Newsletter. Letter from the President Club Officers

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1 This Month: Letter from the President...1 Letter from the Vice President..2 Important Dates...2 Cooking Tales...3 Heads 'n' Tales...4 IBEP Class Schedule...4 Guest Tales...5 Jokes n'tales...6 Activity Tales...6 Treasurer's Report...7 Calendar...9 Newsletter Issue: 213 August 2011 Letter from the President By Greg McDermott The summer is coming closer to the end. My next planned trip is to Ole' Miss, the University of Mississippi, were my wife and I will be depositing our oldest for his next four years. Hopefully, he will find a few friends who are from the Oxford MS area and get an invite for Ole' Dad to come down to hunt some of their Whitetails. As hunting season is getting closer, we all need to keep an eye out for the new LOI, understand some of the policy and rule changes as well as get to know how changes within the MWR may affect the Archery program. As well, I will continue to publish the dates of the IBEP classes. Don t forget to get qualified either! With august just beginning, we got hit with some real HEAT! Unfortunately, we had to make the decision to cancel the July 3D shoot and picnic due to the heat, but we will discuss it with the membership and see if it possible to reschedule for September, as the BBH do not have any shoots on the calendar. Again, the topic of the newsletter continues to drive frustration, I will yet again ask for someone to step forward and take the Publicity Chairman s seat on the Executive Board and try to support the Club. It is the time of year that we need to start asking for nominations for ALL the Executive Board. Nominations are welcome for President, Vice President, Publicity, Treasurer/Secretary, Sergeant and Arms and Range Warden. We had a very difficult time finding volunteers at the tail end of last year. It is August now, please take some time and think about how you would like to help this Club and submit your name to the running of any one of these positions. It is critical for the Belvoir Bowhunters to have these Board seats filled to keep this Club operating and not consider the alternative Club Officers President Mr. Greg McDermott Vice President COL. Greg Singleton USA (Ret.) Supporting Member: Richard Danyliw Secretary/Treasurer Mr. Kevin Brown Support Member: Steve Richards Activities Director SFC Felix Lopez, Jr. (Ret.) Supporting Members: Ira Joseph and Reddy Obula Publicity Director Mr. Carlton Jackson Support Member: Joe Spitek Range Warden Mr. Thein Dan Khin Sergeant-At-Arms Mr. Ted Schnurr Support Member: Rick Atchison Web-Master Mr. Tim Seymour Thanks, Greg OFFICIAL Publication of the Belvoir Bowhunters

2 26 Years of Service and Support to Fort Belvoir in Archery Construction, Maintenance, Instruction, and Wildlife Conservation Important Dates: BBH Club Meetings / Events: AUGUST 10 August Club Meeting 7:00 PM SEPTEMBER 14 September Club Meeting 7:00 PM Belvior Bowhunters Shoots: AUGUST 20 August - H4H Benefit 3D Tourney (9:00-11:00) SEPTEMBER VBA Meetings /Shoots AUGUST August (Sat & Sun) VBA Fall 3-D CLASSIC TOURNAMENT - Manahoac SEPTEMBER 3-4 Sep (Sat & Sun) VA State Closed Tournament Two Rivers Sep VBA Scheduling Meeting Belvoir Bowhunters Letter from the Vice-President Greg Singleton Boy was it hot last weekend. As one of the setup people, I was totally on board with the decision to cancel the 3D shoot on July 23d. Just walking my dog in the morning gets me all sweaty these days. I can imagine what it would have been like hauling all those targets back in from the range at 1pm on Saturday afternoon when the high was predicted to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Happy to spare the target detail that burden. I ve read so many deer hunting and deer biology articles over the years that it seems hard to come up with some original material. I m not the ever-ready writer that Lennie Eubanks is. I aspire to be his apprentice. And I m certainly not the shot that Stan Parmentier is, so I can t really write about how to improve your archery skills. Since you could say I m the off post guy on the executive board this year, I ll say a few words about my discussions with people at work, people in church, and people I meet when the topic of the outdoors and hunting comes up, and it invariably does when people are in a conversation with me for more than 5 minutes. How do you talk about deer hunting with non-hunters in and even those who have never even associated with a hunter before in a manner that does not offend them? I ve had quite a bit of experience in this department, so I ll offer some of the things that seem to work for me. First, I tell people that I love the outdoors, and I really enjoy eating venison. Are you a hunter? or Do you kill deer? might be the first indication that you need to be careful with your words, depending on how the person asks the question. Most of us can tell when someone is uncomfortable with the concept. For starters, I begin describing how good it feels to be in the woods (for Southerners) or the forest (for Yankees) in the morning when daylight is just beginning to offer a glimmer of visibility of your surroundings. I might ask What s the first animal that normally breaks the night time silence when it begins to get light? Of course the answer would depend on the time of year, but often it s a squirrel slipping out of his dray. It could also be a group of deer moving from their feeding area back to their bedding area under the cover of darkness, just before there s light enough to see them. How do you know it s a deer? might be the next question. For the season hunter, the answer is Deer have a distinctive walk that is unmistakable. They don t sound like squirrels or turkeys or raccoons. Their gate is immediately recognizable. Tick, tick, ta-tick, tick, ta-tick, tick, ta-tick, tick tick. And when they stop to graze under my stand, what an exciting time that can be! But you shoot them? Well, yes, I enjoy eating venison, but I also feel good about the positive effects on conservation that hunters have when they are in the deer woods. I go on to describe the benefits of harvesting deer, and they are many. We ve all heard them, and in my experience, they are very convincing. - Deer have few natural predators. This often leads to deer overpopulation, which harms the environment. 2

3 Sgt-at-Arms Ted Schnurr Trail Camera Photo Cooking Tales Cook's Corner Vice Presidents Message (Cont...) By Greg Singleton Too many deer diminish the health of the overall herd due to lack of sufficient browse necessary for proper size and bone development, causing malnourishment and death from extreme weather conditions. Too many deer cause overbrowsing which can wipe out certain desirable flora from a given region, taking years to reestablish. Too many deer cause excessive deer-vehicle collisions on our highways, injuring or killing both deer and people. Venison is a healthy, low fat, organic source of protein. No steroids or antibiotics added. Venison provided by donating hunters and butchers has provided a most needed source of sustenance for families throughout Virginia and other states through programs like Hunters for the Hungry. Venison is a low cost meat option that tastes good. These are the main discussion points I use when discussing my passion for deer hunting with members of the non-hunting public. I thought these might be useful for those just entering the sport who unwittingly find themselves in a position to win over a supporter or accidentally sow the seeds of an anti hunter. As hunters, we need all the support we can muster. We must be ethical in our actions, true to our word, and respectful of the animals we hunt. If we follow these standards, it is not hard to win over those on the fence, increasing the support for the sport we so cherish. Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi Ingredients 5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) coarsely ground, roasted macadamia nuts 1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup butter, melted Vegetable oil, for brushing foil 4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi mahi fillets Kosher salt and pepper 2 tablespoons coconut milk Directions Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts, panko, flour, and butter. Set aside. Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it liberally with vegetable oil. Place the mahi mahi on the foil and sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each fillet with the coconut milk. Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the 4 fillets, patting the mixture to spread and adhere to the fillets. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving. v/r Greg Singleton 3

4 Lennie Eubanks Tail Cam Heads 'n Tales By Lennie Eubanks! IBEP Class Schedules Hunting season is coming around the corner. As we continue to recruit new members, we all know the requlations regarding obtaining the IBEP. The ultimate goal of the IBEP is to provide bowhunters, both experienced and new, with the basic fundamentals of good, safe bowhunting while maintaining the highest ethical standards in the sport. Dates August 27, 2011 September 11, 2011 October 9, 2011 November 13, 2011 HOT: EVERY newscast this week revolves around the [surprise] hot weather in every area. Club president, Greg McDermott, even took the unusual step of canceling the July 23 rd 3-D shoot and picnic, inviting all to attend the August 20 th Hunters-for-the-Hungry 3-D Charity event. Good move, Greg. We hope every one of you stay healthy and comfortable - - pick a project you need done in the basement and go there. The wildlife will do ok, if they can get to water and shade. Now, we get to worry that the high temps, said to be in the range this week, may accelerate the drying effect on the creeks and ponds. When the water levels drop in late summer, the midges (gnats) hatch in the mud flats and if they carry the EHD virus and bite the deer, there could be widespread crop failures in the deer herds. Wetter weather would help keep the mud flats covered and lessen the midge count. Another limiting factor is the first few hard frosts, which will kill the gnats, but we do not want that until the new green food plots are more mature. (Texas and Oklahoma are so dry and hot; I do not think they will have any mud flats this year.) Gee, they did not tell me I would have so much to worry about when I retired. GOOD LUCK to all of you who donated money to the other-state permit drawings, deer or other big game. Get up and go, whether you draw or not. Scout the back-road sights of the country even if you do not get to hunt this time. Best wishes, also, to the travelers like Dan and Steve and Bruce (Africa) and others who get to go elsewhere. We hope you will thrill us with your stories upon your safe returns. STAN THE MAN: Future club meeting reports will be hard pressed to beat the story that our own Stan Parmentier brought home from Houston, where he scored the National Champion archery medal for his class in the National Senior Games, setting some record scores in the process. Well done, Ranger! SCOUTING AHEAD: OK, as you recall, Ol Vern and I did the shed hunting trip to Nebraska in Feb and got ONE, while friend Jim went to Iowa a week later and found 77. We pitched our real names, and a lot of buck$ into the IDNR hats and, like magic, in early July came the news that we were drawn and will hunt with him in Iowa this fall. Lest you drink too much of the conspiracy juice, we had already bought preference points for several years and chose to cash them in. In the coming months, we will be stocking up on thicker socks and a fresh box of chemical hand warmers. Maybe an insulated hay-bale blind would be nice, too, hhhmmm? Meanwhile, Vernon moved his job site to Kansas and it just happens to be within weekend scouting distance of our farms in Nebraska. Remember that place with the one shed antler, well, yesterday he sent me a handful of trail camera pics from there, showing about a dozen bucks and one badger. I suspect he high-graded the photos and left some out, but not bad for just one week in early July. None yet of 3 said to be bigger, but one 5x5 will be nice if he grows to match these 10-inch brow points. Whenever you!enjoy my outdoors, please leave it better than you found it.!!! Lennie 4

5 Guest Tales Guest Author: Stephen Allyn Four Cylinder s - Bow Elk Hunting By Stephen Allyn There we were on day five of a ten day Colorado bow hunting trip. During the last five days certain bow hunters had covered around 40 miles on foot; however seven extra miles were added due to poor navigation skills, I mean due to a sporadic working GPS, at an altitude varying between 8,000-12,000 feet chasing the mighty Wapiti. The plan tonight was to drop off two separate groups of bow hunters to hunt different drainages where early season hikes resulted with a few close calls on solid bulls. Then my buddy and I would do some road hunting and take a short mile walk to a meadow which normally holds elk. However we had to stop at our buddy s parked truck and seize the extra snakebite medicine before we continued to the secret meadow. Then after sampling the snakebite medicine we drove to a remote bench, stopped the truck to relieve ourselves, and said what the heck-let s see if the Elk bugle still works. After the average sounding bugle ended we immediately had a bull respond. Then we spotted four cows and a 5x5 bull less than 150 yards from the truck. About this time only four cylinder s out of my eight cylinder brain started working. I knew the situation was not good, but then I remembered how some moose hunters had used a canoe paddle like antler s, to trick a moose into bow range, so I put my bow above my head trying to simulate the rack of a bull elk and started making some elk chirps. The bull took off like someone had lit off a fire cracker in his fourth point of contact taking all his cows with him. The first theory is that my professional bowler s physique must have made me look like a 400 class monster bull elk and this scared the crap out of the small 5x5 bull causing him to fear for his life and run off like a mountain lion was chasing him. The second theory is the bull recognized the driver of the GMC truck (A Gay Man s Cadillac) and recalled the same cowboy/ driver trying to rope this bull off his horse earlier in the year and raced off. The third theory is that we decisively scared this bull off by throwing rocks, yelling, honking the truck horn and mooning the bull in order to push this bull all the way to Idaho or Montana where fellow VBA/Belvoir bowhunter s Rich V. or Paul V. could get a shot. I hope you enjoyed the elk story. I grew up in western Colorado the most frequently asked question fellow bowhunters ask me is about elk hunting in Colorado via Bow & Arrow. The attached power point slide provides a snapshot of Colorado s top archery elk hunting Game Management Units (GMU s). Some advantages of hunting with an over-thecounter (OTC) tag is that you can hunt multiple OTC units. I normally hunt in three to four different GMUs using my OTC elk tag. The advantages of hunting a limited draw trophy unit is that trophy GMUs are managed to have a higher bull to cow ratio and normally produce bigger bulls. In order to hunt trophy units you must apply for a tag anywhere from % 7% 19% 11% 48% 18% 16% 15% 49% 77% 15% 14% 17% 15% 13% 34% 7% 14% 21% 18% 15% 9% 7% 15% JK%)7$/%7L-:2$%)'MJ,LN'OPQ'$*F3' #*0'R%'.:)5/*3%&'*$'S*P7C*)$' -)'3.-)T2F'F--&'3$-)%3' S%3$%)2'L-P-)*&-U3'',-.'HD'7'J,L'*)5/%)0'%PQ'BC13'' HA!!$%&'(""!!!G?<!!!>A!$%&'85!!!!!>?<!! GA!!$%&'"5!!!!!>H<!!?A$%&'("6!!!!>D<!! VA''$%&'"5"!!!H@< '=A'$%&'("!!!!!H@<' ;#!$%&'7("!!!!HE< 'HDA'$%&')3!!!H;<' '(Results based on 3-year average success rates include Bulls & Cows)''!!"#"$%&'()*+',)-./0'12"$3' '''''''''''''''4)5/%)0'6-278%3"&%2$'9:2$%)3! "# $%&'(!!!!!;;<!")!*+,!-.!/+01!-02! (# $%&'"3!!!=><!"4!*+,!-.!/+01!-02! 5# $%&'4"!!!?@<!"6!*+,!-.!/+01!-02!?A BC17?D'''?E<''''''''''''''?'0)3'$-'&)*+'$*F' 7# $%&')4!!!G><''''''''''''''8!*+,!-.!/+01!-02! =A BC17>D'''G><''''''''''''''>'0)3'$-'&)*+'$*F' ;A BC17=='''>H<''''''''''''''G'0)3'$-'&)*+'$*F' EA BC17=;''I'G@''H@<'''''>'0)3'$-'&)*+'$*F' years in order to draw a tag but when you do draw a tag you won t see as many hunters and should have a good shot at harvesting a 320 class or better bull. Shoot Straight! - VBA/Belvoir Bowhunter -Stephen Allyn 21% 9% 14% 20% 10% 19% 16% 19% 32% 17% 8% 7% 9% 6% 8% 6% 14% 8% 19% 9% 32% 24% Western Colorado Archery Elk Hunting

6 6 Come our and support this years H4H Charity 3-D Tourney 8/20/11 Activity Tales BELVOIR BOWHUNTERS 13 th Annual Hunters for the Hungry 3-D Charity Archery Tournament Activites Director's Message SFC Felix Lopez, Jr. (Ret.) Howdy BBH, Just a few lines this month, not much going on the past few days since the shoot was canceled due to the heat wave that has hit the area. I for one hated to see that the shoot had been canceled but it was better to be safe than sorry. Even if we are covered by the canopy of leaves the humidity would have left us soaked in our own sweat and our bodies craving for liquid nourishment. Our 13 th Annual Hunters for the Hungry (H4H) fundraising 3D shoot is scheduled for August 20 th, hopefully the weather will be more bearable at that time and we will not need to cancel it. I would think that if the weather gets that bad we will reschedule it for September. Just something we might want to think about for any future events that the BBH hosts. Speaking of the H4H shoot, we will need volunteers to help out with the various committees that I am sure that Greg M. will bring up at the next meeting. So give it a thought and if you can help please let us know at the August meeting. We will need help with the set up, cooking, tear down and cleanup. We can still use milk jugs for the novelty shoot and any items that you might want to donate that we can use for the raffle. Remember this is for a good cause and every little bit helps us help someone in need. Thank you in advance for your contribution. Have a good one and see you at the next meeting and the H4H shoot. Felix Jokes 'n' Tale's At Tompkins Basin on Ft. Belvoir, VA Saturday, 20 August 2011 Registration begins at 8 a.m. 3-D Course from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. All proceeds go to VA Hunters for the Hungry Two hunters were dragging their dead deer back to their car. Another hunter approached pulling his along too. "Hey, I don't want to tell you how to do something... but I can tell you that it's much easier if you drag the deer in the other direction. Then the antlers won't dig into the ground." After the third hunter left, the two decided to try it. A little while later one hunter said to the other, "You know, that guy was right. This is a lot easier!" "Yeah, but we're getting farther from the truck," the other added. 6

7 July Meeting Minutes Kevin Brown Minutes for Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 Officer Reports: The meeting was called to order at 1905 by Vice President Greg Singleton in the absence of President Greg McDermott, who was on travel. Greg led off by asking if there were any guests or new members present. Greg Thompson and Joe Bolton introduced themselves as guests, and former member Jeremy Michonski introduced himself, having been recently re-assigned to the Washington area. The guests were welcomed by the assembled membership. Greg then started out by saying that the newsletter had been sent out by , but not regular mail. He continued with a summary of the Carp and Gar Shoot, and thanked Robbie Bowe for the donation of prizes for the shoot. He turned it over to Rich Danyliw, who gave a brief summary of the results. John Castaneda and Stan Parmentier were able to provide additional details, including an anecdote about Rich Vigue playing the role of rescuer by towing in a boat with a blown motor. Greg continued his report by giving a quick summary of the Coon Shoot, the Pig Roast and 3D shoot held on the 24 th and 25 th of June, and reminded members of the upcoming 3D shoot on the 23 rd of July, and solicited volunteers to help set up targets for the shoot. Looking into August, Greg reminded members about the upcoming charity 3D shoot for Hunters for the Hungry in August on the 20 th. Greg continued on with Officer Reports. Secretary Treasurer Kevin Brown was next, and provided the updated Treasury Balance ($ ), and a membership update, currently at 143 members. Kevin also asked members to please send their renewals to his home address as listed on the application, as anything sent to the club P.O. Box would incur a minimum one week delay in processing. A discussion came up on forwarding membership lists to the post so that members would be able to get long term gate passes, and Woody Minnick provided an additional address to send the lists to. Next, Activities Director Felix Lopez started his report by by giving a quick summary of the preparations for the upcoming HFH Benefit 3D Shoot in August, and asked members to continue saving milk jugs for the Jug Shoot novelty shoot. Sergeant at Arms Ted Schnurr had nothing of significance to report, and with the Publicity Director position being vacant, and Range Warden Thein Dan Khin (TDK) and rize Treasurer's Report Previous Balance 05/30/2011 $11, Income $36.00 Dues 36 Expenses $ Admin 9.5 Postal Box Rental 76 Shoot Expenses: Food Shoot Expenses: Range Fees 34 Shoot Expensese: Grill Rental 80 VBA Dues 20 New Balance 06/30/2011 $10, Previous Balance 06/30/2011 $10, Income $1, Christmas Fund (June & July mtgs) 49 Dues 216 Food donations 294 Club Raffles (June & July mtgs) 79 Shoot proceeds Carp & Gar 72 Shoot proceeds Coon Shoot 85 Shoot proceeds June 3D / pig roast 258 WGD Receipts Raffle (Fishing trip payment 100 Re-Purchase of Pork Shoulders (McHugh) 23 Expenses $ VBA Dues 125 New Balance 07/31/2011 $11, Raffle Prizes Prize Member Buck bomb, bowstring Stan Parmentier Buck bomb, Cabela s mini-tool Dan VanGundy Ground bow holder Bob Livingston $5 Dan VanGundy $15 Woody Minnick $25 Richard Danyliw 7

8 Treasurer's Report Sgt-at-Arms Ted Schnurr Trail Camera Photo July Meeting Minutes (continued) Meeting Minutes for Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 Webmaster Tim Seymour absent, this concluded the officer reports. Old Business: The only item of old business discussed was the need to conduct the audit of the Treasurer s record, which had been on hold due to the absence of one of the audit committee members on travel in Europe. The Treasurer is still trying to coordinate the scheduling of the audit.! New Business: James Vincent led off with a safety issue apparently during a recent work party setting up the 3D range, the Range Closed sign was not displayed, and an archer proceeded to start shooting through the Field Range, until met by a work party member and informed that the range was closed. Members were informed of the appropriate procedures for closing and re-opening the range, as well as the storage location of the warning sign. Rob Farmer gave a brief summary of the highlights of the Hunting Council, most notably that Brianna Carter would be taking over for Dan Hulst as the MWR point of contact for the Archery Program. Ted Bradford brought forth a proposal to have crossbow targets on the practice range. Woody Minnick responded by noting that currently, crossbows can only be shot on the broadhead range, but that shooters must bring their own block targets as the broadhead targets are not suitable for use with crossbows. MWR is investigating the purchase of new targets, but until that occurs, the existing procedures stand. Hank Megee next observed that the bow press in the archery center is unsuitable for use with parallel limb bows, and inquired about the purchase of a new press. He was informed that there is no funding available currently for a purchase. Woody also noted that the deer checking process had changed, and that check cards would no longer be filled out by MWR personnel; instead, VDGIF s check number would be used. Jawbones would still be collected, along with the weight and other details for the post biologist. Attention was drawn to the new LOI and Fact sheet for complete details. Steve Richards observed that many of our 3D targets were nearing the end of their useful lives, and that the club should consider replacements soon. Ira Joseph brought up another safety issue, this time at the practice range, where an archer was retrieving arrows on one side of the range, and another archer started shooting at the other side. A general discussion followed on safety rules, as well as archers using the range who do not display quiver tags, but who do display an obvious ignorance or disregard of range procedures. A mention was made to a possible speaker from MWR on changes to the ranges and range procedures. John Casteneda noted that the updated roster did not seem to be at the Visitor Center, as they had no record of his membership. Secretary Treasurer Kevin Brown promised to send the latest roster to MWR. Finishing new business, Greg served as the designated spear catcher for numerous complaints about the lateness of newsletter delivery and the complete lack of mailed newsletters. For the Good of the Order: There being no further new business, Greg turned the floor over to Stan Parmentier, who gave a short presentation on archery in the Senior Games at both the state and national level. Following Stan s presentation, there being no further items for the Good of the Order, a motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and carried by acclaim. The raffle was then held, with a gross take of $113, netting $23 for the Christmas fund, $45 for the general Treasury, and $45 in cash prizes, along with the prizes as indicated below.!"#$%& Sergeant-at-Arms By Ted Schnurr Sergeant's Section: Thank you to Hollywood and Richard Danyliw for their excellent food prep and BBQ cooking for the summer s pig roast & 3D shoot. Even though some of us were unable to attend the shoot, everyone that attended the July club meeting really enjoyed Hollywood s BBQ leftovers! Thanks to Bob Livingston for his continued food donations. Bob gives to our club and never asks for acknowledgement, but a big thank you is certainly deserved! Thanks Bob. Summer Patterns: For those of you who like to get after those bucks with your trail cameras, now is the time to start. Bucks head gear is over 90% of what they will have this winter and they are locked into their feed to bed and bed to feed patterns. Getting an early jump on pattering you favorite deer can pay off in the early season. Be cognizant that this time of year is also bad for ticks, poison ivy and heat exhaustion. Be safe and good luck. -Ted 8

9 AUGUST Belvoir Bowhunter Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday BBH Club Meeting 7:00 PM VBA State Fall Classic 3D Tournament - Manahoac 14 VBA State Fall Classic 3D Tournament - Manahoac H4H Benefit 3D Tournament (9:00-11:00 AM) September Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday VBA VA State Closed Tournament Two Rivers 4 VBA VA State Closed Tournament Two Rivers Club Meeting (ST= 7:00 PM) Annual Club Picnic & 3D (9:00-11:00 AM)

10 Other Key Contact Info President Mr. Greg McDermott (703)