QUALITY  DEER  MANAGEMENT  ASSOCIATION   PIKE  COUNTY  BRANCH  2207  NEWSLETTER August 2005 Summer Issue

Pike County Quality Deer Management Association is a  501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Quality Deer Management (QDM) is a philosophy or practice for landowners and hunters to work together toward producing healthy deer herds by not harvesting young bucks but harvesting enough does to better balance the herd and maintain quality habitat. Public awareness and continued hunter education is vital for sound decisions in deer management practices. The national Quality Deer Management Association office is located in Watkinsville, Georgia. Visit their website www.qdma.com for additional information.

 QDMA Banquet and Sportsmen's Raffle Sept. 22

             The Pike County Branch of QDMA has scheduled a banquet and sportsmen's auction and raffle on Thursday, Sept. 22, at Ehrhardt's Waterfront Resort on Route 507 on Lake Wallenpaupack at Hawley. Registration begins at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. followed by live and silent auctions and various raffles.

            Hunters, landowners and anyone interested in white-tailed deer biology, ecology and management are invited to attend.

            There will be an opportunity to win a Parker Phoenix Bow, archer's vest, sling and case, variety of sporting arms, climbing treestand, range finder, wildlife prints, sculptures, wooden accessory chests, afghan featuring a whitetail buck, ladies raffles, and many other items.

            Early bird raffle tickets are available at a $300 value for $100 if purchased up to one week prior to the banquet to be used on the night of the banquet. On banquet night, $100 buys $100 worth of raffle tickets.

            Adults receive a full course dinner and one year QDMA membership for $45; or adults with a spouse receive two dinners and one QDMA membership for $65. A sponsor ticket is $250 and includes a QDMA sponsor membership and two meals. Sponsor membership includes an exclusive sponsor knife, hat, lapel pin, decal, and recognition in Quality Whitetails magazine. A corporate table is $500 and reserves a table for four couples and includes one sponsor and three regular memberships and eight meals. Additional QDMA memberships can be purchased at the banquet.

            Pre-register by sending your name, address, phone number, email address and whether your banquet registration is a new QDMA member or renewal, along with your check made payable to "Pike County QDMA" to: HC 1 Box 1323 Egypt Rd., Tafton, PA 18464.

                For any questions, call Joani Bucksbee at 570-226-2282, Scott Savini at 570-241-1188, or Teresa Crerand at 570-686-7611. For complete details, visit the website www.QDMAPikeCountyPa.com and click on the link to the banquet pages for directions to Ehrhardt's and more info.

 

 This photo was taken at last year's QDMA banquet during the live auction.

 Professional Auctioneer Jamie Lovins (wearing hat), auctions off one of the firearms that Kip Adams, wildlife biologist and northeast regional director, holds up for all to view.

 Jamie will be back again this year to entertain everyone and keep things lively during the auction!

First Annual Youth Event A Success

 Pre-hunt age youth learned about the history of hunting and the importance of healthy deer densities in quality habitat during our first annual Branch youth sporting event held Saturday, Aug. 20.

 

      The day began with Branch President Peter Pinchot explaining that the goals of QDMA are restoring the forest and healthier deer. He also said the hunting population is decreasing but is "an important tradition for the health of the land."

            Scott Savini, youth event committee co-chair with Teresa Crerand, explained that the participants of pre-hunting age and their parent would have an opportunity to try archery, muzzleloader, rifle and trap shooting at each station throughout the day.

Leonard Boyer (below), a living historian and member of the Navasing Long Rifles based in Jefferson, N.Y., gave a presentation about a colonial woodsman prior to the Revolution.  He held up his 1640 long gun, saying it was like the guns the French brought over. From his leather possibles bag, he pulled out handmade tools needed to shoot the gun. He then demonstrated the proper way to load and handle a flintlock.

His powder horn is embellished with Boyer's own scrimshaw. It shows his house and nearby landmarks. Traditionally, men of the period etched this information into their powder horns. If it were ever lost, one could determine the home area of its owner.

            "A woodsman would have had very crude tools," he explained and then showed his hand-forged axe with a hickory handle, small cooking utensils, and many other items. A colonial flashlight consisted of a candle reflecting light from its two-fold protective tin container. Each tool was efficient and lightweight, he said, because men of that period would have walked and carried all their possessions.

Below from Left:  Leonard Boyer demonstrates how to start a fire with flint and steel. Then the youngsters tried their hand at it. In the background of the same photo, others get a close-up look at equipment typically used by a colonial woodsman.

Below Second row far right:  Youth participants get a close up look at a colonial woodsman's possessions, equipment and hides.

     

      

            Hunter-Trapper Education (HTE) certified instructors that gave personal instruction to each participant were E. Scane Renner, Matt Wishneski, with Robbie Mulberger assisting, all three QDMA members. HTE instructors reviewed safety, skills, and various shooting positions with all participants, and then guided each one through each event station.

Below: Scane Renner reviews shooting positions with participants on several charts spread out on the table.   He observes a rifle position.