Last month we reported the deer harvest numbers in some of the states here in the Mid-west. Some states reported an increase in their numbers over the previous season yet the average is down. Other states like Illinois reported another decline.

  I finished the article by saying; Here in Illinois we’re looking for some changes to the deer hunting regulations. It might not be a bad thing to go back to one firearm permit per hunter like in the “old days” eliminating the bonus antler-less only permit at least for a couple of seasons to help bring the herd numbers up. One and done might make a comeback. The coming months will tell. This brought the following note from our friend Randall Rogers from northern Illinois with his take on the situation.

  “In regards to the Bullet volume 16 addressing deer numbers here in Illinois we don’t need any permit changes what we need is for the IL DNR to stop hiring sharpshooters who are allowed to hunt at night and over bait only to leave hundreds of deer carcasses laying around or if someone complains they load them in dump trucks and take them to the local dump what a waste and all paid for by automobile insurance companies! Thanks for your time” - Randall Rodgers Sr.

  Randall’s note illustrates how deer herds are affected in different regions across a state showing how hard of a job the states have managing their herds.

  I believe there are a number of factors contributing to the continued drop in the harvest here in Illinois. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which leads to the sharpshooting debacle Randall brought up, several years of severe drought contributing to the spread of diseases (blue tongue, epizootic hemorrhagic disease [EHD], predators (coyotes and bobcats) and the ample availability of antler-less only permits.

  Time will tell what if any changes are made to the rules. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

  What’s your view?

   I know that by now many of you regular readers may be tired of hearing claims I make about the abilities of my hunting pal Earl. Many have labeled those claims outlandish, ridiculous and unbelievable. To which I say, "Pshaww!"

  Some have even intimated that I may be stretching the truth, even fabricating things. Hmmm, fabricating? No way! However, I may, on occasion, engage in what I like to call "truth enhancement".

  To those of you not familiar with the fine art of outdoors writing, let me explain that term. Truth enhancement is a commonly used grammatical mechanism that is designed to add a slightly elevated level of excitement and interest to a true story. It is most common in hunting and fishing stories.

  Usually in a hunting story, it is used to describe an incredible shot or a huge and remarkable trophy. On the other hand, in fishing stories, truth enhancement is utilized to allow the readers to visualize the enormous fish, a veritable mutant of his species that managed to break free only after a long and heroic effort by the story teller. These escapes are in no way the fault of the fisherman, but either his equipment, the boat's inadequacies or a fishing companion's ineptitude.

  Others call that telling tall tales; to which I reply, "Let he that is without a single 'The one that got away story' cast the first aspersion." With that said, let me relate a great true story about one of our bird hunting adventures. Grouse hunting to be exact.

  Grouse hunting may very well be my favorite brand of hunting. Okay, maybe next to deer or wild turkey. Or wild boar or black bear or bob white or pheasant or coyote. Anyways, I like it a lot. And so does Earl. And he's really good at it.

  If you've never been grouse hunting, it is unique so let me tell you a bit about it. Some days it is very boring 'cause there are days when they just aren't around. I don't have a clue why not and if I did, I wouldn't set out on those days. Other times, it's awesome! The birds are big, fast and plentiful. Those are the times we all look forward too, especially Earl.

  One beautiful winter day we were up in Pike County, Ohio on my father-in-law's farm. Earl and I set out across the pasture to the areas bordering the woods. It had snowed about six or seven inches the past couple of days and the temperature was near 20 degrees so we knew the grouse would be dug in. I knew their M.O.; dig back into a bank opposite the wind direction. They also leave a tell-tale sign at the front of their little tunnels. Small black piles of it.

  Another thing about grouse hunting is the always explosive and startling take off when they are alarmed by a possible predator's approach. They are really fast and fly away almost at eye level and directly from where you stand. That presents a small, rapidly diminishing target. Add to that the time it takes to recover from the surprise takeoff, and misses are more common that hits. A lot more common, but not when hunting with Earl. On this day he was super and I was, as they say, "on".

  I had an old single-barreled Topper, which may be the absolute worst choice for a grouse gun. It's, well, a single shot and no, I don't recall why I chose that gun that day.

  It wasn't long before Earl ran into a briar patch and he indicated, (remember, Earl was no pointer, but rather an indicator) by strange repeated head bobbing, neck twisting, eye rolling and general excitement there was more than one bird in that thicket. Grouse are normally solitary birds, not like quail who may gather in coveys. This was unusual but I decided to give it a try.

  I was hoping the hunting gods would be smiling down on me this day.

  I motioned to Earl to go ahead and flush em, planning on getting at least one. Much to my surprise, up flew a big old grouse. Just one and I was able to bring him down.

  I popped open the Topper and loaded another shell. A glance at Earl and I could tell he was onto at least one more bird, so I snapped the gun closed.

  Whoosh! Another fat grouse. Blam! Another hit.

  Once again, I popped open the gun and reloaded. Since Earl stayed right on the spot he had chosen to indicate from, I reckoned there must be another bird. Sure enough, soon as I snapped the shotgun closed, out flew the third. This sequence continued for two more birds 'afore my curiosity took over. I had to know how this dog was able to flush just one bird at a time when there were obviously several birds in that thicket. I crept up to where I could peer into the brush.

  That son of a basset had indicated those birds right into a hole in a stump. He had put one of those huge paws over the hole. Every time he would hear that "snick" as the Topper was snapped closed, he'd remove his big old paw from the hole and let a single bird fly out. Then, he'd quickly cover the hole until he heard that closing snick again!

  Spring is on the way and so is the fishing season which means it’s time to look over your boat, motor and trailer and make necessary repairs. It still may be freezing out but if you’re lucky enough to have your rig stored inside you can while away a couple of cold weekend days doing something other than sulking inside.

  Here are a few tips to help get your trailer ready for those trips to your favorite fishing hole.

  It’s a good idea to start at the front and check the coupler. This may be the most important piece on the trailer. Check all of the components. Does it operate smoothly? Lube it if necessary. If you have an extra hitch ball, insert it into the coupler and lock it down. Try and pull the ball out of the locked coupler. If you can pull it out, either rebuild or replace it. Check the welds or bolts that attach it to the frame. Repair if necessary.

  Check the lighting and make sure the turn signals and clearance lights all work. This may difficult if the trailer is in storage and you don’t have access to your tow vehicle. Here’s a handy way to check the electrical system. Get the female end that matches your plug and strip the loose wires bare about an inch. Then insert it into the trailer plug and use a 12 volt battery charger as your power source to power the lights. Now you can trace down and fix problems with the lighting system without risking running down your vehicles battery or blowing a fuse under the dash. Replace any cracked lens and blown bulbs. Don’t forget to carry extra bulbs with you.

  Repack the wheel bearings. Remove the tires and hubs, remove the old grease seals then clean out all of the old grease from the hub and bearings. Repack the bearings using water resistant marine grease available at your local boat dealer. Install new seals! Never reuse the old seal. The $10 - $15 spent on new seals is well worth the money and the peace of mind. Many boats use “Bearing Buddies” on the axles. You still need to clean and repack the bearings! The grease you continually pump into those hubs has to go somewhere. The result can be a blown grease seal and a seized bearing. It is no fun trying to find parts on a weekend afternoon and making repairs on the side of a busy highway.

  Torque the lug nuts to the manufacturer’s specifications. Most are between 100 - 115 ft./lbs.

  Check the brake system if your trailer is so equipped. Repair or replace broke or worn parts.

  Check your tires for excessive wear, weather cracking and cupping. Measure the tread depth. A good rule of thumb is to replace the tires when the thread measures 5/32”. If you don’t have a thread gauge use the old penny trick. Insert a penny upside down in the thread. If the top of Abe’s head is showing the thread is worn down too much and the tire should be replaced. Remember my motto, “When in doubt, throw it out”. Adjust the pressure to the specs listed on the tires. Remember to check the spare! Again it’s no fun being stranded on the side of the road with a blown tire and no spare.

  Check the winch and all of the tie-downs. Replace any worn or frayed straps or ropes.

  Lastly, give the trailer a good looking over from front to back. Crawl under it on a creeper and check for broken welds or loose bolts. Repair or replace as needed. Touch up any rust spots with paint if needed. May as well look good going down the road.

  That about covers it. Your trailer might have special gadgets or gizmos on it so check them all. The important thing is to fix small problems before they become major issues that can ruin a fishing trip.