces a solid product that performs well as a cool-weather top and cold-weather base. The Omni-Heat reflective does help retain body heat, but the standout feature in our test was the “3D” feel and comfort of Columbia’s “vertically-oriented” fibers.

Columbia Omni-Heat 3D Review

We tested the Titanium, Omni-Heat 3D Knit Crew Top (available now, $90). Visually, the first thing we noticed was a more aggressive Omni-Heat lining. Where past iterations sported small, shiny dots, the 3D lining offers a larger reflective surface in a concentric “tri-star” pattern.

But the real innovation wasn’t seen, it was felt. Against the skin, the Knit Crew Top felt soft, pliant, and just a bit grippy. It sounds strange — and it feels unique — but the top doesn’t squeeze the skin like a typical baselayer. Instead, the microfibers that give 3D its name keep a tiny gap between the layer and the skin.

Meanwhile, the garment itself comprises polyester and elastane, a combination that provides plenty of stretch and a skin-feel that’s unlike other layers. As for warmth, the garment worked well by itself in temps dipping into the mid-40s. And in Banff, it served as a solid baselayer during daylong downhill skiing in cold conditions. Columbia also added highly breathable, nonreflective paneling along the sides and upper back to help regulate body temperature.

To be sure, it’s a high-end layer at $90. But it’s also one of the most comfortable baselayers we’ve worn. And it looks sharp to boot. As for the tech, look for Omni-Heat 3D on Columbia’s high-performance Titanium offerings, including boots, jackets, gloves, hats, and layers.

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Hunt in Comfort: Thermacell and the Million-Mosquito Army https://ift.tt/2y4ymZR

Mosquitoes can and will kill your motivation to hunt. But Thermacell can help you defeat them.

“Have fun swatting skeeters.” That’s what my dad, a crusty old deer hunter, told me the other evening before I embarked on my first early-season whitetail hunt of the year. It’s late September here in Kansas, and with plenty of late-summer rain, a bumper crop of mosquitoes has descended upon the eastern half of the state like Genghis Khan’s Golden Horde.

I’m not sure how the old timers handled mosquitoes. I think it’s fair to say that a lot of deer survived through September because hunters just weren’t willing to endure the onslaught.

For those of us who can’t wait for the first freeze, there is hope: Thermacell. The MR450 Armored Portable model ($34.99) is my weapon of choice against these insect creatures, which can sense exhaled carbon dioxide up to 100 feet away.

Stopping the Swat

The Thermacell device has three components: a plastic bottle of butane, a little blue pad impregnated with mosquito repellant, and a housing that holds the bottle and pad.

A button on the housing sparks an igniter, which burns the butane and heats the pad. It takes a few minutes for the repellent to heat up and work its magic.

Once it’s rolling, the mosquito-repelling effect is noticeable.

I use a Thermacell model with an integrated clip that makes hanging it upwind and below me an easy task. I place the Thermacell below me because the pad emits a thin, wispy vapor that rises.

Once started, it makes a very slight hissing noise, but nothing too noticeable.

Thermacell for Turkey Season

On a late-season turkey hunt last year, I set up near a creek bed with standing water in an area out of the wind. It took about five minutes for the Thermacell to work its magic.

In the meantime, I may have lost around a quart of blood to the especially large mosquitoes calling that creek their home. Once warmed up, the Thermacell kept them at bay. I could see a wall of mosquitoes buzzing around about 5 to 10 feet in front of me.

I still took a few bites for the team, but it was nothing like it would’ve been otherwise.

Do Deer Smell It?

There are a couple of downsides to using a Thermacell during deer season. One of the biggies is the odor.

The Thermacell doesn’t smell bad — but it does smell. And if I can smell it, a deer can definitely smell it.

On days with a light but steady breeze, the vapor gets carried upward and downwind. I don’t know whether the odor spooks deer like human odor, but any deer downwind will know something is up.

They’ll probably smell you as well, so I don’t worry too much about this issue. I also keep my early-season hunting clothes segregated from my later-season clothes until they have been washed so as not to cross-contaminate any odors (body, Thermacell, or otherwise).

Another downside is the heat that can build up after long periods of continuous use. It’s not hot, per se, but the platform the pad sits on does get fairly warm.

I usually just switch the Thermacell off 10 minutes or so before my exit and let it cool down before it gets stuffed in the pack.

Not for Everyone, But Definitely for Me

I know some deer hunters, especially those of the archery persuasion, that couldn’t imagine bringing something to the tree that might add scent to their setup.

Personally, I put more emphasis on the wind direction and stand location, and I worry less about smelling like nothing.

I prefer to look at it another way: If it gets you out hunting more often, why not try it? It might not be an option for every deer hunter, but you’ll find one in my pack until the first freeze.

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Joel Mason is a “professional amateur” hunter chasing whitetails and bobwhites in the Flint Hills of Kansas. He likes to fling flies when it’s not hunting season and is a true small-game admirer and aficionado. He believes poison ivy exists to discourage morel hunters from finding his secret spots.

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Is that a fly in his eye...Lesson learned...always wear glasses when fishing...

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Natural Hot Springs in NY

Hi there!

Does anyone know of any natural hot springs in New York? Or in the tri-state area?

TIA!

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Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources sets a bad example https://ift.tt/2NYBaTe

Old bus in field.

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