Can you believe it’s Friday already? TGIF!!! By now, most of you know what that means here at deerPhD - It’s What Would You Do time? Today’s scenario is a real-life situation I experienced about a year and a half ago.

Here’s the backdrop: It’s the final day of the PA rifle season. I have only a buck tag, and my father has only a doe tag. Since I was away in OH most of the season, BigK and I decide to hunt together - each with our own rifle. If a shooter buck comes, it’s mine - if a big doe steps out - it’s his. At about 4:30 PM, we spot a beautiful and mature doe standing about 150 yards away. BigK aims his Remington Model 700 30-06 and delivers a perfect shot (I mean perfect!!!).

The deer ran down a hill about 80 yards from an access road, so we exit the woods and park his truck on this road. We then re-enter the woods from this road (BigK unarmed; I take my rifle in case we spot a buck) to gut and drag the doe.

Here’s the itchy scenario: While dragging the deer, we hear, “Freeze, Game Commission. Stop where you are and drop your gun. Step away from the deer.”

Dad and I were freaked. We put our hands up and turned around.

“I watched you shoot from the road. You’re going to be cited.” (Note: he was literally yelling at us, with his hand on his pistol ready to draw.)

Dad and I are astounded, but before I tell you how it went down…WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

A. Talk with the officer and get things straightened out.

B. Call for back-up (i.e., friends, maybe even the state police).

C. This officer was way out of line, and you can’t help but be frustrated an angered. A heated argument is inevitable.

D. Comply with the officer’s every request, even if that means being cited for something you didn’t do (he’s got a gun, and he’s in charge now).

Since this was a real-life event, I am really looking forward to your comments. I’ll be sure to finish the story early next week. Until then, have a wonderful weekend!

 ———UPDATED March 4, 2008———

Awesome comments everyone - thanks for chiming in. As many of you alluded to, this was a tight situation for Big K and myself…here’s how it went down.

My first thoughts were, “There’s no way out of this - he’s lying and he has already made-up his mind.”  I think it was my gut reaction to start walking toward him, wanting to shake his hand and start to talk things over. Wow was this a bad move. The officer yelled louder, “I said freeze - don’t walk to me, I’ll walk to you.” He then bee-lined for the deer and checked his ear tag (everything was legal by the way).  He then said, “Okay, I will write you up - I saw you shoot from the road.”

Being the one who made the shot, my dad said, “Now wait a minute, we shot from the other direction - go look at the blood trail.” The officer responded, “But I saw you shoot from the road.”

Big K’s response, “Now wait a minute, we have huts on the other side from which we shot. Let’s go look; I bet the casing is still there. Plus, you can follow the blood trail.”

The officer then said, “Okay, tell me your story” and Big K did just that.

No questions asked - he believed the story and congratulated him on a successful kill. He then said, “I’ll follow you to your truck; I want to check you stored your gun.”

Luckily (well, not luck, it’s good practice) BigK stored his rifle unloaded and bolt open. The officer waited until I put my gun away and then said, “Now let me see how you did it.”

Needless to say, this guy was on the prowl. I don’t know what his deal was, but it sure did give me a sour taste of PA Game Management. In my opinion, that’s the worst thing an officer can do - they should be there to encourage us to obey the law, not catch us in a trap (or worse, a made-up story). Fortunately, it all worked out in the end. I still think of that great shot BigK pulled off - it was absolutely perfect!!!

deer, deerPhD, ethics, Game Commission, hunting, PA, Remington, rifle, What would you do?

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During these cold months of February, I can often be found in my den, next to the fireplace in an early 1900’s rocking chair smoking my pipe, staring at the monster hanging above the mantel. Well, okay, I don’t really have a den, or a fireplace; I don’t smoke, and I also don’t have a rocking chair. Come to think of it, I don’t have a wall-hanger yet (some could qualify, but never got them mounted!). But, this time of year I frequently recollect my successful hunts. Fortunately, I landed a nice Ohio 8-point on October 12, but I’ve chot him repeatedly in my mind since then.

Thinking like this gets me itching to get back out to the woods, but season is still far off. So what’s a hunter to do? Nothing like a visit to a local shooting range to alleviate some of the tension! Which brings me to today’s mental tip - practice hunting while at the range - not just shooting.

What’s the difference? Shooters (now I’m not talking well-trained competition shooters — just your average joe/jane) might take a few shots, then BS with their friends, then maybe take a few more, with no real intention behind each shot. Yes, this is fun, but in my opinion it won’t help you land the buck of your dreams.

You can practice hunting by simulating a hunting environment at the target range? I know its indoors and the target is a bullseye - but you can visualize a deer behind that bull with each shot. I also like to draw my bow as if I’m hunting - not just shooting. By this, I mean I raise my arm and draw slowly - trying to stay quiet. I also might try to hold my draw for extended periods of time to simulate a situation in which the buck just won’t take that last step.

My Point: Your mind is very creative - use this creativity to get more out of your winter shooting outings!

archery, bow shop, deerPhD, hunting, Mental Edge, practice, Psychology, shooting

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Some of your regular deerPhD readers may recall that I applied for clinical internship this year (my final year of graduate training). Well, I am very pleased to report that I landed my top choice of internships! That’s right - on August 1st I will begin a 1 year placement at Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO.

What does this have to do with hunting? Well, just ask our blogging buddy over at Alpha Trilogy! In addition to furthering my training as a psychologist, I’m super-stoked to check-out the hunting seasons in Kansas and/or Missouri. To my knowledge, Missouri boasts some of the best turkey hunting in the nation, and their deer hunting holds its own as well. If I’m lucky, I might get to tray my hand at some quail hunting.

So, here’s to a new state and new hunting opportunities!

Childrens Mercy, deer, Hospital, hunting, Missouri, Psychology, turkey

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Let’s play the free association game - what do you think of when I say Kent State? Unfortunately, most people think of the infamous May 4th shootings. But, did you know that the Golden Flash men’s basketball team just landed a national ranking in both the AP and coaches’ polls? That’s right - KSU B-ball just won its 20th game of the season for the 10th year in a row! They’re currently leading the MAC conference - if all goes well they’ll find themselves in the NCAA tournament and in the heat of March madness!!!

GO FLASHES!!! 

AP, basketball, Kent, Kent State, KSU, massacre, May 4, shootings

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Though he’s not much in the way of hunting, I recommend you check-out a recent story in the NY Times about a friend of mine. Jon is walking south. He started in Oregon, and he’s currently in Venezuela. His lone companion is a donkey (named Whothey), though I understand he’s met some interesting people who have become great friends along the way.

Jon and I met at Denison University. He was a senior when I was a freshman, and we played opposite each other on the football field (he played strongside corner while I was our weak cornerback). This guy had quite an impressive tenure at Dension. He was honored as the Presidential Medalist (highest honor at the school), and he earned honors on the football field (Academic All-American, several records that still stand) and classroom (including Phi Beta Kappa). After graduating, Jon spent some time in the Sudan, and then he started his walking quest.

We spent quite a bit of time together at Denison before he graduated, and to this day he remains one of the most influential people in my life. So go read a bit about him at the NY Times - I mean, how many people are featured in that magazine!!!

He also just started a blog about his journeys, though it’s still under construction: http://www.estatravesia.blogspot.com/

Here’s a photo he recently sent my way:

Denison, Denison University, donkey, Dunham, Jon, Jon Dunham, New York Times, Whothey

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It’s Friday…and here at deerPhD.com we like to celebrate the weekend with a weekly feature: What Would You Do? I want to remind everyone that if you have any ideas for a WWYD scenario, drop me an e-mail at deerPhD@gmail.com. This week’s scenario is broken down into two parts - feel free to respond to both:

You are invited to go on an all expenses paid hunting trip with a friend. You’ve never hunted with this friend before, but you’ve seen the trophies on this hunter’s wall (enough to make your salivate!).  In planning for the excursion, you’ve already requested time off work and made arrangements with your family.

PART 1:  Let’s say it’s a week before the hunt, and your friend let’s you know that the hunt is on a high fence preserve. “In fact”, he says, “all those trophies were taken in those walls…it’s a great way to hunt!” Your friend tells you that he wants to get his money’s worth for going on a trip. WHAT DO YOU DO?

A. Those a nice trophies and a free hunt - who could pass that up? Fences or no fences - it’s all the same.

B.  Express concern to your friend, but still go out on the hunt.

C. Refuse to attend because you’re 100% fair chase.

PART 2: Now pretend that your friend never said anything about fences, and you ‘discover’ them as you approach the hunting lodge. When you ask your friend what’s going on, he replies, “Oh yeah…that’s just how we do things here. It will be a blast!”

D. Those a nice trophies and a free hunt - who could pass that up? Fences or no fences - it’s all the same.

E.  Express concern to your friend, but still go out on the hunt.

F.  Tell your friend that you’re in for a fun weekend and that you’ll go out with him on the hunts, but no actuall hunting for you.

G. Turn around and head back to the airport - you want nothing to do with this style of hunting.

I’m looking forward to your responses, and have a great weekend!

deer, ethics, fair chase, hunting, Psychology, What would you do

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Want to see something scary? Follow the link below. May this never be the state of affairs state-side!

http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=74322

Chinese, deer, hunting

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I’ve read column after column about how great scouting cameras are for locating big bucks, patterning deer, and scouting new stands. I’ve come across nothing so far that has pointed toward what I think is one of the biggest benefits of scouting cameras: PREPAREDNESS!!!

If you’ve been keeping up with my Tackle Buck Fever Series, you’re already aware of the importance of MENTAL preparation. Scouting cameras are a very useful device to get your mind ready for your time in the deer stand.

Why? Let’s explore this issue with a hunting scenario. Say you’re hunting a relatively new area and all of the sudden a monster whitetail is headed your way. Situations like this come way too far and few between to blow it because of nerves (i.e., Buck Fever). If this buck catches you by surprise, you’ll be more likely to get the shakes and/or make a big mistake. However, if you’ve captured this beast on film, then you’ll have had time to prepare for his arrival. That is, you’ll be expecting him — so you’ll be ready to deliver a knock-out punch.

How? Of course, cameras aren’t the answer in and of themselves — it’s what you do with them. Just like I mentioned last week with hunting videos,  you can use them to your advantage if you use them to prepare. Once you catch a big buck on film, put him in your mind! Spend time visualizing this buck approaching from different angles. Practice the skill of focus - as you imagine him walking by, picture yourself maintaining perfect focus on the buck’s vitals. Notice in your mind how you are not deterred by a fancy rack. Rather, you’re ice cold and ready to execute a perfect shot!

Case in point! This photo is from Cuddeback’s website. It’s a photo contest picture, so it’s the real deal. I don’t know about all of you, but if this guy caught me by surprise, I’d be lieing if I said I wouldn’t be a little surprised!  However, if I knew I was in his neighborhood, I would have a much better chance of being ready for this bruiser to give me a shot of a lifetime!

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Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (April 29, 1951 - February 18, 2001). Yes, those dates are correct. “The Intimidator” crashed and died 7 years ago today on the last lap of the Daytona 500. Due in large part to the large fan-base of Earnhardt, his death triggered a very intensive focus on safety in NASCAR racing. Since this dedicated effort toward safety, drivers are now protected with mandatory HANS devices (head-and-neck restraints), SAFER barriers on oval tracks, new rules/regulations for safety belts, escape systems, and even a newly designed Car of Tomorrow. My guess is that our Blogging friend Kristine can appreciate this intense focus on safety. Though it is of course very sad that it took a tragedy to stimulate these efforts

A driver who developed an incredible fan base, even before the widespread marketing of NASCAR, The Intimidator will always be remembered as one of (if not the) greatest drivers in history.

As I’m writing this post, I’m wondering if the world of hunting has much to learn from NASCAR with respect to safety. Safety is always preached, but is it always practiced? I know that I sometimes let safety practices slide by in the heat of the moment, though I’m sure I wouldn’t if a tragedy hit home. Maybe remembering The Intimidator will remind us all to be safe when we’re driving and/or hunting…

Dale Earnhardt, hunting, NASCAR, racing, safety, The Intimidator

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By now many readers of this site know that I’m pursuing my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. For my dissertation, I am studying parental influences on children’s risk for injury. I am seeking any and all parents of children between the ages of 2 and 10 to participate. I’m interested in both mothers and fathers, so anyone who participates can encourage his or her spouse/additional caregiver to participate as well. Please know that all responses remain completely confidential, and all participants are entered into a drawing for $30, $50, and $80 gift cards (chances of winning are approximately 1 in 20). If a mother and father of the same child participate, then both are entered into the drawings individually. Winners will be notified by April or May of 2008.

To participate, please follow the instructions below:

1. Please go to the following website: http://ksupsychology.sona-systems.com/
2. In the lower right hand corner of the page, there is a link under New Participant. Please click on this link to register a new account.
   1. Follow directions to register and login
3. Once you login, complete the “Prescreen”; after you complete this section, you can click “Continue”, which will direct you to a page where it says “Study Sign-up”
   1. Click on the link that says “Browse a list of studies…”
4. Select the study named “Child Injury Study” (click on this name)
5. Click on “Participate in this Online Study”
6. Click “Participate”
7. Read the informed consent and then follow prompts to complete the survey.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, please send me an e-mail at injurystudy@gmail.com.

Finally, feel free to spread the word (I’d greatly appreciate it!).

childhood injury, injury, parents, research, unintentional injury

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