Howle’s Hints

BY JOHN HOWLE

IT'S SIMPLE!

LIVE SIMPLY ... SPEAK SIMPLY

Everyone likes simple concepts and the use of simple words to get ideas across. Unfortunately, the language of corporate America is ripe with big words that only a select few understand. This select few use what we call jargon. Jargon is the use of special words and expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand.

If you have a town job, you might have sat through a meeting with a superior who used the biggest words he/she could find to deliver a presentation in an attempt to appear intelligent. Words and phrases such as “with synergistic effects,” or “through the collaborative process,” or “data driven” might float through the air like rose petals tossed by a flower girl. In reality, when peo-

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it fully.” - Albert Einstein

ple try to impress others with unneeded, complicated vocabulary, it is a sign of insecurity and anxiety on the part of the speaker. Jesus told his parables in simple, easy-to-understand terms and used examples that people of the time would recognize. I think there would be less miscommunication and more productivity if we all spoke and explained things simply.

As the early fall mornings bring a chill to the air, it’s a satisfying feeling to know that all the hard work spent during the summer months wasn’t wasted. Canned vegetables on the shelves and hay in the barn help bring optimism to the upcoming cold weather. In addition, the frosty mornings welcome deer season to our state.

Whether you planted food plots in September or plan to hunt from travel corridors, there is an abundance of whitetail deer in our state. While many hunters lie awake at night dreaming of big bucks and won’t take a shot at anything else, a female deer (doe) makes great meat and they truly live in abundance. Like any natural resource, a healthy diversity results from taking both bucks and does from the herd. This prevents overpopulation, reduces deer/car collisions, and makes for an ideal biodiversity. Finally, many hunters say they prefer the meat from does instead of mature bucks.

Even though the doe offers fine, high-protein meat, there is a strong allure to see those majestic tines of a buck appear in the brush.

To effectively hunt bucks, find their travel corridors. These are travel lanes between their bedding and feeding sites. Travel corridors that have an abundance of white oak acorns in the path increase your chances of a harvest. An old hunter once told me to

Seeing a majestic buck with a head full of antlers can excite any hunter.

set my stand along a travel corridor where there is an abundance of squirrel nests because the squirrels know where the best acorns are. Over the years, this advice has been profitable.

Speaking of squirrels, October and November are great times to squirrel hunt in Alabama, and squirrel hunting is a great way to introduce youth to the outdoors. If you are hunting with a .22 rifle, spend some time on the range before the hunt to make sure your rifle is zeroed in. Nothing is more embarrassing than continually missing squirrels in front of the youngster you’ve taken hunting. In contrast, an accurately sighted rifle can result in a clean head shot to the squirrel, which will preserve most of the meat. This is a great time to explain to the youth the trigger to table concept. After the hunt, let the child help you clean the squirrels and even cook them. Nothing satisfies more than eating the harvest you have hunted and processed.

It is truly challenging to stalk hunt when there is a thick layer of dry leaves on the ground. Whether you are stalk hunting for deer or squirrel, dry leaves can make a sound like you are walking on bubble wrap through the woods. One way to remedy this is to scrape the leaves from your firebreaks once the bulk of the leaves have fallen. This not only prevents out of control wildfire, it gives you a completely silent walking path for stalk hunting. You can use either a scrape, box blade, or root rake to clear leaves and debris from your path. If you don’t have a tractor and blade, you can use a leaf blower to create a narrow, silent path for walking. You will truly be amazed at the game you can walk up on with a silent trail.

Be sure to enjoy Alabama’s natural treasures and state parks this fall and get a youngster off the i-Phone and into the great outdoors. In addition, live simply and speak simply. The people who surround you will greatly appreciate it.

If you are using a .22 to hunt squirrels, spend an hour or two at the shooting bend to make sure you are zeroed in. Scraping leaves from your fire breaks after the bulk of the leaves have fallen will give you a silent stalking path.