There’s no better time of year to get out and about and enjoy all the outdoors have to offer in our little neck of Penn’s Woods. And yes, my title is from Luke Bryan’s hit song. The lyric pretty much sums up how so many of us feel and only wish we had more time to enjoy all God’s green Earth has to offer.
A few serious notes before I move on to one of my favorite contests. First up, a simple one that gets complicated every hunting season. Please respect the property boundaries of your fellow man. If you don’t have permission to hunt somewhere, you shouldn’t be there. And I’m talking about seasonal permission, not that commonly used line; you talked to somebody 20 years ago, and they said I could hunt here. This can be followed by, even if you know you can hunt a property, a please and thank you followed up by, has anything changed this season, is the best way to go.
If you hunt within a club, state land, with a group, or do have permission to hunt private land, respect the boundaries of the other hunters and landowner. I’m sure almost every hunter reading this has had somebody walk through an area or set up in a spot they were hunting. There is nothing more frustrating. Common sense, communication, and following the golden rule and applying it to hunting is the best way to avoid a problem.
The most important thing in regard to any kind of hunting is safety. This begins with securing and understanding the area you are hunting. Then, use common sense if any variables present themselves or if your instincts tell you something may not be right.
Now to our 16th Annual Webb Weekly Uncle Ron’s Monster Buck Contest. Which begins right along with the archery season this Saturday.
Our contest is named in remembrance of my Uncle Ron Maietta, who was an avid outdoorsman and battled MS for a good portion of his life. And for long time, Webb Weekly family member Ron Mingle, who retired from his normal duties but still oversees the Monster Buck Contest, his wife Steph battles MS each and every day. My staff and I donate every year on behalf of all the hunters who enter to help find a cure for the disease. I will give you my monster buck Cliffs Notes version of the contest. Full details can be found on page 54. I have always believed a trophy buck is in the hands of the holder. So, any legal buck taken in our neck of Penn’s Woods can be entered. By entering, you are automatically registered into our random rifle contest; thank you to Sauers Trading and the father/son duo of John and Don for handling all the legalities. They do a great job each and every year. Also, just by entering, you increase that donation made to battle MS.
There are 4 top winners, which will include our monster buck of the year. Runner up through fourth prize receives a $100 venison processing card from Stoltzfus Butcher in Mill Hall. They are a full-service venison processor and make some of the best products you’ll ever try.
First prize is a free shoulder mount, a $650 value, done by your favorite taxidermy man or woman. You may register your trophy at Poust Taxidermy outside of Jersey Shore. Dana and Sam will do the initial scoring, a very simple process. You may also register at Sauers Trading in Southside. Again, it’s quick and easy. We use SCI standards, and the top bucks will advance for final official scoring.
Congratulations again to last year’s winner, Brandon Prosock, pictured above. His 12-point monster had an SCI scoring of 163.2 and edged out several other trophy whitetails.
I wish everybody good luck and great hunting. Remember, safety first, and respect your fellow hunters.
God Bless America.
