This week on Outdoors Radio Show No. 506, Jeff Greco demonstrates his new iPhone app that helps ID animal tracks. You can preview it or buy it on his site, mynaturesite.com (http://ow.ly/14DwO), or you might get lucky and win one - listen to Show 506 (http://ow.ly/14DvK), then call 414-297-7554 anytime before 4:00 p.m. CST on Monday, Feb. 9, to enter the drawing for a free copy of the app. Just leave your name, phone number and the words "animal track app" and you'll be entered in the drawing.

Jeff's app is handy for identifying 43 species of animals commonly found in North America. The app features track drawings, photos of actual tracks, photos of the animals and in most cases, an audio recording of the animal's call. You'll also learn how to make a plaster cast of animal tracks.

Late winter is the perfect time to get out and do some tracking. Here in Wisconsin, we have a solid layer of old snow topped by a dusting of new snow, which creates ideal conditions for tracking smaller animals, like rabbits, foxes, even mice. Our black bears are all hibernating in dens this time of year, but if we get a thaw, sometimes they come out and wander around, then crawl back into their den to sleep again until spring. The Mid-Atlantic is getting hammered with snow right now, but once that settles, there will be all kinds of tracks to follow. If you don't have snow, look for tracks in mud or sand along creeks and rivers. Tom Brown, Jr. claims he can track a mouse across a gravel driveway. How sharp are your tracking skills?

Later...

Dead calm and cold this morning in Buffalo County. Great day for a brisk walk on frozen snow crust, or perfect for some crust-country skiing! See what the wild things are doing.

If you grow or gather a significant amount of your own food, you'll need plenty of storage space come harvest time. One benefit of living in the snowbelt and having an unheated porch or outbuilding is that you never run out of refrigerator space in winter! Here’s a photo my wife, Dead-Eye, took last week of our walk-in cooler (AKA front porch). From left to right, here’s what’s in it: 1. (in yellow enamel box) deer tallow for the suet feeder (Woodpeckers, chickadees and nuthatches love it.); 2. plastic flowers for all-season floral bouquet; 3. (in ZipVac bag) half-eaten wild turkey carcass for leftover meals and soup; 4. cabbage gleaned from friend’s field (Frozen when we picked them, they keep well all winter. Peel off outer leaves to reveal crunchy inner section.); 5. (in peanut butter jar) chicken broth for soup; 6. (in blue roaster) chicken carcass waiting to be simmered to make broth for next soup; 7. dead cottontail rabbit waiting to be dressed and butchered; 8 & 9. (jars behind roaster) Chinese hull-less pumpkin seeds (l) and shredded coconut (r) for quick road snacks; 10. (under table) bottle of wine; 11. (yellow thing) solar lantern to help me find the door when I come home late at night) OK, so a solar lantern doesn’t need to be refrigerated, but leaving it on the porch helps us remember to put it where I can find it when I come home after dark.
On any given day, our porch might contain all these items and more. The guy from Culligan who delivers salt for our water softener didn’t bat an eye at the rabbit, but here in farm country I’m sure he’s seen stranger things. I often leave game on the porch to age for a few days before dressing or freezing it. Aging tenderizes tough meat, which is exactly what slaughterhouses do with beef, hog and lamb carcasses. Granted, they hang meat under controlled temperatures, but I’ve never had a problem keeping game for as long as a week if the temperature stays between 30º and 40ºF. If its gut is not perforated with shot, you can leave a small animal intact for a couple days at these temps. If it freezes solid, you can let it thaw out overnight and then process it. If you’re not certain of its condition, field-dress it and wipe the inside of the carcass dry with a paper towel. Don’t wash it with water, as moisture encourages bacterial growth. If a critter is gut-shot, you can butcher it, wash and dry it and put it in a sealed container for a few days before cooking or freezing it.

It’s best to process fish right away, but you can keep whole fresh fish for as long as a week in a bucket or cooler of snow. Start with a layer of snow, then a layer of fish, then snow, etc. until you fill the container.

On sunny days, move food to a shady spot on the porch. If porch temps get above 40ºF during the day, stick your food in a snow bank. Just remember to bring it back onto the porch or into an outbuilding overnight, or the local scavengers (coyotes, raccoons, possums) might have a smorgasbord. To help me remember this, I think of Templeton the rat in the movie version of Charlotte's Web singing “The fair is a veritable smorgasbord, orgasbord, after the lights go out…” He'd go nuts at our place.

The porch is where we keep stuff that needs refrigeration. Root vegetables keep just fine at 40ºF in a walk-in root cellar we made in a corner of the basement. After tempering for two weeks at room temperature, winter squash stores well at 50ºF in an unheated back room. That’s where we keep apples, too. All that in addition to two small freezers and a second refrigerator in the basement.

You might not have as much room as we do for food storage, but I’ll bet you’ve got a porch, balcony, patio or snow bank that will do in a pinch if you run into a windfall harvest, as we did with cabbage, squash, apples and several road-killed deer this year.

The deer are another story, one I’ll tell on another occasion.

Later…

The East Coast Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation stepped up to help less fortunate families in the area by offering warm smiles and hearty meals this past Christmas season.

This week on Outdoors Radio Show 503, East Coast Gobblers chapter president Wally Mielke, Jr. tells how his group raised more than $7,500 to provide 1,011 turkeys to families in the area during the two weeks before Christmas. This impressive total made the East Coast Gobblers the #1 contributing local chapter nationwide to the Turkey Hunters Care program for a second consecutive year.

“The Turkey Hunters Care program is an example of NWTF volunteers doing ‘little things’ for people to make them smile during the holidays,” Mielke says. “With so many people in our area without jobs, generous local donors reached down in their pockets and pulled out hope for their neighbors in need. With the holidays now behind us, we are already collecting donations for next year.”

Thanks to approximately 56 donors, consisting of local businesses and private individuals, NWTF volunteers were able to raise over $7,500 to purchase the frozen, domestic turkeys. Volunteers with the chapter distributed turkeys to Peter’s Pantry in Manitowoc, Faith Lutheran Church in Valders, Kingdom Come Pantry in Octono Falls, and Bethel Baptist Church in Green Bay.

“The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are times for family, but they are also a time when many families are in need,” said NWTF CEO George Thornton. “Turkey Hunters Care is a great way for the NWTF’s committed volunteers to help these families during some of the most celebrated holidays of the year.”

For more information about the NWTF’s Turkey Hunters Care program, call (800) THE-NWTF or visit www.nwtf.org.

Find out this week on Outdoors Radio, Show 503. Listen online NOW or wait for the broadcast.

John Marksman, of Washburn, Wisconsin, shows off a nice burbot he caught on Lake Superior's Chequamegon Bay.

Photo courtesey of Outdoor Allure.

Captain Craig Putchat, of Outdoor Allure in Washburn, Wisconsin, gives us a fishing report for Chequamegon Bay, shares some tips for catching and cooking burbot (Lota lota) and tells us how an equipment malfunction caused him to miss two gimmee shots at deer during Wisconsin's late bow season.

Asian carp DNA keeps showing up between the electric barrier on the Illinois River and Lake Michigan, which means the carp themselves have probably already made it past the barrier. Now there's a scary thought!

For another perspective on this whole debacle, check out the River Rat's blog.

California has the worst game-wardens-per-capita ratio of any state or Canadian province (192 in the field), which is attracting organized crime to poaching and contributing to more than a $100 million a year black market in wildlife that has dire consequences for salmon, striped bass, sturgeon, deer, abalone and many other species. The warden shortage also reduces protection from marijuana cultivation and illegal drug manufacturing on wild lands, which threaten all forms of outdoor recreation, from hunting, fishing and camping to birding, hiking and exploring.

A new documentary by Snow Goose Productions and award-winning film maker James Swan exposes this problem. Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens, was featured at the 2009 Jackson Hole Film Festival. The film is narrated by actor/author Jameson Parker, of Simon & Simon.

Sponsors include: CA Fish and Game Wardens Association, California Waterfowl Association, The Wild Sheep Foundation, Nor. California Council Federation of Fly-Fishers, Sierra Club, LEF Foundation and the California County Fish and Game Commissions of Butte, Colusa, Imperial, Kern, Mono/Inyo, Napa, San Diego, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties.

There will be a special screening of Endangered Species January 23 at the Safari Club International Convention in Reno.

DVD copies of the film are available from Snow Goose Productions.

photo courtesy of the IGFA

The IGFA announced today that it has recognized the 22-lb. 4-oz. largemouth bass caught on July 2, 2009 in Japan by angler Manabu Kurita of Aichi, Japan. Here's the whole story, thanks to Pete Johnson of Scottsdale, AZ:

Freshwater fishing’s “Holy Grail” now has dual holders; 22 lb 4 oz bass caught by
Japan’s Manabu Kurita matches IGFA record held for 77 years by Georgia’s George Perry

DANIA BEACH, Fla. USA, (January 8, 2010) --- After nearly six months of waiting, Japan’s Manabu Kurita is taking his place along side Georgia, USA angler George Perry in the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) World Record Games Fishes book as dual holders of the All-Tackle record for largemouth bass each weighing 22 lb 4 oz and caught 77 years apart.
    Today the IGFA approved Kurita’s application for the fish caught from Japan’s largest lake on July 2, 2009.  The 70-year old non-profit fisheries conservation, education and record-keeping body, received Kurita’s application and documentation on Sept. 19, 2009. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), was caught from Lake Biwa which is an ancient reservoir northeast of Kyoto.
    Kurita, 32, of Aichi, Japan, was fishing Biwa that July day using a Deps Sidewinder rod and a Shimano Antares DC7LV reel loaded with 25 lb Toray line when he pitched his bait, a live bluegill, next to a bridge piling.  It was Kurita’s first cast to the piling where he had seen a big bass swimming. He only twitched the bait a couple of times before he got bit. After a short, three minute fight he had the fish in the boat.
    Kurita was quoted as saying “I knew it was big, but I didn’t know it was that big.” 
    But big it was.  Using certified scales, his fish weighed in at 10.12 kg or 22 lb 4 oz.  When measured, the fish had a fork length of 27.2 inches and a girth of 26.7 inches. The IGFA only has line classes up to 20 lb for largemouth bass, so Kurita had no chance at a line class record as well. 
    IGFA rules for fish caught outside the U.S. allows anglers 90 days to submit their applications from the date of their catch. The documentation was received through the IGFA’s sister association the Japan Game Fish Association (JGFA). IGFA conservation director Jason Schratwieser said Kurita’s application was meticulously documented with the necessary photos and video.
    Kurita’s fish ties the current record held for over 77 years by Perry who caught his bass on Georgia’s Montgomery Lake, June 2, 1932, near Jacksonville, Georgia. That 22 lb 4 oz behemoth won Field and Stream Magazine’s big fish contest and 46 years later, when the IGFA took over freshwater records from Field and Stream, it became the All-Tackle record now one of over 1,100 fresh and saltwater species the IGFA monitors. 
    IGFA All-Tackle records are now free for viewing by the public at igfa.org.  Kurita’s name is now on the IGFA Web site with that of Perry’s and will appear in the 2011 edition of the World Record Games Fishes book…. unless that record is broken this year.
     The IGFA announced the decision at its headquarters with a live video feed carried on Bassmaster.com, one of the most popular fishing Web sites in the world and the official site of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS).   
    In North America the largemouth bass, and especially the All-Tackle record, is considered by millions of anglers as the “holy grail” of freshwater fish because of its popularity and the longevity of Perry’s record.  That fish undoubtedly helped to spawn a billion dollar industry that today makes up a significant part of the sport of recreational fishing.
    Schratwieser said, “The moment Kurita weighed his fish, word spread like wildfire. We knew this would be significant so we immediately contacted the JGFA for more information. Established in 1979, and JGFA compiles and translates all record applications of fish caught in Japan before forwarding to the IGFA.
    “It works out well because they not only translate applications but can also contact the angler if more documentation is needed.”
   
It turned into a lengthy process
    “Since the IGFA requires three months from the time of capture before a record can be approved, the official word would have to wait until October 2,” said Schratwieser. 
    “However, almost right away rumors began to circulate that Kurita may have caught his fish in a ‘no-fishing zone’.  In response, the IGFA immediately corresponded with the JGFA to speak with the angler about this issue and to gather information regarding the legality of fishing where Kurita caught his bass.  Official word came back that the location of the catch was not a no-fishing zone, but was an area where anchoring or stopping was prohibited.  This spurred more correspondence with the JGFA and the angler, including affidavits asking the angler if he stopped his boat at anytime.  Again, the testimony and affidavits that came back indicated that the Kurita did not violate any laws and that his catch was indeed legitimate.”
    It didn’t end there.
    A considerable amount of time and correspondence was to continue between the IGFA, JGFA and Kurita, a primary reason it took so long to come to a decision.
    During this time, the IGFA was also besieged with letters and emails from the bass fishing community, said Schratwieser. 
    “Many were incredulous that the All-Tackle record could be tied from a fish in Japan.  Others beseeched the IGFA to approve the record and give Kurita the credit he deserves.  Still others wanted to know why the entire process was taking so long.  It soon became clear to the IGFA staff that this would be a contentious issue no matter if the record were approved or rejected. 
    “The IGFA was also sensitive to this particular record because in past years there have been several attempts to sue us over largemouth bass record claims.  Although none of these claims have been successful, they have resulted in considerable legal fees for the IGFA,” he said.
    In the end, the IGFA staff concluded it would be both in the best interest of the IGFA and that of Kurita if he submitted to a polygraph analysis. The IGFA reserves the right to employ polygraph analyses to any record application, and this is explicitly stated in the affidavit section of the world record application form.
    Again, more correspondence was issued to the JGFA to request that Kurita take a polygraph test.
    He immediately agreed. 
    On December 15, Kurita was examined by a professional polygraph analyst in Japan.  The many questions he was given included if he was truthful about the information reported on the application form and if his boat ever came to a complete stop while fighting his fish. 
    The results from the polygraph concluded that Manabu Kurita answered the questions honestly and that the catch was legitimate. 
    George Perry’s 77 year old record was officially tied.

Due diligence pays off
    “Six months may seem like a lot of time to determine if a fish ties a record,” said Schratwieser. “Hopefully, people now understand the amount of due diligence the IGFA conducted on this record.  Although we treat all records with equal rigor, the All-Tackle largemouth bass record is nothing less than iconic and the bass angling community deserved nothing less.”
    Schratwieser added, “The IGFA wishes to applaud Kurita on his outstanding catch and would also like to commend him on his patience and candor during the entire review process.  We would also like to thank the JGFA for their diligence and tireless assistance in corresponding with Kurita and fisheries officials.”

Biology and bass across the globe; where will the next record come from?
    Largemouth bass have also been introduced in many countries but in Japan fisheries officials consider it an invasive species. In addition, because bass are not native and are stocked in Japan, many speculated that the big bass was a sterile triploid.  However when biologists in Japan examined the ova of the big female, Schratwieser said they concluded that the fish was not triploid.
     For over 77 years the record stood as bass fanatics theorized when and where the record would be broken. Over the years there have been rumors and unsubstantiated reports of bass that could have tied or eclipsed Perry’s record, but nothing ever passed IGFA criteria.  Some anglers did come close, however. 
    Schratwieser said the closest came in 1991, when Robert Crupi caught a 22 lb bass in Lake Dixon, California USA, that still reigns as the 16 lb line class record and the third heaviest approved bass record in IGFA history. 
    “Most people thought that the next All-Tackle record would come from California.  Until Kurita’s tie the seven heaviest bass records behind Perry’s came from California lakes.  Although not native to California, it appears transplanted bass have adapted quite well to the deep, clear lakes and reservoirs and the abundant trout forage found in some of them.
    “Little did people know that introduced bass grew big in places besides California, and that there are true monsters swimming on the other side of the world in Japan.”

More on the IGFA and the World Record Game Fishes book
    The IGFA has been recognized as the official keeper of world saltwater fishing records since its founding in 1939.  Annually it publishes a comprehensive list of current records of fresh and saltwater fish across the globe in its highly acclaimed World Record Game Fishes book which is divided into all-tackle, line classes, fly, and junior record categories.
     The current 2010 edition of the book was released early this week and is only available from the IGFA with a $40 annual membership. The membership also includes on-line access to the most current updated world records on the IGFA web site, six issues of the International Angler bi-monthly news magazine, unlimited admission to the IGFA’s interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Fla., plus much more.
    To join, or to renew your IGFA membership, go on-line to igfa.org or call the IGFA headquarters at 954-927-2628.
    The IGFA is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping.  IGFA members are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors daily to its expansive and interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum.
###

IGFA PR counsel/contact: Pete Johnson, Johnson Communications, Inc.
Scottsdale, Ariz., USA
480-951-3654 (ph) 480-951-0040 (fax)
JohnsonCom@aol.com (e-mail)
 

Milestones, anyone? The Simpsons is celebrating 20 years on TV this year. Good for them! Meanwhile, Outdoor Wisconsin celebrates 25 and launches Year 26 with a great line-up of new shows starting January 14. How did we keep it going that long? A hunting and fishing show on Public TV? It took teamwork and the vision of our esteemed executive producer, Jack Abrams.

Check us out this season!

Check out this new site, launched today: American Fishing Contests.

The brainchild of Don Kaldunski, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, I suspect it will prove very useful to all who are interested in competing in or following fishing competitions. I looked at the listings for Wisconsin and found all those I am aware of plus a whole lot more.

Neat site. Spread the word.

Later...