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MEMBERSHIP: An application for membership may be picked up at the Club or printed off our member's page. Completed application submitted with a check for $125 will allow you access to all Club facilities. Applications will be voted on during the E-Board and membership meetings, upon acceptance of your application. Dues runs January 1st to December 31st.
HUNTING/FISHING STORIES: Did you particularly enjoy your hunting or fishing trip? Did any unusual or entertaining events occur during your trip? Why not share it with us? E-mail your story to us at our web address (or put it in the mail). We now have a Member's Page with hunting and fishing pictures. Why not jot down this years story or last years, we would like to hear from you, and send along your pictures so we can add them to our scrap book of photos on the Member's Page.
Marlboro Fish & Game
P.O. Box 5786
Marlboro, MA 01752
Attn: Fred Ebert
Please feel free to contact us
E-mail address:
mfg@marlborofishandgame.com
Telephone: 508-485-9739
ARCHERY--
We want to welcome back Jim Tucker as our Archery chairman. Jim was our
chairman for many years and has once again agreed to take on the task of archery chairman.
This is a tough position to fill without the help of other members. Jim is
responsible for setting up our 3D shoots and our Monday night league. He also has to
clear brush and keep our many archery butts in good shooting condition. Jim can use
all the help he can get, so if you are interested in joining the Archery committee please
get in touch with Jim at the Club.
PRESIDENT'S NOTE--
1. At the March general meeting it was voted on and passed, that effective
April 2002, every full paying member must give 8 hours of their time volunteering at the
Club. It may be in the form of helping out at cleanup, on the rifle range, at the fish
ponds, or general cleanup around the grounds. You may help out at a Club function,
food servers are always needed. Archery, fish, functions, there is plenty to do with
a club this size. Coming to a General meeting will get you an hour credit. Come
down or call the Club to find out where you can be helpful. You have from Jan. 1st
to Dec. 31st to put in your time. If you put in your 8 hours your $125
yearly dues will be reduced by $25 for the following year.
This excludes non-voting, life and social members. If you do put in your time make
sure that someone gives you credit for it.
2. Any member who wishes to shoot in our outdoor range is more than welcome to come down and shoot. Remember 1 member, 1 guest. If shooting after 1 pm weekdays or 12pm weekends you must go in the lounge and sign the range book. Both in and out . There are new target stands at the rear of the Club. Additional stands are in the trailer near the range. Cardboard for the stands is located in the large orange box on the range. If you have any large pieces of cardboard please bring them down. Don't forget to put the stands back where the go. Throw your junk away. Pick up after yourself. Have fun and BE SAFE. REMEMBER! NO ALCOHOL AT THE RANGE.
MARLBORO FISH AND GAME -- OUTDOOR RANGE RULE-- SEPTEMBER 2004
Below are the rules for the Marlboro Fish and Game outdoor range. Theses rule
will be abided by. Anyone breaking range rules faces losing their membership, and
worst causing serious injury or death to another. We as a Club do not want to lose
our privilege to have a range due to the lack of consideration of one of our members or
guest. If you see anyone breaking a rule, notify a range officer immediately.
Safety concerns should be addressed THEN!!!!!
The outdoor range is set up for paper, balloon and whirly bird targets only.
Paper targets and balloons should be placed in the center of the frame. Whirly
bird targets are for 22 rim fire only, and should be placed at the bottom of the berm
only. Do not use silhouette targets. People get the wrong impression about
what we do here. Steel targets (except whirly birds for 22 cal), plastic targets ,
glass and plastic bottles, cans and exploding targets are not allowed.
RULES:
* SHOOTING TIMES: RIM FIRE -----9 A.M. TO DUSK
CENTER BORE----10 A.M. TO DUSK
* NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
* FULL AND NONVOTING MEMBERS ONLY
* JUNIOR MEMBERS MUST HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION
* MEMBERS ARE ALLOWED ONE GUEST- MEMBER MUST BE PRESENT
* YOU MUST HAVE A VALID FID OR LICENSE TO CARRY ON YOUR PERSON.
* YOU MUST WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION ON AND AROUND THE FIRING LINE.
* PLACE TARGETS IN THE CENTER OF THE TARGET FRAMES
* DO NOT PLACE TARGETS SIDE BY SIDE ON THE FRAMES AS THIS DESTROYS THE FRAME.
* NO STEEL TARGETS, PLASTIC OR GLASS BOTTLES, CANS, CLAY PIGEONS, OR EXPLODING
TARGETS ALLOWED.
* NO MORE THAN 8 ROUNDS IN SUCCESSION.
* NO FULL AUTOMATIC FIRING OR HELLFIRE TRIGGERS
* ALL SHOTS MUST BE AIMED FROM THE SHOULDER.
* ALL SHOTS MUST BE INTO THE BERM ONLY.
(DO NOT SHOOT INTO THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE FIRING LINE.
* DO NOT HANDLE FIREARMS WHEN PEOPLE ARE DOWN RANGE.
* CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR SELF WHEN DONE AND RETURN TARGET FRAMES TO THEIR PROPER PLACE
BEHIND THE
SHOOTING STATIONS.
USE COMMON SENSE & THINK SAFETY. KEEP OUR RANGE SAFE, CLEAN, &
OPEN
HUNTING TECHNIQUES---
SCOUTING
When it comes to a successful hunt, two of the most important factors leading to
that success are pre-season scouting and familiarity with your firearm or bow.
An intimate knowledge of the area you hunt and the habits of it's deer is
not absolutely necessary, but the more knowledge you can accumulate, the more
your chances for success increase. By the same token, the more time spent
learning the limitations and capabilities of your firearm or bow, the better you
will be prepared when it comes time to take the shot.
Scouting before the hunting season actually starts is important for a variety of
reasons. There are many different philosophies when it comes to the time
of the year that is best suited for scouting, ranging from just after the
end of the season, to a few months before or even a few days before the start of
the season. Each method has it's advantages and disadvantages, but the one
advantage they all share is time in the field. Time in the field is the
best way to learn your chosen hunting area, from the lay of the land, to the
discovery of food and water sources, game trails, bedding areas, population
density and other factors that can be used to put the pieces of the deer hunting
puzzle together. A good place to start is a detailed map of the area.
Google Earth is great for showing the locations of forested areas and water
ways. The use of topographic maps and aerial photos can help eliminate
unproductive areas and locate possible funnels and escape routes. One
evening of studying a map of your hunting area is enough to get you started in
the right direction before heading into the field.
After studying the terrain and features of the area it is a good idea to outline
a game plan for walking land. This is only general plan, so do not be
surprised if you find yourself getting getting off course as new areas that were
not visible from the map reveal themselves. Unless it is very close to the
start of the season ( you do not want to put every deer on alert) try to cover
as much as much of the area as possible. In addition to your map and
aerial photo, a good compass and even a GPS will help you navigate more
effectively through your hunting area. The GPS will also allow you to
pinpoint specific features, which can be compared to your maps at a later date,
by using latitude and longitude measurements.
While walking with your map, it is a good idea to make notes on the map itself,
to record the location of game trails, bedding areas, scrape lines, rubs, or
other indicators of the presence of deer. Once again, a GPS is an ideal
tool for this application. As you become comfortable with the land, you
should start to look for spots to hang a tree stand, or create a ground blind.
These will be spots that overlook a well used game trail, scrape line, or
feeding area. Stand locations should be located in multiple areas to take
advantage of different wind conditions. Once stand locations are found,
then it is time to determine possible shooting lanes and ranges. By either
pacing distances, or with the use of a laser rangefinder, to different trees,
rocks, or a lone bush, etc., range estimates are already done when an
animal steps into you shooting lane. The more preparation you can do
before the season starts, the more time you have for looking for animals once
you are on stand. The better you know your area, the less chance a deer
has of hiding or escaping into a place that does not exist in your mind.
GROUND BLINDS
When making a stand from the ground it helps to find
a spot that is comfortable enough for a long wait. Because deer do not
have good visual acuity, you can be out in the open with something behind you to
break up your outline, perhaps sitting at the base of a tree or pile of rocks,
without risk of being spotted. However deer are excellent at picking out
movement, so it is important that you pick a seat that is comfortable. You
do not want to be constantly fidgeting while waiting for deer to appear.
To make up for the chance of movement giving away the hunter, many people
construct some type of ground blind to hide in while on stand. By hiding
most of your body behind natural vegetation, or some type of man-made structure,
many movements can go undetected by the watchful eyes of game.
Also many commercially made ground blinds are now available today, to help hide
the hunter, plus give him some protection from the elements. These
structures are often lightweight and portable, and usually be set up very
quickly. They range in style from a simple stake and camo fabric-wrap
around system, to fully enclosed structures made with scent reducing fabrics.
ELEVATED STANDS
Another option is the elevated stand, such as tower
blinds, tripods, and treestands. Elevated stands have a couple of key
advantages over ground blinds. The first is the elevation give the hunter
a broader view of his surroundings. Also, the hunter is often above the
deer's normal line of sight, so slight movements can go undetected (like drawing
a bow). Another advantage is that the hunter's scent is often carried
above the ground level air currents, thus the elevated deer hunter may be harder
for the deer's sensitive nose to detect, especially at close range. Tower
blinds are usually permanent structures that overlook an area that consistently
draw deer, such as food plots or an agricultural crop that deer find appetizing.
Because tower blinds are somewhat permanent structures, they can have the
advantage of making a hunter's wait more comfortable. Weatherproof,
possibly insulated, materials can be used in construction; comfortable chairs
and even heaters can be used also.
Tripod blinds are more portable than a permanent tower blind, but because they
are still heavy and cumbersome, they usually set up in one place for an extended
period of time. Although some models have enclosed seating areas, many are
exposed to the elements.
The most common type of elevated stand is the portable treestand.
Treestands come in three basic styles; climbing stands, hang-on stands, and
ladder stands. They can be hung as low as a few feet off the ground, or as
high as 25 feet( or even higher if the conditions are ideal enough to be safe).
No matter what type of treestand is used, a fall arrest system must always be
worn to lessen the possibility of injury should the hunter fall out of the
stand.
Hang-on stands have the reputation of being the most portable and lightweight of
the treestand types and are ideal for the hunter who may need one stand to take
advantage of a variety of tree locations. The hang-on stand is also
ideally suited for trees that have a lot of lower branches, or tree trunks that
have bends in them, which make them impractical for a climbing stand.
However, a disadvantage of the hang-on stand is that some type of portable steps
must also be carried, whether they are spike steps, or a portable stick-type
ladder. Hang-on and climbing stands are both suited to the hunter of
public land, who does not have the luxury of being able to leave a stand hanging
in a tree for an extended period of time.
Climbing stands are a little heavier than hang-on stands, but they have the
advantage of not having to use any type of portable steps. The main
limitation is the hunter must find a tree without limbs below the needed stand
height, which would interfere with the climbing action of the stand. Also,
the trunk of the tree must be fairly straight, once again so that the climbing
action of the stand functions correctly and safely.
Ladder stands utilize a sitting platform placed at the top of a ladder structure
that leans up against the side of a tree. The weight of a ladder stand
limits them from being as portable as a hang-on or climbing stand, however,
their stability and safety of entry and exit make them a favorite of many
hunters. Their main limitation is that they cannot be situated as high off
the ground as a hang-on or climbing stand.
STILL HUNTING
Still- hunting is a tactic that requires a variety of skills that
fall under the general category of woodsmanship. The basic premise behind
still hunting is that the hunter slowly moves through an area known to hold
deer, hoping to spot a deer before the deer spots the hunter, or at least before
the deer runs away after seeing the hunter. One of the most important
rules for the still hunter is to always move directly or quartering into the
wind. Deer have a keen sense of smell, and if the wind is not in the
hunter's favor, a deer will sense the hunter's presence and depart the area long
before the hunter is in visual range of the deer's location.
The next important rule is for the hunter to move very slowly. Even if the
hunter thinks he is moving slow enough, he should still try to slow down even
more. The hunter should try to take not more than two to five steps at a
time. The steps should be slow and deliberate, and care should be taken
not to step on twigs, pinecones, or other objects, which might create noise that
would alert deer of your presence. After each series of steps the hunter
should stop and survey his surrounding in every direction, close and far,
looking for any sign of a deer; the outline of an ear, the glint of the sun off
an antler tip; the out of place horizontal line in a stand of vertical trees
that is created by the back or belly of an animal. A good pair of
binoculars will help the hunter penetrate openings in the brush or trees.
You don't know how much can be missed with the naked eye until you look at the
same area under the power of magnification.
Once the surroundings have been thoroughly inspected, a few more steps can be
taken and then the observation process starts over again. The hunter
should be moving slowly enough that any small noises that might be created by an
errant step are usually ignored by animals as just the random noises that are
heard in the forest. Also, the long pauses and slow movements often mimic
the style of a feeding deer as it moves through the woods, again, not giving
other animals reason to be alarmed.
In addition to moving very slowly and closely inspecting the surrounding
terrain, the still hunter should try to remain in the shadows when ever
possible, and try to stay in areas that are wooded, or grown up with brush.
It is important to breakup the human outline whenever possible. Large open
areas, like prairie grasslands, are not as conducive to still-hunting as
forested areas.
Hunters who perfect the art of still-hunting often see a lot of game, and are
able to get very close to the animals, even within bow range, by having patience
and good observation skills. In fact, they often move slowly enough that
they are able to spot deer long before they themselves are detected because they
are in fact moving slower than the animals which may be up and about.
RATTLING and CALLING
Rattling is a
relatively new hunting technique - becoming widely recognized less than forty
years ago. Originally, it was done with shed antlers, (which still can be
used), but today is also practiced with synthetic antlers, rattling bags or
small hand rattles that simulate two bucks fighting.
While there are as many ways to rattle as there are real deer fighting in the
woods- here is a basic method that will get you started.
+ Rattle for 45-60 seconds. Start by "tickling the
tines"- this is done by lightly clicking the tips of the antlers together to
simulate two bucks beginning to spar or softly roll the rattling bag in you
hands. Then progress in intensity and volume by clashing and grinding the
antlers together. At the end of the sequence, break apart sharply to
simulate the two bucks breaking contact.
+ Wait 30-45 seconds, ready for a shot as deer often come charging in at the
initial sounds.
+ Rattle for 45 seconds utilizing the same style, just in an abbreviated form.
+ Wait for five minutes, ready for an approaching deer.
+ Rattle for 45 seconds using the same technique as the last sequence.
+ Wait 30 minutes, at the ready, scanning the woods for moving deer.
+ If no deer appear, repeat the entire sequence.
CALLING
Both bucks and does can be called with a variety of
calls. During the rut, especially in combination with a rattling sequence,
buck grunts can be used with good success. There are also various
inflections of the buck grunt, which can represent aggressive or timid behavior
by either an older or younger deer, as well as a tending grunt that is often
used when a buck is closely following a doe in heat.
It should also be noted that a single buck grunt is a very handy tool for
stopping a rapidly approaching buck for the perfect shot.
I addition to a buck grunt, doe and fawn bleats work well to attract bucks in
the rut, or does all season long.
Another call that attracts mainly does is the fawn in distress call. If
you are looking to call in a doe, this call is hard to beat and if used during
the rut, it may bring a buck in, hot on her heals.
While describing the many vocalizations in words is a difficult proposition,
there are many recordings, electronic calls and videos that provide a hunter
with good reference material.
During specific times of the year, namely the rut, calling deer is a very
effective way of bringing a buck within range. Calling and rattling are
easy techniques to master, and can be used by a still-hunter, in a ground blind
or treestand by rifle, muzzleloader and bowhunters alike.