Anyone going to the OBH convention?

BrianMaguire · 03-26-2004, 06:03 PM

Mello-Yello · 03-27-2004, 07:36 PM

I went today. Didn't make the banquet though, had to take care of some "issues".

Apparently people turned out in record numbers, including number of people shooting. This is always a good sign. Would be nice to believe OBH is turning in a positive direction.

Jim Horn's seminar was excellent! The man has forgotten more about calling elk than I'll ever learn.

Also watched a 'caping' seminar. Learned a bit, mostly a refresher.

Missed the bugling contest, no idea how it was.

I did my first ever "indoor" shoot. Did ok I guess considering I just dusted last september's dust off the bow last weekend. The State Championship is probably not the best place to 'try' indoor competition. But once I settled down (2/3rds through) it was pretty fun. Definetly a mental game.

I'll be back tomorrow for more punishment. Shooting BHFS, I think we shoot at 11:00. Hopefully I'll do better...

M-Y

tailchaser · 03-29-2004, 07:23 AM

Curious to see how you did MY? I was asked to shoot at it also but I have a professional test coming up in a couple of weeks and couldn't put the time into preparring for this one. After april 17th though we should hit some shoots together. I also just bought a LX so I have to get it tuned properly before I hit the course. I haven't even shot an arrow through it and I've had it for almost a month now.

I'm starting to get the itch now to fling a few. Is there any way we could set up a target on the rogue while springer fishing? :grin:

tc

Joe · 03-29-2004, 08:08 AM

I really enjoyed Jim Horns' seminar as well.

Unfortunatly I did not come away from the presentation on proposed changes to bow season with a very good feeling. :depressed:

I hope it is just my own paranoia but I really get the feeling that the head of the Game Program for ODFW is very anti bowhunting. Even though there appears to be no biological reason to reduce bowhunting opportunity it sounds like he is set on making the late season a seperate 16 day post rut hunt.

Now how many people are going to choose a 16 day post rut / post rifle season bow hunt over a 35 day rifle hunt that ends during the rut? I think the end result will be more rifle hunters who will kill more bucks than would be killed if the same folks continue to bowhunt. I have hunted deer both ways and have no problem killing a buck every season with a gun. Granted I have killed several bucks with a bow but statistically the buck population is better off the more bowhunters there are.

tailchaser · 03-29-2004, 08:46 AM

I agree with you Joe. The numbers have absolutely "0" factors to why they would change the hunt. I went to the blacktail meetings here and they tried to show numbers that would show the reasoning. They tried to say bowhunter numbers are up, big suprise there, and all these other things, however when it came to harvest, it's the same as it always has been. Less than a thousand a year including all of the late hunts. Rifle season alone produced 23-25,000!!! It's nothing more than rifle hunters complaining about the amount of hunting time the archery guys get. They get 30 days to shoot anything that moves from 500 yards in, isn't that enough? If this actually goes through, I plan to push the idea that rifle seasons shouldn't go any longer than 2 weeks. Sound fair? How about a draw to boot? No one cares until it's something that effects them and I'll be pushing for changes on the other side of the board if it happens. This just irritates me.

tc

BrianMaguire · 03-29-2004, 09:12 AM

Tom from the ODFW, is either from his own determination or via the will from above out to get bow hunting/hunters. The late season Blaktail is just the start. East side Elk will be next. I would be OK with these changes if it was publically determined to be the best biological method to help the deer pops, but its not. Its a political move and according to ODFW will larely be driven by the survey which is heavily weighed to east side hunters who don't hunt blacktails. 3/4 (3000 of the 4000) surveys are going east of the cascades. Harney and Malheur counties have as much say as everyone from Portland to Medford. There are only 10,000 people in Harney county and they get more say then Portland, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford and every little town in between and out to the coast. Stacking the deck???? - sigh 2/3

Mello-Yello · 03-29-2004, 09:15 AM

I shot a little better on Sunday, but certainly not to my ability. The nerves were better on Sunday, in fact half-way through Sunday's round I started shooting like "normal".

I did end up winning an OBH pin. So, not too bad for never shooting an indoor before. I'll be better prepared next year.

TC, you going to the shoot at Lakeside this weekend? Should be a good tournament (I've yet to shoot there...) I'm hoping to order a new LX soon and retire my Q2XL to 'backup bow" status.

M-Y

Bait O' Eggs · 03-29-2004, 09:36 AM

Jim Horn is an excellent speaker and I recommend listening to him if ever get the chance.

Did Will call him during this talk

last time I listened to Jim, Will Primos called at what I believe was a preplanned time. Made a nice touch for Primos.

tailchaser · 03-29-2004, 09:39 AM

I'll shoot it if it goes until sunday. I'm making a quick turn around to KFalls and back friday night and saturday. I guess my gramps wants some help to move some heavy equipment. I've shot the course several times and like it quite a bit, but they don't seem to move around the targets very often. Thus, I have the yardages down pretty good on each one now, but still a fun and somewhat challenging course. But if you want to shoot it on sunday I'll be in. Let me know.

tc

Joe · 03-29-2004, 02:12 PM

Will Primos did not call but Jim did start off with a video tape of Will introducing Jim. They are a first class organization!

Brian, Here is another guess on why the survey is being heavily stacked to represent the east side. I think it is to avoid switching to a system that requires hunters to decide if they want to be rifle hunters or bow hunters at the time of application. OBH has been pushing for this for many years. The thought is that it would keep people from grabing a bow and heading out into the woods who may not be as dedicated to the sport as they should be. Personally I feel that it would be a wise move to go to that system. Granted I do feel for people who live over east and are not able to rifle hunt every year but they would have the option to commit to bow hunting if they wanted, but not just because they didn't draw a rifle tag. Thats my opinion anyway.

BrianMaguire · 03-29-2004, 06:02 PM

Joe,

IMO it does not matter why the survey is stacked, in fact I may even like the outcome, the point is that it is discriminatory and very bad public policy. How would we feel if a survey went out, that would decide the future of hunting, and that survey intentionally surveyed Democrats more than republicans? Its bad public policy anyway you look at it. The survey must be fair and represent the "true" beliefs not those east of the cascades. How many times have you heard complaints from eastsiders, when they don't know you are a westsider, complaining about the "flatlanders" or someother name, hunters from the west side are getting the short end of the stick.

Joe · 03-29-2004, 09:36 PM

I agree with you Brian. It seems to me that there should have been a random sample of all hunters in Oregon.

Basically the idea of making major management decisions based on the answers to that survey concerns me. It is right up there with having the voting public decide if hounds and bait should be legal.

At the very least there should have been some facts provided to the people being surveyed so that they could make more informed decisions. My guess is that when the results are in most east side residents will say that deer bowhunters have an unfair advantage due to hunting the rut even though only 2.5% of the bucks are even killed during the late season which in most units is post rut in my opinion.