tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89470524986249932332024-03-14T05:31:19.688-04:00Bill Howard's OutdoorsA weekly blog on hunting, fishing, and bonding.Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.comBlogger376125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-82497471916759194682020-06-05T09:58:00.003-04:002020-06-05T09:58:22.551-04:00Hammock tents
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Let’s talk about camping for a bit. June is a great month to
go camping. The nights still drop cool enough to bear sleep, and the days are
not overly unbearable.</div>
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</div>
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We have so many places to camp that we should be known for
our camping opportunities. We can camp along the seashore near Cape Lookout, or
we can camp in the deep Linville Gorge in the mountains. We can camp along
lakes or rivers, or we can camp in the shadow of Pilot Mountain.</div>
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</div>
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Camping can mean several different types of sheltered
environments, and I think I will discuss a few of these over the next few
weeks. For this week, let’s start out with hiking and camping.</div>
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</div>
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We have two major hiking trails that traverse through our
state. The Appalachian Trail is known worldwide to hikers and is the top of the
totem pole. Weaving from Georgia to Maine, many hike the trail in sections, and
there are dedicated clans that do what is called a thru-hike. A thru-hike
consists of starting at one end and ending on the other, and often takes as
long as six months to complete.</div>
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</div>
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Our second large trail is the Mountains to Sea trail, that
covers the mountains to the sea, just as it is named. There are a couple of
different ways to experience the MTS trail, as you can do a full hike across
the state or you can hike, bike, and paddle as well.</div>
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</div>
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Because of the difficulty in such hikes, weight and space
become issues. You look for the lightest and smallest package for your shelter.
One solution is something that people do not usually think of. That solution is
the hammock tent.</div>
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</div>
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As the word states, the hammock tent is exactly what it
sounds like. It is a hammock that is covered and has a bug net to keep away the
critters while allowing airflow. If it rains, you don’t have to worry about wet
ground. They are very comfortable for sleep as well.</div>
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</div>
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They can also be used as a hanging seat. The rain covers
usually are separate and can be used as shade shelters during the hike. And by
use of tree straps, they can be put up or taken down in less than a minute or
two. Even in the dark, they are easy to setup. Try that with a tent that has 15
different poles to slide together and you will see why it works.</div>
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</div>
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One of the downsides to the hammock tent is the lack of
space inside. Only a few things are taken inside, such as your cell phone
and/or journal, and a light in most cases. You will have to have a different
spot for your backpack or bag. If it is raining, that can be an issue although
there are ways around it.</div>
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</div>
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Also, in case of cold, you typically use a sleeping bag
style cover on the outside of the hammock to stay warm. Using it on the inside
reduces the insulating properties. If a pad is used inside the hammock, it is
also difficult to keep it in place without it sliding around.</div>
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</div>
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Personally, I love hammock camping. My two main reasons are
the comfort and the ease of setup and takedown.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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If you have never used or heard of a hammock tent, search
YouTube and check out some of the videos as well as some of the hacks for
better use. The price range is affordable depending on the extras, but
generally fall in line with a nice 3-season tent.</div>
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</div>
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Then, get out there, do some hiking and camping and enjoy.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-35241631792360444132020-05-22T07:00:00.000-04:002020-05-22T07:00:08.228-04:00Go fishing.
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I know, you are probably at your wit’s end being stuck in home
with nothing to do. The kids have doubled down on video games but even they are
getting bored with the same thing day in and day out.</div>
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</div>
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Restrictions are gradually being lifted as the flattening of
the curve has happened. Some are still nervous about overdoing the
get-out-in-public thing. It can be understood.</div>
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</div>
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Well, there is a solution.</div>
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</div>
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Remember the old Andy Griffith show intro with Andy and Opie
walking to the fishing hole? You know, that isn’t such a bad idea now is it?
This is the absolute perfect time for some old school fishing.</div>
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</div>
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You know the old parable about man and fish? Take a man a
fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he soon will have several
rods, three tackle boxes, a boat… I know. That isn’t exactly how it goes, but
it is reality.</div>
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</div>
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And that is the thing. Go really old school and teach
someone to fish. Get the kids to the bank of the lake, pond, or stream. Go
through the whole experience though.</div>
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</div>
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One of my fondest memories of my really young life was mom
taking me beside Mr. and Mrs. Morgan’s fence line where the soil was really
damp and dark and full of nutrients. If there was a such thing as perfect topsoil,
especially in red clay country, it was that. It was what earth is supposed to
look like.</div>
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</div>
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We had a little garden shovel. Not the big spade, push down with
your foot shovel. No, this was the small one for just your hand that wasn’t
much larger than the size of your hand. You know, the one used for potted
plants and such. We would stab the ground, pop up a plug of rich, dark soil, and
start pulling earthworms.</div>
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</div>
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Yes, to catch fish, we had to fish for worms first. That is
the natural order of things.</div>
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</div>
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We had a Mason jar, or sometimes a small cup, that we would
place the worms in along with a bit of the perfect loose soil. Then we would
head over the bank of the pond, hook the worm, and toss it a couple of feet in
front of us.</div>
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It didn’t take long.</div>
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</div>
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What didn’t take long? The whole process? Oh, I have no idea
about that. I was young and the experience was new, so time wasn’t of issue.
Catching fish? Absolutely that didn’t take long. Bream loved the earthworms.
Some small bass did as well. And fishing with a cane pole that we also made ourselves
gave all the enjoyment one needs. Getting hooked on fishing? Nope, that didn’t
take long either. My next decade of life included nearly daily moments of
fishing.</div>
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</div>
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When the catalpa trees began to bloom, we would rotate from
using earthworms to catalpa worms. There was never any shortage, as the sphinx
moth would lay her eggs in large clusters on the underside of the leaves. Black
and yellow with a small horn on one end, they tickled you when they crept over
your legs or arms. And, **squeamish alert**, when you stuck the hook in a fluorescent
green/yellow something would ooze out.</div>
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</div>
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Our change in diet for the fish had them attack our hooks
even more ferociously. They were like piranha on a drowning goat in some horror
movie.</div>
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</div>
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And occasionally, we would go to a home recipe. Taking a
partial loaf of bread to the bank, along with some peanut butter, we would have
a sunny-side peanut butter sandwich, the kind where it is just a piece of bread
with peanut butter on top and not actually a sandwich, and then take a second
slice of bread and make dough balls out of it.</div>
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</div>
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Once you hook the dough ball on the line, the bream would
practically jump on the shore for the bait.</div>
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</div>
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Those were good times. There was plenty of social distancing.
And we were never bored.</div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-50623494640119996582020-05-15T08:00:00.000-04:002020-05-15T08:00:06.003-04:00Ticks
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Our leases are being removed. At least that seems like a
good analogy of the loosening of restrictions that came from the COVID-19
pandemic. With that, I am sure we will all be ready to get out and about.</div>
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</div>
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That makes this a good time to offer a reminder of what time
of year we are in. With the coming of turkey season, and no that wasn’t the
reminder, comes another season, insect season. Nasty biting evil satanic
insects at that.</div>
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</div>
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Now, we have all heard of the murder hornets. At least we
should have. That is the next thing that will take every human’s life it seems.
But I am not even talking about them. Sure, they would fit nicely into some
1960’s B movie written by an Alfred Hitchcock wannabe.</div>
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</div>
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However, I am actually referring to real and present dangers
that for some reason isn’t being bombarded with negative fear press. And I am
letting you know about it after putting my own life at risk just moments before
typing this column. How is that for having a muse to offer material for
writer’s block?</div>
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</div>
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You see, the most devilish and useless thing I can speak of
is ticks. Ticks are horrible little creatures. Nature’s vampires suck your
blood and leave infecting debris in your blood system, similar to what a
vampire does when he infects you with whatever he infects you with to make you
undead.</div>
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</div>
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I have found there is little use for ticks. Surely any
creature that includes ticks in their diet can find something else to get their
protein from. If you can even get protein from them. Heck, they may be useless
in that regard as well. I mean, I would easily offer a diet of gnats to
opossum’s and whatever other animals like ticks. Gnats are the second most
useless creature on the planet. Maybe third. Mosquitoes fit into the standings
somewhere also.</div>
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</div>
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But ticks are downright the worst. </div>
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</div>
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Go ahead, ask me what I hate. You know what my answer will
be? It will be ticks. I will even offer that opinion to you without you asking
fi someone brings up a list of things to hate.</div>
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</div>
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I took my daughter hunting for turkey maybe 7 or 8 years
ago. Now you know my situation with turkeys if you have ever read this column
in the spring. Turkeys avoid me. Do you know what my daughter and I did leave
the field with though? Yep, you guessed it. Ticks.</div>
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</div>
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In fact, I pulled several dozen of the little buggers off of
here that afternoon. Somehow she didn’t go into a complete panic. Secretly, I
was well in one though. Little girls generally have a bunch of hair and there
was no way of knowing whether a family of the hellspawn had made camp in her
thick bushy hair. And if they did, what if they decided to vacate while in my
truck on the way home? That meant they would find me later on!</div>
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</div>
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Yes, I have a hate-hate relationship with ticks. They are as
useless as a mop string. A mop string you ask? Yes, a mop string. Can you think
of anything as useless as a mop string that is no longer on the mop?</div>
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</div>
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Well, I can. That would be ticks.</div>
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</div>
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If you hit the woods or even natural areas such as around
creeks and streams, always check yourself afterwards this time of year. </div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-64500990307942694062020-05-13T13:27:00.002-04:002020-05-13T13:27:18.662-04:00Snakes
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Several years ago, I headed on a simple fishing trip in
which I was floating the Neuse River while fishing for striper bass. They were
running although the river was a little high from a recent rain. And as I
sometimes do, I decided to make things a little less simple by adding another
element in order to make an adventure.</div>
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</div>
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That trip, I decided to float a twenty-two mile stretch of
the Neuse while fishing…on a paddleboard.</div>
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</div>
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It wasn’t your typical paddleboard. It was designed like a
barge, held a specially and specifically build cooler that had a tackle tray
and several rod holders. Heck, it even had a motor mount on the back. There was
never any intention of doing yoga on the water with this battlefield olive drab
colored monster of a board.</div>
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</div>
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That being said, I figured it would take about three days to
make the trip properly. That would be two nights of camping riverside as well
as many stops to fish bends, twists and turns that are prevalent along the
river’s span in that location.</div>
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</div>
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My very first stop on the float was roughly five miles into
the plan. There was a sandy beach along one of the curves that I figured would
be perfect for eating a lunch and stretching a bit. Once I found it, I was
rather excited to be honest. But the adrenaline didn’t flow nearly as much at
catching sight of it ahead on the waterway as it did when I decided to use a
log from a long-fallen tree for a seat.</div>
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</div>
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I sat down maybe ten feet or so from the well-worn stumps
and roots to make my temporary dinner chair. After I finished off a peanut
butter and cheese sandwich that I pre-made for this first stop, I got up and
looked around the log. Nestled in a hollow surrounded by grasses was where my
adrenaline shot through the roof.</div>
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</div>
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Two snakes, intertwined tightly together, stared at me while
flicking their serpentine tongues. Now, I am not the believer of the adage “the
only good snake is a dead snake.” However, I am of the principle that as long
as I can see the snake, I am good. That is why my heart decided to pump blood a
little faster through my veins at that time. I didn’t see the snakes that were
less than an arm length’s distance away from me while I grubbed down my
sandwich. </div>
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</div>
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Of course, the next thing I had to do was determine the
amount of danger I was potentially in. Now, there are six different venomous
species of snakes in North Carolina. One of those snakes is the eastern coral
snake. That one I didn’t have to worry about. There are easily identifiable and
rarely seen in this particular area, if ever.</div>
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</div>
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Three are species of rattlesnakes. The timber rattlesnake,
pygmy rattlesnake and eastern diamondback rattlesnake are all to be feared. But
again, neither of these three were likely going to be in this particular spot
along the river.</div>
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</div>
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That left two species to worry about. The cottonmouth and
the copperhead. Both of these are very prevalent to the area. Both are snakes I
do not particularly care for and prefer to keep plenty of distance from. And
the odds were that the two snakes I quickly jumped back from once I spotted
them in the log could be of one of these two species.</div>
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</div>
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After careful examination from afar, well, I couldn’t
determine. So, being the outdoorsman I am, I placed my cell phone on a selfie
stick and snapped a pic up close. Yes, outdoorsmen have selfie sticks on
paddleboard float trips. Don’t judge me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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What species of snake could have taken my life either by
bite or heart attack? It was a pair of banded water snakes. Thank goodness.
They live, I live, we all live. And I still worked my way away from them very
carefully.</div>
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</div>
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The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission warns
everyone to check their surroundings while in the woods and in their yards at
this time of heightened snake encounters. There is no reason to kill the
snakes, even if they happen to be a copperhead or cottonmouth as more bites
occur when trying to close enough to kill the snake than if you were to just
leave it be.</div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-72211479278920359642020-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:002020-05-01T07:00:03.959-04:00One lure challenge.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It is the perfect time of the year for fishing. The crappie
have left the deep waters, the bream are hot, the bass are hungry, heck, even
the trout are being unloaded in the mountain streams. The weather has been
nice. That is saying a lot in itself considering we often have a two-week
rendition of spring between winter and summer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Many years ago, my oldest son and I entered a fishing
tournament hosted by a former boss. Well, he was my current boss at the time,
but now he is my former boss. Now I am my only boss, except for the many
clients I go through each year, which means I have way too many bosses, but I
digress.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Anyway, we entered a work fishing tournament. There were a
number of prizes, as it wasn’t your typical largemouth bass tournament. This
one was a catch what you can no matter what bit the hook tournament. There was
a prize for the largest fish, the longest fish, the most fish, and even the
smallest fish. It consisted of fishing three ponds. They were large ponds, and
boats were allowed.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">My son and I were in a square stern canoe with a trolling
motor. However, there were everything from the normal aluminum john boat to
fully rigged bass boats that were backed into the various ponds.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Now, there are times I can act cocky. This usually occurs
when around co-workers who like to talk trash. When talking things such as
hunting, shooting and fishing, our group tended to talk a lot of trash. In
fact, we could probably have made Larry Bird and Michael Jordan feel slightly
inadequate to our greatness based on our trash talk game.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This playful cockiness resulted in me stating I could likely
win the tournament using just one lure. This would be akin to when Larry Bird
told his teammates he was only going to shoot left-handed in one of the games.
You see, overwhelming and over-the-top cockiness can lead you to a belief in yourself
that you wouldn’t have under normal circumstances, and rather than just playing
to win, you end up challenging yourself because you don’t see any real
challengers other than yourself.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I have been known to do this several times in my life. Once
I was asked exactly how good I was shooting a bow, and I picked up a small
washer off the workbench and told the co-worker I could put an arrow through
the hole form twenty yards easily. In mere moments I had several co-workers
laying money against each other about whether I could or couldn’t. As for me, I
didn’t measure the hole and soon realized there was so little clearance between
the actual diameter of the arrow shaft and the hole of the washer that you
couldn’t even put a piece of tape around the arrow’s shaft without scraping it
off as you push it through. Long story short, after work we had about twenty
guys and gals lining up my twenty-yard shooting lane, we had a drum roll and
lots of hoopla, and I made the shot. The winners of the bets agreed to pass enough
of their winnings to me so that I could replace the arrow that was damaged as
it passed through the hole though. Again, I digress.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As for the fishing tournament, I went with one lure. Now if
I was fishing for largemouth that day, I would have went with a Mister Twister
grape worm. It is my favorite. It doesn’t work on everything however. To just
catch fish, it is hard to beat either a live nightcrawler or cricket. But
again, the issue there is it isn’t one lure. You kind of need to have several
worms and crickets if using live baits to catch more than one fish.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">What was the go-to lure you may ask? I Beetle Spin in yellow
with black stripes. I don’t know that I have ever not caught anything with it.
That day didn’t disappoint either. Did I win? Well, I will leave it to your
interpretation based on one last fact. The game Larry Bird decided to shoot
left-handed to try to even the competition, he scored 47 points and added 14
rebounds and 11 assists.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-70631789348613009502020-04-24T06:59:00.002-04:002020-04-24T06:59:33.628-04:00We are still here.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I watched a YouTube video yesterday from one of my favorite
vloggers, Thomas Heaton. He is a landscape photographer and his channel centers
around his adventures in capturing great landscapes around the world.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">He is based in the UK, and just like the United States, he
is under a mandate to self-isolate at home.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This week’s episode had him set up a tent in his garden,
which is what they call the backyard there I guess, light a fire using a fire
starter, and capturing sunset images with five trees in his neighbor’s yard as
the subject of the image.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">If you are a consistent reader of this column, I mentioned
camping out in the back yard a few weeks ago regarding things to do at home
that can keep our sanity while also adding a bit of adventure.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We are limited on things we can do, even outside, at this
point in our new dailies. For me, life has continued to be an adventure, and I
am grateful for that. It has also meant doing some things I wouldn’t normally
do.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I was on a two-week excursion that carried me across the
country for instance. I decided driving would be best rather than flying
considering all that was going on. From Carolina to California. That is a long
haul. I also had to take every precaution possible in this business trip, which
included using paper towels or gloves at every gas stop, figuring out bathroom
scenarios, eating, and of course, make sleeping arrangements.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUSijlSg-xw/XqLGPG6i19I/AAAAAAAASs0/mj2BxesyNWggTa5CsLmgKCyIB4GqjPjaACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Death%2BValley%2BNP-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IUSijlSg-xw/XqLGPG6i19I/AAAAAAAASs0/mj2BxesyNWggTa5CsLmgKCyIB4GqjPjaACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Death%2BValley%2BNP-5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley National Park at sunset. (Photo/Bill Howard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Since I was headed west, I decided to find every park I
could possibly find to be my nightly stops. I could stay in the truck or tent
or hammock, and avoid hotels as well as truck stops and Walmarts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And or the most part, I was very successful in doing so. I
stayed in one Walmart parking lot out of 13 nights. Once I stayed outside a
convenient store somewhere in the heart of Nevada. The rest of the time I was
able to stay in places such as Saguaro National Park, Death Valley National
Park, or Great Sand Dunes National Park.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">These were places I always wanted to visit anyway, and life
just happened so that I could.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It was interesting for many factors as well.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Many parks were either closed prior to my departure or
changed their policies and closed while I was in transit. Parks such Yosemite,
Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Joshua Tree not only closed facilities, but they
didn’t even allow entrance via vehicle, bike or foot. Fortunately, Death Valley
remained accessible during the time I was in that particular area.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Arches National Park was closed, but Capital Reef, Black
Canyon of the Gunnison and Bryce Canyon were open other than for facilities. I
got my work done, kept my distance from people and made it throughout the trip
without catching anything.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I witnessed some incredible sunrises and sunsets, ate plenty
of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee meals under the shade of some fantastic landmasses, and made
the most of what I could in such a difficult time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Despite all of the hardships and tribulations we are going
through, God showed me he still rotated the earth and it still orbited the sun.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We should not take that for granted. The world may seem like
it is falling apart, but it isn’t. Only our limited view of the world is being
affected. The real natural world is still moving along in a real natural path.
I remember one night, as the temperature dropped below 20 degrees Fahrenheit
while I was sleeping in the back of my pickup inside a zero degree bag, I woke
to pull a blanket over my head and arm that were outside of the bag, and gazed
through my foggy slumbering vision a bright white streak of light in the sky. I
blinked several times and wiped my eyes, and realized the bright white streak
wasn’t a cloud in early morning sunlight, but it was the stars in heaven that
consisted of the Milky Way.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It was still there, just as it has been since the dawn of
time. And it was still as beautiful as those generations that gazed upon it
well before such things as electricity and lights hampered our vision and
altered our place here.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Everything isn’t in chaos, it is still there. And we should
be thankful.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-64255799210642412102020-04-17T07:00:00.000-04:002020-04-17T07:00:08.946-04:00Social distancing.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Just three weeks ago, I headed to a lake that I do well with
when targeting crappie. I thought to myself, and explained to my wife before my
departure, that one, it was a week day, and secondly, it was supposed to rain,
so therefore the pressure would likely be light in regards to other people even
being at the lake.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I was wrong. Every parking spot at the ramp was in use.
Every single one. And this wasn’t some small launch area; three full sized
ramps and parking for roughly 120 trucks with trailers are there for use. If it
wasn’t for one spot that was reduced in size due to some fallen tree material
that still allowed me to pull in and out of the way, as well as two kayak/canoe
ramps separate from the main three boat ramps, I would not have been able to
hit the water from there.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Confinement and closures of businesses meant people were
looking other opportunities to keep their sanity it seemed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission recently
revealed guidelines regarding outdoors activities in relation to the governor’s
executive order on the stay-at-home proclamation. And it is a change to how
things usually are, as everything about the COVID-19 fight has been.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">While individual activities and seasons have not been banned
or closed, social distancing and immediate household members remain the only
permissible opportunities to do things with others. At every NCWRC run boat
launch area, signs have been placed explaining what you can do and cannot do,
for instance.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">No tethering boats together. No gathering of people outside
the immediate household. Extra avoidance procedures when using the boat
launches. I mean, it is simple to understand what you have to do as it is the
same in all other life activities of the moment.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">The annual coastal river reports detailing creels from
wildlife biologists and agents from our four main river flows in regards to
American and hickory shad and striped bass, was suspended on March 26. This is
when the information gets really handy in detailing how far up the rivers each
species have spawned.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Hatchery supported trout waters opened April 4<sup>th</sup>,
but warned some stockings may be delayed or suspended at various times.
Warnings were also issued that all things may come to a halt if people do not
adhere to the proclamation from the governor regarding social distancing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Turkey season begins, and youth-only season began a week
prior, but no hunting with someone outside of the household is in effect. No,
grandpa won’t be able to call in a gobbler for his little outdoorsy
granddaughter unless they live in the same house.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And again, deviation from these rules come with a warning
that these activities can and will be suspended not just for those that don’t
follow the rules, but for everyone, if enforcement becomes an issue and great
task.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Such is the time we are in.
Our actions will dictate our freedoms, even if those freedoms are not
quite the freedoms we used to enjoy and take for granted.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">As for turkey season, I personally shouldn’t need to worry
though. If you have ever read one of my past early to mid-April columns you
will know that turkey know how to socially distant themselves from me whenever
I go to a turkey blind on a hunt.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-36335227505784774012020-04-15T07:00:00.000-04:002020-04-15T07:00:03.440-04:00Collections.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Do people collect things anymore? And by people, I mean the
younger generations.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Collecting things were a huge part of my generation’s
childhood and early adulthood. We had some things that were more for play such
as collecting Star Wars figures after the original movie came out. We also were
very adept at collecting both Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars. Every Friday when
my mom would go to town to shop for groceries and such, if I was a good boy, I
could pick out a new car or Star Wars figure.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My dad had a large collection of marbles. And as any parent
would do when their child reached certain ages, the marbles became mine for me
to add even more marbles to. We had two one-gallon jugs where we kept the
marbles, and when I would play with friends, I always made sure to pick out the
ugly ones to play with just in case I lost.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">But we had collections for show and not play as well. One of
my best friends when I was growing up had a massive collection of beer cans.
Don’t worry, the cans were empty of course. One Christmas his parents gave him
special hangers to display the cans in his room.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">While we all collected baseball and football cards
(basketball cards weren’t really a big thing back then), and we would willingly
trade to help each other collect the entire sets.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">But one of the unusual things I collected, I guess you could
say it was unusual, were rocks from each state. My grandfather traveled on
hunting trips throughout the country and the world, and would make sure to
return with rocks from each state he was in. My grandparents on the other side
of the family also traveled, mostly east of the Mississippi River, but they too
knew how fascinated I was with my rock collection, and they each kept list of
states I did not have yet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My step-grandmother also collected things. She actually had
two very large collections. One collection consisted of a large number of
dolls. Some were mass produced. Some were very rare. Some had eyes that would
open and shut; some were just painted on the face. She even had some action
figure dolls such as the Lee Majors Six Million Dollar Man figurine.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Her other collection was pressed butterflies and moths. She
had caught them for years and would press them in a book. Afterwards, they
would go side by side in a case for display. I have seen many museum displays
over the years that were not much different than her butterfly collection.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">One collection that fascinated everyone that saw it was my
grandfather’s trophy room. Of course, a proper trophy room is considered a
collection, as it has numbers of wild beasts on display representing the best
and strongest of their species.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And Papa had just that. There were over 90 trophy animals on
display, and it was better than a zoo. You didn’t have to wonder if the
creature was napping or behind the scenes in a cage. They were right there, in
arm’s length, and you could see every minor detail of the magnificence of the
creature.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">And that brings me back to my original question. Does the
younger generation have collections they focus large amounts of time and
research on in order to build it? Not video game collections, but actual
display and show type?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Maybe this extra time we have right now would be a good time
to get the family together and start one.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-70868271970896790432020-04-13T07:00:00.000-04:002020-04-13T07:00:16.820-04:00Backyard camping.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">COVID-19 can cause sore throats, hacking dry coughs, and
headaches as some of its symptoms. It can cause anxiety, anger, loneliness,
concern, and a bit of stir-craziness, especially if kids are stuck in the home
as well.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">When I was a wee bit of a young’un, I think around three
years old or so, I stayed at my Aunt Sue’s house overnight. I was the oldest of
the cousins on that side of the family, and Sue hadn’t sprouted any offspring
as of yet, so I was kind of the family novelty. At least, that is the way I
like to remember it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Sue had a train track that ran behind the house, and I was
fascinated with the rumble of the ground, the low-pitched horn, and the massive
size of the long locomotives hauling various goods. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That night, Aunt Sue pitched a tent in her back yard. To the
best of my memory, and anyone trying to remember just a few weeks back can
attest to this, my memory may not have all the details correct, but as said, to
the best of it, we had peanut butter sandwiches while sitting in the tent. We
probably drank some sort of Kool-Aid, cherry, strawberry or grape in all
likelihood.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I also thing we had some type of snack as well. Maybe some
Nabs as we called them back then. But whatever it was, it was memorable and
exciting enough for me to still think back on it some 47 years later.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We had a flashlight and would shine it around the yard,
looking for bears and tigers I am sure. Every now and then a lightning bug
would flicker its little yellow/green beacon as if it were responding to our
light.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And then I felt the rumble. I heard the metal on metal of
the train on the tracks. The horn blasted. Yes, as a three-year-old, I was
pretty much in Heaven for toddlers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I bring this short story up for a reason. We are all mostly
in some type of lockdown. Yes, the type of confinement varies county to county
and town to town, but we have all been asked to stay put, with little public
interaction.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Remember those kids I mentioned in the opening to this
column? Now is the time to make some memories such as the one that stuck with
me so long.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Take a tent and pitch it in the yard. Boredom for a
youngster will go away immediately! Take a coupe of hot dogs and some chips and
a lantern or flashlight. Roast the hot dogs over an open flame. East them by
hand with no bun. Take the lights and sweep through the tree branches and
leaves looking for squirrels, or even bears and tigers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Don’t have kids? It doesn’t matter. Break the routine. You
don’t have to go to some vast wilderness to create your own mini adventure.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And while you are out there, share a few ghost stories, or
maybe reminisce about your first-time camping, even if it was in the backyard.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: large;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-13770594628595588022020-03-27T07:00:00.000-04:002020-03-27T07:00:00.657-04:00The sucker fish spawn is on. Again. As it always is this time of year.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Every March.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It doesn’t matter if the winter was brutal. It doesn’t
matter if the winter was mild. The groundhog could have seen his shadow or not,
it doesn’t influence it. It may have rained hard the previous week, or it could
be a two-month long drought. Regardless of the weather, this magic, or maybe we
can call it madness since that seems to be one of the things we are lacking
during this current state of being, happens.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">For me and my neck of the woods, it all comes together on a
small shallow creek in my hometown.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Every March, more specifically, the middle of March, a
golden fish ends its spawn near the base of a dam. Bottlenecked as there is no
where else to go, they splish and splash amongst the low water where pebbles
and rocks are embedded in the creek bed. By doing so, they handle their mating,
bouncing off the top of each other, rubbing side to side, and overall creating
havoc in the creek.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The redhorse sucker fish isn’t an overly popular fish to
seek. And I have no idea why. There are six main species of redhorse in North
America; the shorthead, black, greater, golden, river and silver varieties. The
one I am most accustomed to because of this annual pilgrimage is the silver
redhorse sucker.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">A quick glance from the untrained eye and you would thing
this is a carp. The golden scales, and the robust body hints that way. The
mouth gives it away though, as underneath a very pronounced snout which gives
the fish its name of redhorse, or sometimes called horse fish, the mouth forms
what looks like a sucker.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The lips are puffy, enough so that it would make any
Hollywood starlet envious, and are perfect for bottom feeding. Primarily
feeding on things such as crawfish, worms, and small river clams, they really
aren’t as picky as you may think. Perhaps due to the mouth being angled below
the head so they can’t really see what they are eating, presentation doesn’t
matter much.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Legal to bowfish or fish outright, early on I bowfished a
bunch. The shallow water and the tight groups make for easy targets for the
most part. Over the last few years I have ventured to catch more using hook and
line however.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Being accustomed to fast flowing rapids in creeks, streams
and rivers, they are monstrous fighters. They will take your line wherever they
wish. Sometimes they will just drop back and ride the flow of the river making
the battle long and hard. Sometimes they flip and flap and jump and dive while
muscling their way upstream in the currents, stripping line at will in their
flight.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And they get big.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">In fact, I caught my largest one on this spawn. A little
over 10 pounds of muscle and scale. Bright red fins, with a gradient to orange
and then gold and then silver. After a strong fight in which the redhorse
finally granted me the win, he grunted his disproval.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">How did I identify it as a male? Because by natural instinct
he released all of his stored fertilizing fluids so that the specie can go on.
Not to worry, I let him back in so that he could continue his life’s venture
though.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">These little quirks of nature in which fish you would never
think of as swimming in the shallows that only come around for a couple of
weeks each year, on a perfect calendar mind you, is one of the great things
about the outdoors. There is so much to discover and experience; this bit of
nature’s March Madness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-11987593202396468682020-03-20T07:00:00.000-04:002020-03-20T07:00:05.064-04:00Disease affects the outdoors also. Should we react to COVID-19 with humans the way we do with diseases for animals?
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I got home around 3 a.m. The day was long. I sat patiently
for 12 hours making sure to capture the images I needed and properly catalog
them with captions and keywords. I was told at 9:30 a.m. I would get further
directives on this mission of importance.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">After 6 hours of sleep I woke to the tone from my phone
indicating I had a message received. I took a peek, and my task was clear. I
showered, hustled to the truck and drove the two hours back to my base of
operations. With 30 minutes to spare, I arrived and prepped my gear.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Then the unthinkable happened. With just 15 minutes until
the moment of importance, it was announced it all had been canceled.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">No, this wasn’t a top-secret operative in which I was
running reconnaissance for some clandestine organization. Nor was this a seek
and find mission of some rare species that only appears during a specific time.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">No, this was the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament and I was
credentialed photographer/media.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4QoIte7V40/XnPlI7TtWwI/AAAAAAAASjg/KrrdOjkQsxgT6sD_d1WEz56L5921JTgbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Atlantic%2BCoast%2BConference%2BTournament_05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t4QoIte7V40/XnPlI7TtWwI/AAAAAAAASjg/KrrdOjkQsxgT6sD_d1WEz56L5921JTgbgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Atlantic%2BCoast%2BConference%2BTournament_05.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 2020 ACC Men's Basketball was cancelled prior to the third round of play.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">COVID-19, aka the Wuhan flu, aka the coronavirus, had reared
its ugliness and may have done something much worse than getting someone sick.
It caused fear.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Now, fear is warranted in some situations. This is likely
one of them. It spreads quickly, it mutates, and it is deadly to the elderly
and infirmed. Have we gone too far in our reactions? That can be debated. And
that debate is where I am headed with this column.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">As hunters and anglers, this type of thing is one of the
many things that makes us valuable as stewards to this planet. We are often the
equivalent of both first reporters and first responders in the outdoors.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Fish kill? We often are the ones that notice first and
report to the wildlife agencies.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Diseased wildlife? Yes, that would be us as the first on the
scene as well, in most cases.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Now, what are the responses to such things? Well, pretty
much what we are doing with this coronavirus outbreak.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We have to limit the spread while also determining the
cause. Doesn’t matter whether it is dead fish or dead mammals. The way to do
those things is slightly different though.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">When something such as blue tongue disease or chronic
wasting disease (CWD) is detected, in order to limit the spread, animals can be
quarantined to a certain area and then killed. Of course, we don’t do that to
humans. However, Italy has limited to offering care to those that they deem may
survive and not administering care to the elderly. But again, this is regarding
the outdoors and not as much the current human situation.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The areas may be targeted by use of hunters, or wildlife
agents and paid crews to eradicate any animals that may have a risk of
spreading disease. For something like CWD, an equivalent of travel bans exists
in order to prevent spread. There are laws set up to prohibit the transfer of
body parts across state lines from states or regions that have known cases of
CWD, as well as the prohibition of transporting live animals.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The main key here is what we are doing for coronavirus is
what we do in nature to protect the greater numbers. And as frustrating as it
may be for us to lose revenue, entertainment and experience other
inconveniences, it is vitally important in controlling what could be without
those measures.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-76601405248086637882020-03-13T07:00:00.000-04:002020-03-13T07:00:05.278-04:00Bob Timberlake. Artist and conservationist.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I was anticipating the morning. I had this planned for a
couple of weeks. I was going to meet someone at the top of their field and get
to have a one on one with the gentlemen.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The previous day, he was on a quail hunt. His granddaughter
happens to be a crack shot herself. I had done some extra studying on his life
to add to my already near-fanboy knowledge.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGoh85MJtW0/XmFmvBa1YDI/AAAAAAAASiM/kuck7OGlsRksBHBrzj3IUTJ0lapaO4TjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Bob%2BTimberlake-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oGoh85MJtW0/XmFmvBa1YDI/AAAAAAAASiM/kuck7OGlsRksBHBrzj3IUTJ0lapaO4TjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Bob%2BTimberlake-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Timberlake holds one of his paintings from the Keep America Beautiful campaign. (Bill Howard)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">He owns a very successful studio/gallery and museum. His
name is well known throughout the United States. He was instrumental in one of
the most successful non-profit campaigns in advertising history.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I met him 30 minutes prior to the gallery opening, and he
was sitting inside looking out of the window for when I drove up.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Bob Timberlake unlocked the door and welcomed me in like I
was an old friend.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We had never met before, and I had only communicated with
his granddaughter through email to arrange the meeting. But he was genuine and
friendly. Or perhaps I should say he IS genuine and friendly. We discussed why
I was there and what we would be doing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">He gave me a quick tour of the gallery and museum. If you do
not recognize the Bob Timberlake name, he is an artist and furniture builder
extraordinaire. His art greatly consists of rural style art in a realist
approach but with a Norman Rockwell feel. So of course, we saw lots and lots of
his paintings.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">He was particularly proud of a chest he built when he was 14
years old that was on display, with a matching custom woven rug below, and a
letter from Henry Ford congratulating him on an award.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We looked at several sizes and styles of decoys he made or
designed. He carried me to a showcase with a teddy bear that he explained was
responsible for over $2 million in donations for a non-profit. Another showcase
displayed a rifle owned by Annie Oakley.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I was in awe.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Then we spoke about hunting and fishing. He showed me a
recent article about him with some magnificent photos of him fly fishing. Then
he showed me another pic with a catch that would make anyone envious.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Bob Timberlake is not just an artist. He is not just a
furniture maker. He is not just a gallery owner. He is a spokesman and
conservationist. He participates in the outdoors as well as capture the spirit
of nature in his paintings and furniture. He has forwarded that passion to his
family, including his granddaughter. In fact, she had just come back from a
fishing trip in the mountains of North Carolina herself.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">For those old enough, you may remember the Keep America
Beautiful campaign featuring the ‘crying Indian.’ His art helped that campaign
excel. He was already well regarded as an artist. To my generation, those that
grew up in the 70s and 80s, it is how we learned his name.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We were in a pollution crisis during those days. While we
still have pollution and debris, it is not nearly where we were headed. He made
a difference. He continues to make a difference.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I can only hope to get a small fraction to help make a
difference in my goal of expanding the numbers of those that enjoy the
outdoors. His story gave me hope and inspiration.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Maybe, just maybe, we can get together in a cold-water
stream for some casting for trout someday as well.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-50860153571860411992020-03-06T07:00:00.000-05:002020-03-06T07:00:06.018-05:00The first time.
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Can you remember the first time you went hunting or fishing?
Who took you that first time?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I grew up beside a pond. When I say beside, it was literally
within 100 feet of the front door. My dad and grandfather and step-grandmother
loved fishing. Once spring rolled around, it was not uncommon at all for Dad to
grab a fishing rod and go over to the bank and cast for an hour or so.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjdUKiV8zSs/Tcfdl2PA2EI/AAAAAAAAAFw/sA31T49cs0kC0UtGyF-CiMvea-mWmyK7QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/FIRST%2BFISH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="364" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZjdUKiV8zSs/Tcfdl2PA2EI/AAAAAAAAAFw/sA31T49cs0kC0UtGyF-CiMvea-mWmyK7QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/FIRST%2BFISH.jpg" width="267" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">My first fish came with my mom. She purchased a plastic rod
that had a plastic hook and plastic fish. I was beside the bank one day with
her, slamming the plastic hook into the water, yanking it out, and slamming it
back in. Remarkably, a bream somehow was in the wrong place at the right time,
and it snagged onto that red plastic hook. I was both excited and petrified at
the same time.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">But as I got older, and by older, I mean like five years
old, I would fish nearly every day in which the weather would cooperate. Why?
Because I had seen my dad do it day in and day out. It was what you did. If I
wasn’t at the pond, I would walk to Silver Lake and fish along the banks there.
Sometimes my dad would be with me, sometimes he would be at work if on a
weekday. The wildlife club had a building there and Mr. Barnes ran it each day.
He was basically a temporary babysitter.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Times were much different then. I guess that is how things
work out after half a century. But those times were the influence to get me
outdoors to hunt and fish and camp.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This is one of our first challenges if we believe these
outdoor activities must continue.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We no longer have the same schedules. Our workplaces are
open longer and during more days. Weekends are no longer a time of rest and
relaxation. People don’t get off of work at 5pm, and if they do, many may have
commutes lasting an hour or longer. We have lost those brief opportunities that
once meant so much.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This is where we need to better address our time management
skills. Sounds like something you would hear at a meeting at work doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, it is true though.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We come home tired. Heck, we often come home beat. I
understand. I’m the same way. But where we once couldn’t go by the lake without
seeing a dozen people standing along the shore with a cork in the water, we
can’t go by the lake now and find anyone fishing. When we go to the park with
friends, family, and most of all children, they are not accustomed to that.
Instead they only see people walking or sitting. There is no connection to
outdoors other than it being a scene, and they can find better scenes
graphically created on their game console.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Even if you cannot take someone new to fishing or hunting
with you, simply being out there is enough to spark conversation between
others. It is what helps bring that little bit of intrigue and inquisition into
what you find attractive about it. It is how a small kid that is full of
questions may get to the point of asking his or her parent if they can go
fishing.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We don’t get many of those opening title sequences from the
Andy Griffith show anymore with Andy and Opie walking to the pond with the rods
over their shoulders. But I bet you have many fond memories that resemble that
form when you first started fishing and hunting.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-49692218290302295602020-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:002020-03-04T07:00:07.215-05:00Duane Raver. A National Treasure.
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9E-S93uhn8/XlhcNiOyTSI/AAAAAAAASf8/39YHHI6Ly5QiMchxUslz5-uOiUYabSZjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Duane%2BRaver-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9E-S93uhn8/XlhcNiOyTSI/AAAAAAAASf8/39YHHI6Ly5QiMchxUslz5-uOiUYabSZjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Duane%2BRaver-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Several years ago, I ran across an elderly gentleman at the
North Carolina fairgrounds. When I heard his name, I knew it was familiar but
couldn’t quite place where I knew it from. I talked with him a bit as he led me
to his booth that was setup in the Village of Yesteryear. Once there, I
immediately realized who he was.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Re6WmrunLCM/XlhcTQ8NbLI/AAAAAAAASgA/ws-n75KtMu06xmI7KrZphnyyJNwgbcPJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Duane%2BRaver-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Since the age of twelve years old, Duane Raver has painted
wildlife. He primarily dealt with fish species, and early on he knew he had a
talent that others didn’t. He recanted a story form an art class in school when
he was drawing trees and decided to help a classmate. As he looked over his
classmate’s artwork, he scanned the room and took quick glances at everyone’s
work. The art did not come close to matching what he was doing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Re6WmrunLCM/XlhcTQ8NbLI/AAAAAAAASgA/ws-n75KtMu06xmI7KrZphnyyJNwgbcPJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Duane%2BRaver-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Re6WmrunLCM/XlhcTQ8NbLI/AAAAAAAASgA/ws-n75KtMu06xmI7KrZphnyyJNwgbcPJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Duane%2BRaver-3.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">There are some people that have gifts at certain things, and
Raver is definitely one. His work, especially fish related, is the absolute top
of the game. His attention to detail with meticulous observance to scales, fin
spines, and even colors down to the gradual shading from scale to scale made
him the go to person for wildlife organizations and biologists in both creating
a standard as well as identification of species.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The remarkable thing is that attention and steady brush has
carried on to his current age. Yes, for an astounding eighty years Raver has
applied brush to paint and then to paper. He has a book that is now ending its
third printing detailing the art and characteristics of 150 species of fish. He
told me while visiting with him this week the publisher informed him there were
just a handful of that third printing currently left</span>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">If you were to scan websites such as the North Carolina
Wildlife Resource Commission’s, you will find his artwork throughout, including
any citation sized fish or special catch certificates decorated with Raver’s
art. Even the International Game Fish Association has his art as the
identifiers for all to see.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">He once shared a studio with his daughter who is a
taxidermist. He expanded into drawing and painting various species that were
brought into his daughter until he determined his old age prohibited him from
making the 100-yard walk uphill to his daughter’s house and studio. Now, he has
a spare bedroom in his own home that has been converted to his art studio.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The room has boxes and shelves full of prints of his
artwork. Two wooden paddles rest on end against one wall, one with a bream
painted on it, the other with a crappie. The bream is so perfect that when I
showed my wife a photo, she asked why he had a real fish laying on it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">To the side of his art table rests a canvas depicting a
black bear in the woods. Each hair on the body could be seen when viewing
closeup, and looking from a few feet away, the blackness of the fur all blended
in a smooth looking coat.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">On his table, he had a mostly completed commissioned piece
of mourning dove flying over farmland. The buyer requested having dove sitting
on a wooden fence in the background. His fence was perfect, and the dove on the
fence were perfect as well. Of course, the main draw were the two birds flying
in the foreground with the sky behind. All were neatly and perfectly placed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MWEDDanocRI/XlhcTgxCBoI/AAAAAAAASgQ/_F9_zV9_G9QtnhqZRoSHTnD_GFCKLsGEgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Duane%2BRaver-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MWEDDanocRI/XlhcTgxCBoI/AAAAAAAASgQ/_F9_zV9_G9QtnhqZRoSHTnD_GFCKLsGEgCEwYBhgL/s400/Duane%2BRaver-4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">At 92 years of age, Duane Raver continues the path that he
was born to do. His passion and expertise has made him not only a respected
North Carolinian, but a national treasure.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-66977632833366161872020-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:002020-03-02T08:00:02.157-05:00We are in a crisis. Part 2.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I wrote about the crisis currently going on in the United
States with declining hunting and fishing license sales despite a growth in
population over the past couple of decades. The dollars generated from license
sales goes towards protecting species that are in decline or are in an unstable
number.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">What can we do other than take someone fishing or hunting
and hope they catch the ‘bug’ to continue an outdoors life?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">It is easy to find problems. Solutions are much harder.
However, as the late Dr. John Dewey once stated, “a problem well stated is a
problem half solved.” We know there is more obstacles in the way of converting
current generations and recruiting future generations for outdoors activities
that include hunting and fishing than ever before.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">At one time, it was a necessity to hunt and fish in order to
survive. Agriculture became prevalent and efficient to the point that food is
plentiful and available to all at low costs both in money and effort. Our world
has slowly shifted from a hands-on type of civilization to an efficient digital
low mobility existence in which communication can be done in milliseconds at
virtually no cost and products and supplies can arrive from thousands of miles
away in less than two sunsets.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">We have a vociferous minority that can demand results
against hunting or fishing that often gets lots of media attention and fear
from advertisers marketing to certain activities. Because of this the general
population loses exposure to these activities unless on very specific networks.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Older generations either die off or age to the point that
the activities become harder to participate in, limiting the passing of the
heritage from one generation to the other. The middle generations get wrapped
up in work where weekends are no longer the same for everyone as nearly every
business is open seven days per week. And the younger generations, who do get
off during the weekends from school do not have the parent, family member or
other adult mentor that is available to take them out, and instead spend their
time at a gaming console or in front of the computer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Sure, there are some other smaller factors, but in short, we
have all become busy with things that take our time away from hunting and
fishing. Probably the biggest of the other factors would be cost to get
started, as you have to find land to hunt and water to fish, which isn’t always
public reserves, as well as the entry costs of gear, ammunition and tackle.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">So, what can we do to put a dent in this crisis? We have to
do multiple things. My personal take is to expand on something I am doing.
Sure, this column gets out to many people over many newspapers. Yet, show me a
kid under 18 that reads a newspaper. I used to. Mainly, I would look at the
boxscores form the games the night before and read the comics. That isn’t the
case any longer. Now, if it isn’t on social media, reddit or YouTube, the 18
and under generation won’t see it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">My goal is to create a YouTube channel that is informative,
yet attractive to that generation. Currently there are several big channels,
however they lack in appearance for the most part. I am going to create
something that is a mixture of River Monsters and Casey Neistat. This won’t be
your Outdoors Channel sponsored content. This will be short doses with quick
hitting action that at the same time educates. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">There are other ways to try to bring in new people, and I
think we need a mixture of it all to be successful. This is the way I am going
to participate.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">If you are interested in helping, whether with ideas,
donations or just words of support, I would love to hear from you at <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null">billhowardoutdoors@gmail.com</a>. We
can do this together.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-68212323694482479592020-02-28T07:00:00.000-05:002020-02-28T07:00:07.393-05:00I'm back. But I never left. And we are in a crisis.<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">We are in the midst of a crisis.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">I know we hear that a lot. There is a reason. When we are
told that something is in such dire circumstances that the scenario is at a
tipping point to where only a correction made immediately is the only way to
have favorable results or everything is lost, it instills action.</span><span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Climate change is an example. We have an entire generation
that is being taught blindly that without something changing last week that the
earth can only survive for a little over a decade. The sense of urgency is
important to create change. That sense is usually brought on by fear of
something undesirable.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">You can even hear it in sports. If a team isn’t performing
well and it is approaching midseason, you will hear mention of the moment being
critical, whether it be the second half of an important game, the upcoming
game, or the next series of games. Crisis mode has been created to put a sense
of urgency and complete focus onto something in order to create the change
needed to be successful in the team’s goals.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Well, we are in crisis mode in the hunting and fishing
community. This crisis is not only bad for the hunting and fishing community,
but for natural resources and wildlife as well.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">Two decades ago, North Carolina had 399,045 licensed hunting
and fishing individuals that created just under $9 million in gross revenue.
South Carolina had 263,045 creating $6.7 million. The United States in whole
reported 15.7 million licensed hunters and anglers resulting in $688 million.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">These monies are important. License sales go to protecting
endangered and threatened species, providing habitat for those species, as well
as employing officers that focus strictly on those activities.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">By contrast, last year North Carolina had 592,564 licensed
hunters and anglers bringing in $10.3 million in revenue to go to those
activities. South Carolina had 200,912 licensed individuals resulting in $8.6
million. The US as a whole? 15.5 million with $896.4 million revenue.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">While we have seen growth in numbers for both NC and SC in
licensed outdoorsmen, the United States has lost numbers. We haven’t even
mentioned the cost differences from twenty years ago.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">North Carolina also increased population by nearly 3 million
people over that same time period. For North Carolina, the licensed individuals
(I keep mentioning it this way because looking at only license sales doesn’t
give a perfect number as many people have multiple licenses) kept up with the
population growth. South Carolina on the other hand, lost 62,000 licensed individuals
over twenty years while having a population increase of 1.3 million.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">South Carolina is an example of what is happening across the
country.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">With a loss of 2 million hunters and anglers in the US over
the twenty-year period while having a population increase of over 50 million,
we are losing the ability to protect these species and habitats as we need to.
License sales used to nearly supply all the revenue needed. The outdoors
community was a self-funded endeavor. Now, we have bipartisan bills in congress
providing monies from the general funds as well as allowing more freedom in the
uses of monies from past legislation such as that from the Pittman-Robertson
act to both protect the species and encourage and recruit new hunters and
anglers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">With a world that has increasingly pulled youth to new
activities (specialized sports and training, television and video games to name
a few), and an older generation that has increased responsibilities and longer
work hours in a faster running world, we will all suffer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">The monies in the past helped turn around the potential
losses of species such as whitetail deer and Canadian geese to where they are
plentiful and thriving. Now, we may end up seeing species suffer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: large;">And this is a true crisis for everyone.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-85289703281869975322017-01-20T07:15:00.000-05:002017-01-20T07:15:07.893-05:00Game Identification
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I used to teach hunter education, we saved the section
on wildlife identification and worked it in with duck hunting. Duck hunting may
be the most important type of hunt that requires proper identification due to
the regulations limiting certain species and gender in the daily bag limit.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I would explain the importance and then Segway over to a
couple of stories on bears and deer. The bear story was entirely fictional and
had to do with identifying the species of bear based on their scat. The deer story
however was and is completely true.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Many years ago, when the state of Kentucky was still
building a sustainable population of elk, prior to the permitted hunts that are
available now, a hunter was in the eastern part of the state. He happened to
see the largest deer he had ever seen in his life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Buck fever set in and the hunter was doing everything he
could to control his nerves as he waited for the clear shot. The buck had a
rack that towered above his head. The body must have been over 400 pounds. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He settled the sights on the buck, and even though he was
fighting hard to keep the crosshairs steady, the buck bounced around in the
glass. Finally, he felt that he could hold it steady enough to squeeze the
trigger.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Blammm!!” sounded the rifle as the bullet left the muzzle.
He watched in amazement as this true trophy dropped to the ground.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Kentucky had check in stations for when you killed a deer,
and the hunter called ahead to let the game warden know about this tremendous
buck he had just downed. He also made a few calls to local media, friends and
family, as he was positive this beast, a sure once-in-a-lifetime prize, would
be a new world record. After all, he had to use a wench to pull the great
animal into his truck and the antlers were so large they hung over the tailgate
with it up.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He drove up to the check in station and saw that between the
people he called, and the people they called, there was a large gathering to
greet him. He beamed with pride as he was certainly about to become the talk of
the town, the state, and maybe the country.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But something was wrong. As soon as he pulled up the game
warden begin calling in other wildlife officers. Instead of a look of awe,
there was a look of concern.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The hunter had shot one of the elk that Kentucky was using
to grow the herd. Not a deer, but an elk. Same family, but a completely
different species. An elk stands almost twice as high as a whitetail at the
shoulder, the neck is long, the coat is much thicker and browner, and the
antlers, well, the antlers are nothing similar.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A whitetail has curved main beams that forces the tips back
in to each other. The most mature bucks may have a beam that comes close to 24
inches in length. An elk has antlers that go straight up and back and may be as
long as four feet.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My class always questioned the validity of the story and I
kept a newspaper clipping that I was happy to pass around.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now there is more proof that identification is important.
This story, like history in general, repeated itself. A hunter in Michigan proceeded
to do the same thing back in November. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Misidentification can be costly regarding wild game animals.
The hunter in Michigan was charged with a $5000 fine plus and additional $500
for each point on the antler. The elk was a 6x6. That is an additional $6000 on
top of the $5000 fine. And he didn’t get to keep it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As always, know your target before squeezing the trigger.
That doesn’t mean just knowing where your target is, it also means knowing what
is your target.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-91167745658038985802017-01-18T07:13:00.000-05:002017-01-18T07:13:04.050-05:00The Button Buck
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of the great things when sitting in the stand waiting
for Mr. Big to come out to visit is watching the other wildlife. Birds,
rabbits, and yes, even those pesky tree rats otherwise known as squirrels can
be entertaining. It makes you wonder just what is going on in the minds of
these creatures when they are doing so.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We have a habit of humanizing animals based on what they do
and how they act. It is an attempt to empathize with creatures that we have a
hard time communicating with in an effective manner.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This often carries over into art, media and entertainment.
It is how we have Disney movies such as Bambi, Dumbo, The Fox and the Hound,
and The Jungle Book. In the digital information age, it is how we get all types
of memes such as the various facial expressions of a Siberian husky and oodles
of cat videos.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Way back in the day, there was a salesman from Mississippi
who had the gift of telling a story. He used his skills to assist in increasing
his sales, as his customers were always excited to see him and catch his next
great story. His stories often spoke of his cousin and were always based in
rural America and life there.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I learned of this salesman/comedian through the news when I
grew up. Every day during the news at noon, the local channel would run the
farm report. I couldn’t tell you if there is still such a thing anymore, as I
cannot remember the last time I watched a full broadcast of the 12pm news.
Anyway, during the farm report each day, the person reporting on the various
futures and sales prices of various farm markets would finish with a short
outtake from the great Jerry Clower.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One such story, slightly changed for the environment, may
explain why that little yearling buck you see every day from your stand acts like
it does at times.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You see, there were three deer standing on the edge of a
field. One was a fit eight-pointer, the second was a smaller six-pointer, and
the last one was a young button buck. They were each watching the does that
were grazing in the field.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“About twenty of those fine ladies are mine, and I won’t
share with anyone,” says the eight-pointer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“Well, the other ten have an eye for me and you won’t see
them go with anyone else,” says the six-pointer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“That little one over there. She is mine. We are happy with
just us,” the button buck stated matter-of-factly to the other two.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just then, all the does stood alert watching the other side
of the field. A massive buck pushed through the bushes lining the woods. His
rack boasted of fourteen points, with two of them being symmetrical drop tines.
His brow tines were as tall as the rest of the base of the rack and the base
was as big around as a man’s wrist.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">His body was sculpted and masculine. If it were not for the
antlers you could mistake the body for a champion thoroughbred racehorse. His
neck was muscular and chiseled. It was clear he could have any doe he wanted
and beat any buck in a spar in short notice.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The eight-pointer looked at the other two and said, “well, I
don’t really need that many does anyway. I would be happy with five.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The six-pointer followed suit telling the two bucks, “you
know, I could probably get by with just one.”</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The button buck, upon hearing the other two, starting pawing
at the ground and snorting loudly. He then ran out into the group of does
prancing proudly. He pee’d everywhere marking territory and then started
rubbing his small antler knobs up and down on a tiny tree.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Running and leaping, he came back to where the other two
bucks were.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“What are you doing? That guy is going to tear you apart if
you think you can get any of these does!” exclaimed the eight-pointer.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">“I just want to make sure he knows I am a buck and not a
doe,” said the button buck.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-17909525798645346962017-01-16T07:13:00.000-05:002017-01-16T07:13:00.879-05:00The World is on Fire
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The world is on fire. This is not referring to the election
results, nor is it referring to the resulting protests of the election results.
The world is actually on fire.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Several years ago I spent a week in the Linville Gorge. Yes,
as mentioned in this column before, it is one of my favorite places to go. I
backpacked into the gorge and around the rim on various trails in order to take
in its beauty and serenity.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It may have been one of the most relaxing weeks I have ever
had. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The very next week, the gorge was in the news. No, it wasn’t
in the news because of my column in which I shared some of the moments while
there. It was in the news because it was on fire.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was able to share a landscape photo I had taken of
Hawksbill and Table Rock mountains from a few days before showing magnificently
painted leaves adorning the gorge and steep slopes down to the valley where the
river flowed and compare it to a photo taken that evening in which it looked
like an image that should be inserted into Dante’s Inferno.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All in all, the fire that erupted in the gorge encompassed
2,579 acres before being contained on November 13, 2013. Now, that part of the
world is on fire once again.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">By comparison, here are some of the numbers from a week
prior to this column with a few of the fires burning: Party Rock, 7,171 acres
and 45% contained; Maple Springs, 7,788 acres and 69% contained; Boteler, 9,039
acres and 77% contained; and Tellico, 13,874 acres and 91% contained. Can you
understand why the smoke is reaching from the mountains all the way to coast of
North Carolina?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It seems every day you hear of another fire that has erupted
there. Lake Lure, Blowing Rock, basically anywhere in the Pisgah National
Forest is in danger.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Cathy Anderson is a professional photographer based near Morganton,
NC and has taken some fantastic landscapes of the gorge, Pisgah, and Great
Smokey National Forests over the years. With the fires burning, she has gained
fame in photojournalism.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Her images of fires taking away acers of pristine mountain
forests have spread to various news outlets and been featured on CBS Evening
News, several morning news shows, and of course, multiple local news outlets. A
time-lapse of the fire burning at Party Rock captures the destruction in a
hauntingly beautiful awe sensing experience.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But not only has she informed the nation of what is
happening in our own backyard with her mesmerizing images, she also has
collected needed items for the firefighters challenging the blazes. Her love of
the land there extends past her imagery.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lots of wildlife have lost their homes, if not their lives
from the blazes. People have been evacuated and their homes destroyed as well.
But from the ashes new life will grow.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Much like the mythical Phoenix, the mountains will come back stronger.
We just need to pray for the safety of all those trying to limit the damage and
contain the current fires so the healing can begin. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-42402466647118274942017-01-13T07:11:00.000-05:002017-01-13T07:11:00.735-05:00False Stories
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mark Zuckerberg has been having some issues on his Facebook
platform recently. It seems fake news and posts have reached a pinnacle and
those online are starting to realize the damage they can cause.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Politically, it can sway an election with those on one side
proudly standing by deceitful news, posts or memes, as long as they strengthen
their own beliefs. You do know, perception is greater than reality.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">However, it does not just effect political events.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Once upon a time, stories could take lives of their own, and
the stories would change from one teller to the next. There was a game we
played in school to show how this happens in which one person would whisper to
the next a couple of sentences, and after passing from one person to the next
for thirty or so people, the last person and the first person would share what
they knew the sentences to be.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As might or might not be expected, the resulting statements
would be completely different.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now, the stories start out as fabrications but just like the
popular insurance commercial said, it’s on the internet, so it must be true.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Lately, an old story has started making its rounds once
again showing this. A trail camera photo of a large black cat walking by in the
woods has got people astonished at what might be nearby. The accompanying story
with the photo is always referring to a friend who has a trail camera out on
their land captured the attached photo of a black panther on their land. The
land location has varied but usually is somewhere near where the majority of
the sharer’s friends live.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pXItbH9wGeU/WHN98wpWS4I/AAAAAAAAQfs/5N_JAnwoyQIZDZ93KCmgFvfWVD_kaB9IQCLcB/s1600/panther.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pXItbH9wGeU/WHN98wpWS4I/AAAAAAAAQfs/5N_JAnwoyQIZDZ93KCmgFvfWVD_kaB9IQCLcB/s1600/panther.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This particular run has included Plymouth, North Carolina
and Roan Mountain, Tennessee amongst others. The story always mentions that it
is proof that the big cats are in the areas even though the various state and
wildlife officials deny it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But, there are facts in the way of the story. First,
panthers, or mountain lions, panteras, or cougars, which are all the same
species of big cat, are not very prominent in the southeast. Except for a very
small population in Florida, there are no known groups in the Southeast, or
east of the Mississippi in all truthfulness.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Don’t get me wrong. There are mountain lions that do pop up
on occasion from South Carolina to New England. The males, or Toms as they are
called, tend to travel. Dominant Toms may inhabit a 100 square mile area, and
any other males, including cubs that are just born, are hunting by the alpha
male in his territory. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Therefore, younger and weaker male lions will travel to get
away to other areas and establish their own territory. Sometimes, these cats
get pushed very far away from where they were born. Just like a housecat that
stays outside may travel several miles at night and the pet owner never knowing
it, these bigger cats go much further, and they do not worry about returning to
their original home since their food isn’t waiting in a bowl under the carport.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The other issue with this particular urban myth, or even
suburban myth as it might really be called, is the cougar cannot be black. And
again, by cougar, it includes any of the other popular names such as mountain
lion, panther, pantera, and painter. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There are two cats that are known to be able to have the
gene that causes it to be black. The leopard and the jaguar. The leopard is in
Africa, so we can immediately rule this cat out as the culprit. The jaguar is
primarily in central America. There are small populations that have established
territories in Mexico, and occasionally one may cross over into Arizona or New
Mexico, as they do not understand international boundaries. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But for one to make it from the southwest deserts to the
mid-Atlantic mountains, piedmont, or coastal areas is unlikely. Even more
unlikely is for the jaguar to make it that far to have the rare gene that
causes it to be solid black.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So even while the Carolina Panthers may sport a black cat as
its mascot, it happens to be the only one here as the photo and story of a
black panther crouching through the woods by a trail camera is an
impossibility.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-43043577933503826592017-01-11T07:09:00.000-05:002017-01-11T07:09:05.352-05:00The Hunt
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The cooler weather has the beasts of the world abound. It
also has the hunters that prey on the beasts actively pursuing the game.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It has been a long few weeks with constant and consistent
work, which, as a freelance writer and photographer is a good thing. However,
as someone who enjoys his time in the woods or on the water, it also keeps me
away from such activities.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The days worked out and it was time to get up a tree again.
My one shot in over two weeks, and the only shot sandwiched between the next
set of photo assignments. The evening was cool, overcast, and presented a
slight chance of rain. The wind was expected to pick up throughout the day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In preparation, my lovely wife was kind enough to do a
little preparation to my anticipated location over the weekend while I was
working. The preparation consisted of dumping some loose corn near the site of
the stand,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">After doing my home duties throughout the day, including
picking up our youngest son from school, I quickly got dressed, grabbed the
climbing stand, the bow, the arrows and my small hunting bag.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Finally, I was getting back in the stand.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I knew my time would be tight as with the time change dark
comes early. I quickly set the climber around the tree and left my bow and
arrows beside the stand. I drove away from the area, roughly a quarter of a
mile, parked and began the march back to the stand.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I slipped into my safety harness and slipped into the
climbing stand after attaching my bow. Slipped into my climbing stand may not
be the best visualization. Perhaps slithered best describes the action. Weaving
between straps, up through the top section while trying to maneuver my lower
body onto the lower section of the climbing stand, is likely the hardest part
of the hunt, especially as the body ages.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In just a few moments, I quickly and safely worked the stand
up the tree, standing on the lower section while raising the upper section,
then sitting on the upper section while raising the lower section. Twenty-five feet
higher than the start of the climb, I had positioned myself for the hunt.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Bringing the bow up to the stand and nocking the arrow, the
only thing left for me to do was wait.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And I waited. The rain trickled in just enough to tell that
it was a cold rain but not enough to soak anything. The wind caused the tall
hardwood to sway back and forth. Sometimes it would sway in a circular motion.
For someone who is afraid of heights it would be unnerving. For myself, it felt
as if God was gently rocking me to a peaceful rest.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Occasionally the clack and thud of other trees fighting each
other in the high breeze would cause a quick turn of the head to see who had
won.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">No squirrels, no typical animals such as rabbits, ground
hogs, or song birds were active. Eventually I heard the coming of traffic.
Constant honking of several aerial drivers in a formation that would make the
Blue Angels envious blasted through the cloudy, windy sky. With the flight of
the Canadian geese, it was as sure a sign as the sun’s setting that dark was
coming soon.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The time had come to descend the tree and head back to the
truck. No deer had come out.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Nothing is easy. And by that, you can read it two ways. Read
one way; nothing is EASY. Meaning it is easy to do nothing, to get no result.
The other way; NOTHING is easy, meaning something, as in a desired result, is
hard.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">To be successful in the endeavor, hunting in this case, time
and effort must be put in. Finally, can start putting that time in.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-80378702808620817312017-01-09T07:30:00.000-05:002017-01-09T07:30:09.772-05:00Presidents and the Outdoors
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The election season is almost over. To relate it to another
season going on right now, this is likely the time of the rut for deer. This is
when all the activity is going strong and hard.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Neither of the two top candidates seems to have any passion
for outdoors activities in this cycle. I just don’t picture either Clinton or
Trump as the hunting and fishing type. I don’t even picture them as paddlers,
bikers, hikers, climbers or campers.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It hasn’t always been that way though. The last big election
brought a Vice-Presidential candidate in Paul Ryan who is and was an avid
bowhunter. He loved bowhunting so much that pictures of him with one of his
trophies made the rounds amongst the hunting and outdoors community.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Prior, both Bush and Reagan were comfortable outdoors,
although they were more comfortable on their ranches working and not known for
hunting and fishing either. Vice President Cheney did enjoy hunting, and an
unfortunate incident came to be during one of his hunts when he accidentally
shot another that was hunting with him with bird shot.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But not all the high officials that considered hunting and
fishing a favorite pastime were republicans. President Jimmy Carter loved bird
hunting. During his days quail hunting was an shooting activity that many in
the Southeastern United States enjoyed. Even as quail began to lose habitat
prior to wildlife biologists taking a major role in our resource conservation,
Carter would make frequent hunts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One story I remember in particular was when Carter went
hunting in his home state of Georgia during the late 1970’s. Carter and his
secret service were walking the field in search of quail. The story didn’t
mention dogs being involved, but I can only imagine there was at least one
sniffing and scouring the ground in pursuit of a covey.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As Carter and his entourage continued through the field the
President stepped on something. Immediately he knew the circumstances and held
steady.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">President Carter had stepped on a rattlesnake. He happened
to have stepped on it near the head and it could not turn and strike. He held
his foot firmly on the wrist-thick reptile knowing any release of pressure
would allow the snake to maneuver to make an attack on the leader of the free
world.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The secret service agents made a quick decision and
surrounded the President, and fired on the rattler leaving it writhing but
dead.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While in the midst of a cold war, President Carter’s
greatest immediate danger came from something that was truly cold blooded.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Our greatest President in support of our renewable natural
resources is with little debate, Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was a passionate
hunter and secured much of America’s lands to remain pristine and undeveloped
so future generations could experience the land as it had always been.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">While one of the more famous reminders of Roosevelt’s
passion comes in the form of an old cartoon that ran in the New York newspaper,
the one of Roosevelt waiving off shooting a tree-tied bear cub, Roosevelt left
many other reminders that are worth looking into.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He has several books that he authored in his pursuit of
hunting various animals both across America and Africa. All of these can be
found for free in digital form through simple search engines. He was not only
hunting the different beasts of the world, but was attempting to help catalog
each species for better conservation practices. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Roosevelt was an environmentalist before environmentalism
became the cool thing to be involved with.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 11px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">How refreshing it would have been to have had either of the
two leading candidates take a few days and fish or hunt or stay in a tent in
the outdoors with some Hershey’s chocolate bars, marsh mellows, and graham
crackers? I bet they would have been much more relatable and maybe less
combative.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>
Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-23297958578231905802016-09-29T07:00:00.000-04:002016-09-29T07:00:02.173-04:00Stands
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My nephew loves asking questions. He especially loves asking
advice and questions about hunting and fishing. Recently we had a conversation
about climbing stands. You see, deer season is upon us, and if you bowhunt, you
are using stands now, and if you gun hunt, you will be very soon. The best
stand depends on how you plan on using it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There are five basic types of hunting stands. They are the
box stand, the tripod stand, the ladder stand, the climbing stand, and the
lock-on stand. There are also variations of each, but we will stick with the
five main types.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Both the box stand and tripod stand are free-standing types
of stands. This means they can go up in the middle of a field away from trees
or some other type of structure as they support themselves. They can be used in
the open as mentioned, or they can be placed on the edge of a woodline for
additional cover.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The box stand is essentially a small room supported off the
ground by four or more legs. Basic box stands may just be a platform and a
railing or four small walls. However, there are more elaborate box stands that
can hold multiple people, have windows and doors, ventilation and I have even
seen one with an air conditioner installed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Box stands allow more movement inside as long as you can
remain quiet, as the walls provide sight protection. They are wonderful for gun
hunting and can even be used effectively with crossbows. They are also great
for taking a new or young hunter as two or more people can hunt together.
Because of height restrictions on many box stands, as well as difficult angles
for downward shooting for deer, or bear even, that are close to the stand,
bowhunting is much more difficult.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tripod stands are similar to box stands in that they are
self-supporting. A tripod is exactly what it sounds like. Three legs hold up a
small platform, usually large enough for one person. There are usually rungs on
one of the legs that act as a ladder for access to the top of the tripod stand.
Because the tripod is less sturdy than a structure with four or more supporting
legs, there is often a safety cable that comes straight down from the platform
and attached to a ground embedded hook to assist with a firm sturdy support.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tripod stands work well with gun hunting and crossbows,
however depending on the size of the platform crossbows can be a challenge to
cock. Tripod stands are usually built for only one person.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The ladder stand is essentially a ladder with a flat
platform in which to sit. The ladder stand must be leaning against some type of
structure which usually is a tree. The platform is fastened to the tree via a
cable or chain that goes around the tree. Midway or lower there is an extension
arm that also goes against the tree and another cable or chain is used to wrap
around the tree to keep it taught.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">There are ladder stands that allow for more than one hunter,
but seldom more than two hunters. They can effectively be used while hunting
with firearms or bows, and crossbows can be used as well if the crossbow is
cocked prior to climbing the ladder stand.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Because ladder stands are attached to trees, they are
popular for both woodlined fields or inside the woods near natural animal
crossings and paths.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The climbing stand is one of the more difficult stands to
master. It consists of two parts; a seat and a foot platform. A climbing stand
requires a straight tree with no limbs up to the height desired. Climbing works
by grasping the seat part while standing on the foot platform and raising it up
the tree a few feet then sitting and clutching the foot platform with your feet
and raising it a few feet. You continue to shimmey up the tree to the desired
height. Things to be careful with a climbing stand include knowing the diameter
of the tree is smaller at heights than at the base, the bark on the tree may
give way causing a slide down, and always keep the foot platform attached to
the sitting platform in some way so if you lose grip of the bottom it doesn’t
get away from you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Many climbing stands allow you to sit both facing the tree
or away from the tree as well. Usually for gun hunters or crossbows sitting
with your back to the tree is ideal. I personally like facing the tree when
bowhunting as it provides cover between me and the deer in order to draw. And
advantage of the climbing stand is it goes with you when you leave.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The last type is the lock-on stand. This is a single
platform for one person that is strapped to a tree by cable or chain at the
desired height. Usually climbing sticks are used to access the stand which is a
type of ladder that is strapped up against the tree. If offers very little
movement and can be attached for the season or taken with you. Both the
climbing stand and lock-on stand are popular for hunters in public lands.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Choosing the right stand all depends on how you intend to hunt
and where. All the types of stands require safety precautions as falling from a
stand is the top danger for a hunter each year.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-26784384282710964542016-09-28T07:00:00.000-04:002016-09-28T07:00:27.733-04:00Bow Season
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Three hours after midnight is awfully early to rise from the
bed. It feels even earlier when you achieved little sleep in anticipation of
this day. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A quick shower and brushing of the teeth offered a little
refreshment, but in all honesty, it was very little. The clothes were already
pulled out. Long pants and long sleeves were the go-to choice of clothing. It
wasn’t because it was cold, or even chilly for that matter, but because of the
other purpose they were serving.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The camouflage pattern gives away the purpose. Lightweight
and designed not much different than a form of netting, the purpose was to keep
the body hidden while still allowing air to breathe through for warmer
climates. Carbon was embedded to help trap bodily odors that were going to occur
whether the person in the clothing could tell or not. Of course, the odors were
not being trapped so people couldn’t smell them.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Deer have a heightened sense of smell. It has often been
said if a deer had a turkey’s sense of sight, people would hardly ever spot
deer in the wild due to the combined senses.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For several months, the trail cameras were taking pictures
of a batchelor group of five bucks. Two were on the smallish size, likely year
and half old each. Two were sporting typical eight point racks, with nicely
curved main beams and a spread just to the ears. The other, well, he was what
really drew interest.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The last remaining buck had some age. Along with the age, he
had acquired wisdom. He always came into the field a little later than the
other four. He always left a little earlier. Even though the trail cameras that
were set up around the property were infrared, he knew they were there.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">You could see him look at the camera in at least half the
images that had him framed. But only a few showed his full body. He tended to
stay just to the edge of what the camera could pick up in the dark of night.
His eyes were bright, and occasionally you could see part of his crown of bone.
The antlers grew throughout the summer and even in the early stages even a novice
hunter could tell this was going to be a trophy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He now sported eleven points. Five on one side and six on
the other, with the extra point splitting just at the end of the main beam. The
other side had a lump that was symmetrical with the other antler beam and its
extra point.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The brow tines, the points that advanced straight up from
the main beam right at the skull were long. One had a curl and the other
remained straight.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In one of the few clear images, the buck could be seen with
a sagging belly and a back that was beginning to sway. His age was telling on
him well before the antlers began their new growth. He was consistent in coming
to the field and feeding, but again, he knew when to come to the field.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The goal was to be in the stand by 4 a.m. This was a time
when the batchelor group was on the other side of the field for the last few
weeks. If the pattern held steady, they would be coming near the stand around 6
a.m. It would be a long dark sit, but in order to have a chance, this is what
it would take.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Two days prior I poured some corn 20 yards from the stand.
This was not so they would necessarily graze there. It was mainly to try and
give them pause before entering the woods before daybreak.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This scenario will play out for a multitude of bowhunters on
opening day. And the anxiety and excitement of the hunt just from typing this
is nearly overwhelming. Are you ready?</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8947052498624993233.post-20244747357016917812016-09-27T07:00:00.000-04:002016-09-27T07:00:12.668-04:00Safe Opening Day
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Can you believe it? Hunting season has arrived. Lead will be
flying and birds will be falling.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Because new and experienced hunters will be spaced in fields
throughout the state waiting for the dove to fly within range, safety becomes a
necessary concern. Keeping the muzzle of the shotgun pointed in a safe
direction is the number one rule of firearm safety when hunting dove. In order
to keep the muzzle in a safe direction, there are several techniques that can
help assure a safe and memorable hunt. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Many times when there is a youth or new hunter involved, and
even just under normal circumstances, two hunters will station side by side. In
fact, without the completion of a hunter’s safety class, a novice or youth
hunter is required to hunt beside a licensed hunter. This is so the experienced
hunter can quickly correct the inexperienced hunter in case of a mistake.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Mistakes while hunting can have deadly consequences. You do
not get a do-over.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The first thing to do is establish safe zones in which to
fire. Sitting side by side, the left hunter takes everything from their left
and straight in front of him. The right hunter takes the shot anywhere from
straight in front over toward their right.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But there are other concerns to always be wary of. Whether
hunting in pairs or sitting alone, if you are hunting on opening day there is
likely to be other hunters all around. Because of this, there may be hunters
located in the safe zone that we just established. A hunter may be somewhere in
front or behind of you.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A low flying bird can make one forget about that. We always
knew ‘low bird’ meant do not shoot. We shared that information with those
around us. That way we knew we would be able to hunt another day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We made sure that those around us knew not only where we
were located, but where we were facing. It served two purposes. I could yell to
a hunter down the way from me where a bird was located so he could both prepare
to take a shot as well as be aware of where other hunters were likely to shoot
from.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">An experienced hunter often does the things without even
thinking about it. But even experienced hunters need to take safety precautions
further than just habit.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Back to the scenario where we have two hunters beside each
other in the field; a new hunter and an experienced hunter. Youth hunters
usually begin with shotguns in 16 or 20 gauges. Most experienced hunters rely
on the 12 gauge shotgun. There is one problem with this that can easily result
in a safety issue and this one particular case has nothing to do with where the
muzzle is pointed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotguns share a unique feature.
The 20 gauge shotgun shell is smaller in diameter than a 12 gauge shell.
However, the 20 gauge shotgun shell fits perfectly into a 12 gauge shotgun. It
just doesn’t fit the way you want it to. A 20 gauge shell will slide from the
chamber down the barrel of a 12 gauge and lodge slightly down the barrel.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">In the heat of the action when birds seem to darken the sky,
an unknowing grab of a shell from the wrong box can result in catastrophe.
Picture the hunter with the 12 gauge emptying the magazine and more birds are
coming near. He quickly grabs a few shells, and drops one on the ground. He
fumbles around trying to feel the shell while keeping an eye on the approaching
birds and finds the third shell.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">He quickly reloads his weapon and then fires quickly at one
of the birds. As he marks one that falls, he reloads once again. After finding
his downed bird, he returns to his seat and the next wave of dove come through.
As he pulls the trigger there is a loud explosion. The barrel is shredded
between his forward hand and his face.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The shell he picked up off the ground happened to be a 20
gauge shell and during the action he believed he had fired and ejected all the
shells. After the next reload, the first shot was a 12 gauge shell which when
fired had nowhere to allow the explosion to escape. So it made its own exit.
Beside the hunter’s face.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Safety is the top concern when going hunting, not what time
the sun comes up or where the birds may roost or what sides will be available
for the pig pickin’ at lunch. Safety has a number one rule, which is keep the
muzzle pointed in a safe direction, but it is not the only rule.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Stay safe and make opening day memorable.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Bill Howardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07332481397303536599noreply@blogger.com1