Hunters for the Hungry

With hunting season just around the corner, many hunters will soon find that their freezers fill up with venison pretty quickly. Every year, as hunters clean out their deep freezes in preparation for a new hunting season, many pounds of meat are just thrown out. This year, be sure to think ahead so that all that extra venison will make it’s way to hungry families in south east Texas by bringing legally harvested deer to a local participating meat processor, and donate the meat to Hunters For The Hungry. The HFTH mission is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in Texas, provide a way for hunters to help their communities, and promote stewardship of the environment.  Since 1990, Texans have donated 6.5 million servings of venison, with 700,000 donated last season alone. Eighty five meat processors participate in the program, and two of them are located in our own back yard. These local meat processing companies accept harvested and tagged deer for the program, and will donate the extra meat to local food pantries, soup kitchens, the Salvation Army, churches and local shelters. Paying a small processing fee, usually only about $30, gets the deer skinned, quartered, and packaged. After the meat is processed, the meat processors call local food assistance providers to pick up the meat and distribute it around South East Texas. Some locations prefer that only skinned deer are brought in, but will accept any deer. Although some hunters want to try and help out the meat processing stores by quartering and packaging the meat themselves, the meat cannot be accepted in this condition. Only field dressed whole deer can be donated to Hunters for the Hungry. Although this is a great program, it hasn’t taken root in surrounding areas just yet. Not many food assistance providers have signed up to receive venison, and not many local families are receiving the meat. Any food assistance provider program can contact TACAA at (800) 992-9767 ext. 506 to have their name added to the list of recipients to distribute meat. Texas Hunters for the Hungry is hoping that they will receive at least 800,000 servings of venison. To do your part, drop your extra deer off at Kountze High School or Jasper Quality Meats, so that they can process the meat and distribute it throughout Tyler and Jasper Counties.  To get more information about this program, or to register to become a participating Hunters for the Hungry processing location, visit www.tacaa.org. This hunting season, be sure to take time to think about fellow Texans in need and that’s Waldrep’s Word on it!

Women in the Outdoors Event

As more and more women are making their way onto the hunting scene, more and more programs are popping up to cater to women who love the outdoors. One of these fun and educational events is scheduled to take place on October 10th at the Magnolia Ridge Corps or Engineers Park on Dam B. This exciting program, Women in the Outdoors, was created by the National Wild Turkey Federation in hopes of giving women a cheap, fun way to learn about the outdoors through a multitude of classes and workshops. The NWTF’s goal is to teach women about outdoor subjects such as management, outdoor recreation, and conservation. Participants who attend will have to pay a $45 dollar registration fee that includes a choice of four “classes”, 6 hours of hands on instruction time, equipment and some supplies, breakfast and lunch, a one year membership in the National Wild Turkey Federation Women in the Outdoors club, and a exclusive subscription to the brand new Turkey Country magazine. Some of the classes being offered include Outdoor Photography, Birds & Butterflies, Call of the Wild, Alligator Hunting, Trees, Knife Making, and Archery. See the website for a complete listing including helpful descriptions and extra fees. These classes are sure to be a great benefit for any woman who enjoys the outdoors. . Early registration is. Registration forms are available at www.nwtf.org/wito or by contacting Wendy Baker at texaswendybaker@yahoo.com or 409-384-9374. This is going to be a fun and educational event that any woman would benefit from taking and that’s Waldrep’s Word on it!

Here is more information about the Deep East Texas Chapter of Women in the Outdoors (WITO). Click HERE to get more information and get your registration form online.

Hunters Education

Here is the new Column, published Wednesday, September 30th. Everyone enjoy, and be sure to leave comments! As always, if you have any questions about the course just e-mail me at ewaldrep2010@gmail.com.

There is nothing like a day in the field hunting. Just being in the field for any reason is a great privilege. However, this privilege comes with great responsibility. It is extremely important to know all of the local and statewide hunting laws as well as the ethical rules of hunting. Although many people choose to ignore certain game and hunting laws, they where put in place for a good reason. The most important laws to learn are the ones that keep the hunter safe. Safety laws are important to memorize and practice, and one of the best places to learn about these laws are in a hunters education course. Hunters education is a mandatory course for any hunter of 17 years of age if they plan to hunt without adult supervision. Every year, over 30,000 people become certified in hunter education and earn the right to hunt alone legally and responsibly. Every person born on or after September 2, 1971 must complete a hunter education course and have certification of completion along with their hunting licenses. Some federally controlled areas require that all hunters, no matter what their age or birth date, have hunter education certification. Hunter education certification can be received one of three ways. The first is to complete a traditional two day course. This course usually last about 14 hours spread over two or more days. The course is offered throughout the year at many different locations. To see a list of local courses, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife website at tpwd.com. In the past, various courses have been offered in Chester, Warren, Woodville, Spurger and other surrounding areas. A second way to become certified is by taking a free online course plus a one day field course. After learning about various hunting rules and regulations, wildlife conservation, outdoor survival and much more on the internet course there will be a 4 hour day spent in the field to complete certification. A third way to get certified would be to take the course through an at home study package plus one four hour field day. The package cost fifteen dollars, but is identical to the online version and is usually only used by hunters who don’t have or don’t like computers and internet. Hunter education certification is a great way to ensure safety in the field. Its quick, easy and fun to participate in a class and gives any hunter the right to hunt without being accompanied. To learn more about hunters education or to see a list of local “field day” locations, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s website for Hunter Education at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/hunter_education. Hunting is a huge responsibility! Get certified, and thats Waldrep's Word on it!

Here are a few easy links that contain useful information about Hunter Education

*Click HERE for TPWD's main website for Hunter Education. You can find a ton of useful information here.

*Click HERE for TPWD's Resources for Hunter Education Students. You can find useful information and PDF's over what you should know to pass the class, publications and references.

*Click HERE to find a local listing off all Hunter Education Courses. They are listed by City and Date.

* Click HERE for a listing of ALL field days, if you choose to take a online or at home course.

Something that is not included in the article is how to obtain a Hunters Education Deferral. If you don't have time, can't afford, or can't travel to an actual course you can purchase a deferral before each season. For more information about the deferrals, click HERE...

A HUGE THANK YOU

My next column has been turned in and ready for print =) This makes a grand total of four! I am so excited that I am getting to write my own column every week... its so amazing!

I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who has come up to me and complemented me and my writing. It really means a lot to me that people actually read what I write and take me seriously. One of my biggest fears when I started the column was that readers wouldn't take me seriously. I was afraid that most would have that "I'm not listening to a girl" mindset when it comes to hunting and fishing. I am so relieved to know that my readers don't think that, and enjoy what I write. Thanks again for the support! It means the world to me!

Also...

My next column is over Hunters Education (Shhh... don't tell) and who is required to take it. If you read the column and decide that now would be a good time to take the course, there is going to be a semi-local one available within the next month. If you are interested, just e-mail me and I can get you signed up! My e-mail is listed on my profile, but I will put it here also.

Enjoy the column, and be sure to come back to the blog for extra's, picture's and updates after the actual column is published...

(My e-mail address is ewaldrep2010@gmail.com)

Mirror Hunting Technology

Here is September 24th's Column! Enjoy!

There is not doubt that deer blinds have been evolving throughout generations of hunters. Most hunting enthusiast know that a deer blind is an overall effective and practical way to conceal themselves from game animals in to get that “perfect shot.” In the past deer blinds have consisted of a box or “tent” with a generic print of camouflage that may or may not blend in to the surroundings. Now, Boedeker Plastics has gone a step ahead and created the new Predator IV deer blind. It’s not just any deer blind, but one that is covered in mirrors. The idea, in theory, is pure genius. The blind consists of four Plexiglass sides with mirror backing plus a flat wooden roof. Boedeker claims the blind weighs about 100 pounds and will cost around 1,000 dollars. The mirrored siding reflects the surroundings to create the perfect pattern of camouflage so that the blind becomes invisible. There are some skeptics who doubt the effectiveness of this new stand. What if the sun shines off the mirrors and scares away deer? What if a rutting buck spots himself in the mirror and charges the stand? Would a passing doe or hog see their reflection and run away? How practical is spending $1,000 on a stand that isn’t considered portable? The company addresses each one of these questions. The company has created the stand so that the mirrors are at the perfect angle to eliminate any reflecting sunlight that could spook game animals. The main concern is the animal getting close enough to spook itself. Boedeker claims that that will not happen. The stand will only reflect objects closer than six feet to the blind.Having said that, if the blind is “invisible” a deer could get pretty close. Pictures on the Boedeker Plastics website show deer less than 4 feet away, and they seem unconcerned with the stand and their reflection. The blind is a fairly new concept and has not been widely distributed, so not many hunters have had experience hunting in the blind during the rut or close to deer and hogs. Spending $1,000 to $1,500 on a blind that no one has ever really used might seem a little risky however there are other mirror products on the market that can be tried before purchasing this blind. GhostBlind Mirror Panels are being used more and more by hunters around the world. These panels are light, portable and made of shatterproof material. The panels use the same technology as the blind, but weigh a lot less (only about 12-25 pounds, depending on the model) and are a lot easier on the wallet. They include a place to shoot, sit and look through without ever being revealed to your game. If the idea of a mirrored deer stand sounds good, but the price doesn’t, I suggest trying out the GhostBlind mirror panels first. They can be used to test the effectiveness of this new mirror technology without breaking the bank. To order a set of mirror panels for about $200 dollars or to see pictures visit www.ghostblind.com. The Predator IV can be found at www.turkeyhuntingblinds.com. Although these mirror products are not widely used yet, be sure to see them in the near future at local hunting supply stores such as Bobs Pawn Shop, Tolar Feed and Tyco Feed. This is new wave in hunting and that’s Waldrep’s Word on it.

Above is a picture of the GhostBlind Mirror Panels...I think that they are absolutely amazing...They cost a lot less the the actual deer stand, and are extremely portable since they weigh only about 12 pounds. I'm looking into getting a set myself, but they are so popular they are on back order...Maybe I will be able to hunt with these next season!http://www.ghostblind.com/ <>

Above is a picture of Boedecker Plastic's Predator IV, the less portable/more expensive version of the GhostBlind Panels. If the panels work as good as I think they will, I would love to have a few of these stands for my more permanent hunting spots later on.http://www.turkeyhuntingblinds.com/ <>

How did you like the article? Do you think that this new mirror technology will become popular in the future, or is just another crazy idea? What are your concerns about using this brand new stand? Let me know what you think!

Welcome!

Welcome to "Waldrep's Word" Online! For those of you who read The Tyler County Booster, this is just an online version of my column with a few extra's. Here, you can catch up on the column if you missed the paper of live out of town. I will also post pictures of the products that I reveiw in my column (like the AMAZING GhostBlind) and will add a little extra information that isn't included in the paper. All of the links included in the column can be found here also.

I will also try to keep everyone updated on how MY hunting season is going and will hopefully be able to post pictures throughout the season. If anyone gets a big buck out there, send me a picture and I will post it on the blog :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the coulumn and will continue to read it, along with following my blog :)