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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deerPhD regulars may recall that I have a dog I’m pretty wild about. Well, this weekend Phoenix (the dog) got his first few minutes of fame! My sister-in-law snapped a shot of him next to my niece, and there’s a contest to write the best caption. Winner takes home a $15 gift card to Amazon.com. It’s that easy - so head on over and Good Luck!!!

amazon, Amazon.com, dog, Emily Powers, gift card, Phoenix

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This week’s What Would You Do was submitted by an anonymous reader out of Omaha, Nebraska. I’m told this is a true story. As always, let me know what you think and I’ll follow-up come Monday. If you have any ideas for a post, send me an e-mail at deerPhD@gmail.com. Until then, have a great weekend!

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You have an archery tag for a buck and a doe - assume you can harvest more than 1 deer per day. While walking to your stand, you drop your bow and 2 arrows break, leaving you with only 2 straight ones for the day’s hunt. While on stand, a doe walks by and you shoot, but it’s a spine shot. She is down 15yds from you squirming & kicking. You’re down to one arrow. As you knock this arrow, you notice a shooter buck coming into range. What Do You Do?

(picture from Huntersfriend.com)

1. Use the arrow on the doe to finish the job
2. Knowing a spine shot is lethal, take your chances with your last arrow on the buck
3. Let the buck pass and wait for the doe to die - you don’t want to ruin your final arrow.

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Reminder: Send What Would You Do ideas deerPhD@gmail.com. Reader submitted posts will be recognized with a link to the respective website (unless you prefer to remain anonymous).

————UPDATE————

Wow - school life got really crazy on me for a while, so I’m a week late on this update. Many thanks to those who chimed in!!!  I think that I’m with everyone on this one - if I shoot a deer, I’m done until the deer is done. I also hunt in areas where there is either a one deer/day limit, or you can’t bag a second deer until the first is out of the woods. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be tempted though…

archery, buck, deer, doe, hunting, reader, scenario, submission, What would you do

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I just learned about a Nationwide effort to protect the outdoors of America: the Forest Legacy Program. According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, this program involves a mutual agreement between a landowner and the Division of forestry. Once an agreement is reached, the landowner can receive a one-time payment for participation in the program. Volunteers will also help maintain the land according to the agreement.

Why is this a WATG post? Several reasons…

• I’m all for anything that will protect our outdoor ranks.
• I love that the landowners can profit from the program. With so many builders buying up our precious outdoors and turning them into developments (see In the Name of Progress by Othmar) , landowners need incentive to keep their land.
• Landowners retain rights! What does this mean? It means that in the agreement that is established, landowners can specify how they want to harvest trees and whether or not they want the land made available for public hunting.

For more information, check-out the ODNR’s Forest Legacy FAQ page.

Forest Legacy, ODNR, Write about the good

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Kristine is someone who needs no introduction in the blogosphere. Beyond heading up a blog for Gun Safety Innovations (GSI), she’s a founding member of the Outdoor Bloggers Summit. I just learned that today is Kristine’s 2-year anniversary at GSI. I don’t know too much about the company, but everything I do know comes from Kristine. The fact that her blogging efforts have raised so much awareness for the company speaks volumes to what she means to GSI.

Be sure to head over and tell Kristine HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Anniversary, GSI, Gun Safety Innovations, Guntriever, Kristine

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A while back I made a Write About The Good post on the Archery in the schools program. Here’s a really cool updated I just learned about from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR):

Nearly 700 students from all over Ohio will compete in the state’s second annual National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Tournament, scheduled for Friday, February 29, at Veterans Memorial, 300 W. Broad St., Columbus.

For more information, check-out ODNR’s news release!

archery, Archery in the schools, ODNR, Ohio, Schools

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From TenPoint’s Website:

TenPoint is pleased to introduce Doug Koenig as a new spokesman for our line of crossbows. Doug has been called the greatest all-around rifle, pistol, and shotgun competitive shooter in the world.

If you take a gander at Doug’s biography, his list of accolades is beyond words. He also has a very pro-hunting view of hunting with a variety of weapons.

“We need more hunters, not fewer. The anti’s love it when we fight among ourselves over choice of hunting weapons,” he argues. “If we don’t learn to accept each other, we’ll end up killing the sport.”

As a hunter who has taken deer with a rifle, vertical bow, and crossbow, I couldn’t agree more. And as a shooter of a TenPoint, I’m proud to know that the crossbow world will be represented by such a class act and skilled marksman!

Crossbow, Crossbows, Doeg Koenig, hunting, ten point, TenPoint

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While Scent-Lok is in the midst of what could be a very serious lawsuit, a new kid is walking around the block — its name is Moxy Scent Elimination System. According to the makers of the product:

The MOXY Scent Elimination System™ utilizes a Patented, “ionized super-oxidant” (the MOXY™ Molecule) which eliminates existing odors PLUS eradicates odor-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, mold, mildew and fungus in hunting apparel, ensuring the hunter an unparalleled and overwhelming advantage over the super-sensitive noses of his or her quarry.

Follow the link for more information and pictures. What do you think - the best thing since sliced bread or does it sound too good to be true?

deer, hunting, lawsuit, Moxy, Moxy Scent Elimination System, odor, scent, Scent Lok, ScentLok

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Happy New Year from the deerPhD! I wanted to share what’s on tap for deerPhD.com over the next few months.

Most of us know all too well how the demands of an active blog can take a toll on our motivation and desire to continue blogging. There seems to have been some chatter about this topic as of late, and it is well summarized by the master blogger Kristine at the Outdoor Bloggers Summit.

To help myself remain an active and motivated blogger, I am going to switch things up for a bit - while still continuing in directions of this blog. I’m going to organize posts throughout the week based on weekly columns. I’m hoping this style will keep this blog diverse and interesting. I’m adding in some new features and expanding on some ‘core deerPhD topics’.

Here’s the tentative schedule for ‘08:

Mondays: Sports Commentary - Yes, I know this is a hunting blog, and yes, I know there are many sports blogs out there (see, for example, Athletic Supporter). But, I also know that many hunters are also sports fans. I’m a fairly avid sports nut, so Mondays will be my outlet for my rantings on current events in the wide world of sports.

Tuesdays: Field Report - The weekly field report will include updates from the field, by myself or prostaff member, Big K.

Wednesdays: Psychology of Hunting - I have some neat ideas I’m looking forward to sharing with you all. These ideas stem from my formal study of the wonders of Psychology. This column will include mental strategies to help you tackle Buck Fever and other tips and tricks from a psychologist-in-training.

Thursdays: Box of Chocolates - I stole this title from the famous Forrest Gump quote, “You never know what you’re gonna get.”

Fridays: What Would You Do - It’s been a decent hit so far, and we seem to be having a good time with it, so I’ll try to end each week with a new ethical dilemna, hunting scenario, or something else that pits you up against your wits in a moment of truth…

Titles and material for specific change subject to change pending reader interest and material availability!

Once again, Happy New Year!!!

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To any who may have noticed the lack of new contact the past week or so, my sincere apologies. It’s been a hectic week and a half. As many of you may know, the end of semester of school can be quite crazy. Add to that the holidays, a move (my wife and I are almost finished moving apartments), and a month worth of internship interviews (for my final year of grad school!!!), and what you have is a recipe for no blogging. Oh yeah - I also didn’t have internet access for over a week (actually, still don’t - at a coffee shop).

So, instead of a Holiday Wish, I’ll send a Holiday Apology!

Please stay tuned for what is sure to be an awesome year here at deerPhD.com!

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