Observation

With our recent snowstorms I have been thinking about the power of observation. My wife noted some tracks out in the backyard and asked what they were. Most likely a cat I said. I went on to explain that cats tracks seem to meander more than dogs do.

There are other observations to be made in the snow as well.

Snow will obviously melt on south facing slopes, but also on the south western side of exposed boulders.

There are ways to tell some really specific things about the weather, both on the ground and up in the atmosphere, but closely observing snowflakes.

Since wind can be a killer in the white months, when looking for a shelter, look around for prevailing wind direction. You will not bare patches, drifts and "frozen waves" or "dunes."

Still here

Well, it has been a looooong time since I last wrote here.

For my loyal reader out there..... I apologize.

I wasn't much of a backcountry hunter this fall. Or much of a hunter for that matter. Elk hunting was disappointing. Lots of other hunters about, no elk sighted or heard, but I did find some sign. Anyway, I ended up being so discouraged and had such a bad migraine, I came home early. I also found a nice little watering hole, but it was really brushed in and I couldn't figure out how to really hunt it effectively. I am sure the bulls were wallowing in it as the rut heated up. Alas, it was pretty clear when I was there, indicating it was just being used for drinking

And I haven't been too motivated to get out much since then. I'll blame it on the wife.... she is pregnant and I didn't want to leave her for extended lengths of time. And gas prices.... it's not worth it to drive an hour to hunt for two and come right back. And a new job... I didn't have any paid time off until recently. Anyway you slice it I didn't get out much.

But there still is time. I'll get out for rabbits I am sure, and birds, especially ducks, should start heating up with the coming colder, wetter weather.

I have a handful of projects for the dark winter evenings as well. I am planning a bowfishing- exploring boat.... a pirogue as a matter of fact. They are a cross between a canoe and a flat bottom jon boat. I am also continuing to work on a good, durable alcohol stove. And I have a knife that is now almost completely sheathed as well as one more puukko blade. Also I am going to attempt a fire piston! I found some good directions here, although I think I will end up "dressing up" mine a bit with some exotic wood scraps leftover from bows. And speaking of bows, I need to get going on a basic bowfishing model for the spring....

Finished a new knife...

to go along with the longbow I made last year. I am pleased with how it turned out and it should hold an edge better than one of my purely homemade knives...

Fancy equipment

This is going to make it tough to justify to my wife exactly why it is that I need that new high dollar fly fishing rod:

Photo: NC Wildlife Resources Commision

(From WNCN, Raleigh)

WILKES COUNTY, N.C. — A backyard angler has bagged the state’s record channel catfish using a 2½-foot hot pink Barbie Doll rod and reel.

David Hayes caught the record-breaking fish from a private pond while fishing early this month with his granddaughter, Alyssa, 3. The 21-pound, 1-ounce catfish measured 32 inches long — 2 inches longer than the Barbie Doll fishing pole. “After catching two or three bluegill, Alyssa turns to me and says: ‘Papa, I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Hold my fishing rod,’” Hayes was quoted as saying in a news release from the state Wildlife Resources Commission.
“A few minutes later, the float went under, and I saw the water start boiling up — I knew right then that I had my hands full with that fishing rod.”

It took Hayes about 25 minutes to land the fish, which measured 22½ inches in girth. Hayes said that once he got it to the bank, he was pretty certain his channel cat would exceed the previous state record, an 18-pound, 5-ounce fish caught in August 2007.
The fish was weighed on certified scales at a nearby grocery store, and a fisheries biologist with the Wildlife Resources Commission certified that Hayes was right. — WNCN, Raleigh, N.C.

Knots

One of those things that all outdoorsmen (and by that I mean the women are included as well.) should know is knots. Just like tools, there is a knot for the job. And when you use the right knot, the job becomes easier. Take rock climbing, for example. While I don't climb very much any more, I have in the past. The ubiquitous knot in rock climbing is the figure 8 knot. You could use a simple overhand in some of the situations where a figure 8 is used, but a "8" is a better choice because it can be "broken" after it has been loaded and more easily untied.

With that in mind, my list of "must know" knots:
#1: Overhand. The most basic knot. The building block for most knots.
#2: The square or reef knot. Strong, but still basic. Lots of applications.
#3: Bowline. Pronounced "beau-lin" if you want to sound salty. Again, loads of applications.
#4: Prussik. Anything from self recovery to tightening your tarp setup.
#5: The other basic knot, the girth hitch. Most hitches are a variation of this single knot, but this will get you through much more than an overhand will.
And #6: Monkey's fist. Just because it is cool.

Check out Grog's animated knots for some excellent tutorials on various knots.

Hunting area pictures

I thought I'd share some pictures of the area around where I am planning on hunting next month. At this time I don't have anything more specific, but after I return from the woods I will.... until then, enjoy these!

Knife Techniques

I found another great video of knife techniques. This one is by a great outfit up in Washington called "Bushcraft Northwest." I particularly like their videos because of the similarities to where I hunt, fish, hike and wander... enjoy!

Dog Days of Summer

I have been busy.

Busy trying not to get too dehydrated. Trying to stay cool. Trying to get my six mile run time down to around 40 minutes. Trying to thin out my outdoors gear, think through what I'll be taking on this year's elk safari.

I have also been scouting from afar. I am trying a new place for elk this year, a different elk zone entirely. It began, I suppose, last year when the hunting was good (it always is), but the locating elk wasn't so good. So I had it in mind to maybe try something new next year. I began by wiping the slate clean and looking at past hunting stats in Idaho. What areas had the highest success rates? What areas had the most hunters? With that info, I narrowed it down, and made a few phone calls and emails. I scoured my maps. I narrowed it down further. And while I am not 100% certain where exactly I'll be, I think that might be an advantage from previous years. I have some flexibility built in.

But at the same time, these are the dog days of summer. In a lot of ways, I have a harder time with this period each year than I do with cold snaps in the dead of winter... It can be hard to stay motivated and get ready for an upcoming hunt when it's too hot to go outside.

I

Single Bevel Broadheads

As hunters it seems to be a paradox that we want to take the life of an animal, yet we (and perhaps this isn't true of all hunters, but the vast majority of them it is) want the life to be ended painlessly, quickly and to that end, there is a lot that goes into our planning.

One of the tid bits I have been mulling over in my head the last few years is new information concerning single bevel broadheads. It is a topic of discussion, at times bordering on heated debate among traditional bowhunters. Ongoing research has been spearheaded by Dr. Ed Ashby, a retired optician out of Australia.

In a condensed version, a single bevel broadhead twists into the animal, using the forces created by the single bevel to cause quite a bit of torque.

Because of the torque, it has been shown that it can cause bone breaks in critical near hits on leg and shoulder bones. It also effectively creates a larger wound channel in soft flesh by creating a "wrapping" effect as it is twisting.

I encourage you to read a bit about the doc's research here.

Backcountry Food

I have been thinking about my meals lately. I love to cook. I love to eat. For me, meals are best eaten with good company or while camping (that big, generic term that could mean anything from a monstrous- big RV in a non wilderness setting to an ultralight off trail backpacking trip). Hotdogs and cold spring water taste like the finest French cuisine when cooked on a willow stick over a fire.

But when you are in the backcountry, and what you carry is how you get your daily energy, taste moves down (just a little) on the list of importance, ease of cooking and weight move up. There is a delicate balance between caloric intake, physical weight of the food, amount of fuel needed to cook the food and taste.

On my bookshelf are several outdoor cookbooks. Much more than just gorp recipes, there is some really good tasting stuff, high in nutritional value, that are lightweight. Go check some out at your local library. I guarantee you'll find something you like. And as a side bonus, most of the time it will save you money over freeze dried foods.

And as for cooking the food, that's where quite a bit of my thoughts on this year's trips have gone. When I was in high school I bought a Coleman multifuel stove. It worked great. I was in love with the fact that it could burn just about anything. Jet fuel? Sure! Kerosene? You bet... white gas.... just about anything in a pinch. I envisioned myself trekking across the globe, using whatever fuel was local. Great stove, simple to operate, somewhat compact, but it was heavy. And you had to prime it.

And then I bought a MSR Whisperlight international. Also able to burn just about anything that is flammable, it was lighter weight. I still had to prime it, but it was more compact. The burner also detached from the fuel canister which was a little more flexible in terms of packing. A good stove that could simmer. It's drawbacks included being a bit too fussy for me.

Next came a small little stove that runs on butane canisters.... it fits in the palm of your hand, weighs very little, includes a piezo electric starter (no more matches, except for backup!).

But my newest stove is going to be one of these. A "penny stove." Simple to make. Extremely lightweight. No noise, which I REALLY like, all of the above stoves sound like a jet plane. Durability, which I value very highly, might not be as good, but as long as I am careful, I don't think it will be an issue.

They also have some recipes I am looking forward to trying.

Here are some more recipe links:
One Pan Wonders
Packing list and recipes
This one has some great ideas. Cooked in boiling water, freezer bag recipes.