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MIND OF THE MAKER

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GETTING INTO SHAPE

LLIGATORS ALLIGATORS & CROCS

SURVIVAL BUG OUT BAG

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P.A.C. Systems is recognized as the premier service provider of fire and life safety solutions in Dallas-Fort Worth.

For over 20 years, the company has grown to a position as the leading innovator in the most advanced data collection systems to provide customers with inspection reports and analytical data that far exceed industry norms.

From fully integrated systems comprised of fire detection, sprinkler installation/control, extinguisher services, to full service repair to any system, P.A.C. has the technical expertise that can accommodate any imaginable need of any commercial property anywhere, regardless of complexity.

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The P.A.C. Systems team is a disciplined group of engineers, service technicians, and solution providers committed to excellence.

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• SINCE 1986 •

Where Will We Hunt and Fish When We Lose the Coastal Wetlands?

In South Louisiana, near the legendary Bayou Teche, sits the small community of Baldwin. On a recent trip to this area to research this month’s Outpost story on a documentary about the wooden boat builder culture: Mind of the Maker the director of this film, Charles Richard, recounted an episode from some of his recent fieldwork about an old sugar mill that had been claimed by the marshes near Point-Aux-Chene.

“An old Houma Indian showed it to me from his boat and explained that less than a hundred years ago all the surrounding water and marsh used to be sugar cane fields, which can't tolerate salt water intrusion or storm surges,” Richard said.

At about that moment in his story, we passed a big, modern sugar mill not far from the roadway and our other traveling companion Jim Delahoussaye (an expert on the flora and fauna of this area) compared the two, saying the old one likely looked like this one does now-- far from the sea. But the same fate could await it.

South Louisiana is literally washing away. Some experts estimate the area is turning into open water at a rate of one football field every thirty-eight minutes. This means that twenty-four square miles of landmass is lost every year.

The United States is losing wetlands in coastal watersheds at a significant rate, according to a new report released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These wetlands are vital to the survival of diverse fish and wildlife species. Wetlands also help sustain the country’s multibillion-dollar coastal fisheries and outdoor recreation industries, improve water quality and protect coastal communities from the effects of severe storms.

MORE THAN 80,000 ACRES ARE LOST ANNUALLY The report, “Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Conterminous United States 2004 to 2009” which was also funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, tracked wetland loss on the Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf coasts, as well as the Great Lakes

shorelines. It concludes that more than 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands are being lost on average each year, up from 60,000 acres lost per year during the previous study.

“Wetlands are important to our nation’s heritage, economy and wildlife – especially when it comes to coastal communities,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.

“When a study shows that an area four times the size of Miami is disappearing every year, it underscores the importance of strengthening our collective efforts to improve wetlands management, to reduce losses and to ensure coastal infrastructure and resources are protected.”

“Wetlands are essential to fish and shellfish, and are integral to the health of the nation’s multi-billion dollar commercial and recreational fishing industries,” said Mark Schaefer, NOAA Assistant Secretary for Conservation and Management. “The three most valuable species that depend on habitats supported by our wetlands— crab, shrimp, and lobster—had a combined value of $1.6 billion in 2012. The disappearance of this habitat could be detrimental to our nation's seafood supply.”

THE GULF COAST IS MOST AFFECTED Notable wetland losses were recorded along the Gulf Coast (257,150 acres) and accounted for 71 percent of the total estimated loss during the study period.

The Atlantic Coast lost 111,960 acres and the Pacific Coast 5,220 acres. Although the losses along the Pacific Coast were small in comparison to the others, they represent an important component of coastal wetlands in this region, which has a predominantly high, rocky coastline. The watersheds of the Great Lakes region experienced a net gain in wetland area of an estimated 13,610 acres.

“In addition to the important economic and safety benefits they provide to people, coastal wetlands are also vitally important to native fish and wildlife species,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.

“While they comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area, they support 75 percent of our migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish, and almost half of our threatened and endangered species.

We can’t sustain native wildlife for future generations without protecting and restoring the coastal wetlands that support them.”

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES? The increase in the overall rate of wetland loss was attributed to losses of saltwater wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico due to coastal storms, in combination with freshwater wetland losses in both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Large losses of freshwater, forested wetland areas were attributed to urban and rural development and some forestry practices.

In some coastal watersheds, rising ocean levels are encroaching into wetlands from the seaward side, while development from the landward side takes a further chunk out of the existing wetland area and prevents wetlands from being able to migrate inland. This dual threat squeezes wetlands into an ever smaller and more fragile coastal fringe.

As evidenced in published reports to the Congress on the status and trends of wetlands in the lower 48 states, conservation programs on agricultural and other undeveloped lands have helped conserve and restore wetlands. These programs have helped ameliorate wetland losses in the Great Lakes States and in agricultural portions of other coastal watersheds and are viewed as important programs contributing to wetland conservation strategies.

“For decades, USDA conservation efforts have contributed a great deal to protecting and restoring our wetlands," said Ann Mills, Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources & Environment. "Today’s report to Congress underscores the value of these conservation programs, many of which are authorized under the Farm Bill, and serves as yet another reminder that America needs passage of a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible to continue these critical investments in wild land conservation.”

Several federal agencies are collaborating to better understand how wetlands are affected by land use practices and other factors and incorporating wetlands protection into policy. These efforts have been incorporated into activities under the National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan (National Ocean Council 2013), which describes the specific actions federal agencies will take to address key challenges and promote stewardship of coastal resources.

The data in this report provide new and more comprehensive information about coastal wetland trends and may be instrumental in forming additional recommendations to improve the management of wetlands in coastal watersheds, reduce losses and ensure coastal infrastructure and resources are protected.

In the meantime, the “Sportsman’s Paradise� that is South Louisiana will continue to diminish in size, in the process losing the fish and wildlife that have been abundant since the Native Americans first fished these wetlands.

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Everything You Need To Bug Out

By: Cory Franks Editor’s Note: We’re introducing another new Outpost voice this month – Cory Franks. While our content generally focuses on outdoor sports, many of our readers know that sometimes – in spite of all good intentions – things go wrong and they want to be prepared in case of unforeseen emergencies. Maybe this goes back to our Boy Scout days where the motto was “Be Prepared.” For many reasons, there’s a sizeable group of you out there who are preparing for disaster and this article is for you.

W

hat if there’s a natural disaster? Terror attack? Personal emergency? Pick your poison. People prepare for all sorts of unknown events in all sorts of ways. Making the decision to “prep” can be a hesitant one, especially if you spend any time searching the dozens of Survival Forums online.

It seems as though every member you read about has been fine-tuning their vast amounts of gear for weeks, months or even years. The age-old answer to the question, “How do you eat an elephant” can certainly apply to prepping - One bite, one step, one foot forward at a time. Having access to the essentials during a survival scenario will still put you leaps and bounds in front of the masses – and can save your life.

A Bug-Out-Bag – aka BOB, 72 Hour Bag or any other of a host of names – is the perfect pillar to begin your prepping lifestyle. Exactly what goes into a bug out bag is a very personal choice. Needs, wants, experience, even lifestyle comes into play when discussing contents of a Go-Bag. In general though, most bags have the same mission: To get you through a pre-determined amount of time, before, during or after an emergency situation.

Food is another of the items that should have to go unmentioned. However, food can take up huge amounts of real estate and should be given ample thoughts. Freeze-dried and backpacking type meals are very easy to store and pack and have long-term expiration dates, not to mention being lightweight.

As your prepping lifestyle evolves, taking your prepping possibilities to longer term scenarios is an option, however, for someone just starting their survival journey, for people who are forced to spend a lot of time away from home due to work or just individuals who live in areas susceptible to natural disasters, building their bug out bags around a 72-hour emergency window is a great, and unofficial, place to start.

A bug out bag doesn’t have to be a fancy $500 pack from your local hiking/tactical/gear store. In fact, it doesn’t have to be a bag at all. Along with backpacks, hiking packs and duffel bags, a BOB can be made using a Rubbermaid plastic bin or a series of 5-gallon buckets. Don’t handicap your imagination here – just remember to keep it realistic as you are more than likely going to have to carry your kit – so, ounces = pounds, pounds = pain.

Water is the key to life and will most-likely comprise more weight than any single other item in your pack. A single gallon of fresh water weighs a little more than 8 pounds and each person should have a minimum of 1 gallon of water per day. Actually, 1 liter per person per day is an absolute bare minimum, but this is one area that you do NOT want to cut corners on. So, 72 hours = 3 days = 3 gallons/per person = 24 pounds of water for each person you intend to survive on the contents of your bag.

To make this easier, having a water bottle, Camelback system or canteen to get you started, then having other ways to filter water are hugely popular and commonly used items.

Water filters, iodine tablets or just having the ability to boil water are all ways to further the effectiveness of your BOB and help your chances of surviving long term.

Having access and capability of boiling water will definitely help you in your choices of meals to pack. Also, having high-protein/calorie “spacers” can also be a huge plus, while taking up minimal space. Energy and protein Bars are great single-meal substitutes and/ or ways to keep your body functioning in time of stress. The food subject also brings about some options in terms of how you want to center your food preps in your bug out bag. Cooking stoves, using either fire or alternative fuel sources, are also worth considering, giving you even more options in gathering, trapping, hunting or fishing for food.

As key and crucial as food and water are on the list of survival items, neither will do you any good if you die from hypothermia or exposure to the elements. Proper clothing rounds out the Big 3 (Water, Food, Clothing). This is probably the item(s) that will change the most frequently in your BOB, and not only due to eating too much over the Holidays!

Asking 10 people will get you 10 different answers to the exact clothing items they pack, but these are the core items. Build upon these or pack the essentials, either way you look at it, seasonal clothing and planning for the seasons in your AO are the keys to making your gear work for you.

Preparing for 72 hours or longer will require you to rest at some point – no amount of adrenaline will keep you going for that long. Having some gear to keep you warm and dry will be worth its weight in Gold. Small tents, hammocks or even just a tarp which is stretched between a couple of trees is all that is needed.

Something to keep the wet off your head is great, but the ground itself will suck more heat/energy out of you than anything. So, remember to keep the rain off your head with a tent or a tarp, but don’t underestimate the importance of a sleeping pad or ground tarp. Both of these paired with an adequate sleeping bag (Remember your AO) or some type of bedroll will help you in getting some much needed rest.

Making decisions about first-aid/medical is an article/multiple articles/a complete book(s) upon itself. As with everything else in your BOB, think this one through. Simply snatching a First-Aid off the Walgreen’s shelf, simply won’t do. While some are OK, most have “fillers” of, well junk, that you simply won’t need/use and at that point is doing nothing more than taking up space in your pack that could be filled with something you actually need.

I suggest you make your own. Making your own benefits you in several ways – You only have the stuff that you actually need/want, it gives you first-hand knowledge of what is actually in your med kit and makes you ask yourself one, simple question: can I use everything in my kit. Education is part of prepping, get to it.

Your BOB’s clothing closet should be addressed every season, exchanging your lightweight, thin summer clothing for layers and warmth when Old Man Winter starts rearing his ugly head, and vice versa.

Aside from the clothing you are wearing when donning your bug out bag, your pack should hold one complete change of clothes: 1.)

1 Pair of Long Pants preferably not blue jeans, but blue jeans are better than nothing.

2.)

1 Good Pair of Boots/Shoes

3.)

2 Pairs of socks

4.)

2 Shirts – Again, layering is best, keep this in mind.

5.)

Jacket – something that doubles for both warmth and rain pro tection is best.

6.)

Insulated underwear (if applicable)

7.)

Hat/Bandana/ Beanie – All 3, where applicable.

BUG OUT BAG - ARE YOU READY Along with antibiotic, bandages and ibuprofen, you need to think a little deeper. Do you have any prescription meds? Pack ‘em. Are you in snake country? You need a snake bite kit. Do you have a food/drug allergy? Bring your Epi-Pen. Are you diabetic? Don’t forget your insulin. A lot of this stuff is common sense, but unless you have thought through all of this, it’s something that can easily be missed when throwing items into a duffel bag at the last second as you try to escape a raging forest fire. Point being, don’t let an oversight be what kills you – in fact, don’t let anything be what kills you. Think it through. Cover all your bases. Survive.

There are a lot of items that some people would talk about before talking about weaponry, but not me. For me, I would much rather have a pistol than a survival saw or entrenching tool (e-tool), but that’s just me. And, once again, if you’ve thought this through, you don’t have to do without. Either way, weaponry and protection is nothing to take lightly.

I think it goes without saying that a firearm of some flavor is your best bet – but not necessarily. Your flavor or weapon is as personal as it gets. Whether it’s a rifle, a shotgun, a pistol or all of the above, take what you are comfortable with. I know what I am comfortable with and pack accordingly – if you do the same, you’ll be a good shape. Odds are, if you are in a scenario where you are having the utilize your BOB, you are not the only person in a survival scenario and being able to adequately defend yourself is part of the mindset of a survivalist. Having all the food or water in the world does you no good, if you can’t protect it or yourself.

The last group of essentials is actually a conglomerate. This list will include everything from your knife, to your fire-starting tools, to your cooking utensils to your flashlight. I’ll highlight a couple, definitely no in any particular order:

- Flashlights and headlamps are small, lightweight and extremely useful in any number of scenarios, not excluding a survival one. Having a couple of different flashlights and/or weapon lights can be extremely advantageous. Just make sure you have good/spare batteries.

- Knives. I am a big proponent of carrying a pocket knife and think it’s a sad day in this country when kids can’t/ shouldn’t be allowed to carry a pocket knife. It should truly be the first responsibility given to young, male children on the path to becoming a man. Have a knife. Whether it’s a pocket knife, fixedblade or some type of survival knife.

Have it. Or all of the above. Knives, of course, are extremely versatile tools and an item that fits multiple roles – from camp work, to hunting and cleaning game/fish, to personal protection.

- Fire starting is HUGE in my eyes. Multiple ways to attain fire is even better. The only time in this article that I will mention my pack specifically, will be here: In my bug out bag, I have 5 ways to make fire. And so should you. Maybe not 5, but definitely 3. Matches, lighters (simple BIC or full blown windproof butane torch lighters) and a fire steel are all 3 so very lightweight, but one of the most valuable items you can ever have in a situation where your life is on the line.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – don’t assume your matches won’t get wet, don’t assume your cigarette lighter won’t be low/out of fuel when you need it most and definitely don’t assume you know how to use a fire steel. Carry them all and know how to use them, you won’t be sorry.

- Bring a paracord. Paracord has more uses than you could think of. Tying up your tent or tarp, making a fishing or trap line, boot laces, pack repair, fire-starting bow drill and the list goes on forever. It’s lightweight and super useful.

- Zip-ties, multi-tool, compass, AO maps, a good watch, duct tape, carabiners, bandana/shemagh, small towel, personal hygiene products, a book, a deck of cards, a flask – this list is in no way encompassing and completely up to you. It’s a fine line, between having too much and too little, just make sure that each items in your bag has a use, or even better – multiple uses, and as long as you can justify the weight of that item, compared to the task it performs, pack it.

Having the gear to survive will help, knowing how to use the gear is another matter in itself. Knowing what you have, why you have it and how it can help you survive is the crucible of knowledge that everyone is trying to achieve or sharpen. Don’t be afraid to use your gear, abuse your gear, replace your gear and start over.

Test you bug out bag – take it on an impromptu weekend camping trip and see how it, and you, hold up and act accordingly on that info.

A BOB is a great place to start, but it all really takes for granted that you have a plan in place. Do you have a BOB that sits in a closet at home? What if you’re in your car? What if you’re at work? What about your wife/ significant other/kids? Do you have a rally point? Is everyone you are responsible for going to be thinking the same way? Where are you going, how are you getting there, what happens then, who will be there, what timelines and timeframes are you looking at – Do you have contingency plans? And a contingency plan for your contingency plan? Get on it. Good luck.

Why Take Your Smartphone Hunting?

PRACTICAL REASONS TO USE A SMARTPHONE There are as many reasons for taking a smartphone on a hunting trip as there are tasks that need to be done to improve the experience. For example, knowing the weather is one very important factor to consider on any hunt and a smartphone is an excellent tool for this.

Most outdoor sportsmen and women love to get outside for the solitude. When they’re in the deer blind or tree stand there are no co-workers yapping about irrelevant minutiae, no family members needing immediate assistance and no cellphones buzzing with urgent messages.

Being away from folks and phones has been two of the great benefits of hours in the wilderness. However, some hunters are rethinking the part about leaving the mobile phone home. Why? With all of the apps and other technology, this gadget has turned into an electronic Swiss Army Knife.

FROM ONE-TRICK PONY TO MULTI-MEDIUM Face it. We live in a wired world. This was, of course, planned by the brilliant – albeit nerdy – minds of communication pioneers such as Steve Jobs of Apple. While Jobs, who was the founder and chief innovator of this technobehemoth, is not someone you would likely want go deer hunting with, he did have a few creative thoughts about how the phone could be transformed from a one-trick pony to a multi-medium.

Now, this mobile device has become a smartphone and can do amazing things, especially if you have the add-ons such as apps which supercharge it. Whether you are hunting, fishing, hiking, biking or camping, there is most assuredly an app for that! As a result, it is becoming more and more popular to take that mobile phone hunting with you.

The daily forecast for the exact latitude and longitude is available with a couple of key strokes.

The exact time for sunrise and sundown is easily retrieved and this can tell you if you have enough time to move to a new location before sunset. Wind direction and intensity and of course the temperature can all affect the movement of game and they’re all as close as the smartphone screen.

In addition to tracking the weather, a smartphone with the contact information of a hunting guide can help the hunter keep track of other things. Because it’s his job to know, the guide will be aware of the movement of hogs, turkey, deer, elk and even migrating ducks and geese and can share this information with you as you’re traveling to the area.

Later, when you’re in the field, it’s a simple matter of reaching out to the guide via the phone to find where this game is moving while you’re in the blind. Are they coming your way or is it time to pack up and move in order to intercept them?

The location (GPS) function of a smartphone has, no doubt, saved many hunters who might otherwise been lost in the woods. There are compass apps which also allow the hunter to know the direction of the sunrise and wind direction in relation to tree stand or temporary blind set-up. This GPS function can also help a hunter pinpoint the place where that large covey of quail or giant buck was found last year.

FUN REASONS TO USE A SMARTPHONE How many times have you gotten back to camp, told your unbelieving buddies that you saw a herd of 25 or so deer, just out of range and every one of these Philistines made comments such as: “what were you smokin’ out there?” With a smartphone camera, this will never happen.

Not only can the smartphone capture your wildlife photos that The Outpost will likely publish in this magazine, but these images can be immortalized on the best bragging medium in history – Facebook! Social networks such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and especially Facebook are the perfect places for you to share the thrill of victory (that 12-point buck with your bow draped over his shoulder) and the agony of defeat (that photo of your buddy, still asleep at 4 am).

A smartphone can also be used as a reader device.

This means you can be catching up on the classics – Beowulf, Crime & Punishment, 50 Shades of Grey – while you’re sitting in the blind waiting for that giant buck or gaggle of geese to show themselves.

If you need some music to keep you awake while waiting for the game to show, a smartphone can play your iTunes or (even better) you can connect to The Outpost Radio (www.thoutpostlife.com) and hear the best country, honky tonk and southern rock on the planet. Music for the Great Outdoors is the motto of the Outpost Radio and all you need is a smartphone. You can listen to The Outpost radio via the website or download Live365 and play from there.

Men and women who love to hunt and fish are usually competitive. They may love getting out in the wilderness, just to get outside, but they also want to WIN! This means coming back with some fresh game for the table. Once these outdoor enthusiasts realize the advantages a smartphone gives them, there won’t be a question about whether to take it on the hunt or not.

TREESTAND SELFIE

The IQs of Alligators and Crocodiles

Are Greater Than we Thought NEW RESEARCH SUGGEST A CONSCIOUS HUNTING STRATEGY AMONG THESE REPTILES It’s almost universally understood that the non-bird reptiles – turtles, lizards, snakes crocodiles and alligators – are dumb and dumber. Everyone agrees that they’re scary, but very stupid. However, some recent research suggests this is incorrect.

In fact, the gators and crocs seem to be downright clever, especially in terms of using tools for hunting. You read right. These ferocious critters are smart enough to formulate strategy for catching dinner.

In an article published online Nov. 29 in the Journal Ethology Ecology and Evolution it was noted that Mugger crocodiles Crocodylus palustris in India and American alligators Alligator mississippiensis in the U.S. have both been observed to lie, partially submerged, beneath egret and heron colonies with sticks balanced across their snouts. The birds approach the reptiles to collect the sticks for use in nest building and the birds are surprised and eaten. As Scientific American opined, “If the crocodylians really are using the sticks as bait to attract their bird prey, this is tool use, since the sticks are objects that are being employed for a specific function.”

This is a Hunting Strategy Not a Random Act

The research proved the occurrence of sticks on the crocodylians was not random. The stick-displaying behavior was most frequently observed both in those crocs and gators living at rookeries and was exclusively observed during the egret and heron nesting season, being most frequent in late March and April, when the birds are working hard to find sticks.

The authors of the study are V. Dinets from the University of Tennessee's Psychology Department and J.C. Brueggen and J.D. Brueggen, both of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in Florida. In 13 years of working at the park, the Brueggens have regularly seen alligators floating in the pond with sticks balanced on their snouts as bird bait.

The researchers said floating sticks are extremely rare in the pools studied especially at the time of year concerned. This is because the local trees – bald cypresses and water tupelos – don’t shed twigs, but also because the nesting birds rapidly remove floating sticks for nest-building. “Therefore, deliberate collection and employment of sticks by the crocodylians seems most likely: it seems that they are practicing baiting behavior.”

BUT WAIT…THERE’S MORE! A number of surprising and unusual bits of behavior have been documented among crocs and gators in recent years. These including fruit eating, leaf eating, adoption of babies, the possible feeding of babies, climbing, co-operative hunting, pair-bonding and monogamy.

Plus it’s long been known that they have a complex, sophisticated set of vocal and postural communicative signals. These all show that crocodiles and alligators are complex, adaptable beasts that do many things that we might not consider likely.

Although the article didn't address Texas alligators, a report in the Houston Chronicle queried one Lone Star state alligator expert who said he's never seen the described behavior, but he's noticed others.

Amos Cooper, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's go-to source on all things alligator, said the creatures catch birds all the time and he has seen them herding fish.

"A bunch of them come up at the same time and one or two splash water," said Cooper, who has worked with the state's alligator program since 1986. "Then they chase the fish to the bank. It's a learning process.

They figure out how to do it."

As noted by the article authors, the "spectacular complexity" of crocodilian behavior has been recognized only recently. The reports states: "Historically viewed as lethargic, stupid and boring, crocodilians are now known to exhibit flexible multimodal signaling, advanced parental care and highly coordinated group hunting tactics."

LESSONS FROM THIS RESEARCH There is one primary take-away from this research.

Man is the most intelligent species on the planet. Our cognitive abilities – while little understood – are nothing short of amazing. We can communicate, experience complex emotions and even contemplate our own place in the universe. And yet, it’s amazing how little we know about animals – all animals.

The other take-away is pretty basic. Never underestimate the skill and motivation of alligators and crocodiles to successfully find a meal!

WHY RED LOBSTER WANTS YOUR RED SNAPPER

THE FIGHT BETWEEN RECREATIONAL ANGLERS AND COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN If you enjoy fishing for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, you might want to double check the restaurants where you take the family for dinner. Some of them want you to buy your fish from them, not catch them the old fashion way.

Darden Restaurants, the giant company which owns Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and Bahama Breeze, has been lobbying the regulatory bodies that set the quota for commercial and recreational fishing of this popular game fish to reduce the amount of red snapper weekend anglers can put on the table. Fortunately, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service (NOAA) maintained the current quotas in their December 10, 2013 report.

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However, the restaurant chains and commercial fishermen who work the Gulf will likely be back next year with the same argument. In a letter to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Roger Bing, who is the vice president of seafood purchasing at the Darden Chain, threw down a gauntlet that every recreational fisherman/women should consider.

WOODS & WATER: RED SNAPPER

He asked for “a review of the Gulf of Mexico recreational sector quota.” He noted, “the recreational sector is allocated a very large portion of the red snapper quota, almost equal to the commercial sector; however, they do not have the reporting requirements that the commercial sector does.”

He continued, “Additionally, some stocks in the Gulf of Mexico, including red snapper, are not on target to be rebuilt in 10 years as is mandated by the Magnuson-Stevens Act.” Bing wants improved data collection and monitoring from recreational anglers.

In 2013, the allocation of red snapper catch in the Gulf stood at 51 percent for commercial fishermen and 49 percent for recreational fishermen.

SHARE THE GULF COALITION WEIGHS IN As if the weekend angler needed more opposition, a new coalition of independent restaurant owners and fish mongers called Share the Gulf also raised questions about the fairness of what they see is a high percentage of the fish allocated to recreational fishermen. The chair of this group is Chef Stephen Stryjewski of New Orleans-based and upscale eateries: Cochon and Peche Seafood Grill.

He said, “This is a coalition of people and groups from across the Gulf that care about making sure access to the Gulf’s resources are shared fairly and sustainably.” This group claims the almost equal split is unfair to commercial fish purveyors and that the recreational anglers who target red snapper are caught in a failed management system resulting from outdated data collection.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND HAS AN OPINION Not to be left out, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders Alliance also asked for more restrictions on recreational fishing. In a letter to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, EDF’s Pam Baker asked the members to consider “catch shares” as a new way of managing coastal anglers.

She wrote, “For example, states can try methods such as harvest tags, similar to those used to allot hunting privileges for limited game populations like deer and elk. The tags could be allocated throughout the year to accommodate tourist seasons, tournaments and other priorities.”

WEEKEND ANGLERS ARE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS As you might imagine, not everyone believes the motives of commercial entities and antifishing groups are pure. Many groups that represent the recreational fishing community feel that these calls for better data collection, rules that help the red snapper population become more sustainable and the other politically correct statement are about one thing: money.

The executive director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), Jim Donofrio said, “These folks apparently don’t want you catching your dinner. They’d prefer you bought some overseas import raised in squalid, uninspected locations.”

Another advocate of the recreational angler, Captain Buddy Bradham said that he was confused by the testimony of the commercial interests.

“A group of New Orleans chefs were testifying about how the commercial fishermen needed more quota because they could not keep enough fish at their restaurants to supply the American consumer, yet commercial fishermen were testifying that they wanted an inter-sector trading plan to allow commercial fishermen to lease quota to charter boats and recreational fishermen.”

This begs the question: Do commercial fishing companies want to fish for the restaurants and consumers or do they want to set back and lease their quota to the recreational sector?

NOAA FISHERIES SERVICE RULING Each state with shoreline on the Gulf has its own rules about size and quantities, but the NOAA Fisheries Service sets the overall guidelines. They released these on December 10, 2013 for 2014.

26

The report states: On October 1, 2013, NOAA Fisheries Service published a final rule (Federal Register 57314, V. 78, No. 181) implementing an 11 million pound whole weight total allowable catch for Gulf of Mexico red snapper. This catch level was the highest ever for red snapper and was allocated 51% to the commercial sector and 49% to the recreational sector. The catch level is expected to remain at 11 mp through the 2014 season, but will be updated following the next stock assessment, which is scheduled for completion in winter 2014.

Under 50 CFR 22.34(b), the red snapper recreational fishing season opens each year on June 1 and closes when the recreational quota is met or projected to be reached. Prior to June 1 each year, NOAA Fisheries projects the season closing date based on the previous year’s data, and notifies the public of the closing date for the upcoming season.

Preliminary 2013 catch estimates produced by the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) using a new dockside intercept sampling methodology were unexpectedly high relative to previous years, and indicated the private and for-hire components of the recreational sector landed 5.8 mp ww.

Overall, the new MRIP catch estimates are more accurate and less biased than those produced in past years because MRIP redesigned the Access Point Angler Intercept Survey in March 2013 to provide better coverage of the variety of fishing trips ending at different times of day. Assuming the new survey methodology eliminated past biases, the new estimates might not be directly comparable to the 2013 quota or other red snapper management reference points, which were based on historical catch estimates using years of data and the prior methodology.

At this time, NOAA Fisheries does not have a sufficient understanding of how to use the 2013 MRIP landing estimates without better understanding how they fit into the broader scientific basis for red snapper management, which includes the stock assessment and the full historical times series of fishery data. Evaluations will be conducted prior to the 2014 stock assessment to better understand the relative contribution of the methodology change versus true shifts in angler behavior and landings to the unexpectedly high estimates for this year.

THE TRANSLATION OF THIS RULING – IN ENGLISH All that bureaucratic lingo means that the Feds have decided to keep the quota for recreational anglers and commercial entities at the same level they have been in the past. It also notes that even though they don’t understand HOW to use the new landing estimate methodologies…someday they will.

When that day arrives, there’s a good possibility that the competing interests will be back in some public building, listening to some hired guns spout facts about why “their side” should get to catch more red snapper than “the other side.”

Stay tuned.

Hold it! Is that a Button Buck?

• Look at body shapes of deer. Adult does are different in shape from juvenile deer. The mature doe is rectangular in shape with a long neck and face. Fawns are square-shaped and have a short neck and face.

TAKE A MINUTE AND SEE IF IT’S AN ADULT DOE OR BABY BUCK

• Button bucks often travel alone, but adult does rarely do. Consider this when you observe a single antlerless deer.

Each year many hunters harvest buck fawns, commonly called "button bucks," on antlerless deer licenses. Though legal, harvesting these deer may reduce the number of antlered bucks the following year. By learning the difference between adult does and buck fawns and observing the following suggestions, hunters can make a conscious choice about whether to harvest a buck fawn.

BUTTON BUCK

• Wait until more than three deer are together; then harvest one of the larger antlerless deer.

• If two juvenile deer are without an adult, one will probably be a button buck. Normally the young male is larger than the female and may be mistaken for an adult doe because of its larger size. Look at the head of the deer. A doe's head is normally more rounded on top between the ears, and a buck's head is flattened by the base of the antlers.

• Look closely with binoculars for the antler bases on button bucks.

• Wait until the deer are standing or moving slowly. It is easier to identify sex and age when deer are not running or moving fast.

• Shoot with good visibility. Poor light and heavy cover make it difficult to determine sex and age.

When it doubt, don’t shoot. They’ll probably be there next year, but bigger.

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Gettin Hunting

Tips from outdoorsman and fitness expert Jordan Miller of Run2Gun

January is traditionally the time when many wellmeaning people resolve to lose weight and get in better shape. This is a boon to the companies that own workout facilities because many of these outof-shape folks decide to sign up for a gym membership, purchase some very hip exercise togs and after a furious spurt, decide this workout stuff is boring and by the first day of March, they’re done.

With the New Year recently launched, now is a good time for outdoor sportsmen to look at ways to get in better shape and find ways to eliminate the joint and muscle pain that results from the repetitive actions of hunting, fishing, hiking and lifting. It’s not that complicated. It just requires some motivation.

To help us in this effort to get in shape, we asked avid outdoorsman and fitness expert, Jordan Miller of Run2Gun (www.run2gun.com) to give us some tips he uses with his fitness clients. First off, it’s interesting to note the theme of Run2Gun, found on the homepage of their website: In Each of us Lives a Hunter and in Every Hunter an Athlete.

We asked Jordan what mindset an outdoorsman/woman needs to get into in order to begin a fitness program.

“Become an active outdoorsman, by stepping back and remembering why you love being part of the outdoors,” Miller said.

“This will encourage a continued effort of motivation to stay active in the sport you love. Whether that be, hiking, backpacking, jogging, or weight training, learn to develop a self- awareness of enjoyment within the time spent doing these activities.”

In other words, have fun. If it’s not fun, you won’t do it for long.

HUNTERS OF THE TRIBE Many generations ago, the hunters of the tribe were lean and mean. This is because they were constantly on the move, foraging for game, to feed everyone else. They could eat hearty meals of red meat or fish, nuts and berries and never become fat because their “job” required constant, physical activity. They could walk or run for hours, carrying weapons big enough to kill, skin and process a buffalo and never feel it the next morning.

ng In g Shape

Ironically, the same evolutionary forces that encouraged the earliest humans to eat massive quantities of food, for fear that they might not eat again for days, is killing current day Homo sapiens.

This difference is we eat like we might not see food for a few days but we don’t chase wild game for miles on foot!

You may not be fat. At least you may tell yourself that you’re not fat. However, if some of the fun of your hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing or just being outside is causing you to be exhausted or in pain, it might be time to take a couple of easy steps to fix this.

EAT BETTER

THOSE DAYS ARE LONG GONE. Since laptops have replaced hunting bows for most of us, and we don’t get to hunt or fish except on the weekend or other rare occasions, the stress of climbing mountains or over rough terrain, repeatedly shouldering guns or casting lines often results in pain. Plus, this is made even worse if a sedentary lifestyle adds 30 or 40 extra pounds on the outdoor sportsperson’s gut.

LOSING WEIGHT: IT’S PHYSICS Losing weight is simple. All you have to do is burn more calories than you consume. If you want to eat foods with high carbohydrates, sugar or transfats, then eat all you want. Just make sure you get enough physical activity to burn these often empty calories.

This basic law of physics is made more complicated by the fact that no one has the extra time or interest in exercise and almost nobody wants to follow some cockamamie diet. As a result, we have the unhealthiest, most overweight population in history. Just look around your office, airport or any public place. You’ll see a lot of red-faced, pudgy or downright fat people everywhere.

Young kids are getting Type II diabetes that will affect them for the rest of their life because they are chronically obese. Kids tend watch their parents and learn many bad habits. Young and middle-aged adults are experiencing heart attacks, diabetes, joint failures and a wide range of other physical problems and diseases because as a society we’re fat and getting fatter.

So long as you burn same amount of calories that you consume, you’re good in terms of having a healthy weight. Unfortunately, unless you’re a professional athlete, you’re not going to burn nearly enough calories to meet this goal. So, you need to make a little effort to cut back on the empty (i.e. those that don’t do anything for your muscles but make you fat) calories.

There’s a certain irony in the situation of someone who is an outdoor sports enthusiast, who loves to chase after wild game and probably has a whole freezer full of the most healthy meat and fish, being overweight. What does Jordan Miller suggest for a healthy meal?

“A ‘healthy meal’ should include the 3 macro-nutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fats,” he notes.

“As hunters and outdoorsman we all love our protein and why not? Venison and fish are two extremely lean protein options. Meaning there is not much fat within the meat. This will enable you to cook your meat in healthy olive/coconut oil. Throw in some sweet potato fries and broccoli for your carbohydrates and you will table-satisfied,” he said.

So, eat what you kill and be conscious of including healthy vegetables.

You don’t have to give up fried chicken or cold beer to be healthy. Just consume these in moderation.

There are some foods and beverages that you might want to cut way back on or eliminate from your diet completely.

Here are a few: • Soft drinks, including energy drinks • Cookies, candy and sweets • Fast food (anything fried in a big vat of transfats) MOVE IT! Most people don’t exercise because it’s boring and they’d rather be doing something more interesting. Plus, they think that fitness programs are put together by people like that attractive but mean trainer on the “Biggest Loser.” It’s not necessary to commit hours every day to get into hunting and fishing shape. However, some moderate exercise, where you actually breathe faster and increase the oxygen intake is required.

We asked Jordan, who lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and works with outdoorsmen/women all over the U.S., what exercises somebody could do while they’re waiting for those ducks to fly into a spread or that whitetail deer to come into range. Here are his suggestions: “First off, don’t let the dog do all the work. Step out of the reeds and retrieve a couple of ducks. Walking through the slough mud and water will not only help strengthen the legs but challenge the heart rate as well.”

“Secondly, make a bet with your buddies. Often my friends and I will make friendly bets that tally on 5 pushups for every missed shot. Once back at the truck at the end of the day we cheer each other on to finish all the reps. THIS will quickly improve your shooting if you are on a multiple day hunt!”

“Finally, when I am trying to stay warm (which is OFTEN in South Dakota!), I tighten up my core (stomach/abs) as though I was on the floor doing a front plank. I hold tight for 60 seconds then relax. I continue with several more rounds to challenge my abs as well as keep my core temperature high.”

At the end of this jogging period, kick it up again for 30-seconds. Do this for 40 minutes to an hour 3 or 4 days a week and you will very likely see your weight dropping and your energy level increasing.

While walking and jogging is still pretty boring, if you include the dog, kids or spouse, you will have buddies to keep your motivation higher. I know from personal experience that this interval training works.

Without changing my diet and using this approach, I lost 10 pounds in about 2 months and kept if off.

WHEN THE PAIN IS MORE SERIOUS

There are lots of ways to get the old pulse rate up. The easiest way is to combine walking and jogging or jogging and harder running in an interval training program. If you include your hunting dog (s) and/or kids and spouses in this program, everybody can lose some weight and get higher energy levels.

Interval training sounds complicated but it isn’t. The idea is to keep moving for about 40 minutes to an hour, and while you’re moving, supercharge this activity with 30 seconds of higher energy exercise.

Here’s how it can work. Say you haven’t done any exercise since you were in the army about a hundred years ago.

Start off by walking. Find an area with few cars or cyclists and walk at a regular rate for 3 minutes. Then, without stopping, pick up the pace and jog for 30 seconds.

At the end of this 30-second jog, don’t stop to catch your breath (this is the key to this interval training), just continue walking for 3 minutes, then shift to the 30-second jog.

Continue this routine of walking/jogging for 40 minutes to an hour every other day, or about 4 times a week.

After a couple of weeks, you may be able to start the interval training by slowly jogging for 3-minutes and as before, without stopping, kick it up a little and try running as hard as you can for only 30-seconds. At the end of this harder run, don’t stop, just slow down to catch your breath with the jog for 3 to 5 minutes.

If excess weight is reduced and there is still pain in the back, hips, legs and shoulders after a day in the field, this may be a harbinger of more serious problems. As our bodies age, injuries that occurred even as early as childhood and were not seen as serious at the time can result in osteoarthritis in knee, hips and shoulder joints. Injuries to the discs that cushion the spinal column can cause excruciating back pain. These conditions can only be diagnosed and fixed by an orthopedic specialist.

We asked Dr. James D. Cable, Sports and Occupational Medicine specialist at Texas Back Institute of Plano, Texas what are the most common injuries and diseases for people who enjoy outdoor sports such as hunting, fishing and hiking.

“We see slip and fall injuries that are the result of walking over irregular ground, injuries that occur from pushing vehicles out of the mud and falling out of deer blinds frequently,” Dr. Cable noted.

“These cause milder ankle, knee and back sprains mostly, but occasionally severe sprains, cruciate tears, meniscal tears, herniated discs and fractures.”

HOW CAN THIS PAIN BE ELIMINATED? “Routine safety procedures, such as wearing good hiking boots, walking carefully over uneven ground and slowly if you can’t see because of the underbrush, testing ladders and branches before climbing, testing loads before lifting and using good body mechanics will go a long way in preventing these painful injuries,” he added.

EXERCISES AND EQUIPMENT TO PREVENT PAIN Repetitive actions that occur with upland bird hunting, casting a fishing lure or hiking a mountain trail can wreak havoc on the muscles, joints and back in a body of any age. If there has been a traumatic injury such as a fall or disease such as osteoarthritis this is made even worse. Given the sophistication of highly calibrated exercise equipment and the innovative physical therapy techniques, are there any suggestions that will help an outdoorsman strengthen the muscles in the back and upper body and the hips, knees and legs?

Jason Brewton, Physical Therapist at the Texas Back Institute said, “Sedentary work settings combined with meal heavy, overcommitted lifestyles leave little time for the physical activity previous generations engaged in daily.

“The body is made to move and lack of movement is the root of many health problems including musculoskeletal pain. The answer is not found in sophisticated equipment or the latest innovative program. The answer is as simple as engaging in an active lifestyle where movement based activities are a daily occurrence.

If you are preparing for an outdoor trip consider the physical work required and prepare ahead of time by actually doing some of those activities.”

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIVE WITH PAIN For anyone who lives for the opportunity to be in the field or on the water pursuing wild game, a little pain is a small price to pay for the experience of the chase. However, if that annoying little pain becomes chronic, even macho outdoor sportsmen need to take positive actions to alleviate it.

This may mean modifying a junk food diet or increasing exercise to shed some extra pounds that put pressure on the joints and muscles. It might also mean seeing an orthopedic specialist to treat or replace an injured or damaged joint. In any case, getting to hunt, fish, hike or ski without pain will be worth it.

it may be cold, but the fish are still biting HOW TO HAVE FUN AND STAY SAFE WHEN YOU’RE ICE FISHING Fish don’t hibernate, even when it’s 10 degrees. They’re down there, below the foot-thick ice with smiles on their little fish faces…humming the song: “Catch us if you Can!” Any hard-core angler who lives near a lake in Canada or the northern states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas knows that the winter months are the perfect time to get out the auger, drill through the ice, set up the tent or shack and drop a line. While the conditions are somewhat nippy, the catch can be worth the shivers.

THE COLD, HARD FACTS Ice fishing is a little more involved than just driving out to a lake and casting a line. First of all, there’s the ice. It has to be penetrated. Most people use an auger designed for this chore, but a chisel or ice saw can also be used to cut a circular or rectangular hole in the ice. Some hearty souls even use an ax, but this involves a lot more physical labor than most sane fishermen care to exert!

Most ice fishermen also bring along some type of shelter. These can be as rudimentary as tents or tiny wooded shacks and as elaborate as rooms with multiple bunks, cooking stoves and refrigerators. Most anglers call them ice shacks or (the more literary of the group) call them “ice shanties.” Whatever they’re called, they pretty much reflect the personality of the angler.

Regardless of how fancy or basic his ice shanty is, just about every ice fisherman brings along a small heater. This is used for two reasons: keeping the angler warm during the hours spent over solid ice and keeping the fishing hole from freezing over.

If the temp falls to -29F, it becomes difficult to keep the recently dug hole from freezing over. At this temperature, it is also difficult to keep the fisherman’s nose from freezing and falling off!

BE SAFE There’s also the question of safety. That ice is made of water, which comes in various degrees of solidity. When you put a 200-pound angler and his/ her shelter on top of a not-sothick layer of ice. Well, you can see the potential for mayhem.

Each year about this time, the Fish and Wildlife agencies in most states where ice fishing is possible put out a list of “Dos and Don’ts” about the sport and before you venture out on the ice, you might want to read them. Here’s an executive summary to think about before hitting the ice or the cold water on next page:

Photo by: Mike Ernst www.bosticoutdoorphotography.com

Photo by: Jessica Fidler Truly Canadian

• Leave your car or truck on the shore. Every year, some body’s vehicle goes through the ice and sometimes anglers drown in the process.

• Waves from open water can quickly break up large areas of ice. If you see open water in the lake and the wind begins to pick up, get off the ice pronto!

• Leave info about your fishing plans – when, where, etc. – with someone and make sure they’re capable of calling out the cavalry if you don’t make it home when you said you would.

• Bring a fully-charged mobile phone with you.

• Wear a personal flotation device • Don’t fish alone.

• Carry a set of hand spikes to help you work your way out of the surface of the ice if you happen to fall through. Holding one in each hand, you can alternately punch them into the ice and pull yourself up and out.

These spikes don’t have to be fancy. You can make a set from large nails.

• Be very cautious when you’re crossing ice near river mouths, points of land, bridges, islands and over reefs and springs. The current causes ice to be thinner in these areas.

• Always carry a safety line that can be tossed to someone who’s gone through the ice. Some experts suggest that ice fishermen use the “Reach-Throw-Go” approach if someone should fall through the ice. If you can’t reach them from shore, throw them a flotation device or rope.

If you still can help them quickly – Go for help. Don’t walk out on the ice to help your buddy because you might fall through the ice.

• Avoid going onto ice if it has melted away from the shore. This indicates that melting is underway and the ice can shift position as wind direction changes.

• Heated shanties must have good ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Always open a window or door part way to allow fresh air in.

• Since ice varies in thickness and condition, always carry a chisel or ice spud to check the ice as you proceed.

DROPPING A LINE: TECHNIQUES FOR ICE FISHING There are as many variations on ice fishing as there are fishermen. However, most folks use one of these three methods for this chilly sport.

The easiest method is to use a standard fishing rod and reel rigged with brightly colored lures or jigs. Live bait such as large worms, crappie and shiny minnow is also used. The angler raises and lowers the lure or bait to give some motion to the presentation.

Another popular ice fishing strategy involves using “TipUps.� These are made of wood or plastic, and have a spool of line attached, with a thin piece of metal that goes from the spool to a flag. Black line is on the spool and a swivel is placed at the end of the black line. A piece of fishing line with a hook is attached to the swivel. Worms or small minnows are placed on the hook.

The hook with bait is placed into the water under the ice and the fun begins.

Ice fishing guides have a couple of theories about the optimal depth that the bait is to be dropped for this Tip-Up method. One thought is the bait is placed about a yard or one meter under the ice. The second is that the bait is placed two to three meters under the ice. Yet another opinion is that the bait is suspended one foot (30 cm) above the bottom of the lake.

When the fish strikes the bait, the flag is lifted sending the message that every fisherman want to hear. There is an opportunity for the angler to play the fish and tire it before retrieval of the line. When the angler can see the fish's head through the hole in the ice, the fish is can be hoisted onto the ice.

Spear fishing is also a popular way to ice fish. This requires a larger hole in the ice and the deployment of fish decoys. A dark hut or ice shanty is also required for this tactic. The angler closely watches the water while holding a large spear which has four or five points and is attached to a secured line. This method is often used for lake sturgeon fishing. There are some restrictions in the U.S. for this spear fishing and local regulations should be checked before using this method.

Photo by: Mike Ernst www.bosticoutdoorphotography.com

WHAT’S DOWN THERE? When a lake or reservoir freezes over in the winter, the fish that were enjoying the autumn and summer weather a few months ago are still there, just swimming deeper.

So, the types of fish an ice angler is likely to catch are the same species that inhabit the waterway year-round. Lake trout, walleye, Muskie, pike and other hearty fish are all there for the taking. However, different fishing tactics are necessary when they are swimming under 3 feet of ice.

Photo by: www.wackeywalleye.com

LAKE TROUT

WALLEYE

Some experts believe that lake trout may be the easiest fish to snare on an ice fishing expedition. They are prowling predators and are always on the look-out for baitfish such as silvery ciscoes, whitefish, smelt, shiners, and perch. They also take advantage of sunken structures – stumps, debris – to trap their next meal.

So, if the angler has knowledge of the lake and some idea where these “traps” are located, there’s a better than zero chance of finding lake trout.

It’s not necessary to be a brainiac biologist or crusty old fishing guide to understand how the Walleye got its name.

All one needs to do is shine a jacklight into the water when one of these fish is swimming by. The name comes from the fact that their eyes, like those of lions, reflect white light. As online reference Wikipedia notes, “This eyeshine is the result of a light-gathering layer in the eyes, which allows the fish to see well in low-light conditions. In fact, many anglers look for walleyes at night since this is when major feeding patterns occur. The fish's eyes also allow them to see well in turbid water which gives them an advantage over their prey. Thus, walleye anglers will commonly look for days and locations where there is a good "walleye chop" or rough water.”

Where are the best depths to catch these lake trout?

It depends on the time of year. In the early winter, the ice is not a thick and an angler can find this species in depths of 20 to 60 feet. Later in the winter – say February – the ice is thicker and the rays of the sun don’t penetrate into the water as much. This results in the plankton and other tiny plants, which feed smaller fish, rising closer to the diminished sunlight. When smaller fish such as perch follow its food, the lake trout follow.

In addition to hanging around the structures on the bottom of the lake, these fish respond best to movement.

As a result the best lures are tube jigs, Jigging Rapalas, airplane jigs, or spoons. Plus, fishing guides say that any action that simulates a dead or dying cisco, smelt, or perch is the ticket to catch lake trout. This action is typically erratic so the presentation should follow suit.

Most guides agree that the Tip-Up method of ice fishing works best for walleye and the most popular baits are jigs, including the Jigging Rapala; Nils Master Jigger, Nils Master Jigging Shad, and Baby Jigging Shad. These lures imitate the profile and swimming action of baitfish and when the angler adds movement such as lifts and wiggles, the walleye go nuts.

Where walleye hang out is based on the fish’s tendency to forage for baitfish such as perch. Walleye will try to “flush” these smaller fish from the bottom of the lake and then grab one when they scatter. For this reason, the best depth for the lure is about 4 or 5 feet above the floor of the lake.

PIKE & MUSKIE Two of the largest fresh-water fish are related. Both pike and Muskie come from the from the pike family of Esocidae. Both are ambush predators and did we mention they are both BIG. Since they live in fresh water and are massive, they are almost irresistible to most ice fisherman. Unfortunately, they are also wily which makes difficult to catch, but also enhances the challenge for the anglers who choose to pursue them.

Because these fish are large and therefore need to constantly on the hunt for their next meal, the time of the season – especially as it relates to ice thickness – is a large determinate on their location. In the early winter season, when the ice is not as thick, pike and Muskie tend to forage in the shallow water and this is the best place to catch them. Midwinter, when the ice is much thicker, these fish are found in much deeper water.

Both of these fish spawn in early March and begin to stage their move to favorite romantic rendezvous areas in February, at the end of winter. Their movement is also encouraged by full moons. Fishing guides who work the U.S. Midwest note that the areas where these fish were born and will then spawn are near marshlands in lakes, eutrophic bays, creeks, and rivers. Ice fishermen who have knowledge of these areas (which are not always easy to find given weather conditions) can drill their holes accordingly and have a better chance of successfully hauling in one or more of these monsters.

Most pike and muskies have been caught on tip-ups using dead bait. Since they have to eat constantly to maintain those large bodies, these fish are not too choosey when it comes to eating. The best size for these dead baits is 8 to 9 inches and many ice anglers prefer herring for this.

IT’S IN OUR DNA There’s something very primal about ice fishing.

Early humans obviously had to eat whether it was sunshine or freezing. If they lived near a water source, they had to figure out how to catch enough fish to survive. This survival DNA was likely passed on to those of us who walk the planet now and it’s been enhanced by a sense of adventure that modern man doesn’t get to experience very often.

Overcoming the cold and figuring out where the fish are under all that ice is a challenge that the hearty souls who love this sport live for.

THE OUTPOST: IN THE MIND OF THE MAKER

THE BRILLIANT MIND OF EDWARD COUVILLIER

A FASCINATING DOCUMENTARY IN THE MAKING

– CAJUN BOAT BUILDER

Finding Myette Point, Louisiana on a standard highway map is challenging. When writer/director C.E. Richard told me this was where we were going to meet with the subject of his newest film project – In the Mind of the Maker – I started looking in my favorite atlas and later on 3 or 4 online maps for this mysterious place. I finally found it.

As it turns out, Myette Point is only an hour or so away from Lafayette. One need only go south on U.S. 90 through Youngsville, New Iberia and Jeanerette, then a few lefts and rights through small communities such as Franklin and Baldwin and pretty soon you’re in the vicinity of one of the best known Louisiana waterways – Bayou Teche.

When this legendary stream comes into sight, Myette Point is somewhere close by. All that’s needed from here is the knowledge of which country highway(s) in St. Mary Parish get you there. If you’ve never been in this part of the world, this trip gives new meaning to the term “Louisiana Byway.”

Calling this route through the heart of South Louisiana’s Cajun country charming and colorful doesn’t begin to do it justice. Words are really inadequate. The best word I can come up with is fecund. The natural environment, music, food, in fact, the entire culture in this part of the world is richly fecund. If you don’t smile a lot, you’re not trying.

Riding down the highway, you just know these swamps, rivers, lakes and dense forests are literally teeming with fish and game. My angler’s antennae could pick up the unmistakable signals of the sac au lait swimming around the cement pylons below the highway. However, C.E. Richard (aka Charles) our traveling companion Jim Delahoussaye and I had no time for fishing on this hazy fall morning. We were on our way to meet Mr. Edward Couvillier, master boat builder.

RADIO FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS The Outpost Radio is the first radio station dedicated to hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors. You can hear us on your smartphone, desktop or tablet‌just about anywhere. The Outpost Radio is a mix of great music and information that celebrates the outdoors! Give us a listen. Click on The Outpost logo below to listen now!

CAJUN WOODEN BOATS Mr. Edward is a savant. He can build beautiful, sturdy wooden boats with simple tools and no written plans.

That’s correct. He builds these one-of-a-kind boats from the images in his brain. His story and the entire culture of Cajun wooden boat builders is what Charles Richard is currently capturing on his documentary In the Mind of the Maker: A movie about memory, imagination and building a boat.

The synopsis of the movie – to be shot in the Spring and Summer of 2014 – suggests many lessons to be learned.

Edward Couvillier is an 85-year-old Cajun boat builder, living in the remote Atchafalaya Basin swamps of French Louisiana. He’s unschooled. But his brain is capable of surprising achievements— things that intrigue neuroscientists and confound trained engineers.

Four men chatting about what else? Wooden skiffs. From left to right: Edward Covillier, (his son) Larry Couvillier, C.E. Ricard and Jim Delahoussaye.

Mr. Couvillier is able to visualize his creations in such extraordinarily precise detail, and in such perfect proportions, that he has no need for blueprints, plans, or even recorded measurements. He merely builds what he sees in his mind’s eye.

Patterned after an ancestral memory, his graceful cypress boats are subtly shaped, with lines as fine as a Euclidean dream; more akin to art than carpentry. Functional, yes.

But “unnecessarily beautiful” too.

For centuries, this is how boat builders practiced their craft; a few still do. But as traditional ways of life disappear around the world, so do the unique cognitive capacities of artisans like Mr. Couvillier; little by little, the mind’s eye goes blind. For many modern makers, this kind of creativity has become nothing short of mysteri- NEW APPRECIATION FOR THE BRAIN ous.

Concerns about degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s have helped to create an entire niche in preventative “braincare.” These run from very sophisticated Functional MRI-based therapies and analysis to more simple “therapies” that resemble games.

In the Mind of the Maker is a meditation on this mystery. Reaching far beyond boat building at the edge of the swamp, this lyrical film explores the workings of the brain; the elusive phenomena of memory and imagination; new technologies for 3D visualization; the evolution of modern industry from ancient craft; and the curious The brain “workout” sites such as Lumosity and others science behind creativity itself.

Presented in English and French, In the Mind of the Maker documents not only the building of a rare Creole Rowing Skiff, but also the efforts of an aging craftsman to preserve and pass along to his sons a threatened heritage that ultimately proves much more important than just woodworking.

tout their ability to stimulate the neuroplasticity of the human brain. This process involves the brain’s ability to constantly re-wire itself in cases of injury or disease. After a few minutes conversation with Edward Couvillier, it’s obvious that this 85-year old boat builder could be the poster child for neuroplasticity!

WOODS & WATER: IN THE MIND OF THE MAKER THE VISION OF THE DOCUMENTARY “Mr. Edward’s work in designing and building these boats shows a remarkable capacity for visualization,” noted C. E. Richard, writer and director of this documentary and university film professor.

“I got this idea for making the film when another University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) professor, Dr. Ray Brassieur of the Department of Sociology & Anthropology suggested it. Ray, who has extensively studied and even built these types of boats, felt that understanding the remarkable skill of men such as Mr. Couvillier was a window into extraordinary creative minds and the culture that spawned them.”

“After researching this topic for several months, I found a wealth of information about the Cajun Boatbuilder culture of South Louisiana. I knew this would be my next documentary project,” Richard said.

This film represents an interesting academic partnership between the arts and sciences at UL Lafayette. Disciplines as diverse as folklore, anthropology, neuroscience and visualization technology are all important to the telling of this story. Because of the contributions of the University, the filmmakers have given a producers credit to the school.

Richard is set to shoot the location scenes of the documentary – Mr. Edward at work in his workshop, running trotlines for catfish and building what will likely be his last boat – in the spring (2014). The natural beauty of the area will, no doubt, be a stunning backdrop for the story of the two generations of the Couvillier family which still build these amazing boats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omcsIEjAgyM

YOU CAN BE A PART OF THIS GROUNDBREAKING FILM Over the next few months, the production team involved in this film will allow Outpost readers come along, down the Bayou Teche and Atchafalaya River a become a part of this history-making documentary. We have been afforded the opportunity to go behind the scenes “In the Mind of the Maker” to show people who love the great outdoors what goes into making a handmade wooden boat.

Take it from someone who has shared some hot boudin and a long conversation with Mr. Edward, his son Larry, Jim Delahoussaye and Charles Richard, this is one ride you don’t want to miss.

The production is also looking for some crowdsourced funding and you can get involved in this as well. You can contribute to the film’s Indigogo campaign by clicking here (link). It’s not often that you get to be a part of history and we urge you to do so.

Next time: “In the Mind of the Maker, Part Deux.”

We’ll cover the design of these unique boats and why they evolved the way they have, how an 85year old man can catch enough catfish to feed half of St. Mary parish and where memory goes.

SYSTEMS, INC.

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Gear Keeper - Keeping Rangefinders Secure Losing a rangefinder and other similar gear in the field can be frustrating and expensive. There’s a new innovation that keeps this from happening. It is the Gear Keeper ® Retractable Hunting Gear Tethers and Gear Keeper Integrated Retractable Holster for rangefinders.

These Gear Keeper tethers are durable, convenient and silent. Plus, they keep expensive hunting equipment exactly where it belongs. The Gear Keeper Integrated Retractable Holster for rangefinders protects this tool in a padded holster, keeping it safe from nicks, scrapes, damage and loss. It’s designed specifically for a rangefinder and also it to fit snuggly inside. The holster itself sits close to your body, providing unencumbered mobility and ultimately greater stealth when stocking your prey. Why? There’s no dangling equipment to get snagged or banged around.

This rangefinder holster has an ultra-quiet, retractable cable which allows the hunter to quickly grab the rangefinder, use it, then just a quickly let it glide effortlessly and quietly back into place. The Gear Keeper Retractable Holster measures 41/2” x 11/2”x 41/2.” It is strap mount, which means it can easily attach to a belt or pack strap and is available in Realtree Camo. The retractor has a 9 oz. force and extends to 32 inches.

The Gear Keeper’s spring-loaded Deluxe Instrument Tether is also great for keeping rangefinders weighing up to 9 oz., small cameras or even dog training transmitters within arm’s reach and ready for action from any position. This unit features a 30-inch extension and it offers total mounting flexibility via its combo attachment system which includes a snap clip or threaded stud option, making it easy to securely connect to a hunting jacket or pack.

For more information on Gear Keeper equipment visit their website at www.gearkeeper.com

If you’d like to win great gear like this, keep watching The Outpost Facebook page for more details.

Just LIKE the page and watch for the contest.

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Bore-Tips Make Shotgun Cleaning Easy

AR GE

Is there anything more boring than cleaning a shotgun? The grit and grime that result from even a one-day hunt can permanently damage the bore if it’s not removed completely.

Fortunately, this chore has been made easier by the company Swab-its ® with its new Bore-Tips® brands of shotgun cleaning swabs.

These cleaning swabs are available in 12 gauge or 20 gauge sizes. They come in packs of three and provide the same, fast, easy, lint-free cleaning performance. They are washable and reusable and provide the same effectiveness as shooters get with the Bore-Tips used in rifles and pistols.

These little tips provide a lot of cleaning power. The foam Bore-Tips provide the ultimate in barrel bore cleaning with their tight, bore-fitting, 360-degree cleaning surface. They deliver improved barrel cleaning and maximum lubrication.

In addition to the 12ga and 20ga shotguns, Bore-Tips are available in: • • • • •

357 cal/9mm .22 cal .30 cal .40 cal .45 cal

The retail price is $9.98 for a package of three. The Bore-Tips are available from Graf & Sons, Gun Accessory Supply, RSR and W.L. Baumler. For more information or to order, click on www.swab-its.com.

If you’d like to win great gear like this, keep watching The Outpost Facebook page for more details.

Just LIKE the page and watch for the contest.

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Gorilla Gear Presents a Better Tree Stand Harness

It’s estimated that falls from tree stands kill more than 20 hunters every year.

With all of the publicity about this hazard, why don’t more hunters use a harness?

Hunters are more likely to wear a safety harness or vest if it fits right and allows them to hunt without restrictions. Giving hunters the freedom to hunt safely and comfortably was the Gorilla Gear team’s mission when they were charged with designing the new G-TAC Ghost.

Any experienced hunter understands that safety has to be the top priority in the field. However, they shouldn’t have to compromise on comfort when choosing gear that can potentially save their life. The G-TAC Ghost vest allows the hunter to take his shot from any position and in any circumstance with complete flexibility and comfort.

There are two reasons hunters are opting for the G-TAC Ghost vest. First, it incorporates a unique tether system into a comfortable vest. Unlike standard length tethers, the 30” proprietary tether offers both performance and a safety benefit.

The additional length gives hunters a 360-degree shooting range for unrestricted shot angles. This means the hunter chooses the shot instead of settling for a shot that the tether permits.

Secondly, falls will happen and when they do the G-TAC Ghost vest provides a 40% gentler fall due to its unique tether webbing system. Unlike other harnesses, Gorilla Gear does not use box stiches, which rely on a single stitch for strength. The G-TAC Ghost vest webbing construction overlaps and loops around, providing the ability to ride down in a gentler manner during a fall.

Finally, the all-weather mesh design stretches over a wider area, increasing airflow and comfort even during the warmest temperature. Plus, the mesh is quieter than cotton vests in the field. It’s 40% lighter weight than competitive products, doesn’t have a constraining waist belt and features oversized pockets and a built-in shoulder pad.

Every hunter agrees that safety is the reason to wear a harness.

However, comfort and flexibility in taking a shot are almost as important.

With the G-TAC Ghost vest from Gorilla Gear, it’s possible to have all of these advantages. The retail price for this vest is $59.99.

For more information on Gorilla Gear’s G-TAC Ghost vests visit their website: www.gorillagear.com

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What Type of Quail are you Flushing?

An Outpost look at the different species of quail

Quail hunting means different things to different people and this depends on the part of the world where the hunt is occurring. The adrenaline rush is consistent in every area, but the hunting method is different because there many different species of this game bird.

The stately, mule-drawn wagons and well-groomed saddle horses found on some Alabama and Georgia quail hunts are a far cry from the rattlesnake leggings and brush entangled walking of a quail hunt in Texas. These differences have to do with the different terrain and bird habitat but they also relate to the different types of quail species.

The species of quail that a hunter will find in the desert southwest of the United States – most likely a Gambel’s quail – is different from the Bobwhite quail a hunter would find in say Louisiana or Tennessee. They have vastly different colorations, flushing tendencies and population densities. However, regardless of the species, quail hunting remains one of the most exciting of the wingshooting sports.

Here is a brief overview on quail hunting in North America. The subject is rich with details and cannot possibly be covered in one article. However, it will hopefully give the outdoorsman who is considering quail hunting a little taste of this amazing experience.

THE RISING COVEY There is nothing like hunting over a couple of well-trained dogs and having them come to a rock-solid point, practically screaming: “Hold everything boys! There’s a group of quail just up ahead and they’re just about to blow up like an atom bomb. Get the safeties off and get ready!”

In a few seconds the covey explodes with a dozen quail, furiously flapping wings and all urgently getting the heck outta Dodge! It’s impossible to communicate the adrenaline-pulsing excitement of this moment. It’s one of those experiences in life where you just gotta be there.

When the smoke clears, success in quail hunting comes to those who know as much as possible about the quarry. This means knowing everything from their habits to habitats, their feeding patterns to their feather patterns.

The best place to start is with the types of quail that are found from Canada to Mexico. There are six primary types of quail and they all bring unique challenges to the hunter who wants to put some of the delicious birds on the supper table.

GAMBEL’S QUAIL

They look and act very much like the more widespread California quail, but the two species’ ranges do not overlap. They live in the hot deserts of the Southwest—the Sonoran, Mohave, and Chihuahua—below about 5,500 feet elevation. Frequents mesquite thickets along river valleys and arroyos, shrub lands and cactus, dry grasslands, and agricultural fields Like other quail, Gambel’s Quail are plump, volleyball-sized birds with short necks, small bill, and square tail. The wings are short and broad. Both sexes have a comma-shaped topknot of feathers atop their small heads, fuller in males than females. Their color pattern allows them to effectively hide in the desert. They are patterned in gray, chestnut, and cream that can serve as excellent camouflage. Males have a bright rufous crest, chestnut flanks striped with white and creamy belly with black patch. Females are grayer, lacking the strong head pattern.

Gambel’s quail walk or run along the ground in coveys that can include a dozen or more birds.

They scratch for food under shrubs and cacti, eating grasses and cactus fruits. Flight is explosive, powerful, and short.

MEARNS’ QUAIL

Judging by its habitat, Gambel’s quail is one tough bird. It’s found in the desert Southwest, , particularly Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Texas, and Sonora; also New Mexico-border Chihuahua and the Colorado River region of Baja California. The Gambel’s quail is named in honor of William Gambel, a 19th century naturalist and explorer of the Southwestern United States.

The Mearn’s Quail live in Mexico and some nearby parts of the United States. It is also known as Montezuma Quail, the Harlequin Quail (for the male’s striking pattern), and the Fool Quail (for its behavior).

At about 22 cm or 8.75 inches, it is one of the shortest quails of North America, although it weighs 180 grams or 6 ounces, It has an even plumper build and shorter tail than other quails.

Scaled quail occur from south-central Arizona, northern New Mexico, east-central Colorado, and southwestern Kansas south through western Oklahoma and western and central Texas into Mexico to northeastern Jalisco, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, and western Tamaulipas. It has been introduced to Hawaii, central Washington, eastern Nevada, and Nebraska, but is only considered established in central Washington and eastern Nevada.

Quail hunting guides note that both sexes have the back and wing coverts tan with longitudinal light-buff streaks formed by the feather shafts and circular or transversely oblong black spots arranged in bars. A crest on the nape makes the profile distinctively long front-to-back. The Mearn’s quail bill is black above and bluish-gray below.

Mearn’s quail resemble bobwhites. The adult males have a striking, swirling black-and-white face pattern. A single tan plume lies flat over the crest.

Their sides are blue-gray (often looking black) with bold spots, which in northern birds are white and in southern birds are white towards the front and chestnut towards the back. The middle of the chest and belly is dark brown in northern birds, lighter and tawnier in southern birds. Females have a suggestion of the male’s face pattern. Their under parts are light brown with a few fine black shaft streaks and other lines.

An unusual feature of this species is the long, sickle-shaped claws, which it uses for digging SCALED OR BLUE QUAIL In many ways, blue quail are some of the hardest birds to bring down because they’re already down – as in on the ground. The scaled or blue quail is a blue- gray bird found in the arid regions of the Southwestern United States to Central Mexico. This bird is named for the scaly appearance of its breast and back feathers. Along with its scaly markings, the bird is easily identified by its white crest that resembles a tuft of cotton which explains why some guides call this bird cotton top quail.

The nest is typically a grass-lined hollow containing 9–16 speckled eggs. When flushed, it prefers to run rather than fly to the chagrin of out-of-shape hunters. This bird is legendary for running for miles over rough scrub terrain leaving hunters and dogs far behind.

CALIFORNIA QUAIL The state bird of California is the California Quail but this distinction does not preclude hunters from avidly pursuing them. It is also known as the California Valley Quail or Valley Quail. Their breeding habitat is shrubby areas and open woodlands in western North America.

These birds have a curving crest made of six feathers that droops forward: black in males and brown for females; the flanks are brown with white streaks. Males have a dark brown cap and a black face with a brown back, a grey-blue chest and a light brown belly. Females and immature birds are mainly grey-brown with a light-colored belly.

As with other quail species, the California Quail is a highly sociable bird that often gathers in small coveys. One of their daily communal activities is

a dust bath. Ornithological references note that a group of quail will select an area where the ground has been newly turned or is soft, and using their underbellies, will burrow downward into the soil some one to two inches. They then wriggle about in the indentations they have created, flapping their wings and ruffling their feathers, causing dust to rise in the air. They seem to prefer sunny places in which to create these dust baths. Hunters are able to detect the presence of quail in an area by spotting the circular indentations left behind in the soft dirt, some 3 to 6 inches in diameter.

They stay in one area year-round and although this bird coexists well at the edges of urban areas, it is declining in some areas as human populations increase. They were originally found mainly in the southwestern United States but they have been introduced into other areas including British Columbia, Hawaii, Chile, New Zealand, and to Norfolk Island and King Island in Australia.

Like their relative the bobwhite, when surprised these birds explode into short rapid flight. However, given a choice, they will normally escape on foot.

They have a variety of vocalizations including the social “chicago” call, contact “pips” and warning “pips.”

During the breeding season, males utter a call that resembles “squill” and will often interrupt their social mate’s “chicago” call with a “squill,” a possible form of antiphonal calling.

BOBWHITE QUAIL One of the best known of the quail species is the bobwhite quail. It is native to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The name “bobwhite” comes from its characteristic whistling call. Despite its secretive nature, the bobwhite is one of the most familiar quails in eastern North America because it is frequently the only quail in its range.

There are 22 subspecies of bobwhite, and many of the birds are hunted extensively as game birds. One subspecies, the Masked Bobwhite is listed as endangered with wild populations located in Sonora, Mexico and a reintroduced population in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Southern Arizona.

This is a moderately-sized quail and is the only quail that is native to Eastern North America. The Bobwhite can range from 24 to 28 cm or 9 to 11 inches in length with a 33 to 38 cm or 13 to 15 inch wingspan.

In Mexico bobwhites weigh from 129 to 159 grams or 4.6 to 5.6 ounces, whereas in the north they average 170 to 173 grams or 6.0 to 6.1 ounces and large males can attain as much as 9.0 ounces.

Male bobwhites have a white throat and brow stripe bordered by black. The overall rufous plumage has gray mottling on the wings and a gray tail, and the flanks show white scalloped stripes. Whitish under parts have black scallops. Females are similar but are duller overall and have a buff throat and brow without the black border. Both genders have pale legs and feet.

Hunters can find bobwhites year-round in agricultural fields, grassland, open woodland areas, roadsides and wood edges. Their range covers the southeastern quadrant of the United States from the Great Lakes and southern Minnesota east to Pennsylvania and southern Massachusetts, and extending west to southern Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and all but westernmost Texas. These birds are absent from the southern tip of Florida and the highest elevations of the Appalachian Mountains, but are found in eastern Mexico and in Cuba. Isolated populations of these game birds have been introduced in Oregon and Washington. Due to the severe drought in the Southern U.S., the population of bobwhite quail has been dramatically reduced.

MOUNTAIN QUAIL

THE RIGHT DOG FOR QUAIL HUNTING

The Mountain Quail inhabits mountainous chaparral west of the Rocky Mountains, from the United States to Baja California, Mexico. It has been introduced to British Columbia in Canada, and some areas of the state of Washington U.S. It can be found up to 3000 m above sea level. It is a non-migratory species; however some populations may be altitudinal migrants in some mountain ranges.

As has been noted in previous articles, choosing a dog for something as specialized as quail hunting is one of life’s big decisions. It requires a great deal of research among dog trainers and other quail hunters. Ultimately, the choice should come down to the type of quail hunting that is being contemplating. For example, if the hunter enjoys open-country quail hunting, long-range pointers are good choices.

However, if the most of the hunting is going to be in heavy cover dogs such as Vizslas or Brittanys are better dogs for the job.

The bird’s average length is 26–28 cm, with a wingspan of 35–40 cm. They have relatively short, rounded wings and long, featherless legs. These birds are easily recognized by their top knots, which are shorter in the female. They have a brown face, gray breast, brown back and primaries, and heavily white barred underside.

Mountain Quail primarily move about by walking, and can move surprisingly quickly through brush and undergrowth. In the late summer, fall and winter, the adults and immature young congregate into family groups of up to 20 birds. The bird’s habits can be secretive. Any flight is usually short and explosive, with many rapid wing beats followed by a slow glide to the ground.

Since there have been hundreds of books and magazines written to help a hunter pick the right dog for his quail hunting, this article will just focus on the basics. Hunting guides have noted that the best bird dogs have the following assets: • • • • •

Sociability – both with humans and other dogs.

Trainability Desire and determination Range Stamina

THERE ARE SEVERAL BREEDS THAT MAKE GREAT QUAIL HUNTING DOGS. The English Pointer is favored by hunters in the Southwestern United States. He is sturdy, bold and has a mind of his own. Endurance is this dog’s chief advantage. This breed can cover more than 1,000 acres of hard hunting a day and still find birds. His short hair keeps him moving through the thick cover. The weakness of the English pointer is his retrieving ability.

However, this can often be fixed by off-season work.

Among the pointing breeds, the English setter would probably be voted “Mr. Personality” in the hunting dog yearbook. Gentle natured and affectionate, this dog is particularly good as an airborne scent master.

He is also a legendary pointer and very trainable.

On the negative side, this dog has longer hair which makes him very hot in warmer climates, requires lots of attention in heavy cover hunting and is not as good at running birds as some other breeds.

The German shorthair, while not ranging as far as the pointers, does have incredible stamina and sense of smell and heat does not bother him. This breed is also an excellent retriever so birds are seldom lost.

About the only true negative of this dog is his need for decisive field commands and training.

The Brittany Spaniel is best at finding quail in tight cover. Hunting guides say that this breed is an excellent pointer and his long haired coat is a benefit in the colder areas and a detriment in the warmer climes. Brittanys have very mild personalities and make great pets during the off-season.

Another good choice for close-in hunting is the Vizsla. With a hunting tradition that goes back more than 1,000 years this Hungarian dog is excellent at picking close-holding birds and can be used for hunting other birds such as pheasant and woodcock.

THE BEST QUAIL GUNS AND AMMO Because quail hunting involves hours of walking and when the covey rises there’s not much time to mount a gun, the best shotgun for quail hunting is lightweight and quick pointing. This usually means a 20-gauge, 3-inch mag over-under or side-by-side, either bored skeet and improved cylinder or improved and modified.

Another good choice for a quail gun is a lightweight autoloader, with choked improved cylinder. This allows the hunter to get three, quick shots after the horizon explodes with birds.

Quail hunting guides suggest #9s or #8s as the best shot for early season hunting. By mid-season, the quail’s feathers thicken it is recommended to change to #7 ½s. Quail tend to flush sooner as the season progresses and this means that most shots are longer than in the early part of the season.

TAKING THE SHOT Even though flushed quail seem to be traveling like a bat out of hell, they are actually going slower than they appear to be. Most shots are taken at a bird that, after flushing, is flying away from the hunter and they are traveling at about 25 miles per hour. This is compared to a shot at a mourning dove which is likely traveling at 60 miles per hour with a tailwind. Using some fancy aerodynamic calculations we find that the dove requires much more lead than the quail.

Because of this lack of speed on part of the quail, guides say that quail hunters usually overestimate the amount of lead that is needed to bring down the bird. Plus, even on crossing shots, the speed of the bird is slow enough that there is often plenty of time to get off a second shot after the first bird is downed and its location visually marked.

www.cabinbluff.com THE FUTURE OF QUAIL HUNTING Whether you’re looking for Blue quail in West Texas, California quail in northern California or Bobwhite quail in Missouri, all of these birds have an innate sense of survival and they use every skill Mother Nature granted them to avoid being taken. This is what makes it such a challenge to harvest them and that challenge is what every outdoorsman loves.

Since they make their home on the ground and remain in the general area where they were hatched for their entire life, quail are particularly susceptible to predators and climate irregularities. While cyclical weather patterns such as droughts and predators such as feral hogs have reduced the population of Bobwhites and other quail, conservation groups are working to get the population of the game birds back to where they once were. In order to make this happen, some reduction in bag limits in some parts of the country will likely be necessary just as was the case when the duck population was dwindling. If the result is a most robust population of these fabulous birds, it will be well worth it.

Will McCollough

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SOUTH DAKOTA’S PHEASANT POPULATION IS DOWN 64 PERCENT WHY THIS IS HAPPENING AND HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM Any hunter who loves to hunt pheasant knows where “ground zero” for this unpredictable and delicious-toeat game bird is: South Dakota. Because of their popularity, pheasants are big business in the state. The South Dakota Department of Tourism estimates pheasant hunting generates $223 million in retail economic impact annually and an additional $111 million in salaries. The state also estimates there are 4,500 jobs linked directly to pheasant hunting.

Unfortunately for the hunters and the people whose livelihood depends on the sustainability of these birds, in the fall the state announced a 64 percent decrease in statewide pheasant abundance. Conservation organizations such as Pheasants Forever say the culprit for this disturbing news is the destruction of upland habitat. They also note that this decline will continue until federal policy makers strengthen conservation policies.

CAUSES FOR HABITAT LOSS “By not passing a Farm Bill, by not including the ‘Protect our Prairies Act’ (aka Sodsaver Provisions), by not re-linking crop insurance payments to conservation compliance, federal policy makers are all but ensuring this unprecedented habitat loss will continue in South Dakota and across the Midwest,” noted Dave Nomsen, Pheasants Forever vice-president of governmental affairs. “South Dakota’s identity as the top pheasant-producing state, and as our nation’s premier pheasant hunting destination is truly dependent on Congressional action.”

For outdoorsmen who watched the Federal government grind to a complete halt recently, the confidence in Congressional action – of any kind – is less than stellar.

The tough winters, cold, wet springs along with summer heat and drought also play a role in these disturbing declines in pheasant population. However, conservation groups point to the destruction of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres as a part of the problem.

“For the first time in two decades, there were less than 1 million CRP acres in South Dakota for pheasants to nest in,” says Nomsen. He and other wildlife biologists considers this well below the threshold level of 1.25 – 1.5 million acres necessary for sustaining a world-class pheasant population.

Additionally, the non-CRP grassland conversion, including native prairie, has further reduced available pheasant nesting cover. The “Protect our Prairies Act,” a bill introduced by South Dakota U.S. Representative Krisi Noem, would conserve native grasslands by reducing crop insurance payments for newly-broken native grasslands, thereby disincenting farmers to take this action. Less cultivated land will result in more pheasant nesting acres.

Needless to say, large commercial farming interests don’t want to any “disincentives” on plowing up their land – whether it has native grassland on it or not. Herein lies the challenge.

Is it more important to have a robust pheasant population and all of the economic benefits which this brings, or should the commercial farming interests and urban expansion be allowed to cultivate more land and develop more commercial uses for South Dakota land? The U.S. Congress will have to play Solomon on this one.

Pheasant hunters from around the world who trek to South Dakota every year hope the decision encourages more, not less, habitat for these birds.

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OIL RIGS MAKE GREAT ARTIFICIAL REEFS For all of the ecological damage done to the Gulf of Mexico by the oil industry over the years, some benefit has also been contributed. Early research from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi's artificial reefs monitoring program shows that decommissioned oil and gas structures converted to artificial reefs are supporting a high abundance and diverse fish assemblages within the Gulf of Mexico.

Any sport fisherman who’s fished around oil rigs knows just how abundant these populations can be. The new data from the western Gulf shows a high abundance of red snapper living around these structures for years at a time. Researchers in the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi say 52 fish species from 18 families have been identified at 13 surveyed sites near Port O'Connor, Port Aransas, and Port Mansfield, Texas.

RED SNAPPER IS FLOURISHING "There's a lot of evidence that the red snapper populations we see today wouldn't be here if we didn't have all of these converted oil and gas platforms," said Dr. Greg Stunz, Director of the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation. "Red snapper is the most economically important fish in the Gulf of Mexico."

Stunz, who is the Principal Investigator for a recently awarded grant, says that in addition to supporting a variety of fish populations, artificial reefs lure commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, and divers; benefiting many Gulf Coast economies.

A GRANT FROM WILL HELP This new evidence is the reason the HRI's newly-formed Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation was recently awarded $600,000 by Texas Parks and Wildlife and $50,000 from the Fondren Foundation to expand their studies on artificial reefs. Researchers will monitor sites around the western Gulf and log the amount and types of marine life that create homes around the reefs.

Researchers will use these data to determine how to sustain these new "fish homes" including finding what characteristics are best suited to become habitats for each type of fish and to find the long-term effects of keeping rigs in the Gulf after they stop functioning.

"There are about 4,000 of these rigs in the Gulf of Mexico," said Stunz. "About 75 percent of those will be gone in the next 20 years, so we are very concerned that we get these rigs into reef programs so that they continue producing fish."

Data collected as part of the HRI's "South Texas Artificial Reef Monitoring - Fish Community Assessment along the Coastal Bend" grant over the next four years will help maximize the benefits from artificial reef structures and assist scientists in better understanding how to continue sustaining fisheries for generations to come.

"Up until now, there has been very little evidence for what's happening on artificial reefs on this side of the Gulf," said Dr. Matt Ajemian, Assistant Research Scientist and CoPrincipal Investigator. "One of our major upcoming projects will be to set up an array of acoustic receivers at different artificial reefs and track fish movements among them to determine the types of reefs these animals prefer to live on."

The "South Texas Artificial Reef Monitoring" program works to enhance the effectiveness of current conservation and management initiatives in Texas, which has one of the largest rigs-to-reef programs, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. The project is also set to serve as an educational tool, providing research experience for students at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi.

Venison is on the Menu Now that you have gotten that monster buck and had him processed, what are you going to do with it? Some of the best tasting and healthiest food is venison. Hey, you can even tell all your friends that it is organic.

You can always just grill it and top it with our favorite, Gordo’s Cheese Dip as shown above.

Here are a couple venison burger recipes from our friends over at Wide Open Spaces www.wideopenspaces.com Want more recipes like these? Check out our “Grill Your Kill” tab at:

www.TheOutpostLife.com

VENISON BURGER WITH BLEU CHEESE AND CRISPY SHALLOTS YOU WILL NEED: 650g venison mince 5 tbsp double cream 2 cloves garlic, crushed ½ tbsp flat leaved parsley, chopped ½ tbsp chopped chives 4 crushed juniper berries Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 200g blue cheese 16 shallots Olive oil for frying METHOD 1.Place the mince in a bowl. Season well. Using your hands or a fork, gently combine the seasoned meat with the cream, garlic, parsley, chives and juniper berries. Do not over mix, as the cooked burgers will be tough.

2.Gently shape the meat into four patties, or divide the meat and push each portion into a 10cm pastry cutter to make four burgers. Make a slight indentation in the top of each with your fingers.

3.Divide the cheese into four and shape each piece into a ball. Insert the cheese into the centre of the burgers and pull the meat back over the top to seal in the cheese.

4.Peel and thinly cut the shallots into rings. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and fry the shallots until crispy.

5.Preheat a heavy ridged griddle pan or barbecue until very hot. If using a pan, put in a little olive oil, and sear the burgers to seal in the juices. Cook for two minutes on each side, so that the cheese melts in the middle.

6.Serve the burger on lightly toasted rolls, topped with the shallots, along with slices of tomatoes, red onion and pickled gherkin or with a green salad.

BACON CHEDDAR VENISON BURGERS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BBQ MAYO YOU WILL NEED: 1 lb ground venison 2 Tbsp Panko bread crumbs 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 & 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce salt & pepper 1 medium onion 2 tsp olive oil 1 pinch sugar 6 slices thick-cut bacon, fried to you desired crispness 4 slices cheddar cheese 1/3 Miracle Whip sandwich spread (or regular mayo) 1/4 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite) a dash of hot sauce (optional) lettuce and sliced tomato 4 hearty buns METHOD In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the ground venison, bread crumbs, egg, seasonings, Worcestershire, salt and pepper to taste. With moistened hands, form the mixture into four even patties. Cover and set aside in fridge until ready to cook.

Pitching a Documentary in a Sword Fight

By Anne Vandewalle

Standing in a long line outside The Fly Fishing Show in Denver on a recent weekend, I crane my neck around to see 150 men and approximately five women in line behind me. Yup, it’s a sword fight.

Most women are paired with a husband - a guy who will morph into a fly fishing fanatic as soon as they hit the door. I never really know if the women indulge in the game of trout, but I can guess they are once again giving the old college to try while trying to understand the addict standing next to them. One thing’s for certain, they’re not queuing up to book a remote guide trip in Alaska for the spring season.

Probably tolerating years of the hubby begging to fish in lieu of an attack on the “Honey Do” list, a wife’s patience wears thin. If they’re a virgin to the fly fishing show world, they might as well hit the bar inside right away. It’s open at 10 am for the boys.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON The next few hours will be a blur of feathers, loud salesman hawking their brand of 9-foot rods (complete with a 14 minute diatribe on why their shop ROCKS, compared to any other) and a constant shade of pale green clothing geared not to scare a fish. Not exactly the mall with a shoe department and a Cinnabon.

In contrast, I can’t wait. This is my kinda shopping and my kinda men. (Not the married ones...relax.)

I suppose the wife’s gut hopes something inside will make them flash a credit card, but browsing isn’t the same when it’s bright orange fishing line and waders that don’t forgive a domestic figure. I can hear them now. “WHERE is the *#@% dressing room?”

I enjoy a fly shop guide adjusting my straps and tightening a wader belt, but it takes a fisherman to not even notice the intimacy. And nope, they don’t fit over a pair of jeans either so unless you know your size or go the partial Monty to underwear, you’re SOL.

In addition there’s the loud language of fly fisherman, foreign to many and fluently spoken here. I’ve heard a 5-minute discussion over Daiichi hooks vs. Gamakatsu featuring Flashabou on a size 12 barbless tied with Veevus GSP. Kind of hot for me, but alas, I speak it. And the inevitable guidespeak phrase, “You should have seen the grocery hole on the choker that ate my mouse yesterday.” Not exactly the coffee klatch on Friday morning with the girls. No offense on any fronts ladies, just an observation and an appreciation for your herculean efforts to blend in.

I fish and sometimes I don’t like the myopic tunnel that many fisherman inhabit. But I do like being outnumbered in the sword fight; it is my comfort zone. As a longtime lover of the male species in comparison to the other, I relish spending a day shooting the angling shit. Maybe getting in on some bourbon. Watch for the flask to appear later in the day.

WHY AM I HERE? Today my purpose is really two fold. Connecting, learning and flirting claim the top spot usually, but I am pitching a documentary idea today and need some face time. Running a quick line down the local fly-tyers (god, they are SO conveniently lined up in chairs with identifying name banners), I assess who’s busy manufacturing the latest trend of pink and purple streamers and who’s got a minute.

By the way, a tyer will profess this bright furry streamer imitating God knows what, will KILL on fish. I will not be caught dead with a color that appeals to a 5 five year old in a princess cape and a Barbie rod in hand. I like to fish a fly that actually looks like something you might see on the underside of a rock, not in the fabric section at a craft store.

Don’t get me wrong, I promote, cajole and support any little girl interested in a pink rod and standing in a stream, I’m just a grown woman who knows better. I encounter few women that spend good money on a rod that flashes a pink hue in the sun; girly girls may apply, but they aren’t the norm. And hey, my smartass opinion remains my own...don’t stress it ladies. Rock what you want. Just get out there.

I DIGRESS. WHY AM I HERE? OH YEAH. THE DOCUMENTARY.

www.teachahorse.com

As I introduce myself and chat em’ up a bit, the men quickly realize I can actually speak the foreign language of trout love in my tight jeans, AND cast a line. I lure them in to listen to my pitch. I know I gotta keep it down to a few minutes though; I want to avoid the eyes glazing up and glances over my shoulder praying to God that a tying nerd is hovering nearby instead of me in their face. I get it guys; your main purpose at this show remains showing the world your prowess with a vise, a mallard feather and the newest maribou in stock, but stay with me.

My documentary project is called: “Can You Teach a Horse to Fish?” In short, I want to train horses to stand in a stream and let disabled people fish without leaving the saddle. The horse would be a mobile tool to get you out into the water where the real fish are. You can go from cast to net without leaving the saddle.

For so many fishermen, fishing options are limited.

Take a moment and think about it. Anglers are fanatics about catching a big fish, rare in breed or in size. In order to do that, you have to be able to wade, stand in fast running water, navigate brush and mountains and use challenging gear. Many disabled would find that daunting, depending on their injury, and might just give up a true love of the water and fish. I hate that. And want to change it. And let them heal in a place that speaks to their soul. I know it does to mine.

This dream started as I sat on a little piece of river and healed from cancer. I was diagnosed two months after leaving my husband of 16 years. I was either peacefully fishing my beat or sitting on my horse’s back, using the concentration of both to forget.

As I began to film my fundraising video, I connected with a man who was in a wheelchair and couldn't get to the water anymore. He missed fishing independently in remote stretches where the real greenback cutthroats swim. And the focus of the video became bigger than me. And now I need money to do it.

SOCIAL MEDIA SUCKS. I’M JUST GONNA GO THERE. I didn’t have a clear picture that Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TroutUnderground, and MoldyChum would suck my soul dry as I tried to connect with every fisherman that roamed the internet cloud. And then, add in equine therapy and cancer groups. It’s overwhelming for one, lil’ hopeful and aspiring documentarian plugging away on a burnt out Mac. But alas, I need social media. It leads me to people who can help.

But with a big sigh, I’ll tell you I am a fiercely independent woman with a weakness in asking for help from others. (Yep, I’m an Aries.) Imagine my stress in trolling social media sites asking for money. People I don’t know. People who only know me from a 500 word limited profile that has to scream my intent in the shortest sentences possible. Geez, I don’t even have room to put in that I’m single and wading a stream for a date. Oh boy...tackling another site looms on the proverbial horizon.

LET’S GET BACK TO THE SHOW While face time at the fishing show peaks some interest and plants my name into a guide’s head or lingering in a few sales reps mental sales lists, funding success is beyond that. It takes more than a few days at an intense fishing forum.

It takes a fund manager from J.P. Morgan who fishes on the English side of the stream, a football coach from Alaska who sends me mounds of halibut and salmon along with encouragement, and the founder of Project Healing Waters who emails me that the idea is good and all starts with a seed.

It takes a Tenkara rep who unwittingly connects with me standing over a size 22 fly and realizes he’s seen my project and flips, or a high school friend who just believes in me. It takes a creative disabled veteran that longs to fish my waters with me. Amazing people I’ve found online.

So, as I wait to go into the Fly Fishing Show, reach into my pocket again to make sure I have my business cards and cast a smile at a few hot guides, I know everyone starts somewhere. Even though my energy drains out of me as I conquer my fears of asking, people continue to inspire and my heart opens.

Maybe I can do this. I can’t retire my saddle and set down my rod until I try.

So I’m out on a limb asking again for you to check out my Indiegogo campaign or visit me at a more personal venue on my website. Donate, pass it on, contact me anytime. bitethatfly@gmail.com. After all, the show must go on.

Thanks and tight lines. ‘til they bite, anne www.indiegogo.com/projects/can-you-teach-a-horse-to-fish/x/3830622

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjbhrmYpQfs

What Sounded Good to You In 2013

January of a new year is a good time to look back on the “best of” the previous year. In the case of music, 2013 witnessed more than a few great CDs and we featured some of them right here in the Outpost Magazine.

As usual, our criteria for the best music of the year had nothing to do with sales, although many of these CDs sold well. It also had little to do with the music industry awards or hoopla. When we review a CD for the Outpost, our only criteria are: (1) They’re great tunes and lyrics and (2) the men and women who love the great outdoors will love these CDs. This non-formula formula is working pretty good, so far.

Here are a few CDs that hit us upside the head in 2013.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wd2DveN0R0

Joan Osborne Finds Her Groove BRING IT ON HOME Singer Joan Osborne was an overnight sensation and then fell off the face of the earth. In 1995, without a lot of planning, she added a little song called “One of Us” to her first album, “Relish.” The quirky song, which speculated about how we would feel if God was just another slob on the bus “trying to make his way home,” became a smash hit.

The song was played (incessantly) on every radio station, every format – from rock to gospel – until we were all pretty much sick of it. Then, a smart television producer came up with the idea of using the concept of the song for a TV drama and “Joan of Arcadia” was launched and it too became a hit.

Meanwhile, Joan Osborne was getting first- hand knowledge of the old music adage that was credited to pop songwriter Doc Pomus: “You have your whole life to get that first hit and about two weeks to come up with the next one.” It took a while but she found her groove with: Bring it on Home.

DO YOU LIKE THAT SWEET SOUL MUSIC? This CD is easily one of the best R&B/soul records of the last 20 years. After listening to 1 or 2 cuts of the collection, there is no doubt why it’s nominated for a Grammy and with any justice it will win. Osborn’s voice is expressive and high energy on the songs that cook and soulful and sultry on the ballads. The musicians, including guitarist/producer Jack Petrucilli, Keith Cotton on keyboards, Bob Pomeroy on blazing harmonica, Aaron Comess on drums, Richard Hammond on bass and New Orleans composer pianist extraordinaire Allen Toussaint sitting in on piano are the best in the business. However, the secret weapon of this collection is the choice of songs. This is simply inspired.

THE BEST TRACKS The stand out tracks on Bring it on Home include: “I Don’t Need no Doctor,” first cut by Ray Charles and now absolutely owned by Osborne. “Game of Love” has a funky, second line beat of the Crescent City and the title cut, “Bring it on Home,” written and originally cut by blues master Sonny Boy Williams has been updated but is still held true to the R&B hook of the original.

Background information on the CD notes that one of the best cuts on the project was an impromptu version of “Shake Your Hips.” It’s good that they had the digital recording machine tuned on when they did this tune because it’s a stone, cold hit. In addition to these songs, other standouts include “Rhymes” (done first by Rev. Al Green) and “Roll Like a Wheel.” Just put this CD on random play, you can’t go wrong with any cut.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2EAwhX8Uw8

An Overnight Sensation that Took 13 Years THE NEWEST FROM BLACKBERRY SMOKE – THE WHIPPOORWILL After starting out in 2000, Atlanta based Blackberry Smoke has worked its butt off on the road and this living out of the bus – and everything that this entails – comes through loud and clear on their new collection of tunes entitled The Whippoorwill. As one Amazon reviewer aptly noted, “Every one of these songs are great.

There are no fillers.”

MEET THE BAND Blackberry Smoke consists of Charlie Starr (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Richard Turner (Bass, Vocals), Brit Turner (Drums), Paul Jackson (Guitar, Vocals), and Brandon Still (Keyboards). The rhythm section sounds like they started playing together in the second grade. It’s that tight. The songs range from rock ‘n roll to country to jam band and they are all like a good George Jones song – ragged but right.

Pretty Little Lie At the risk of repeating the obvious, The Whippoorwill has no bad cuts. They all reflect a little different side of the guys who are performing them. “Everybody Knows She’s Mine” is one of those songs that needs to be on the juke box in every bar in America and anyone who grew up in a town with one or two traffic lights will identify with “One Horse Town.”

The first hit from the collection touches all of the bases. The chorus has a monster musical and lyric hook, the vocal is absolutely heartfelt and the lyrics are perfect. “There’s a box of wine in the fridge… We won’t talk about what’s his name. Cross every “t” and dot every “i”…of your pretty Little Lie.” This song – Pretty Little Lie – is in the heavy rotation on the TV music channels and Americana radio station and every day it stays there, millions more fans discover the style and swagger of Blackberry Smoke.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RzhTN9zW3w

Steve and Edie Bring Home the Bluegrass LOVE HAS COME FOR YOU

If you haven’t been following the careers of Steve Martin and Edie Brickell you may be surprised by how much both have changed. First of all, Martin is no longer that “wild and crazy guy” who was responsible for some of the funniest movies and Saturday Night Live skits ever written. He has expanded his repertoire to include bluegrass banjo picker, and (like everything else he has ever done in his life) he is amazingly good at this new interest.

You might remember Edie Brickell as the hippie chick lead singer for the Texas rock band “The New Bohemians” who had a giant hit with the Top 40-friendly tune “What I Am” decades ago. In time since then and now, she has married a little-known musician named Paul Simon, raised a family with him and re-started her solo career.

Somewhere along the way, Steve and Edie got together and wrote and recorded what might be the most interesting and intelligent bluegrass CD of the year – Love Has Come for You. They both contributed the tunes and lyrics of these evocative, rootsy songs, she sings them and he picks the banjo. The CD is produced by music legend Peter Asher who is responsible for discovering and nourishing the careers of people like James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and the group 10,000 Maniacs.

There are some great tunes in this collection. “Who You Gonna Take,” which about unrequited love is a particularly poignant piece of music. The first radio cut is “When You Get to Ashville” and it is highly understated. However, it’s one of those melodies you find yourself humming long after the song is over.

This CD has more hooks than a bait and tackle shop. Whether its Martin’s five-string banjo riffs or Brickell’s sweet voice turning phrases that other writers wish they had written, Love Has Come for You is not your typical bluegrass collection. Sure, there are tragedies and redemptions, but you’ll never hear Ralph Stanley covering these songs. However, Mr. Ralph will probably buy the CD and enjoy it like the rest of use.

ALAN JACKSON’S BLUEGRASS ALBUM IS STUNNING! Nobody ever accused Alan Jackson of doing something because everyone else was doing it. Surrounded by the pop music that has become the new Nashville sound, Jackson still sounds like the traditional country singer that he’s always been. Recently, he noted that he started thinking about doing a bluegrass CD in the mid-90s but when “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” made this genre hot (for a while) he decided to stay off the bandwagon and wait until the bluegrass hubbub died down a little.

Alan Jackson – The Bluegrass Album doesn’t sound like the high-lonesome archetypical bluegrass songs.

Jackson decided to sing the tunes in his own, well-wore and completely believable voice. If you’re expecting to hear someone who sounds like Ralph Stanley or Bill Monroe, they ain’t here. However, if you’re a bluegrass lover, you will hear songs with very traditional, even iconic, messages played by a bunch of guys who can pick your eyes out.

It would be impossible to have a bluegrass album without touching on love, loss, death and redemption and “Blue Ridge Mountain Song” deals with all of these. If you’re not feeling emotional after hearing this stunner, you should get an appointment with your physician as soon as possible.

When you see the video of this song, you might notice a little resemblance between the lead female character and Alan Jackson. This young lady is Alan’s daughter, Ali.

MY FAVORITE PICTURE OF YOU

BY GUY CLARK The first time I met singer/songwriter Guy Clark was in 1974 when I was working the morning show on an album rock radio station in Austin, Texas. I did a daily music and talk show and he and his band were motoring through the Hill Country on their way to a gig. I guess they saw our broadcast antennae and decided to drop in. I was glad they did.

VINTAGE GUY CLARK

Jackson enlisted a group of some of the best players and singers in bluegrass today and in a matter of a few days, the CD was done. He got the entire “band” in one room and they all played their parts at the same time. The spontaneity of this approach has the effect of making this CD sound like a bunch of friends (who are really good pickers) sitting out on the front porch, playing for the joy of playing!

The players on this collection include: Scott Coney (acoustic guitar), Sammy Shelor (banjo), Adam Steffey (mandolin), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Tim Dishman (bass), Rob Ickes (dobro) and Ronnie Bowman and Don Rigsby (vocals). These are the crème de la crème of this very demanding musical genre and many of these folks had never played together before.

Jackson wrote eight of the fourteen cuts on this CD and they all reflect his uncanny ability to take complicated concepts – love, death, devotion and the grandeur of nature – and make them completely understandable to anyone. Each of these original songs and bluegrass standards are delivered in a laid-back, unassuming, Alan Jackson style.

Love and heartbreak are the overriding themes of My Favorite Picture of You and Guy Clark, at age 71, can still tell this story like nobody else. This is Clark’s first CD in four years and he has obviously been working in the interim because this is one of his best ever.

The standout cuts on this collection of very personal tunes are “Cornmeal Waltz,” “El Coyote” and, of course, the title cut. The music and arrangements are sparse by current production standards and one must assume they were carefully planned to be so. This allows the listener to savor the funny, sad, ironic and ultimately profound messages in the lyrics. It is vintage Guy Clark.

Old fans and those who have never heard of Guy Clark will also enjoy some of the other gems on this CD. “Heroes” is an emotional song about soldiers living with PTSD. He shows why he’s considered one of the best story-tellers with “The Death of Sis Draper,” which is set to the tune of the old song “Shady Grove.”

Guy Clark has had an incredible career out of observing peculiarities of the human condition. If “My Favorite Picture of You” is any indication, he’s still got one of the best eyes in the business.

THE NEW OUTPOST RADIO IS LAUNCHED Radio for the Great Outdoors The Outpost Radio. At any given time on this unique station, you can hear Stevie Ray Vaughan, followed by Blackberry Smoke, followed by George Jones. While all of this is going on you can be given a chance to listen to podcasts that feature tips on hunting whitetail deer, or catching crappie in the Atchafalaya Basin or learning why blue quail would rather run than fly.

In the words of more than one recently converted Outpost Radio fanatic: “I’ve never heard anything like this station.” Exactly.

This combination of music and outdoor sports information, presented 24/7, available wherever you are, worldwide on your mobile device has never been offered. Until now.

The stories in The Outpost Magazine are about the simple joys of living an authentic life. This includes outdoor sports such as fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and biking. It involves good food and strong drink and it also includes music – from every genre – that sportsmen and sportswomen enjoy.

Unfortunately, most of the music you hear on traditional (terrestrial) radio is so sanitized, analyzed and ‘peroxized’ that the tunes and words are cotton candy for the brain. Plus, most of the outdoor sports radio programs come on the stations between 3 and 4 am. That’s a little too early for most of us.

It’s is for this reason that we joined some friends who are experts in the radio business and launched The Outpost Radio.

We’re calling it Radio for the great outdoors and that’s more than just a catchy phrase.

A typical radio station would never play the diversity of songs you’ll hear on

If you can do without the little girl pop stars and auto-tuned crap that passes for country and rock and roll these days, you might want to try The Outpost Radio. If you want to know the weather wherever you’re sitting in a duck blind, it’s here. If you’re on the way to hunt pheasant or fish for walleye and you’d like to know if anybody’s seeing any, this might be your new favorite radio station.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAHfcqzhag0

VINCE GILL AND PAUL FRANKLIN ON THE STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD The first time I saw Buck Owens was on TV the mid – 60’s. He was already a big star and he and his lead guitar player/harmony singer, Don Rich would tear it up every Saturday evening. One of the frequent guests on Buck’s show was another singer who I found out later came from the same working class town (Bakersfield, California) where Buck Owens had made his mark. His name was Merle Haggard. You might say these two West coast boys had a successful run of country hits.

Spring forward to 2013 when one of the most successful country singers and musicians in history, Vince Gill and steel guitarist Paul Franklin, on the A-list of Nashville studio musicians, decided that these songs and the “Bakersfield Sound” that they represent would likely be loved by a new generation. They were right. Vince and Paul doing songs made famous by Buck and Merle kill it on the new collection of vintage tunes called “Bakersfield.”

THE BEST PLAYERS IN NASHVILLE DIAL IN BAKERSFIELD As noted on the backgrounders of the CD, Gill and Franklin share the producing duties on the ten song set that makes up Bakersfield. It was tracked in two days at Gill s home studio, backed by a stellar band made up of John Hobbs, piano; Greg Morrow, drums; Willie Weeks and Brad Albin, bass; J. T. Corenflos, electric rhythm guitar; and Time Jumpers Kenny Sears, Larry Franklin, Joe Spivey, fiddles and Dawn Sears on harmony vocals.

Fans of Buck Owens will no doubt be nodding their heads on Bakersfield songs such as the classics: Fooling Around and Together Again. Haggard fans will immediately recognize great Hag songs such as: Branded Man and Tonight the Bottle Let me Down. .

Recording Bakersfield was clearly a labor of love for Vince Gill, Paul Franklin and the all-star musicians and singers who participated. They have captured that blue-collar, chicken pickin’, beer-joint feel of songs that made millions of people sing along. And all they had to do was Act Naturally!

GHOST BROTHERS OF DARKLAND COUNTY AMERICAN GOTHIC PUT TO MUSIC

When you combine the collective genius of mystery/horror novelist Stephen King, musician John Mellencamp and music producer extraordinaire T Bone Burnett at least two things are likely. The story will be dark as an Appalachian night and the music will vivid as a blood-stained, Sunday shirt.

These three men, who are clearly at the pinnacle of the professional lives, have created one of most intriguing stories since Homer wrote the Iliad. The title of this masterpiece is Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.

While he wrote most of the songs, this is not a John Mellancamp CD. It’s a much more complex endeavor. The stealthy footprints of Stephen King and T. Bone Burnett are found throughout this epic.

The cast of singers and performers on Ghost Brothers is stunning. They include: Ryan Bingham, Neko Case, Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Dave and Phil Alvin, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Taj Mahal and more. Having real-life and often feuding brothers, Dave and Phil Alvin (formerly of the rock group The Blasters) is just one of the brilliant touches.

There are so many good songs on Ghost Brothers that it’s unjust to mention a few. Our favorites are: “So Goddamn Smart” performed by the Alvin brothers and Sheryl Crow, “Wrong, Wrong, Wrong About Me” performed by Elvis Costello and “Tear This Cabin Down” hit out of the park

by Taj Mahal.

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County is a scary and extremely compelling ghost story set to music and performed by some of the best singers and musicians in the world. It is a classic American Gothic tale…very dark but ultimately fascinating.

WELCOME TO MEMPHIS THE LATEST FROM BOZ SCAGGS Good musicians know how important the “room” is for recording. Some recording studios, such as Muscle Shoals (Alabama) or RCA Studio B (Nashville) are famous for the unique sounds that they yield on the final mix. A couple of these amazing studios are found in Memphis Tennessee – Sun Studios where rockabilly was born and Royal Studios where producer Willie Mitchell invented the sound that made Rev. Al Green a household sound.

One of the most successful performers of the mid-1970’s, Boz Scaggs, who enjoyed blockbuster success with songs such as “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle,” decided to try and coax the friendly spirit of Willie Mitchell back into the Royal Studios in Memphis and if his latest CD is any indication, he succeeded. The CD is appropriately called Memphis and it is far and away the most soulful group of songs that Scaggs has ever recorded.

The musicians that were recruited to play on this session reads like a who’s who of southernbased R&B. After producing a very successful John Mayer CD, Steve Jordan plays drums and produced the record. Ray Parker Jr. and Keb Mo play guitars, legendary player Willie Weeks was on bass and Spooner Oldham who has been one of the best writers and players in R&B history handled the keyboards. Needless to say, this is an all-star supporting cast, which brings us to the star Boz Scaggs.

If you’re thinking of buying these tracks, there are several cuts you might want to sample. “Gone Baby Gone” is a sad, lonely story that will likely knock you out. “Pearl of the Quarter” is a postcard from the French Quarter in New Orleans and his rendition of the Mink Deville song “Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl” is dead, solid perfect pitch.

JOHN FOGARTY WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE How many times have you found yourself singing along with John Fogarty on one of his iconic Creedence Clearwater Revival tunes? If you’re like most, it’s happened many, many times! Apparently, this has also happened to a lot of “A” list musicians many of whom agreed to join him on his latest CD – Wrote a Song for Everyone.

Fogarty’s latest effort, released on his 68th birthday in May, features a who’s who of country and rock music all at the top of their game. Unlike many “manufactured greatest hits/duets” CD’s, these songs sound completely new and fresh. In and of itself, this is amazing.

This collection features brand new interpretations of these classic Fogarty songs by the current crème de la crème of Nashville such as Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson and the Zac Brown Band. These songs also touched the imagination of some hot rock and rollers like Foo Fighters and Kid Rock and the perennial road warrior, Bob Seger and pop vocalist, Jennifer Hudson.

NEW DAWES: STORIES DON’T END The third CD of Dawes represents a departure from the previous two. Not a radical departure, but fans will definitely note a little different vibe on their latest work: Stories Don’t End. Part of this due to a new producer – Jacquire King – who has helped Tom Waits, Norah Jones and the Kings of Lean (among others) and part of the new sound comes from the place where they chose to record: the Blue Ridge Mountains of Ashville, North Carolina.

This CD is not a laid back as the previous two and will likely help Dawes get a lot more fans in those very expensive concert seats.

THE STORIES THAT DON’T END There are several interesting cuts on Stories Don’t End, one of which did not come from the usual writers – the Goldsmiths. The country rock cover of “Hey Lover,” which is written by former Dawes member Blake Mills, is high-energy and more than a little twisted. The band obviously loves this tune and they make it their own.

One of the best cuts in the collection is the duet between Fogarty and Keith Urban: “Almost Saturday Night”. This tune, originally recorded by Fogarty during his solo years, sounds like a Keith Urban song – instead of a rehash of a Fogarty song. Such is also the case on the first cut of the CD – “Fortunate Son” with Foo Fighters and a more countrified version of “Bad Moon Rising” featuring the Zac Brown Band.

The opening track, “Just Beneath the Surface,” is kick-butt anthem that many have compared to Jackson Brown’s California rock - Running on Empty and others. This is a great choice for to get listeners ready for the new, bigger production values that are about to fill their speakers and ear buds. The band (producer?) cleverly adds a slower, acoustic version of this song as the final cut. This bookends the CD nicely.

John Fogarty also gives a nod to the next generation of the musical family. He and sons Shane and Tyler make a run at the symbolically appropriate CCR tune “Lodi.” If the music and respect shown by these amazing singers for John Fogarty are any indication, I think we’re all happy that John did not get stuck in Lodi…again.

The first single from the CD is “From the Window Seat” and is a melodic rocker. This song has a very subtle hook that is not that obvious from the first listen, but after listening to the rest of the collection and coming back around to it, it really starts to grow on you.

MUSE THE WOOD BROTHERS The Wood Brothers, Chris and Oliver, grew up listening to their father sing folk songs. However, when it was time to leave the nest, the both went in different directions – literally and musically. Chris split for NYC to play instrumental jazz and Oliver started a band that played more Americana music. After their respective bands played a gig together, both brothers realized that they might enjoy collaborating on a mixture of musical genres.

As Chris noted later, “Hey, my brother has the same job, he’s really good at it, he’s a great player, and a great singer and a great songwriter. It makes sense that we should do something together.” Now, Chris and Oliver both live in Nashville and have been joined by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix to form the Wood Brothers.

WOODS & WATER: MUSIC The latest CD from the Wood Brothers – Muse – is a delightful collection of hard-to-categorize songs, and that was probably the idea. The melodies and lyrics represent a combination of the influences of the band, including, but not limited to: Robert Johnson, Willie Nelson and Charles Mingus. Fans of Zac Brown will be interested to note that Muse was recorded at Brown’s Southern Ground Studio and is being released on the Southern Ground Artists label. It’s produced by a man with two of the best ears in music Buddy Miller.

The songs on Muse are predictably eclectic. A few of the best include: Neon Tombstone, Who the Devil and, of course the album’s title cut.

Listeners will dig the harmonies that only a couple of brothers could produce, the great acoustic guitar work and the tasty stand-up bass. Go get Muse from the Wood Brothers for anyone on your list who loves music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNk4Rj-d8JA

Because good things are often difficult to describe, it you were trying to explain the music of JJ Grey and Mofro to, say, an alien from Mars you would have to fall back on the time-tested technique of using short, clever phrases that music reviewers always use. His new CD, entitled This River, has earned a whole passel of short clever phrases, some of which an alien from Mars might even understand, including: • • • •

A southern storm of soulful grooves Riff-based southern rock Cold-blooded swamp funk Sly Memphis soul

He and his band are all of those things and (wait for it….) more!

The best definition of the tunes on This River comes from the man his own bad self. “Many of the new songs,” says Grey, “are about being your own worst enemy, and about normal folks pushing themselves over the edge.” So, we can safely add to the list of short, catchy phrases: •

Honest storyteller.

TURN ON THE MACHINE! The press surrounding this CD has noted that Grey decided to record these tunes “live” in the studio which means there is little or no over-dubbing every instrument and voice. Basically, somebody yells, “Turn on the machine” and everyone plays and sings their part at the same time – as if they were performing live on stage. This approach works well with a bunch of talented musicians like Mofro.

“It adds so much more to the dynamic of a recording. It’s so different when you get to play off each other rather than overdub each track,” says Grey.

As one reviewer noted, “The songs on This River are tighter and more deftly written than on previous offerings, but the more immediate, in-the-moment-ofcreation production and incendiary performances keep things from getting slick.”

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE The songs are nicely diverse in tempo but all reflect a slice-of-life approach to Grey’s stories. There are upbeat funk/blues rhythms, with big, fat hooks like “99 Shades of Crazy”, “Your Lady, She’s Shady”, and “Write a Letter”. The CD gives a nod to Motown in “Tame a Wild One,” sandy beach songs in the form of “Florabama” and “Standing on the Edge” and has a couple of really nice, lyric-driven message tunes such as “The Ballad of Larry Webb” and the title cut “This River.”

With the release of This River, JJ Grey and Mofro have now recorded seven CDs and they just get better every time. Give this Outpost sample cut a listen and see if you don’t find yourself clicking over to Amazon to order this gem

PEACE ANDERS OSBORNE New Orleans-based singer guitarist Anders Osborne has created a masterpiece with his new CD Peace.

This album has layer after layer after more layers of sound – sometimes chaotic and sometimes melodic – punctuated by deep blues guitar and a vulnerable, soulful voice. The songs are tied together through a thematic link - Peace.

As Osborne explains, “Peace is light from darkness.

The songs are written from the outside looking in.

They are not making any judgments. I’m just stating facts. I’m writing from a brighter perspective.

There’s less dusk and dark, and much more sunlight.

The results are greater than I expected. The driving tones and sounds are free and natural. This is one of the coolest records I’ve ever made.”

Recorded at one of the coolest studios in the country – Dockside – located in the tiny town of Maurice, Louisiana, this CD is a rare combination of raw emotions, funky hard rock and sweet ballads. As the chorus of the title cut of this record suggests, Osborne has been toiling on the road for decades. He has clearly picked up some desperation along the way and has applied it to his craft.

Playing all my songs All the way from Woodstock To New Orleans This first, title cut of the CD is worth the price of admission. It sets the stage for the intense, self-observation that is to follow on the remaining cuts.

If you’re interested in looking at the concept of “peace” from all angles, pick up this beauty from Anders Osborne.

For more great music, listen to The Outpost Radio at:

www.TheOutpostLife.com

THE WILD FEATHERS FLY Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young proved that a successful rock band could have four lead singers, so long as every voice was unique and every singer knew how to sing tight harmonies. The Eagles improved on this multi-lead formula by adding some great guitar work and now The Wild Feathers have perfected this sound even more. In their first CD, The Wild Feathers fly.

As the band’s promo materials notes, “Ricky, Joel, Taylor and Preston were all lead singers before they came together as The Wild Feathers, fronting their own bands and writing songs with their own distinct sounds. All hailing from Austin, Texas with the exception of Joel who’s from Oklahoma, each member grew up with a deep sense of southern musical traditions, while at the same time being raised on records like Led Zeppelin, Neil Young and Tom Petty. As kids, their moms played them the Rolling Stones instead of lullabies, literally and figuratively rocking them to sleep.”

King and Young got to Music City first and realized that more singers are better than just one singer. King said, “Ricky and I wanted to do something with a bunch of singers, not just one lead.”

This unique “group” proposition, where each band member’s voice has an equal importance, is a far cry from the usual Nashville scenario where one lead singer and the same, old (albeit talented) session players back him up on the CD. For this to work, egos have to be checked at the door and they clearly have been!

Next to arrive on the scene was Taylor Burns. He has great guitar chops and bluesy growl. As has been noted by more than one reviewer and devoted fan, Burns was the perfect thing to complement Ricky’s smooth, folk tone and Joel’s rock & roll bellow. Preston Wimberly, who rounded out the harmonies and added a country sound to the mix with his pedal steel. Ben Jarvis on percussion and vocals rounded out the Wild Feathers.

An important addition to the group’s debut CD is producer Jay Joyce. He has helmed sessions for the likes of the Wallflowers, Emmylou Harris and one of the best John Hiatt CDs ever – “Tiki Bar.” Joyce has a really good ear for tempo, melodies and big, fat hooks on the chorus. If you’d like proof, just listen to The Wild Feathers do “The Ceiling.” This is a stone, cold hit.

Other great cuts in this collection are bluesy rock tunes like “Backwoods Company,” great harmonies on “Hard Wind” and slow, folky love songs like “Tall Boots” and “Left My Woman,” which allows Ricky, Joel and Taylor to sing a few solo bars each in the opening, before joining with Preston on the chorus.

Crystal clear voices, great original songs and a wall of well-played guitars are found on every cut of the debut and self-titled CD, The Wild Feathers. If you want to hear what the future of rock music sounds like, get a copy of this terrific CD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R_rhdglVBk

Foreverly - Billie Joe Armstrong & Norah Jones Don and Phil Everly had two giant rock ‘n roll hits in 1957 – Wake Up Little Susie and Bye Bye Love. They became rock icons almost overnight and then did something unusual. They completely changed directions and recorded a country album as a tribute to the father, Ike, who was a country singer and had put the boys on stage in his act.

Many rock ‘n rollers were scratching their heads at the time, but the album became and remains a classic.

The album, entitled “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us,” was real country and made up of traditional country standards.

The music was low-key, limited instrumentation and none of that evil rock ‘n rock, but still sung by the best two voices in the business. Now, two other amazing voices – Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones – have cut a tribute to these same tunes and they call it: Foreverly.

The harmonies of Green Day’s Armstrong and jazz/pop/country singer Jones are nothing short of amazing on this CD. They sound, well, like the Everly Brothers only different. However, even if the phrasing and harmonies are similar, this is not karaoke night. These are two brilliant singers and musicians, at the top of their game, producing an incredible collection of songs. For the music historians/geeks, take note: Armstrong took Don Everly’s baritone part and Jones sang Phil’s tenor part.

Billie Joe and Norah play guitar and pump organ, respectively on some cuts. Jones plays piano like Floyd Cramer (“Last Date”) on “Long Time Gone” and “Silver Haired Daddy of Mine.” Also on the record: Tim Luntzel (bass), Dan Rieser (drums), Charlie Burnham (harmonica, mandolin and violin) and Jonny Lam (pedal steel).

After Phil Everly’s death on January 3, 2014 the world remembered the incredible harmonies he and his brother sang. Through serendipity, Foreverly, only recently shipped, got LOTS of radio play and will be one of the biggest CDs of 2014.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx0wfDLgEqM

SHOUT! - GOVERNMENT MULE After four, long years of hibernation, Warren Hayes and Government Mule are back…with a vengeance.

As a special gift to those fans who have been patiently waiting, the new CD – Shout! – has 22 great cuts. It features 11 tracks recorded by the band in Los Angeles and Stamford, CT plus a bonus disc featuring an all-star lineup of vocalists interpreting The Mule’s new songs. Special guests Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Ben Harper, Toots Hibbert, Glenn Hughes, Jim James, Myles Kennedy, Dave Matthews, Grace Potter, Vintage Trouble’s Ty Taylor and Steve Winwood appear on Disc 2 of Shout! The double album also marks Gov’t Mule’s Blue Note Records debut.

The CD opener, “World Boss,” is typical rocking Mule. Great rhythm guitar featured here, due mainly to keyboardist Danny Louis’ expanded role as multi-instrumentalist. This track, with the opening line “Have you heard the news” is a throwback to the 2004 “Bad Man Walking” from the band’s “Deja Voodoo” .

In a nod to early Mule, “Whisper In Your Soul” will be familiar to most fans . Drummer Matt Abts is featured on this track, and the inventive bass of newest member Jorgen Carlsson is equal to that of his predecessors. This new incarnation of Government Mule has obviously been in the practice studio because each member manages to be heard without crowding the other players.

The soulful vocal chops of band leader Warren Hayes are featured on the cut “Captured.” This tune has one of the best lyric lines from the CD: “Never thought I’d love someone more than I love myself”.

The cover versions of GM found on the second disc are equally interesting. Grace Potter, Elvis Costello and Dr. John kill on their Mule tracks. Given the new material and this “special guests” disc, Shout! may be the best bargain of the year!

Want more music like this? Want to hear the best of today and yesterday’s country music plus some great southern rock along with some alternative country? Check out The Outpost Radio at:

www.TheOutpostLife.com

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

HAPPINESS IS A BELT-FED WEAPON

Our annual machine gun shoot saw twelve marksmen all get to shoot some of the most famous automatic weapons. Our customers all enjoyed the belt-fed machine guns and several enjoyed the AK 74.

All in all the Bar-b-que was great and the shooting was even better.

The Mavericks Back in Your Arms

Click here to watch video: http://bit.ly/KLh5DW

Click here to watch video: http://bit.ly/KK4iWm

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