The Outdoor Adventures of Squeet and Her Untrustworthy Sidekick Pip

The Firewood Pile Noise Mystery, Part 4

Where did Pip go, did the mystery noise get her? Simply put, that’s not my problem, the noise in the wood pile mystery is my mission and top priority. Master is beginning to show signs of impatience with fishing so my time to investigate is growing short. I’m going to need to resort to drastic measures to solve this mystery before the pack leaves. To save time, rather than digging the third hole, immediate and complete deconstruction of the wood pile is needed.

Step one, I run circles around the pile yelling at the logs for at least five minutes to loosen up. Then I jump on the pile and bite the logs. I tried pushing, pulling and even several body slams to get the logs to move. The pushing and pulling helped some but my nose and mouth got filled up with mud and bark again. I couldn’t breathe so I had to quit. Man, I wish I had thumbs, this would be a lot easier.  The body slams against the side of the pile are giving results though.

Finally the pile tipped over, now I can investigate each log individually and see what’s underneath the pile. That noise must be here somewhere. I spread out the logs, sorting them by smell and texture. The Master started mumbling again, he seemed very disappointed with me and I’m not sure why. Doesn’t he understand the importance of my work dragging the logs all around? There are untold dangers under that pile. Master just doesn’t understand how the world would be safer if I could track this noise down. I sat down and stared at him for a minute but still didn’t figure it out. I found that ignoring him is the best policy when he behaves like that, so that’s what I did.

I continued with my investigation, dragging and biting logs while sniffing and snorting for clues.  I was about to look under the last log when all of a sudden there was a bright flash of light and a big boom. It startled me and I stumbled back because I wasn’t expecting that. The flashing booming noise coming from the sky was terrifying. It kept happening over and over again and again. Then it started getting louder and closer. Now it was even making water fall from the sky, how can that be possible?

Suddenly I heard Master yelling, loudly for once not just mumbling. He kept saying, Squeet go home, Squeet go home. Then all of sudden he just ran away, headed for home I think. This put me in a dilemma, either find out what the firewood pile mystery noise is or catch up to the pack. After slowly, methodically assessing the situation I decided that since all I had to eat today was mud and bark that I was in need a well-earned meal. So reluctantly I decided to go home where good chow would be at my fingertips…..pawtips……whatever.

The mystery will have to wait for another day. Besides that Pip and Master were already gone and I might need them for back up if the noise in the log pile decides to attack. I’ll keep watch over my shoulder as I run home.

 

This is the end for now, but you just wait and see mister wood pile noise, I’ll be back some day…. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

The Outdoor Adventures of Squeet and Her Untrustworthy Sidekick, Pip. The Firewood Pile Noise Mystery, Part 3

The first hole gave up no new clues. The second hole needed to start immediately before the noise could escape. I was confident that this mystery could be solved. Pip was still gone and master went to look for her, so no one would interfere. The first hole left me a little winded and unable to see or hear clearly because of the mud mashed into my face but I still had confidence. So I went after the second hole with a real get’er done attitude. Again the mud was flying and I was a good foot or so into it when all of a sudden I felt a cold nose touch my butt. No it wasn’t master, it was Pip, she came back and wanted to take over the hole. No way, I growled, you’re not going to steal my thunder, this is my mystery. But the little pest wouldn’t quit, she kept jumping on my back and jamming her body in the hole next to me. There wasn’t enough room for the both of us so I generously backed out. I couldn’t see or hear and I needed a break anyway.

While Pip continued work on the second hole I headed down to the fishing hole for a quick dip to get rinsed off. Swimming is one of my favorite pass times and belly flops are my specialty. Good elevation is the key to a successful belly flop. I needed to get up some speed and really throw myself into the air. I backed up on the beach and burst into full speed and had a perfect lift off. Just at the highest point of elevation I heard some mumbling. Yep you guessed it, its master, he’s back and seemed to be very disappointed with me. I’m not sure why, I was only doing cannon balls in the fishing hole, what’s wrong with that?

After a quick shaking off and while giving master a wide berth, I decided to see how Pip was doing with the excavation. Strolling up to the hole I looked in. Pip was nowhere to be seen, she was gone again! How was this mystery ever going to be solved with slackers like her for help?

To be continued next week, same time, same channel.

The Outdoor Adventures of Squeet and Her Untrustworthy Sidekick, Pip. The Firewood Pile Noise Mystery, Part 2

I decided that dissection of the wood pile by whatever means necessary was in order. I started by plunging my nose into all sides of the pile and inhaling big breaths of air, dirt and tree bark. This provided me no further clues. It did however make me choke, cough and hack up something pretty nasty, so I decided to try a new approach. Since the areas that could be sniffed held no further evidence, my giant dog brain concluded that the sound must have come from underneath the pile. To solve this mystery, I was going to need to some excavating under the pile. The soil was wet muddy sand and posed no real impedance. Master was looking the other way checking the fishing poles and Pip was still gone so there wasn’t any great barriers stopping me.

I pride myself on my ability to dig holes and decided that 3 holes were necessary. Two on one side of the pile and one on the other. The holes were to be big around enough for me to fit into with a depth all the way to china if necessary. Master was still playing with the fishing poles, not paying any attention to me, so the first hole started strong. The mud was just flying. Even when my eyes and ears were completely packed full of mud I still didn’t slow down. It wasn’t until a foot or so into the project that the master requested that I quit. Unknown to me was that he left an open tackle box on the excavation site. I’m not sure what all those words he said to me meant, he mumbles a lot.

It wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t move it, I don’t have any thumbs.

To be continued next week, same time, same channel.

The Outdoor Adventures of Squeet and Her Untrustworthy Sidekick Pip. The Firewood Pile Noise Mystery, Part 1

Squeet and Pip

 

Today I decided to take Pip and our master fishing for walleyes. To get to the fishing spot we had to walk through terrifying trails covered with mud and wet grass touching me everywhere and getting my belly dirty. The master rode a 4 wheeler and just laughed at me when I asked for a ride. Anyway, after 5 excruciatingly painful minutes we all safely arrived.

Master casted in fishing lines, I wanted to help but he wouldn’t let me. He said I needed thumbs and I would just eat the bait. Well excuse me but I was born without thumbs and happen to love eating minnows. The master and I, not Pip, patiently waited for a fish to bite.  Pip just stared at the master hoping to go back home to her couch. We waited for almost 15 whole minutes and nothing bit. I concluded that they probably never will, so I better check for other activities. I saw the master doing something so I headed there.

Pip the couch potato

The master was stacking firewood by the fishing hole. Suddenly a noise came from under the pile. It was a loud noise similar to a lion, tiger or bear, oh no! For some reason I was the only one who could hear it. Further investigation was needed as it might mean the end of the world as we know it.  I searched the pile carefully and methodically from end to end and top to bottom many times but found nothing, so I looked to master and Pip for help. All master did was laugh at me and Pip was gone, I think she got scared or maybe bored and was already half way back home. I could see that this was a mystery I was going to have to solve by myself.

The mystery begins

To be continued next week, same time, same channel.

Fishing tip #3

Split the duties, one person with dirty hands and the other with clean hands.  One person to bait the hooks and take off the fish and the other to make sandwiches and open sodas. Keeps everyone healthier and the boat cleaner and more organized.

Hunting tip #1

Still hunting or stalking. Preselect a starting point for your hunt, it may be at the vehicle or a distance into the woods. Use a rule of thumb while still hunting and stalking is to move as slow as you would if you were crawling on your belly through a briar patch. When taking a series of steps imitate the sound of a squirrel hoping across the ground. As your looking around avoid turning your upper torso as much as possible instead turn only your head. These tips minimize the prey from hearing an unfamiliar noise and seeing a profile change (movement).

Fishing tip #2

Always wear glasses, safety glasses are best. Murphy’s Law is that if a hook goes flying it’s going to hit you. If you’re casting or trolling, sharp hooks whizzing through the air are just normal. Someone is bound to get nailed eventually. Also when you have a fish next to the boat, hooks sometimes pop free and your eye is their favorite target. It really sucks to get a hook buried in your hide but one in the eye can be the end of your sight.

Outdoorsman! are we playing with our food?

The short answer is probably yes, at least at some level. An Inuit Indian once said that people who are not keeping and eating everything they catch, kill or harvest are playing with their food, to take what you need and leave the rest behind, and that we should take only what presents itself to us. The Inuit believed that if we catch an unneeded fish, pass up a small buck or harvest asparagus or ginseng for cash, we’re breaking the laws of nature. He believed that when you have what you need don’t disturb the plants and animals any further. Plus, trust that the plants and animals will always make the best decisions for themselves and nature will control their population. This Inuit was a true sustenance survivalist and I commend him for his skills and accomplishments. However, although I agree with most of their practices and beliefs I am not sure that modern society can live the same way. Human population density does not allow us to continue like that. The ego of the modern sportsman and government regulations are other issues preventing it. We like to play with our food and our government encourages it.

Sportsmen’s relationship with nature is always changing. Modern sportsmen and outdoors enthusiasts are not involved because they need to, but rather because they want to. The urge to fulfill a primal instinct still exists and has forced the government to step in, making laws preventing us from destroying everything in the water, woods and air, and at the same time encouraging us to play. Take a look at the last 40 years as an example. Size and bag limits, speed and noise restrictions and emissions requirements. People who participate purely for entertainment and with almost complete disregard for nature are not as common now. However, people who just want to play with their food are.

Recently I overheard a conversation between two hunters who were wishing that darting animals for sport, hunting by remote control and paint balling deer was legal. Wow! Talk about playing with your food. They didn’t want the meat and were hunting only for the thrill of the kill and the ego blast. One of them thought it would be a great idea to dart an animal, take pictures and let it go. My head almost exploded! Come on outdoorsmen, think about what you’re doing to the animal physically and mentally and control your ego blast. To me this shows a complete lack of respect for, and understanding of, their quarry. My belief is that these two are definitely playing too many video games, have lost touch with reality and have no place in the woods. They believe that they would be practicing good conservation measures; after all it wasn’t going to kill the animal.

We need to be patient with each other. As Spock once said “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few”. We need to think about what each individual contributes to conservation activities and understand that we’re all in this together. If we are tolerant and stick together good things will happen.

Take a look at the money that outdoorsman and outdoor enthusiasts give for licenses, fees and donations. The money flows to all sorts of projects, yes, some of it does get wasted but for the most part the money really does an incredible amount of good. Just look around where you are locally and you’ll see it. There are stream remediation, fish restocking, habitat improvement and soil and water cleanup projects. These projects need to be funded in order for them to happen and it takes involvement from everyone.

For the good of nature we need to accept and cooperate with the rules and regulations and most importantly each other. I have to tolerate the trophy hunters - playing with their food, sorting through the herd, killing the genetically superior animals; and they have to tolerate me sitting on my favorite fishing hole, playing with my food, sorting slot limit fish for hours.

So go ahead play with your food, just remember to take what you need and leave the rest behind.  If we could only sort through jet skiers like that my life would be much better. (:

Sjn

What can we learn from the Japanese fisherman?

Japanese fish drying rack

The Japanese civilization has existed on an island for thousands of years. They don’t have a large land mass so they look to the sea for food. Still today one of their main food sources is fish.  The culture has adapted to eating just about anything edible that can be caught or harvested from the sea. I would expect that after all these years of fishing and harvesting around the island that there wouldn’t be any aquatic life left. The Japanese know they have seriously damaged the surrounding reefs and polluted the water. Over time they have found ways to protect the environment and keep themselves fed at the same time. The government is practicing sustainable fish and seaweed farming and is allowing selective harvesting of fish by individuals. The fishing techniques and gear used by the individual fisherman is what caught my interest.



Umbrella hooks

During a visit to Japan I wanted to do some surf casting. I needed some gear so I went to a basic bait and tackle store and then to a saltwater inlet. The store was like any store you would see in the U.S. but had some unexpected differences in the tackle they are selling. In the U.S. we use barbless and circle hooks for catch and release fishing. The Japanese use a hook that looks like two upside down umbrellas stacked on top of each other. It has a main shaft with several straight barbless prongs coming off it at about a 45 degree angle. My first impression was that it wouldn’t hook up very solid and come out easy, then like a fool, I touched it. Turns out that I was wrong, they work great! The prongs are not designed to work independently but as a unit. It was like grabbing a hold of one of those burdock seed pods that get stuck to your clothes in the fall. The dried out ones with the spikes all around it. If you try to shake it off or roll the hook out the next prong will get you. The only way to release the hook was to push it straight back, cussing doesn’t work. It is really a well-engineered hook. It is quick and easy to remove, once you know how, plus does minimal damage to the fish.



Jerk baits

At the bait and tackle store I noticed that a good 90% of the fishing rods were the collapsible type. They were the 3 to 5 section kind. The store stocked several different manufacturers, lengths and weights. I bought a medium weight, 5 piece. I thought that it would be easy to get in a suitcase but would probably go flying apart every time I made a cast. At the inlet I saw that everyone was using them and was wondering why. In the U.S. we essentially only use 1 or 2 piece rods. Why would an entire culture use a collapsible rod? My experience with their choice was positive, the rod didn’t go flying apart plus had a great backbone and a sensitive tip. The rods are high quality and very well engineered. I think the reason is compactness and portability. The Japanese have smaller living spaces relative to the U.S. and tend to live vertically not horizontally as most of us do. Also the Japanese prefer to walk or ride bike to destinations. A 10’ rod will breakdown into a 40” kit and can be easily stored and carried.

I’m going to try to find some advertisements for the lures and fishing poles I used and attach them to this blog. Take a look at them, they’re a little different than what we’re accustomed to using. Some of the gear was made in the U.S. but isn’t advertised here, we might be missing out on a good thing.

Fishing the ice fishing fisheries for fun and charities.

Most people are not professional fisherman but like to go fishing and also do their part for charities.  Every year more and more people of all skill levels and experience are attending ice fishing contests for charities. Most people don’t realize that the smaller, local fishing contests are not sponsored by a professional fishing organization but are charity events. These events are becoming quite popular. There are an increasing number of people who attend for the fishing contest but many others just for the door prizes and people watching. Almost all of the prizes are donated from individuals, local groups and businesses. Most prizes are more valuable than you would expect and it’s not all about winning only fishing equipment or cash.

The door prizes are like opening a box of chocolates, wide and varied. There is everything from hiking equipment to quality art pieces and even teeth cleaning. Many fisheries now allow you to put your tickets on specific prizes. I think organizers discovered that donations increased when they allowed people to enter for what they really want and not a random prize that they didn’t have a use for. I don’t think anybody won the teeth cleaning. I’ve won a bunch of stuff like gift certificates, an ice auger and bottles of booze. Entering for door prizes is easy and cheap. There are the big prizes that can cost around $25.00 for two or three tickets and there are the smaller prizes for about a buck a ticket. Some events even hand out “mystery bags” full of fishing stuff and discount coupons just for showing up.

Entering the fishing contest is easy and cheap too. The entry fees I’ve seen have been around $20.00. There isn’t any prequalifying requirements for the contest, just show up and fish. The contest is for the biggest fish in a category. The categories and rules vary for each event so check with the registration desk on your way in. Some events require live release now. I haven’t ever won but always enter because you never know when you might “catch the big one” and the money goes to a charity anyway. The prizes for winning a biggest fish category are usually cash and sometimes a significant amount. I’ve seen 1^st place for up to $1,000.00 and 2^nd $500.00.  

 

People watchers bring your cameras. You can’t see people dressed like this while doing this type of activity anywhere else. The dress code is, I’m going ice fishing, I’m dressing for the cold and I’m going to get fish stink on me. I don’t mean the North Face type outfits, I mean the outdoor working stiff kind for people who live in the cold. You have to see it to believe it. Go see the movie Grumpy Old Men, the clothing is kinda like that. You’ll see a lot of homemade clothing like hats, gloves and scarves. Some of it is really quality, interesting work and some is more like a yard sale. There are also people who dress for their favorite football teams, there are pirates and there is always the blaze orange hunter look. It’s more about function with a touch of personal flare than it is fashion. A word of caution though, some people who attend these events are a little introverted, so not everybody likes to have their picture taken, be polite and ask first.

sjn

Catch and release fishing, unhooking the toothy angry ones

I have been fortunate to have caught musky, pike, sharks and barracuda. It’s rare to keep this type of fish for table fare. There are ways to release fish without hurting them or yourself. I speak from experience when I tell you that without a doubt these fish have one thing in common, they want to hurt you bad!  They have a very aggressive attitude about being hooked and coming into the boat. You have to forgive them for having such a bad attitude because that’s precisely why we like to catch them so much. Fish, especially predators do not like to be drug around by a hook caught in their mouth and they absolutely intend to fight back in any way they can. They would truly love an opportunity chew up your hand or shove a treble hook into you. So here lies the conundrum, how to get this crazy critter off the hook without injuring it and keeping yourself from needing a trip to the emergency room.

Respect the fish, especially their big gnarly teeth, but don’t fear them.  Danger zones on fish vary but if you avoid the head and tips of the fins you’ll be ok. Fish are in a weakened state right after you catch them. Predator fish really fight hard so its best let them rest for a couple of minutes before removal from the water. If you bring fish into the boat too soon they’ll still be oxygen starved. They must to be revived for a few minutes before bringing them in. If you do it wrong, some could die, especially the older ones. While they’re recovering is the best time to remove the hooks, more about this later in the article. Get familiar with techniques for reviving and releasing fish. There are “how to” videos and books available on the internet. In a nutshell, to get oxygen they have to have water moving across their gill plates. A good policy is if you don’t need to bring fish into the boat, then don’t. For instance, if you already have pictures of similar fish or aren’t interested in the exact length, don’t take it out of the water at all. Release them outside the boat whenever possible. The less you handle them the happier you’ll both be.

There are several ways to unhook the big one but it depends on the situation. I have been fishing on a couple of occasions when we weren’t expecting to catch any big fish and only brought a small net. Well, sure enough that’s when I caught a great big predator. Then what do you do? Try this, bring them in the normal swimming position, parallel and close to the side of the boat. Don’t let them touch the boat or they’ll go tearing off again. Reach in from behind the eyes of the fish, sort of sneak up behind it. From above the top side of the fish. Thumb on one side and all the other fingers on the other side of the fish and grab it just behind where the gills end. Don’t hesitate you just gotta go for it. As soon as you get a hold of the top of it reach under the belly with your other hand and lift. If all goes well you will have a good grip and be ready to bring it into the boat. Once you lift it in the boat most of time you can release the hand underneath it. You’re going to need that hand free to get the hook out.

A couple of helpful tools for handling and controlling fish are jaw spreaders and game grabbers. Open it in or attach one to the fish’s mouth before lifting it into the boat. These tools make great handles. Using tools makes the job easier and hurts the fish less in the long run.

Be careful not to drop the fish in the boat. If that happens, all sorts of mayhem will ensue. It’s going to go flopping all over the place, causing all kinds of trouble. If you’re not careful this might be the occasion with the trip to the ER.

For fish you don’t or can’t bring it into the boat, just lift the head up a little and take out the hooks. If you’re using a leader you may not need to grab the fish at all. Control the fish with the leader and use the other hand to get the hooks out. When I say the other hand I mean to use a hook remover of some sort, not your fingers. I’ve watched many people, even professional fisherman, try to get hooks out with just their fingers. As my grandpa would say, “What, are ya’, stupid?”

There are all sorts of hook removing tools available. Needle nose pliers, forceps and hook disgorgers are most common. None of them are particularly expensive, five to ten dollars will get what you need. Even a small stick with a V cut in the end will work.

The big picture here is that the less time spent releasing, the less chance there will be of hurting the fish and yourself.

Meals ready to eat (MRE)

Packing meals ready to eat (MRE) on outdoor adventures is a quick, easy and light weight way to stay out there a little longer. When they first became available to the public I tried a couple entrees. To say they tasted like crap is an understatement. To many carbs, way to much salt or just a big mushy mess. They were originally designed for soldiers in the field. The soldiers were just glad to get something to eat and didn’t have time to be picky. The manufactures have improved some of the meals and are now marketing to the outdoor recreation type person. The meals are still not as good as home cookin’, but are enjoyable if you don’t have to eat them every day. There is a time and a place to use them now.

I was sitting in my deer blind this year and like most hunters, would like to stay on stand all day. It’s only possible to stay for so long because at some point you have to eat. As soon as you go moving around to walk out for lunch that trophy you’ve been waiting for sees or hears you and goes running off. MREs may not be fine cuisine but are better than the usual soggy sandwich, they are a hearty warm meal that will get you through the rest of the day. Everything’s a lot more fun if you have a full belly.

Time available for enjoying the outdoors is limited. Think about how much is spent cooking and cleaning up. Use them while you’re fishing or camping. No need to stop fishing for two hours for shore lunch or cut a hiking trip short because you’re out of energy. These meals are an easy alternative and in the past few years have come down in price and the selection has increased. Take a look on the internet sometime you’ll be surprised what’s available. The lower cost meals need to have boiling water added which can be a problem on some occasions. There are others that you add water and start the self-contained heater, eliminating the need to boil the water on a secondary source. I put a link to Amazon (MRE) on the site to use if you want to check it out.

My disclaimer: I don’t work for any of these companies and don’t care if you buy anything. I just think it’s a great Idea.

Fishing tip #1

When you’re driving a boat always watch where you’re going or you hit stuff. If you feel that this needs to be explained further please don’t ever drive a boat.

Lower Wisconsin River 1/29/2014





1/26/2014

The Wisconsin River below the railroad bridge at Sauk City is frozen over and is not navigable at least down to Spring Green. There are still some areas above the bridge that have open water but if the cold keeps coming most that will be ice covered too. A few people with far more courage than me are catching small walleyes (males) and pike on the golf course side of the river right near the dam and at the wing dam just below the boat landing at the veterans’ park in Prairie Du Sac.



1/26/2014

There are pan fish biting in the section of river that flows behind the island that the railroad bridge crosses. Locals call it the second river. The fish are below where Roxbury Creek joins the Wisconsin River. Just before the 1^st of the year the DNR started pumping a significant amount of water from Crystal Lake into Roxbury Creek, so there’s decent flow of fresh water in the second river. That area seems to be holding more fish than other years. The walk in is a little difficult because there’s a couple of feet of snow on the ground right now.

YOU KNOW IT'S COLD WHEN

 

 Here's my thoughts what's yours ? 




-35F

*You throw a pan of boiling water in the air and it vaporizes;


*Your skin gets burned from 10 minutes of exposure;

*A pets feet get wet and they freeze to the ground instantly;

That river is frozen

*Starting a car sounds like an angry dog fight;

*A fast moving river freezes like a rock;

*Moving to Iran sounds like a good idea;

*Liquid propane from the outside storage tank is to cold for a furnace to burn;

*You use snow for insulation and it works.


Temporary camping tables

Most people go to public campgrounds. Campgrounds will generally supply a picnic table. Camping in remote areas is a whole different experience. Most of the time no one has ever have camped there before so there’s nothing to use for a table. If you’re traveling by foot, boat or 4 wheeler there is a weight limit and/or not enough space for all of the things that you want to take along. One of the first things to get cut form the take along list is a table. There are plenty of camping tables available to buy but they’re either to heavy or bulky. No worries, make a table or two at the campsite. One to use for the kitchen stuff and maybe another for by the campfire or tent. It’s kind of fun and you don’t need to be an engineer to make something that will last for a few days. Temporary tables don’t need to be any exact shape but do need to be sturdy enough to hold the weight you’re about to put on them. Also a table for the kitchen needs to be fairly close to level for cooking purposes.  To level a table put some water in a cup or pan and set it in the center of the top shelf. Then raise or lower the corners or the table until the water level is equal distance to the top edge of the container. You can almost always get it close enough by pushing one or two of the legs into the ground.

Building and assembling one of these magnificent works of functional art is simple. It’s a square or rectangle with legs and made from sticks. Build the square, attach the legs, put on a countertop, level it and you’re done. Build the square for the top any size you want but leave the ends a couple inches long so that it forms a V at the corners. Use that V for attaching the legs into. After attaching the legs, if it’s still to wobbly tighten it up by attaching some horizontal cross members to the legs about half way between the ground and top. For a countertop lay a bunch of straight, uniform sized sticks the long or short way across the square top piece. This step will also add some sturdiness to the table. Try to make sure that the countertop surface is as smooth as you can make it. That helps keep things from tipping over and pissing you off. Fasten everything together with string, wire, fishing line or even vines. Start to finish it will take an hour or so depending on what resources are available. Even if it takes a little longer it’s time well spent because your supplies are away from the dirt and critters plus cooking on the ground is a pain.

Ice fishing the midwest in December

You want to have a pile of fun and bring home some good meat, go Ice fishing in December in the Midwest. I know, I know, most people think I’m crazy and they may be right but I can’t get enough of it. We go so often that even my dog is hooked (pun intended). She stares at the bobber waiting for it move like some kind of psychopath. I’ve learned how to catch’em and have the right gear to stay warm. My goal is always to catch at least one meal of fish per trip. Some days are diamonds and some days are duds. If they’re not biting or I get cold, I leave

Ice fishing tackle is pretty reasonably priced and you don’t need much to be successful.  For an initial investment of around $20.00 it’s possible to buy all the gear you’ll need and it can last a life time. The list is short. Get a couple of jig poles like the one in the picture, half a dozen different colored jigs, 2 or 3 bobbers, an ice auger (for cutting holes), ice scooper (for cleaning holes) and a 5 gallon bucket. However, fishing in less than 10F is pretty tough without an Ice shanty. So if you’re going to get hard core about getting out there I’d suggest buying one. There’s a number of really good new portable shanties on the market or get one used off the internet. Craigslist and Amazon usually have lots of selection to pick from. Also you can get everything you need at garage sales for pennies on the dollar.

The more often you go fishing the better you’ll get at catchin’em. Ignoring the entertainment value any investment you make in tackle and equipment will eventually pay for itself in meals. Fresh water fish caught in cold water are arguably the best tasting on earth. Just remember to take only what you need, leave the rest for seed and eat what you kill.

Fishin Dog

Beaver Dam Tip Up

Estimating meat for the year

Estimating your households’ needs for red, white meat (pork), poultry and wild fowl for the year is pretty straight forward once you decide what a portion size means to you. It’s generally accepted that a healthy portion size of meat is about the same size as the palm of your hand. I tend to agree with the palm size estimate for many entrees such as burgers and chicken breast. For the most part though I think it’s more like the size of your whole hand. Lets get real when was the last time you ate a steak that would fit in the palm of your hand, maybe if it was folded over a couple of times.  Other examples are that most people like to have two pieces of chicken or want to make stew, neither of these quantities fit in the palm of a hand. My point is that the size you want will vary depending on your activity level, size of yourself or if you really enjoy a particular recipe. . For the purpose of meal planning in our household we wrap most meats to equal one pack per meal. Burger is about 1 pound, Ring bologna is one 2 pound ring and stew meat is about a pound. Any other meats like chicken legs are done by the number of pieces.

It only takes a few minutes to figure how much meat you’ll need for the year. If you think about it you already know what your meal preferences and sizes are. Set up a meal spread sheet. It’s easy, just decide what type of recipes you typically eat and then you’ll know what the meat ingredient type and size is. All that’s left is about how many of each.

 Set up the left column for the type and weight of meat. Use the top row for the type of meal and then fill in the quantities below each meal type. Use the far right column to extrapolate the total quantity per line item. Do yourself a favor and don’t get carried away with the meal type or specific quantity of each, just keep it generalized. Combine meal types that use about the same quantity and type of meat. For instance casseroles, chili and spaghetti generally use the same type and quantity. The main focus should be on how much and what type of meat you’ll need for the year. Remember though that size, variety and number of meals are the keys to successful planning.  No one wants to eat the same thing day after day or run short. Also some people hate left overs, some want them for lunch the next day and still others just like to feed like a dingo in a maternity ward no matter what they’re eating. Just get as close as you can and don’t forget that fish is not included on this list.

Grandmas recommendation for drying wet lenses

                                                                       Grandmas Stash

As anyone who spends much time in the outdoors knows, weather is unpredictable. If you go outside you’re going to get wet, it’s just a matter of time. It might be from rain, sleet, snow or even beer. I picked up a little tip from my grandma. She always kept a little stash of tissue paper tucked under the cuff of her blouse sleeve.

Keep one of those little travel packs of tissue in your pocket on your next adventure. Pull one of them out and put if under your cuff. Whenever your optics lenses get wet you have a quick easy way to dry them. When that one gets wet just grab a dry fresh one from your pocket. It works great and is tested and approved by grandmas everywhere.

Red meat for the year

Every fall I try to get the majority of my red meat for the year. Recently I killed a 1 1/2 year old 130 pound white tail deer. The environment that the animal was from is a crop farming area. The deer was well feed with multiple types of grain, nuts and fruits. Venison is a very lean meat and taken from this part of the state, southwest Wisconsin, isn’t at all gamey tasting or smelling. It was a clean kill, one shot to the chest that hit the vital organs. The animal was dead before it hit the ground but bleed out well. Bleeding out the animal is important to the taste and sometimes texture of meats.

After killing the animal, registering it and getting it home, I skin, cut out the back straps, quarter it and let the meat rest for a couple of days. Skinning and quartering, defacing as I call it, is the hardest part for me because I feel a certain amount of guilt for killing such a beautiful critter and then cutting it into pieces. Without exception I always take a moment to thank the animal for giving itself to me so that my family may live on. Not only does this help clear my conscience but I believe the animal’s spirit is released. I really don’t want to be haunted by some big angry buck that wants to kick my butt every night.

Next is cutting and wrapping the meat. It’s the most gratifying step because when you’re done you have piles and piles of really good meat all ready to be cooked. It takes a lot of patience to cut up, debone, grind and wrap the meat. I recommend the consumption of your favorite libation for this part but remember that it really sucks to cut off your finger. My family has simple requirements for the meat. We want steaks, burger, stew meat and use whatever is left for sausage and ring bologna.  For steaks we only use the back straps cut about ½ inch thick. I used to be afraid to cut up the steaks but realized that if I mess it up the worst case scenario is that we have more burger meat to grind. About 5 pounds of stew meat is set aside while deboning the quarters. We look for 1 or 2 inch chucks that don’t have sinew in it. The sinew isn’t flavorful and makes the meat tough. Sinew is the reason that the burger meat preparation is the most time consuming. All of the meat has to be gone through to make sure that as much of the fibers as possible have been removed. Even though the meat is going to be ground the sinew will add an unpleasant after taste. Most people like to add pork or beef tallow when they grind it. I prefer to make that decision when planning a meal, different recipes call for different mixes. Usually we use about 20 pounds of burger a year. All of the rest of the meat goes to the sausage/ring bologna maker. Living in Wisconsin, we are fortunate to have really excellent sausage makers everywhere. I am a big fan of venison meat and there are tons of ways to cook or have it prepared.

Wisconsin river blizzard walk

Went for a walk during a snow storm by the Wisconsin river near Mazomanie. Got some great exercise, ditched some stress and enjoyed some great scenery. In the 1830's, three tribes of Indians the Kickapoo, Fox and Black Feet about 700 people, took refuge from the local militia in that center valley across the river. It's a lot more peaceful there now.

Ferry Bluff