Outdoors – Page 42 – Visit Southeast Idaho

23JUL

The Ox Hunting Ranch in Texas

If you have never heard the phrase that, “Texas is a whole ‘nother country,” take it from me that it is true. Where else can you hunt exotic game from around the world without leaving the United States?

While I was living in Texas, there were two exotic game ranches that I was aware of: Y.O. Ranch near Kerrville and Ox Hunting Ranch near Uvalde. Both are basically located in the hill country of Texas. Both ranches have websites you can browse through with pictures of the species of game offered for hunts at their facilities.

The Ox Hunting Ranch is the larger of the two ranches and offers more species of exotic game, but the hunting should be a great experience at either ranch.

In the interest of conserving space I’ll discuss the Ox Hunting Ranch in this column.

The Ox Ranch is a little unique in that you don’t have to be a hunter to enjoy a vacation there. They can cater bachelor parties, outdoor weddings and corporate retreats and offer hand feeding giraffes, driving and firing a World War II Sherman tank, firing a .50-caliber Barrett M82A1 semi-automatic rifle, machine gun shooting, shooting skeet, fishing, jet skiing and cave exploring, in addition to hunting 60 different species of game from around the world, including white-tailed deer and elk.

The Ox Ranch conducts hunting year around. As I understand it, the reason they can hunt all year is because they own all 18,000 acres that comprise the property of the ranch, and in Texas the game on one’s property belongs to the owner of the land. The exotic game imported by the ranch are not native to the united States, and U.S. Fish and Game laws do not apply.

If you are starting to suspect that the hunts on the Ox Ranch are canned hunts in which the client is virtually assured success once he or she puts down the money for the hunt, you would be correct for the most part. They do want you to have a good time and go home happy for the money you pay to hunt.

However, don’t expect any of the staff to shoot your trophy for you.

Speaking of cost, you might be wondering what it costs to hunt at Ox Ranch? You will be charged a fee for the particular species you want to hunt. That could be $1,000 for two turkeys to $35,000 for bongo (antelope) or elk that score 500-plus points, Safari Club International Score (SCI). The cost of your hunt could be the same or more than an African safari depending on how many different species of game you want to include in your hunt. You also have the option of hunting with a bow or firearm.

Accommodations include The OX Lodge, Pavilion and cabins, as well as a dining area, so you don’t have to find off-site lodging or dining.

For those who have their own private planes or business jet or have a good friend who has one and is willing to take you along, there is an on-site runway for your convenience.

Many who were brought up in Idaho, including myself, may look down on game ranch type hunting as unsporting, but before you become too critical, there are a few things you might want to consider about Texas and The Ox Ranch.

Texas has very little public land compared with privately owned land. The exotic game ranches are owned by hunters who have hunted all over the world and decided to bring that type of hunting to their home state of Texas. They have gone to a great deal of expense to stock the ranch with exotic game species.

Several wealthy Texans who have their own ranches have stocked them with some exotic game for themselves and friends to hunt when they can get away from the business they own. Texas really is a whole ‘nother country, and Texans don’t care if others approve or not. That brings to mind another popular phrase in Texas, “Don’t mess with Texas.”

If you have ever wanted to hunt African plains game or other exotic species, but couldn’t afford the cost of air fare, gratuities, a professional hunter, gun bearers, trained skinners, trackers, tags, for each species you are planning to hunt, and the professional hunters’ choice of spirits for the evening campfires, etc., the Ox Hunting Ranch might appeal to you.

Smokey Merkley was raised in Idaho and has been hunting since he was 10 years old. He can be contacted at mokeydo41245@hotmail.com.

23JUL

Idaho Fish and Game relocates mountain lion from Southeast Idaho park

BANIDA — Idaho Fish and Game personnel removed a mountain lion from a public park in the small community of Banida in Franklin County on July 18.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., Fish and Game conservation officers responded to a report of a mountain lion in a tree in a 3-acre park in Banida. The cat had been spooked out of some cover by a landowner who was bailing hay on an adjacent property. The landowner reported that his German shepherd was acting antsy, running back and forth. He had suspected the dog had possibly found a skunk or some other small animal in the field.

It wasn’t until the landowner saw the mountain lion jump the fence and run up a tree in the neighboring park that he realized what his dog was so excited about. He immediately reported the incident to the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, which made the call to Fish and Game.

Fish and Game conservation officers arrived to find an 18-month old male mountain lion located approximately 20 feet up a tree. Additional Fish and Game personnel were dispatched to the scene to tranquilize the cat.

Once sedated, the lion was fitted with a radio collar and ear tag, and placed in a crate with ice packs to ensure a safe and comfortable transport in the summer heat. The healthy young tom was released to a remote Southeast Idaho location.

18JUL

Bear spray giveaway events scheduled for East Idaho

One of the more powerful words in the English language — free — is being used to entice recreationists to learn about safety in bear country.

Starting Saturday, free canisters of bear spray will be given away to people who present a hunting or fishing license at the Island Park Ranger Station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. while supplies last. There also will be a giveaway at the Teton Basin Ranger District in Driggs on Aug. 3 and at the Henry’s Fork Foundation office in Ashton on Aug. 10.

“I would expect it to be popular,” said James Brower regional communications manager for Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “I would absolutely be there, it’s a huge benefit. It saves you $35 or more. Free is always fantastic.”

Brower said the bear spray giveaway events are the result of a grant awarded by the Upper Valley Fish and Game Commission to the nonprofit group Western Bear Foundation that operates in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The nonprofit is dedicated to protecting bears, habitat and bear hunting. The grant allowed the foundation to purchase “hundreds” of canisters for the giveaway program.

Becky Lewis, who wrote the grant for Western Bear Foundation, has been negotiating prices with bear spray manufacturers to get as many canisters as possible for the giveaway events. Canisters generally retail for about $30 to $45. Lewis is an East Idaho master naturalist who also volunteers for Fish and Game.

In addition to the free bear spray, Fish and Game will have its “Bear Aware” trailer at the event to help educate on living and recreating in bear country. The trailer displays bear artifacts and educates on living and recreating in bear country. A Fish and Game technician or bear biologist will be on hand to answer questions.

“All of Idaho has bears and Island Park has both kinds,” Brower said. “We’re not trying to put fear into people, just promoting getting outdoors and doing so safely. An encounter is extremely unlikely, it’s probably never going to happen, but if you have all the tools you need when it does happen you’ll be prepared for it.”

To obtain a free can of bear spray, people must show a current Idaho hunting or fishing license, photo ID and be 16 years old or older. There is a limit of one can per person and two cans per family.

18JUL

Reports of run-ins with bears soar in Utah after wet spring

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Reports of bears coming down from the mountains and rummaging through backyards and campgrounds in Utah have more than doubled from the same time last year following a wet spring and an increase in their numbers, wildlife officials say.

It comes as conflicts between people and bears have been on the rise elsewhere in the U.S. as populations grow in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho and on the East Coast.

Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources has received more than 25 reports of black bears getting into trash cans and campsites so far this year, spokeswoman Faith Jolley said. Most of the reports have been in central Utah, according to numbers released Wednesday. The agency tallied 27 bear encounters for all of 2018.

The sharp increase can be attributed to a larger bear population across the Wasatch Front and a wet spring that kept bears hibernating and hungrier longer than usual, said Riley Peck, a wildlife biologist with the agency.

Peck said last year’s dry summer sent leaner bears into hibernation. That, combined with a very wet, cold spring, “could be making the bears a little bolder in trying to acquire their needed calories,” he said.

In June, a bear was captured and killed after it scratched a boy camping near Hobble Creek Canyon in northern Utah. Days later, officials spotted a second bear in nearby Springville and caught a third bear eating out of garbage cans in Mapleton, a town over.

There also have been recent bear sightings in Spanish Fork Canyon and Woodland Hills. Nobody has been seriously injured.

The encounters don’t suggest a larger trend in Utah, with reports of bear sightings varying widely over the last five years. Wildlife officials recorded 38 encounters in 2015 but received only nine reports the following year. A whopping 84 reports came in 2017.

In other parts of the U.S., the number of grizzly bears around Yellowstone National Park has increased so much that federal officials are seeking to remove their status as a threatened species. Court challenges have held up that move. At least 700 grizzlies live in parts of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho surrounding the park.

The bears have expanded their range by about 1,500 square miles over the past two years, according to government data, leading to more frequent run-ins with hunters and hikers, attacks on livestock and pillaging of crops on farmland.

Those encounters often lead to wildlife officials relocating bears deep in the wilderness or killing them if they are repeat offenders or become used to people.

Black bear conflicts also have been increasing on the East Coast in recent decades, such as in New Jersey, as populations rebound from overhunting.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services division, which responds to conflicts between people and bears, killed more than 350 black bears and relocated more than 400 across the country.

With Utah’s increase in black bears this year, wildlife officials are urging people to protect their homes and campsites to avoid attracting the animals. If facing a black bear, Jolley advises people to stay calm, stand still and fight back if it attacks.

Those in neighborhoods close to the foothills of the mountains should regularly clean their trash containers and secure backyard items that could lure the animal, like fruit trees, barbecue grills and pet supplies, Jolley said.

Hikers visiting Arches and Canyonlands national parks in eastern Utah have to carry their food in bear-proof canisters in certain areas. And visitors staying in the campgrounds are warned not to bring strong-smelling food like tuna, ham or bacon, said Chris Wonderly, a parks spokesman.

Kathy Pollock with the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest office said they have posted more warning signs near campgrounds and trailheads after the boy was scratched last month.

Jolley said the belief that Utah isn’t part of “bear country” understates the risks of encountering the animal and gives some residents a false sense of security.

“There are bears in Utah, and people need to be prepared for that,” she said. “We just want to make sure they’re being safe.”

18JUL

Looking for a low-key, lotta-shooting hunt? Try pigeon hunting

A lot of our hunts can be pretty intense and exhausting. Some elk hunts, by the third day I’m so sore I can hardly crawl out of my sleeping bag. You’ll be up two hours before daylight, hiking hard all day scrambling up and down mountains and hit camp well after dark. I love elk hunting, but it’s tough.

So if you need a low-key, lotta-shooting hunt, check out pigeon hunting. They favor an agricultural type of setting. They love roosting in barns. They make a mess when roosting on the farmers equipment and spread diseases by messing in the feed bunks at feedlots.

Very seldom will a farmer or rancher turn you away from hunting pigeons on his property. Especially if you tell him you’re hunting with airguns. I received two airguns from Pyramyd Air. THe Ruger 10/22 Air Rifle is the spitting image of its cousin, the famous Ruger 10/22. I could not wait to test it out. Who doesn’t love the 10/22? It is the most popular .22 ever made.

The Ruger 10/22 Air Rifle is a CO2 air gun. It is a pellet gun powered by two 12-grain CO2 canisters and comes in the popular .177 caliber. It is a plinkers delight.

I also received the Gamp Swarm Whisper. It is a break action .177 pellet gun, but is unique in that it utilizes a 10-round rotary magazine. If you’ve ever hunted with a break action then you know how frustrating it can be digging a pellet out of your pocket and fumbling it around while the pigeons are in attack mode. The designers at Gamo were ingenious to come up with the clip. I believe they were the first ones to do so on a break action. Look on gunpowdermagazine.com for an upcoming product review on the Swarm Whisper.

My wife, Katy, went with me on this hunt. We sighted in the two airguns and then hit the feedlot. There were more pigeons than I’d ever seen before, so the shooting was good. We hit the barns first, but they spooked out before we could drill any. After spooking out, they landed on the nearby silos. We picked off one, waited a few minutes and a few more would land. This repeated itself for 20 to 30 minutes, and then we went out to hit the feedlot.

There were a few Eurasian doves, but we didn’t get any of them. The pigeon shooting was hot. I bet we had well over 100 shots. We’d catch them feeding on dropped feed in the alleyways or out feeding among the cattle. With an air gun, the cattle never blinked an eye — air guns are a great way to hunt around livestock. There is no loud report to spook the cattle or horses. I’ve shot thousands of times around livestock and never spooked them. Of course, as a kid, our cattle and horse got shot around so much they never even flinched, much less spooked. They got used to it.

After firing a few shots, the pigeons started getting semi spooky. But right now, there are a lot of young ones out there, so they’re a little slower thinking.

If you decide to grab an air gun and go hunting, I’d recommend a break action. They’re more powerful than a lot of other models of pellet guns, and with the 10-shot rotary magazine, the Gamo Swarm Whisper is a good choice. I would suggest you look at the Swarm Maxxim, though, since it is available in a .22 caliber. The .22 caliber will flatten a pigeon better. And grab some good pellets. Something like the Crosman Premier Ultra Magnum 10.5-grain pellets.

For whatever reason, many people seem to freak out the over the suggestion of eating pigeons. They are just an over-sized dove, and like I said above, we encountered a lot of young ones on this hunt. They are more tender than an older bird. The weather is warm right now, so it would be smart to take a cooler to help preserve them while out in the field.

I make all of mine into poppers. I slice each breast into two or three pieces and marinate in some kind of vinaigrette salad dressing for a couple of hours. I then slice a piece of bacon in half and wrap it around a piece of breast, slice of jalapeno and a slice of onion and wrap it up and pin it together with a toothpick.

You can fry them in a Lodge cast iron skillet, but they are six time’s better if you cook them on your smoker or grill. Have fun and happy eating.

Tom Claycomb lives in Idaho and has outdoors columns in newspapers in Alaska, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Colorado and Louisiana.

17JUL

NO BOYS ALLOWED: Idaho women are starting groups to hike, hunt and more

At the turnoff toward Forest Service road 377, a fluorescent pink sign trimmed in zebra-print tape announced “Women Only Weekend” in 2-inch-tall capital letters. A short drive up the road, more than a dozen women donned hard hats, slung Pulaskis and saws over their shoulders and headed out on the overgrown Cottonwood Trail about 30 miles east of Boise.

For two days in early June, the women installed water bars to drain soggy terrain, reinforced dirt slopes and trimmed brush and trees — typical trail maintenance. But the all-female crew is less typical of the Idaho Trails Association maintenance trips, the bulk of which are co-ed projects that the trail preservation group organizes statewide.

ITA board member Pam Bond started the Women-Only Weekends last year in hopes of helping women build confidence in their wilderness skills. The two trips she organized in 2018 filled up quickly, prompting four more for the 2019 season and making it clear that Idaho women aren’t looking for their place in the outdoors — they’re creating it.

“Years ago … I felt a need, where women wanted to be out doing this stuff but they didn’t want to learn it from their boyfriends or their dads,” Bond said. “So women started lifting each other up.”

WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS

Outdoor recreation historically has been majority-male, but the number of women participating has increased over the years. Recently some studies, like the Outdoor Foundation’s annual Outdoor Participation Report, show a nearly equal percentage of male and female recreationists (the number has held steady at 46 percent female to 54 percent male for about the last decade), while other research found women are still underrepresented in the wilderness.

Women’s outdoors groups aren’t exactly new. Some, like Great Old Broads for Wilderness, began in the 1980s. In Idaho, the last several years have seen a spate of new groups form, from local branches of national organizations to informal Facebook groups. Idaho now boasts chapters of Girls Who Hike, SheJumps and Bold Betties, along with local groups and tournaments like Dirt Dolls, Vertigals and Women With Bait. The Boise REI store offers women-only classes on bicycle maintenance, backpacking and more.

Vivian Chan, who started the Whitewater River Chicks Facebook group, said she thinks social media has spurred women to carve out more spaces in the outdoors thanks to the ability to plan events or connect remotely.

“I think social media is probably 100 percent responsible for women being involved in recreation,” Chan said. “From 10 years ago, it is exponentially different.”

GETTING OUTDOORS WITHOUT THE INTIMIDATION FACTOR

Bond, who spearheaded the Women-Only Weekends, said the wilderness world can be an intimidating one to join.

“I kind of grew up working for Fish and Game … and it’s a fairly male-dominated industry,” Bond said. “I saw even then that men and women handle situations they’re uncomfortable with very differently.”

On maintenance projects like the ones ITA organizes, men are often more familiar with the tools — more likely to jump right in even if they aren’t familiar, Bond said. While the majority of people in the outdoors are friendly, helpful and non-judgmental, she said, it can be tough to try something new when you feel that you’re surrounded by experts.

“Sometimes you feel like you’re being judged even if that judgment is all internal,” Bond said. “I had a lot of women saying they didn’t think they could do (trail maintenance), they weren’t strong enough, it’s a man’s job. I wanted there to be a good, entry-level option for women.”

The idea is to teach women the basics, like how to wield those Pulaskis and saws, and remind them that brute strength isn’t the only way to tackle tasks like moving large rocks.

“It’s just nice to be around a bunch of ladies learning,” said Katey Jones, one of the women who helped clear the Cottonwood Trail. “It’s more comfortable and easier for me to ask questions.”

With their new knowledge in hand, Bond said, women hopefully will feel encouraged to try co-ed projects or learn more skills.

“After these (weekends), I have women who say, ‘I’m going to look at the other trips,’ which is exactly what I wanted,” Bond said.

BOISE WOMAN’S GROUP PROMOTES SELF-RELIANCE ON THE RIVER

One of the first times that Chan, a Boise-based Realtor and whitewater enthusiast, had been rafting was with a former boyfriend and several other men down the Staircase Run on the South Fork of the Payette River, a Class IV rapid.

The boat wasn’t properly inflated, and the rapids were too advanced for the group of beginners. The boat “tacoed,” Chan said, flipping up on both ends and dumping all of the occupants into the churning water.

“I got dragged through the rocks,” Chan said. “I couldn’t take a breath. We all almost died.”

They all survived after being pulled from the water by rescuers, but Chan didn’t raft again for three years. When she finally decided to go back to the sport, she wanted to be in control of her own safety.

“I thought: ‘I’m going to learn myself. I never want to rely on another person again,’” Chan said. “I think if we all have that attitude, especially women, we can do so much. Just because (the person you’re with) is a man doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing.”

Chan certainly knows what she’s doing now. Her Whitewater River Chicks Facebook group has grown to more than 1,100 members and offers unique resources for female whitewater rafters and kayakers — such as suggestions on the best gear for women, thoughts on how long one should continue rafting while pregnant and tips on handling sexual harassment on the river.

Chan also hosts several “Flip N Swim” clinics each year on Idaho waters, teaching women how to right a boat that’s capsized, pull themselves back into a raft and safely navigate rapids if they find themselves in the water. Like Bond, she said the women-only environment feels less judgmental for many participants.

“When you have women empowering women, it’s less intimidating,” Chan said. “That’s why you’re seeing these groups come up.”

And while some women worry they don’t have the strength or athleticism for activities like rafting, Chan said women often make better rafters.

“It doesn’t matter how big or strong you are,” Chan said. “You’re at the mercy of Mother Nature. Men try to muscle through everything, where women are more likely to finesse and read the water.”

WOMEN’S OUTDOORS GROUPS ARE ‘COMMUNITY … NOT AN EXCLUSIVE THING’

Though Becca Aceto is still fairly new to hunting, she’s already working to bring other women to the activity as an ambassador for Artemis, a National Wildlife Federation program dedicated to connecting and educating sportswomen.

In April, Artemis held a turkey hunting camp in Idaho’s Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, where several women gathered to talk conservation and, of course, bag some birds. Unlike some of Idaho’s other female-focused outdoors events, the camp wasn’t meant to be a beginner’s primer. Instead, it served to connect female hunters, who are still significantly outnumbered by men.

“We had women there who’ve been hunting their whole lives and never hunted with another woman before,” said Aceto, who helped organize the camp. “Often, women who hunt have this preconceived notion that maybe it’s not their cup of tea (to hunt with other women).”

About 10 percent of all hunters are women, according to a 2016 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report. In Idaho, the number of female hunters is on the rise (in stark contrast to the declining number of male hunters). In 2018, 20 percent of Idahoans holding hunting or combination hunting/fishing licenses were female, according to Idaho Fish and Game.

Aceto has hunted and fished alongside men and women. She said Artemis isn’t meant to turn the boys’ club into a girls’ club.

“I’m 100 percent for creating a space, not to tell people what to do, but to tell them what options they have,” Aceto said. “It’s creating a space for women that hasn’t existed here for that long.”

“The whole point isn’t to further polarize things,” she added. “It’s to create camaraderie and community. I think to a lot of people … they see it as an exclusive thing, and that’s not at all what I’d want it to be. Not every woman is going to flock to (women’s groups), but the ones that do, it’s important for them.”

Bond, of the Idaho Trails Association, echoed that.

“If anyone asks me about (Women-Only Weekends), I say ‘I’m not doing this to be exclusive. I’m doing it to be inclusive, as backwards as that may sound,’” she said.

Aceto said working with Artemis and its many female ambassadors from around the country has changed her perspective on what women’s wilderness groups can look like.

“I was never the person that sought out women’s events,” Aceto said. “(Artemis) is not women supporting women who only speak to women and spend time with other women. It’s a bunch of bad-ass hiking, hunting, picking-plants-from-the-dirt-and-eating-them females. And if I ever felt like I fit into a women’s community, that’s it.”