ELK HUNTING

ELK HUNTING IS THE NUMBER 1 SPORT IN THE WORLD.



New HuntOpportunity For Coues Deer Opens In Durango

Coues deer hunting has been established in Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico, for years, but now there's an operator trying to open the State of Durango to Coues deer hunting by international sportsmen. His name is Ryan McCollum, and he is perhaps better known among wingshooters who have hunted doves and pigeons with him in Bolivia and Paraguay. McCollum, who is an American, runs a number of wingshooting operations in Latin American, including the Yucatan, Tamaulipas and now Durango in Mexico. He recently partnered with a Mexican doctor who owns several ranches about an hour's drive from the city of Durango. McCollum was originally interested in the properties for their copious populations of Gould's turkeys, but during a reconnaissance trip, he saw so many deer that he has decided to start outfitting for this big game species as well. Now, McCollum is the first to admit he has no big game guiding experience, and he is just getting into this side of the outfitting business. But he has lots of experience with international hunters and says he knows how to meet their needs. McCollum is currently getting his ducks in a row, hiring local guides and setting up shop for an exploratory hunt this spring for turkeys. He is also paving the way for an exploratory Coues deer hunt for next December. The properties McCollum has locked up are all working cattle operations ranging up to 55,000 acres. They are at elevations of about 3,000 to 4,000 feet and feature steep hills, open grass fields and some woods. McCollum says the properties have never been hunted commercially and that the landowner has not hunted them much himself. On one ranch there is a ranch house and some cabins with electricity and hot running water from where McCollum is basing his hunts. He is unsure of trophy quality, and at this point is simply looking for an adventurous soul or two who are also experienced Coues deer hunters and would like to join him on the property to explore its deer hunting potential. Interested hunters or experienced guides interested in helping to build up a new hunting destination can contact McCollum on his cell phone at 618-513-0891 or by e-mail at ryan@wingshootingtheworld.com. Just remember, McCollum has not guided big game hunters or done much in the way of scouting for deer. We are only telling you about this opportunity because we know there are a few of you out there who are dedicated, world traveled deer hunters who enjoy being among the first to open a new opportunity and are flexible enough to deal with the vagaries of an exploratory trip. If any of you decide to accompany McCollum to Durango, do let us know how it goes. It could be a bust, but it could also be a diamond in the rough.

Iowa Deer Hunting withNorth Branch Wildlife GroupContinuing subscribers know we have been following the efforts of the North Branch Wildlife Group in establishing a free-range trophy whitetail operation in Iowa. North Branch partner Ron Mason has been managing an unfenced, 2,000-acre parcel called The Mill Creek Ranch for five years now under the Quality Deer Management Program and last year opened hunting for the first time. Following are some photographs of bucks taken in last season's hunt. See our follow-up story on this new operation (April 2006 issue) for more information about the North Branch Wildlife Group, hunting seasons, costs and Iowa's application deadlines.
Iowa resident John Virden took this 12-point buck at Mill Creek Ranch on his second afternoon hunting there. This eight-pointer has an inside spread of 19 5/8 inches and was taken by Jeff Brennen. Brennan also killed this smaller eight-point buck that field-scored in the mid-120s. Jim Billingsley of Nevada and his son started their hunt at 2 pm the opening day of the muzzleloader season and had this 12-point buck on the ground at 2:35 pm. Billingsley has hunted all around the world, but this was his very first whitetail. This photo was taken by a trail camera late last August and is of a deer that was not harvested last season.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
April 20, 2006
This Travel Warning is being re-issued to provide U.S. citizens with updated security information on the Central African Republic (CAR). It supersedes the Travel Warning for the CAR issued April 19, 2005.
The Department of State warns Americans to use extreme caution when traveling in the CAR, and to avoid travel outside the capital unless absolutely necessary. U.S. citizens who remain in the CAR despite this Travel Warning are urged to exercise caution at all times, particularly at public gatherings.
In Bangui, tensions are high due to unpaid civil servant salaries and skirmishes between government forces and opposition groups. There are approximately 300 peacekeeping troops from neighboring member countries of the Economic and Monetary Union of Central Africa (CEMAC) that move in and out of the capital. CAR security forces, sometimes with French military assistance, staff checkpoints throughout the city. Some crimes are perpetrated by uniformed CAR security and military personnel. Two World Health Organization physicians were murdered by unidentified assailants on the outskirts of Bangui in April 2006.
Outside the capital many areas are lawless and rebel groups are active in the western, northern, northeastern, and southeastern provinces. The U.S. Embassy advises its personnel to take a CAR military escort when traveling outside the capital, particularly near the borders with Chad and Cameroon. The country held peaceful elections in March 2005, but the country’s economic and security situations have not improved markedly. The rebels wish to overthrow the constitutionally elected president and seek new elections.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangui has a single American officer and can provide only limited emergency services to U.S. citizens.
U.S. citizens in the CAR are strongly urged to register on the State Department’s web site at https://travelregistration.state.gov/. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Bangui. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.
The U.S. Embassy in the CAR is located at Avenue David Dacko, B.P. 924, Bangui; tel. (236) 61-02-00; fax (236) 61-44-94. For additional information on safety and security in the CAR, contact the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon, at telephone (237) 223-4014, (237) 223-0512, or 223-0581; fax (237) 223-0753; web site http://yaounde.usembassy.gov/. Americans may also obtain updated information from the American Embassy in N'djamena, Chad, at telephone (235) 51-70-09, 51-92-33 or 51-90-52; fax (235) 51-56-54; web site http://ndjamena.usembassy.gov/.
U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's most recent Consular Information Sheet for Central African Republic and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, which are located on the Department's web site at http://travel.state.gov/. Up-to-date information on safety and security is also available at 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or for callers from other countries, on a regular toll-line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
What Is the Bird Flu?The bird flu is making noise around the world. This is quite a deadly virus that is moving from country to country making its rounds. But, what is it and where in the world did it come from? Having the knowledge you need about this virus can help you to better understand and prepare for it, should the time come. The bird flu is actually the H5N1 virus. It is a subtype of the Influenza A virus. It is also well known as the avian influenza or avian flu. It all means the same thing.The bird flu is a virus. A virus is one of the most difficult of all illnesses in the world to treat because it is continuously mutating. By the time you take medications or antivirals to fight it off, it may have changed enough to become immune to the medications. This is the problem with the common cold. While it may be something many of us face, it is impossible to cure it because of how fast it mutates. The cold is a virus as well.What Makes Bird Flu So Bad?Now, the common flu and the common cold are things that most of us will deal with on a regular basis. But, serious flu strains, as they are called when the virus has mutated and is different from others, can also be deadly. The bird flu happens to be one of those deadly cases of flu. It is believed to be strong enough and fast enough moving in the body to cause a person to become sick quickly and then worsen until it becomes fatal.That does not mean that you need to be worried about the bird flu just yet. The bird flu currently only has been able to be transmitted from bird to bird and bird to human. This means that those that have birds or come into contact with birds of large amounts on a regular basis are the most vulnerable. Yet, even this does not mean that you may be able to ‘catch’ the bird flu. Currently, most of the cases that have been found have been in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. What worries many is the possibility that the bird flu could mutate enough to become a virus that spreads from human to human. If it does this, there is a great possibility of a worldwide pandemic. It is possible that up to 150 million people world wide can die from the bird flu if it reaches this level. There is not way to know if this will happen or when it will. The bird flu has yet to unfold into something much bigger as it could possibly do.