blacktailslayer

Thank you all for your input on different hunting knives. I have been doing a ton of research and here are the knives I have it down to. I'm just not sure what length I want the knife and blade to be for elk and deer. Dozier K-2 General Purpose Overall Length: 7 7/8" Blade Length: 3 1/2" at 60-61 Rc. Blade Thickness: .135 Dozier K-17 White River Skinner Overall Length: 8" Blade Length: 3 5/8" at 60-61 Rc. Blade Thickness: .135 Blade Dozier K-4 Straight Hunter Overall Length: 7 7/8" Blade Length: 3 5/8" at 60-61 Rc. Blade Thickness: .135 Blade Dozier Buffalo River Hunter Green Micarta Blade Length 3-3/4″ Blade Steel D-2 Rockwell 60-61 Handle Cocobolo Tang Full Overall Length 8-3/16″

I found this posted on another hunting forum. Quote: "Author: Joe Talmadge Table of Contents: I. What makes a steel perform? A. Introduction B. Sharpen for performance C. Design for performance D. Properties of performance steels E. What's the "best steel"? II. Elements of Steel III. Steels A. Non-stainless Steels B. Stainless Steels C. Damascus Steel C. Non-steel used for cutlery IV. Selected URLs for steel information V. Bibliography I. What Makes A Steel Perform? A. Introduction Steel is the heart of the blade. The search for higher-performance steels has to a number of wonderful materials in recent years. Steel by itself isn't the sole determiner of knife performance, of course. Heat treatment, blade geometry, handle geometry and materials all effect how a knife performs for a particular job. However, those other qualities can be difficult to measure. You can't tell by looking at it how well a blade has been heat-treated, and you can only make educated guesses on how well the blade and handle geometry will work. With steel, however, you can get a full listing of its alloying elements, something measurable and somehow satisfying. As a result, it's easy to fall into the trap of putting too much emphasis on the steel itself. A knife is more than steel, and it's important not to forget that. In addition, many modern steels perform so well, that knife decisions can often be made based on other factors than marginal increases in steel performance. The question of "what's the best steel" or "rank the following steels in order from best to worst" often comes up. The resulting replies can never be totally accurate, because depending on the jobs the knife will be used for, the blade geometry, and the quality of the heat treat, what is "best" and what is "worst" can be very fluid. If you want to make an educated decision about steels, try to learn the basics of steel properties, and go from there. B. Sharpening for performance That doesn't mean that significant performance advantages can't be had by choosing the right steel for the job. In fact, choosing a steel can significantly impact the performance of a knife. But, to really bring out the performance of a particular steel, you need to take advantage of the better steel in your sharpening plan. If a weak, brittle steel can perform the job when sharpened at 25-degrees-per-side, a strong, tough steel might give you some marginal performance improvements if it, too, is sharpened at 25-degrees-per-side. However, to really bring out the performance of the better steel, trying bringing it down to 20-degrees per side, or less. The advantage of the better steel is that it is strong and tough enough to hold up with a small edge angle -- and smaller edge angles radically out-perform bigger edge angles. It's easy to get a 10-to-1 perform advantage for certain cutting jobs by cutting 5 degrees off your sharpening angle. This leads to the general rule: To really see the advantages of a better steel, exploit that steel in your sharpening program. If you're going to sharpen all your knives at the same angle regardless of steel, you might de-emphasize steel choice somewhat. On the internet, I'll often see someone posting about wanting to upgrade from their ATS-34 folder to one that has S30V, and then in a different post, declare that they sharpen all their knives at 20-degrees-per-side. Why spend all that extra money for S30V, just to get some marginal wear resistance advantages but no other performance advantages? If that same user would take advantage of S30V's superior toughness and drop the edge angle to 15-degrees-per-side, they would see a large leap in cutting performance, along with the extra wear resistance. Because of choosing the right sharpening angle, the more expensive S30V knife now gives an impressive return on investment. *Now* you can see what all the fuss is about! C. Design for performance In the section above, we highlighted what the user can do to bring out the best performance in a high-performance steel. But the user is only half the equation; now we will look at what the knifemaker might do with a higher- performance steel. As the knifemaker moves from one steel to another, it is often possible to modify the design of a particular knife to take advantage of the newer steel, and raise performance. For example, it is possible to make a hard-use tactical/utility knife from ATS-34. To make sure the ATS-34 will take the kind of stresses it might see in this environment, the edge might be left a bit thick (sacrificing cutting performance), or the hardness brought down a touch (sacrificing strength and wear resistance), or both. If the same maker moves to much-tougher S30V, he might be able to thin out the edge, thin out the entire knife, and raise the hardness, bringing up performance as a whole. Moving to differentially-tempered 5160 might allow the maker to re-profile even more for performance. If we're talking about a fighter, moving from 1095 to 3V might allow the maker to make the knife much thinner, lighter, and faster, while significantly increasing cutting performance and maintaining edge integrity. So to really take advantage of the higher-performance steel, we want the knifemaker to adjust the knife design to the steel, wherever he thinks it's appropriate. If a knifemaker offers the same knife in multiple steels, ask about what the characteristics are in each steel, and the how's and why's of where the design has changed to accommodate each steel offered. Note that there can be good reasons that a knifemaker might not change the blade profile even though the steel has changed. Maybe he's particularly good at heat-treating one steel or another, so that the differences between disparate steels are minimized. Maybe the higher-performance steel is not available in the next stock thickness down. Maybe instead of higher cutting performance, the maker would rather offer the same cutting performance but in a knife that can take more abuse. Maybe his customers tend to only buy thicker knives regardless of performance. So work with the maker to understand the choices being made with the different steels being offered. If you understand the kind of performance you need, you'll be able to make a wise choice. D. Properties of performance steels What is it we're looking for in a steel, anyway? Well, what we are looking for is strength, toughness, wear resistance, and edge holding. Sometimes, we're also looking for stain resistance. Wear resistance - : Just like it sounds, wear resistance is the ability to withstand abrasion. Generally speaking, the amount, type, and distribution of carbides within the steel is what determines wear resistance. Strength: The ability to take a load without permanently deforming. For many types of jobs, strength is extremely important. Any time something hard is being cut, or there's lateral stress put on the edge, strength becomes a critical factor. In steels, strength is directly correlated with hardness -- the harder the steel, the stronger it is. Note that with the Rockwell test used to measure hardness in a steel, it is the hardness of the steel matrix being measured, not the carbides. This, it's possible for a softer, weaker steel (measuring low on the Rockwell scale) to have more wear resistance than a harder steel. S60V, even at 56 Rc, still has more and harder carbides than ATS-34 at 60 Rc, and thus the S60V is more wear resistant, while the ATS-34 would be stronger. Toughness - : The ability to take an impact without damage, by which we mean, chipping, cracking, etc. Toughness is obviously important in jobs such as chopping, but it's also important any time the blade hits harder impurities in a material being cut (e.g., cardboard, which often has embedded impurities). The knifemaker will be making a tradeoff of strength versus toughness. Generally speaking, within the hardness range that the steel performs well at, as hardness increases, strength also increases, but toughness decreases. This is not always strictly true, but as a rule of thumb is generally accurate. In addition, it is possible for different heat treat formulas to leave the steel at the same hardness, but with properties such as toughness, wear resistance, and stain resistance significantly differing. Stain resistance(rust resistance): The ability to withstand rust (oxidation). Obviously, this property can be helpful in corrosive environments, such as salt water. In addition, some types of materials are acidic (e.g., some types of foods), and micro-oxidation can lead to edge loss at the very tip of the edge, over a small amount of time. In "stainless" cutlery steels, stain resistance is most affected by free chromium -- that is, chromium that is not tied up in carbides. So, the more chromium tied up in carbides, the less free chromium there is, which means more wear resistance but less stain resistance. Edge holding: The ability of a blade to hold an edge. Many people make the mistake of thinking wear resistance and edge holding are the same thing. Most assuredly, it is not; or rather, it usually is not. Edge holding is job-specific. That is, edge holding is a function of wear resistance, strength, and toughness. But different jobs require different properties for edge holding. For example, cutting through cardboard (which often has hard embedded impurities), toughness becomes extremely important, because micro-chipping is often the reason for edge degradation. Whittling very hard wood, strength becomes very important for edge-holding, because the primary reason for edge degradation is edge rolling and impaction. Wear resistance becomes more important for edge holding when very abrasive materials, such as carpet, are being cut. There are other properties that significantly effect how a steel performs: Ability to take an edge: Some steels just seem to take a much sharper edge than other steels, even if sharpened the exact same way. Finer-grained steels just seem to get scary sharp much more easily than coarse-grained steels, and this can definitely effect performance. Adding a bit of vanadium is an easy way to get a fine-grained steels. In addition, an objective of the forging process is to end up with a finer-grained steel. So both steel choice, and the way that steel is handled, can effect cutting performance. Manufacturing process: Cleaner, purer steels perform better than dirtier, impure steels. The cleaner steel will often be stronger and tougher, having less inclusions. High quality processes used to manufacture performance steel include the Argon/Oxygen/Decarburization (AOD) process, and for even purer steel, the Vacuum Induction Melting/Vacuum Arc Remelting (VIM/VAR) process, often referred to as double vacuum melting or vacuum re-melting. Edge toothiness: Some steels seem to cut aggressively even when razor polished. For these steels, even when they're polished for push-cutting, their carbides form a kind of "micro serrations" and slice aggressively. E. What's the "best steel". Understanding these properties will get you started to fundamentally understanding steels and how choice of steel can effect performance. I often see people asking, what's the best steel? Well, the answer depends so much on what the steel is being used for, and how it's heat-treated, that the questioner can never possibly get an accurate answer. For a knife lover, it's worth spending a little time understanding steel properties -- only by doing so well he really understand what the "best steel" might be for his application. Putting it all together, you can see how these properties might determine your steel choice. To pick on S60V and ATS-34 again, there seems to be a feeling that S60V is "better" in some absolute sense than ATS-34. But S60V is often left very soft, around 55-56 Rc, to make up for a lack of toughness. Even left that soft, an abundance of well-distributed vanadium carbides gives S60V superior wear resistance to ATS-34, at acceptable toughness levels. However, does that mean S60V is "better" than ATS-34? Well, many users will find edge rolling and impaction the primary causes of edge degradation for everyday use. For those users, even though S60V is more wear-resistant, S60V is also so soft and weak that they will actually see better edge retention with ATS-34! The S60V user can leave the edge more obtuse (raise the sharpening angle) to put more metal behind the edge to make it more robust, but now the S60V will suffer serious cutting performance disadvantages versus the thinner ATS-34 edge. So, the next general rule: Knowing the uses you'll put your knife to, and exactly how those uses cause edge degradation, will allow you to make a much better choice of steel, if you generally understand steel properties. The properties of different steels will be laid out below. But in your search for the knife with the "best steel" for your uses, I always suggest you ask the makers of the knives you're considering which steels they would use. The knifemaker will usually know which steels he can make perform the best. And as pointed out above, heat treat is absolutely critical to bringing out the best in a steel. A maker who has really mastered one particular steel (e.g., Dozier and D-2) might be able to make that steel work well for many different uses. So never go just by charts and properties; make sure you also consider what the knifemaker can do with the steel. III. ELEMENTS OF STEEL At its most simple, steel is iron with carbon in it. Other alloys are added to make the steel perform differently. Here are the important steel alloys in alphabetical order, and some sample steels that contain those alloys: Carbon: Present in all steels, it is the most important hardening element. Also increases the strength of the steel but, added in isolation, decreases toughness. We usually want knife-grade steel to have >.5% carbon, which makes it "high-carbon" steel. Chromium: Added for wear resistance, hardenability, and (most importantly) for corrosion resistance. A steel with at least 13% chromium is typically deemed "stainless" steel, though another definition says the steel must have at least 11.5% *free* chromium (as opposed to being tied up in carbides) to be considered "stainless". Despite the name, all steel can rust if not maintained properly. Adding chromium in high amounts decreases toughness. Chromium is a carbide-former, which is why it increases wear resistance. Manganese: An important element, manganese aids the grain structure, and contributes to hardenability. Also strength & wear resistance. Improves the steel (e.g., deoxidizes) during the steel's manufacturing (hot working and rolling). Present in most cutlery steel except for A-2, L-6, and CPM 420V. Molybdenum: A carbide former, prevents brittleness & maintains the steel's strength at high temperatures. Present in many steels, and air-hardening steels (e.g., A-2, ATS-34) always have 1% or more molybdenum -- molybdenum is what gives those steels the ability to harden in air. Nickel: Adds toughness. Present in L-6 and AUS-6 and AUS-8. Nickel is widely believed to play a role in corrosion resistance as well, but this is probably incorrect. Phosphorus: Present in small amounts in most steels, phosphorus is a essentially a contaminant which reduces toughness. Silicon: Contributes to strength. Like manganese, it makes the steel more sound while it's being manufactured. Sulfur: Typically not desirable in cutlery steel, sulfur increases machinability but decreases toughness. Tungsten: A carbide former, it increases wear resistance. When combined properly with chromium or molybdenum, tungsten will make the steel to be a high-speed steel. The high-speed steel M-2 has a high amount of tungsten. The strongest carbide former behind vanadium. Vanadium: Contributes to wear resistance and hardenability, and as a carbide former (in fact, vanadium carbides are the hardest carbides) it contribute to wear resistance. It also refines the grain of the steel, which contributes to toughness and allows the blade to take a very sharp edge. A number of steels have vanadium, but M-2, Vascowear, and CPM T440V and 420V (in order of increasing amounts) have high amounts of vanadium. BG-42's biggest difference with ATS-34 is the addition of vanadium. IV. STEELS A. Non-stainless Steels (carbon, alloy, and tool steels): These steels are the steels most often forged. Stainless steels can be forged (guys like Sean McWilliams do forge stainless), but it is very difficult. In addition, carbon steels can be differentially tempered, to give a hard edge-holding edge and a tough springy back. Stainless steels are not differentially tempered. Of course, carbon steels will rust faster than stainless steels, to varying degrees. Carbon steels are also often a little bit less of a crap shoot than stainless steels -- I believe all the steels named below are fine performers when heat treated properly. In the AISI steel designation system, 10xx is carbon steel, any other steels are alloy steels. For example, the 50xx series are chromium steels. In the SAE designation system, steels with letter designations (e.g., W-2, A-2) are tool steels. There is an ASM classification system as well, but it isn't seen often in the discussion of cutlery steels, so I'll ignore it for now. Often, the last numbers in the name of a steel are fairly close to the steel's carbon content. So 1095 is ~.95% carbon. 52100 is ~1.0% carbon. 5160 is ~.60% carbon. D-2 D-2 is sometimes called a "semi-stainless". It has a fairly high chrome content (12%), but not high enough to classify it as stainless. It is more stain resistant than the carbon steels mentioned above, however. It has excellent wear resistance. D-2 is much tougher than the premium stainless steels like ATS-34, but not as tough as many of the other non-stainless steels mentioned here. The combination of great wear resistance, almost-stainlessness, and good toughness make it a great choice for a number of knife styles. Bob Dozier is one maker who uses D-2. Benchmade has begun using D-2 in its Axis AFCK. M-2 A "high-speed steel", it can hold its temper even at very high temperatures, and as such is used in industry for high-heat cutting jobs. It is slightly tougher, and is slightly more wear resistant, than D-2. However, M-2 rusts easily. Benchmade has started using M-2 in one of their AFCK 710 variations. A-2 An excellent air-hardening tool steel, it is tougher than D-2 and M-2, with less wear resistance . As an air-hardening steel, don't expect it to be differentially tempered. Its good toughness makes it a frequent choice for combat knives. Chris Reeve and Phil Hartsfield both use A-2. O-1 This is a steel very popular with forgers, as it has the reputation for being "forgiving". It is an excellent steel, that takes and holds an edge superbly, and is tough (although not as tough as, say, 5160). It rusts easily, however. Randall Knives uses O-1, so does Mad Dog Knives. W-2 Reasonably tough and holds an edge well, due to its .2% vanadium content. Most files are made from W-1, which is the same as W-2 except for the vanadium content (W-1 has no vanadium). The 10-series 1095 (and 1084, 1070, 1060, 1050, etc.) Many of the 10-series steels for cutlery, though 1095 is the most popular for knives. When you go in order from 1095-1050, you generally go from more carbon to less, from more wear resistance to less wear resistance, and tough to tougher to toughest. As such, you'll see 1060 and 1050, used often for swords. For knives, 1095 is sort of the "standard" carbon steel, not too expensive and performs well. It is reasonably tough and holds an edge well, and is easy to sharpen. It rusts easily. This is a simple steel, which contains only two alloying elements: .95% carbon and .4% manganese. The various Kabars are usually 1095 with a black coating. Carbon V Carbon V is a trademarked term by Cold Steel, and as such is not necessarily one particular kind of steel; rather, it describes whatever steel Cold Steel happens to be using, and there is an indication they do change steels from time to time. Carbon V performs roughly between 1095-ish and O-1-ish, in my opinion, and rusts like O-1 as well. I've heard rumors that Carbon V is O-1 (which I think is unlikely) or 1095. Numerous industry insiders insist it is 0170-6. Some spark tests done by a rec.knives reader seem to point the finger at 50100-B. Since 50100-B and 0170-6 are the same steel (see below), this is likely the current Carbon V. 0170-6 - 50100-B These are different designations for the same steel: 0170-6 is the steel makers classification, 50100-B is the AISI designation. A good chrome-vanadium steel that is somewhat similar to O-1, but much less expensive. The now-defunct Blackjack made several knives from O170-6, and Carbon V may be 0170-6. 50100 is basically 52100 with about 1/3 the chromium of 52100, and the B in 50100-B indicates that the steel has been modified with vanadium, making this a chrome-vanadium steel. L-6 A band saw steel that is very tough and holds an edge well, but rusts easily. It is, like O-1, a forgiving steel for the forger. If you're willing to put up with the maintenance, this may be one of the very best steels available for cutlery, especially where toughness is desired. In a poll on the knifemakers email list back in the 1990s, when asked what the makers would use for their personal knife, L-6 emerged as the top choice. 5160 A steel popular with forgers, it is popular now for a variety of knife styles, but usually bigger blades that need more toughness. It is essentially a simple spring steel with chromium added for hardenability. It has good wear resistance, but is known especially for its outstanding toughness. This steel performs well over a wide range of hardnesses, showing great toughness when hardened in the low 50s Rc for swords, and hardened up near the 60s for knives needing more edge holding. 52100 Formerly a ball-bearing steel, and as such previously only used by forgers, it's available in bar stock now. It is similar to 5160 (though it has around 1% carbon vs. 5160 ~.60%), but holds an edge better. It is less tough than 5160. It is used often for hunting knives and other knives where the user is willing to trade off a little of 5160's toughness for better wear resistance. However, with the continued improvement of 52100 heat treat, this steel is starting to show up in larger knives and showing excellent toughness. A modified 52100 is being used by Jerry Busse in his lower-cost production line, and such high-performance knife luminaries as Ed Fowler strongly favor 52100. CPM 10V Crucible's somewhat-stain-resistant 10V provides incredible wear resistance with D-2-class toughness. It is an outstanding choice when maximum wear resistance is desired, but not super toughness. CPM 3V CPM's incredibly tough 3V gives excellent wear resistance and good stain resistance as well, although when it does stain, it is said to pit rather than surface rust. When maximum toughness is desired, with very good wear resistance, 3V is a great choice. INFI INFI is currently only used by Jerry Busse. In place of some of the carbon (INFI contains .5% carbon), INFI has nitrogen. The result is a non-stainless steel that is nevertheless extremely stain resistant (informally reported at close to D-2, or even better), incredibly tough for a high-alloy ingot steel, and with extremely good wear resistance. Vascowear A very hard-to-find steel, with a high vanadium content. It is extremely difficult to work and very wear-resistant. It is out of production. B. Stainless Steels Remember that all steels can rust. But the following steels, by virtue of their > 13% chromium, have much more rust resistance than the above steels. I should point out that there doesn't appear to be consensus on what percent of chromium is needed for a steel to be considered stainless. In the cutlery industry, the de-facto standard is 13%, but the ASM Metals Handbooks says "greater than 10%", and other books cite other numbers. It probably makes more sense to measure stainlessness by the amount of free chromium (chromium not tied up in carbides), because free chromium is what forms the chromium oxide on the blade surface that offers stain resistance. The alloying elements have a strong influence on the amount of chromium needed; lower chromium with the right alloying elements can still have "stainless" performance. Because any particular stainless steel is often heat treated to around the same hardness (i.e., 440C is usually around 57 Rc, ATS-34 is 59-61 Rc, S60V is getting consensus at around 56 Rc, etc.) even by different manufacturers, it's a bit easier to give a general feeling of the performance you'll get from different classes of stainless steels, without introducing too many inaccuracies. Please note, though, that the act of grouping differing steels in classes definitely does oversimplify, and some of these steels might more properly fit between the class it's in, and the following (or previous) one. In addition, better heat treat can move a steel up in performance significantly. Last disclaimer: not everyone will agree with the groupings I have here. Whew, all that said, here is a general categorization of stainless steels: 420and 420Jrepresent the low end of stainless steels. They are very stain resistant, and are tough due to being very soft. However, they are also very weak, and not very wear resistant. Generally speaking, expect these steels to lose their edge quickly through abrasion and impaction. They are used in less-expensive knives due to their ease of machining. 440Aand its relative peers, 425M, 420HC, 12C27, and 6Aare the next group. They can be hardened more than the previous group, for better strength, and they are more wear resistant, though wear resistance is just getting to the point of acceptability. 440A and 12C27 are the leaders of this group, with solid heat treat both perform okay. 12C27 is said to be particularly pure and can perform very well when heat treated properly. 6A trails those two steels, though with its vanadium content, can take a razor edge. 425M and 420HC trail the rest. Gin-1, ATS-55, 8A, and 440Ccomprise the next group. These steels will usually be stronger than the previous group, and more wear-resistant. Generally speaking, they retain excellent stain resistance properties, though ATS-55 sticks out here as not particularly stain resistant. 8A is also worth a mention, with some vanadium content, it can take an extremely sharp edge very easily, but is also the weakest and least wear-resistant of this group. ATS-34/154CM, VG-10, and S60Vare the next group up. It's difficult to make generalizations about ATS-34 and 154-CM -- they are in such widespread use that heat treat varies widely. These steels provide a high-end performance benchmark for stainless steels, and hold an edge well, and are tough enough for many uses (though not on par with good non-stainlesses). They aren't very stain resistant, however. VG-10 can be thought of as being like ATS-34 and 154-CM, but doing just about everything a hair better. It's a little more stain resistant, tougher, holds an edge a little better. And VG-10 has vanadium in it, it's fine-grained and takes the best edge of this group. S60V has by far the best wear resistance of the group, though consensus is becoming that it should be left around the same hardness as 440C (56ish Rc), which means it will be relatively weak compared to ATS-34, 154-CM, and VG-10, and so it will indent and lose its edge quickly when strength is required. S60V is the winner here when pure abrasion resistance is much more important than edge strength. BG-42, S90V, and S30Vconstitute the next group. BG-42 has better wear resistance than all the previous steels except for S60V. It is tougher than ATS-34, and more stain resistant. It is wear resistant to the point where it can be difficult to sharpen. S90V represents the ultimate in wear resistance in the steels discussed so far. Also tougher than ATS-34, and more stain resistant. It can be very difficult to put an edge on. It is difficult enough to machine than it is used almost exclusively in custom knives, not production knives. In your buying decisions, you might want to take into account the difficulty of sharpening these steels. S30V backs off on the wear resistance of S90V, but is significantly tougher and easier to sharpen. It is more wear resistant than BG-42. The jury is still out, but it may end up this week's ultimate high-end all-around stainless steel, due to high performance coupled with easier machinability and sharpenability than the other steels in this class. Okay, on to the steels in more detail: 420 Lower carbon content (<.5%) than the 440 series makes this steel extremely soft, and it doesn't hold an edge well. It is used often for diving knives, as it is extremely stain resistant. Also used often for very inexpensive knives. Outside salt water use, it is too soft to be a good choice for a utility knife. 420HC 420 modified with more carbon, to be roughly comparable to 440A. 440 A - 440 B - 440C The carbon content (and hardenability) of this stainless steel goes up in order from A (.75%) to B (.9%) to C (1.2%). 440C is an excellent, high-end stainless steel, usually hardened to around 56-58 Rc, very tough and with good edge-holding at that hardness. 440C was the king of stainless cutlery steels in the 1980s, before ATS-34 took the title in the 1990s. All three resist rust well, with 440A being the most rust resistant, and 440C the least. The SOG Seal 2000 is 440A, and Randall uses 440B for their stainless knives. 440C is fairly ubiquitous, and is generally considered a very good general-use stainless, tougher and more stain resistant than ATS-34 but with less edge-holding and weaker. If your knife is marked with just "440", it is probably the less expensive 440A; if a manufacturer had used the more expensive 440C, he'd want to advertise that. The general feeling is that 440A (and similar steels, see below) is just good enough for everyday use, especially with a good heat treat (we've heard good reports on the heat treat of SOG's 440A blades, don't know who does the work for them). 440-B is a very solid performer and 440-C is excellent. 425M- 12C27 Both are very similar to 440A. 425M (.5% carbon) is used by Buck knives. 12C27 (.6% carbon) is a Scandanavian steel used often in Finish puukkos and Norwegian knives. 12C27 is said to perform very well when carefully heat treated, due to its high purity. When done right, it may be a slighter better choice than 440A and its ilk. AUS-6- AUS-8- AUS-10(aka 6A 8A 10A) Japanese stainless steels, roughly comparable in carbon content to 440A (AUS-6, .65% carbon) and 440B (AUS-8, .75% carbon) and 440C (AUS-10, 1.1% carbon). AUS-6 is used by Al Mar, and is a competitor to low-end steels like 420J. Cold Steel's use of AUS-8 has made it pretty popular, as heat treated by CS it won't hold an edge like ATS-34, but is a bit softer (and therefore weaker) and tougher. 8A is a competitor of middle-tier steels like ATS-55 and Gin-1. AUS-10 has roughly the same carbon content as 440C but with slightly less chromium, so it should be a bit less rust resistant but perhaps a bit tougher than 440C. It competes with higher-end steels, like ATS-34 and above. All 3 steels have some vanadium added (which the 440 series lacks), which will improve wear resistance and refines the grain for both good toughness, and the ability to sharpen to a very keen edge. Many people have reported that they are able to get knives using steels that include vanadium, like 8A, sharper than they can get non-vanadium steels like ATS-34. GIN-1aka G-2 A steel with slightly less carbon, slightly more chromium, and much less moly than ATS-34, it used to be used often by Spyderco in their less-expensive knives. Spyderco has since switched to ATS-55 and 8A, but Benchmade is now using Gin-1 in their less-expensive knives. A very good stainless steel, with a bit less wear resistance and strength than ATS-34. ATS-34- 154-CMATS-34 was the hottest high-end stainless in the 1990s. 154-CM is the original American version, but for a long time was not manufactured to the high quality standards knifemakers expect, so knifemakers switched over to ATS-34. CPM is again making high-quality 154-CM, and some companies seeking to stick with American-made products (like Microtech) are using it. ATS-34 is a Hitachi product that is very, very similar to 154-CM. Normally hardened to around 60 Rc, it holds an edge very well and is tough enough even at that high hardness. Not as rust resistant as the 400 series above. Many custom makers use ATS-34, and Spyderco (in their high-end knives) and Benchmade are among the production companies that use it. Contrary to popular belief, both steels are manufactured through the Argon/Oxygen/Decarburization process (AOD), not vacuum remelted. ATS-55 Similar to ATS-34, but with the moly removed and some other elements added. This steel is a good cutlery steel but a tier behind ATS-34 and its closest competitors (other steels in ATS-55's class might be Gin-1 and AUS-. With the molybdenum removed, ATS-55 does not seem to hold an edge quite like ATS-34, and reports are that it's less rust-resistant. My guess is that with the moly gone, more chromium is tied up in carbides -- which means less free chromium for rust resistance, and softer chromium carbides replacing moly carbides for less wear resistance. VG-10 Another vanadium-containing high-end stainless steel. Due to the vanadium content, VG-10 takes a killer edge, just like other vanadium steels like BG-42 and AUS-8. VG-10 is also tougher and more rust-resistant than ATS-34, and seems to hold an edge better. BG-42 Bob Loveless announced a while back that he's switching from ATS-34 to this steel. Keep an eye out for it, it's bound to catch on, although the higher cost, limited stock-size availability, and added difficulty of manufacturing are holding BG-42's popularity back. BG-42 is somewhat similar to ATS-34, with two major differences: It has twice as much manganese as ATS-34, and has 1.2% vanadium (ATS-34 has no vanadium), so look for significantly better edge-holding than ATS-34. The addition of vanadium and the clean manufacturing process (VIM/VAR) also gives BG-42 better toughness than ATS-34. Chris Reeve has switched from ATS-34 to BG-42 in his Sebenzas. S60V(CPM T440V) - S90V(CPM T420V) Two steels that hold an edge superbly, world class type edge holding, but it can be difficult to get the edge there in the first place. These steels are made with Crucible's particle metallurgy process, and that process allows these steels to be packed with more alloying elements than traditional steel manufacturing methods would allow. Both steels are very high in vanadium, which accounts for their incredible wear resistance. Spyderco offers at least one model in CPM S60V. Spyderco, one major user of S60V, has cut back hardness down to 55-56Rc, in order to keep toughness acceptable, but that sacrifices strength so there is a tradeoff. S90V is CPM's follow-on to 440V, and with less chromium and almost double the vanadium, is more wear-resistant and tougher than S60V -- and, in fact, is probably more wear-resistant than any other stainless steel used in the cutlery industry. As such, S90V is in the running with steels like BG-42 as among the best general-purpose stainless steels; however, S90V is even more expensive and difficult to work than BG-42, so it's strictly in the realm of custom makers currently. CPM S30V: The newest stainless steel from Crucible, purpose-designed as a cutlery steel. This steel gives A-2-class toughness and almost-S90V class wear resistance, at reasonable hardness (~59-60 Rc). This mix of attributes is making S30V one of the hottest stainless steels going, with makes such as Chris Reeve switching from BG-42 to S30V. Will this be the new king of general-purpose stainless cutlery steels? We'll know over the next couple of years. 400 Series Stainless Before Cold Steel switched to AUS-8, many of their stainless products were marketed as being of "400 Series Stainless". Other knife companies are beginning to use the same term. What exactly *is* 400 Series Stainless? I always imagined it was 440-A, but there's nothing to keep a company from using any 4xx steel, like 420 or 425M, and calling it 400 Series Stainless. C. Damascus Steel-- see www.dfoggknives.com for much more detail Damascus steels are made by forge-welding two or more different metals (usually steels). The billets are heated and welded; to get an idea of the process, see Don Fogg's URL listed in the bibliography. The Damascus is then acid-etched. The different metals etch at different rates, and depth and color contrast are revealed. Damascus can be made with performance and/or aesthetic objectives in mind. Aesthetically, the choice of materials is important. One shiny steel and one darker steel etch out to show the most striking pattern. If the maker is going more for beauty than performance, he might even go with nickel, which is bright but does not perform as well as steel for cutlery applications. The other factor affecting beauty is of course the welding pattern. Many patterns of Damascus are available today, from random to star to ladder, and a whole lot more. The following steels will provide bright lines: L-6 and 15N20 (the Swedish version of L-6) -- nickel content O-1 -- chromium content ASTM 203 E -- nickel content Nickel The following steels will provide dark lines: 1095 1084 5160 52100 W-2 D. Non-steels used for cutlery Talonite- Stellite 6K- Boye Dendritic Cobalt(BDC) These cobalt alloys have incredible wear resistance, and are practically corrosion resistant. Stellite 6K has been around for years, but was expensive and very difficult to work, and so is only rarely seen. Talonite is easier to work, and as a result has been gaining in popularity, especially among web-based knife buyers. David Boye uses his casting process to manufacture Boye Dendritic Cobalt. This material is tough and has great wear resistance, but is relatively weak. Titanium Newer titanium alloys can be hardened near 50 Rc, and at that hardness seem to take something approaching a useful edge. It is extremely rust-resistant, and is non-magnetic. Popular as expensive dive knives these days, because the SEALs use it as their knife when working around magnetic-detonated mines. Mission knives uses titanium. Tygrys makes a knife with a steel edge sandwiched by titanium. Ceramics Numerous knives have been offered with ceramic blades. Usually, those blades are very very brittle, and cannot be sharpened by the user; however, they hold an edge well. Boker and Kyocera make knives from this type of ceramic. Kevin McClungcame out with a ceramic composite knife blade that much tougher than the previous ceramics, tough enough to actually be useful as a knife blade for most jobs. It is also user-sharpenable, and holds an edge incredibly well."

I think there is a lot about knives then you think. I will post some info for you to read and understand not all knives are the same. Some high quality knives can go through way more animals than cheaper knives before ever needed to be sharpened again.

That is another knife I was just looking at today. How many animals can you do before resharpening your blade and how easy is it to sharpen the blade in the field? Thanks

Lowa Hunter Extreme boots.

Dozier Yukon Pro Skinner ($215) The Bob Dozier Yukon Pro Skinner with Black Micarta® handle and horizontal belt sheath is a knife for the serious hunter, the man who makes his living in the woods. Instead of the traditional leather sheath that would over time get limp and rot, Bob builds precisely fitted sheaths of Kydex® for each knife. Without attention, the sheath will last as long as the knife, your lifetime and your son's. The knife itself is made of 1/8" hollow ground D2, hardened by Bob to 60-61Rc. Almost without exception, they are found to measure 60.5 Rc. It is not unusual for one of these knives to keep a usable edge through 6-10 big animals, not field dressing, but breaking briskets and reducing the animal to transportable size. The average hunter could sharpen his knife once a season and do fine. The pro will want to carry a small diamond sharpener or the A. G. Russell Field Sharpener to touch up the blade when many animals are coming into camp. Better than any production knife and far less expensive than most of the handmade knives you will see. I recommend it highly. With the 3-1/2" blade and the almost 7-7/8" overall length, this is about the minimum working knife for professionals, any one but Dozier would have to make it bigger. The handle is shaped into the distinctive form that Dozier uses for working knives, (as distinct from good looking knives). This blade and handle merge into a useful tool that could be used hour after hour, functioning efficiently and safely. Weighs 5.7 oz. in sheath. With the 3-1/2" blade and the almost 7-7/8" overall length, this is about the minimum working knife for professionals, any one but Dozier would have to make it bigger. The handle is shaped into the distinctive form that Dozier uses for working knives, (as distinct from good looking knives). This blade and handle merge into a useful tool that could be used hour after hour, functioning efficiently and safely. Weighs 5.7 oz. in sheath. Dozier Straight Personal Coral Rucarta™ ($195) To most of the people reading this Bob Dozier's knives speak for themselves. The D2 high-carbon, high-chrome tool steel, hardened to 60-62 Rockwell, really holds an edge and the Dozier Kydex® sheaths that are molded to each knife hold the knife until the owner removes it with the magic release that Bob has designed into it. The flawless fitting of the handle material, in this case a Coral Rucarta®, and the no frills finish that allows a handmade knife to be sold at prices that might grace many of today's production knives, make this a very attractive knife from many points of view. These knives can be ordered with left handed sheaths. Bob's concept of a personal knife is a knife that can be carried day in and day out; a knife that is never in the way but is always instantly available. 2-7/8" blade, 6-3/4" overall length. Horizontal black Kydex® sheath. Weighs 4.4 oz. Dozier White River Skinner ($205) This White River Skinner, named for the White River National Forest in Colorado, is as suitable for skinning Beaver as it is for skinning Grizzly or Moose. Once again, Bob Dozier has taken the complex and made it look simple. The subtle relationship between the cutting edge, the skinning belly, and the angle and shape of the handle, result in a knife that looks as if anyone could have designed it. Only when it is in the hand can you begin to appreciate how this knife will function in the field. Using his favorite knife steel, D2, a high-carbon, high-chrome die steel, hardened to 60-61 Rc, Bob delivers a knife that will hold an edge better than any other in his price class. This model is handled in a black linen Micarta®. (Previously available only in Brown Linen Micarta®.) The horizontal Kydex sheath is Bob's design, and utilizes his own break-out latch. You only have to put your thumb on top of the belt loop when you grip the handle and the knife comes easily from the sheath. This is as solid and safe a sheath as you can find. 3-1/2" skinning blade of 1/8" D2 stock. Overall length is 7-3/4". Weighs 6.2 oz. with sheath. Dozier Slim Outdoorsman - Natural Rucarta Handle ($215) Bob Dozier has been one of America's foremost makers of handmade knives since about 1968. He makes some of the finest and most practical handmade knives you'll find. For many years, Bob made highly finished knives for sale to the public while making reasonably priced knives for his fellow iron-workers. When he returned to full time knifemaking about 1988, it only took him a year of making highly finished knives to decide that what he really wanted to do was make the kind of knives he makes today. A Dozier knife will work all day, and still have a better edge than most knives you can buy. Each Dozier fixed blade knife includes the finest Kydex® sheath in the world, fitted to your knife. Dozier Professional Guides Knife ($235) The knife for the professional packer or guide who works in remote areas and does not want to carry more than one knife. This knife is large enough to do the whole job on any big game animal as well as camp chores. It will also have a good edge when other knives have become dull. Using his standard D2 at 60+ Rc, Bob produces a man sized knife with both the blade and the handle larger than most of his knives. This knife is perfectly suited to the man with large hands, or regular hands, but big jobs to do. 4-3/4" clip point blade made of D2 hardened to 60-61 Rc, total length 9-3/16". Made of 3/16" blade stock. Black Micarta® handle scales, pins and lanyard hole liner of aircraft alloy. Weighs 6.9 oz. Each knife is individually fitted with a Dozier Vertical Kydex® sheath. Dozier Professional Skinner ($235) The Dozier Professional Skinner is shaped to perform the maximum skinning job while allowing its use for most other camp chores. This is the knife for the man who wants the very best professional tool available. There will be no knife in the camp that will out perform it at skinning. 7-1/2" overall length with approximately 3-1/2" blade of D2 at 60-61 Rc. (the blade will sometimes vary since they are handmade knives). Horizontal Kydex belt sheath. Weighs 5.3 oz. Dozier Master Skinner - Black Rucarta™ ($235) This is the drop point blade carried to its ultimate conclusion. A knife suited to the skinning of any animal on this or any other continent. The 3-1/2" by 1-1/8" blade of D2 at 60-61 Rc. will flay everything from a small whitetail to a 20 foot salt water crock with the same ease, and will hold an edge beyond your experience. Bob Dozier's personal heat-treat of D2 is fast becoming legendary among knife aficionados (those of us who love knives and great edge holding). This blade has a great skinning curve beneath the classic drop point and a satin finish well suited to the use the knife can expect. The handle has the ergonomic, "shaped for use" contours you would expect from Bob Dozier. It is not intended for those with small hands, this is truly "Man Sized". We are happy to offer either Black Rucarta handles or handles of our own Golden Maple Burl. The knife measures 8" overall and has a vertical sheath of Kydex® which allows it to be carried safely in front of the hip. Bob has put a lot of thought into this knife, designed exclusively for the A. G. Russell catalog. Knife weighs 6.4 oz.

I am looking for a great all around hunting knife for big game. Here is a list of knives that I was looking at and was wondering what thoughts or experiences anyone has had with these knives. Thanks for helping me decide on what knife to buy. A.G. Russell™ Cocobolo San Mai Drop Point ($235) I have been drawing pictures of knives for all of seventy years, but it was not until the late 1960s when Robert W. (Bob) Loveless, the World's premier designer of hunting and combat knives, taught me how he developed a knife design that I began to design instead of just drawing pictures. This Drop Point Hunter has had more serious thought than I have ever given a hunting knife before. The drop point blade with a core of VG-10 at 59-61 Rc., supported by a softer stainless on each side, is dropped into a forward tilt to make working inside an animal's hide easier, with less possibility for error that might damage the hide. There is a tiny choil that allows the entire edge to be sharpened. The amount of curve (belly) in the forward part of the blade is important, both for skinning and for general cutting. The 4-1/8" blade is long enough to skin any animal that you have the patience to skin. Both the shape and the design of the handle deserve your attention as well. The hilt (guard) is quite trim, just long enough to protect your hand from the edge, yet not long enough to get in the way when you are doing delicate work. And it is wide enough to be engraved. The butt is there not only for looks but also to bring the balance point back onto the handle about an inch from the blade, putting more weight in your hand. This gives the blade a feather touch so you have total control of the edge and the point. The handle itself is slim at the front, with a swell in the center and a flare at the butt for comfort and control. This knife will fit your hand as no other knife has. The blade measures 1-3/16" wide at the widest point. The knife measures 8-1/2" tip to butt and weighs about 6.5 oz. Made in Japan. Includes a high quality brown leather sheath. A. G. Russell™ San Mai Drop Point Hunter Ebony ($295) One of the advantages to having our own knife shop is the ability to produce knives with many different handle materials to suit customers taste. We have created the A. G. Russell® San Mai Drop Point Hunter with this program in mind. While there are many different handle materials available, we have chosen three different ones (Ebony, Giraffe Bone and Pink Ivory), each with mosaic pins of stainless and copper to complement the color of the handle scales. The ebony is an exotic wood from Mozambique, the pink ivory is a dense wood from South Africa with a naturally occurring pink color and the Giraffe Bone is in its natural color. It has been stabilized but not dyed. The 4-1/8" drop point blade with a core of VG-10 at 59-61 Rc., supported by a softer stainless on each side, is designed to skin any animal you have the patience to skin. There is a tiny choil that allows the entire edge to be sharpened. The hilt (guard) is quite trim, just long enough to protect your hand from the edge, yet not long enough to get in the way when you are doing delicate work. The weight of the butt brings the balance point back onto the handle about an inch from the blade, putting more weight in your hand. This gives the blade a feather touch so you have total control of the edge and the point. The handle itself is slim at the front, with a swell in the center and a flare at the butt for comfort and control. Measures 8-1/2" tip to butt and weighs about 6.5 oz. Made in Japan and finished in our shop in Rogers, Arkansas. Includes a high quality handmade brown leather sheath D. H. Russell Canadian Camp Survival Knife ($90) In the late 1950s, D. H. Russell, owner of a cutlery store in Toronto, designed the Original Canadian Belt Knife. Demand for this design was so great that he brought an experienced cutler from Czechoslovakia to make the knives. Rudolf Grohmann and his family came to Canada, founded Grohmann Knives, of Pictou, Nova Scotia, and have produced all of the D. H. Russell Belt Knives from the beginning. The Canadian Survival Knife is a large knife with a 5-1/2" blade of 3/16" high carbon stainless, with Rosewood handles. Measures 10-1/4" overall. Weighs 7.2 oz. Useful for camp chores and as a big game butchering and skinning tool. A favorite among big game hunters the world over. Leather Sheath. Breeden knives- Not sure what model or prices. Canal Street Cutlery D'Holder Integral Hunter ($225) Late in 2007, Canal Street Cutlery introduced an exciting new design by well-known knifemaker D'Alton Holder. The cast integral hilt/bolster and 3-1/2" mirror polished drop point blade is 19C27 Swedish stainless at 60-62 Rc. For this A. G. Russell™ Exclusive, the handle scales are our own carefully selected cocobolo with a coined nickel silver Canal Street shield. This is a great knife for the collector or for the hunter with a great edge holding steel that will hold up extremely well in the field. Measures 7-3/8" tip to butt and weighs 5.4 oz. The serial number, 19C27 and U. S. A is marked on the spine of the blade otherwise the blade is unmarked. Includes a brown leather pouch style belt sheath. Made in the U.S.A. Dozier Buffalo River Hunter Green Micarta ($215) The Dozier Buffalo River Hunter was introduced late in 2005. It is a drop point hunter that was designed for A. G. Russell customers. At the time it was introduced, Desert Ironwood was plentiful. It is a wonderful handle material, but has become increasingly hard to find forcing Bob to look for other suitable handle material. He has found a source of Cocobolo that has as much striking contrast in grain, perhaps more, as the finest Desert Ironwood. Buffalo Hunters are now available with Cocolobo and Green Linen Micarta®. Like all of Bob's standard hollow ground hunting knives, these are hand ground in Bob's shop on grinders designed and built by him. The blade shape is one of the best drop point designs I have ever seen. It is long enough to be a general hunting and camping knife with enough belly to make a good skinning knife but enough straight for splitting kindling and making fuzz sticks. There is no such thing as a knife that will do everything, but this one comes as close as you can get in a hunting knife. The blade measures 3-3/4" long and 15/16" wide of D-2 tool steel with Bob's personal fantastic edge holding heat-treat (60-61 Rc.), possibly the sharpest and best edge holding knife in the knife world today. Measures 8-3/16" tip to butt and weighs 4.9 oz. with Micarta® handle and 4.5 oz. with Cocobolo. Includes a Kydex® sheath of Bob's own design and made in his shop. As great a value in a handmade hunting knife as you can find. We attempt to keep Dozier knives that we include in our catalog on our shelves. They are so popular that we often run out. Dozier Professional Guides Knife - Wilderness Sheath ($270) Bob Dozier's Professional Guide's Knife was developed for the professional packer or guide who works in remote areas and does not want to carry more than one knife. This knife is large enough to do the whole job on any big game animal as well as camp chores. It will also have a good edge when other knives have become dull. Using his standard D2 at 60+ Rc, which he heat treats in his own shop to assure quality control, Bob has produced a man sized knife. Both the blade and the handle are larger than most of his knives. This knife is perfectly suited to the man with large hands, or regular hands, with big jobs to do. The 4-3/4" clip point blade of 3/16" D2 hardened to 60-61 Rc. Black Micarta® handle scales and aircraft alloy pins and lanyard hole liner. Measures 9-3/16" tip to butt and weighs 6.9 oz. Available with Bob's Wilderness sheath with a nylon webbing belt loop.

Here are the three boots I am looking at: Lowa Banff Pro (Wide Width) $280 Asolo Sasslong (Original Price $250) Sale Price $170 Kenetrek Hardscrabble Hiker (Original Price $305) Sale Price $295 I have read hundreds of reviews on the internet and all 3 boots seem great. The price of the Asolo's looks even better. What would you all do? Here are 3 more pairs of boots that I need to go and read all the reviews on. Does anyone have any experince with these boots? Cabela's "Perfekt™" 10" Hunter Boots by Meindl (Reg: $230) Sale: $172 Cabela's Denali™ Hunting Boots with Fit IQ by Meindl $250 Cabela's Alaska Hiker Boots by Meindl $260

I’m thinking about getting a pair of Asolo boots and was wondering what pair anyone would suggest getting out of these. I have a wide foot and wear a 13 in all my Danner’s and Rockey’s. Are the Asolo’s wide and would I still get a size 13? Thanks for the help. Asolo Power Matic 200 GV Gore-Tex Hiking Boots Or Asolo TPS 520 GV Hiking Boots

Sounds like a good idea to me. Hope you get some nice old bucks down the road with your management. I just wish I had a piece of land to do the same thing.

A Stewardship Handbook for Family Forest Ownerships: http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/extended...hphandbook.pdf Forest Stewardship Principles: http://www.cof.orst.edu/cof/extended..._suppFINAL.pdf Willamette Basin Explorer http://willametteexplorer.info/index.aspx University of Missouri Extension http://extension.missouri.edu/index.aspx Click on “Natural Resources”. Oregon Conservation Strategy http://www.dfw.state.or.us/conservat...y/contents.asp (Key chapters and pages on CD are listed below) Ch.2 pg.53 One example of web-based technical assistance is the Missouri Conservation Assistance Guide (http://outreach.missouri.edu/mowin/c...ide2/guide.htm). The Mis*souri Extension Service has developed an interactive web*site that allows landowners to easily explore the range of federal and state assistance programs available for different types of conservation projects. Landowners can learn what programs might be most useful to them by se*lecting options on what resources they want to conserve, specific management practices, or types of assistance. Pg. 65 What is Adaptive Management? Because natural systems and conservation issues are inherently complex, natural resource managers must continuously learn from their experi*ences as they restore habitats or implement other conservation actions. They must then adapt their approaches to respond to new information or to changing conditions. This process is called “adaptive manage*ment.” In adaptive management, resource managers assess results of actions and modify their future actions, viewing each action as an experiment. However, adaptive management is not just trial-and-error. It is a thoughtful and rational process in which assumptions are tested so resource managers can determine not only what actions work, but why. An example framework: Assess existing condition. Develop concepts about what factors are creating the current conditions. Determine desired conditions. Determine what actions could be implemented to address factors contributing to current conditions. 1. 2. Take planned action. Detect change over time and compare to desired conditions. Analyze and evaluate monitoring results. Refine con*cepts about what factors are creating the current conditions and how conservation actions should be modified (if at all). Modify conservation actions accordingly. Repeat process over time. Ideally, the lessons learned through adaptive management are shared extensively so conservation actions can become more effective and cost-efficient over larger areas. By sharing results researchers and resource managers can view results in a broader context of space and time.3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Example of a conservation strategy from another state (Missouri): Like all states, Missouri has prepared a comprehensive wildlife conserva*tion strategy and offers one model for monitoring. Missouri Depart*ment of Conservation’s approach to effectiveness monitoring will link targets (species, natural communities, restored habitats, and abiotic factors) to proposed conservation actions. Missouri will focus conserva*tion actions and monitoring in priority landscapes called Conservation Opportunity Areas (COA’s). COA Advocacy Groups (local partners and stakeholders) will define desired future conditions and needed actions. An Expert Review Panel will evaluate wildlife lists for the primary habitat types and develop a list of “monitorable” targets. This recommendation will be forwarded to the COA Advocacy Group members, and they will decide what to monitor. Effectiveness monitoring will build on the pres*ent monitoring activities by all conservation partners active in the COA, not just the Missouri Department of Conservation. Missouri believes that the best approach to evaluating the health of landscapes and natural communities is to monitor priority environmen*tal parameters or multi-taxa groups of animals and plants, rather than monitoring individual priority species. Good choices for monitoring targets are species that are representative of the habitats, communities that characterize the target landscape, and abiotic factors like water quality measures that provide clues to environmental health. The best choices for monitoring targets are species and communities (or related elements of the community) that respond to habitat change, are detect*able and to the degree possible, demonstrate public interest and support. “Willamette Valley Ecoregion” Conservation issues and actions: Habitat, invasive species, strategy species Ch.3 pg. 124-145 Habitat: Conservation summaries for strategy habitats. Ch.4 pg.1-2, 9-37, 42-56 Species: Conservation summaries for strategy species. Ch5. ALL Sources of Forest Stewardship Information Two key documents can provide valuable information as you begin to develop your stewardship plan using the NASF handbook: 1) Oregon Board of Forestry’s 2003 “Forestry Program for Oregon” which is based on the same set of seven stewardship principles, provides a thorough discussion of the reasons that each of the principles is important to consider for the sustainable management of Oregon’s forests, and has specific details about the status of Oregon forest land; and 2) Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2006 “The Oregon Conservation Strategy,” a comprehensive source of information about Oregon fish and wildlife and their habitats which provides an overview of special ecosystem concerns in each major region of the state and information about special plants and animals in each area. NASF Stewardship Principles Principle 1 Help conserve the variety of plants, animals, and trees in your forest and the surrounding landscape Principle 2 Maintain and improve productivity of your forest, both trees and nonwood products Principle 3 Maintain and improve the health and vigor of your forest and local watershed Principle 4 Protect soil fertility and water quality Principle 5 Manage your forest to help store carbon in soils, live trees, standing and fallen dead trees Principle 6 Manage your forest to help contribute to your community’s economy and quality of life Principle 7 Comply with applicable regulations and develop good management practices to serve the common good of your community Oregon Department of Forestry - Private Forests Program http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/privateforests/index.shtml Improving Oregon's Wildlife & Fish Habitat http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/privatefo...Wildlife.shtml Oregon Woodlands Assistance Catalog http://www.oregonwoodlands.org/ Forestland and Timber Harvest Taxes http://www.oregon.gov/DOR/TIMBER/index.shtml Oregon Small Woodlands Association http://www.oswa.org/

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat...tml/ec/ec1132/ Stand Management Thinning Systems for Western Oregon Douglas-fir Stands Reprinted July 2003 Contents Basic stand growth Thinning options Timing High and low thinning Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Intensity and frequency Stocking guides Table 1 How do you put it all together? What is best for you? Summary Thinning is removing selected trees from a stand to allow others to continue growing. Ordinarily, a woodland manager uses a thinning system that encourages the remaining trees to grow in a manner consistent with the manager's objectives for those trees. This publication will help you understand how to thin Douglas-fir. It also will help you choose the proper thinning system to achieve your objectives. You can apply the methods discussed here to all predominantly even-age and well-stocked Douglas-fir stands west of the Cascade crest in Oregon. Thinning is the best way to maintain maximum diameter and board-foot volume growth in Douglas-fir stands. It can produce income at 5- to 10-year intervals instead of at 30- to 50-year intervals without thinning. It also can lengthen the time span in which a stand produces income. Basic stand growth A stand is a collection of living trees. It usually begins as hundreds of small seedlings per acre of land. As these trees grow larger, they eventually occupy all the growing space, crowd out lower growing plants, and compete with each other just as carrots compete in a garden. Unless some of the trees die or are removed, others cannot continue to grow. Certain trees dominate by slowly pulling ahead of their neighbors. They become stand dominants or codominants (see Figure 1) and later are harvested as crop trees. Those that lose in this race for space, water, and light gradually fall behind, becoming intermediate and eventually overtopped or suppressed trees. They slowly die, fall to the forest floor, and rot. Thinning removes trees before growth slows, thereby preventing mortality. It keeps crop trees growing rapidly. It is easy to see the result of this process in the relative size of tree crowns (crown class) and stems within an undisturbed stand. Dominant trees have the largest diameters and crowns, whereas suppressed trees are smaller in diameter and shorter and have thin, short crowns. In extreme cases of stand competition, growth in both diameter and height is restricted and trees stagnate, staying virtually the same size for years. A proper thinning system prevents stagnation. Fortunately, Douglas-fir does not tend to stagnate, especially on more productive sites. Figure 1.--A typical Douglas-fir stand with dominant (D), codominant ©, intermediate (I), and overtopped (O) trees. A wolf tree (W)-one that occupies more space than it warrants--is also part of the stand. The relative amount of live crown, height, and diameter of each tree determines its crown class. Thinning options Timing Precommercial thinning is thinning before trees are large enough to sell. Its objective is to give young trees room to grow as quickly as possible to merchantable size. Precommercial thinning is necessary when young stands are overstocked or some trees are poorly formed. (Young Douglas-fir stands are considered overstocked if they have more than 350 to 400 trees per acre.) Although a precommercial thinning can be expensive, most foresters agree it is economically advantageous. Delaying precommercial thinning delays the accumulation of merchantable board-foot volume, increases mortality, and increases risk of stagnation. The chief disadvantage of precommercial thinning is the expense. However, federal cost-share assistance might be available (see OSU Extension publication EC 1119, Incentive Programs for Woodland Management and Resource Conservation). A rule of thumb is to precommercially thin stands to a 10- or 15-foot average spacing by age 15 or before trees are 20 feet tall. This allows trees enough room to reach commercial size before competition slows diameter growth. Some woodland owners have inherited or bought unthinned stands that are more than 15 years old or greater than 20 feet tall but are not marketable. These owners must decide whether to wait for stands to reach commercial size slowly or to do a late precommercial thinning. If such stands are severely overstocked and tending toward stagnation, owners should complete precommercial thinnings. Some woodland owners have found markets for material that is too small for saw logs. This allows recovery of some precommercial thinning expense. Fenceposts, barn poles, and firewood are a few of the products. Commercial thinning turns a profit immediately. A good commercial thinning system improves the stand's ability to grow, thereby producing further profit. It leaves healthy trees with live crowns extending more than 30 percent of the length of the trees' height. Also, proper thinning does not injure leave trees--those that remain after thinning. Collectively, leave trees compose the growing stock. Thinning shock, sunscald, and windthrow are major reasons to avoid delaying thinnings. Thinning shock When stands are allowed to compete excessively, the crown recedes to the uppermost portion of the tree. When thinned, these small-crowned trees are not capable of using the added light and space. In fact, they may experience thinning shock and stop growing for a few years after thinning. Sunscald Tree trunks exposed suddenly to the sun after thinning might react with a condition called sunscald in which the hot sun on the south side of the tree kills the living and growing portion of the tree immediately under the bark. This results in defective logs and reduced growth and profit from future harvests. Windthrow and breakage may occur after heavy thinning in stands left too long unthinned. The slender trees that a late precommercial thinning leaves are often bent or broken by wind or snow. Thus, promptly thinning Douglas-fir stands will prevent problems in addition to promoting rapid growth. High and low thinning Commercial thinning strategies include high (top or crown) thinning and low thinning. They differ by the crown class of trees removed. Each system has its own characteristics. A high thinning removes dominant and codominant trees, but not to the point where the growing capacity of the stand is seriously reduced (see Figure 2). You must carefully choose the relatively few dominants to remove so you give other dominants, codominants, and even some intermediate trees a better chance to continue growing. High grading is high thinning carried too far. It removes so many trees that future stand growth and tree form are downgraded. High grading eventually results in financial loss because it robs the growing stock to the extent that future growth is reduced excessively. Figure 2.--The stand in Figure 1 will look like this after a high thinning removes various dominant trees, leaving codominants, dominants, intermediate, and overtopped trees to continue growing. As compared with low thinning, high thinning has the advantage of increasing the volume per tree cut. Because large trees are cut, the average stand diameter decreases, and leave trees have smaller live crown ratios. Proper high thinning, however, leaves many stems per acre. Its chief advantages are that it: • Allows early logging of marginally commercial stands • Reduces logging costs by taking only a few large trees per acre • Makes more options available for future thinnings The major disadvantage of high thinning is that people tend to get greedy and take too many dominant and codominant trees. This leads to thinning shock and poor growth response in the remaining trees and turns an intended high thinning into an objectionable high-grade cut. A low thinning removes the less competitive trees from a stand (see Figure 3). It takes all overtopped, intermediate, and some codominant trees. The remaining dominants and codominants, which had the best crown positions, continue growing. Since slow-growing trees are removed, the stand continues to grow at a rapid rate. To remove the same amount of board-foot volume, you need to remove more trees in a low thinning than in a high thinning. Because you remove the less competitive trees, you must take more of them to maintain or increase growth of the remaining dominant and codominant trees. A common problem in low thinning is not taking enough trees. Logging costs are high because many small trees are removed. If the stand is large enough to be only marginally commercial, you may have to wait several years to get a profitable low thinning, but you could carry out a high thinning immediately. The chief advantages of low thinning are: • Little delay in growth response • Little risk of windthrow or thinning shock because the trees that remain are those that were exposed to nearly full sun before thinning If special products are your objective, you can use a combined high and low thinning. For example, managing for poles and piling requires frequently thinning trees from either high- or low-crown classes. A common practice is to do a high thinning as the first commercial thin, following with a low thinning later in the life of the stand. You have a great deal of flexibility in thinning strategy as long as it improves your stand. Intensity and frequency Thinnings vary in intensity or number of trees removed. A thinning that removes only a few trees is referred to as light; a heavy thinning removes more trees. Frequency or how often thinning is done, is another major difference in thinnings. You can thin several times or only once during the life of an individual stand. Increasing frequency may increase injury to remaining trees as well as increase soil compaction on the site. Thinning at 5-year intervals is considered high frequency; a 20-year interval is low frequency. Frequency and intensity apply equally to high and low thinning systems. Consider them a unit. To maintain an acceptable level of growing stock, you must balance the two--if you increase intensity, reduce frequency. In summary, thinning systems vary with respect to: Timing--precommercial or commercial? Strategy--which crown classes to remove? Intensity--how many trees to remove? Figure 3.--The stand in Figure 1 will look like this after a low thinning removes all intermediate, most overtopped, and some codominant trees, leaving dominant trees to grow. Sometimes a low thinning removes wolf trees because they take up so much growing space. These factors influence a stand's response in terms of volume growth rate, type of product produced, extent of defect, species composition, and ultimately, the dollars returned from harvested timber. Stocking guides The stocking guidelines in Table 1 are averages based on measurements taken in hundreds of Douglas-fir stands. Well-stocked stands have average spacing and trees per acre that range between the understocked and overstocked limits. Research has shown that this is the approximate size and distance at which the full potential of a site is captured on fast-growing crop trees without tree mortality. Before you thin, compare the present condition of your stand to your target stand. Determine your target stand by looking at the overstocked column in Table 1. If you want your stand to grow to 16 inches in diameter, leave 160 trees per acre at about 17-foot spacing. Table 1.--Trees per acre and spacing limits for even-age Douglas-fir standsa Understocked stands have Overstocked stands have Average stand diameter (inches) Fewer trees per acre than Wider spacing than about (feet) More trees per acre than Narrower average spacing than about (feet) aTrees per acre and spacing for well-stocked stands fall between the understocked and overstocked limits. marketable as quickly as possible. Because the trees are not crowded, they should For example, a stand with a 14-inch average diameter is considered well stocked if it has 90 to 200 trees per acre. The average acceptable distance between trees is 15 to 22 feet. If the stand is near the limit of 200 trees per acre, you should thin it soon. If it is near the 90-trees-per-acre limit, it will be years before thinning is advisable or necessary. When using the stocking guidelines, it is important to realize that thinning changes the average diameter of trees in a stand. A low thinning removes small trees, increasing the average stand diameter. In contrast, high thinning reduces the average stand diameter because it removes large trees. This change in average diameter can affect the number of trees and spacing you use as a thinning target. For example, consider a 14-inch stand with 200 trees per acre. A high thinning that reduces the average diameter by 2 inches should leave no fewer than 120 trees per acre. On the other hand, a low thinning that increases average diameter by 2 inches could leave as few as 75 trees per acre. You have considerable flexibility in the frequency and intensity of cuts. If cuts are frequent, restrict intensity. Infrequent cuts, however, can be more intense. The time it takes to grow from under- to overstocking depends on the productivity of a site. On a low site, this might take 20 years; on a high site, perhaps only 5. Nevertheless, the relationship holds for all sites where Douglas-fir can produce a fully stocked stand. How do you put it all together? Imagine you have a 10-year-old stand on high-site ground with more than 1,200 stems per acre and an average diameter of 2 inches. If you do nothing, the stand will be overstocked long before the trees have 8-inch diameters. Growth will slow, and trees will die. Unfortunately, markets for small material are extremely limited. Therefore, you decide to do a pre-commercial thinning. From the stocking table, you see that leaving 280 trees per acre will allow trees to reach 12 inches in diameter before the stand is over-stocked. Therefore, you remove three of every four trees, resulting in a 12- or 13-foot spacing. This spacing will produce fast growth on individual trees, and the stand will become grow at about three annual rings per inch of radius. In 10 to 12 years, the average stand diameter should be 12 inches. The stand will have grown to the point of overstocking, and it should be thinned at that time. You decide to remove one-third of the trees, leaving about 200 trees at a spacing of about 15 feet. If trees have an average growth rate of five rings per inch, these trees will need another 8 years to reach an average diameter of 15 inches. At that time, you remove 100 15-inch trees in a profitable commercial thinning. This leaves about 100 trees per acre. You allow these trees to grow until they reach a 20-inch average diameter--the point of being overstocked. At that time, you harvest the rest of the trees and plant a new stand. In another example, imagine you have three stands, each averaging 12 inches in diameter. Stocking is 100, 200, and 400 trees per acre. What do you do? First, it is important to thin the dense stand down to about 120 trees per acre (18-foot spacing); otherwise, trees will die soon. The stand with 200 trees per acre is in good shape--for now--but you should thin it after it grows 3 inches in diameter. The stand with only 100 trees per acre will have room to grow for years before the trees average 20 inches in diameter. Then, you would most likely harvest all the trees and plant a new stand. What is best for you? Several factors determine which thinning system is best for you. Of critical importance are the conditionof your stand and the steepnessof your ground. Your management objectivesand financial situationhave a strong influence on what you should and can do. For example, you'll need to consider whether you need a periodic income from your woodland property and whether you can afford out-of-pocket expenses. Other factors include the timeyou have to devote to planning and executing thinnings, your skill levelfor doing part or all of the work, and your aesthetic tastes(light thinnings are less noticeable than heavy thinnings). Both high and low thinnings require skill, experience, and judgment. However, some foresters believe damage is more likely during high thinning. A novice thinner might do a low thinning to be more cautious. A forest's appearance is important to most landowners. Both high and low thinnings can be done in a way that leaves the forest neat and attractive. However, each system produces a different result. High thinning creates greater diversity of tree size but relatively few large trees. Low thinning produces a more uniform forest because big trees are left to grow bigger. Regardless of whether high or low, intense thinnings tend to create a more open, sunny, brushy forest than do less drastic thinnings. Infrequent thinnings allow the forest more time to return to an undisturbed state than do frequent entries. Either of these characteristics might influence you toward one thinning system instead of another. Fragile areas (stream banks and wetlands) and areas with access problems can influence your selection of a thinning system. You might use intense, infrequent thinnings to reduce the number of times you disturb a fragile site. In a similar case, you might decide infrequent logging entry is the best way to reduce the environmental impact of a temporary stream crossing. Stands on very steep slopes (greater than 60 percent) require expensive cable logging. They are difficult to thin because logging can damage residual trees. The best strategy might be a heavy precommercial thinning followed by final harvest. (A 16-foot spacing would produce 170 trees with 14- to 16-inch diameters for final harvest.) On moderately steep ground (40 to 60 percent slopes), infrequent thinning allows you to take enough volume to make cable yarding profitable. If your ground is gentle (less than 25 percent slope), you can choose from an array of thinning systems. In young, marginally commercial stands, an intense high thinning might be necessary to cut enough big logs to pay for the thinning operation. This could improve the stand if most of the trees cut are defective or of poor quality. A high thinning can turn into a high grade when it removes most of the trees capable of good growth. In older stands, you might use either a high or low thinning system or a combination of both. The type of products you can market may affect your choice of thinning system. A high price for poles of a certain length may dictate taking those trees that qualify. Damage to trees from insects, disease, and weather also can influence thinning. If wind and ice damage large trees, a high thinning would be logical. The type of thinning system you choose will also influence the way you regenerate a future stand of Douglas-fir. A heavy, high thinning often promotes natural seeding in of western redcedar and western hemlock. You can encourage this by managing a forest with continued thinning and no final clear-cut. Low-intensity, low thinnings at frequent intervals lead to a clear-cut, and you will need to replace the stand with young and vigorous trees. When you fully understand these implications, you can choose a thinning system that delivers the kind of benefits you seek from your forest land at a time when you need them. Summary The thinning concepts described here are not difficult, but they may be confusing as you read them for the first time and try to relate them to each other. Here is a review of the key concepts. Crown class Dominants--Larger than average trees with crowns that extend above a stand's crown level. Codominants--Medium-size trees that form the general level of crown cover. Intermediate--Trees that are shorter than dominants and codominants, with crowns below or extending into the crown cover formed by the larger trees. Overtopped--Small trees with crowns below crown-cover level. Types of thinning Precommercial thinning--Removing small trees in a young stand to reduce competition and accelerate commercial growth of remaining trees. Consider this first thinning an investment, because what you spend now will pay off later. Commercial thinning--A profitable operation that removes trees from a developing stand to give the remaining trees more growing space. It improves individual tree growth. High thinning--Removing large dominant and codominant trees, thereby releasing the remaining trees to grow more rapidly. Low thinning--Removing small, noncompetitive trees (overtopped, intermediate, and some codominants) so remaining trees can continue rapid growth. Thinning factors Intensity--The number of trees you remove. It can be light (removing only a few trees) or heavy (removing a lot of trees). Frequency--How often you thin. It can be high (5-year intervals) or low (20-year intervals). The present condition of your stand, your management objectives and constraints, and the amount of time and skill you can devote to managing your stand are important factors in determining the best thinning system for you. Thinning systems vary according to: Frequency of cutting Intensity of cutting Proportion of crown class removed (high or low thinning) Many combinations of frequency and intensity will keep your stands well stocked. Do remember that intensity and frequency must balance each other--if intensity is high, keep frequency low. High thinning tends to produce greater income in early logging entries than does low thinning. Low thinning tends to produce greater income in later logging entries and creates a forest with greater standing timber volume and therefore greater value. Because of these differences, high thinnings appeal to landowners who need a larger cash flow in the present decade than in the decades to come. Low thinnings appeal to landowners who want to defer income into future decades. Guidelines for precommercial thinning of Douglas-fir By: Donald L. Reukema http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr030.pdf Response of birds to thinning http://fresc.usgs.gov/products/fs/fs-033-03.pdf Silviculture/Ecology of thinning http://www.fsl.orst.edu/cfer/product.../Tappeiner.pdf

Turkey Wild Turkey Management USDA http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov/reference...ic/AL/645b.pdf Turkey Management http://www.turkeymanagement.com/ National Wild Turkey Federation http://www.nwtf.org/conservation/ Management Practices for Retaining and Creating Habitat Habitat management for turkeys is mostly a matter of retaining, creating and managing suitable food, cover and water. Ideal cover is a well protected area of several hundred acres. Ninety percent of the area may be forestland, with a variety of timber types, one half of which should be mature hardwoods predominantly oaks. The forest understory should be open. At least 10 percent of the area should be in well distributed grassy openings. As much as 50 percent of the area may be open if the area isn’t heavily used by people. Create woodland openings of one acre or more in size, at least 200 feet wide and well distributed. Such openings allow maximum sunshine to reach the floor, thereby ensuring high production of low-growing vegetation from which turkeys can obtain insects. Adults use openings for resting and feeding. If there are trails or roads through the woodlands, these should be seeded with grass or clover and grass mixtures. Turkeys usually select areas with dense brush, tall grass and fallen tree tops for nesting. Important brood habitat includes forested areas with moderate herbaceous understories, forest clearings, forest savannas, power line rights-of-way and a water source. Excellent habitat for poults would be fallow fields and woodlands with an open canopy that allows plants to grow at ground level. These areas usually have an abundance of insects and moderate vegetation which allows young poults to move freely. Prescribed burning can help maintain relatively open understory. Habitat Maintenance Maintain an open understory in woodland. Turkeys thrive where openings comprise as little as 5 percent of the total area and as much as 50 percent. To retain turkeys throughout the year on heavily forested land or to attract them during the spring, provide openings of 5-20 acres. Long narrow openings are provided by utility rights-of-way, or by widening logging roads. Prescribed burning, brush control, release cutting, and other practices may be used in maintaining turkey foods in woodland. Prescribed burning increases the stands of annual grasses, wild legumes and other desirable foods of the wild turkey, especially in pine woodland. Maintain in early stages of succession by periodic mowing, disking, burning or other means. Vegetation in openings should be no higher than one foot, especially during most of the growing season. Improved pastures provide excellent feeding areas for hens and older poults. Mow ungrazed or lightly grazed openings during mid-summer to stimulate new growth and to prevent such areas from becoming too thick. Avoid mowing during nesting season. Restrict mowing in areas of turkey habitat between mid March and early June. Field edges should provide a subtle transition from woodland to opening, allowing poults to have access to cover when feeding in fields. This can be done by thinning trees along field edges or allowing edges to revert to brushy cover. If fields or pastures are heavily grazed, build fences several yards out from the woodlands to prevent cows from cleanly grazing field edges. Young pine plantations are low quality turkey habitat when compared to mature pine, pine-hardwood and hardwood forests. Restrict pine management to sites best suited to pine production. Small pine plantings of less than 1/2 acre in size may increase habitat diversity for turkey because they provide thermal cover and roost sites. Leave hardwood dominated drains and stream bottoms uncut when harvesting or establishing pine stands. Retain soft and hard mast producers in uplands. Thin pine stands as liberally as needed. Prescribe burn as soon as the tree height in young stands allows safe burning. Restrict management activities such as prescribed burning during nesting season. Prescribed Burning Fire is among the most valuable and cost-effective tools available for managing habitat yet is probably the least understood. A prescribed burn removes vegetation from only part of the total area. Additionally, the recovery of burned areas is swift and the resulting new vegetation and conditions on the ground are much more user friendly for wildlife. Benefits include: reducing plant litter, the accumulation of which makes walking and food foraging difficult for poults; controls woody plants; releases dormant seeds; and increases the number of small insects attracted to the new vegetation. Burning in late winter or early spring removes litter and grass thatch and encourages butterfly pea, lespedezas, milkpeas, partridge peas and beggarlice. Burn a tract once every 2-3 years. Areas left alone will advance into less desirable stages of succession and will produce unfavorable habitat for wildlife. Land users should either undergo training or become certified in the use of prescribed fire, or retain a professional who has training and experience in prescribed burning. It is essential to have the proper equipment and permits to plan and conduct a controlled fire. Food Habits If one wants to manage for any wildlife species, the first thing to realize is that every animal requires food, cover, water, and space. Managing all these components creates a recipe for success and turkey management is no different. All species of wild turkey are omnivorous, foraging on the ground or climbing shrubs and small trees to feed. Turkeys prefer eating hard mast (such as acorns) from various trees including hazel, chestnut, hickory, oak, and pinyon pine, as well as various seeds and berries (such as juniper and bearberry), plant roots, and insects. Turkeys are very opportunistic and also known to occasionally consume small vertebrates like snakes, frogs, lizards, and salamanders. Young turkeys, or poults, have been observed eating insects, berries, and seeds. Poults require a protein-rich diet which can be obtained my consuming invertebrates such as grasshoppers, crickets, and other grassland invertebrates. Wild turkeys often feed in forest openings, woodlands, open grasslands, and even native and improved pastures. In urban or suburban areas, turkeys will sometimes visit backyard bird feeders to search for seed that has fallen on the ground. Although turkeys are very wary, they can adapt to human encroachment in some cases. Turkeys are known to eat a wide variety of grasses. In fact, around 80% of a turkey’s diet is made up of grass! Turkeys enjoy small, tender native grasses and also commercially grown plants such as oats, wheat, and rye. Turkey populations can reach large numbers in small areas because of their ability to forage for different types of food. This can pose serious crop depredation issues for farmers in areas where wild turkey populations flourish. Wild turkeys are crepuscular, meaning they enjoy feed during early morning and late afternoon. Because turkeys feed on a variety of foods, habitat diversity is a key component for an effective turkey management program. Ensure that the habitat found on your property includes areas where turkey can feed on mast, forbs, grasses, and insects. Turkey food habits vary by age and by season. Two of the most important factors in Rio Grande turkey habitat are usable space and the interspersion of habitat types. Usable space refers to the amount of area a population requires to fulfill biological, behavioral, and physiological requirements. Therefore, population size would logically increase as the amount of usable space increases, and as usable space decreases, so should population size. Wild turkeys typically require large areas of unusable space to support viable, sustaining populations. With this fact, if suitable habitat exists, but only available on a small scale (such as a small ranch) then not even the best turkey management program can create usable space. A turkey’s range is defined as the area it uses while engaged in normal activities of gathering food, breeding, and caring for offspring. Total range is difficult to determine for the life of most animals due to difficulties following individuals throughout their entire lifespan. As a result, biologists often report seasonal and annual ranges. Research conducted in Texas found that annual range sizes vary between 3,500 and 6,500 acres. Seasonal range shifts occur due to changes in resources and habitat requirements. Rio Grande turkeys are highly mobile, and annual movements can vary between 5 to 25 miles! Rio Grande wild turkeys do not migrate, but they do exhibit pronounced seasonal shifts and may have distinct summer and winter ranges. Because of their mobility, Rio Grande turkey ranges often exceed the size of a single property. Small properties of less than 1,000 acres may still provide essential components of Rio Grande wild turkey habitat requirements. For example, areas containing roost sites or quality nesting or brooding areas are vital, so alteration of these areas can significantly impact wild turkey populations. Therefore, small acreage landowners may benefit from working cooperatively with neighbors to collectively provide essential components of Rio Grande wild turkey habitat. Rio Grande turkeys require two basic habitat types, wooded areas and open areas. The amount and interspersion of these two types may determine habitat quality and are essential is attracting and maintaining turkey populations. One study in the northeast found that in areas with greater interspersion of forests and open areas supported larger turkey populations. Habitat suitability increased by providing smaller, irregularly shaped patches rather than a few large patches. This effectively increases the amount of diversity. Although the proportion of wooded and open areas may vary between and within ecoregions, habitat will always consist of the same two components. This is particularly important with the proliferation of small land ownerships. It’s something that all turkey management programs must address, but can land fragmentation and wild turkey populations can co-exist if the turkey’s habitat requirements are met. Nesting Turkey nests have been found in a variety of habitats, but nest are usually situated in close proximity to woody vegetation. Sites are primarily selected for their undergrowth characteristics. Nests are often found at the base of trees or against fallen logs. Though turkeys will not usually select wide-open grasslands for nesting, hens will often select a nest site near a trail or open area. This allows for access to the nest and the trail or open area may be used for a feeding area during incubation. Turkey nests are a shallow depression formed mostly by scratching, squatting, and laying eggs. Most hens lay one egg a day, and have a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs. Laying hens cover the eggs with leaves or other material, while incubating hens leave the eggs exposed. Turkey nesting means behavioral and habitat use changes for turkey hens. Most subspecies of wild turkey are gregarious, but turkey hens change their behavior during the nesting season. When a turkey hen starts looking for a nest site she will avoid all other hens. Once a site is selected, this behavior continues to occur in an area of a half mile around the selected nesting site. However, when she is further out from the nest the hen will associate with other turkeys. Hens that are incubating may occasionally roost in trees for the night, even after incubating continuously for several days. Most incubating hens leave the nest every day to feed, but occasionally they may skip a day. When a hen leaves the nest, she leaves the nest uncovered and goes directly to water, drink, defecate, and then feed. Time off the nest varies from day to day and weather can play a factor in her outings. On hot days hens seem to feed longer and in a more leisurely manner than on cold days. This makes sense because eggs will remain warmer for longer when the outside temperature is warmer. Turkeys have an incubation period of about 26 days. Hatching begins with pipping. Pipping is when the poult uses is egg tooth (hard, sharp spike on the upper beak) to break the shell. The pipping poults rotate in the egg to make a complete break around the large end of the egg. Hatching takes about 24 hours. Once the poult frees itself from the egg it is ready to follow the hen within 12-24 hours. And though large expanses of open grasslands are rarely used for nesting, these areas are important feeding areas for poults. A variety of plant communities is important for the success of local turkey population success, so ensure that your turkey management plan focuses on all of the seasonal needs of wild turkey. Ground-nesting birds have an average success rate of about 15%, but the success of turkey nests can range from 0 to 50% depending upon habitat condition, predators, and environmental factors. Predators http://www.nwtf.org/NAWTMP/literatur...ld_turkeys.pdf Predation can play a role in limiting turkey populations, but it is more likely that the problem is poor habitat quality that makes birds, their nests, and broods more vulnerable to predation. Turkeys have evolved behaviors and reproductive strategies to cope with predation, but in highly fragmented landscapes predators may be more efficient in finding turkeys and their nests. This is particularly true for nest predators such as raccoons, skunks, and opossums. In areas with poor brood habitat quality, such as low stem densities or poor overhead cover, turkeys and poults may be more vulnerable to avian predators such as hawks and owls. In these cases, habitat management is critical for long term turkey management and viable turkey hunting. Larger predators, such as coyotes, may impact turkeys or other game birds on a small scale, but it is unclear whether they can affect turkey populations in large regions.

Management Plan Example: Introduction This plan applies to a 1,000-acre parcel of forest and grass seed land on the (blank) property. The plan outlines four treatments aimed at improving overall forest health, reducing lethal fire hazard, wildlife conservation, and maintaining aesthetic values. This forest contains relatively healthy trees, but its sustainability is threatened by overstocking, growth stagnation, increased susceptibility to insect and disease epidemics, and increased hazard of severe wildfire. This treatment plan is designed to optimize the health and aesthetic value of the forest. This plan enhances the long term economic value of the forests on the property. In contrast, a plan to maximize current harvest income would remove the largest and most vigorous trees, diminishing the aesthetic qualities and timber values of the property. (Your company of choosing) will provide the consulting foresters and contractors for this project. Our employees and subcontractors are trained and experienced in the art and science of restoration forestry, and in the importance of aesthetic considerations as well. Site Description The Ranch has a very diverse forest. Stand structure and species composition vary with the changing aspects and topographic sites. The north aspects and riparian area along Woodland Creek support the moist habitats which contain western red cedar, grand fir, and white spruce. Any treatment activities in the riparian area must protect this sensitive, valuable community and comply with Montana's Streamside Management Zone Law. Douglas-fir, western larch, and lodgepole pine share dominance in the over story on the upland easterly aspects of the ranch. On the slopes facing more toward the south, ponderosa pine becomes increasingly common. Stumps and growth rings of older trees indicate that the forest was logged around 1900. The oldest trees sampled were ponderosa pines approximately 175 years old, but most of the overstory trees are 90-100 years old. Where the forest canopy is more open dense clumps of younger grand fir and Douglas-fir occur. The basal area for this forest currently ranges from 130 to 210 square feet per acre. Silvicultural Design The objectives of the proposed treatments are to promote forest health, reduce lethal fire hazard, wildlife conservation, and enhance aesthetic values. To implement these objectives we propose a light thinning where all the largest, healthiest trees will be retained. The more fire-resistant species—western ponderosa pine --will be preferred for leave trees. The majority of the trees that would be cut would be smaller Douglas-fir and susceptible lodgepole pine. The following criteria will direct the treatment. 1. The largest most vigorous trees will be retained. 2. Most small trees in overstocked areas will be removed. 3. Most trees with poor vigor or damage from insect or disease attack will be removed. 4. Snags will be left standing for wildlife habitat. Scattered groups of small trees that do not create dangerous fuel ladders will be retained to provide canopy level diversity and hiding cover for wildlife. The more vigorous trees tend to grow in groups and therefore leave tree spacing will be irregular as a reflection of these natural conditions. This approach is in direct contrast with most forestry and logging where an unnatural, even tree spacing is desired. Harvest Plan The basal area of the stand after treatment will average ( ) square feet per acre, but will range from ( ) square feet in accordance with variations in site productivity. The harvest is estimated to remove about ( ) mbf and this will leave approximately ( ) mbf of the best timber standing after treatment. Treatment will begin in the northeast corner of the property (Stand A--see map). In this area bark beetles have killed and continue to infest most of the lodgepole pine. Healthy white spruce, Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine are mixed throughout this site. Harvest here will remove all but the most vigorous, lodgepole pine while being careful to protect the remaining trees from damage. These operations will be performed while the ground is frozen or extremely dry. These operations should pay for themselves. The adjacent area to the west (Stand B on map) will be treated next using the same harvest selection criteria as outlined above. The volume harvested from these stands is estimated to yield approximately ($) above treatment costs. In the remainder of the forest (approximately 90 acres), income from the volume harvested would not be sufficient to cover the treatment costs. We estimate the income from stands A and B would be adequate to allow treatment of approximately sixty additional acres. Treatment of the rest of the forest would require investing additional money to cover the difference between harvest income and costs. Harvest Design Thinning will be done primarily with cut-to-length technology. This system will use a rubber tired harvester-processor and a rubber tired log forwarder to minimize damage to the remaining stand and the soil. The harvester processes trees at the stump, so there is no need to drag whole trees out of the forest and slash is treated in the woods which benefits nutrient cycling. This system also greatly reduces the need to create large openings in the forest for log decks and slash piles (landings). Scarring of leave trees will be further minimized by careful operation. Soil disturbance is minimized because the forwarder carries logs instead of skidding them. Soil disturbance will be further minimized by operation on frozen or dry ground. Some of the large dead lodgepole pine will be removed as long logs with a skidder in order to maximize their value as house logs. These dry, light-weight logs represent a small portion of the total volume and when skidded carefully there will be no significant impact. For Stand C we will consider using a whole-tree harvest system because: there will be no need to cut a big landing in the forest since we can use the field; the trees and skid distances are short so damage to leave trees can be prevented; since trees are small and crowded a feller- buncher can be more efficient than a cut-to-length harvester; and the terrain in this stand is gentle, therefore damage to the soil will be minimal when the work is done on dry or frozen ground. The steep slopes in Stand D will require using a special kind of cable yarder called an excaliner, or a helicopter. This will require extra effort in leave tree selection and implementation, but when implemented correctly both systems will produce a residual stand that is aesthetically pleasing. The system we choose will depend on economic considerations at the time of implementation. Fuels treatment Following the thinning, slash will be carefully piled with a rubber tired grapple machine. This method produces much less soil disturbance and visual impact than the common practice of pushing slash together with a bulldozer or dragging whole trees to large landings. In woods grapple piling reduces fire hazard while helping to keep nutrients in the forest. The small piles will be burned during suitable weather conditions to exceed the State of Montana slash disposal requirements. Wildlife The ranch provides habitat for deer, elk, black bear, mountain lion, wolves, and a variety of smaller mammals. This habitat will be enhanced by opening the tree canopy in places. This will promote the growth of grasses including rough fescue, Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass. Opening the canopy will also stimulate the growth of shrubs including chokecherry, serviceberry, Scouler’s willow and snowberry. All of these plants provide important food sources for wildlife, but they are all in decline due to shading from the dense tree canopy. The tree thinning will be done in a conservative fashion, so wildlife cover should not be adversely affected. To maintain more structural diversity and provide more hiding cover, several areas of 5 to 15 acres will be left untreated. The landowner will continue monitoring for weeds to be sure opening the tree canopy does not reveal any new infestations. Roads This project will not require any new roads. The current road drainage will be reconfigured in the area near Woodland Creek to reduce the amount of sediment the road currently adds to the creek. This will improve water quality in Woodland Creek significantly during runoff. Adaptive Management As treatments are being implemented, adaptive management techniques will be utilized to ensure that the key objectives are being met. If a goal is not being met, or a problem with a treatment arises, the treatment will be adapted to correct the problem and meet the desired goal.

GETTING STARTED WITH WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT When you decide to create or enhance wildlife habitat on your property there are several considerations. First, you should determine your goals and objectives for enhancing wildlife habitat. Your perception of wildlife habitat and ultimately the decision of what will be created rests with you. When determining your goals and objectives you need to decide if you are going to manage for a selected wildlife species, create or maintain a specific habitat, or manage to enhance or protect biodiversity. When developing a management objective that is focused on specific species or habitats of interest, you should also consider the social and geographic context of the management area. When developing a management strategy for creating wildlife-friendly habitat, social concerns are important to identify and address. Identifying such concerns allows you to determine characteristics and issues that go beyond the boundaries of your property, and may allow for use of more socially acceptable management practices that fit into the broader agricultural landscape. For example, a wildlife corridor may extend across multiple properties connecting critical areas some distance apart. Environmental factors such as topography, soils and climate play an important role in determining how much of your property is suitable for the production of vineyard crops; other areas that are not suitable can provide habitat. Determining your objectives and the social concerns that surround your property are the first steps in creating a viable management plan. The second step is to map and classify areas within your property suitable for vineyard production and areas that currently support wildlife or may be suitable for habitat development. You should identify and map areas that are conducive to high levels of grape production. Areas that do not support high levels of production because of poor soil conditions or slope and aspect are candidate sites for restoring or developing natural vegetation and valuable wildlife habitat. When mapping vegetation, some specific habitats or components of interest are riparian zones, wetlands, oak savannahs, specific legacy trees (trees of great size, age or historical value), vegetation corridors for wildlife movement, and fertile soils. The scale of vegetation restoration and development is influenced by your management objectives for the selected wildlife species, specific habitats, or biodiversity. Wildlife species have individual habitat requirements, home ranges, and territories they need in order to persist. In determining management restoration plans, you should adjust the scope of your restoration plan to provide adequate habitat for desired species of interest. For example, a red-tailed hawk a tree swallow may find everything it needs on a small property if a nest box and open areas are present for foraging, while a red-tailed hawk may depend on multiple properties for meeting its habitat and forage requirements. Managing Habitats and Habitat Components for Biodiversity Objectives Managing for multiple, diverse species (biodiversity) is probably the most common management objective for landowners. You can increase the biodiversity on your property by retaining or creating as many native habitats as possible. Each habitat or habitat component will provide the needs of several different species and providing multiple habitats will increase the numbers of species on your property. There are several habitats or habitat components that can be provided on many vineyards including snags, legacy trees, oak woodlands, riparian areas, buffer areas. Oak Woodlands Oak woodlands and savannahs are used by over 200 species of animals that depend on the habitat for food and nesting. Oak trees provide a food source, nesting, roosting, dens, hiding cover, shade, organic litter, perches, and reduced water temperatures for all types of fish and wildlife. Less than 1% of oak-dominated habitat in Oregon is on public land. Conservation of Oregon white oak will depend on private landowners. In the Willamette Valley, less than 7% of the oak woodlands and savannas habitat remains due to conversions to agriculture, forestry and urban uses. Oak Woodland Management- Oaks are not tolerant of shading from other trees. Conifer encroachment is one of the main problems for maintain oak woodlands, because conifers over grow and shade the oaks. Physical removal or killing of encroaching conifers will help restore oak woodlands to healthy condition. An alternative is to create snags by cutting the tops off or by girdling conifers to kill them, but leaving them as snags for wildlife use. Fires in the past would thin oak woodlands, creating different aged stands and open savannas. Many of the oak woodlands today are dense and even-aged because fire suppression has caused oaks to become dense tall slender trees because of competition for sunlight. Thinning will help decrease competition for sunlight and allow the oaks to reach their potential open-crowned capacity. Thinning will increase oak structural diversity and wildlife habitat. An alternative to removing some dense oaks is to kill them and leave them as snags or logs for wildlife habitat. A list of diseases and pests that affect oaks can be found at http://www.phytosphere.com. Oak habitat conservation is a key issue for NRCS, Farm Service Agency (FSA), USFW, ODFW, and soil and water conservation districts. Contact your local offices, which may aid and support you in developing grant proposals and management plans for oak woodlands and savannas (Table 5). A guide for helping landowner’s restore and manage Oregon White Oak Habitats is also recommended (Vesley 2004). Riparian Areas A riparian area consists of native vegetation and affected by surface or subsurface water. Some native woody vegetation in Oregon riparian zones include: Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), big-leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), alder (Alnus), cherry (Prunus), salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), red elderberry (Sambucus racemosa), rose (Rosaceae), spirea (Spirea), ninebark (Physocarpus), and cascara buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana). Riparian areas have several ecological functions and include numerous benefits such as stopping or reducing the amount of sediment, nutrients, pesticides, and other pollutants from runoff. These areas provide water, food and shelter for fish and wildlife, serve as corridors for movement of fish and wildlife, contribute litter fall and woody debris used by aquatic organisms, provide shade and cooler water temperatures, and reduces or prevents bank erosion. Close to 360 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals frequent or dependent upon riparian habitats in Oregon and Washington. Riparian areas and large patches of forests that include trails can increase property value and tourism of vineyards. Riparian Area Management- There is several things a land owner may do in a riparian area to help enhance, restore, and add diversity to areas for wildlife. Native plant and tree species should be selected based on historic and current conditions in the area. Planting seedling trees and shrubs to provide shade over a stream is one of the most beneficial practices. Bare-root and tubed or plug seedling should be planted in the dormant season. Containerized seedlings work well on harsh sites or when planted at a different time than the dormant season. Tubed or plug seedlings survive well in long dry seasons and on harsh sites that are relatively low cost . Seedlings or saplings may experience high rates of mortality or stunted growth if planted improperly. Transplants should be from ecologically similar sites and planted during the dormant season. Some riparian species such as Black cottonwood, Oregon ash, red and white alder, and willow; can be started from cuttings of stems or short lengths of young shoots. Hardwood, semi-hardwood, and softwood are the three types of cuttings. Details on propagation by cuttings can be found in “Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants” (Rose et al 1998), “Silvics of North America” (Burns and Honkala 1990), and “Willamette Valley Native Plants Along Your Stream” (SSWC 1998). Adding or retaining log or log jams in streams will provide habitat for a variety of animals and plants. Wildlife may use them as pathways, while both fish and wildlife can use them as shelter or hiding cover, and they provide substrates for wetland plants. Varying tree species, length, diameter, and decomposition rates will help maximize value of woody debris in your riparian area. Grasses can be seeded by drilling, no-till drilling, or broadcasting. Drilling is the most efficient planting method with the highest establishment rate of the three methods. No-till drilling causes very little soil disturbance and limits erosion. Broadcast seeding is the least expensive and typically has the lowest establishment rate. Smaller areas can be seeded by hand, while large areas will require equipment. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), or local watershed council may assist with equipment. Wetlands Wetlands are areas that have soils permanently or seasonally saturated with moisture forming pools of water such as swamps, marshes or bogs (Figure 2). There are several types of wetland and associated vegetation (Figure 3). Wetlands provide multiple functions and values. Wetlands reduce flooding by storing water during floods and slowly releasing the water over a period of time; they trap sediments, reduce erosion, remove excess nutrients and chemical contaminants, and recharge ground water supplies. Wetlands and riparian areas provide crucial habitat for close to 360 fish and wildlife species during certain seasons and/or parts of their life cycle. In addition, wildlife use wetlands as important travel corridors. Wetland Management- There are four things that you can do to protect wetlands. First, protect or plant native wetland vegetation. Second, remove invasive non-native plants and animals in your wetlands. Third, establish buffer zones of grasses and herbaceous vegetation around wetlands to protect wetlands from chemical and fertilizer run-off using the buffer width design tool (Bentrup 2008). Finally, decreasing drainage and leaving the topography and hydrology of a wetland habitat in its natural state will allow wetlands to keep their full habitat potential. Riparian area and wetland restoration projects may require permits depending on a few factors and should be investigated before beginning a project. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board’s, “A Guide to Oregon Permits Issued by State and Federal Agencies with a Focus on Permits for Watershed Restoration Activities” (OWEB 2009), can help assist you with understanding permit requirements. For assistance to determine if or which permits are required, go to Oregon Division of State Lands (DSL) website: http://www.oregon.gov/DSL/WETLAND/index.shtml. The removal and fill of any materials in the bed or banks of waterways, or along any stream designated as salmon habitat will require a permit. Contact DSL for assistance on permits. Any construction related to wetland restoration projects may also require a permit from the Oregon Water Resources Department. Legacy Trees Legacy trees are old, living trees that have survived natural disturbances for many years. Before European Americans settled in the west, Oregon white oak was once the dominant vegetation type in the Willamette Valley. Now legacy trees of this species in the Willamette Valley are isolated from wooded areas and are most often found on private land. These isolated trees are keystone habitat attributes, or structures that greatly affect the environment through their presence. A large, open-grown oak with its spreading, overhanging limbs and canopy offer many more niches for wildlife that do straight-statured oaks that have grown in groves of trees. Many wildlife species rely on oaks for their survival; species of concern in the Willamette Valley are the white-breasted nuthatch and chipping sparrow. Birds use these isolated trees for roosting, foraging, nesting, and resting areas during migration (DeMars 2008). Legacy Tree Management - If you are interested in preserving legacy trees on your property the first step is to determine where they are located and minimize damage from natural disturbances. Planning for young trees to become legacy trees is the second step. To do this, you will need to protect many ages of trees to ensure some individuals make it to old age (Mazurick et al. 2004). The goal of your work should be to not only restore oaks and promote legacy oaks, but to also restore the understory vegetation. Restoring this understory growth will lead to more species on your property (DeMars 2008). Snags and Downed Wood Snags are standing dead trees and are a common component of natural forest ecosystems. Snags are vital habitat components to many forest and riparian habitats and will help to increase biodiversity on your property. Snags are used by numerous species of wildlife in western Oregon for perching, feeding, roosting, hibernation and nesting. Many common wildlife species such as woodpeckers, western bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, squirrels, raccoon, bats and black bears use snags. Snags that fall provide a different form of habitat, logs, and those that fall in the water play additional roles in the ecosystem by reducing stream velocity and energy and capturing debris and organic matter. Snags are commonly removed for fire wood, safety reasons or because landowners find them to be unsightly. Removal of snags can have adverse effect on terrestrial wildlife species and aquatic habitats. Snag and Downed Wood Management- The creation and retention of snags will help to increase or sustain cavity dependent and other wildlife species. The simplest approach is to identify and protect the snags that currently exist on your property. Many snags will stand 25, 50 or even 100 years. There may be legitimate safety concerns with some snags, but more people are injured each year cuttings snags down than are injured when they fall naturally. If your property does not have snags and you want some, then a more deliberate approach to creating or planning for snags is required. You can plan to recruit snags through natural tree mortality over time, which requires a long-term (multi-generational) perspective, or you can create snags by killing live trees. Trees are most commonly killed by girdling (removing a 1-2 inch strip of bark all the way around the tree). Creating snags for species that prefer cavities in Douglas-fir can be accomplished by topping the trees with chain saws. Two general guidelines are more snags the better and the larger the better. Creating groups and individual snags can be most beneficial to wildlife because both situations occur in natural forest stands. Parts of the trees that have been removed can be used as snags in aquatic habitats. Most cavity nesting birds in western Oregon use snags that are 21 inches (53 cm) in diameter or larger, but some species of wildlife can use smaller snags (Table 2). Once created, snags will not immediately attract cavity nesters, but will attract perching birds. Snags should be monitored every five years to determine rates of decay and document those that fall down. Monitoring snag use by cavity nesters during breeding seasons can be a fun activity. Buffer Systems A buffer is a strip of trees, shrubs or herbaceous vegetation that provides protection for habitats. Grassy borders and fence and hedge rows are buffers that serve as travel corridors, foraging sites, and shelter for wildlife. Protecting and diversifying buffers provides habitat for beneficial insects. Buffers can act as a barrier and help to prevent wind-dispersed weeds from entering property. Buffers can also enhance visual quality, help control noise levels, increase privacy, and decrease air pollutants. Maintaining vegetative cover as much as possible throughout your property will reduce run-off and erosion, while increasing infiltration. Buffers can minimize pathogen sources, production, and transportation. Management of Buffers- When creating buffers, use native perennial species that are adapted to site conditions and purpose. A diverse mixture of trees, shrubs and herbaceous vegetation will increase wildlife diversity on your property. Buffer width is dependent on the function (fence row, riparian buffer, etc.), but in general, the wider the buffer the better it will serve as wildlife habitat. The buffer width design tool (Bentrup 2008) can help you determine how wide a buffer should be to protect wetland and riparian functions. Creation of larger patch sizes will increase the quality of habitat and increase species diversityand abundance. These patches along with connection corridors are critical in protecting biodiversity of plants and wildlife. They allow increased access to resources for wildlife, while protecting sensitive habitats. Connecting patches with corridors can benefit wildlife diversity by providing easy and safe access to other habitats. Managing for Individuals Species or Groups of Species Managing for individual species or group species is called Featured Species Management and requires knowledge of the needs of each species and then a purposeful approach to providing those needs.Certain animal groups such as birds, insects, bats, and fish provide aesthetics to the land owner and visitors. The following sections introduce ideas to implement for attracting some of these groups of native wildlife species to your property. Once you learn what a species needs then you can make your property suitable habitat whether you are managing for birds or deer. Birds Over 150 species of birds live in the Willamette Valley (Grossman 2002). Birds are beneficial because of controlling pest populations; song birds consume large numbers of insects and raptors eat rats, mice, voles, starlings, pigeons and grasshoppers. Bird watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreational activities and could become an addition to your property. Retain existing habitat- Protection of existing habitats is the easiest way you can benefit birds and other wildlife on your property. Retain as many large live trees and snags as possible especially if they are near riparian areas. These trees are used for nesting and perching by raptors and foraging by smaller insectivorous birds. Understory vegetation such as shrubs and young trees are also used by songbirds for nesting and feeding and can be used to replace older trees that die. Trees in groups are better than widely spaced trees because wildlife are exposed to the weather and predation when moving among trees. Grouping trees creates cover, larger foraging areas and provides corridors, which can help facilitate finding mates and new locations to forage. Creating or retaining habitat buffers can provide native trees, shrubs and grass communities for forage and nesting habitat for raptors and song birds. A buffer of grasses and forbs at least 30 feet wide adjacent to your property can provide forage for wildlife and nest sites for ground nesting birds. Manage habitat- Management of habitats for birds incorporates the natural habitat as well as human enhanced components. Replacing nesting and roosting sites after a disturbance is critical to maintain birds. This can be achieved by planting new vegetation, especially trees and shrubs and by building nest boxes. Nest boxes replace natural cavities in snags. Each species has preferences for nest box dimensions and locations; species specific designs and information are available at your local ODFW office, or are readily available on the internet at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/swwd/box_specifications.html. Perches for raptors can also be place within your property, which the birds will use when looking for rodents and other small prey. Replacing native vegetation on disturbed sites is important to prevent invasive plant species from colonizing these areas. FUNDING AND LAND OWNER INCENTIVES The cost of owning and operating timber and grass seed fields on your property can be immense and maintaining or improving unused portions of your lands for wildlife habitat may not seem feasible. However, numerous state and federal programs are available to assist landowners in conservation efforts. In an effort to improve private lands and aid the landowners who take pride in the ecological, social and economic benefits resulting from careful stewardship of their lands, the OCS has compiled a list of agencies and programs that can provide technical aid or financial assistance for voluntary conservation practices (Table 1). Bentrup, G. 2008. Conservation Buffers. Design Guidelines for Buffers, Corridors, and Greenways. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. Available at: http://www.bufferguidelines.net Accessed 25 April 2009 Campbell,B. H. 2004. Restoring Rare Native Habitats in the Willamette Valley. A Landowner’s Guide for Restoring Oak Woodlands, Wetlands, Prairies, and Bottomland Hardwood and Riparian Forests. Defenders of Wildlife, Portland, Oregon. Available at: http://www.ser.org/sernw/pdf/DefOWild_willamette_hab_restore_manual.pdf Accessed 25 April 2009 DeMars, C. 2008. Conserving Avian Diversity in Agricultural Ecosystems: The Role of Isolated Oregon White Oak Legacy Trees. M.S. Thesis. Oregon State University, Corvallis. Available at: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/9301/1/Thesis_DeMars.pdf Accessed 12 April 2009 Grossman, E. 2002. A Place for Nature: Willamette Basin Habitat Conservation Priorities. Defenders of Wildlife. Portland, Oregon. https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/bitstream/1957/45/1/APlaceforNature.pdf Accessed 12 April 2009 Mazurek, M.J. and Zielinski, W.J. 2004. Individual Legacy Trees Influence Vertebrate Wildlife Diversity in Commercial Forests. Forest Ecology and Management. 193: 321-334. Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). “A Guide to Oregon Permits Issued by State and Federal Agencies with a Focus on Permits for Watershed Restoration Activities” Available at: http://oregon.gov/OWEB/docs/pubs/permitguide.pdf Accessed 4 June 2009 Phytosphere Research. 2008. Providing plant science consulting and research services for applications in horticulture, urban forestry, arboriculture, natural plant communities, and agriculture. Phytosphere Research, Vacaville, California. Available at: http://www.phytosphere.com/ Accessed 19 May 2009 Vesely, D. and Tucker, G. 2004. A Landowner’s Guide for Restoring and Managing Oregon White Oak Habitats. ” USDI Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University Extension Service, The American Bird Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service, USDI Natural resource Conservation Service, Pacific Wildlife Research, Salem, OR Available at: http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/jspui/handle/1957/48 Accessed 25 April 2009 Figure 4. Understory Restoration. (Vesely 2004) Table 1. State, Federal, and Non-profit organization programs offering financial assistance to landowners for conservation efforts. Organization Program Information Contact Information Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Access and Habitat Program Grants to improve wildlife habitat and/or provide public hunting access on private lands. (503) 947-6087 http://www.dfw.state.or.us/AH/ ODFW- Bird Stamp Program Grants through bird stamp funds to improve game bird habitat. (503) 947-6323 http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife /grants/index.asp ODFW- Riparian Lands Tax Incentive Program Tax incentives to protect, conserve or restore healthy riparian habitat on private lands adjacent to perennial or intermittent streams. (503) 947-6089 http://www.dfw.state.or. us/lands/tax_ overview.asp ODFW- Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Management Program Tax incentive for maintaining or improving habitat for native fish and wildlifeTax rates are calculated by the local county assessor’s office, and are typically comparable to a farm or forest tax deferral. Requires an approved management plan. Not available in all counties. (503) 947-6089 http://www.dfw.state. or.us/lands/whcmp/ Farm Service Agency (FSA) Conservation Reserve Program Encourages conservation practices that reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat. Landowner receives an annual rental payment for the term of the multi-year contract. Cost sharing is provided to establish the vegetative cover. (503) 692-6830 http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp? area=home&subject=copr&topic=crp FSA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Encourages agricultural landowners who wish to restore riparian areas, protect water quality, and enhance fish and wildlife habitat. Agricultural landowners can enroll eligible riparian lands into a 10 year CREP contract and receive annual conservation payments for the contract period and reimbursement for up to 75% of the eligible costs of restoration practices. (503) 692-6830 http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/ NRD/water_crep.shtml Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Security Program Promotes high standards of conservation and environmental management; addresses soil and water quality issues. Contracts range from 5-10 years and from $20,000 to $45,000/year depending on type of project. (503) 414-3200 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Programs/csp/ NRCS- Wetlands Reserve Program Restores, enhances and protects wetlands. Payment for permanent easement (100 %), 30-year easement (75%) or 75% for restoration agreement with landowner or other partners cost-sharing remainder. (503) 414-3201 http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/ NRCS- Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program Establishes and improves fish and wildlife habitat on state, county and tribal lands. Cost-share of ≤ 75% total cost with landowner or other partner cost-sharing remainder. (503) 414-3200 http://www.nrcs.usda. gov/programs/whip/ Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Forest Legacy Program The FLP provides funding to protect private forestlands. It is designed to support state and local efforts to protect threatened forestlands from conversion to non-forest use. http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/index.shtml ODF- Forest Resource Trust Encourage landowners to establish and maintain healthy forests on underproducing forestlands―lands capable of growing forests but currently in brush, cropland, pasture or very poorly stocked (and not subject to a reforestation requirement of the Oregon Forest Practices Act). Grants less than or equal to cost of project. (503) 945-7493 http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/ PRIVATE_FORESTS /cslist.shtml#Forest_Resource_Trust ODF- Forest Stewardship Program Assists family forestland owners in documenting their objectives, stewardship decisions, and recommended resource practices. To provide family forest landowners with a multidisciplinary, action-oriented natural resource stewardship plan provides up to 75% cost-share for professional natural resource consultant-written plans. (503) 945-7393 http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/ PRIVATE_FORESTS/ cslist.shtml#Forest_Stewardship_Plan_FSP_ ODF- Underproductive Forestland Conversion Tax Credit An Oregon income tax credit for 50% of reasonable project costs for restoring underproductive forestlands that do not require reforestation under the Oregon Forest Practices Act. (503) 945-7393 http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/ PRIVATE_FORESTS/taxes.shtml U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grant Program Matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects for the benefit of wetlands-associated migratory birds and other wildlife. (503) 697-3889 http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat /Grants/index.Shtm USFWS- Partners for Fish and Wildlife Technical and financial assistance to private landowners to improve habitat for Federal Trust Species, including migratory birds and threatened and endangered species (503) 231-6179 http://www.fws.gov/ Oregon State Weed Board Grant Program The OSWB funds noxious weed control projects through annual grants. It is a priority of the OSWB to fund projects that restore, enhance or protect fish and wildlife habitat, watershed function, and native salmonid or water quality. (503) 986-4621 http://oregon.gov/ODA/ PLANT/WEEDS/grantindex.shtml Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board OWEB has several grant programs for habitat restoration, land acquisition, instream water lease and transfer, monitoring, and technical assistance. Assistance available through local watershed councils or soil and water conservation districts. (503) 986-0178 http://www.oregon.gov/ OWEB/GRANTS/index.shtml Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation Grants for projects that improve fish and wildlife habitat and/or provide education opportunities. (503) 225-6059 http://www.owhf.org/owhf/ section.cfm?wSectionID=1731 Environmental Protection Agency- The Five Star Restoration Program The Five Star Restoration Program provide challenge grants, technical support and opportunities for information exchange to enable community-based restoration projects that involve youth to restore wetlands and streams. Funding levels are modest―$5,000 to $20,000/project. (202) 857-0166 http://www.epa.gov/owow/ wetlands/restore/ 5star/ State organizations providing technical assistance Network of Oregon Watershed Councils- Directory of watershed councils working in all areas of Oregon to improve enhance watershed health and benefit the local communities. (541) 682-8323 http://www.oregonwatersheds.org/ Oregon Water Trust Promotes collaborative efforts with farmers, ranchers and others who own water rights to enhance in-stream flows, usually through purchase of water rights. (503) 226-9055 http://www.owt.org/ Oregon Association of Conservation Districts Directory of local soil and water conservation districts working in all areas of Oregon. Conservation districts provide technical assistance in project design and management for projects that promote conservation and careful use of Oregon natural resources. 503) 566-9157 http://www.oacd.org/ Table 2. Minimum recommended diameters and heights for snags needed by wildlife species common in Oregon white oak habitats. Table 5. How to Manage Oaks (Campbell 2004) Table 6. Some common native bird species in the Willamette Valley and breeding season. Species Eggs present Young in nest Birds Osprey April 21-July 5 May 25-September 5 Uses human made structures, habitat in riparian areas. Bald Eagle Feb 5- June 25 April 1- August 31 Requires large nesting trees in riparian areas. Turkey Vulture April 10-June 21 May 10- Aug 31 Agricultural habitat that is somewhat isolated. Red-tailed Hawk Feb 26- June 30 April 10- Aug 10 Tolerate of human activity in agricultural habitat. Western Screech owl March 17- June1 April 20- Aug 25 Need snags for nesting in riparian and forest habitats Vaux's Swift May 20- June 14 July 2- Sep. 4 Uses hollowed out standing snags in riparian and forest habitats. Pileated Woodpecker N/A May- Early June Eats insects from dead wood and snags in forested habitats. Western Scrub Jay March 25- April 20 May 1- July 11 Oak woodland habitat Wrentit March 22- June 30 April 21- July 27 Dense shrub understory for breeding habitat in forested habitats Olive- sided Flycatcher June 8- July 14 Late June -Mid July Occur along buffer systems of aquatic habitats White-tailed Kite March 15-April 15 Late March to Early June Small mammal specialist ie eats rodents and other pests in forested habitat Northern Harrier April 15 - May 5 May 15-June 5 Habitat in aquatic areas. Northen Saw-whet Owl Early March- Mid April Early April -Early May Conifer trees support highest nesting densities, habitat in coniferous dominant forest. Barn owl Early March- Mid April Early April- Mid May Habitat in agricultural areas. Will use nest boxes.

SALEM, Ore.—Oregon resident hunters that apply for and are issued a controlled big game hunt application by April 15, 2010 will be entered into several drawings to win a 2011 Resident Sports Pac, a $164.75 value. The purpose of the drawings is to encourage hunters to apply for controlled hunts early, before the May 15, 2010 deadline. Non-resident hunters that apply for and are issued a controlled big game hunt application by April 15, 2010 will also be entered into the drawings and if selected, will win a 2011 Non-Resident Hunting License, a $140.50 value. A Sports Pac includes a Combination Angling/Hunting/Shellfish License, a Combined Angling Harvest Tag, a Validation for Upland Bird and Waterfowl hunting, plus a General or Controlled Buck Deer, General or Controlled Elk, General Cougar, General or Controlled Bear and Spring Turkey Tag. A total of 100 Sports Pac or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses will be given away. The drawings will work like this: Apply for and be issued a controlled hunt application between Dec. 1, 2009 and Jan. 31, 2010 for a chance to win one of 50 Sports Pac or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses. Apply for and be issued a controlled hunt application by March 15, 2010 for a chance to win one of 30 Sports Pac or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses. Apply for and be issued a controlled hunt application by April 15, 2010 for a chance to win one of the remaining 20 Sports Pac or Non-Resident Hunting Licenses. The drawings will take place Feb. 1, March 16 and April 19 and winners will be notified by mail. Hunters unsuccessful in the first or second drawing will be re-entered into future drawings. Only one entry per hunter is allowed, meaning hunters that apply for several controlled hunts can still only be entered once. Controlled spring bear hunt applicants are not eligible for the drawing. Hunters can apply for controlled hunts online, at a license sales agent, at ODFW offices that sell licenses, or by mail or fax order using the application found here or on page 15 of the 2010 Oregon Big Game Regulations. Mail order/fax applicants should allow 7-10 days for their applications to be processed and issued. Remember, to be eligible for the drawing, the controlled hunt application must be issued, not just received, by the drawing deadlines (Jan. 31, March 15 and April 15). Controlled hunt applications can be processed and issued immediately online and at license sales agents or ODFW offices. The deadline to apply for a controlled hunt is May 15 each year. Most applications are received during the last few days. In 2009, only 68,849 of 378,065 total applications received were processed by April 15, 2009. The high volume of sales activity in the last few days prior to the deadline has led to long lines and slowed or crashed the license sales system at times, causing ODFW to extend the deadline in both 2008 and 2009. The vendor that manages the license sales system will be purchasing the Sports Pac and Non-Resident Hunting Licenses for the winners. ODFW and the vendor will conduct similar drawings in 2011 and 2012, as part of a three-year pilot program to determine if the incentives are helping with early application. Some of Oregon’s big game hunts are limited entry, including almost all rifle hunting of deer and elk east of the Cascades and pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain goat hunts. These hunts require a controlled hunt application.

They are the same type of product. Scent Blocker does not work either.

Here is some information that I found someone said about the case. I’m not sure if it is true or not. Quote: “Not to defend Scent Lok, I don't use their product, and I really don't know much about them as a company this post is the first time I ever looked at this, I thought I would point a couple things out. First the request to enjoin a class action lawsuit was denied in August. That actually helps Scent Lok in a couple ways. First, each plantiff will have to bring a seperate action with a different and unique set of case facts and request for damages. Each plantiff will seperately have to prove not only that the product was defective, was sold knowingly defective with intent to deceive, and that each plantiff had specific damages related specifically to their product. Assuming that all these things could be proven the question becomes; what are the damages in the case. There are really two calculations, actual damages and puntative damages. Actual would be based on the cost of the Scent Lok product. Respondents counter would be that the cost of a scent lok product is relatively the same as another hunting garment and the plantiff did receive a usable hunting garmet. It would be up to a judge to decide the equity of that arguement but it ultimately will only be for a fairly small amount of money. The question becomes whether there is a substantial chance of receiving punatative damages. In that case the judge, (possibly jury) would decide if there was substantial enough evidence that the company operated in bad faith and wanted to punish them by awarding money. The risk that you have to take is whether your case, as a plaintiff, is strong enough that you will be awarded enough punative damages to cover your legal fees. Sometimes legal fees are awarded but it is never a sure bet and a plantiff is just as likely to lose and have to pay Scent Lok. Second, on the topic of marketing claims, especially advertising slogans, it is really buyer beware.” Viator 12-2-09

Guides response. Quote: "Ok guys thanks for giving me a chance to explain my side and not throwing me under the bus. For one thing, this is FIRST time I found out he was unhappy. Other client said he would get on and post his view on this, as he was there too. I did not read his WHOLE post, as It hurt me to try and read it and make any sence of it, but the following is my side. Feel free to IM me if I left something out. He booked the hunt when he DREW the tag (was not an Outfitter tag) He booked it as a 2 on 1 hunt. @ hunters per one guide, to save money. He got a 9 day elk hunt for $4,000! And I hired a guide to guide him solo.....1 0n 1 hunt for 9 days for $4,000 just to get a bull killed! What was I thinking?? My other guides took him to areas that held good bulls scouting. He passed on 12+ 300-330 class bulls, went home empty. Yes, Mt Emily has some huge bulls, but like Wenaha, average bulls are 280-330 class. He was holding out for 350 or nothing. I understand and would have too. If he was truly upset, he should have said something to me at camp! If the fully catered food from a local Italian restaurant was not good enough, speak up. I offered to make the guys breakfast, both said they dont like to eat big heavy breakfasts that early. Yes, my dog got into my camp food, and I punished him. EVERYONE loves my dog, and is well trained, just his first time in camp, so he had to learn whats not acceptable. Too much time spent on the dog issue tho..... Last day of the hunt, we went in on some bulls I saw day before. They were the same bulls the 370 bull was hanging with, so I assumed he was still with them. (yes, 370". Governors tag and his guys were up there and saw him and said 370-380) I spend weeks up there watching these bulls, but after 600 spike hunters sart hunting every skyline opening day, it becomes a new game after that. I tried to talk the client that shot the 6 pt out of shooting it on opening day. He had crosshairs on the 370 bull as it got daylight, but was shaking too bad to shoot, and I told him to wait till it was broadside to shoot, and I was running camera. Anyhow, he waited and spike hunters came down the ridge on skyline and the big bull vanished. So, we been watching this nice 6 pt which was closer to us, and I knew we could do better. But He wanted that bull, so we made the shot and spent next 2 days packing it out. I took Mike (unhappy guy) hunting the rest of the week. We saw many 300-330 class bulls. No 350+....... Then I found that group of big bulls again, but didnt see 370 with them. Figured he was in the trees or something, so on last day we went after them. The thought was for me to go down opposit ridge as the bulls, Mike go down opposit ridge and wait for daylight ad I will spot for him. Well, he being out of shape 60 yr old man, took WAY too long to get in there, and I had twice the distance down the other ridge, so I told him I need to hurry. I drew an arrow in snow to show him which ridge to go down.....I proceed down my ridge, as It get light, there are the bulls, in killing range. I asked him where he was, and he said "i dont know which ridge to go down", I said "ok, the is one basin, I am on west ridge, you go down east ridge. Easy....well, he refused to go down, and demanded I hike WAY back up and walk him to the right ridge.....He was too worried about having to hike back up 100 yards if it was just a finger ridge he went down on. I told him to proceed....the bulls weare just feeding. Well, 2 hours after shooting light, the bulls were almost to trees...I asked him to hurry! Well, i asked him what wind was doing (with the smoke in a bottle I gave him) he said wind was great! I told him to ALWAYS check wind. Anyhow, I get him where he can finaly see the bulls. Cant see the 370 bull, so he eases over the ridge and starts going down to them.....WITH THE WIND AT HIS BACK!!!!!! Well, guess what.......they BLEW out of there so fast. We headed, out and he decided last night was not worth hunting, too tired I guess, too long of a drive back. We went back to camp, he loaded up and come over and shook my hand and thanked me for a good hunt. NEVER said he was unhappy...never knew there was a problem till I get calls about this post. Sorry guys, I been guiding Deer hunters in Mt Emily this week, and just got home. I am sure I left something out, so feel free to IM me or talk to me on this post. I have NOTHING to hide. I have learned, I cant please everyone. Specially the ones that go home empty. The ones that actualy have a problem at camp, usually let me know, give me the chance to accomodate them. I try to run a good camp. NOT A LODGE......wall tents. How can I fix it, if I dont know what to fix??? Anyhow, feel free to email me or reply to this post. Thanks again guys for allowing my side of story before you pass judgement." BMA

Petition to end bowhunting http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/473851368

Not a problem.

Mt. Emily is a unit in northeast Oregon. It sounds like THE OUTFITTER said the post was about his outfitting business and he will give his side of the story later tonight.

I found this on another website and thought I would let everyone know that they better make a few phone calls and talk with people before hiring a guide in the Mt. Emily unit. Sorry the author didn’t type this up all that great. “Talked to outfitter on phone says mt emily is undered rated other units over rated in area.I ask what is the chances of 350 bull outfitter says their are more than people think in mt emily.Next question is about food informs me breakfast is like bacon eggs pancakes ham ect. good breakfast in mornings, lunch sandwich fruit chips wont be back to camp for lunch, super steak,porkchops chicken ect.Meet outfitter at sportmen show ask same questions same answers.That good iam a meat and potatoes man.Outfitters informs me he has outfitter tags for the unit i book the hunt.Months go by dont hear from outfitter finally i call in sept. talk to outfitter inform me he has some good guide this year and they been seeing a lot of 330 to 380 bulls in mt emily. I tell outfitters that i went on a road trip looked over area seen bulls no shooters. told outfitters iam 61 no packing for me. he said thats why i have mules and horses. meet outfitters at interstate 84 and mt emily turnoff.head up forest service road 31 going between 30 and 60 mph on dirt road turn of on 3128 road going so fast that water goes over top of truck get into camp he ask if wayone would like to go scout both of us say yes inform me that he only has room for one ask if i will use my own truck,come back to camp we have super one hamburger on the very small buns and some beans to drink water or coke. iam thinking wheres the cook no cook just outfitterget up in morning breakfast is some eggs rice onions in a plastic throwing in hot water told to eat it when were out hunting on lunch its a bag of chips and crackers and peanut butter of nine days never had a lunch meet my guide at end of road followed us to out hunting area outfitter and client leave on 4 wheeler onceagain i driving my truck get out of truck in my guides truck ask guide what up what you been seeing guide says that hes been scouting around his house to far to drive up here i say oufitter said you people been seeing lots of big bulls he informs me that he has ony talk to outfitter twice and only meet him today informes me doesnot even know were we are to go ITS OPENING MORNING. we head over the ridge it so brushy could not judge bull it like jump shooting ask guide what are we doing in here he says dont know lets get the **** out of here and go find out own elk this is a joke we leave area and looking for our self see some bulls no shooters get back to camp its dark outfitter get in to camp dinner one hamburger with cheese and corn. Get up same thing for breakfast as first day told eat it while hunting leave camp give it to the birds no lunch again leave with guide see 9 bulls all over 300. Man with outfitter shoots 290 bull first day has to pack out for 2 days. he asks if he can have 2 burgers outfitter pauses then said ok. Next morning breakfast same thing i ask if he has anthing else for breakfast o yes i have some oatmeal ok reaches in box takes 2 packages of instant oatmeal puts in bowl Man with outfitter leaves heads home.Its only me and outfitter and dog in camp my guide had to go back to work leave camp i go where my guide and i seen a good bull outfitter go to see if he can find bull cant meet back at camp. DOG has got into food we left on table outfitter get back see this and BEATS the 12 month pup that night we see nothing. dinner noodles with cheese sause and corn no milk its sour. Morning same thing oatmeal no lunch crackers and peanut butter find no bulls get back to camp the pup had chewed on cape that was about 2 ft off ground guess what pup get beat again dinner some noodles and meat in bag threw into water to heatup.next morning outfitters informs me he has to go to town for food i ask where is the ham eggs potatoes bacon for breakfast informs me he has none we go out hunting no elk go to town i have to get gas outfitter go to town gets back to camp at 730 that night i got back a 1 so went scouting by myself onceagain.In the morning once again he went scouting one way me another no luck no big bulls.Next day went after some bulls i didnot see then so dont know how big started to snow white out back to camp outfitter gets on computer for hours could of went low. dinner potatoes steak corn. first good dinner in seven days Next morning go behind this parents house no elk outfitter says would you mind if i went and feed my horse it not been feed for a couple of days feed horse break drinking water outfitter say would you mind if i plow my drive way no elk back at camp dog gets into food another beating go looking for elk outfitter find some bulls to look at in morning dinner one porkchop for me one for him potatoes tell outfitter lets get up early we have a long walk and i dont walk as fast as you same thing for breakfast leave get to hunting area have long walk we start walking after about 1/2 hour look up outfitter about 400 yard ahead call on radio ask to hold up keep going say when you find large arrow in snow find arrow call outfitter call outfitter says follow arrow go to ridge and go down ridge dark cant find ridge call outfitter says cant miss ridge just go doen into the basin then i say no outfitter say then you give up on me i say no Ido find ridge go down ridge outfitter says you have run down ridge the elk are 1000 to 1500 yards below you and going into the timber get down their find elk one broke 6 point it smells winds me bust doen ridge outfitter calls on radio says you realy screwed that up now what you going to do elk came up other side 6x6 was only about 305 to 310 had at 398 yards let him go because outfitter kept telling that i had to help pack and new it was not do able.” DogsalmonNov-27-09, 09:37 PM (MST)

By: Brent(MassDriver) “The carbon has been done working LONG before you even bought the garment. Probably before the garment was sewn. Scent lok is INEFFECTIVE. http://www.naturalsolutions1.com/whatcarb.htm What is a ACTIVATED CARBON? Before we explain Activated Carbon to you we first want you to understand how Carbon works with odors, gases and vapors. Many sellers of air cleaners with carbon in them simply DO NOT know how Carbon works and INCORRECTLY explain it. Once you understand HOW carbon works you will understand why MORE carbon is better and WHY those thin carbon pads on many cheap air cleaning units are useless. What is Absorption and Adsorption? Many times we see the statement: "Activated Carbon absorbs airborne odors and vapors." This is not a true statement. A true statement is: "Activated carbon adsorbs airborne odors and vapors." Do you see the difference? The word adsorb is important here. When a material adsorbs something, it means that it attaches to it by chemical attraction. The huge surface area of activated carbon gives it countless bonding sites. When odors and vapors pass next to the activated carbon surface, they attach to the surface of the carbon. They are added to the surface of the carbon, they are not absorbed by the carbon. They are adsorbed. To be absorbed by carbon the odors and vapors would have to be diffused into the carbon, not simply attached to it's surface. Carbon DOES NOT absorb, it adsorbs! Here is a good example of the difference between the words "ABsorb" and "ADsorb": If you have a cake and eat and swallow it, you are ABsorbing it. If someone throws a cake in your face, your face ADsorbed it! Here is another one: If you use a sponge on your counter to clean up spilled milk and cookies, the milk is ABsorbed into the sponge. The cookie crums are ADsorbed to the outside 0of the sponge! So, in air cleaning with carbon you NEVER ABSORB anything into the carbon. You ADSORB it onto the surface of the carbon! History Carbon is the most adsorbent material known to man and has been used to purify air and water for thousands of years. In fact, the use of carbon dates so far back into history that its exact origin has been impossible to document. Historians do know that as far back as 1500 BC the ancient Egyptians were using carbon to adsorb odors from festering wounds and from within the intestinal tract or to purify their water and that carbon filters were used for ventilating vapors and gases from 17th century London sewers. However it was the 20th century that saw the development of specially ‘activated’ granular carbon. With the introduction of poisonous gases during WW I, the military developed large scale production methods for adsorbent carbons suitable for use in gas-masks, which has led to a post-war expansion in commercial production and applications of this amazingly versatile substance. What is Activated Carbon? Many natural substances are used as the base material for producing carbon. The most common base materials used are wood, coal and coconut shell. These base materials are subjected to a process called carbonization. Carbonization is a heating process where by the base material is subjected to high temperature which drives out any volatiles. To activate the carbon it is subjected to a second heat and steam treatment. The activation of the carbon is what gives it it's unique adsorption characteristics. The activation of the carbon creates carbon which is highly porous providing a large surface area of the carbon for adsorption. Carbon that is ‘activated’ undergoes a process which opens up millions of tiny pores and fissures to enhance the material’s adsorbent properties. The process creates a very large internal surface area, which is key to the power of activated carbon – the more surface area - the more the carbon can adsorb. Interesting to note that only 1 lb of activated carbon has typically a surface area of 125 acres or 200 linear miles of fissures. Due to the large internal surface area of activated carbons it can actually adsorb up to 60% of its weight. Good carbon filters of 10 lbs. or more, depending on the environment in which they are used, can last anywhere from 2 up to 5 years before all of the pores are full. Are ALL Activated Carbon filters the same? NO! Activated carbon can be enhanced and impregnated and/or custom blended to be a more specialized adsorbant. For an example: Using standard Activated Carbon (such as used for common household odors) is NOT effective in a Beauty Salon where ammonia and formaldehyde fumes are. The Activated Carbon for a Beauty Salon would be enhanced for those specific pollutants found in a Beauty Salon. Does it matter how much activated carbon there is? YES! Activated carbon adsorbs to it's surface. When there is no more surface left to adsorb to the carbon it is depleted of it's capability to be effective. Large amounts of carbon will last longer then small amounts because it has larger amounts of surface area for adsorption. Also, depending on amounts of pollutants being adsorbed, a small amount of carbon can be depleted within weeks making it useless. Does it matter how thick an activated Carbon filter is? YES! The more contact time the activated carbon has with a pollutant, the better chances of it adsorbing it. The thicker the carbon filter the better it's adsorption. If the pollutant has to go through a long maze of activated carbon it's chances are also greater of being adsorbed. Which is more effective, a pad impregnated with carbon or granular activated carbon? Granular Activated Carbon is more effective then a 1" or 2" thick impregnated carbon pad. Granular activated carbon will have much more surface area for adsorption than a impregnated pad. Also, an impregnated pad will have to be changed much for frequently then a canister of activated carbon. Keep in mind that the contact time the carbon has with a pollutant is less in a pad so it's adsorption rate is also less. After the activated carbon has adsorbed all it can is there a way I can re-activate it at home? NO! In order to re-activate activated-carbon, it must undergo a process called Pyrolysis. (The thermal decomposition of organic material through the application of heat in the absence of oxygen.). To fully re-activate saturated activated-carbon, you must heat it to approximately 1,472 °F, in a controlled atmosphere of low oxygen concentration to reduce the possibility of combustion. This fact is even stated in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Engineering and Design, Adsorption Design Guide, Design Guide No. DG1110-1-2.” Brent

“Finally .... A Sensible Gun Registration Plan That Will Work Vermont State Rep. Fred Maslack has read the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as Vermont 's own Constitution very carefully, and his strict interpretation of these documents is popping some eyeballs in New England and elsewhere. Maslack recently proposed a bill to register "non-gun-owners" and require them to pay a $500 fee to the state. Thus Vermont would become the first state to require a permit for the luxury of going about unarmed and assess a fee of $500 for the privilege of not owning a gun. Maslack read the "militia" phrase of the Second Amendment as not only affirming the right of the individual citizen to bear arms, but as a clear mandate to do so. He believes that universal gun ownership was advocated by the Framers of the Constitution as an antidote to a "monopoly of force" by the government as well as criminals. Vermont 's constitution states explicitly that "the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the State" and those persons who are "conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms" shall be required to "pay such equivalent." Clearly, says Maslack, Vermonters have a constitutional obligation to arm themselves, so that they are capable of responding to "any situation that may arise." Under the bill, adults who choose not to own a firearm would be required to register their name, address, Social Security Number, and driver's license number with the state. "There is a legitimate government interest in knowing who is not prepared to defend the state should they be asked to do so," Maslack says. Vermont already boasts a high rate of gun ownership along with the least restrictive laws of any state .. it's currently the only state that allows a citizen to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. This combination of plenty of guns and few laws regulating them has resulted in a crime rate that is the third lowest in the nation. " America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the *******s." This makes sense! There is no reason why gun owners should have to pay taxes to support police protection for people not wanting to own guns. Let them contribute their fair share and pay their own way.” bagel77