Inside Out Outdoors

This is going to be a (hopefully) quick hitting post that all hunters can empathize with and it deals with the news media.  I just got done sending out an email to a local news anchor concerning a story she posted today regarding coyote hunting in North Carolina.  Now I want you all to check out that link and give it a read, especially you North Carolinians, and tell me what you see wrong with it.  If the title isn't obvious that no research was done (or was disregarded to provide a more "controversial" headline) then I don't know what is.  The fact is that coyote hunting is already allowed in North Carolina.  It's as plain as black and white in the regulations digest, unless reading comprehension is not your strong point.  The other big issue with this news story is that either a state wildlife employee was misquoted or they have no clue of the regulations in our state, both of which are cause for dismissal in my opinion for either the news anchor if the reason is the former and/or the wildlife employee if the latter.  Now-a-days bloggers are bemoaned by the mainstream media for not being held accountable for the news they break or the information they provide, which is a direct slap in the face to me when I see simple fact checking not done on a regional news story.  I hope the anchor takes my email to heart as she reads the corrections to the mistakes in her story I pointed out and makes the necessary revisions.  I commend her for bringing our growing predator issue to light but she needs to be more clear in what she is saying;  I hope her mistakes don't come from being biased and not getting the whole truth to the non-hunting public on purpose.  As hunters we fight an uphill battle in the court of public opinion and when the facts are not accurately reported it makes that battle even harder.

-C.B.

The unusually warm temperatures (yes, even down here in the South it is way above normal!) this winter have me itching to get out on the water while I am home next week and catch some of those largemouths I hear are biting as if it isn't February 2nd.  Before doing so however, I have got to go through my fishing equipment and, most importantly,  give my boat a look over.  That being said, I just wanted to share some tips for preparation this year, just in case you haven't been lucky enough to have already been out on your favorite lake.

• Strip your reels, give them a good cleaning, re-oil and lube moving parts and re-spool with fresh line.
  
• Check your rods for cracks and broken eyes.
• Give your lures a look over to see which ones need new hooks, split rings or a touch-up with a paint pen or brush.
• Sharpen any dull hooks you may find (or just create some sort of excuse to buy new ones like I always seem to do)
• Organize all your tackle.  Yes, no matter how much you think you can keep it organized while out fishing, something gets misplaced somewhere it shouldn't be.
• Give your boat hull a good look over to make sure there is nothing structurally wrong with it.
• Charge all your batteries and make sure they work!
• Check all boat wiring to make sure nothing is loose.
• Top off the oil in your boat motor and check spark plugs to make sure none are fouled.
• Lube boat motor where it calls for it i.e. pinon shaft, prop shaft, etc.
• Check and replace propeller and blade on trolling motor if needed.
• Make sure all electronics, as well as you trolling motor, are working properly.
• Hook your motor up to the water hose to make sure she fires right up without any issues. (Believe me, sitting at the dock trying to get your boat to start after launching it is no fun)
• Lastly, give your boat a much needed cleaning, top her off with gas and some Stabil ethanol treatment then head out to your favorite lake for some pre-spawn action.

-C.B.

Work has kept Paul busy and I've been slammed with work and trying to get the building process started on my home, but we haven't forgotten about this place, our outlet to sharing the outdoors with you and everyone else on the internet.  To get us back into the swing of things, and since it's the first of the month, it is about time I got around to posting the monthly calendar for what you can see happening in the water and woods of North Carolina.  So courtesy of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation check out the following this month:

February 1: Spring waterfowl migrations begin.
February 2: Groundhogs are still hibernating, so you probably won't see one out seeking its shadow (though it is possible on a warm day).
February 3: Atlantic sturgeon are migrating to their upriver spawning areas.
February 4: Youth Waterfowl Day (Take a kid hunting)
February 6: The Neuse River waterdog, a large, permanently aquatic salamander found only in the Neuse and Tar river systems, is most readily encountered during this time of year.
February 11: Gray squirrel litters are born.
February 14: VALENTINES DAY!!!!
February 15: Spotted and mole salamanders breed in temporary woodland pools with the first heavy rains.
February 16: Wood ducks are seeking out nest sites.
February 17: Rainbow trout are spawning.
February 21: Four-toed salamanders begin nesting. These uncommon amphibians conceal their eggs in moss hummocks or sedge tussocks around temporary pools, usually remaining with the eggs until they hatch.
February 23: Gopher frogs begin breeding in the Coastal Plain and Sandhills.
February 26: American toads begin calling in the Piedmont.
February 27: Brook trout eggs are hatching.
February 28: Pickerel frogs are breeding.
February 29: Hunting season ends for Bobcat, Crow, Quail, Rabbit, and both Gray and Red squirrel.

-C.B.