Bob Keck CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation resigned suddenly Wednesday after the board fired two other senior officials with the organization. The NWTF Website is mum about the firings of Carl Brown, the former COO and Dick Rosenlieb the former Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Both their pictures have been removed from the Meet the Leaders page. However, their pictures were a part of the page when cashed by Google on Mar 19, 2008 at 18:02:57 GMT.

According to SouthernSporting.Com, sources said a move was made last October during the fall board meeting to oust Brown and Rosenlieb, but Keck threatened to resign should the Board go through with the firings of his long time senior staffers. Keck’s move apparently stalled the 18 member Board until last week.

The NWTF has issued a press release about Keck’s resignation. According to this release; Rob Keck has decided, for personal and family reasons, to step aside from his duties with the Federation as of June 1, 2008.

The NWTF has grown into one of the nation’s leading nonprofit conservation organizations with more than 550,000 members in 50 states, Canada, Mexico and 14 other foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting and education as a traditional North American sport.

An email Friday from NWTF president Peggy Anne Vallery credited Keck for much of the organization’s growth. He worked for the group 30 years, 27 of those as CEO.

Several interesting comments came from Tammy Sapp, the group’s vice president for communications. According to an AgustaChronical.Com article, Ms. Sapp said:

The dismissal of chief operating officer Carl Brown and senior vice president Dick Rosenlieb occurred after a board inquiry into management practices.

Sapp would not elaborate, but said no allegations of criminal activity have been made.

The group maintains the highest rating (excellent) given by Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator. The excellent rating is described as exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its Cause.

The NWTF has not only been spectacularly successful in the restoration, expansion of and education about wild turkeys. The organization has also grown into other areas with programs to encourage women, youngsters and disabled outdoorsmen to spend more time outside.

They’ve also given money freely to state and federal departments of natural resources, whose meager budgets are often gutted by politicians and to smaller non-profits, such as the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Only time will tell if this fine organization will continue its legacy. I for one am very hopeful the vision will be maintained.

What do you think?

And don’t forget to pray for our troops.

CWD is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in deer and elk in certain geographical locations of North America. The disease belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion disease.

The disease attacks the brain of infected deer and elk and produces small lesions that eventually result in death. While CWD is similar in nature to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep, there is no known relationship between CWD and any other animal or human illness.

How is it spread?

It is not known exactly how CWD is spread. It is believed that the agent responsible for the disease may be spread both directly (animal to animal contact) and indirectly (soil or other surface to animal). It is thought that the most common mode of transmission from an infected animal is via saliva, blood and feces.

Where has it been found?

CWD is known to infect wild deer and elk in northern 2/3 of Colorado, southern Wyoming and western South Dakota, and wild deer in western and central Nebraska, south-central Wisconsin, south-central New Mexico, eastern Utah, northern Illinois, central New York, and west-central Saskatchewan. It has been diagnosed in game ranches in Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Is it dangerous to humans?

There currently is no convincing evidence that CWD affects humans. However, public health officials recommend that human exposure to the CWD agent be avoided as they continue to research the disease.

What precautions should hunters take?

Health officials advise hunters not to consume meat from animals known to be infected with the disease. Boning out meat is recommended. In addition, they suggest hunters take the normal simple precautions when field dressing carcasses. A complete list of current hunter recommendations is available here.

Is the meat safe to eat?

While the agent that produces chronic wasting disease in deer and elk has not been positively identified, there is strong evidence to suggest that abnormally shaped proteins, called prions are responsible.

Research indicates the prions accumulate in certain parts of infected animals – the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils, and spleen. Based on these findings, hunters are recommended to not eat meat from animals known to be infected with CWD. Hunters in CWD areas are also advised to bone out their meat and to not consume those parts where prions likely accumulate.

How can you tell if a deer or elk has CWD?

Infected animals may not show any symptoms of the disease. In some stages of the disease, however, infected animals begin to lose bodily functions and display abnormal behavior such as staggering or standing with very poor posture. Animals may have an exaggerated wide posture, or may carry the head and ears lowered. Infected animals become very emaciated (thus wasting disease) and will appear in very poor body condition. Infected animals will also often stand near and consume large amounts of water. Drooling or excessive salivation may be apparent. Note that these symptoms may also be characteristic of diseases other than CWD.

What should I do if I see a deer or elk that shows CWD symptoms?

Unless your state wildlife agency or another appropriate authority has issued other instructions or regulations, you should accurately document the location of the animal and immediately contact the nearest officer or employee of the State Wildlife Agency. Do not attempt to disturb, kill, or remove the animal.

Can I have deer or elk tested?

In general, the answer is no if you live in an area where CWD has not been documented. Testing is generally only available in areas where CWD has been detected in wild deer and elk. Much effort is being devoted to increasing the laboratories that are certified to do the testing. There are now 25 certified labs in several states capable of providing tests for harvested animals. Such testing is for detection of the disease only; it is not a meat quality test.

What is being done to combat CWD?

Efforts to address CWD are accelerating rapidly. In facilities with captive animals known to have or to have been exposed to CWD, management is concentrating on quarantining or killing exposed animals and properly disposing of carcasses. In some cases around captive populations, double fencing is recommended to prevent direct contact between captive and wild animals.

In wild populations, a management option currently utilized by several wildlife agencies is to reduce the density of animals in the infected area to slow the transmission of the disease. This is being done by the selective culling of animals suspected to have been directly exposed to the disease.

In Colorado, Nebraska and Wisconsin, large numbers of animals are being killed to reduce density of animals and thus slow the transmission of the disease. There is a great need for increased funding to support needed research and testing as many questions remain unanswered. Plus the recently completed National CWD Plan has yet to be adequately funded by Congress.

Most state wildlife agencies have initiated increased surveillance to detect if CWD is present. Many state agencies have banned the importation of deer and elk into the state. Some states have also halted intra-state movement of deer and elk and banned supplemental feeding programs. Several states have also implemented regulations that allow only boned meat, quarters (without spinal column or head) or processed meat from deer or elk to be transported out of certain areas with CWD. Clean skull plates with antlers attached can also be removed. Check with the state wildlife agency in the state where you hunt, and where you live, to determine if they have enacted such restrictions. Other states have limited the importation of hunter-killed deer and elk to only boned or processed meat.

What can hunters do?

Hunters should tell political leaders about heir concerns regarding CWD. Indicate your support for increased financial assistance to state wildlife and agricultural agencies to combat CWD and encourage your lawmakers to support full funding of the National CWD Plan. At the state level, if your state has not yet declared a moratorium on all importation of live deer and elk into the state, encourage state legislators to take that important step to prevent introduction of CWD. Encourage your state wildlife agency to carefully evaluate the risks associated with game farms.

And finally, because any concentration of deer or elk assists in the spread of diseases, suggest supplemental feeding programs be stopped. What if I hunt in a state where CWD has not been found? Concerns over CWD should not prevent you from enjoying this hunting season. Take the normal precautions always recommended when dressing wild game. State and provincial wildlife agencies are stepping up their surveillance for CWD, so be alert to their advisories.

Who should I contact to find out more about CWD?

Hunters are encouraged to contact their state wildlife agency for more information and updates regarding the status of the disease in their state. Most states now have updated information on CWD on state web sites. The Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance Web site is located at www.cwd-info.org. Check the site frequently for any new information.

I’m not sure exactly how many pictures I’ve taken but it is over 10,000. I received the first bobcat picture in the last batch and have yet to get a picture of a coyote, but sooner or later I’ll get one. It’s still exciting to get each group of pictures.

So far I have used eleven digital scouting cameras and am currently trying to decide which one I will try next. There are still plenty to choose from.

What have I learned over the past year?

For the most part you get what you pay for. Although there are some expensive cameras in the $300 plus range that aren’t much better than the cheaper ones there aren’t any in the under $200 range that come close to those in the $400 plus range.

You can’t beat a real digital camera for good picture quality. There are some hunters out there that do not care an ounce about picture quality but there is a difference. The higher mega pixel scouting cameras that have come out are an improvement over their predecessors but their prices are higher and they do not match the picture quality.

If the possibility of your camera being stolen is a factor you have a tough decision to make. The cheaper cameras are lacking in their ability to be locked to a tree whereas the better cameras come with much more secure locking capabilities. This makes for a tough decision. Buy a cheap scouting camera that is easy to steal or buy a more expensive one that is harder to steal. Whatever you do, don’t buy an expensive one that does not have good locking capabilities.

The latest is an infrared model and I’m not completely sold on it although it is still early in my testing. I’m not sure about the pink black and white (can this be) pictures, I’ve been somewhat spoiled by good quality nighttime pictures. I’m not convinced that these cameras are less susceptible to thievery either. An intruder would definitely see the flash but the red IR lights are very noticeable as well and they stay lit for a few seconds. I’m thinking a flash could possibly be mistaken for lightening whereas the red IR lights are a real eye catcher. As far as your digital scouting camera being stolen the IR versus flash may be a wash. The real advantage with the IR may be the distance issue.

For me batteries are a difference maker. The cameras I have that use AA rechargeable batteries and/or get six months plus from a single 9-volt battery are head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. One of the major advantages of digital scouting cameras is how cheap they are to operate as compared to 35mm models. If you are buying a lot of batteries the advantage of a digital camera is lessened somewhat and more importantly it is a pain in the rear end.

In 2006 I’ll continue to purchase and test digital scouting cameras, have the enjoyment of viewing another 10,000 pictures and hopefully help the hunting community in the process.

You can read all of the digital scouting camera reviews at www.whitetaildeer-management-and-hunting.com.

Many deer hunters only give tree stand safety a passing thought, thinking an accident won’t happen to them. But falling 30 feet out of his deer stand, crushing the bones on the right side of his body and crawling a quarter-mile for help during the 1996 deer season was enough for Dee Dee Garvin to become a vocal advocate for hunter safety.

“Safety is something you should never take for granted; it’s something you put first in everything you do, whether it’s driving a car or climbing a deer stand,” said Garvin, a regional coordinator for the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF). “In a matter of 35 minutes from the time I got out of the bed that morning, I came to the realization that hunting, fishing or anything else, for that matter, is not worth risking your life for.”

After a hospital stay and months of rehabilitation, Garvin was able to resume the outdoor activities he loves. Through his duties at the NTWF’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen program, which helps people with disabilities to get outside to participate in a more active lifestyle through local chapter events nationwide, he tells his story and explains the importance of tree stand safety.

Like Garvin, Carl Brown, Chief Operating Officer for the NWTF, is an avid deer hunter. A fall from a tree stand several years ago changed the way he now prepares for all of his hunts.

“The idea of safety first really hits home after an accident,” said Brown. “I never hunt without making sure all safety measures are in place. It’s something I wish I had always done.”

In many hunting situations, tree stands allow the hunter to see game better, and help reduce the amount of human scent on the ground. While positioning yourself in a tree sometimes gives hunters a better view, serious injury and even death can occur when all safety precautions aren’t taken.

As CEO of the NWTF, Rob Keck has hunted many different species in many different places. But regardless of the game he’s after, his main focus is always hunting safely.

“Being safe in the woods is something we can’t stress enough,” said Keck. “A hunter must be a good defensive hunter, just like being a defensive driver. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way by careless decisions.”

To help hunters stay safe, the NWTF has compiled a list of useful tips for hunting out of tree stands.

• Understand the stand: Manufacturers’ warnings and instructions should be read before using the stand. Practice climb before the season, and use all provided safety devices. If there are any questions, call the manufacturer.
• Wear a Fall-Arrest System/Full Body Harness: These devices are the best method to keep you from being hurt in a fall. Single strap belts and chest harnesses are no longer the safest restraints available; in fact, single-strap belts can cause internal injury when the wearer’s weight suddenly jerks them tight. Furthermore, the pressure from a single strap or chest harness on the abdomen or chest can cause rapid loss of consciousness.
• Climb with care: When a hunter is climbing and getting into or out of the stand are the most dangerous times. Always put on a full body harness before climbing.
• Use a pull rope:Sometimes called a haul line, this is used to pull gear, including firearms and bows, to the tree stand once the hunter is safely positioned.
• Don’t load your firearm until you are secure in your stand.
• Always let someone know where you are. Leave a note at the house or on the windshield of your vehicle stating where you will be and what time you expect to return. Also, take your cell phone. You never know when you will need it.

For more information about the NWTF, call (800) THE-NWTF or visit the web site at www.NWTF.org.