PAC Systems Woods and Water

woods & water SYSTEMS, INC.

HUNTING SHED ANTLERS

CHARLIE DANIELS - OFF THE GRID TAKING YOUR SMARTPHONE HUNTING ASIAN CARP NEVADA ELK

WASHINGTON MUDSLIDES & FISHING YELLOWSTONE LAKE TROUT

FISH ASSIST

NEW TROUT RECORD

RECIPES, GEAR, MUSIC & MORE

Woods & Water is brought to you monthly by your friends at:

Mission Statement:

To ensure excellent service, safety, and efficiency for all of our customers while providing turnkey solutions in the fire protection and life safety industries.

The Company

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.

P.A.C. People

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

While providing an extensive list of services, our key focus is turnkey solutions that are unmatched.

Services include such innovations as real time response, PSS – (Phone Solution Service), web access to inspection data, and a one stop provider for any set of pyrotechnic solutions.

P.A.C. Systems, Inc 751 109th Street, Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 640-2223

www.pac-systems.com newsystemsales@pac-systems.com servicesales@pac-systems.com servicerequest@pac-systems.com marketingrequest@pac-systems.com finance@pac-systems.com

Woods & WaterŠ is produced and copyrighted 2012 by Gorilla Marketing LLC, Marietta GA 30062.

Reproduction in whole or part without permission is expressly forbidden.

SYSTEMS, INC.

Fueled by Service

Life Safety & Mass Notification Dallas-Fort Worth 817-640-2223

FEATURE STORIES TAKING YOUR CELL PHONE HUNTING OR FISHING Most outdoor sportsmen and women love getting outside for the solitude. When they’re in the duck blind, tree stand or fishing stream there are no co-workers yapping about irrelevant minutiae, no family members needing immediate assistance and no phones buzzing with urgent messages.

CHARLIE DANIELS OFF THE GRID So, why is this 77-year old musical legend not taking it easy on some golf course or fishing pond instead of playing a road schedule that would tire-out a teenager? The answer is complicated.

WILDLY CREATIVE As a part of our on-going coverage of the making of the documentary “In the Mind of the Maker” this month we asked the writer/director of the film, C.E. Richard, to give us his impressions of the process of making and the subject of the film

We’re Your One Stop Provider!

We respond within 30 minutes by phone and can be on-site within two hours.

Our technicians are clean cut, uniformed professionals.

SERVICES OFFERED System Design New Installations Monitoring Service/Repairs Tenant Improvements

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE FIRE ALARM INSPECTION QUOTE!

Service Agreements

INSPECTIONS/REPAIRS Fire Alarm Systems Sprinkler Systems

Types of facilities we service High Rises, Hospitals, Malls, Apartment Complexes, School Districts, Communication Centers, Airport Facilities, Municipalities

Fire Pumps Suppression Systems Fire Extinguishers Backflow Devices For more information contact Bruce Hatchell at

(817) 640-2223 Or visit us on the internet at

www.pac-systems.com Member of BOMA, Apartment Association Texas Apartment Association, National Fire Protection Agency

• SINCE 1986 •

SYSTEMS, INC.

Fueled by Service

Life Safety & Mass Notification Dallas-Fort Worth 817-640-2223

WOODS & WATER: NEVADA ELK

Elk Hunters Will Be Flocking to Nevada Here’s some great news for elk hunters. Biologists from the Nevada Department of Wildlife (DOW) expect a record number of elk tags to be issued this upcoming season – 11,000 tags statewide – in part to manage the runaway growth of the state’s 17,500 elk.

“We’re learning that not many things kill elk other than a bullet,” said DOW supervising biologist Ken Gray. “We saw these rapid increases in our elk population. We just didn’t have the season structure to take advantage of that.”

REINTRODUCTION TACTICS WORKED – MAYBE TOO WELL Up until about 25 years ago, not many elk were grazing in Nevada. Due to hunting pressure they disappeared from the state by the mid-1800s, and only a few were left. However, when the DOW began reintroduction efforts in the late 1980s the population increased.

Elk numbers have more than doubled in the last decade alone. The recovery has been so successful that ranchers and farmers are complaining about the growing herd, claiming that the unruly animals are causing property damage and eating livestock feed.

“That’s $60,000 every year that I donated in alfalfa to the elk,” said rancher Eric Bedke. “Times that by 20 years, that’s ($1.2 million). And that’s only in alfalfa. That doesn’t take in my grass meadows, that doesn’t take in one inch of fence that I’ve repaired, that doesn’t take in any of my private rangeland.”

HUNTERS DISAGREE ABOUT MORE TAGS Not all sportsmen agree with the decision to issue more elk tags. Concerns that that hunting spots will become more crowded, or that there will be fewer opportunities to harvest large bulls are the reasons offered. The DOW is attempting to deal with these concerns by encouraging more hunters to visit out-of-the-way wilderness areas.

The Nevada agency is also expected to make changes to this season’s mule deer quotas. A successful buck hunt last year will likely lead to a decreased quota this season, although poor habitat conditions might provoke a higher anterless deer quota. State biologists are concerned that sparse forage across the mule deer’s range could lead to a disastrous winter die-off.

MOOSE ON THE LOOSE AND HE’S NOT HAPPY A couple of Colorado women were recuperating after a moose attack northwest of Denver in mid-May and this moose was not as friendly or funny as Bullwinkle used to be on cartoons. They were walking their dogs in the city of Black Hawk when the encounter took place, the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office said.

"All of a sudden, I looked up and he was looking right at me and grunted and then charged," Jackqueline Boron told CNN. "I tried to get up, and he kept coming back and stomping on me."

"When I fell back he got me here," Boron said, pointing to her arm. "Then, when I curled up forward, that's when he got me on the head."

The attack left Boron with staples in the back of her head, 15 stitches on her leg and four broken ribs.

Ellen Marie Divis was also stomped on by the moose, but was able to get away to find help.

"I heard 'help me, help me, help me,'" neighbor Chris Hockley told Cable News Network. "This lady comes running up to her house and she's covered in blood."

The sheriff's office issued a warning after the attack: "If you encounter a moose: walk away from it -- DO NOT walk towards it; moose are agitated by dogs; make sure your dog is on a leash, control the dog(s) and walk away," Lesson learned, Boron said – “Don't mess with a moose.”

"Don't hike (when) you know ... there's moose out there."

WOODS & WATER: CARIBOU NUMBERS DECLINING

CARIBOU NUMBERS DECLINING IN ALASKA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA

PREDATORS SUCH AS WOLVES BLAMED The state of Alaska and British Columbia in Canada are two areas that many feel represent the last frontier of North America. Both are known for their massive caribou populations which, for several reasons, are experiencing a substantial decline.

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (DFG), at its peak in 2003, the Western Arctic Herd of caribou numbered more than 490,000 animals and was one of the largest caribou herds in North America. Since that point, the herd’s numbers have fallen by about 27 percent from 2011.

“Caribou numbers fluctuate naturally,” said DFG biologist Jim Dau. “However, we’ve only had the technology to accurately count caribou herds since about 1970. The current Western Arctic Herd decline is still within the range of change documented for this herd in the past.”

THE NUMBERS TELL THE TALE In a press release in May, the Alaska DFG estimate that as of July 2013, the herd’s numbers had dropped to 235,000 animals from 325,000 in 2011. Although biologists cannot say for sure what is causing the longtime decline of the herd, it is believed that deep snow and an abundance of predators were responsible for the high mortality rates in 2011-2012. The survival rate of calves born in recent years was also low.

“I’m often asked, ‘Why the decline?’ In truth, we don’t have data to completely answer that question. But it appears that summer and winter weather combined with predators have affected survival during recent years,” Dau said. “Disease does not appear to be a factor, caribou have generally been in good body condition throughout this decline, and we don’t think harvests initiated it. But, if harvests remain stable, they will increasingly affect the population trend as herd size goes down.”

WOODS & WATER: CARIBOU NUMBERS DECLINING “It takes no time for a wolf to devour a calf. It’s

pretty discouraging,” wildlife biologist Scott McNay said.

RESTRICTING THE HARVEST

There are approximately 750,000 wild caribou in the state of Alaska, including some herds that are shared with nearby Yukon. The Western Arctic Herd contains by far the largest number of caribou, while the Porcupine Caribou Herd is believed to contain 169,000 animals. The smaller Forty mile and Teshekpuk herds contain over 50,000 each. At one time the Western Arctic Herd contested eastern Canada’s caribou population for the title of the world’s largest caribou herd. Now some fear that it will meet the same fate as a former holder of that title, the George River Caribou Herd, which went from being 800,000 strong in the 1980s to less than 74,000 in 2010.

MEANWHILE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA Pregnant caribou are being rounded up for an ambitious program meant to save the animals from wolves. Canadian wildlife officers are capturing pregnant cows and putting the animals in specially-designed maternity pens. There, the animals are fed and cared for by biologists while they give birth. The mother and her young will be released when the calves reach one month of age, according to The Calgary Herald.

“What biologists have found is that the mortality of calves is [highest] in that first four weeks of their life when they are very small,” noted Kevin Bollefer of the Revelstoke Caribou Rearing in the Wild Society.

As in Alaska, the caribou population in British Columbia has been in decline for years, with a roughly 80 percent decrease noted in the last decade. Another newspaper, The Globe and Mail, noted the problem began when industrial development opened new roads into what was once remote caribou territory.

The heavy snowfall of the area previously discouraged predators such as bears, wolverines, and especially wolves from intruding. With the new roads, the predators found that they could travel readily into new prey-filled territories.

Experts say that migratory caribou populations do cycle naturally, but usually over a span of 50 to 70 years. Last year wildlife officials in Canada initiated an immediate and total ban on hunting for the George River herd in the hopes of stemming the decline.

“Our first priority is conservation of these animals, and that is why we are imposing a total ban on this herd,” Environment and Conservation minister Tom Hedderson said. “George River caribou have shown a continued steep decline in the latest survey results, and a continued harvest is simply not sustainable at this point in time. Given the biological information that we have, we must do our part and work together to ensure the herd’s existence.”

Alaskan officials are also considering restricting harvest restrictions. If this decision to limit hunting for the Western Arctic Hear is made it will be the first time that the department has done so in over 30 years. The herd is also immensely important to the communities that live within its 140,000 square-mile range, not only as part of their heritage but also as a food source. Alaskan hunters harvest about 22,000 caribou every year for food.

ANCIENT CARIBOU HUNTING SITE DISCOVERED UNDERNEATH LAKE HURON EARLY HUNTING STRATEGIES REVEALED Further evidence as to hunting’s role in the development of civilization has been found under 121 feet of water. Underwater archaeologists from the University of Michigan have made an amazing discovery: a 9,000-year-old hunting site at the bottom of Lake Huron.

According to the research published in Proceedings for the National Academy of Science, the site had hunting blinds and storage structures. It was found on the Alpena-Amberley Ridge underneath Lake Huron. The ridge was once a dry land corridor that connected northeast Michigan and Ontario.

EARLY HUNTING STRATEGIES REVEALED “In autumn, small groups carried out the caribou hunts, and in spring, larger groups of hunters cooperated,” said John O’Shea, a professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan and lead author of the recently-published study detailing the caribou hunting drive.

According to a press release issued by the university, the most prominent feature of the hunting site is what researchers have dubbed “Drop 45 Drive Lane.” This was a stone alley comprised of two great limestone walls culminating in a dead end.

Archeologists believe this structure attracted the ancient paleo-Indians – big game hunters who were the descendants of the first humans to arrive in North American some 45,000 to 14,000 years ago. The hunters would use the drive lane to corral migrating caribou into a narrow corridor where the animals could be easily picked off. Divers also found evidence of what appeared to be V-shaped hunting blinds and additional stone alignments that may have been used to trap the caribou.

“It is noteworthy that V-shaped hunting blinds located upslope from Drop 45 are oriented to intercept animals moving to the southeast in the autumn,” O’Shea said. “This concentration of differing types of hunting structures associated with alternative seasons of migration is consistent with caribou herd movement simulation data indicating that the area was a convergence point along different migration routes, where the landform tended to compress the animals in both the spring and autumn.”

OTHER DISCOVERIES AT THE SITE O’Shea and his team also unearthed scattered structures and debris around the site, including chipped stone flakes that were likely used to repair the hunters’ tools. Researchers said that the find gives more insight into the early hunting practices and social organization of North America’s first human inhabitants.

“The larger size and multiple parts of the complex drive lanes would have necessitated a larger cooperating group of individuals involved in the hunt,” O’Shea explained. “The smaller V-shaped hunting blinds could be operated by very small family groups relying on the natural shape of the landform to channel caribou towards them.”

Scientists believe the paleo-Indians originally arrived in North America through a land bridge in the Bering Strait. The ancient hunters existed primarily on the harvest of now extinct “mega fauna” such as mammoths, giant beavers, mastodons, and a prehistoric species of caribou. Paleo-Indians followed the migration of big game from Alaska deeper into the center of the continent, eventually forming drastically different cultures across North America.

SYSTEMS, INC.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT ANTLERS?

A BRIEF LOOK AT THE ANNUAL CYCLE OF A DEER’S ANTLERS Why are we so fascinated with antlers? Whitetail deer hunters spend hours speculating on the number and size of these curious appendages. Organizations such as Boone & Crockett have created an elaborately complicated scale/value of antlers. Meanwhile, the folks who don’t hunt deer shrug their shoulders and turn their palms up as if to say: “who cares?”

Well, obviously, we deer hunters care and there are some very basic reasons for this fascination.

One of the basic lessons of Cervid 101 involves antlers. They grow, drop, and regrow each year. This doesn’t happen with cows or sheep, for the very good reason that cows and sheep have horns, not antlers.

Antler growth is also the fastest form of mammal tissue growth known to man; antlers can grow up to an inch a day. No other animal outside the members of the deer family can boast of this remarkable annual event.

As noted above, antlers are not horns. Horns are not shed and regrown each year—they have a core of living tissue and grow from the inside out. Horns are composed primarily of keratin, the same substance that makes up hair and fingernails. Antlers are made of solid bone, consisting mostly of calcium and phosphorous.

EARLY SPRINGTIME AND ANTLERS ARE SPROUTING Online reference sites such as The Izzak Walton League note that by late April the annual process of growing the antlers is underway. The annual cycle is entirely controlled by the length of day or night. In early spring, the bucks are without antlers, but when the pituitary gland is stimulated by the longer daylight hours later in the season, the antlers begin to grow.

At the beginning of this growth the antlers are covered with a soft substance called “velvet” because of its felt-like nature. When a whitetail deer is in velvet, it looks a little like one of Santa’s reindeer. The velvet carries blood and is warm to the touch. It is also sensitive, so bucks often seek out secluded areas while their antlers are growing. If they run into a tree branch or another deer with their new antler growth, wildlife biologists say they feel the pain.

Interestingly, Axis deer, which are originally imported from Sri Lanka to the U.S, can be in velvet any time of the year, not just the spring. It depends on what month they were born and when they dropped their previous year’s antlers.

As the growing antlers fork and create their shape they are susceptible to injury. For example, they could partially break a tine or a beam and that beam will continue to grow in the direction it is pointed after breaking. In some cases, these broken tines have grown into eyes or jaws and either blinded or even killed deer.

HOW MANY POINTS DOES HE HAVE? The number of antler points is not necessarily related to his age. A yearling buck can be a 10-pointer, although it is much more likely to have six points or less. But once a buck reaches three years of age, his basic antler point conformation is evident. An eight-point buck at three or four years of age will probably always be an eight-pointer.

According to wildlife biologists, by June a deer’s antlers are growing as much as an inch per day. The shape that will crown the deer’s head later in the fall is becoming evident. The velvet that covers them is warm and sensitive to touch.

Good nutrition is important for buck to grow large antlers.

This is why the deer farms spend so much time and money feeding their animals large quantities of vitamins and minerals. This is also a controversial practice among whitetail deer purists.

For non-farm deer, soils with good quantities of calcium and phosphorous help grow big bucks because the plants that grow in them carry those minerals into the buck’s digestive system. If those minerals are lacking, the buck’s bodies will rob them from the skeletal system because growing antlers gets priority over a strong skeleton.

PRE-SEASON GROWTH By the first of August the days begin to get shorter and a deer’s antlers are grown. As the month of August wears on, the antlers harden and the velvet loses its sensitivity. Blood flow stops by the end of August, and the velvet will begin to dry and loosen its grip.

Except for the Axis deer, velvet in most of North America is shed within a week either side of the first day of September. While there is little blood flow in the velvet at this time, some remaining blood will be evident as the velvet comes off. It happens all at once—once it begins to come off, the velvet will be all gone within a few hours and bucks often thrash small bushes and work it all off in a few minutes.

INTO THE RUT If you’ve ever been in a tree stand during the early deer hunting season, you probably heard a few fights break out among the “boys.” Bucks use their antlers very aggressively during the breeding season, often breaking or damaging them. Injuries are fairly common, but this is nature’s way of ensuring the survival of the fittest.

By late December, when the most of the acorns and grass have been consumed, bucks are trying to find highcarbohydrate foods to rebuild their bodies that are run down from the rigors of the rut. Chasing the females, fighting with the other males, while dodging the high-powered bullets, can take a toll on a feller.

Short daylight hours are once again changing the testosterone levels in their system. The antlers are no longer needed and the process of casting them is beginning. Biologists note that over time, the osteoclasts in the burr (the base of the antler on the buck’s skull) begin to reabsorb calcium over the winter and eventually, the weight of the antlers themselves cause them to fall off.

In a normal year, about 80 percent of the antlers fall off between mid-February and mid-March, but there are several variables that can change the timing of the drops. Bucks which have sustained a serious injury and become stressed or unable to get enough to eat may drop their antlers even before Christmas. If there is a severe winter, the run-down condition of the bucks may move the average date of antler dropping up a few weeks.

Stress of any sort will cause the antlers to drop earlier.

SEARCHING FOR SHEDS After the snow has melted and the weather starts to warm up, many outdoor sports enthusiasts have discovered a new way to feed their fascination for antlers. Searching for the antlers which have been shed during the winter has become a popular pastime for entire families.

Finding the sheds on a property gives the deer hunters in the family evidence that the big buck that got away in the fall, will likely be back in the coming season. It also puts the hunter in the cycle of the deer’s life which is where most of us want to be!

WHY TAKE YOUR SMARTPHONE HUNTING AND FISHING?

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

Being away from folks and phones has been two of the great benefits of hours in the wilderness. However, many anglers and 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 minds of communication pioneers such as Steve Jobs of Apple. While Jobs, who was the founder and chief innovator of this technobehemoth, is probably 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 addons 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.

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.

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 and helped many anglers find that honey hole that was so productive last year. 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.

A new website called FishAssist (www.fishassist.com) is responsible for adding even more reasons for taking one’s smartphone on a fishing trip. If you haven’t already read the feature on this innovative fishing site in this issue of WOODS & WATER, check it out. The website gives anglers excellent information on the species of fish in lakes, rivers and even coastal locations and GPS coordinates – retrievable with a smartphone – are included in these advisories.

The Bushnell PowerSync SolarWrap 400 has an onboard battery that will charge from direct sunlight, moonlight, or even the old fashioned way—by plugging into a wall outlet. This is one of the great innovations in outdoor sports!

The manufacture specs note that SolarWrap 400 will charge from a wall outlet in four hours and if you use the sun it only takes 3.5 hours! It charges anything that connects via a standard USB port. This charge will run you about $180 at retailers like REI. If you’ve ever been without a phone, in the middle of an emergency or bragging opportunity with your buddies, you know it’s worth every penny of this price tag.

HOW TO KEEP THIS INDISPENSABLE GEAR SAFE Smartphones are not cheap and they’re not indestructible.

This means an outdoors enthusiast needs a top-quality case to keep the phone safe from use and abuse. Many hunters and anglers swear by their LifeProof smartphone case which has the advantage of being covered in Realtree camo.

The Realtree MAX-5 iPhone 4/4 case is rugged and very cool looking. It’s also waterproof to a depth of 6.5 feet.

It has a screw-out button for the ear bud port and a gasket-covered flap for the charging port and features a design that allow the user to hear everything and everyone can hear him or her when they talk. Added benefit: It will fit into a pocket with no problem.

This case in camo sells at retail (e.g.

AT&T stores) for $80 - $100.

HERE COMES THE SUN TO KEEP IT CHARGED A smartphone that’s out of juice is worse than worthless. If you happened to be in the woods or on the water for days, you might not have an electrical source to re-charge the batteries.

Fortunately, solar-power has been discovered by the battery manufacturers and outdoorsmen are the big beneficiaries.

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, or most importantly you can read WOODS & WATER Magazine – 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, rock and R&B on the planet. “Music for the Great Outdoors” is the motto of The Outpost Radio and all you need is a smartphone.

If you’ve ever been sitting around a fishing or hunting camp or even the backyard and felt the urge to share some music with your friends or family, there are also some cool speakers which will work with your smartphone. ECOXGEAR’s waterproof, portable ECOXTERRA speaker system lets you run your iPod or music from your phone no matter what the weather is.

The ECOXTERRA speaker system is waterproof, shockproof, and probably tough enough for even your kids. The speaker features a sealed area to hold your phone and this compartment is completely watertight and protects your valuable iPod from shocks. It connects via your phone’s ear bud port and works with most common smartphones.

The ECOXTERRA works with eight AA batteries, or an AC adapter and the manufacture notes it has a 25-hour battery life. It is just over 14 inches wide and can go just about anywhere including the water because it floats. The retail price for the this speaker system is about $150 but you can get a better price online from sites like Amazon.

SMARTPHONES HAVE BECOME AN OUTDOOR NECESSITY 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.

Yellowstone Park Continues to Purge Lake Trout AN UPDATE FROM A PREVIOUS OUTPOST ARTICLE There’s little or no research on whether King Solomon of Israel was a fisherman or not, but even this big-thinker would have a tough time figuring out the trout situation in Yellowstone Park. He would, however, likely agree that trying to strike an ecological balance can give you a headache.

Here’s the conundrum. Lake trout have existed in Yellowstone National Park for more than two decades and this fish is loved by both anglers and seafood eaters. Unfortunately, the introduction of this species has almost destroyed the park’s native cutthroat trout population. So, park officials say that the species may soon be headed for a decline and they have been taking aggressive methods to make it so.

“The goal was to crash the lake-trout population to a point where they are no longer adversely affecting Yellowstone cutthroat trout,” Yellowstone’s Center for Resources Chief David Hallac told the Boseman (Montana) Daily Chronicle. “We have evidence now that our suppression program is sufficient to cause the population to decline.”

THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF HABITAT CHANGE As was noted in an article in this publication a few months ago, for the last two years park biologists have netted more than 300,000 lake trout annually. Anglers who visit Yellowstone and catch a lake trout are also required to take it home. While officials are now seeing the visible effects of the suppression program, it comes at the price of about $2 million every year. The park’s annual budget for controlling invasive species is only $3 million.

CUTTHROAT TROUT

“Yellowstone National Park is in this for the long haul,” Hallac said.

Other conservation groups, including Trout Unlimited, have also contributed to this effort. These groups and the park’s biologists feel strongly about restoring the park’s ecological balance. In a classic case of “unintended consequences” when the lake trout were introduced to the park’s waters and flourished, the decline of cutthroat trout has caused a domino effect in the park’s food chain, affecting bears, elk, and bald eagles and others.

Park officials note that lake trout were first discovered in Yellowstone Lake in 1994, and quickly out-competed native cutthroat trout for food. A single lake trout can also eat up to 40 cutthroat trout a year.

The lake trout’s impact on the cutthroat population led to trouble for all the other predators that rely on the latter in some form or another. A study which we covered in a previous Outpost article found that as a result of the cutthroat’s decline, the park’s bears have turned increasingly to elk for food. Researchers estimate that a total of 25 species have been affected by the introduction of lake trout.

WWW.THEOUTPOSTLIFE.COM

IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING Finding and therefore catching lake trout is becoming increasingly difficult in Yellowstone and this puts park officials in their happy place. This means the purging of lake trout is working and hopefully this species will soon be manageable.

According to the Associated Press, the lake trout will not likely die out entirely. The objective is to have the population reduced to a point where the cutthroat can be restored. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, a group of organizations and individuals who support the park, released a survey last August found more juvenile cutthroats for the second consecutive year.

We’re Your One Stop Provider!

We respond within 30 minutes by phone and can be on-site within two hours.

Our technicians are clean cut, uniformed professionals.

SERVICES OFFERED System Design New Installations Monitoring Service/Repairs Tenant Improvements

CALL TODAY FOR A FREE FIRE ALARM INSPECTION QUOTE!

Service Agreements

INSPECTIONS/REPAIRS Fire Alarm Systems Sprinkler Systems

Types of facilities we service High Rises, Hospitals, Malls, Apartment Complexes, School Districts, Communication Centers, Airport Facilities, Municipalities

Fire Pumps Suppression Systems Fire Extinguishers Backflow Devices For more information contact Bruce Hatchell at

(817) 640-2223 Or visit us on the internet at

www.pac-systems.com Member of BOMA, Apartment Association Texas Apartment Association, National Fire Protection Agency

• SINCE 1986 •

Charlie Daniels is Off the Grid

His manager was very specific as to the time Charlie Daniels had for our interview.

He absolutely had to be done by 11:18 a.m.

When someone is THAT specific, it’s always a good idea to take them seriously. As it turns out, our chat was just one of many Charlie was doing this particular Friday morning and he had another one scheduled for 11:20 a.m. with Sirius Satellite Radio.

So, why is this 77-year old musical legend not taking it easy on some golf course or fishing pond instead of playing a road schedule that would tire-out a teenager?

The answer is complicated.

First, he’s got a new record – Off the Grid: Doing it Dylan – which is a fascinating collection of Bob Dylan songs done as only the CDB can do them. Secondly, he’s got an entire company – about 30 people – who depend on him to keep pulling the plow and giving a good show to the paying customers. However, these are not the only reasons Charlie is running from one place to the next. It’s a habit. He’s done it his entire life.

Charlie Daniels started his music career in the 1950s and over the course of 55 years he has been a remarkably successful and prolific studio musician, songwriter, producer, singer and band leader. He’s recorded over 50 albums and singles, many of which went on to reach the top of the rock and country charts. At age 70, he became of member of the Grand Old Opry, and a couple of months ago he ambitiously decided to record some of the most iconic songs in history.

For some unknown reason most interviewers - present company included - like to remind their guests (as if they don’t remember) of their many past successes as a way of getting into the chat. When these were offered at the beginning of this interview, Charlie’s response set the tone for the rest of our conversation:

“MY PRIORITIES ARE GOD, FAMILY, NATION AND WORK,”

“YOU KNOW, I DIDN’T KNOW I’D DONE ALL THAT! I’M TIRED MAN!”

Charlie Daniels is a very funny guy and he often uses this humor to make some serious points. In honor of his new record and his legendary career, here are some of his wit and wisdom about: Dylan, the music business, God, family, country, fishing and his amazing work ethic.

“WITH DYLAN, YOU NEVER RUN OUT OF MATERIAL” When asked how “Off the Grid: Doing it Dylan” came about, Charlie offered this story.

“We had more fun doing this record. It came about in kind of an off-hand way.

We were asked to do the music for a TV show called “Hell on Wheels” and it takes place back in the 1800’s. So, we were locked-in to using instruments that were around in this time period which meant acoustical. Well, we had never done this with the whole band – six guys playing acoustical instruments – and we were so taken by the sound that we said ‘you know, we should do an acoustic album.’

I’ve always been a big Dylan fan and wanted to pay tribute to him. Plus, I really just wanted to record some of his music. We approached this thing by saying we wanted to do Dylan songs but we wanted to do them in the CDB style. That was our criteria. If we didn’t think we could put our mark on the songs, we just left it and went on to another song. With Dylan, you never run out of material.”

WOODS & WATER: So, has Bob Dylan heard the record yet?

“He called me on the phone after the album was finished and I told him I had done an album of his music and he said somebody had told him I had.

I sent it to him. I haven’t heard back from him yet. (laughing) I hope that’s not a bad sign!”

“THIS TURNED OUT TO BE A TRUE BLESSING FOR ME.” WOODS & WATER: About a hundred years ago in 1969, you had the occasion to first meet Dylan in a studio. What was the reason for this meeting?

“I went to play on one of his sessions for “Nashville Skyline” because a guitar player who was supposed to do all 15 cuts could make 14, but not the first one. This turned out to be a true blessing for me because as it turned out he liked what I was playing and I ended up playing not only on the rest of “Nashville Skyline” but also on another (Dylan) album called “New Morning” and one called “Self Portrait.”

WOODS & WATER: What kind of guy was he to work with?

“He was absolutely great! I didn’t know what I was getting into when I got there and had heard all of this press stuff about this ‘reclusive genius type’ guy. Plus, if you listen to his lyrics, you don’t know what he’s going to be like!

I found him to be very warm, very friendly, very outgoing and I found him to have a good sense of humor. He was fun to be around in the studio. I thoroughly enjoyed being with him and working with him. We did that album in a very short amount of time because everybody was just having fun.

“FIRST THING YOU KNOW, WE’D HAVE A SONG.” He’d take his guitar and starting playing and singing a song and since these were all Nashville pickers, and you know how they are. They just get right in there with you and go for it. That was kind of it. He’d play a song and we’d jump in and play our part and the first thing you know, we’d have a song and the next thing you know we had an album’s worth.”

“WE WANTED IT TO BE BOB DYLAN MUSIC WITH CDB PLAYING IT.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyppZayWneU#t=94

WOODS & WATER: Dylan’s written hundreds, even thousands of songs. What made you choose these?

“Some of them I was pretty familiar with and I liked a lot. I liked ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ ‘Quinn the Eskimo,’ ‘Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall’ and ‘Tangled Up in Blue.’ I’ve been loving that song for a long time. These songs were just favorites of mine. You’ll notice some very old stuff from back there.

We wanted to keep an open mind about all of the great songs in Bob’s catalog. We could have gone on and on because we would have never run out of material. But these are the ten we ended up with.”

WOODS & WATER: Any favorites?

“I really like this entire album. A lot of time when you finish an album and you’re about three months down the road you say, ‘gosh, why didn’t I take another guitar solo or why didn’t we try a little something different here or there.’

However, I’m really happy with this album. I like every cut on it for different reasons.

As I’ve said, the main thing on this album was to do it in our style. We want it to be Bob Dylan music but CDB playing it and when you hear it, you can tell that. Of course, you can’t away from the fact that it’s a Bob Dylan song, but we want it to sound like we put our mark on it.

“I’M THE WORST MUSICIAN IN MY BAND!” WOODS & WATER: You are a great musician and can play anything with strings on it. So, is it tough to be in the CDB? “Let me tell you what and I sincerely mean this…I’m not blowing smoke. I am the worst musician in my band. I’m serious. I am not a natural musician. I have to work on my stuff. If we’re working on a new song and I want to add a guitar riff, I have to really dig for it.

Some of the guys who work with me say ‘hey, here it is let’s do it!’ But with me, it’s more like ‘Hey wait a minute.

Let me catch up here.’ These guys are the best band I’ve ever had and that’s saying something because in the last 55 years I’ve stood in front of some fine musicians.

This group of guys I have now…they’ve got all the bases covered. They’re fast. If you go into the studio with a new song, they’re on it! Another interesting thing about this bunch is that they all have different styles. We have three guitar players in the band and none of us play the same way. We love playing together and when we get on stage it shows.

“YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STAY AT HOME AND PLAY THE HOLIDAY INN LOUNGE.” WOODS & WATER: Speaking of being on stage, we took a look at your website yesterday and were amazed at your performance schedule. You’re 77 years old and you’re working the road like a 30year old. How do you physically do that?

“Well, I only work about 3 hours a day, for one thing (laughing). Actually, that’s the tip of the iceberg. That’s the part you see and the only part you’re supposed to see. But there’s a lot more that goes into this.

I’ll travel 100,000 miles this year. I’ve done a little more than 160 interviews this year. We’ll play about 110 concerts, about 10 Grand Old Opry appearances and maybe do a little recording. What you see on stage is not all it takes to build a career.

This is what I tell young people who come to me and want to be in the music business. I say, ‘are you sure this is what you want to do?’ If you’re coming into this business to pick up girls or for the party, you should stay home and play the Holiday Inn lounge on weekends. Not everybody is cut out to be a professional musician.”

WOODS & WATER: Do you ever get a chance to take a break and fish?

“Oh yeah. I wet a line every once in a while. I have a pond on my place that’s pretty well stocked but if you go fishing in Alaska, it just spoils you for fishing anywhere else. Because of the abundance of fish, I really enjoy going up there. One of the biggest thrills I’ve had in my life was watching my wife tie into a 35-pound king salmon. She’s only about 5’3” and watching her pull that sucker upstream was a trip.

“IF YOU GO FISHING IN ALASKA, IT JUST SPOILS YOU FOR FISHING ANYWHERE ELSE” 39

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyppZayWneU#t=94

I enjoy fishing most anywhere even though I don’t have a lot of time to fish. I run out to the pond once in a while but I don’t really have time to check out the lures to find out what’s working and what’s not working. I’m better off just going on a guided tour.

My priorities are God, family, nation and work. Hunting and fishing would come in pretty close behind these but there’s only so much time. I have to devote my time to what I do best. I get a lot of nice invitations. I went on an antelope hunt in Wyoming here a while back and had a great time, but my time is pretty limited.”

“LONGEVITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY BASIC AIMS” WW: When you had your first big hit (Uneasy Rider) in 1971, did you ever think your career would last this long?

“I couldn’t have predicted it with any clarity, but I will tell you this: longevity has always been one of my basic aims and one of the things that I’ve worked the hardest on. The moves that I make, the decisions I’ve made, like avoiding trends (the ‘outlaw’ movement, the ‘glitter rock’ movement) I did on purpose. When that trend went away, I still wanted to be around.

I attribute everything good that’s happened to me as the blessings of God. On the night that I got put on the Grand Old Opry, I told the people, ‘here I am 70-years old, standing on the stage of the Grand Old Opry which has been a lifelong dream – to be a member of the Opry – and it came true. That was one of the things that I really, really wanted and to have it happen, it had to be God looking out for me.

People ask me what I’m most proud of. One of the things I’m most proud of is keeping 30 people regularly and gainfully employed for 30 years. Working with these people in the CDB family, watching them grow up, have families, buy houses and become good citizens, that has been a big part of my life and I’m blessed to have been a part of that. That’s why I keep going.

People ask when I’m going to retire. What am I going to do…sit around the living room and play guitar? I might as well be getting paid for it!”

After one of those big Charlie Daniels laughs, he hollered “Bye,” hung up and dialed into the next interview.

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

BROWNING CITORI 725 FEATHER WINS SHOTGUN OF THE YEAR

By: Paul Ayo

Owner E’s Kitchen If you’re looking for a new over/under shotgun for your upland bird hunting this season, you want one that’s

Lafayette, LA light as a feather and you’ve squirreled away about $2,500 in your secret “I need another gun” account, then you might want to check out the Browning Citori 725 Feather. It’s a beauty and it also won one of the 2014 Golden Bullseye Awards for “Shotgun of the Year” at this year’s NRA consumer show. This annual award recognizes new and innovative products within the shooting sports arena.

"It is an honor to be considered by the NRA for the Golden Bullseye award," said Ryan Godderidge, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The Browning 725 Feather has been well received by those who appreciate a lighter weight over/under and we couldn't be more excited about this addition to our shotgun product line."

A CLOSER LOOK OF THE CITORI 725 Weighing in at 6 pounds 7 ounces, the Browning 725 Feather

12- gauge shotgun employs an alloy receiver with a steel breech face insert and hinge pin to take the punishment of even the heaviest field loads. Combine that with its low profile receiver, mechanical triggers and totally new Invector DS choke tube system and the 725 becomes the gun of choice for serious upland bird hunters and those looking for an over/under they can carry in the field from dawn to dusk and not feel like their arms are dragging on the ground at the end of the day.

According to the Browning website, “The new Citori 725 is the evolution of John M. Browning’s legendary B25 Superposed, now with the modern performance advantage of a low-profile receiver. The new 725 receiver is significantly lower than other Citori 12 gauge receivers, yet the 725 shares the renowned durability of generations of Citori over and unders with the same rugged full-width hinge pin and tapered locking bolt design.”

The 725 showcases an all-new mechanical trigger called “FireLite” which offers unmatched feel and lighter pull weights than ever before. Unlike an inertia trigger, FireLite does not rely on recoil to set the next shot. Instead, you get immediate second shot capability. The innovative design features reduced take up, a crisp break and shorter overtravel.

Inflex Technology has also been added to make shooting more comfortable. This is the next generation of the most recoil absorbing pad available. A softer new material provides even better recoil absorbing performance and is super slippery to prevent snagging on clothing when shouldering. Internal directional deflection construction guides the comb down and away from your cheek for greater shooting comfort and faster, more accurate follow-up shots.

The new Invector-DS choke system moves to a new level of performance. This system may be the biggest leap forward in design since interchangeable choke tubes were introduced. With the InvectorDS, the company took the proven thin wall, muzzle thread choke concept to the next level of shot pattern performance. The exclusive brass alloy band at the base of the tube seals out gas and grit that sneaks between the barrel and tube, making the Invector-DS tubes easy to remove even after extensive shooting. Thin wall construction reduces the flare at the end of the barrel for a sleeker shotgun appearance. Lastly, the Invector-DS offers the most consistent, reliable tightening of any system ever.

This state of the shotgun art is also available for small bore shooters. The 725, 20-gauge has all the great features of a 725 and less - less weight, less bulk, less profile - but with a new benchmark in small bore handling.

To get a look at the new Browning Citori 725 Feather in action, just click below:

Paul Ayo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahx-5UO4zoU#t=46

WOODS & WATER: RECORD RAINBOW TROUT

WEST VIRGINIA ANGLER REELS IN A RECORD RAINBOW TROUT THE BIG ONE THAT DIDN’T GET AWAY Imagine the surprise Eric Files felt when, while he was fishing for sunfish, he reeled in the largest rainbow trout in the history of West Virginia!

Eric was fishing in Berkeley County on April 30th, with a nightcrawler for bait and landed a 19.40-pound, 33.11-inch state record rainbow trout. The fish has now been confirmed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) to be the largest rainbow trout caught in the state so far.

Eric’s monster fish beat both the old records for the length and weight, besting a 17.31-pound trout caught by Tony Corbin in 2013 and a 31.7-inch fish landed

by John P. Arnett in 1993. Rainbow trout can be found in most of West Virginia’s public lakes, reservoir tailwaters, and smallto medium-sized streams.

According to the International Game Fish Association, the alltackle world record for rainbow trout stands at 48 pounds. That fish was caught by Sean Konrad in Canada’s Lake Diefenbaker.

Photo courtesy West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

WOODS & WATER: ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE

OKLAHOMA ANGLERS CATCH ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE The two fishermen in Oklahoma who pulled up a 100-pound alligator snapper turtle must have thought they had caught a prehistoric beast. It was a beast but it’s no dinosaur. When the turtle made it into the boat, these two boys got more excitement than they expected when they put the boat in the water that morning.

A spokesman at the Okie Department of Wildlife says that seeing a loggerhead in the wild is unusually rare. Most sightings in Oklahoma are usually of common snapping turtles, which look very similar but are much smaller. So far, only 300 loggerheads have been released into the state by wildlife officials.

“While catfishing we caught and released this yesterday in Mill Creek at Eufala Lake,” wrote the fishermen. “Dave Harrell of Edmond caught it on a rod and reel and Audey Clark of Norman secured it and hauled it into the boat for pictures. It is the biggest one we had ever seen.”

CAREFUL HANDLING!

Not only is this turtle the biggest one we’ve ever seen, it’s also the ugliest. Look at the face on that guy. Only a mother could love it!

A SNAPPING TURTLE THIS LARGE IS RARE According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, snapping turtles are not uncommon in the state. They can be recognized easily by their saw-tooth tail, large size, and distinctive jaws.

However, alligator snapping turtles such as the one caught by Harrell and Clark, are much less frequently seen. Commonly called loggerheads, alligator snapping turtles can weigh upwards of 200 pounds. Common snapping turtles usually only clock in between 15 to 35 pounds, although heavier specimens have been reported.

Seeing this type of turtle seems to bring out the story-teller in all of us. Their large size and fearsome jaws have inspired many tales of these turtles biting and even killing humans. The state’s wildlife officials say this is largely untrue.

Many would be surprised to learn that these turtles bite with about the same force that humans do.

However, experts still warn people to be careful in how they handle alligator snapping turtles, as they have been documented to bite clean through fingers or even a broomstick handle.

Should you ever get one of these beasts on the end of your line here’s a tip. A large loggerhead should be held by the shell just behind the head and the tail. Or, you can just cut the line and let the little feller go about his merry way.

Image courtesy Dave Harrell/Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

TWO ENTREPRENEURIAL ANGLERS LAUNCH FISH ASSIST™ PLANNING A FISHING TRIP JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT EASIER. Some of the best innovations in the outdoor sports have come from people who love to fish or hunt, have specialized skills such as metal fabrication, design or even information technology and notice something that needs to be fixed. They come up with a good idea and in most cases, the outdoor sports enthusiasts/inventors get busy with their day jobs and forget about their innovative idea.

Bob Przyby and Robert Zambrana are two IT specialists from Dallas who also love to fish. They found an opportunity and applied their professional expertise to hopefully seize it. Their idea is called FishAssist ™ and it may change the way we all plan our fishing trips.

FishAssist.com was launched to help solve a problem that every angler has had at one time or another. If you want to go to someplace where you’ve never fished before, how can you reliably find productive water and plan a fishing trip with a pretty good idea of what species of fish will be found where you’re going? Bob Przyby tells us how the idea for FishAssist came about.

“When you’re trying to plan a fishing trip, the first place you go is online. Since I’ve planned a bunch of the trips over the course on many years, I noticed that when you typed in the name of a lake in a search engine, you get a lot of information about rental properties and property for sale but very little information about that lake itself and where the productive areas to fish are.”

“We took a look at the problem and put together a website” We were looking for a business opportunity around ‘fishing’ and it kind of just knocked us on the head! We realized that this lack of information was an area that needed someone to solve a problem. So we took a look at the problem – we identified lakes, rivers and coastal areas around the country – and put together a website that helps fisherman plan fishing trips.

WOODS & WATER: FISH ASSIST It’s worked out pretty good. We’ve been able to talk to a lot of pro fishermen, guides and lodges and we’ve been able to organize the information. We’ve only been live since December, so we’re still in the infancy of building this resource but the number of visitors who have come to the site has grown each month and it has surprised us how fast it took off.”

WOODS & WATER: Is this site for both fresh water and salt water?

“It’s for both, even though we have a lot more information on fresh water fishing. However, we are in the process of adding more salt water information. The goal is to have an equal amount of information for both fresh and salt water.”

WOODS & WATER: What kind of information can an angler find by visiting FishAssist?

“We’ve organized this information a little differently from other sites. Instead of looking at a specific state like Texas or Louisiana and listing all of the lakes and rivers in that state, anglers will find that we’ve honed in on finding the most productive waters.”

“Don’t skimp on the research” WOODS & WATER: How long did it take to get all of this research compiled?

“We wanted to make sure that the information was completely accurate so we started compiling the data a year and a half before we went live with the website.

We had a buddy who had launched and sold a very successful website and his advice was: ‘Hey, don’t skimp on the research. Take your time. Compile the research in a way that makes it easy for a visitor to use it.’ That’s pretty much what we did and a year and a half later we’re pretty happy with it.”

WOODS & WATER: How tough was it to get the GPS coordinates for all of the lakes and rivers?

“It was actually the easy part. Our web developer was great at using the Google mapping of the lakes and rivers found in the site. That being said, we did go through many corrections when we found errors in locations.”

“The most fun way to use the site is with The Wheel”

“We’ve tried to make this information user-friendly”

WOODS & WATER: How does someone get started using FishAssist?

We also note the types of fish species that are found in the lakes and rivers, so if you’re interested in one, particular type of fish, you know where you are likely to find them. Once an angler finds the lakes that have the type of fish he wants to pursue, he pops that info into FishAssist and our site shows productive spots, kinds of fish, the best baits to use and other important information.

“There are a couple of ways to do this. We try to give the user several ways to access and use the site to find the best places to fish. Someone could type in the zip code where they live or where he’s going to be on a weekend when you want to be fishing. FishAssist will match the type of species he wants to pursue with the lakes in or around those zip codes. Or, someone could type in the type of species he or she wants to pursue and this will give him a broader range of lakes and rivers that might have these species.

We’ve tried to make this information user-friendly, so anyone coming to the website can use it. For example, you could type in a zip code and find all of the productive waters within or near that zip code. Or, a fisherman could enter a certain species of fish and know which lakes and rivers are more likely to have that species. We’ve tried to make it very simple to navigate.”

However, the most fun way to use this site is to use “The Wheel.” If you look at the website, you’ll notice that there’s a wheel on the homepage. You’re able to point the cursor to a specific species of fish, a lake, river or ocean or even a part of the country and the search function will give you a list of possibilities. It’s pretty fun to use The Wheel.”

W W W . T H E O U T P O S T L I F E . C O M

WOODS & WATER: This is a free website for users and yet you’ve invested lots of time and resources on packing it with useable content. What’s the business plan for sustaining it?

“We looked at a number of ways to maintain the site. Most people would say: ‘Let’s charge the user $5 or $10 per month.’ We talked about this but decided against charging. We want the site to be able to be used by someone who may not use it but one time a year. Why should someone who uses it once, pay for an entire year.”

“New ways for manufacturers to interact with our visitors” Our business plan is to use marketing dollars from vendors who sell to the fishing market. We have plans to introduce new ways for these manufacturers of equipment to interact with our visitors and we will have fishing guides and lodging listing which will be paid and we believe will drive sufficient revenue to keep the site free to the users.

We have gotten support from the companies who serve this market but we wanted to wait until we had a large enough user community before actively soliciting these advertising/marketing dollars. We started with 400 unique users when we launched and this traffic is grown every month.

We now have in excess of 1,600 unique users each month.”

WOODS & WATER: Are pro fishermen involved with the site?

“We have quite a few who are contributing information to the site. In fact, the top 4 guys who placed on the BassMasters Classic – guys like Jimmy Houston – provide tips on FishAssist. We interviewed the champion of the BassMasters Classic – Randy Howell – last week and he gave us some great tips for catching more fish. This interview is up on the site now.”

WOODS & WATER: What’s next for FishAssist “That vendor page is on the top of our list for new features for the site. We both come from an IT background and we’ve noticed some sites that allow the visitor to communicate directly with the vendor. We think this is important and will incorporate this functionality with FishAssist.

This tool will allow the manufacturers to get real world input from their customers – what lure is working under what conditions and which ones are not working as described – and this will be of great value to the companies who make fishing equipment. It will also allow our visitors a chance to compare various pieces of equipment to see how they work in given scenarios and de-

“Randy Howell gave us great tips for catching more fish”

SYSTEMS, INC.

FIGHTING ASIAN CARP WITH SOUND If you’re like most of us, when you were a teenager, you heard the phrase “turn down that racket” more times than you care to remember. For some reasons, adults had no taste in rock and roll. They thought it was noise.

As it turns out, noise, or at least sounds might be the answer to stemming the tide of Asian carp in the Mississippi River. According the several media sources in Minnesota, researchers at the University of Minnesota have hatched a plan to use sound to contain the spread of these pests. The Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center intends to place underwater speakers in key sections of the Mississippi River, but they have to act fast.

“Just a few months ago, it was announced that their eggs were just found south of the Minnesota border,” said Peter Sorenson, a University of Minnesota professor and director of the center. “It became evident [the] game plan had to shift.”

Sorenson’s plan is to install the acoustic barriers at Lock and Dam Number 8 near Genoa, Wisconsin. The center is now scrambling for funds to build the custom speakers, estimated to cost $60,000, before the carp arrive.

ASIAN CARP ARE ON THE MOVE In March, scientists from the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced that Asian carp have penetrated as far north in Wisconsin as Lynxville, which is about 150 miles from Genoa. Since acoustic barriers only deter carp rather than kill them, researchers will have to work fast to get the speakers in place before the invasive fish pass the barrier.

Asian carp have spread quickly since the species first arrived in the Mississippi River in the late 1960s. The fish can now be found in 31 states and are considered to be highly detrimental to native fish and plant life.

Fortunately for us and unfortunately for them, carp have very good hearing, up to 100 times better than some other fish species. This is especially true of bigheaded carp that are easily disturbed by changes in water flows. The underwater speakers work by emitting a low-frequency sound in conjunction with high velocity water jets that repel Asian carp.

Researchers admitted that sound barriers are not guaranteed to stop Asian carp but said the technology compliments other deterrence methods well. More traditional barriers include screened flow gates, electric barriers, and fish-killing treatment plants. The center is currently accepting donations.

In the meantime, let’s hope the Asian carp hate the tunes they’re about to start hearing!

A Unique Camo Wrapped Bed Cover

G

EA

R

Retrax now offers both its RetraxONE and PowertraxONE truck bed covers

wrapped in a tough and durable 3M laminate vinyl, available in Realtree Xtra® camo.

These covers are rugged and easy to use.

The RetraxONE is unique because it is manufactured from polycarbonate, a durable thermo

plastic commonly known as LEXAN®. Sealed ball-bearing rollers mounted onto aluminum support

beams allow the cover to retract or close easily without the use of springs, pull straps, Velcro or snaps.

The RetraxONE is also key lockable in any position along the rail.

The RetraxONE Features • One Piece Polycarbonate Construction • Front Cover Remains Flush With

Rolling Cover • Low Profile Design • Opens and Closes Easily With One Hand • Sealed Ball-Bearing Roller Design • No Pull Straps, Velcro, Snaps or Springs • Clamp-on Design • Key Lockable In Any Position • Unlimited Hauling Flexibility • Strong Enough To Stand On • UV Protected - No Fading • Great For 5th Wheel Towing • Limited Lifetime Warranty • Improves Mileage By Up To 10%

The PowertraxONE retractable pickup bed cover features the same benefits as the RetraxOne, but allows for hands-off operation via wireless remote control. Just press a button on the remote key fob to open and close the cover, which locks in any position along the rail using an electromagnetic brake. The PowertraxONE also has an integrated LED cargo light on the canister that is operated by the remote key fob, which features an auto shutoff.

Check out the Retrax website for dealer locations. For factory direct pricing, call 1-800-206-4070 or email retrax@retrax.com

Your Back Will Thank You for This Pack

G EA

The All Day Lumbar Pack is the result of years of technical input from serious sportsmen and women around the country. Specifically designed to be supported via lower lumbar, this pack can be carried for an entire day without back pain.

Designed to Last The pack is 14inches wide, 10 inches high and 6 inches deep. This means it has a capacity of 714 cubic inches (not including the pockets). It has enough room to carry as much gear as needed for a serious adventure.

The weight of the contents is distributed by the dual strap-system; shoulders and waist evenly split the load.

The pack is made out of heavy-duty, 18ounce canvas and has a waterproof bottom liner. The sides are flanked with dual water bottle holders. On top, two compression straps secure the load no matter the size. This high-quality, Mossy Oak bag has a suggested retail price of $215.

The Mossy Oak lumbar pack is proudly handcrafted in the USA. For more information or to order, visit http://duluthpack.com or call 1-800-777-4439.

R

Duluth Pack, an American manufacturer of canvas and leather gear, has launched a supportive, all-day lumbar pack constructed with Mossy Oak Break-Up速 canvas.

The canvas bags, made in Duluth, Minn., are guaranteed for life on all craftsmanship and hardware.

R

When You Need a Hot Meal Grab a Bag

G

EA

MEALSPEC™ has introduced their new MEALSPEC™ Heater Bag. The company’s

extensive experience with military and emergency food heating supplies has led them to

create the most reliable flameless meal heater available.

If you’ve ever been cold and hungry in the wilderness, you’ll appreciate the power of a good hot meal to get your mind right.

Hot Food Fast

MRE heaters & flameless meal heaters are not all created equally. MEALSPEC™ manufacturers a state-of-theart meal heater, that reaches 220° Fahrenheit in 12 seconds! This flameless meal heater out performs every other flameless heater on the market with a run time of 12 minutes and the capability of boiling water. The MEALSPEC™ can hard-boil an egg and even cook fish fillets.

This MRE heater is perfect for disaster preparedness, camping, hunting, and more. Using the MEALSPEC™ MRE heater is simple, first tear the top of the heater bag and remove the packaging. Next, insert the heating device and add your food or beverage. ((Remember, never cook food or drinks in MEALSPEC™ bag alone, they should always be in their own respective bag)). Then, add water to the fill line to activate the heater. Quickly secure the top of the bag and wait five to ten minutes for a hot meal or beverage.

When you are finished using the MEALSPEC™, discard and never drink the water that is used to heat. The MEALSPEC™ can also be used as a trash bag when finished cooking and eating.

MEALSPEC™ Heater bags are military grade and unlike Internet vendors, every heater bag is brand new, and not about to expire. This product has been tested across the nation for countless applications and is presently utilized by multiple private and government organizations. For more information or purchasing questions of MEALSPEC™ Heater Bags, please visit www.mealspec.com

Say What? Pro Ears Protect Your Hearing

G R

Pro Ears are the world’s most advanced electronic ear and hearing protection for shooting, hunting and any kind of industrial applications. They don’t just protect your ears. They protect your hearing.

EA

If you shoot a lot, you might find yourself wishing you had better “ears” after a long day of hunting or target practice. Maybe it’s time to stop settling for subpar in-ear protection that doesn’t actually protect your ears.

Hear Conversations While Noise is Blocked Pro Ears’ superior technology allows avid hunters, shooters and law enforcement agents to protect their ears and hearing during shooting, while allowing shooters to hear conversation, and critical range commands, even during high-volume spikes on the range.

Pro Ears give the perfect balance between comfort, noise attenuation and purity of sound. And, they aren’t just for hunters and avid shooters. Many law enforcement, military, construction and industrial workers use them as well.

Only Pro Ears models of electronic hearing protection/amplification earmuffs feature ‘DLSC’ - Dynamic Level Sound Compression Technology. This superior technology allows the wearer to hear every sound, even during high-volume noise spikes.

Only ‘DLSC’ technology protects hearing while at the same time allowing the wearer to hear lower-volume sounds, such as normal conversation. ‘DLSC’ works by instantly ‘compressing’ all noises over the 70 dB threshold to a safe level while amplifying all sounds below that to 70 dB. The wearer will hear everything, including conversation, while simultaneously being protected from dangerous, high-volume sounds.

Pro Ears come in a wide range of styles and prices. For more information on Pro Ears, check out www.proears.com

WOODS & WATER: RECIPES

WE ALL SCREAM FOR (THAT’S RIGHT) HOMEMADE ICE CREAM Any time is the right time for homemade ice cream and here’s an easy to make recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream. You can also substitute any other fruit….blueberries, pineapple or just make plain vanilla.

If you’re lucky enough to have one of those vintage (and very cool) handcranked ice cream makers, all you have to do is whip up the ingredients (below), put it into the aluminum container with the paddles inside, surround this container with ice and rock salt and start turning the handle…many, many, many times!

As the ice cream starts to freeze, the handle will get more difficult to crank until finally the cranking duties are turned over to the strongest person in the family (that would be MOM, of course).

If you don’t have one of these manual ice cream makers, there are also fancy new ice cream makers that will freeze the concoction without the cranking.

This is the perfect way to spend a hot, summer day. So, go for it!

SIMPLE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup whole milk 2/3 cups sugar 1 1-lb box of strawberries (or other fruit) Directions: - Wash and trim the caps off the strawberries. Then cut berries into slices that are approximately 1/4-inch thick.

(Or just use an egg slicer) - Puree 1/2 of the sliced strawberries in a food processor or blender, and set aside.

- Combine cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.

- Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add in the strawberry puree and mix well.

- Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cool to the touch.

- While the custard is chilling, dice the remaining sliced strawberries into smaller pieces to mix in the ice cream.

- Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

- Once the ice cream is done freezing mix in the diced strawberries, and pour into an air-tight container.

- Freeze for an additional 2 hours.

SYSTEMS, INC.

WOODS & WATER: HAWAII HOG HUNT

It’s Time for a Pig Hunt in Hawaii The pigs have invaded paradise. The state of Hawaii is beginning to experience the destruction from feral pigs that the mainland states have been dealing with for some time and some in the state are ready to call in the hunters.

As any outdoor sportsman can attest, the combination of a fast breeding cycle, aggressive rooting habits, and adaptability make feral pigs a land-owner’s, even one who considers himself a conservationist, worst nightmare. Because of this the city of Kaneohe, Hawaii may soon be joining forces with a local sportsmen’s association to deal with its feral hog problem.

PIG PROBLEMS ON THE ISLANDS The swine are wreaking their usual havoc in the 400-acre Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden, a piece of land valuable not only for its value as a collection of rare and endangered plants, but also as flood protection for the city. While Hoomaluhia is still a popular fishing spot and campground, visitors have voiced increasing concerns over encounters with the feral pigs.

The unruly and highly destructive animals are now a part of the scenery on the island of Oahu, and residents can expect to encounter the pigs on a daily basis. The limited acreage of this beautiful state makes the problem all the worse because the swelling population of pigs means they have no place to go.

IMAGINE THOSE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AFP (After Feral Pigs) Large pig populations can be very destructive due to their rooting habits. In addition to the hogs’ detrimental effect on native plants and animals, they can also damage vulnerable watersheds and even invade residential yards. As urban development on the island expands into rural areas, more people are finding themselves exposed to the island’s increasing number of pigs. Nowhere is this more visible than Hoomaluhia, where the hogs are causing visible damage to the garden’s painstakingly manicured grounds.

In the past the area’s pig population was managed by the US Department of Agriculture. In the last seven years professional trappers captured and killed about 232 feral hogs, but at what many felt was an exorbitant price. The city of Kaneohe was reported to have paid over $357,000 for Hoomaluhia’s pig management program. In a local TV interview a pig hunter stated the obvious.

“I think it’s a waste of money,” said Ollie Lunasco, president of the Pig Hunters Association of Oahu. “If you need it done, just call us—we do it free.”

He suggested allowing 15 of the association’s members inside Hoomaluhia to capture pigs using box traps. The association is no stranger to pig removal operations.

Members can usually be found assisting the state’s wildlife agency or local police by removing the destructive animals from private homes and golf courses. Lunasco also advocated for more liberal wild pig hunting laws in Oahu.

Kaneohe city officials are now working on a memorandum of agreement that would allow trappers inside Hoomaluhia. The agreement is expected to be finalized next week. Perhaps a lot more luaus featuring roasted (wild) pig for the tourists might be in order.

Mahalo.

WILDLY CREATIVE IN THE WILDERNESS, IMAGINATION CAN BE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SURVIVAL SKILL

By C.E. Richard

EDITOR’S NOTE: As a part of our on-going coverage of the making of the documentary “In the Mind of the Maker” this month we asked the writer/director of the film, C.E. Richard, to give us his impressions of the process of making and the subject of the film.

WOODS & WATER: WILDLY CREATIVE Hand over hand, Edward Couvillier works his way down the length of a trot line stretched across hundreds of feet of open water in Louisiana’s vast Atchafalaya Basin swamp. He has been a subsistence fisherman all his life and, at age 85, Mr. Edward has developed an easy, effortless rhythm…

Tug the line and tow the boat forward a few feet.

Lift the drop line and pull a wriggling fish from the water.

Unhook it with a flick of his wrist.

Toss it into the bottom of the boat.

Thread a live shrimp onto the naked hook and drop it back in.

Then hand over hand, onward to the next one.

In his younger days, Mr. Edward would run several trotlines at once, baiting three to four thousand hooks at a time. Twice a night or more, he’d run them all—taken together, a few miles of fishing lines— harvesting catfish for a few pennies a pound and selling them to the ice boats that made the rounds between the swamp and the city market.

That was back in the 1940s and 50s, before farm-raised fish wiped out the demand for wild-caught cats. In those days, Mr. Edward’s lantern was only one among dozens of flickering lamps hung from the bows of handmade bateaus plying the fertile waters of the great Basin. When all the hooks had been baited and there was nothing left to do but wait, Mr. Edward recalls, the community of fishermen would congregate in the middle of the Atchafalaya River around midnight, rope their boats together, and trade stories for a while over coffee and sandwiches by lamplight. Then they’d go off again in separate directions to collect their catch before morning.

The Basin has become a much lonelier place since then.

Bow lamps are seldom seen bobbing across the distant dark waters. Mr. Edward and his sons are among the few commercial fishermen still running lines for catfish in these parts. On the early March morning when he and his son Kevin took me out, I didn’t see a single boat other than the sleek cypress bateau that Mr. Edward had built by hand.

I was introduced to Edward Couvillier and his family a couple of years ago by a pair of mutual friends, Jim Delahoussaye and Ray Brassieur. Both of these men are folklorists, possessing an encyclopedic knowledge the peoples who’ve made their home in the Atchafalaya Ba-

sin for centuries. I had set out to produce a documentary film about the nearly lost art of traditional Cajun boat building. Made from ancient cypress logs recovered from the bottom of the swamp, Louisiana’s indigenous boats are elegant vessels whose designs are found nowhere else in the world.

I was especially interested in capturing on film one of the old master craftsmen who persist in building these unique boats the same way their ancestors did; that is, without the aid of blueprints, plans, or even recorded measurements. The Couvillier family still safeguards this fading knowledge, so Delahoussaye and Brassieur felt that I should get to know them. Mr. Edward and his sons are among the last of their kind, they told me. And in more ways than one, as I’ve discovered.

At first, anyway, traditional boat building wasn’t really my core interest.

Instead, this craft was simply a means of exploring the broader questions of our documentary film, In the Mind of the Maker: How do memory and imagination really work? How does the human brain construct complex three-dimensional visual images? How do artists and other “makers” gaze through the mind’s eye to see things that aren’t there, and then shape them into being with their hands?

For centuries, these topics have occupied a central place in fields as diverse as philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and, more recently, computer engineering and visualization technologies. Exciting discoveries have been made, and now, at the start of the 21st century, we have a better grasp than ever of the mysterious relationship between memory, imagination, and creative expression.

“You think about how big a boat you want and what you want it to look like. And then you go from there.”

As makers, Mr. Edward and his sons provided our film with a fascinating illustration of those mysteries. To build a boat like the rare Creole rowing skiff featured in In the Mind of the Maker, Edward Couvillier doesn’t unroll any blueprints and pore over them. He doesn’t pencil out sketches, or calculate measurements. Instead, he just thinks about the boat he wants to build. And thinks. And thinks some more.

“You just picture it in your mind, how it’s going to look.

And that’s the way you build it,” Mr. Edward shrugs. “I can go to bed at night and lay there thinking about how I want to build it. A lot of times you dream about it. You picture it in your dreams and you know what it’s going to look like.”

Over time, Mr. Edward constructs in his mind a perfectly proportioned image of his boat—each tight angle; every shapely curve and contour; a faultless geometry of intricate detail that he can rotate in any direction within a threedimensional mental space. With only a grammar school education, our old boat builder is able to use his brain in ways that often elude even trained engineers and accomplished visual artists.

At one time, such abilities were not at all exceptional in the Basin. Nowadays, though, they are uncommon enough to earn the admiration of experienced craftsmen— and to capture the attention of a filmmaker exploring the curious science behind creativity.

In the course of shooting In the Mind of the Maker, however, I’ve come to learn from the Couvilliers that creativity manifests itself in many different, and often unexpected, forms.

The Atchafalaya Basin is a place of abundant resources, but this wilderness does not give them up without a struggle.

At 1.4 million acres, it is the nation’s largest swampland, stretching 135 miles from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. This semi-tropical wetland is considered the world’s most productive swamp, three to five times more fruitful than either the Everglades or the Okefenokee. But for such a big and bountiful place, the number of people suited to settling here was always small. A scattering of families, like Edward Couvillier’s, once made the Basin their home, dwelling in houseboats and making their living by fishing, hunting, and trapping. Today, it is virtually uninhabited.

“When you look at something, you see what it looks like, huh? Well, you can look at it in your mind. Same thing.”

Survival in the Basin demanded a special variety of intelligence, a capacity for creative problem-solving. Men and women like those who raised Mr. Edward cultivated a peculiar genius for envisioning innovative solutions to the difficulties faced in the wild. More than abstract reasoning, their kind of cognition depended on their senses, especially sight.

“When you look at something, you see what it looks like, huh?” Mr. Edward says. “Well, you can look at it in your mind. Same thing.”

For those of us accustomed to sitting in cubicles and scouring the Internet for answers to our questions, it’s difficult to understand the kind of creative thinking required by a life lived close to this land. I’m talking about the intellectual capacity to see past the problem in front of your eyes and visualize innovative solutions.

It’s what allowed a stranded fisherman to simply sit and look at the workings of a broken motor until he could “see” a different configuration that would allow it to function again, even without the worn-out part. It’s what enabled early settlers in the Basin to look past the familiar image of a classic European rowboat and imagine instead a radical redesign—the Creole skiff, with its joug (French for “yoke”), where the pilot stands, pushing the oars instead of pulling them, facing the bow instead of the stern, to keep a sharp eye and deftly maneuver the craft through cypresscrowded waters in Louisiana.

Every challenge to their survival—down to the basic problem of baiting their hooks to catch enough fish—demanded a different kind of intelligence than what we’re accustomed to. (See the sidebar) A vibrant imagination and an exactingly visual memory weren’t reserved to fine artists, engineers, and architects. These were fundamental survival skills, and a form of creative genius that’s too seldom celebrated in our society today.

That’s what we’ve found in our old boat builder, Mr. Edward Couvillier. We didn’t choose to make a movie about him because he’s an extraordinary man. Quite the opposite, really. The reason he’s the central figure of In the Mind of the Maker is because Mr. Edward represents a sort of man who was once quite ordinary in these parts. And, I suspect, throughout much of the rest of America too.

As filmmakers, we wanted to preserve the memory of makers like him. You probably have a grandparent or a great uncle not so different from Mr. Edward. They are simple folks whose way of thinking— even more than their way of life— is a part of our heritage too precious to forget.

HERE’S HOW IT’S DONE: FISHING IN THE BASIN. To appreciate the special intelligence of Atchafalaya Basin fishermen, consider the problem of bait.

If you had to quickly come up with enough live bait to hide the barbs of a few thousand hooks each night, how would you do it? Remember, if baiting isn’t handled promptly and efficiently, it becomes impossible to catch enough fish every night to make a living. When you’re earning only pennies a pound for your fish, buying bait just isn’t good economics. And, working in a remote wilderness, you can’t count on nearby wholesalers. Then there’s the matter of getting the right bait in the first place; what are the catfish in these waters eating anyway?

When your survival depends on the answers you come up with, such questions take on an urgency entirely unfamiliar to most of us recreational fishermen. But the people who made their home in the Atchafalaya Basin arrived at a creative solution. That’s because they had no choice.

Before running their lines, Basin fishermen in these parts would dip “shrimp bushes.” It’s a very old technique of bait-gathering that’s been entirely forgotten in modern times by all but a few wise old fishermen. And, according to some folklorists, In the Mind of the Maker might be the only occasion when it has ever been captured on film.

HERE’S HOW IT WORKS. In the part of the Basin where the Couvilliers fish, the most basic link in the food chain is a small translucent river shrimp. Just about every predator here eats them, and the few that don’t are eating the ones that do. For these little shrimp, the entire world is out to get them. So they move only under the veil of darkness, and when dawn comes, they dart for cover until daylight dims again. Fishermen like the Couvilliers oblige the little shrimp by cutting big plumes of wax myrtles, bundling them together tight with a cord, and dunking them in the water. The wax myrtles, or “shrimp bushes,” provide an ideal hiding place under water. The foliage is dark and dense, impenetrable to most predators, so the shrimp cling to it for dear life and wait for

the dangers of daylight to pass.

That’s when the Couvilliers show up. Moving from bush to bush, they gently lift the bundles from the water, slip a wide-mouth dip net under each, give the leaves a good shake, and startled little river shrimp fall like rain into the net. The morning we went out together, Mr. Edward and Kevin had filled their bait bucket in a matter of minutes.

Watching them, I was left to wonder about the anonymous fishermen who first skulled this out, generations ago. The genius of this technique is that, compared to hours of skimming for bait with nets, the shrimp bush requires virtually no effort; no expenditure of precious time and energy in an environment where every calorie you consume is hard-earned.

What it did require, however, was a lot of watching and thinking.

Inventing this method of bait-catching demanded close, careful observation of how predators and prey behave in this environment—the kind of painstaking study that field biologists are trained to do. It also required imagination and hypothesis. And, undoubtedly, it involved a good deal of trial-and-error too, or “experiments,” if you prefer.

Finally, the use of shrimp bushes had to be watched, learned, and remembered by each generation of fishermen that followed.

Bundling sprigs of wax myrtle into a shrimp trap is a very simple act of making. But scour the Internet as long as you’d like, and chances are you’d starve long before figuring out how to gather enough live bait to catch your catfish. Keen intelligence and breathtaking creativity is often found in unexpected places, even the remote region of Louisiana swamplands.

SYSTEMS, INC.

Fueled by Service

Life Safety & Mass Notification Dallas-Fort Worth 817-640-2223

Washington Mudslide Ruins a Popular Steelhead River WHAT’S NEXT IS ANYBODY’S GUESS “Steelhead Haven” has been devastated by the Washington mud slide. A mudslide near Oso, Washington in mid-March destroyed homes, uprooted families and strangled the Stillaguamish River.

According to news media, the mass of mud engulfed the tiny neighborhood with a square-mile’s worth of mud and debris, claiming at least 36 lives and 49 homes. Hundreds of rescue workers responded to help despite dangerous conditions. Fishing guides and wildlife experts feel the biggest loss from the slide may be the Stillaguamish River, which had been the area’s lifeline.

DEBRIS IS CAUSING AN ECOLOGICAL DISASTER “The river’s extremely important. We just thoroughly love this relatively natural, unspoiled river environment. It’s why we are here,” lifelong angler Bill Best said. ”Hopefully in 20 to 30 years, it will be back to what it sort of used to be.”

Fly fishermen know all about the Stillaguamish River. It has been responsible for outstanding angling for as long as anyone can remember. Recent images, however, show only muddy waters, splintered wood, and a mass of debris from destroyed houses.

This debris is only part of the problem

“The first couple of days after, it was fairly alarming.

There was one day when I would say about 20 percent of the fish we caught were mortalities,” biologist Maggie Taylor told local media.

The heavy sediment introduced into the river is suffocating fish and causing damage to their gills, as well as making it difficult for them to travel. There is some optimism among biologists that the fish are coping with the disaster better than expected.

IT’S NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED Controversy is brewing over whether officials should have learned more from a similar event in 2006. The state’s Department of Natural Resources has weighed in.

“This is the very same mass of rock and dirt,” Tim Walsh, geologic hazards adviser with the state Department of Natural Resources, told The Seattle Times. “It just moved again.”

Landslides can occur in the same area over and over again, as has been proven by the land surrounding the Stillaguamish River. It has changed course many times in response to these sudden mudslides.

The ecological damage to the river is still being analyzed. Wildlife biologists anticipate an extreme effect on any Chinook or steelhead eggs and smolt in the river.

WWW.PAC-SYSTEMS.COM

WOODS & WATER: HUMOR - RUMORS FICTION & OUTRIGHT LIES

SEE ROCK CITY It seemed like another Monday at the Hertz rental car station at the Atlanta airport. Up on the customer screen was his name, and next to which a message that noted that his midsized, unlimited mileage with all insurance declined car was waiting in parking place D450. He found it and made a quick phone call to the first appointment. Yes, they were just dying to see him.

He turned on the GPS and headed for the exit. Time to get on I75 into town.

The electronic voice of the GPS lady sounded very odd.

Instead of the efficient, no nonsense flat tones of the usual GPS voice, this one had an attitude. Strangely, her voice was nonchalant and even sultry. She sounded like one of those female bartenders who had seen it all and knew everything about life.

“Hey man. How’s it going, huh? You’re looking particularly dashing today.” She laughed a deep, guttural laugh. “Where the hell are we taking this sensible car today?”

He stared at the GPS bolted to the dashboard of his mid-sized Toyota. Did she just start up a conversation with him?

“How was your flight? Same shitty service as always?

Yeah, those damn airlines wonder why their stock’s in the toilet. Nobody can stand to get on one them anymore. Am I right or am I right?”

In spite of himself, he blurted out, “You are absolutely right! I hate those surly attendants, no leg room, late flights! Dammit! I’m sick of ‘em!”

“What the hell!?! (He thought) “I’m talking to an inanimate electronic device in a mid-sized rent car. I’ve lost my freakin mind!”

“Turn left up here at the stop sign and take the I75 exit North. You can’t miss it. Once you get on 75 you’re gonna get in the worst traffic jam you’ve ever seen in your entire miserable life! You’re not gonna make that 10 o’clock meeting and you might not make the noon appointment either. Welcome to HotLanta sugar!”

Then the GPS lady then began to sing “Rehab.”

“They wanna make me go to rehab and I said no, no, no.”

She was a passable singer. Especially for a GPS voice in a mid-sized rent car.

WOODS & WATER IS BROUGHT TO YOU COMPLIMETARY

BY PAC SYSTEMS

She stopped singing and said, “Don’t you wish you could just say ‘screw it’ and blow off everything and everyone? Those people you work with…they pretty much suck. You know that don’t you? They beat you down. Make you get up at 4 in the morning to catch some god-awful 6 am flight only to sit in bumper-tobumper traffic in hopes of convincing some doofus with a bad toupee to sign some contract for services that he doesn’t want or need. What the hell are you doing with your life? Huh? What’s up with this life you got going? I say we go get a bloody mary…hell, let’s get two bloody marys “to go” and drive up to Chattanooga. Have you ever seen Rock City and Ruby Falls?

There’ll be tourists everywhere and none of them want to buy anything you’ve got to sell.. They just wanna see those little stalagmites and stalagtites in Ruby Falls and walk over that scary rope bridge on Lookout Mountain. They’ve got touristy knick knacks, snow globes, pocketknives and whatnot, and those animatronic puppets working on their little fake projects are to die for” “What about the appointments? What about my job?”

“Don’t worry about the appointments or the job. We’re not coming back.”

“I’ve always wanted to see Rock City,” he said to no one in particular.

PAC-SYSTEMS.COM

Woods & Water is brought to you monthly by your friends at:

Mission Statement:

To ensure excellent service, safety, and efficiency for all of our customers while providing turnkey solutions in the fire protection and life safety industries.

The Company

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.

P.A.C. People

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

While providing an extensive list of services, our key focus is turnkey solutions that are unmatched.

Services include such innovations as real time response, PSS – (Phone Solution Service), web access to inspection data, and a one stop provider for any set of pyrotechnic solutions.

P.A.C. Systems, Inc 751 109th Street, Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 640-2223

www.pac-systems.com newsystemsales@pac-systems.com servicesales@pac-systems.com servicerequest@pac-systems.com marketingrequest@pac-systems.com finance@pac-systems.com

Woods & WaterŠ is produced and copyrighted 2012 by Gorilla Marketing LLC, Marietta GA 30062.

Reproduction in whole or part without permission is expressly forbidden.

WOODS & WATER: NEW YORK TRAIL CAMERAS

TRAIL CAMERAS IN NEW YORK CITY COPS HOPING TO SAVE BUCKS, NOT TRAIL THEM Some predators walk around on two legs and it’s not surprising that a few live in the largest city in America.

Some innovative lawmen in New York City have decided to deploy a tool that hunters have been using to track bucks for years.

In an experiment that should make good ‘ol boys everywhere smile, the New York Police Department has set up five Bushnell trail cameras in secret locations in subways throughout the city. Needless to say, there are no whitetail deer for the cameras to capture. According to The New York Times, officers rigged the tunnels with the cameras in anticipation of copper thieves.

“If they’re in a tunnel and there’s no one around, they can spend all day down there,” said detective Nino Navarra. “It’s an investment.”

BIG BUCKS BEING MADE BY CRIMINALS Metal theft and copper specifically, has become widespread in most American cities. Telephone and power company structures are the most common targets but thieves have been known to destroy residential air conditioners in order to obtain a tiny amount of copper.

Copper theft can yield big bucks…not the deer…the folding, spending kind of bucks because the price of the metal rising over the past decade. In 2002, copper wiring was worth as little as 60 cents a pound. Now, scrap-metal companies in New York pay three dollars or more for the same amount, according to the Times story.

In New York’s subway system, thieves target the thick negative return cables hidden behind tunnel walls. Using a saw, the criminals can smuggle as much of the copper out as they can carry. The department hopes that modern technology will help curtail the damage.

The trail cameras were set up last September and with only five devices running, police have already recorded nine cases of trespassing.

“Within three hours of the first camera being installed at one location, copper cable thieves were caught on camera and eventually arrested,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesperson Kevin Ortiz told the Times.

Depending on the model, Bushnell trail cameras can run up to one year on a single set of batteries, making the device well-suited to constant surveillance. The cameras are motion-activated out to 45 feet and can boast a trigger speed of up to 0.6 seconds.

WOODS & WATER: AIRPORT GEESE

CANADIAN GEESE POSE A SERIOUS PROBLEM AROUND AIRPORTS HUNTERS MAY GET A CHANCE TO HELP The very last place anyone wants to have a wild goose chase is around an airport, particularly if he happens to be in a plane that’s about to take off or land. Canadian geese are becoming a big problem around the Rapid City, South Dakota airport and some think it’s time for some “conservation geese season” hunting to reduce their population.

According to the Associated Press wire service, officials from the Rapid City Regional Airport recently asked South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks to consider a special geese hunting season for the area around the airport. This problem is not limited to this small South Dakota airport.

The wide-open lands next to many airports make good habitat for the birds.

The report notes that Rapid City’s airport is itself surrounded by fertile farmland, multiple small lakes, and the Rapid City water plant. This makes the airport an irresistible hotspot for the birds during their seasonal migrations.

CANADIAN GEESE ARE OUT OF CONTROL… EVERYWHERE Waterfowl hunters may have never thought of an airport as prime hunting land, but with hundreds of thousands of Canadian geese flocking to America’s airports every year it may be time to reconsider. Airport officials have tried many ways of scarring off these loud honkers. They’ve used a combination of fireworks, loudspeakers, and sometimes even trapping to deter the birds, but the geese populations are still expanding.

“We’re talking thousands of geese coming into the area over the past several probably years,” airport deputy director Pete Girtz explained to The Rapid City Journal. “It used to be flocks of hundreds, now it’s hundreds to thousands of birds coming across.”

This increase in the number of geese is not limited to airports. According to conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited, the number of geese has skyrocketed since 2007.

This population boom came after a dramatic decline in the 1980s and 1990s, and now Canadian geese are so prevalent in some areas that they have become problematic. It is for this reason that some states, such as Texas and Louisiana, hold an annual “conservation geese season” which encourages hunters to harvest an almost unlimited amount of these birds, in hopes of reducing the destruction that they cause in their summer and winter nesting areas.

MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON The Federal Aviation Administration recorded 11,000 wildlife strikes at 650 airports in 2013.

While the vast majority of these accidents do no harm to the aircraft or its passengers, the large birds could prove dangerous if they strike a plane’s engines.

This has become an aviation industry cautionary tale and continues to serve as a reminder of how birds can be a safety hazard in the nation’s airports. In the aftermath of Flight 1549′s unscheduled landing, New York wildlife officials removed over a thousand Canada geese from popular roosting spots in the following months.

South Dakota wildlife officials are considering changing regulations to allow more hunters on the land near the Rapid City airport, although no decision has been made. Take it from the passengers who barely survived Flight 1549, “duck, duck, goose” is not a game one wants to play when taking off in an airplane.

Most of us will never forget the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” where Captain Sully Sullenberger was forced to ditch the US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after the plane struck a flock of Canadian geese during its initial climb.

Fortunately, none of the plane’s occupants were seriously injured during the water landing.

WWW.PAC-SYSTEMS.COM

WWW.GUNDOGBROKER.COM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBsOM1RR4jo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Krs_uDFQY#t=223

Surviving the Wilderness SO, WHAT’S IN YOUR PACK? Spending time in the wilderness begs the question: “what are the essential tools I need to bring… just in case.”

“Now I hate carrying a bunch of stuff, especially if it’s redundant,” says Idaho biologist and bowhunter Clay Hayes. “But you still need all the things you use on a daily basis and to be prepared for an emergency if you happen to get in trouble out there.”

In this video from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Clay details what items are in his pack and some helpful tips on how to make your time away from civilization a little bit easier.

www.PAC-SYSTEMS.com

COUNTRY LACED WITH A DOSE OF PSYCHEDELIA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWx6csgGkg4

Sturgill Simpson delivers Metamodern Sounds of Country Stephen Hawking, the British physicist who has written extensively on the beginning of the universe, is one of (if not THE) the most intelligent cosmological theorists of our time. In his best-selling book, “A Brief History of Time” he related a story about two other big thinkers – Bertrand Russell and Henry James – and how they explained the infinite regress problem in cosmology posed by the “unmoved mover” paradox.

While we don’t have time here (not to mention that my cosmology is a little rusty) to explain this concept, the punchline to these scientists’ explanation is: “It’s turtles all the way down!” If you’re ever in a room full of internationally respected physicists, just say the punchline and the entire room will break out in raucous, unbridled laughter.

So, why would a country singer, from a blue collar family in Kentucky who sounds a lot like Waylon Jennings use this phrase – It’s Turtles All the Way Down – as the first single off his new album? The answer is as complicated as the singer. His name is Sturgill Simpson and his record, entitled Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, is country laced with a dose of psychedelia.

Ray Charles is involved in this deal too. The album is called “metamodern” (i.e. post-modern) and is a not-so-subtle reference to the 1962 album of Ray Charles, “The Modern Sounds of Country and Western Music.” Ray Charles expanded the genre of country music by adding blues, soul and jazz to the country lyrics. Sturgill Simpson is doing something similar by injecting a healthy dose of psychedelia into C&W and it sounds as sweet, simple and profound as Einstein’s theory of relativity.

“THERE’S A GATEWAY IN OUR MIND THAT LEADS SOMEWHERE OUT THERE BEYOND THIS PLANE / WHERE REPTILE ALIENS MADE OF LIGHT CUT YOU OPEN AND PULL OUT ALL YOUR PAIN” In a fascinating interview on National Public Radio (it had to be NPR, right) Simpson gave his explanation for the unusual lyrics in his otherwise stone-cold country record.

“I’m very happily married and have a child on the way. I’m just not occupying a head space anymore of where I spent a lot of time in my early life — where most country songs come from. So the thought of sitting down and having to barrel out another album of heartbroken drinking songs wasn’t something that I found tremendously inspiring. I have some interests that I’ve always found fascinating and I decided to incorporate some of those things into the disguise of a traditional modern country record.

I don’t pretend to be an astrophysicist or anything, even though I do read about certain things like metaphysics and cosmology that I’ve always just been really interested in. I don’t pretend to be able to sit down and pontificate on any of these subjects. It’s just from an esoteric stance.

Really, I wanted to make a social consciousness album about love.”

When you listen to this amazing album, you’ll immediately understand that he has succeeded.

“Marijuana, LSD, psilocybin, DMT, they all changed the way I see / But love’s the only thing that ever saved my life.”

With the help of “A” list producer Dave Cobb, Simpson mixes his Kentucky twang, guitar licks and steel guitar with love lost and found, self-doubts and selfmedication, with reverb, backward recording and any number of other sonic trips to produce a group of songs that can be listened to over and over with different nuances floating to the top on each listen.

This record has a definite “Sgt. Pepper” vibe and like this seminal recording, each song is a little gem waiting to be discovered.

“Every day I’m smokin’ my brain hazy/All I can do is to keep from going crazy” In addition to “It’s Turtles All the Way Down,” there are several cuts on the record that will enter your Amygdala and it will never be the same again. One of the best songs on the album is also the longest.

“It Ain’t All Flowers,” is a journey in and out of reality, with the backwards recording of a bass line, interrupted by the well-worn voice of Simpson.

Other highlights include Rockabilly rave-up, “Life of Sin” with a guitar-driven classic hook and “Long White Line” which could have been a hit by Waylon his own bad self.

There are so many lyrical twists and turns on the record that it’s hard to keep up, but if you manage, you’ll realize that this is one of the best records – country or otherwise – of the year.

Set ‘Em Up Joe SAFARI CLUB UNCAPS THE GUZZLER PROJECT BIG BEND COUNTRY The Dallas Safari Club (DSC) has joined several partners on a conservation project expected to benefit thirsty wildlife across a broad area of West Texas’ extremely arid Big Bend region.

The joint effort resulted in construction of a monumental 4,600-gallon wildlife water guzzler. A guzzler collects, stores and rations rainwater to create a supplemental drinking source for wildlife. Species expected to benefit from the new guzzler range from game animals like mule deer and desert bighorn sheep to protected species like elf owls and even endangered Rio Grande silvery minnows.

LOTS OF LAND, LITTLE WATER The new guzzler is located on El Carmen Land & Conservation Company’s Adams Ranch in southern Brewster County, Texas, but the conservation benefits will extend onto adjacent ranches as well as Black Gap Wildlife Management Area and Big Bend National Park.

“This guzzler will capture over 1,000 gallons of water for every inch of rainfall - an essential resource for productive wildlife populations in this extremely arid region,” said David Wetzel, who coordinated the project for the Mule Deer Foundation.

DALLAS SAFARI CLUB INVOLVED IN CONSERVATION OF WILDLIFE Ben Carter, DSC executive director, added, “It’s always fulfilling to accomplish something as a group that no single organization could have done by itself.

Working together for wildlife is something that hunters have always done exceptionally well. Here’s a big pat on the back for all the groups and volunteers involved.”

DSC has become an international leader in conserving wildlife and wilderness lands, educating youth and the general public, and promoting and protecting the rights and interests of hunters worldwide. You can get involved by clicking on www.biggame.org

Volunteers from the Mule Deer Foundation, DSC, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Sul Ross University and Texas Bighorn Society worked together to build the guzzler.

www.TheOutpostLife.com

SEVERE DROUGHT PUSHES WILDLIFE INTO NEIGHBORHOODS THE SOUTHWEST US MOST AFFECTED As of mid-May 2014, the Southwestern United States was still suffering from a blistering drought and this is affecting more than water availability. According to U.S. Drought Monitor, parts of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nevada, Arizona and California are classified as being in “extreme” or “exceptional” drought.

The rest of the region is just a step below at the rating of “severe” drought. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (GFD) has issued a warning that residents may be seeing unusual wildlife activity as animals venture further into urban areas.

AN URGENT SEARCH FOR WATER This sad state of affairs is forcing wildlife to take desperate measures.

“Animals may go into search mode,” said Larry Phoenix, field supervisor with the Arizona GFD. “If they can’t find food and water in the forests, mountains and areas where they normally live, then they head to places where these essentials can be found.”

For the Southwest US, this could mean animals such as bobcats, deer, coyotes, and even elk or bears taking the risk to find food and cover in human neighborhoods. Phoenix said it is especially important for residents to not feed the animals.

Giving wildlife food or water is a sure way to keep the animal coming back when the drought is over. It may be especially tempting to provide aid for young animals such as a fawn or bear cub, but doing so could be harmful to wildlife.

“Usually, the parents are not far away,” says Phoenix. “They may be out gathering food or taking a short break from their young, and if you remove the baby, you’re actually creating a problem. Also, this time of year, baby birds can be found on the ground. This is typically just a normal part of learning to fly. If you do find a baby bird, just place it back in the nest and give the parents a chance to come back and take care of their young.”

WELL HELLO THERE! The drought may also lead to more encounters between humans and predators. According to the CBS TV affiliate in Boulder, Colorado a woman found a group of mountain lions feasting in her backyard. Mali Gordon called 911 after she saw at least one mountain lion near her suburban home.

Wildlife officers later discovered a fresh deer carcass in her backyard and speculated that several cats were eating it before they left. The deer was removed, but officers suspected the mountain lions will be back to claim their kill.

The warm, dry weather is leading to unusual behavior in some animals. Many are coming out of winter dormancy earlier than usual, and that includes dangerous reptiles like rattlesnakes.

“The snakes are acting like it’s July instead of May,” Nevada Department of Wildlife spokesperson Chris Healy told the San Francisco Chronicle. “People are starting to see more of them.”

Officials also advise keeping pets in sight and on leashes when venturing outside.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

The back woods

Do you have a funny hunting or fishing picture? • Do you have a joke that everyone should hear?

Email them to: art@theoutpostmagazine.com

SYSTEMS, INC.

Fueled by Service

Life Safety & Mass Notification Dallas-Fort Worth 817-640-2223