Circle Nov. 17 on your calendar, for early that morning a moderate to possibly very strong showing of annual Leonid meteor shower is likely.
The very strong display will favor those living across most of central and eastern Asia. In this region, meteor rates might briefly rise to a few hundred per hour (the time frame for the most intense activity is anticipated sometime around 21:40 GMT).
A far more modest, but still potentially enjoyable display of a few dozen Leonid meteors per hour is expected to favor North America. In the United States and Canada, eastern observers will be particularly well-positioned for maximum activity, expected sometime between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. EST, when the radiant of the Leonid shower will be well up in the dark southeastern sky.
A meteor shower's radiant is the perspective point from which all the meteors would appear to originate if their paths were traced backward far enough. The higher the radiant is, the more meteors flash into view all over the sky (though meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, so focusing on the radiant is not necessary).
The Leonid radiant is within the so-called "Sickle" of Leo; a backwards question-mark pattern of stars that outlines the head and mane of the constellation Leo, the Lion. Hence the meteors are known as "Leonids."
Not in the East? Don't fret. Observers all across North America may experience a good Leonid show with "shooting stars" streaking across the sky every few minutes.
Also a big plus in 2009 is the lack of any interference from the moon. New moon is on Nov. 16, so skies will be dark for catching the fainter meteor streaks. And the first light of dawn will not break until shortly after 5 a.m. local time.
Europe and Africa appear largely out of luck. This year's first round of expected enhanced activity will happen chiefly during their daylight hours. The second, stronger outburst will occur during early evening, but that's hours before Leo comes above the horizon. Europeans might try watching before sunrise on the morning of Nov. 17, but are not likely to see more than 10 or 15 Leonids per hour.
Cosmic garbage
It may not sound sexy, but simply put, the reason for this year's anticipated good Leonid showing is due to cosmic garbage.
The Leonids are known to be made up of cosmic litter from a small – 2.2 mi (3.6 km) – dusty comet discovered by two astronomers in the late 19th century and christened Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonid meteors are thought to be the dusty legacy of Comet Tempel-Tuttle because the dust is moving around the sun in virtually the same orbit as the comet.
As the Earth encounters the debris left behind by the comet's previous passes through our orbit, these tiny fragments of the comet – typically no bigger than a sand grain or the occasional pea – impact our atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 miles per second (71 kps), causing them to blaze briefly but brightly in the night sky.
The Leonids are not a one-night stand. The dust from Tempel-Tuttle spangles the sky for a few nights every year in mid-November. This year, the peak is expected during the predawn hours of Nov. 17, but early-morning hours on the dates surrounding Nov. 17 could provide a decent show, too.
Tempel-Tuttle last passed near the sun and Earth more than a decade ago (in 1998) and for several years thereafter the Leonids put on some spectacular displays, producing many hundreds – even thousands of meteors per hour. But with the departed comet now cruising through the outer part of the solar system, we typically would not expect to see more than 8 or 10 Leonids during an hour's watch.
Yet if several meteor scientists are correct, this year will be atypical. The researchers have produced various models of the Leonid stream and all of them are indicating that the Earth will intersect a few "rivers of rubble" left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
Asian forecast
In particular, French astronomer, Jeremie Vaubaillon, Russian astronomer, Mikhail Maslov and Americans Bill Cooke and Danielle Moser of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office are all in agreement that material that was ejected from the comet's nucleus during the years 1466 and 1533 will likely produce a very strong meteor display over much of Asia.
"The year 2009 will not see a Leonid storm, but an outburst for sure," Vaubaillon said, adding that "there are still some uncertainties."
Last year, the material that was shed by the comet back in 1466 produced about 100 Leonids per hour.
This year, Earth will cross through the 1466 stream again, but this time much closer – 42,000 mi. (68,000 km) – to the center on Nov. 17 at around 21:40 GMT. This time favors central and eastern Asia (and it comes during daylight in North America). In addition, at about this same time, the Earth will also be passing through dust ejected by the comet in 1533. The consensus forecast among the astronomers for this year suggests anywhere from 130 to perhaps 300 Leonids per hour in Asia, but this spread has been calibrated chiefly using last year's Earth interaction solely with the 1466 stream.
"But nothing is known (about) the 1533 stream," Vaubaillon said.
North America forecast
About 12 to 14 hours before the main event, Earth is forecast to sideswipe a stream of dust that was loosed from the nucleus of Comet Tempel-Tuttle in the year 1567, passing to within 188,000 mi. (302,000 km.) of the stream's center. This interaction could provide smodest activity for North Americans.
The best guesstimate is for perhaps 25 to 30 Leonids per hour, which would most likely target a time frame sometime between roughly 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. ET (12:30 to 2:30 a.m. PT).
For North American observers, the emphasis might be on quality, not quantity; for while the numbers might not be exceptionally high as compared to Asia, a few of these meteors, though visible for a just a fraction of a second, might leave bright trails of ionized atoms in their wake that hang in the sky for many seconds – or possibly even minutes – as these tiny dust particles streak through our atmosphere at altitudes of 80 to 100 miles (130 to 160 km).
And seeing even just one such outstandingly bright meteor like that can make a cold early morning vigil worthwhile.
Advance practice
If you want to get started early, you can practice for the big event.
The first Leonid forerunners might be sighted as early as Nov. 10, although overall activity will be rather low and spotty – perhaps only a few per hour at most. Around Nov. 16, in the predawn, Leonid activity will noticeably increase to perhaps four to eight per hour.
Observers on the lookout for early Leonids might also notice a number of rather slow moving meteors appearing to emanate from around the constellation of Taurus, the Bull (high in the southwest sky after midnight). These are the Taurid meteors and are most active between Nov. 5 and 12 when they can produce as many as five or 10 per hour.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Venison vs. Beef, taste test results
VENISON VERSUS BEEF
THE TASTE CONTROVERSY ENDS
FROM THE UNITED STATES VENISON COUNCIL
Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of
venison and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say that venison is
tough, with a strong "wild" taste. Others insist that venison's flavor
is delicate. An independent food research group was retained by the
Venison Council to conduct a taste test to determine the truth of these
conflicting assertions once and for all.
First, a Grade A Choice Holstein steer was chased into a swamp a mile and
a half from a road and shot several times. After some of the entrails
were removed, the carcass was dragged back over rocks and logs, and
through mud and dust to the road. It was then thrown into the back of a
pickup truck and driven through rain and snow for 100 miles before being
hung out in the sun for a day.
After that it was lugged into a garage, where it was skinned and rolled
around on the floor for a while. Strict sanitary precautions were
observed throughout the test, within the limitations of the butchering
environment. For instance, dogs and cats were allowed to sniff and lick
the steer
carcass, but were chased away when they attempted to bite chunks out of
it.
Next a sheet of plywood left from last year's butchering was set up in
the basement on two saw horses. The pieces of dried blood, hair and fat
left from last year were scraped off with a wire brush last used to
clean out the grass stuck under the lawn mower.
The skinned carcass was then dragged down the steps into the basement
where a half dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic and intoxicated men
worked on it with meat saws, cleavers and dull knives. The result was
375 pounds of soup bones, four bushel baskets of meat scraps, and a
couple of steaks that were an eighth of an inch thick on one edge and an
inch and a half thick on the other.
The steaks were seared on a glowing red hot cast iron skillet to lock in
the flavor. When the smoke cleared, rancid bacon grease was added along
with three pounds of onions, and the whole conglomeration was fried for
two hours.
The meat was gently teased from the frying pan and served to three
blindfolded taste panel volunteers. Every one of the members of the
panel thought it was venison. One of the volunteers even said it tasted
exactly like the venison he had eaten in hunting camps for the past 27
years. The results of this scientific test show conclusively that there
is no difference between the taste of beef and venison.
THE TASTE CONTROVERSY ENDS
FROM THE UNITED STATES VENISON COUNCIL
Controversy has long raged about the relative quality and taste of
venison and beef as gourmet foods. Some people say that venison is
tough, with a strong "wild" taste. Others insist that venison's flavor
is delicate. An independent food research group was retained by the
Venison Council to conduct a taste test to determine the truth of these
conflicting assertions once and for all.
First, a Grade A Choice Holstein steer was chased into a swamp a mile and
a half from a road and shot several times. After some of the entrails
were removed, the carcass was dragged back over rocks and logs, and
through mud and dust to the road. It was then thrown into the back of a
pickup truck and driven through rain and snow for 100 miles before being
hung out in the sun for a day.
After that it was lugged into a garage, where it was skinned and rolled
around on the floor for a while. Strict sanitary precautions were
observed throughout the test, within the limitations of the butchering
environment. For instance, dogs and cats were allowed to sniff and lick
the steer
carcass, but were chased away when they attempted to bite chunks out of
it.
Next a sheet of plywood left from last year's butchering was set up in
the basement on two saw horses. The pieces of dried blood, hair and fat
left from last year were scraped off with a wire brush last used to
clean out the grass stuck under the lawn mower.
The skinned carcass was then dragged down the steps into the basement
where a half dozen inexperienced but enthusiastic and intoxicated men
worked on it with meat saws, cleavers and dull knives. The result was
375 pounds of soup bones, four bushel baskets of meat scraps, and a
couple of steaks that were an eighth of an inch thick on one edge and an
inch and a half thick on the other.
The steaks were seared on a glowing red hot cast iron skillet to lock in
the flavor. When the smoke cleared, rancid bacon grease was added along
with three pounds of onions, and the whole conglomeration was fried for
two hours.
The meat was gently teased from the frying pan and served to three
blindfolded taste panel volunteers. Every one of the members of the
panel thought it was venison. One of the volunteers even said it tasted
exactly like the venison he had eaten in hunting camps for the past 27
years. The results of this scientific test show conclusively that there
is no difference between the taste of beef and venison.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Hunter is steamed over decline of deer in national forest
Doyle Ritchie has been telling anyone who will listen that the number of deer on the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in Virginia, where he hunts, has experienced a drastic decline.
“This year the hunting season was just terrible on the national forest,” said Ritchie, a veteran deer hunter of 40 years. He lives in Fulks Run on the edge of the national forest in Rockingham County.
“I scouted week after week all summer and fall. I hunted day in and day out during the archery, early muzzleloader and firearm’s seasons. I’ve been out during the late archery and muzzleloading season, but with the same results. There are few, if any, deer in the national forest in the many regions I hunted.”
You might think Ritchie’s message would be a tough sell, considering Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ officials are saying the 2008-09 deer season could go down as a record when the final count is made in a few weeks. Last season kill was a record.
Add to that, there are so many deer in some sections of the state that they end up in the grills of vehicles and they account for millions of dollars in crop damage.
But what Richie says about the national forest gets solid backing from many sportsmen who hunt public property, particularly the northern end of the forest.
“Hunter after hunter I spoke with reported the same,” he said.
Even DGIF wildlife biologists share the concern.
“I agree with him that we have low deer populations on United States Forest Service lands,” said Jay Jeffreys. He is the DGIF regional wildlife manager assigned to the northern Shenandoah Valley, including national forest property.
Where the differences occur, wildlife officials blame the national forest situation on declining deer habitat, mast failures and lower numbers of hunters. Richie puts the problem squarely on liberal hunting regulations that he says have resulted in a purging of too many does and young bucks.
“You won’t see mature deer if you shoot out the young ones,” Richie said. “You won’t have deer around here if you take the does.”
Richie, who calls himself “blunt,” is a newcomer to this debate, which has been going on for about four years and mostly has involved hunters in Rockingham, Augusta and Highland counties. He is more aggressive than most, leveling stinging criticism at Matt Knox, the DGIF deer project coordinator.
“Knox and his team seem to want to kill off the deer, no matter what,” said Richie. “If it is brown, it needs to go down. You never hear Knox or members of his team say good things about deer. The mentality is pest control.”
During a recent meeting with Knox, Jeffreys and Bob Ellis, chief of the DGIF wildlife division, Richie recommended a moratorium on shooting does in the national forest and a limit of two bucks that meet a minimum of six points.
Some restrictions are expected to be set this year, but Richie isn’t likely to get all he wants by a long shot. But officials are sympathetic.
Here’s the challenge, said Jeffreys: Deer don’t recognize boundaries. They range on both national forest and private land. When they come out of the national forest to forage for food they are confronted by more liberal seasons and bag limits. When they return to the forest there isn’t that much food available.
“Private land regulations may well have driven down deer numbers on adjoining public land,” he said.
One resolution would be to enhance deer habitat on the national forest, but state biologists are limited in what they can do.
“We as an agency can enact regulations but we have real limitations in managing deer habitat on U.S. Forest Service land,” said Jeffreys.
Just this week, Congress advanced legislation that would set aside 43,000 acres of additional wilderness in Virginia, and environmentalists are betting on the new president to move even further down that road. Wilderness and roadless areas prohibit the kind of forest management that provides the new growth necessary to advance the wellbeing of deer, especially during times of mast failure.
One factor the two sides agree on, deer are being impacted by the growing number of predators, namely coyotes and black bear.
“The talk out here where I live is not how many deer that hunters saw, but how many bears they saw,” said Ritchie. “The bear hunters brag about how they have brought the bears back, and they certainly have been successful. But the problem is the number of fawns the bears and coyotes are taking. Last summer, I found so much bear crap in the national forest containing fawn hair that it was hard not to step in it.”
PART II next week: No easy answer for improving deer herd on the national forest
“This year the hunting season was just terrible on the national forest,” said Ritchie, a veteran deer hunter of 40 years. He lives in Fulks Run on the edge of the national forest in Rockingham County.
“I scouted week after week all summer and fall. I hunted day in and day out during the archery, early muzzleloader and firearm’s seasons. I’ve been out during the late archery and muzzleloading season, but with the same results. There are few, if any, deer in the national forest in the many regions I hunted.”
You might think Ritchie’s message would be a tough sell, considering Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ officials are saying the 2008-09 deer season could go down as a record when the final count is made in a few weeks. Last season kill was a record.
Add to that, there are so many deer in some sections of the state that they end up in the grills of vehicles and they account for millions of dollars in crop damage.
But what Richie says about the national forest gets solid backing from many sportsmen who hunt public property, particularly the northern end of the forest.
“Hunter after hunter I spoke with reported the same,” he said.
Even DGIF wildlife biologists share the concern.
“I agree with him that we have low deer populations on United States Forest Service lands,” said Jay Jeffreys. He is the DGIF regional wildlife manager assigned to the northern Shenandoah Valley, including national forest property.
Where the differences occur, wildlife officials blame the national forest situation on declining deer habitat, mast failures and lower numbers of hunters. Richie puts the problem squarely on liberal hunting regulations that he says have resulted in a purging of too many does and young bucks.
“You won’t see mature deer if you shoot out the young ones,” Richie said. “You won’t have deer around here if you take the does.”
Richie, who calls himself “blunt,” is a newcomer to this debate, which has been going on for about four years and mostly has involved hunters in Rockingham, Augusta and Highland counties. He is more aggressive than most, leveling stinging criticism at Matt Knox, the DGIF deer project coordinator.
“Knox and his team seem to want to kill off the deer, no matter what,” said Richie. “If it is brown, it needs to go down. You never hear Knox or members of his team say good things about deer. The mentality is pest control.”
During a recent meeting with Knox, Jeffreys and Bob Ellis, chief of the DGIF wildlife division, Richie recommended a moratorium on shooting does in the national forest and a limit of two bucks that meet a minimum of six points.
Some restrictions are expected to be set this year, but Richie isn’t likely to get all he wants by a long shot. But officials are sympathetic.
Here’s the challenge, said Jeffreys: Deer don’t recognize boundaries. They range on both national forest and private land. When they come out of the national forest to forage for food they are confronted by more liberal seasons and bag limits. When they return to the forest there isn’t that much food available.
“Private land regulations may well have driven down deer numbers on adjoining public land,” he said.
One resolution would be to enhance deer habitat on the national forest, but state biologists are limited in what they can do.
“We as an agency can enact regulations but we have real limitations in managing deer habitat on U.S. Forest Service land,” said Jeffreys.
Just this week, Congress advanced legislation that would set aside 43,000 acres of additional wilderness in Virginia, and environmentalists are betting on the new president to move even further down that road. Wilderness and roadless areas prohibit the kind of forest management that provides the new growth necessary to advance the wellbeing of deer, especially during times of mast failure.
One factor the two sides agree on, deer are being impacted by the growing number of predators, namely coyotes and black bear.
“The talk out here where I live is not how many deer that hunters saw, but how many bears they saw,” said Ritchie. “The bear hunters brag about how they have brought the bears back, and they certainly have been successful. But the problem is the number of fawns the bears and coyotes are taking. Last summer, I found so much bear crap in the national forest containing fawn hair that it was hard not to step in it.”
PART II next week: No easy answer for improving deer herd on the national forest
Aging of national forest is bad news for deer hunters -- Part 2
Van Humphreys, who lives in Craig County, can remember hunting in the national forest when you couldn’t see much beyond 50 yards because of the thick understory. It was ideal habitat for deer, not to mention grouse and other wildlife species.
Now often you can see twice that far because of the scarcity of cover. That’s particularly bad for deer and for deer hunters. The same can be said of grouse and woodcock hunters.
“No protection, no browse equal no game,” Humphreys said in response to last week’s column on the decline of deer in the national forest.
The national forest is aging. Browse is giving way to mature trees and a park-like atmosphere.
“There is a slow but steady decline in quality of deer habitat,” said Jay Jeffreys, a regional wildlife manger for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
While mature trees can produce mast, namely acorns which deer relish, mast crops are unreliable. When they fail, as they did in 2002 and 2003, a mature forest becomes a wasteland. The result: deer productivity and recruitment are impacted, said Jeffreys.
Whether they realize it or not, hunters are locked in a battle with environmentalists over how the national forest will be managed. Environmentalists want more wilderness and roadless areas, which they are likely to get under the Obama Administration. This means less logging and other minumpliation of the forest, the kind of activities that create quality habitat for deer through new growth.
There is room for both wilderness and enhanced deer habit on the more than 1 million acres of national forest in Virginia, but that hasn’t kept some environmentalists from trying to hog it all. Either they don’t care or understand what their actions are doing to wildlife.
Hunters have exerted little effort in fighting back, although they have science on their side. Many simply have switched their attention to private property, where deer are abundant. This lack of hunting pressure adds to the decline in the number of deer being killed on the national forest.
“Many of our staff believes the reduced number of hunters results in a significant reduction of deer movement, thus fewer deer coming before the hunter’s gun,” said Jeffreys.
What you have on the national forest is an interaction of a number of factors -- poorer deer habitat, increased predators, fewer hunters, mast failures and more liberal hunting regulations that are designed to address the overabundance of deer on nearby private land but also impact national forest herds.
Jeffreys correctly places habitat decline at the apex of the equation, but he gets an argument from Doyle Ritchie of Rockingham County who has become a major critic of the DGIF’s deer management practices. Ritchie believes the national forest deer herd has been harmed by DGIF regulations that crop off an excess of does and young bucks.
While it is true that DGIF has attempted to address the decline in the national forest deer herd by setting more restrictive bag limits on forest property, Ritchie says these efforts have been offset by the addition of an extra week of muzzleloading season and increased youth hunting opportunities.
“I’m just really angry about the way the national forest is going downhill, yet deer flourish in places right next to the forest,” said Ritchie. “I don’t think it’s a lack of food or mast crop failure. I think the problem is really poor management practices.”
A case could be made that there are plenty of deer on private land. So why manipulate the national forest for deer? The answers: There are sportsmen who depend on the national forest for their hunting. Other wildlife species, even song birds, benefit from a young forest habitat and the day may come when more hunters will depend on the national forest as private land is developed.
HERE’S WHAT HUNTERS CAN DO:
1. Take an active role in the management of the national forest. Right now the George Washington National Forest is revising its Land and Resource Management Plan. The plan is tilting toward removing 42 percent of the forest from active management practices, the kind that provide deer habitat. Several input meetings have been lightly attended by hunters. There are a couple remaining: Jan. 29, 6:30- 9 p.m., Rockbridge County High School, Lexington and Feb. 5, 6:30-9 p.m., Peter Muhlengerg Middle School, Woodstock. Also check the forest’s Web site for information on the plan revision. Let your congressman and senators know that you want deer/grouse habitat to get a fair shake in the management of the national forests.
2. Participate in the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ current regulatory process with an eye toward establishing hunting laws that address the needs of the national forest. Check HuntFishVa.com for opportunities to express views at public meetings and online. Beyond that, tell DGIF and forest officials that you would like for them to rekindle the spirit of the 70-year old Cooperative Wildlife Management Agreement that mandates state wildlife officials working hand-in-hand with federal forest officials.
Now often you can see twice that far because of the scarcity of cover. That’s particularly bad for deer and for deer hunters. The same can be said of grouse and woodcock hunters.
“No protection, no browse equal no game,” Humphreys said in response to last week’s column on the decline of deer in the national forest.
The national forest is aging. Browse is giving way to mature trees and a park-like atmosphere.
“There is a slow but steady decline in quality of deer habitat,” said Jay Jeffreys, a regional wildlife manger for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
While mature trees can produce mast, namely acorns which deer relish, mast crops are unreliable. When they fail, as they did in 2002 and 2003, a mature forest becomes a wasteland. The result: deer productivity and recruitment are impacted, said Jeffreys.
Whether they realize it or not, hunters are locked in a battle with environmentalists over how the national forest will be managed. Environmentalists want more wilderness and roadless areas, which they are likely to get under the Obama Administration. This means less logging and other minumpliation of the forest, the kind of activities that create quality habitat for deer through new growth.
There is room for both wilderness and enhanced deer habit on the more than 1 million acres of national forest in Virginia, but that hasn’t kept some environmentalists from trying to hog it all. Either they don’t care or understand what their actions are doing to wildlife.
Hunters have exerted little effort in fighting back, although they have science on their side. Many simply have switched their attention to private property, where deer are abundant. This lack of hunting pressure adds to the decline in the number of deer being killed on the national forest.
“Many of our staff believes the reduced number of hunters results in a significant reduction of deer movement, thus fewer deer coming before the hunter’s gun,” said Jeffreys.
What you have on the national forest is an interaction of a number of factors -- poorer deer habitat, increased predators, fewer hunters, mast failures and more liberal hunting regulations that are designed to address the overabundance of deer on nearby private land but also impact national forest herds.
Jeffreys correctly places habitat decline at the apex of the equation, but he gets an argument from Doyle Ritchie of Rockingham County who has become a major critic of the DGIF’s deer management practices. Ritchie believes the national forest deer herd has been harmed by DGIF regulations that crop off an excess of does and young bucks.
While it is true that DGIF has attempted to address the decline in the national forest deer herd by setting more restrictive bag limits on forest property, Ritchie says these efforts have been offset by the addition of an extra week of muzzleloading season and increased youth hunting opportunities.
“I’m just really angry about the way the national forest is going downhill, yet deer flourish in places right next to the forest,” said Ritchie. “I don’t think it’s a lack of food or mast crop failure. I think the problem is really poor management practices.”
A case could be made that there are plenty of deer on private land. So why manipulate the national forest for deer? The answers: There are sportsmen who depend on the national forest for their hunting. Other wildlife species, even song birds, benefit from a young forest habitat and the day may come when more hunters will depend on the national forest as private land is developed.
HERE’S WHAT HUNTERS CAN DO:
1. Take an active role in the management of the national forest. Right now the George Washington National Forest is revising its Land and Resource Management Plan. The plan is tilting toward removing 42 percent of the forest from active management practices, the kind that provide deer habitat. Several input meetings have been lightly attended by hunters. There are a couple remaining: Jan. 29, 6:30- 9 p.m., Rockbridge County High School, Lexington and Feb. 5, 6:30-9 p.m., Peter Muhlengerg Middle School, Woodstock. Also check the forest’s Web site for information on the plan revision. Let your congressman and senators know that you want deer/grouse habitat to get a fair shake in the management of the national forests.
2. Participate in the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries’ current regulatory process with an eye toward establishing hunting laws that address the needs of the national forest. Check HuntFishVa.com for opportunities to express views at public meetings and online. Beyond that, tell DGIF and forest officials that you would like for them to rekindle the spirit of the 70-year old Cooperative Wildlife Management Agreement that mandates state wildlife officials working hand-in-hand with federal forest officials.
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