October 3, 2017 • Page 12 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Hunting Guide 2017 If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of hunters who take to the woods in pursuit of whitetail deer this fall, take a few minutes to review some basic safety information from Whitetails Unlimited that will insure that everyone enjoys the hunt safely. • Handle all firearms as if they were loaded, at all times. Every year there are news stories of accidents where someone thought they were handling an unloaded firearm, and it fires and injuries or kills someone. If you always consider a weapon to be loaded, and it it accordingly, this won’t happen. • Watch where you point the muzzle of every firearm. this takes diligence and awareness, but it is a skill that be quickly developed. Always be aware of where other people are in relation to your muzzle, and let your hunting partners know if they are not being as careful as you are. It is easy to lose concentration when every- Hunt Smart, Hunt Safe one is uncasing their guns at the back the the pickup, or when you are tired at the end of the day. Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. • Don’t rely on your firearm’s safety. A safety is a mechanical device, and it could fail at any time. Use it religiously except when you are ready to fire, but never assume that because the safety is on, you are 100 percent safe. Unload the firearm when not in use, and leave the action open, if possible. Also, after you shoot, put the safety on before you take your first step. • Be sure of your target, and what is in front and behind your target. It is easy to get excited when you see that big buck, but first make sure that is really a deer, and if it is safe to shoot. Make sure there are no buildings, people or roads behind the deer that would be in danger if you miss or the bullet passes through the animal. If you are not 100 percent sure of where your hunting companions are, or if there isn’t enough light or a clear sight line to the target, pass p on the shot. You will get another chance at a deer, but sending a bullet out of your barrel without being sure of your target and background is an invitation to disaster. • Take care of your firearms and ammunition, and treat them with respect. Don’t just grab a gun and some ammo that have been stored for months as you leave the house the morning of your hunt. Spend some time to make sure your equipment is in good shape. Take it out before the hunt to check the sights or scope. Make sure the barrel is not obstructed and that the action works properly. • Make sure the ammunition matches the firearm. Never horseplay with firearms and never climb a fence, ladder, tree or tree stand, or cross difficult or slippery terrain with a loaded firearm. Also remember that you can set the example for everyone in your group, especially for younger hunters. • Be safe if you are using a tree stand. Never climb into the stand carrying your weapon. Unload your weapon and use a line to pull your gun or bow up after you have fastened your safety harness (remember to reload after you are settled). Reverse the process when you leave the tree stand. Always unload the weapon, and always use a safety harness or belt. • Control your emotions. After you shoot that 10-pointer, don’t turn with your loaded firearm, with the safety off, toward your friends. Don’t run to the downed animal, or chase off into someone else’s firing lane. Rehearse in your mind what safe actions will be, and always be aware of your surroundings. Show some discipline and restraint, and don’t take poor shots that may be unsafe. • Be aware of any other circumstances that may affect safety. If the landowner tells you to stay out of an area, respect his directions, rain, fog, snow or sleet may reduce visibility or create hazardous conditions. Use common sense, and remember that a tragic accident can be the result of taking chances. • Never mix alcohol or drugs with firearms. The first drink of the day is the end of the hunting day, no matter what time it is. Forget the eye-opener, the flask “to keep you warm,” or the pick-me-up with lunch, and don’t tolerate drinking (or drugs) from anyone you hunt or shoot with. Alcohol and guns are a deadly combination. Before you have that beer with dinner at night, make sure all firearms are already unloaded, cleaned and cased. In addition, if you are taking any prescription or over-thecounter medications that may affect your judgement, or make you drowsy, anxious or otherwise impaired, check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if there is an alternative. • Safety does not end when you leave the woods. Even if you are tired, cold, and hungry when you get home, safety is still the first priority. Before anything else, store your firearms and ammunition in a safe place, separate form each other and out of the reach of children. Then call your friends to come see your deer, take a hot shower and get a decent meal. You’ve earned it. Remember that hunting is a process, not a destination. No deer is worth risking your or someone else’s life. There are friends, family and other people in the woods with you, and a successful hunt is not really measured in points and pounds, but in fellowship and appreciation of our natural world. vArticle Courtesy of Whitetails Unlimited Good Earth State Park Receives National Recognition For Cultural and Historical Significance Sioux Falls, S.D. -The National Association of State Park Directors formally recognized and awarded Good Earth State Park as this year’s recipient of the Ney Landrum Park History Award. "On behalf of our team at Good Earth State Park and our entire department, we are grateful to be receiving the Ney Landrum Park History Award this year," stated Katie Ceroll, director of the division of parks and recreation. "The park and the brand new visitor center re- flect the team’s collaboration in research and presentation of this site’s history, which has allowed the historical and cultural preservation of the area to come to life for current and future generations." The park preserves a portion of a larger historically and culturally significant site referred to as Blood Run, which is a designated National Historic Landmark. The location is the largest known Oneota (tribal) habitation discovered to date. As many as 10,000 in- digenous people occupied it at its peak, from 1500 to the early 1700s, with villages stretched over four miles along the Big Sioux River in what is now Iowa and South Dakota. Descendants now make up four different tribes, Ioway, Otoe, Ponca and Omaha, located in several states. Honoring the site’s history, required collaboration and input from tribal people. The Good Earth team conducted interviews, researched legends and stories, analyzed artifacts, located family heirlooms, learned traditions and languages, and conducted focus groups. Tribal historic preservation officers, tribal elders and other members of the descendant tribes provided information and oversight for accuracy. The park includes over six miles of hiking trails and three viewing platforms. Future plans include a 200-person outdoor amphitheater and a pedestrian bridge over the Big Sioux River, connecting Good Earth to areas of Blood Run managed by Game Meat Donations Increased Again Donation of game meat to families in need increased again in 2016 with a modest increase in donations by hunters and significant increase in meat donation through the Sportsmen Against Hunger (SAH) salvage processing program. Deer hunters continued to show interest in, and play an important part in, donation of game meat through SAH to food pantries across the state. Total harvested deer which were donated increased from 348 in 2015 to 397 in 2016. These numbers included 256 antlerless deer in 2016 compared with 204 antlerless deer in 2015. The antlerless deer were donated through the SAH processing certificate program in which a processing certificate completed and submitted by the hunter to a participating SAH game processor paid for most or all of the processing cost. The SAH salvage processing program has always been an important program in that funding has been available to pay for processing of salvageable game carcasses provided by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) and other game management agencies. This game has included road-kills, confiscated game, euthanized research animals, culled ani- mals from a National Wildlife Refuge, and animals taken in city deer reduction programs. The amount of processed salvaged game meat received a huge boost this past winter when Wind Cave National Park conducted an elk herd reduction program from which harvested elk were processed and the meat provided to food pantries and other charitable food distributors affiliated with Feeding South Dakota. SAH was one of several funding partners which paid for processing of these salvaged elk. Sportsmen and sportswomen also donated a variety of other types of game this past year including 7 antelope, 1,895 Canada geese, 1,831 pheasants, 1 buffalo and 237 walleyes. The total amount of processed donated game and fish meat provided to food pantries from all sources, including game meat food drives, increased from 31,512 pounds in 2015 to 48,174 pounds in 2016, and this meat was made available to families in need throughout the state.. In addition to recognizing those individuals and wildlife management agencies who donated game animals and fish, credit needs to be given to those hunters who donated considerable cash to SAH through the GFP li- cense application check-off system. SAH would also like to acknowledge the corporations, foundations, organizations, and government entities who also provided funding to SAH for the primary purpose of paying for processing of certain donated game. The large variety and amount of support for SAH translates into muchappreciated game meat for families in need. vBy Ron Fowler, Sportsmen Against Hunger Iowa. The land acquisitions that make up the park and the facility were funded by state dollars and $8 million in private donations raised by the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation. About the Ney Landrum Park History Award: Ney Landrum was the director of the Florida State Parks from 1969 (when it became the Division of Recreation and Parks within Department of Natural Resources) to 1989. Before that, he was in charge of the Outdoor Recrea- tion Development Council. He was a major influence on the national state park movement, and was director of the National Association of State Park Directors for several years. The award honors an individual or team that has displayed outstanding efforts in original research and presentation of state park history that results in a tangible work product. vSouth Dakota Game, Fish and Parks www.missourivalleyshopper.com ATTENTION HUNTERS See Us For Your Wild Game Processing Products available from your fresh game: •Salami •Cheese Salami •Smoked Country •Ring Bologna •Wieners •Cheese Sticks •Breakfast Sausage •Bratwurst •Cheesy Brats •Jerky •Sticks •Dried Deer Steiner’s Locker 404 E. 3rd St,. 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