Gatorfish caught.

by Steve Remington

I was looking online for some strange fish stories.  Well I found it, a Gatorfish.  Never saw one of these before, could it be something like the snakehead fish that has been caught on the east coast?  Whatever it is it’s weird.

Gatorfish

Trade deadline is like Christmas Eve.

by Steve Remington

Well it is 20 hours before the deadline comes, and everyone is sitting and waiting to see if their team will be buyers or sellers.  Where will Manny go?  Will he even be traded?  With football around the corner this will determine if you turn your attention to fall baseball or toward kickoff.  I hope my Phillies make some big moves to win the NL east.  If not GO EAGLES!

You Just Have To Try Them…

by doodaa

This past weekend the Shreveport Convention Center played host to the annual Hunter’s Expo. It’s the big show that everyone looks forward to around these parts, as it helps to somewhat satisfying the cravings of being back in a deer stand. One of Team Hammerdog’s sponsors, ArrowDynamic Solutions, had a booth there, so my partner Wayne Kendrick came up from Walker, Louisiana, so we could lend a hand. Wayne and I spent our Saturday helping out, and I learned a lot from Matt Futtere. Matt is the man behind ArrowDynamic Solutions - the maker of the Guillotine and The Atom Broadheads. The Guillotine has turned the world of bowhunting upside down with its devastating design. Many shotgunners stay away from targeting turkeys with stick-n-string simply because the vitals offer too small a target, and present to big of an opportunity for error. The Guillotine allows bowhunters to put their pin on the neck of the turkey and either put him down in an instant, or miss him cleanly - very little room for error with the Guillotine’s design. Check out just how devastating the Guillotine is by mashing here (warning: the video is graphic). The Guillotine comes in two sizes for compound bows and crossbows.

ArrowDynamic Solutions also offers The Atom, for big game hunting. The design of The Atom is like nothing else on the market. The Atom eliminates the problems with wind planing and achieving complete pass-throughs associated with fixed-blades, and removes the possibility for mechanical failure associated with mechanical broadheads. The Atom is currently being offered in 75 and 100 grain, with 125 grain to be released later this year or early next year. All you have to do choose your grain, sight in your bow with a field point in matching weight, screw on The Atom and go hunting. The Atom broadheads fly as true as any matched field point, so there’s no need to send one down range into a target. You just have to try them out to believe me. And The Atom is designed so that it punches right through everything - deer, boar, elk, buffalo - nothing will stop The Atom. Matt is particularly proud of the fact that he gets complete pass-throughs on boar - from one shoulder shield through the other. And The Atom is designed to save you money. Each year, bowhunters must buy replacement blades for their broadheads. With The Atom, you can punch through an animal, clean it off, and punch right through another one time and time again - eliminating the need to replace dulled out blades. Matt says the biggest problem his field staffers have is losing their Atom tipped arrows because they blow through an animal and keep right on going.

I encourage you, if you’re a bowhunter, to give The Atom a try this fall. You will not be disappointed. To learn more about The Atom, and the Guillotine go to www.arrowds.com.

doodaa

First Blood

by Steve Remington

The beginning of my hunting obsession all started about 5 years ago. I was going on my first hunt. We prepared carefully by spending time at the range and scouting out where we would go. I slipped on all of my camo and boots (no make up or deodorant) can’t have those bucks sniffing me out, jumped in the truck, and headed for the woods. I planned on sitting up in that tree stand all morning, I was ready. I have to admit, I was a little sketchy about getting up in the tree stand.

My boyfriend at the time (now husband) is a kind of a “do it yourselfer” and I wasn’t sure if those hand made stairs leading up the tree were going to hold my 5′10 frame and size 10 boot. Thank God! I made it up the tree and carefully sat down. It wasn’t too long after, I heard something, a little bit of brush moving around coming up on my left. I pointed it out to him (RJ) and he insisted that I whisper when I hear something and to hold very still. He said, “Here he comes.” I looked out and saw in the distance 8 points sticking up coming my way. I was ready to prove myself and to bag the big one. I replayed in my mind over and over “Buck Fever.” I was anticipating on becoming shaky, sweating, and freaking out. I DIDN’T DO THAT!!!

I was as cool as a cucumber and ready to shoot my muzzleloader. That buck came up on my tree stand perfectly. I watched him carefully, my husband grunted, the buck turned, and I shot. I didn’t shake or hesitate; I took a deep breath in, said a little prayer to the hunting gods, and blasted it. Now, my husband was shaking and was excited. He yelled, “You got it baby!” We climbed out of that treestand, I talked a little trash, and then we went to track him. It didn’t take too long to find the blood trail that led us to my “first blood.” We made sure that he was dead and then admired what I had been able to shoot. I was excited, more excited than what I had expected and from that day on, I knew I was hooked.

As my husband was doing the field dressing, he told me that I had to take and use some of the blood from the deer and swipe it under my eyes. He said that it was the ritual and basically the “rite of passage.” I didn’t want to seem like a wimp, so I did it. He didn’t think I would really do it, and started laughing at me. It was a joke. Anyways, it was a great day and a beginning for something that has become part of my life as well as my children’s, and I have had a lot of fun with hunting and being in the outdoors. This hunt was done up in Northern Virginia and was absolutely beautiful.

Maine Coastal Route 1 – Worth The Time

by Steve Remington

I just came back from a short trip on Route 1 South of Belfast and I was amazed at how easy it was to drive this route. For those of you planning a visit to Downeast/Acadia you may want to consider taking the coastal route. I would suggest starting in the Brunswick area not the Kittery area. However, if you have plenty of time then do start in Kittery and enjoy the ride. Plan a couple days to go from Kittery to Mount Desert Island or maybe even several days.

It appears the impact of the fuel prices has reduced the traffic considerably and as a result you might even consider traveling without reservations - stop and secure a lodging around 3 pm and enjoy a quiet evening and a great meal without rushing.

RVers will not find many Wal-Mart parking lots but there are plenty of other places for boondocking - Shaws and Hanniford grocery stores etc. And, there are several very nice campgrounds along the way as well.

NASCAR / Goodyear should be ashamed of themselves

by Steve Remington

If anyone saw the race this weekend at Indy should have not wasted their time.  Goodyear’s tires for the race were horrible.  NASCAR had to put out a yellow flag every 10 laps to have everyone come in and get new tires.  That is not racing, racing is about strategy.  Knowing there will be a caution flag every ten laps takes a huge factor out of the race.  It is like a pitcher in baseball only throwing fastballs, not that hard to hit the ball when you know what is coming.

I feel bad for the people who shelled out good money to see the race, they did not see a race, they saw something that should have never happened.

NASCAR should allow other tire manufactures to make tires.  It would push Goodyear to make the best product.  Without competition  you never really get better.

Take Your Time!!!

by Steve Remington

I couldn’t say it any better so I suggest you go read the following blog

I’d Forgotten How Good They Were…

by doodaa

When I was a kid I spent my summers breaks outdoors as much as possible. Whether hanging out with friends or fishing all day, I didn’t want to be inside of my house. And that meant that I was always working up a thirst. I was listening to a radio show the other day, and R-C Cola was advertised. I hadn’t thought of R-C in years, but that commercial did just what it was supposed to do - make me want to go out and buy a bottle. It still tastes the same, but I sure wish it was in an ice cold glass bottle instead of this plastic thing. A Moon Pie would’ve complimented it, too. It’s nice to know that while I’m not getting younger, I can step back to my childhood a little as easy as a sip of R-C Cola. Of course, there’s Nehi Grape. And Nehi Peach. Oh, and Big Red. You can keep your Amp Energy, kind sir. I prefer a tall glass of nostalgia.

doodaa

Don’t Have Dirtbag Genes

by Summer

Not everyone can be a dirtbag.

Climbing daily, dirty, and dangerously - this is a seductive prospect. Two weeks ago, when I was laid off from my full time writing gig, my first impulse was to take a few months and repurpose (if I may borrow the green speak) my time and my life. Forget the corporate hooha. Cycle the country. Or skip the country altogether and bum around Canada for a while. I couldn’t afford the Mt. Rainier summit trip I was planning for that weekend, but I could take a minute to plan and execute the escape I’ve always wanted. The escape any outdoor enthusiast always wanted.

Then I remembered my other responsibilities - unrelated to money-making. People depend on me as a volunteer and a friend.

So instead of running off permanently with a mummy sack and a pair of climbing shoes, I spent five days at the Squamish Mountain Festival. (Reports coming soon.) The blast was had. I loved the camping, the climbing, and the partying. Truth be told, I woulda been happy staying a lot longer. But I had to come back, and when I did, a new job was waiting. I took it.

To be the dirtbag I dream of being, I’d attain one dream and give up many others. Apparently, I’m not ready for that yet. Slightly disappointed in myself. But then, how many people get to climb, cycle, backpack, and then throw on clean shirt and pack away the cash in a cushy office job doing the other thing they love? I should feel proud of my balanced life - and I am.

Being Grateful…

by doodaa

Before walking through the door of this chaotic newsroom each morning, I read a passage from a daily devotional I keep in my vehicle. I get these booklets from my church, and a new edition comes out every few months. I can be a little hard of hearing sometimes, and have worried that I wasn’t tuned in to God’s voice. So, for months I prayed, asking God to make his messages really obvious. Lately it seems that the daily passage that I read each morning reveals something God wants to make clear in my life. This is my testament, and for the past few weeks I have really taken on a new outlook. Things in my life are becoming more clear, and I can’t remember the last time I was worried about a situation. Allison and I face financial issues, family problems, little health scares - you know, the typical things all people deal with - every time we turn around. But all I can do is just smile, feeling comforted and calm inside because I know that God is five steps ahead, and has already found the solution. I just tell Allison that we have to pray, trust in Him, and wait for the solution to be revealed.

Today’s passage talked about being grateful. I am truly grateful for what God has done in my life, and thank him on a daily basis. But I learned today a method to help truly recognize all the things that I can thank God for. The author of this little article recommends that at the end of each day, write down 5 things you are grateful for. The idea is that doing this will help a person recognize all the wonderful things about their lives and how God has blessed them, and not focus on the things they don’t have. So instead of waiting for the end of this day to come, I am going to list 5 things for which I am grateful right now…

1) God’s forgiveness
2) My wife, Allison
3) My daughter, Jillie Grace
4) My family
5) My health

The list could go on from here easily, but I am sticking with 5 things. What are you grateful for in your life? Is there something special God has done that you would like to share? Post up. I’ve learned that testimony and expression of faith is very contagious…

doodaa

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