Two Florida snake hunters have caught a new record Burmese python.
Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis captured a female Burmese python that weighed in at 104 pounds. The large reptile reportedly measures 18 feet and 9 inches long. That’s an inch longer than the previous record Burmese python caught in Florida in 2014.
The two hunters were working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as python removal agents.
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and have established themselves in the Everglades over the last 15 years. They have no natural predators in Florida and have decimated indigenous plant and animal populations.
I almost missed this. It’s Fat Bear Week 2020, where you get to decide the most important question of the year. Who’s the (ph)Fattest Bear at the Brooks river area of the Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Every year the bears of the Brooks river pack on the pounds to survive their hibernation. The Katmai in general, and the Brooks river in particular allow the bears to really add the pounds. Just look at the before and after photos below.
Can last year’s champion 435 Holly keep her title? Will multi time champ 480 Otis reclaim his spot on top?
An 11 year old Wisconsin hunter just took what may be the state record black bear. Sixth grader Naiya Iraci hadn’t ever even seen a black bear before Sept. 9, let alone shot one.
“I was nervous, I was kind of shaking,” Iraci said describing when she saw the bear. Itachi’s Grandfather and hunting partner told NBC 15 they weren’t sure if it was going to make the record books. “We don’t know yet,” explained Michael Frank. “It’s in the process of being cleaned and dried for 60 days. It goes by skull measurement. We’re just going to have to wait.”
The massive bruin field dressed at 720 pounds and the skull measured around 22″ before the 60 day drying period. The current Wisconsin record bear skull measured 22 12/16 inches and the world record bear skull was found in Utah and measured 23 10/16 inches.
No, I’m not talking about a truck. I mean the weapons system you use to take game. With the caveat that most of what I’m going to describe here is based on my mostly east coast hunting experiences, down the rabbit hole we go. . . .
Why didn’t I say gun instead of weapons system? Well, that’s less complex than it seems. The gun is only part of the overall system you’ll be using. The entire system includes the gun, any optics you may use, the ammunition and any other accessories you might choose.
When I say hunting, I’m primarily referring to big game hunting; deer, bear, antelope, elk and the like. That said, a lot of the information to follow can be applied to small game and even bird hunting.
Let’s start with the gun. The first thing to think about is whether or not a particular type of firearm is legal in the area you plan on hunting. Some states, especially on the east coast, are shotgun only for deer. Others only allow straight walled cartridges. Some states don’t allow semi auto firearms. Most states have caliber restrictions, ie: .22 caliber or larger here in NY.
Once you’ve determined what’s appropriate legally, it’s time to pick out a suitable gun. You may have a preference for turnbolts, lever guns, pumps or autoloaders. The action, as long as it’s acceptable legally doesn’t make much difference. Bolt guns have a reputation for being more accurate, and that’s true to a point. But the fact is, any rifle produced since WWII is more than capable of shooting minute of meat.
The next thing to look into is caliber. I’m not going to make any recommendations about that other than to say be sure the round you choose is appropriate for the game you’re hunting. While the .243 win is a fine round for eastern whitetails, it’s wholly inappropriate for elk, moose or any of the bears in north america.
While we’re on the subject of caliber, there are a couple of other things to keep in mind. If you’re generally taking shots at less than 300 yards, there’s little need for any of the magnums. The only thing you’ll get from shooting a .300 winmag at a 150 pound deer at 150 yards is a sore shoulder. I promise you, it won’t kill a deer any more dead than a lighter recoiling round.
You also need to keep ammo availability in mind. I mean if things ever get back to normal. My local suppliers don’t have much in the way of common rounds, never mind the more obscure loadings. As it is the manufacturers can’t keep up with the common stuff, and a limited run of .300 loudenboomen just isn’t in the cards.
As far as sighting systems go, I could write an entire book. However, here I’m just going say a couple of things. First, don’t cheap out. I’m not saying that any optic less than $500 is junk, or that you need to drop $3500 on the latest Nightforce or US Optics scope. What I am saying is that you should stay away from bargain brands like Barska or Tasco. Not only are they likely to blow apart or fog up at an inopportune moment, the glass just isn’t that clear. Take a look at the mid-priced Vortex, Meopta or Leupold scopes. They’re well made, clear and dependable. Vortex has the added advantage of a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty.
US Optics FDN 25X $3,449.00
Next, don’t buy too much scope. There’s no reason to buy a 6.5-24×55 scope when your longest shot is 125 yards. To be honest, there’s no reason to put that kind of scope on 90% of hunting rigs. Those types of scope are best for the range, Prairie dog fields and on specialized “bean field” or “Sendero” rifles where extreme long range shots are the norm. A 3-9×40 will serve for 99% of hunters in 99% of hunting situation.
Don’t sleep on low magnification fixed and variable scopes or red dots. Both have their place, and both are extremely fast for target aquisition.
Oh, and one more thing. If you do have a variable power scope on your rig, keep it set at the lowest power. That way when that buck or hog crosses in front of you at 30 yards, you’ll actually be able to see it. The field of view on a scope gets geometrically smaller as the power is cranked up. If you need to turn up the power for a long range shot, you’ll have the time to do so.
Now on to my favorite rig. A couple of years ago, I got a fantastic deal on a Tikka T-3 Hunter in 7mm-08 from a gun shop that was going out of business. I think I paid $350 for it. Since then, it’s become my go-to rig for hunting deer and black bear here in NY. It’s currently wearing a Meopta MeoPro 6×42 fixed power scope.
Meopta MeoPro 6×42
I find the 7mm-08 cartridge does the job on everything I can hunt here in NY, and wouldn’t hesitate to change the scope and take it west for mule deer and antelope. I think it’s just a tad too light for Elk and moose, but I know guys who hunt both with that caliber. My pet handload for that caliber is a 150 grain Nosler Partition at 2800fps.
So, what’s your hunting rig look like? Did I miss anything? Something you’d do differently? Let us know in the comments below.
A tiger has been spotted on the loose in Knoxville Tennessee. A Knox county sheriff’s deputy spotted the cat Wednesday night.
Andy Wilson was working a side job at a business in an industrial park when he reported seeing a large cat rise out of the French Broad River, cross the street and disappear into a dense wooded area.
Matthew Cameron of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency said officials have not confirmed the tiger sightings, and if there is a tiger, they’re not sure where it came from. All the tigers at Zoo Knoxville are accounted for, according to zoo spokeswoman Tina Rolen. Mary Lynn Parker of Tiger Haven said all they have all their tigers, too.
After a Covid delay, today will be the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby. Post time for the race is 7:00pm EDT.
The Derby is traditionally held on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, but the 2020 running was rescheduled to today.
Normally, the Run for the Roses is the first leg of the triple crown, but isn’t this year for the first time since 1931. This year also marks the first time the Derby hasn’t been held on the first Saturday in May since 1945.
This year’s first leg, the Belmont Stakes was run on 20 June, with Derby favorite Tiz the Law winning. The final leg, the Preakness Stakes, will be held 3 October at Pimlico.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Non-Game Fisheries Biologist Doug Fischer holds a northern snakehead collected from the Conowingo Pool in the lower Susquehanna River. A picture of the fish caught in the Upper Delaware River was not available.
A northern snakehead was recently caught in the Upper Delaware River near Callicoon, NY. The invasive fish, native to Southeast Asia, are listed federally as “injurious wildlife.” Given the right conditions, this fish can prey on and compete with other fish, upsetting the natural balance of local ecosystems.
The Upper Delaware is known as one of the premier trout waters on the east coast.
“Any snakehead caught should be killed immediately and not released back into the water,” said Basil Seggos, commissioner of the NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation).
In the event an angler catches a northern snakehead, DEC advises anglers to:
Not release it back to the water;
Kill the fish immediately;
If possible, take pictures of the fish, including close-ups of its mouth, fins, and tail;
Freeze it whole in case DEC needs to verify identification or collect tissue samples. Carcasses missing fillets can still be used by the DEC;
Note where it was caught (water body, landmarks or GPS coordinates);
Report the catch to the regional NYS DEC fisheries office, DEC’s Invasive Species Bureau at isinfo@dec.ny.gov or (518) 402-9425, or submit a report through iMapinvasives.
In New York State, snakeheads have been found in two ponds in Queens in 2005, and were eradicated from Ridgebury Lake in Orange County in 2008. DEC is currently sampling the location where the fish was located to determine if the population is widespread. DEC is also collaborating with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and National Park Service to monitor these invasive fish.
Snakehead closely resemble the native bowfin. The two are easily distinguished by the length of the anal fin, the bowfin having a much shorter one.
There’s a video going around Twitter of a black bear (ursus americanus, not a hairy black gay guy) being fed by some idiots while it’s sitting at a picnic table.
For starters, that bear could have easily hurt or killed one of the idiots. And while the loss of those genes wouldn’t bother me much, after all, they’re messing with a bear, the fact that if something had happened, the bear would have been euthanized would.
Unfortunately, that’s probably what’s in that particular bear’s future anyway. There is a saying among wildlife conservation people about that very scenario: A fed bear is a dead bear.
When bears become habituated to humans, the pose a serious risk to humans. Feeding them most certainly habituated them.
Its just turned August and it’s time to start getting ready for hunting season. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare for the upcoming seasons.
First up, make sure you have enough ammo. In a typical fall I go through around 3 boxes of ammo for each of the rifles and slug guns I plan on using. Two and a half for sighting in and range practice, the remainder for actually hunting.
Given the current conditions, you should pick up ammo any time you find it. Keep in mind, between all the panic buying and the ammo plants in the northeast being closed for several months, ammo is scarce. And going into this election, I doubt it’s going to be more available later.
Ammo shelves at my local supplier.
While we’re on the subject of scarcity, good luck picking up a new gun for this fall. The same factors come into play as with the ammo.
Hopefully you cleaned your guns before you put them away last year. If you didn’t, shame on you. Regardless, pull out the rigs you’re planning on using, give them a scrub, make sure they function properly and check the screws in the scope mounts. Once that’s done, make sure any accessories like slings and bipods are secure and don’t make excessive noise.
Once you’ve laid in your ammo supplies and checked your equipment out, it’s time to head to the range. Check your zero. Then get off the bench and shoot from more realistic positions. Prone, kneeling, standing off-hand and standing supported. Let be honest, I’ve never shot a deer or bear from a bench rest, and I’m pretty sure none of you have either.
The same can be said for you archers out there. You should have been practicing all summer. It’s not too late to start if you haven’t. But, you should mix up your shooting, try it from your knees or sitting. If you primarily hunt from a tree stand, get up in the air and shoot from there. Trust me when I tell you that your point of impact changes from a tree stand. (Don’t ask me how I know this, I just do OK?)
While we’re on the subject of archery, go get your bow tuned up. A good tech can get your bow perfectly set up, and make it shoot better.
Now is a good time to make sure you still have access to your favorite spots. If you hunt on someone else’s land, stop by and check. If you hunt state or federal land, make sure you can still get in. There’s a move afoot to restrict access to a lot of public lands, and that road or trail you used last year may be closed this year.
The last thing we’re going to discuss is hunting clothing. Dig it all out. Make sure it’s all serviceable, and throw it in the wash with some scent free, UV brightener free detergent. I personally use the Scent Killer brand, but there are a lot of different brands out there.
The biggest plus from using these types of detergent isn’t the lack of scent, although that’s good, it’s the lack of UV brighteners found in regular laundry detergent. Most game animals see more in the UV spectrum, and clothes laundered with brighteners just stand out more.
Got any prep tips? Anything you think I missed? Let us know in the comments below.
Joey Baird (pictured right) and friend Mark Conroy (pictured left) with Baird’s 121-pound, 9-ounce blue catfish. (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission)
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission just confirmed the records of two anglers for record setting catfish.
Joey Baird was out fishing on Lake Gaston July 5th, when he caught a blue catfish measuring a whopping 121 pounds and 9 ounces, 60 ½ inches in length and 40 ½ inches in girth, the NCWRC said in a statement.
The Lawrenceville, Va. resident caught the impressive blue with cut bait. Baird’s blue catfish eclipses the previous state record, a 117-pound, 8-ounce fish caught in June 2016. The current world angling record is a 143-pound monster caught in Virginia’s Buggs Island Lake in 2011.
Tyler Barnes with his 78-pound, 14-ounce record-breaking flathead catfish. (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission)
Tyler Barnes reeled in a massive flathead catfish from the Neuse River on July 20. The Pikeville man’s fish measured 78 pounds and 14 ounces, at 52 inches in length and 37 inches in girth. He used a live sunfish as bait.
Barnes fish beat a 15-year freshwater fish state record for flathead catfish, the NCWRC said. The record was previously held by a 78-pound flathead hooked in the Cape Fear River in 2005. The world angling record flathead catfish was caught May 14, 1998, from Elk City Reservoir, Kansas, and weighed 123 lb 9 oz
