As I sat down for dinner with some work collegues a weekend ago, the wife of one of our senior salesmen looked me in the eye, and said “You are that guy who goes hunting alone, aren’t you?”  I sheepishly admitted that I did on occasion go into the wilderness alone, and proceded to get a lecture from her about how I could break a leg where no one could find me.  I admitted that that was always a possibility.  I receive this lecture on a regular basis from members of my family, so I go turtle rather than argue. 

I finally assured her that I would seriously look at a method to get help if I were to run into trouble outside of normal cell phone range.  Satellite phones seem to have spotty reception (although better than Cell service),and they are prohibitively expensive to rent for an extended period.  Personal locator beacons are rather one dimensional, and just as expensive.   I found myself looking at the SPOT Satellite Messenger.

The SPOT Satellite Messenger, the world’s first satellite messenger, uses both the GPS satellite network to determine a customer’s location and the SPOT network to transmit that information to friends, family or an emergency service center. SPOT Inc., a subsidiary of Globalstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:GSAT), provides lifesaving communications technology that allows users to communicate from remote locations around the globe. Thanks to this affordable, cutting-edge personal safety device, the company offers people unmatched peace of mind by allowing customers to notify friends and family of their location and status, and to send for emergency assistance in time of need, completely independent of cellular phone or wireless coverage. For more information on how SPOT, Inc. is helping users live to tell about it™ – from disaster preparedness to outdoor adventure purposes – explore http://www.findmespot.com

So I am actively looking at giving this unit a try.  I’d love to hear feedback from other users.  It would be nice to have an added bit of security to keep my family and friends at ease while I am out in the wilds, ALONE.

Looks Like Guy Eastman and I share more than just our common love of hunting the western mountains.  In his blog post titled Rifles, Horses and Grizzly Bears , he elucidates an Eastman’s reader on why he carries his rifle with the butt to the rear. 

I find it interesting since we had this discussion on Sage Creek Forums, not to long ago in the Backcountry riding forum.  My reasoning stood that it was quick to access, and there was less chance of snow accumulating in the scabbard.  I do seem to have the additional advantage of a flap which snaps behind the rifle bolt, making the rifle more secure, and the scabbard more weather proof, yet quick to remove if necessary.

I do make a habit of removing the rifle sling with quick detach swivels when I put my rifle in the scabbard.  I think I will start taping the muzzle as was mentioned by Guy, to reduce the chance of debis getting into the muzzle. 

Anyone who works with stock, knows that injuries are part of the game. It’s not if, but when, and how bad. I am proof of that as each of my body parts has been altered in some way by my transactions with critters bigger and stronger than I.

Well my middle daughter has experienced a part of life with animals that has become lets say, par for the course for her parents.  Getting Kicked.  Specifically getting kicked in the face…

Now before you start sending me plastic surgeon referrals, or calling CPS, let me tell you that it was a grazing blow that left a small cut above her right eye.  She never lost consciousness, although it bled profusely (as head wounds do).  Her regular doctor was able to put 3 tiny little stitches in the cut, and we expect a full recovery, and little to no scarring.

Well she comes by it naturally.  Seems there must be a genetic predispositon since her mother recounted three scars from trauma and I have a history of trying to stop animals feet with my face.  Poor girl was doomed from the start I tell ya!

My first time was as a 10 year old, messing with a horse that I shouldn’t have.  I got a lot of looks at my resulting shiner, visible in the photo to the right.

The next occurance was as a late 20 year old and it inspired a poem. It always gets a laugh especially injury prone cowboys.

The Story of the Scar

“How did you get that scar on your cheek?” The fair looking buckle bunny asked
I didn’t know it was still visible, since it occurred so far in the past.

She was cute and downright interested, and on me I could tell she was sold
With a beer in my hand, and a couple under my belt this was the Tale I told

We had bought a set of beef heifers to replace the old dairy cows
And we had to vaccinate and Lutalyse ‘em, we’d better do it now

We didn’t have a squeeze chute but we had stanchions on the grounds
It kept the heifers from pullin’ back but their hind end still moved around

So dad hollered advice to grab their tail and then just push it up
It paralyzed their hind legs, he said they’d be gentle as a pup

It worked ‘til I came to that brockle-faced heifer, that high headed one in the line
I managed to tail her up gave her the shots and she stood there just fine.

I let down her tail and , well that re-engaged her bovine defensive gear
She caught me with a hoof on the cheek, while the other whizzed by my ear

You know I never saw a thing, all I heard was a sonic boom
I left my feet from the kick as if I was about to orbit the moon

Dad says he never saw the heifer kick just saw me lying on the ground
Spread-eagled in the manure with debris laying all around

She’d lofted my favorite hat twelve feet from the grisly scene
I was halloed in the mire by syringes, blood, and vaccine

So I staggered to my feet, covered in crap and leaving a trail of gore
When we reached the hospital though they halted me at the door.

A pile of green bloody clothes and a hosing off of my white hide
Was what required before medical repairs would even be tried.

Ten stitches and a cat scan later, I’d cleared the bees from my bonnet
The right side of my face looked like an eggplant with a caterpillar on it

I tried to sell her to the cattle dealer when I saw him there in town
But he saw my shiner and stitches, and then flat turned me down

He said, “When it comes to brockle face heifers, we don’t have much use
For a graduate of cow college, with a major in cowboy abuse.”

So we’ve still got her on the ranch and I always work her from afar
Every morning I get a reminder, when I shave around that scar.

copyright John Martin 2000

In addition to running a 10 K trail run on Saturday, I was fortunate to meet up with another fellow Sage Creek Forums member.  Zeke Bass spent a couple of days with me, as he competed in the Vineman 70.3 triathlon.    The Vineman is one of the few triathlons that are allowed to use the Ironman name, and serves as a qualifying event for the Ironman 70.3 in Clearwater, Florida.  The event consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run.  It starts in the Russian River at Guerneville, and ends in Windsor after a gruelling 70.3 miles total.

I got to know Zeke when we met at a Pope & Young Measurers training last fall.   He enjoys pursuing big game in the rugged wildernesses of Northern California.  He killed his first deer at the age of 12, in his home state of Georgia, with a bow.  It is now his weapon of choice when he goes afield.  The quiet , soft spoken southerner now makes his living as a commercial diver as well as in real estate from his central Coast California home. 

When he told me months ago that he was on the wait-list for the prestigious triathlon, I was impressed to say the least.  I knew that with his military background, Zeke was tough, but doing triathlons takes TOUGH to a whole new level…To compound that, he confided that the 70.3 mile endurance event was the first triathlon he had ever competed in.  Most folks start out with a shorter distance and extend it, but Zeke went big right out of the gate. He started training even BEFORE he had confirmation of an entry.  Even a bike wreck during training that scraped hide off of half his calf and a good portion of his hip didn’t dissuade him from achieving his goal.  He still had scar tissue evident when he showed up at the ranch on Friday evening.  He pitched right in and helped feed cattle in the evening.  Before long he had my three daughters wrapped around his finger. 

When race morning dawned Zeke was at the start for his age group wave at 7:58 am.  We arrived at the start in time to see his wave enter the water for the starting horn.  At the Vineman, the competitors are in the water when the horn sounds.  If you look in the pictures below, you can pick out Zeke.  (He is the one in the yellow swim cap with a black wetsuit.) He showed his prowess in the water with a 1.2 mile swim time of 35:31.1.  He was in the middle of the pack coming out of the water, and had a 3:11 transition to the bike leg.

 Zeke was on his bike in a flash and on to the windy, hilly course that snakes 56 miles through the hills of Sonoma County.  At that point my two oldest girls and I went to mile 2 of the run to man a water stop with my fellow Team in Training mates.   As we cut cross lots, Zeke was rolling along at over 20 mph on average, for a bike time of 2:47:24.4.  In this Leg he moved up a number of places on his competition, and was # 39 out of 240 in his age class alone.   

In the waves of thirsty triathletes we missed Zeke as he went out on the run course but saw him briefly as he returned shortly before 1:15 pm.  Later he told us he had back spasms in the run portion that caused him to drop time. Still, his 2:15:53 run over the Half marathon course was still a full 3 minutes faster than I ran the first half of my marathon in June.  All that after 57.2 miles of exertion previous!

Zeke crossed the finish triumphantly with a final time of 5:40:57.1.  Overall, he was in the TOP 30% of all the competitors.  In his age group he was right in the middle.  An outstanding performance for any athlete, not to mention a FIRST time triathlete.

Zeke, I tip my hat to your degree of dedication and fitness.  You are an inspiration to all of us hunters and off-season athletes. 

I found that when I started bowhunting, that I found more people who had the same ideas about hunting methods and motivations as I did.  More so than the folks I grew up with.  As I have grown as a hunter, I have come to appreciate an increased fitness level when it comes time to head into the mountains.  This weekend I had the distinct pleasure of spending time with two fellow bowhunters who train (and surpass me) to be in great shape for hunting season.

On Saturday, I met trophy bear and elk killer (and turkey misser), Rich Howarth at the Sequoia Summer Trail Run.  Rich is a fellow Sage Creek Forum Member who I have developed a good repore with over the last couple of years.  We had made arrangements to run the 10 K trail run put on by Pacific Coast Trail Runs.  Rich has spent the off season training on stairs with a loaded pack, and his leg strength was quickly apparent as he left me in the dust on the first hill.  Even taking a tumble at just past Skyline drive, he stayed far enough ahead of me that I never saw him until the finish.  This being my first trail run, I didn’t quite know what to expect.  I had been training on asphalt roads since February, and the few trails I’d run on didn’t have the steepness that I encountered on this run.

That first hill that went up 400 feet in less than a half mile got me huffing and puffing right off the bat, and when it finally “levelled” off, I was able to find a bit of a rhythm.  On this run it was not uncommon to see folks walking up the hills.  In fact it is a good trail running strategy especially when roots and rocks are sticking out waiting to grab your toe at precisely the wrong moment. 

When I hit the first downgrade, I was able to pass a number of more cautious runners.  One of them caught up to me on the way back up the canyon and made the comment “..sure loved watching your feet on the down hill!”  I stumbled on the last downgrade, but escaped serious injury.  Of course at 225 pounds I have a lot more inertia than many MOST other runners.  When I finally crossed the finish Rich was sitting there waiting for me.  In the picture, there is no visible blood on either of us, so I consider that an “injury free run”.

 
Upon looking up the results, I saw Rich took 4th in his age division with a 1:06:49, while I was 13th in my age group with my 1:14:51.  At the finish line the organizers, Sarah and Wendall, had soup and chili and plenty of drinks and snacks as we relaxed afterwards.  It was a great experience and I think there are more trail runs in my future, when we get through the Fall hunting season!

The Durango Herald has reported a second mountain lion was killed inside the city limits of Durango in the space of a week.  The first lion leapt on a lawn mower while a 14 year old boy was mowing lawns in Cortez, CO.  Officials say both cats were females between 1 and 2 years old.  They surmise that the cats were littermates, after they had numerous sightings in the same neighborhoods. 

I think this should raise awareness of just how people need to take into account life in the west living with apex predators.

SINAPU, a Society dedicated to co-existing with large carnivores and predators in the Southern Rockies has this column about being vigilant in mountain lion country. 

It has some good suggestions that we should take to heart, but I find that these folks aren’t big fans of hunting to say the least.   But at what point will they realize that large predators like lions who are territorial will often drive adolescent cats into suburban areas where they come into conflict with humans?

It is my firm belief that hunting mountain lions actively discourages these predators from considering humans as prey. And reducing the population of territorial males will reduce the number of adolecent cats driven into areas and situations where a human cat conflict will take place. In fact if you do a quick search of mountain lion attacks in the west, most attacks are perpetrated by sub-adult mountain lions rather than dominant, territorial adults.

Another factor is that game animals move into the subdivisions and the predators follow them. Reason? Lawns provide green forage, as well as suburban residents feeding wildlife. As homes impinge on wildlife habitat along the Rocky Mountain Front, more deer, elk and moose become city slickers, and the predators follow their prey into the yards and conflicts result.

I would hate to see the people of Colorado go down the same path as California and lose hunting as a management tool for their mountain lion population. If we maintain suitable habitat outside of cities for game animals, prevent more subdivision sprawl, and manage the predator population then we will see fewer human – lion encounters that requires killing non mature animals.

Link to News Story on Mountain Lion Attacks

Last winter Biologists confirmed a grey wolf in Eastern Oregon near Joseph.  The source: Idaho’s reintroduced wolves.  So it only seemed natural that Washington state would be next.  The Cascade mountains are a remote location where a pack could establish without much human contact. 

As the grey wolf is removed from the federal endangered species list, it will certainly be interesting to see how the state management in Washington is similar or different in Washington State than Idaho or Wyoming.  With the majority of it’s population being urban and on the Western side if the Cascades there will more than likely be more preservation pressure in Washington state than in the more rural Idaho and Wyoming. 

I will keep an eye on new developments.  Until then, here is a news release from Washington Fish and wildlife:

7/14/08

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists believe a gray wolf pack may exist in western Okanogan County, based on results of a howling survey there July 8.

During the recent survey-initiated in response to reports of wolf sightings, reports of howling and remote-camera photos of possible wolves-biologists heard multiple vocalizations indicating adult and juvenile wolves were in the area. The biologists visited several locations making wolf-like howls, and heard multiple adult and juvenile howls in response.
Read the rest of this entry »

For the Western early season hunter who braves the mid-day heat , various heat related illnesses are a definite possibility. Heat exhaustion, dehydration and heat stroke are the most commonly thought of heat related illnesses.  Seldom considered is the potentially harmful condition of Hyponatremia, or low blood sodium. 

Dehydration/Heat Cramps - an electrolyte imbalance causes abdominal or muscle cramps. Treat by drinking sodium containing fluids to restore fluid and electrolyte balance. 

Heat Exhaustion -The next step beyond dehydration where the body core temp reaches 102 to 104degrees fahrenheit.  Clammy skin and profuse sweating and nausea evident.  In addition to the fluid and electrolyte therapy, the body needs to be cooled .  Get in the shade, Ice the head and neck and/or get in cool water to bring down the core temperature.

Heat Stroke – a severe medical emergency where core temperature reaches 105 or higher.  Call emergency personnel, and take previous steps to cool the victim until help arrives.

Hyponatremia- When a person is sweating from exertion in the heat, and drinking large amounts of water without supplemental sodium, the body is excreting sodium in the sweat and the blood concentration of sodium gets low.  The sensation is similar to being drunk, with a clouding of consciousness, followed by vomiting and nausea, dizziness.  In mild cases the first sign is swelling of hands and feet.  In severe cases the brain can swell leading to unconsciousness, and seizures.  Medical attention is needed in these cases.

In hot weather many active folks like runners or hunters drink water, but don’t replace salt.   A good example is the guy or gal who drinks 8 oz. of water every 20 minutes during prolonged exertion.  without salt along with the water, they could be hyponatremic in a couple of hours.  The athlete is better off to use a sports drink with sodium, or even salt packets from a fast food restaurant to ensure that there is enough sodium in their system, as well as enough fluid.  Balance is as important as levels.

According to Dr.Lewis G. Maharam  in his blog column “Ask the Running Doc“, he encourages runners to take the following precautions to avoid over watering themselves.  For you active hunters out there substitute HUNT for everywhere it says RACE…

“ Follow the fluid recommendations….drink only when thirsty!

Include pretzels or a salted bagel in your pre-race meal.

Favor a sports drink that has some sodium in it over water, which has none.

In the days before the race, add salt to your foods (provided that you don’t have high blood pressure or your doctor has restricted your salt intake).

Eat salted pretzels during the last half of the race.

Do the salt! Carry two small salt packets with you (the kind found in fast food restaurants), and before the race and again during the last half of the race (marathon or half-marathon) consume a single packet under your tongue.

After the race, drink a sports drink that has sodium in it and eat some pretzels or a salted bagel.

Stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories 24 hours before your race and do not start again until 6 hours post-race….Recent medical research has shown that non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like Advil, Motrin, Aleve, ibuprofen, naproxen, etc. may be harmful to runners’ kidney function if taken within 24 hours of running; acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to be safe. These NSAIDs are thought to increase the possibility of hyponatremia while running long distances due to their decreasing blood flow to the kidneys and interfering with a hormone that helps the body retain salt. Therefore it is recommended that on race day (specifically beginning midnight before you run) you do not use anything but acetaminophen (Tylenol) if needed until 6 hours after you have finished the race, are able to drink without any nausea or vomiting, have urinated once, and feel physically and mentally back to normal. Then, an NSAID would be of benefit in preventing post-event muscle soreness.”

I hope these recommendations will help you in your early season pursuits and conditioning for upcoming hunts.  Play it safe out there.  For more information on preventing Hyponatremia, check out the running doc’s articles “do the Salt” and “Do the salt Questions and clarifications”

Many of my archery cronies have asked me where I will be when day breaks on July 12th, the first day of the archery season for California’a A-zone Deer. 

Truth is, I’ll be in Marin county, but I will be gathering cattle for a friend and neighbor who is shipping his weaned calves that day.  I’ll be in great deer country, but in the saddle looking for strays instead of looking for bucks.  It is a small price to pay to know that I am helping a friend get his once a year paycheck as he ships the results of a year of animal husbandry.  How could I say no?

I’m looking forward to hearing from friends and acquaintances who are out there on opening day.  I realized that I hold enough tags (excluding wild hogs which are open year round), that I could hunt from July 12th to August 3rd and August 9th through October 26 non-stop in California alone. 

Best of luck bowhunters!

I am lucky to live in a pretty productive area when it comes to wildlife habitat.  While the area is not WILD as the backcountry areas I like to hunt, I see more wildlife in the farms and rural residential areas than I do in many wilderness or roadless areas.  Why do you think that is?

I have come to the conclusion that the frequent removal of vegetation through grazing and haying or mowing provides a better forage resource for animals like deer.  If you look at many of the wildlands at this time of year, the tall annuals like wild oats have gone to seed and become tough, fibrous stalks without much nutritional value.  In pastures that have been grazed or mowed for hay or silage, the improved varieties of perennial grasses are more drought tolerant and regrow later in the year.  Consequently the deer gravitate to these areas with green feed. 

Here is a great example of a pasture that has had a rotational grazing system implemented along a seasonal creek.  While the neighbors field is brown and dead, upstream and down, this pasture has visible green regrowth within 7 days of the cattle being moved out of the pasture.  The deer bed in the creek and feed in the field.  It goes to show that agriculture, especially intensively managed grazing provides better habitat. 

In the rural residential ares, deer have adapted to the variety of cover and food sources.  This buck was feeding on the green regrowth from a field that had been mowed 2 weeks prior.  He made an interesting choice in hiding cover.  Goes to show you how adaptable deer really are!

 This is a great illustration of the habitat provided by farmers ranchers and rural residents in their everyday lives.  Hay-fields, pastures and creek bottoms are a wealth of wildlife activity.  So support your local agriculture community and it will benefit the wildlife as well.