It seems that those of us who spend time in the wide open spaces of the West are rather reserved when it comes to sharing our passion for the outdoors.  It shows when you search for blogs dealing with the unique aspects of western hunting and outdoor pursuits.  A search of the words Western + Hunting turned up a handful of blogs, but I felt I should highlight a few of the ones I respect and admire

Paul Vertrees, know to friends as Sawtooth has a neat online journal of his Rocky Mountain adventures in Colorado.  I admire his ability to get out and bacjkpack into some wild country I have yet to see.

Tom Sorensen, at Base Camp Legends has some great video of his family’s hunting adventures.  Tom is a great story teller from Eastern Oregon and an archer as well.  We both share a passion for wide open spaces and wild country. 

Trevon Stolzfus, is a wiry ex bull-rider who now lives in Colorado.  Today you are more than likely to see him in camo posing with his latest archery success.  He is a freelance cameraman, husband, father and family man.  Check out his blog at Western Big Game Hunter. 

Marc Smith is another Colorado bowhunter who i admire greatly.  Here is a guy who manages to balance his career, family, competitive archery, and hunts multiple western locales every year.  His site, Wild Country Outdoors contains some of his articles and stories about his experiences.

Cameron Hanes is the Dean of Western Backcountry Bowhunting.  As editor for Eastman’s Bowhunting Journal,  Cam has set the bar as far as physical preparation goes, competing ,and winning, multiple ultra marathons (over 26.2 miles).  He is a prolific blogger and he has plenty of material to focus solely on what he does.  Between speaking engagements, working out, being a father and husband, and hunting more than anyone has a right to, he inspires thousands of bowhunters to push their comfort zone physically, and mentally to be successful western bowhunters.  I know he showed me by example what was possible. It has made me challenge myself in terms of my physical preparation for hunting.  Check out his Blog at www.cameronhanes.com

Western Skinny Moose bloggers I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my collegues at Skinny Moose who write from the country “west of 100″. 

Phillip of the Hog Blog is not that far from me in California.  He is my source for feral hog adventure.  One of these days we will get together to go after some Golden State porkers.

Coyote John covers predator hunting in the deserts of Arizona.   When it comes to equipment or tactics for songdogs, he is the man to ask.

Desert Rat  is another Arizona hunter who covers a broad spectrum of timely topics.  You never know what you will find there!

If I have omitted any that deserve mention, please don’t hesitate to bring them to my attention.  it is always good to have comrades in arms… 

This evening i have a pretty good weekend road trip planned.  It seems like I just got home from San Diego.  Tonight I’ll be sleeping under the stars at the Nevada County Sportsmens Club, in Nevada City. On Saturday morning I’ll shoot at the State Field Archery Championship on their beautiful 42 target archery range. 

When we get the shooting done, then it is up the road to Yuba City to pick up my uncle’s pointer, Loco, and deliver him back to the family ranch.  Then a mad dash to organize my gear for the weeklong Sonoma County Trailblazers Trek, in Humboldt County. At 7:00 am Sunday we load up for the 5 hour drive up the coast.  I’ll be taking my trusty mount “Shorty”to ride through the redwoods and I’ll have pictures when I return Saturday. 

Now is the time of year that the evenings are pretty nice when the wind isn’t howling off the coast.  Occasionally we can even sit out in the evening and enjoy a barbeque, and a cool drink.  It’s also a time to brush up on the little things we take for granted like setting a tent up in the dark, testing out that new back packing stove, and giving that sleeping pad a tryout. 

My daughters have become enamoured with lighting a campfire and are keen to help clean up any sticks and twigs that may have blown into the yard that week.  They arrange their tinder and try their hand at lighting their creation.  good practice in case they are ever in a situation where a campfire will be necessary.  Siince they didn’t grow up with wood heat only, they don’t have the daily practice I did growing up.

Well it just became more enjoyable to start a campfire in the backyard.  Last Fathers Day, my gift was a beautiful, enclosed fire pit made by an FFA student at Orland High School in Glenn County, CA.  Now when the girls light a fire, I can get rid of the ashes with the pull-out ash drawer, and as the fire crackles I can be reminded of what awaits in the mountains of Wyoming this September.

we gave it it’s first good heat up this month..

I’m keeping an eye on a group of blacktail bucks, watching them grow through the spring.  Don’t ask where…., Cause I ain’t tellin’…

Check out the growth in the last 3 weeks…

April 23rd 2008

 I call this one “Stub” .  His right antler is misformed.  He is the lookout. 

This is “E.G.” short for Eyeguards.  I think he is already 16 inches wide.

May 8th, 2008

There are three bucks in the bachelor group.  Stub is on the left, and E.G. is the furthest right.

Look at the growth “E.G.” has put on!  Any guesses on width?

Well this Sunday, I won’t be out turkey hunting or at an archery shoot.  Nope, I reckon I’ll be having breakfast with my Mom, wife and family at the local Mother’s Day breakfast put on by the Two Rock Presbyterian Church.  

It’s a tradition that goes back to as far as I can remember.  We eat Abelskivers (ABLE-SKEEVERS), a Danish pastry similar to the French beignet (BEN-YAY). For the authentic experience, a special cast iron pan with hemispherical indentations in the bottom is filled with batter and after cooking for a while the cake is flipped and it finished cooking with its recognizable round shape.

Top it with powdered sugar, syrup and/or jam and you have a breakfast to remember.

You can also make them in the oven at 350 degrees, using a muffin pan.

ABELSKIVER
 from COOKS.COM
2 c. buttermilk
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 tbsp. sugar

Beat egg yolks; add sugar, salt and milk. Add the remaining ingredients that have been sifted together. Last, fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
Place small amount of liquid shortening in each cup of pan. Fill 2/3 full. Cook until bubbly; turn carefully and finish baking other side. Optional, may put a dab of applesauce in the middle of each.

I don’t know about you, but I tried to avoid my high school principal as much as possible.  You see, everytime I talked to him, I didn’t talk, I got talked to….If you know what I mean.  Maybe things would have been different if I had a principal like Mr. Cyr of the Powers, Oregon High school.  When he is not performing his administrative duties, Coaching basketball, or being a father to his infant daughter, Mr. Jody Cyr in the hills, and mountains.  When asked about spring sports, he replied ”Not coaching anything this spring, it’s shed hunting season.”

And from the looks of it , he is a darn good shed hunter. The Oregon Coast Range is a brushy place and it takes determination and perserverence to find one, let alone a dozen, fresh brown current year sheds.
Here is this years Haul….
Click on thumbnail to see full size…

An impressive Roosevelt Shed. Yes, That’s his office!

“I’ve been trying to figure out where a few specific bulls have been spending their winters..After hundreds of hours of hiking, I found one of their drops about 5 miles from where they spend time in the fall. I know their all bachelored up that time of year so I will be hiking like crazy looking for this match and a couple other giant sets…”

His shed hunting clues him into places to find deer and elk during the rifle and archery seasons as well. Remember those office photos? Here are his greatest hits from 2007, in thumbnail, clickable form…

When I asked him about future plans, he mentioned a trip to Hawaii with his family.  He was quick to add that he will be bringing his bow to squeeze in a few quick hunts between beach and hotel time!   

I took my daughters on a whirlwind trip to  the International Sportsmens Exposition Show in Sacramento this past Saturday.  We arrived in time for the girls to give Cameron the drawings they had made for him and the other Eastman’s folks.   Cruising on the ‘net, I was surprised to see an entry on Cameron Hanes Blog, that mentioned our visit with him.  If you ever get to meet Cameron in person, I am confident you will see he is a down to earth family guy, in addition to being a bowhunting machine! 

 As always there was a plethora of vendors, from outfitters and the latest, greatest gadgets available for hunting and fishing, plus more than a few great taxidermy displays.  I always feel like a kid in a candy store (without any money) when I am there.  But it gives me a feeling for what is out there in terms of the “Hunting industry”.

Compared to years past, there seemed to be more “ranch hunts” and international hunting booking agents than before.  I wonder if this is a growing trend in the industry?  Because of  our limited time schedule, I didn’t have an opportunity to see if that was truly the case.   Outfitters were there from all the western states, including a number that were ISE regulars that I recognized from years prior.  I noticed one outfitter from Eastern Wyoming is now booking hunts in the Western part of Wyoming, as well as other states.  After an incident that left a bad taste in my mouth a few years ago with one of their guides, I am wondering if the birth of “mega-Outfitters” is really a good thing for folks like me who do “low budget” guided hunts and “Do-It-Yourself ” hunts.   Time will tell, but I may develop this idea more in a future column.

On a more pleasant note, Tony Adams, a wildlife and western artist from Utah was a pleasure to visit with.  He gave my daughter Erin some great encouragement to continue drawing wildlife.   

At the end of the evening, we drove home with a couple of tired girls, sacked out in the back seat clutching their “Splash Dogs” sweat shirts, and NWTF  J.A.K.E.S. memberships. 

If you get a chance visit an ISE Show near you. 
San Mateo, CA — Jan 10 - 13, 2008
Sacramento — Jan 17 - 20, 2008
Denver — Jan 24 - 27, 2008
Phoenix — Mar 7 - 9, 2008
Salt Lake City — Mar 13 - 16, 2008

No, no, this isn’t about the way I wash my hair (or lack of).  Instead, I wanted to give you readers some tips and tricks for preparing a skull for a european mount.

For an all inclusive instruction, the University of Arizona Cooperative extension has prepared a 4 page instructional sheet in .PDF Format that deals with all the various ways to turn a “bloody meathead” into a shiny,white, bright. keepsake.

Some quick hints for “Boiling” skulls:

When doing a hot water maceration, simmer don’t boil

Keep the skull off of the bottom of the pan or pot you are using.

• Keep the antlers out of the water to avoid discoloring them.
• Don’t use your wife, or girlfriends cooking pots.  For large skulls like a cattle or elk, a #2 washtub on a coleman stove outside is your best bet.
• Keep an eye on the water level. 
• Be mindful that this takes nearly a full day, and doesn’t smell all that wonderful. 
• To add a nice white color use Hydrogen peroxide once the meat is “off the bone”
• Glue in any loose teeth.

There are operations that have Dermestid beetles and do an outstanding job of cleaning a skull.  One such place is High Desert Skullworks.  Their page details the shipping procedure, prices, and services.

Well, after a  fun Christmas opening gifts, it is fun to look back at the “Loot” that Santa left. 

I dropped a lot of hints to my family, and managed to get a pair of the Sitka Gear Mountain pants to try.  These look like they will fit the bill for both early season hunts as well as into Fall.  Cool, there is another product review you can expect…

From my in-laws I received a copy of ”Idaho’s Greatest Elk” by Ryan Hatfield, a fellow University of Idaho Alumni.  Good enough, I need to do another book review.  Along with that was a Gift Certificate to Sage Creek Outfitters, which should cover a Sitka Gear Mountain shirt….

My parents were good enough to get me some more synthetic wicking workout apparel…Just in time to start my marathon training in January..

Those were the highlights of the ‘Haul” this Christmas.  Perhaps my favorite gift (at least the one most from the heart) was a “rifle” fashioned out of a wrapping paper tube made for me by my 7 year old daughter.  Truly a gift from the heart.

The time spent together as a family was priceless.  Our youngest, 17 month old Sydney finally got the hang of opening gifts and had a great time with the wrapping paper and boxes. 

And from my friends at Martin archery…there is a little something that I will share with you in a few days.   

Living in California, we are cognisant of the Pacific Crest Trail. In fact it runs through much of the country that I have hunted and worked in. It it kind of strange to be on a narrow road in Shasta County and see yellow bootprints (that designate the trail) crossing the highway in the middle of nowhere. I look forward to experiencing this trail as well as the continental divide trail some day. It seems that there is an enthusiastic group of young people who will ensure that the trail will continue to be there for years to come.

Pine, Colorado - Engaging young people in the completion of the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is the best way to ensure its long-term protection and to create the next generation of public land stewards. The participants in the Continental Divide Trail Alliance’s (CDTA) 2007 Youth Corps program spent more than two months out on the CDT, working on very remote sections of the Trail and sharing a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This year, 50 crew members between the ages of 18 and 24 lived and worked on the Trail in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. The crews built or reconstructed more than 57 miles of the CDT, including the installation of 1,413 linear feet of rock cribbing, 84 drainage structures, 20 signs and 200 feet of turnpike.

Working with our partner conservation corps organizations, the CDT is the only trail to have its own dedicated youth corps. During the 10-week program, the crews spent much of their time in the backcountry, helping to complete the CDT through trail building and repair projects. Crews learned valuable leadership and teamwork skills, as well as gained advanced knowledge of Leave No Trace outdoor ethics, wilderness living principles and trail construction techniques.

Joining Rocky Mountain Youth Corps and Southwest Conservation Corps as a partner organization for the fifth year of this program was Bozeman-based Montana Conservation Corps. This partnership will give the CDTA increased trail building opportunities in Big Sky Country.

Outdoor gear and apparel company Recreational Equipment, Inc (REI) provided the initial grant to start CDTA Youth Corps in 2002 and has been a major sponsor ever since. “We are committed to increasing the participation by young people in outdoor recreation so that they lead healthy lives, and preparing them to be our nation’s future environmental stewards,” saidKevin House, REI Retail Director and board member of CDTA. “The CDTA Youth Corps combines engaging youth with the national goal of completing the CDT.”

To engage the public about the CDT and the Youth Corps, crew members made more than 25 presentations to local communities, school groups, libraries, service organizations, and public forums. For more information about CDTA’s Youth Corps Program, please contact Field Operations Manager Teresa Martinez at (303) 838-3760 or teresa@cdtrail.org.

____________

The Continental Divide Trail was established by Congress as a National Scenic Trail in 1978. When complete, the “King of Trails” will be the most significant trail system in the world. Stretching 3,100 miles along the backbone of America from Canada to Mexico, it accesses some of the most wild and scenic places left in the world while conserving the environment and promoting personal well being.

Since 1995, the Continental Divide Trail Alliance has played a central role toward the completion, management and protection of the Trail and it is the voice for unity in the diverse story of the Trail.

For more information about the Continental Divide Trail, call (303) 838-3760 or toll-free (888) 909-CDTA (2382). Or visit www.cdtrail.org .