Hunting in the Great White North is costing too much

    Guys, you know how you hate “dates.” Don’t you just cringe at the possibility of missing a birthday or anniversary? And you know there’s no recovery from it. I’m writing this a full week away from when you read it simply because today will be Connie’s birthday. I’m thinking about deer season opening Friday morning, and she’s thinking what trouble I’ll be in if I’ve forgotten her birthday. This must be a conspiracy by the greeting card companies.

    That doesn’t change the fact that Friday will be opening day for muzzleloader hunting for whitetail deer. This always is a magic season though some of you can recall a much different climate than today.

    I recall muzzleloader season always being during the late autumn (even though the dates were close to the same), but with green leaves and acorns just beginning to fall, it’s a much different season than it was in, say, 1970. Those were days when the skies were filled with monarch butterflies and a six-pound weakfish caught in the bay was just one more nice fish instead of a headline maker. Those days are long gone now.

    Speaking of acorns, my land doesn’t seem to have produced the bumper crop necessary to carry the deer through the winter. I don’t know if my place is unique or not, but I’m just not seeing the mast crop this year as in years past. It may be a tough season.

    Dan Bendelewski of Magnolia just returned with his son Jeff from British Columbia. It was a college graduation gift to Jeff and I asked about the feasibility of being adopted by Dan so I could go on such a trip as well. The real story was not in the grand trophies they collected, but the radical changes of airline baggage regulations.

    Dan tells me the humongous bags they used to take for hunters are long gone. Aside from limiting weight to a strict 70 pounds, a bag now is measured and charged accordingly. The big bag will go if it’s less than 70 pounds, but you’ll still be charged “oversize” rates. Gun case? Forget about it being free. It’s another extra, oversized bag.

    Since he had a connector out of Canada, his antlers and horns created havoc for his wallet. Canadian airlines charged him to get them to Toronto and then the U.S. carrier charged him to get them to Baltimore. One set of moose antlers and one set of caribou antlers cost him $350 to get back. That doesn’t take into account the mountain goat horns were inside his checked bag he didn’t declare. In all, extra bags (gun cases and antlers) and oversize charges for their trip was $925. Then he asked for an aisle seat and they wanted another $50 a piece but he shamed them into that being gratis after paying the other fees.

    Bottom line is, if you plan on flying to your next hunt, be prepared to pay double what you thought. The airlines are really hitting the recreational hunter and fishermen today.

    Years ago, barn dances were the social highlight of rural communities. As with many other things, the idea of a barn dance has been lost. That is until now.

    The Kent Conservation District is planning a barn dance at the Delaware State Fairgrounds, Dover Building Oct. 17. The agenda includes a down home dinner of barbecue pork and chicken with all the trimmings. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds are going to defray the costs of the Delaware Envirothon.

    The Envirothon is a competition of high school students being tested and challenged in a myriad of conservation issues. Delaware always competes well at the national level and aside from being in the top 10 nationally, finished first in the North Region this last year.

    As always, donations of food, items for auction or monetary gifts are always welcomed. If you can spare it, physical presence and assistance in set up, and especially teardown would be considered priceless. Unlike all our other worthy banquets and auctions, you’ll be able to meet and greet the young people who’ll be given the direct benefit of your generosity. For answers to questions, donations or tickets, contact Paula Kohout at the Kent Conservation District offices at 741-2600, ext. 115.