The Slender Woodsman

gooning in New England and beyond

[natureisthegreatestartist]

[escuerzoresucitado]

[headspace-hotel]

Here's some stuff about deer overpopulation and the role of hunting in managing it

new york department of environmental conservation

wisconsin farmer article discussing how deer overpopulation has reached a "critical high" but the number of hunting licenses sold has been dropping

the national park service discussing deer overpopulation

Some key points, assembled from these sources:

Deer start to negatively impact the ecosystem at densities of 10-20 deer per square mile. Many areas in the USA are dealing with densities of 30-60 deer per square mile, even as high as 114 deer per square mile

Overpopulated deer can literally un-forest a forest by eating all of the new tree seedlings that pop up. Rare wildflowers like trilliums can be wiped out of an area by deer.

For the deer population to remain stable, 30-40% of the deer have to be killed off or die by some other means every year.

Deer overpopulation causes collisions with vehicles. The main cause of death for deer in more suburban areas is collision with a vehicle and these deer typically die slowly and painfully of their injuries

Deer overpopulation is causing Lyme-carrying ticks to spread like crazy.

Basically in the USA it is critically important to be hunting the deer

However. While searching for this I found a bunch of articles about "non-lethal deer population management" by various organizations, which I am. Concerned but curious about

[thechickendaddy]

I’d like for new gardeners and growers alike to know you won’t always be successful. Sometimes things just don’t work. You can work really hard and still completely fail. But there’s opportunities in failure. Knowledge is one of the best tools in the garden. There’s a lot of opportunity to learn how plants work, what conditions they favor and what they’re willing to tolerate. Opportunity to recognize and understand how disease and pests work and how to treat them. All of these opportunities are important for your future success

[shalomdude]

Happy birthday, America! (x)

[slenderwoodsman]

New Hampshire’s 2020 deer season resulted in a total harvest of 13,044, resulting in the 4th highest harvest in the state’s history going back to 1922. This was an increase of 6% from 12,306 in 2019. The adult buck (antlered males age 1.5+) kill increased 2% from 7,807 in 2019 to 7,986 in 2020. This represents the 2nd highest adult buck harvest the state has seen going back to 1922. The antlerless harvest (does and fawns) increased 14% from 4,436 in 2019 to 5,058 in 2020.

-2020 New Hampshire Wildlife Harvest summary

[slenderwoodsman]

Squirrel is a great quarry for new hunters to pursue. Squirrel hunting typically involves spot-and-stalk techniques. This means the hunter will quietly and carefully walk through the woods and scan the trees for movement and listen for the distinct "bark" of the bushytail. Once a squirrel is spotted, the hunter may have to maneuver into an optimal firing position, or wait for the squirrel to move into the line of fire. Typically, a shotgun or .22lr rifle is used for squirrels, although the hunter must be particularly mindful of safety when firing a rifle upwards into a tree. When using a shotgun, #4, #5, and #6 are the most common shot sizes.

Squirrels can quickly and easily be skinned using "tail method". There are many instructional vidoes of this method online. It involves making a cut into the skin under the tail, stepping firmly onto the tail, and pulling the hind legs so the hide peels off the body. Once the squirrel is skinned and the head and feet are removed, it is easily gutted. Cook squirrel the same way you would chicken. You will be surprised how good it tastes - I honestly believe squirrel tastes better than chicken.

[skulls-n-ivy]

Gotta get September ready...

[wisco-country]

[slenderwoodsman]

Summer in New England isn't just about heat and mosquitoes, its about berry picking. Black raspberries grow throughout the region and make a great jam.

4 cups black rasberry

2 cups brown sugar

1 lemon

Combine the berries and sugar in a pot on medium heat. Squeeze a few tablespoons of juice out of the lemon and into the pot. Crush the berries and stir while heating. Once the berries have released their juice crank the heat up to high and boil rapidly, continuing to stir occasionally. Once that bitch reaches 220 degrees F, remove from heat. Let cool and transfer to a Mason jar. Makes 1 pint of jam.

Protip: if you cant gather all the berries in a day throw some of the sugar on the berries you did collect before putting the container in the fridge. This will help them last a little longer and absorb the juices from the berries.

[slenderwoodsman]

[slenderwoodsman]

Don't throw out your Christmas tree, drink it! The needles from the balsam fir tree in your living room are said to have, pound for pound, four times as much vitamin C as oranges and was thought to be used by natives for it's medicinal qualities. Make some balsam tea and stick it to big citrus!

I recommend adding the needles as an infusion to another an actual tea, since on its own balsam fir has a strong flavor you might not like. Here I mixed up the needles with 2 tablespoons of rooibos tea in a French press and steep for 4 minutes. Add honey to taste.

If you're fortunate enough to live somewhere where the mighty balsam fir is native, you can forage it year round. Be mindful of the resin that can be found on the trunk; it's been used the same way as the needles to make tea, but it's extremely sticky!

[ipromisetostaywild]

[slenderwoodsman]

[michaelschubert]

Yosemite Valley at dawn

[autumncreekoutdoors]

Trying something a little different with the wings I saved off of the turkey I harvested a couple seasons ago. I thought they were just too pretty to toss away. Wrapped the exposed bone with twine and moss and hung them off of an old cedar knot I picked up from the same area.

[slenderwoodsman]