TheJump.Net News Journal

OK people!!! I have received this picture via email. What do you think it is????


Check out all the pictures here: All The Cat Pics!

My conclusion is at the bottom of the page. What is yours? You can discuss your thoughts either on the messageboard or here if you don't want to bother registering on the messageboard.

There is more than one method to score a turkey but just like Boone and Crockett is the standard from measuring that trophy buck the NWTF is the standard for scoring your turkey. Since turkey season has opened are is about to open where you hunt I figure now is the perfect time to get everyone refreshed on how to go about scoring your turkey.

Luckily I already have everything you will need information wise written up and I even have a very useful turkey calculator for doing the math for you. With easy conversion chart of fractions of an inch to decimal inches.

Here are both links. Link to the methodology
                         Link to the turkey calculator

There is a link on the methodology page to the calculator page but not vice versa. I guess I need to change that. Lazy webmasters suck. Enjoy!

Be wary folks the Obama admin. is at it again... well they never really stopped now did they. A massive restructuring of the management of our fishery resource is about to be pushed through if Obama has his way. It has been reported on The Drudge Report and ESPN that they are pushing a ban of fishing in the Great Lakes and Marine Waters. The Admin response is this. Read Below.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco told a House panel that her agency had no plans to halt fishing. And National Marine Fisheries Service chief Eric Schwaab released a statement last night saying NOAA "is committed to adopting policies that will ensure that current and future generations have the opportunity to enjoy the great tradition of recreational fishing."



"Both commercial and recreational fishing are vitally important to this nation," Lubchenco said. "We are not proposing any blanket ban on recreational fishing. I would strongly oppose that, and it is not in the works."

But notice the wording, blanket ban. Gee that makes me feel better. They aren't the response is that they aren't PLANNING to COMPLETELY BAN FISHING.

What this REALLY means and has been known was coming since last year, is that they do plan on BANNING fishing in some areas. They WILL have the right to ban it EVERYWHERE without any input from the public.

Coastal states that depend on revenue generated by both recreational and commercial fishing would no doubt suffer economic loss if this goes through.

Are you looking for a bill number? You wont find it. This isn't a bill. The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force will issue a final report for marine spatial planning by late March. Obama then could then issue an Executive Order to implement its recommendations. It is legally stretching the power of the presidency possibly beyond legal bounds to yet again give more power to the federal government. The slippery slope we conservatives have been warning people about has turned to a verticle cliff with the Obama administration.

The Mississippi Dept. Of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks isn't totally closing down but they have shut down part of their website. The forums for hunters and fisherman was one of the most successful message boards on the internet for outdoorsman, specifically Mississippi outdoorsman and women. They had thousands of members posting messages talking about all things outdoors over a large range of topic from game animals such as whitetail deer all the way to no game species such as turtles and snakes.

The closure has all of the members scratching their heads as to why, as well as scrambling around trying to find another online home. The reason for the closure was given as MONEY, restructuring, reallocation of resources. Be the skeptic on the board seemed to think it was because the MDWFP didn't like the criticizm they often recieved in the open forums.

Whatever the reason for the closure I would like to take this time and this space to offer those members a new place to call home while online. TheJump.Net Message Boards already has a number of former MDWFP members who are calling the TheJump.Net home and with luck hopefully others will find there way here and join as well (its free).

Actually it doesn't matter if you are a former member or not as long as you enjoy hunting or fishing we have a spot for you. So stop by check us out and I think you will end up staying awhile.

This is far from a done deal but a report on England's largest national park has raised the possibility of reintroduction of a number of different species which according to the report England has enough space for them to have a viable productive population.

Most notable of the 23 species are the large carnivores the wolves and bear. Cited are the beneficial impacts on the environment could also bring in more money from sources such as tourism. Controlling deer numbers has long been a reason ecologist have pushed for reintroduction of wolves and lynx.

Of course there will certainly be opposition due to fear and fear of predation on livestock which bear and especially wolves are famous for.

The Cairngorms National Park report will be presented to the board later this year and only then will a decision be made on which path to take. The board could decide to reintroduce all of the species or only a select few or none at all. I would guess it is highly unlikely most of the species will be reintroduced. It is quite possible that no predators will be reintroduced and only the less threatening animals such as elk and beaver and others will be considered.

It is really ashame considering they have the habitat for all of these species except borderline habitat for the bear.

Is the tide turning. Well it apparently is at least in Canada for the moment. What tide am I talking about? The tide of ridiculous, ineffective gun control laws. For many years the movement was towards a continued erosion of your second amendment right here in the USA and abroad.

The laws are still ridiculous in many places like Australia where you are not even allowed to own a knife over a certain number of inches long or like here in our country where you have to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon which would actually be the safer way to carry one and would be a bigger deterrent to crime in my opinion.

But back to the subject at hand... Canada. Canadian lawmakers are in the process, which is expected to pass and become law, to overturn a 14 year old botched gun registration law that has proven to be a total waste of tax payer money.

The law that required the registration of all long guns was put in place on the wave of hysteria after a multiple homicide took place in which a lunatic used a rifle to kill 14 women and wound 10 others before using the same gun to commit suicide back in Dec. of 1989.

This has long been a tactic here as well were a single incedent is used to push through legislation that doesn't even prevent the crime that is the emotional tidal wave that pushes the law through.

The law was promised to not cost more than 2 million dollars beyond the money that the gun registration would bring in; as if the money that the citizens payed to register their guns didn't count as taxes or a burden! Well we all know that the governments of this world almost always underestimate the cost of projects. We all know of cost overruns that end up having projects double or even triple the projected cost. Well hold on to your hat and you probably better sit down for this one. The 2 million additional cost turned into a whopping 2 billion!!!

So there are a lot of lessons to learn from this Canadian fiasco. One, don't let knee jerk reactions to crimes let emotion rule the day and override common sense. Two, don't believe any cost figures the government predicts for a project (hello healthcare). Three, it takes a long time to get stupid laws overturned.

Some of you may be familiar with Macho B, the jaguar that was recently captured, collared in the USA and then subsequently died a short while later. Macho B was an old jag and was nearing the end of his natural life, You may even be familiar that lawsuits were filed against the governmental agency that was responsible for his capture which violated Federal Law surrounding endangered species or something. Well this story isn't exactly about Macho B but it is sort of.

Macho B help put a spotlight on the Jaguar and its plight. A old but now growing movement among conservationist has been gaining traction on the issue of protecting former Jaguar habitat in the US.

Now a little fuel has been added to the fire. Another jaguar has been photographed just south of the US border in northern Sonora. Sonara is about 30 miles south of the Arizona border. I say another jaguar but it is actually possible that it is two! Two photos of a jaguar, walking in different directions, have been taken from a trail camera set out to capture proof of jaguars in the area. Since the jag is walking in different directions it is impossible to tell if it is the same one or not. Probably is, but that is just me speculating.

The Sky Island Alliance's remote cameras caught a jaguar in the same spot eight days apart this past January.

Working in the northern Mexico area for five years, the group has also documented jaguar tracks and evidence of jaguar kills there.

Despite the excitement among many over the proof, biologist just shrug it off as interesting but not much more. The jaguar faces the same hurdles as cougars do in the east... females! Until females return then the jaguars will not be able to successfully recolonize old stomping grounds which use to extend into southern USA eastward to western Louisiana.

The nearest known females are only about 90 miles south of the border so that female hurdle may not be to high for the jaguars to leap. Time will tell. I will be watching and I hope you will be too.

The occurrence of two whitetail bucks locked together either dead or alive isn't exactly common but does occur numerous times every year. What isn't nearly as common is finding two MOOSE locked by their antlers, dead from the ordeal.

But that is exactly what Tim Bradach of Minn. discovered while searching for shed deer antlers.

The moose were both had large trophy antlers. I can only imagine the battle they must have had. It is ashame that they had to die this way. Not exactly a good way to die... if there is ever such a thing.

"I saw the first horn and thought, 'Wow, that makes my day,' '' said Bradach, 51. "Then I saw two horns and thought maybe the same moose had dropped them in one spot. Then I saw four horns. I felt like I had won the lottery."

The bigger moose had a brow tine stuck in the other moose's chest, they had apparently been dead for a while but a covering of snow had helped preserver them somewhat although they were now pretty rank.

We want to bring something exciting to your attention! As you may have noticed, we've improved a new section of our site... VIDEO! We have installed our very own video player filled with well known produced video content from outdoor shows! On top of this, the player also has user upload capabilities. This will allow you to upload, comment on, and view your videos on TheJump.Net. We're very excited to welcome this new addition to the site and can't wait to share our experiences with you. We hope you will do the same! We encourage you to check out the player and follow it as it grows. Check it out at http://www.thejump.net/multimedia/index.htm

To upload a video is simple. Simply pick a username and password and upload all your cool video's! Guaranteed your video will be seen by LOTS of people. So take a look at it, you will see that it has very quickly surpassed the old video page in user input. We are all very excited about this.

Chronic Wasting Disease has been popping up all over the USA and Canada in recent years and that trend although slowed somewhat from its initial spread is continuing. A Virginia whitetail deer has tested positive for CWD.

Department of Game and Inland Fisheries Virginia officials have confirmed that a deer killed in November in Frederick County had CWD. For those that don't know, CWD is a disease similiar to mad cow disease but occurs in deer and is always fatal. No known cures, treatment are known and the malformed proteins that cause the infection can reside in the enviroment for many many years. So basically once an area get it it is there to stay.

This new occurrence has been discovered just across the state line from a previously known CWD site so it isn't a huge surprise. But it does highlight the fact that this disease although not the end of whitetail hunting industry still has not been able to be contained and it might be just a matter of time before there isn't any where in the United States that isn't affected by CWD.

CWD is now know to been confirmed in 17 other states and Canadian provinces.

Virginia game officials have taken a number of steps to try to keep CWD out of the state but to no avail.

Another Oklahoma cougar picture has surfaced. Check It Out Here!

Press Release from Center For Biological Diversity

TUCSON, Ariz.— In a far-reaching reversal of Bush administration policy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it will designate critical habitat for endangered jaguars in the United States and develop a jaguar recovery plan. The Fish and Wildlife Service will propose specific areas for critical habitat designation in January 2011, according to a Federal Register announcement made public today.

“With critical habitat designation and a recovery plan, jaguars will have a chance to roam once again through the southwestern lands they’ve inhabited since time immemorial,” said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity, the organization whose three successive lawsuits since 2004 resulted in today’s decision.

Critical habitat designation will result in protection for large swaths of the Southwest, a region that jaguars used to call home but in which they’re now rarely found. A recovery plan for the jaguar will provide a road map for recovery of jaguars to the United States, whether through natural migration or reintroduction.

“The deserts, forests, and mountains of the United States provide important habitat for jaguars, but today’s decision may also help jaguars in Mexico and Central and South America through inspiring other nations to undertake similar conservation actions,” said Robinson.

Although both actions are clearly required by the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service maintained for years that designation of critical habitat and development of a recovery plan were not practical because so much of the jaguar’s range occurs outside the United States. On March 30, 2009, a federal judge rejected both of these positions and ordered the Service to reconsider designation of critical habitat and development of a recovery plan, resulting in today’s decision.

The decision is a blow to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, which has long advocated for greater authority over jaguar management and against development of a recovery plan and designation of critical habitat.

“With today’s decision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reasserting its authority over jaguar management,” said Robinson. “Given mismanagement of the jaguar by Arizona Game and Fish, including the death of Macho B, today’s decision is a welcome turn toward real, meaningful protection.”

On February 18, 2009, Arizona Game and Fish bungled a snaring operation that ostensibly targeted cougars and black bears but was reportedly baited with jaguar scat from a zoo, resulting in the death of Macho B, the last jaguar known in the United States. Rather than transparently investigate, the state agency quickly downplayed capture as a factor and ordered the jaguar skinned in lieu of conducting a comprehensive necropsy. Macho B’s death is currently the subject of a federal criminal investigation.

“A science-based recovery team is needed to ensure that jaguar research is conducted in a safe manner, and should be a necessary precursor to any further capture of jaguars,” said Robinson. “In other words, we support a complete ban on jaguar capture until there is oversight by a recovery team.”

Critical habitat could be designated across large portions of the species’ historic range, which includes portions of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana. The American Society of Mammalogists described jaguar habitat in the United States as “vital to the long-term resilience and survival of the species,” and urged the Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a recovery plan and designate critical habitat for the jaguar. The Jaguar Conservation Team, an interagency group, identified millions of acres in Arizona and New Mexico that could provide habitat for jaguars. In designating critical habitat, Fish and Wildlife will consider all of this information.

“With threats like construction of the border wall and continued urban sprawl, habitat protection is absolutely essential to recovering the jaguar in the Southwest,” said Robinson.

The federal government is not allowed to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat, either directly or through issuing permits. Not surprisingly, species with critical habitat designated for them have been found to be twice as likely to be recovering as those without.

Jaguars, great orange felines with black rosettes, are the third largest cat in the world, after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the western hemisphere.

Ryan Ritter retrieved his game camera (New Year Day 2010) since deer season was ending, but when he got home Ryan and his wife Susan were shocked to find 5 photographs of a mountain lion! These pictures are from Southeastern Oklahoma, Atoka County. Ryan and his wife Susan were amazed, especially since they had always been somewhat skeptical of people who reported seeing them in their area.

Ryan put the camera out on December 21st at 8:30ish p.m. Here is the picture of Tucker Harrison, a hunting buddy, as they put out the camera.



Ryan Ritter, who is a doctor of pharmacy, Coby Sherrill, the past mayor of Atoka and is a banker, and Tucker Harrison, Ryan's stepbrother who is in medical school, are the 3 men putting out the camera and can be seen in the picture below while they were leaving on their stealth utility vehicle.

Read the rest of the story and see all the pictures here: Oklahoma Cougar