◄ Advice for planting wildlife food plots.
►Wisconsin fishing opener report from Ashland and Kenosha counties.
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Question: s418
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◄Dan scores on a New York turkey on his Chautauqua County Cast ‘N’ Blast.
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TIM BAUER
of Deer Creek Seed in Ashland, tells how, when and why to start food plots for wildlife.

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Sandhill 'learn to deer hunt' applications still available

BABCOCK, Wis. – Youth and beginner adult deer hunters have until the end of May to apply to participate in a special youth and beginner adult learn to deer hunt programs this fall at the Sandhill Wildlife Area near Babcock.

The program consists of a one-day workshop that includes information on deer biology and management, instruction on compasses, scouting for sign, firearm safety, hunt rules and regulations, and hunter ethics. Those who complete the workshop are allowed to return for a special hunt on November 7-8 at Sandhill State Wildlife Area.

The youth workshop is offered to young hunters, 12 to 15 years old. Each child must be accompanied by an adult, 21 years or older, who acts as chaperone and teacher. Mandatory workshops are held in early August.

A one-day beginner adult workshop is offered to people 16 or older who have never hunted deer with a gun before. Beginner adults must also be accompanied by an adult chaperone. The Beginner Adult workshop will be held on Saturday, September 26.

To qualify for the program, all participants must either be enrolled in a Hunter Safety course or must possess a valid Hunter Safety Certificate. Students will be required to have a license by the time of the hunt. Previous participants are ineligible.

Chaperones should have some deer hunting experience and are expected to attend the workshop as well as the hunt with the student. Their primary role is to assist the beginner in developing the skills necessary to become a responsible hunter and outdoors person. The chaperone will not be allowed to carry a firearm during the hunt. The Skills Center can provide a chaperone volunteer if an applicant cannot find a person with deer hunting experience.

Applications for the Learn to Deer Hunt Workshops are available on the Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center page of the DNR Web site. Applications must be postmarked on or before May 31, 2009. Enrollment is limited to 154 students. Applicants will be randomly selected and successful applicants will be notified by June 19. A fee of $40 will be charged to enter program. Fee waivers are available for those unable to afford the fee.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

• Sandhill Outdoor Skills Center - 715-884-6333

We Knew It Was A Winner

by Jim Shephard

Nearly three years ago, I struck up a conversation with Ben Hobbins at a SEOPA meeting. Hobbins was sitting at a card table, telling anyone who'd listen that he had a new idea for a fishing lure.

OK, I admit it, a new idea for a fishing lure didn't really get my motor revving all that hard. After all, "new" and "revolutionary" are words that are beaten like proverbial rugs in the ceaseless din of marketing outdoor products.

Hobbins, on the other hand, got my attention. He certainly wasn't lacking enthusiasm, and he had a pretty good angle to keep my interest. He handed me one end of a lure and said "pull it in half - you can't do it." Several tugs and grunts later, I had to admit, Hobbins' IronClad baits were just that - iron clad. Tug as I might, I couldn't pull it apart. Neither did the leader and hook he had stuck in another of his very few prototypes.

Since then, I've watched Hobbins take a blend of solid science and likable affability and spread IronClads' story across the industry. After all, it's a compelling story. An avid angler, Hobbins came up with the idea for a tougher soft bait (again, a contradiction) that would be more durable than the flexible soft plastics everyone was making. He applied his experience as a biotech strategist and adapted the method used in skin grafting - an expandable mesh that holds skin in place - to make a reinforced lure.

Ben Hobbins, willing to play it for a laugh if it'll get you to give IronClads a try. Photo from Popular Science, June 09

The analogy he wasted on me at the time was "like rebar in steel" - but whatever hocus-pocus he was using, his lures are tough. I've straightened circle hooks, broken leader and given myself a couple of wicked line cuts trying to yank an IronClad bait apart. With a tensile strength of more than 90 pounds, it would take a nasty fish -with teeth- to have any better luck than me, so it definitely passes the strength test.

The IronClads also do something else - with their tougher composition, they aren't being torn off and left at the bottom of great fisheries by the ton. The disposable nature of soft lures conflicts with their characteristic longevity - they stay on the bottom - intact- for years. And years of leaving plastics on the bottoms of fisheries are a problem. One study says there are twenty-five million pounds of lures left in U.S. waters annually. And they're releasing toxic ingredients that, well, totally bothered Hobbins.

Ever the strategist, Hobbins decided to find an environmentally friendly solution to the inevitability of an IronClad eventually finding a watery resting place at the bottom of a lake. The newest IronClads are made of a silicon composite that, if it does tear off, biodegrades. They are expected to hit stores later this year.

This week, Hobbins and IronClads are getting publicity far beyond the outdoor community. They have been chosen as outstanding inventions in Popular Science's third annual invention awards, joining everything from an unmanned tank that can rip along at 60MPH to a stick-on electronic voice box and "green" styrofoam made from mushrooms.

It's certainly an interesting mix -and many Americans will soon be hearing about Ben Hobbins and his IronClad baits. As one of our readers, you're ahead of that curve.

Congratulations, Ben.

• Jim Shepherd, Editor/Publisher The Outdoor Wires Email: jim@theoutdoorwire.com The Outdoor Wire, The Fishing Wire, The Shooting Wire, The Women's Outdoor Wire, The Tactical Wire and The Dealer Wire, all part of The Outdoor Wire Digital Network. If you're not using The Outdoor WIre Digital Network, you're already trailing your competition. Are  YOU wired?

Organic Farm Community Forming in SW Wisconsin
►Six households will each have an individual house site to build on and share ownership of 115+ acres of common land in Vernon County, Wisconsin.
►The land includes forest, open land, rock outcroppings, wetland, 3 springs and a small trout stream. Deer and turkeys are plentiful in the hills. Topsoil in the bottomland is up to 4 feet deep.
►The land will be protected by covenants so that it remains undividable and its organic status is maintained. Homes and lifestyle will be Green.
►Couples who would like to raise their children to care for the earth are particularly welcome, as well as those interested in creating a CSA, herb farm, artisanal raw-milk cheese operation or other small organic farming venture.
►Our goal is to live in a sustainable community whose members grow as much of their own food/animals as possible and enjoy each others’ company.
►We hope that the property will also become home to a multi-functional educational facility and/or natural healing center.
►The opportunity to purchase this property will not last long.

If interested, please contact:  couleecountryfarm@gmail.com