JOURNAL OF THE ART AND LITERATURE OF THE OUTDOOR SPORTS FOR OUTDOOR COMMUNICATORS
The Pines Review Spring-Summer, 2010
$13.50
Henry Herbert, aka Frank Forester, father of modern outdoor writing
Vol. III No. 2
Inside this issue: Editorial............................2 Letters ...............................3 Opinion ............................4 WHO WE ARE Mike Marsh ...................6 New OWAA E.D. .......7 FEATURE Randall L. Eaton ...........8 Does He Hold The Key? COLUMNS High On The Wild ..... 14 Kathleen Clary Miller Video World................ 16 Andy Lightbody Photography World... 17 Jeff Davis Social Media .............. 18 Rachel Bunn FEATURE African Expedition Mag. Borderline Walk ......... 22 FEATURE Social Media History 30 News Feature Rep. Jim Moran .......... 33 New Threat To Hunting SHORT FICTION Missouri River Mist ..... 34 ESSAY Towards A N. A. Hunting Culture ........................... 36 POETRY Trophy Animals........... 40 Grizzly Mountain ...... 40 Sunset in January ..... 41 City Shaman ............... 41 New Products ............... 42 Calendar of Events ..... 43
In Future Issues: Sentence Wars, why some writers can’t write. New Technology Travelling Outdoor Writers
Dr. Randall L. Eaton Animal Behaviorist, Environmentalist, Hunter, Hunting Philosopher—Can He Save Hunting?
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
The Pines Review Page 2 Publisher/Editor Galen L. Geer Copy Editor Pam Potter Webmaster Christopher L. Geer Associate Editors Danny White, Alan Bunn, Rachel Bunn Photography Jeff Davis Social Media Rachel Bunn Video Andy Lightbody High On The Wild Kathleen Clary Miller
The Pines Review is published three times per year: January (Winter), May (Spring/Summer), and September (Autumn). Free Subscriptions: Free PDF/ email subscription to members of outdoor media, outdoor industry. Free PDF/email subscriptions to all high school/middle school libraries, and colleges, university libraries as well as English/Creative Writing Departments, instructors. Paid Subscriptions: PDF email: $6.00 per year. Print: $36.00 per year. Single copy: $13.50+P&H: http://magcloud.com. Article/Story Reprints: For reprints of articles, essays, short fiction or poetry please contact the editor. Contributors: Contributions are welcome. Please mail a synopsis of proposed contribution to editor. Payment on acceptance. Submission guidelines available. editorpinesreview@mlgc.com Advertisers: Please email editor and request current rates for display and classified advertising. © Copyright 2010 by Pen and Page, Ink. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, printed, or distributed by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Published by Pen and Page, Ink, PO Box 31, Finley, ND 58230. Email: penandpage@mlgc.com. Phone: 701-789-0777 Cover Photo Provided by Randall L. Eaton
The Pines Review
Editorial
Literature. Each award comes with a simple, but extraordinarily elegant I hope The Pines Review contribustatue that depicts a sheaf of folded pators entering their work in contests per—the writer‘s paper, and a $10,000 win awards. I‘ve been thinking cash prize. The NBA also presents one about some other awards, annual ―Distinguished Contribution Galen L. Geer, sparked by POMA‘s named to American Letters Medal‖ which Publisher/Editor awards: Grits Gresham Award Drawing by Ron Vossler includes a $10,000 prize and a lifein the Shooting Sports, Homer time achievement ―Literarian Circle Award in Fishing and Award‖ for outstanding service to the AmeriFred Bear Award in Archery. Even with the can literary community. Each book award finearly 800 awards presented by state, regional nalist receives a medal, certificate and $1,000. and national organizations for the outdoor meWHY MORE? dia, I do not believe they are fulfilling their For the past twenty years I have maintained role in the future of the outdoor sports. that a key to reviving outdoor literature so it Few of our awards attract attention outside can regain ―serious genre status‖ is that writers our media. Some outdoor media wags believe must reach higher. We need to establish a that‘s fine, maintaining the road to preserving higher brass ring with greater rewards. We the outdoor sports is paved with slogans, spemust push our writers to go where Hemingway cial programs and not good writing. All of our spoke of in his Nobel Acceptance Speech—to awards, even the POMA Named Awards, are ―try for something that has never been done.‖ important to the future but are missing a critiFor that we will gain quality writing others cal ingredient—a tool that generates appeal will want to read, whether on a Kindle®, beyond our industry. Find that tool and it will Sony™, laptop, or on paper. How is not imgrab the attention of industry‘s frontline to consumers—the retailers—not just the sporting portant, only that they read an outdoor adventure that excites them. retailers, but bookstores, chains and independOur annual awards are the pistons in the ent stores, the big box discount stores and the engine of our media. It is now time the outdoor general media. sports industry borrows the proven concept of I am advocating the establishment of a the NB Foundation. The American SportFishfoundation to administer the ―National Outing Association and NSSF need to create a door Sports Book & Film Awards.‖ Given a Foundation that will administer five annual little time, good planning and administration, awards: Outdoor Sports Nonfiction, Outdoor these awards can make a difference. Sports Fiction, Outdoor Sports Poetry, Outdoor Think about it. The National Book FounSports in Film, and Outdoor Sports Writing for dation has been handing out awards for 60 Youth. years and that little medallion seal, ―National No specialty subfields. Hire an artist to Book Award Winner‖ on a book‘s cover is as design an inspiring trophy and a medallion. close to best seller some authors ever get! Make the presentations special. Promote the Even the ―Finalist‖ medallion seal is a cash winning books with the medallion, in store register‘s ―cha-ching‖ in the writer‘s loft. displays, and effective publicity. One might argue against another ―National Our industry is blessed with truly great Book Award‖ (NBA) because the ―National writers whose work often is squandered. The Outdoor Book Awards‖ (NOBA) are already power of good writing is usually underapprecipresented, but they are a waffle bootie award ated by its nearest audience. Move that work and I rarely see these books on an Award Winout and help others find it so its voice can ners table in a bookstore. Plus, searching the move mountains. Our writers can do that, list of NOBA winners did not reveal any huntgiven the opportunity. ing titles and the only fishing books were very esoteric fly fishing titles. There‘s a lot more to Glg
More Awards?
the outdoor sports, even waffle sports, than the NOBA recognizes. I like the National Book Foundation‘s approach. There are four categories for the NBA: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People‘s
Note: Hemingway was unable to attend the awards ceremony so the US Ambassador read Hemingway’s speech. Later, Hemingway recorded the speech for posterity and readers can hear it online.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 3
The Pines Review
Letters
Zumbo Feature Draws Criticism as Humorous “Satire” ? Editor, Just received your latest The Pines Review. Thank you (I'm being polite because I like you). First this: "This publication also recognizes that the outdoor media‗s product, as a body of work, is a literary genre and not a side show
that run my stuff. Apparently, my friends in the newspaper business are better than Zumbo's friends in our industry, and my buddies told the NRA guys to buzz off. But I've always had a tenuous love-hate relationship with the NRA here, even though I'll always be a member and have always supported them on everything. They just continue to say some really stupid and wrong stuff about the lead science, but we agree about the needlessness of the ban. Bestest, Jim Matthews Editor, Outdoor News Service Jim, At least you read it, that’s progress! Thanks for your comments. (I, too, am being polite because I like you.) Think our readers will react to your Op-Ed piece beginning on the next page? Glg, Editor
Not Every Reader is Negative!
event." From your editorial. (One quick comment: Have you actually forced yourself to sit through any outdoor television lately? "Sideshow" would be a good description of nearly all hook and bullet TV.) And then your Zumbo piece (also tending to disprove your editorial statement). I sincerely hope you meant your piece on Zumbo and the Internet to be a satire and funny as all get out because I laughed all the way through it. If you were serious, that would make it even funnier and explain why you are stuck in the Dakotas. California‘s NRA fans tried to Zumbo-me over my coverage of the lead issue here in California! They tried to get me fired from all the newspapers
The Pines Review The Pines Review accepts letters to the editor on any subject relating to the art and literature of the outdoors and letters commenting on previously published letters, articles, essays, poems or art. All letters submitted become the property of The Pines Review and will not be returned. Let-
Editor, Very nice articles! You definitely didn't put all that together overnight. Thanks for the good reading material. God Bless, Brad Lockwood Outdoor Edge Cutlery Brad, Thanks, I hope you continue to enjoy The Review. Glg
Have an opinion about something involving the outdoor sports, the outdoor media or the politics affecting the sports or media? Write an Op-Ed piece up to 1000 words and submit it!
Editor, Congratulations on this edition. I am eager to read it. Best, Glenn Sapier NSSF Glenn, Thanks and I’ll look forward to your comments at the SHOT Show Press Room. Glg (Continued on page 4)
Letters Policy ters must be submitted via email and the writer’s full name, city and state must be included. The publisher will withhold the name if requested. Letters should be no more than 200 words in length and are subject to editing for length and clarity of content.
All letters to the editor of The Pines Review must be submitted by email. editorpinesreview@mlgc.com
The Pines Review Page 4
The development of television was an international effort that began in the late 19th century and continues today. After WWII the DuMont Television Network began broadcasting in 1946, NBC began in 1947, CBS and ABC began broadcasting in 1948. By 1951 the entire continental USA was receiving broadcasts.
Opinion:
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Watching Outdoor TV is Painful Experience
By JIM MATTHEWS Outdoor News Service If there‘s a really good outdoor program on television today, I haven‘t seen it. For the past couple of months, I have been forcing myself to watch the channels specializing in hunting and fishing fodder. I can‘t do it for long stints and there are countless shows I can‘t sit all the way through. They are that bad. Now, I realize that all the shows depicting hunting and fishing activities on the Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, Versus, and the rest are really low budget ventures, but come on. They all fundamentally boil down to 30minute advertorials to show off sponsor‘s products on scammed hunting or fishing trips by the show host. In between the show‘s segments, we are bombarded with poorly done advertisements from those same sponsors, in case you missed the flagrant honking of the product by the on-camera talent (and I use that term loosely). The formula for all these shows is the same (I guess under the belief that you shouldn‘t vary from a winning combination): Bubba, and it seems like most of the show hosts are indeed
from the Southeast and speak with a mouth-full -of-mush accent, stands in front of the camera and talks. There are these talking head segments spiced throughout the show. The shows usually start by Bubba telling you where we‘re going this week (which private ranch or guide we conned into giving us a free trip). Some of the shows get creative with these segments by having Bubba in the cab of a truck or at the wheel of a bass boat while he talks. But some just park him in front of a wall somewhere and let him talk. There is always a talking head segment on what we‘re gonna kill or catch early in the show. Then the most important babble segments are usually scattered throughout the show. These are about the products that are about to or have lead to the killing or catching. After all that there‘s only a little room for footage of wildlife we didn‘t kill or those really creative shots of spray coming off the bow of the boat before we get right to the catching and killing. Volume seems to matter here. In the fishing shows, it seems like you have to show more fish caught in a half-hour segment than you or I catch in a week-long vacation to Colo-
Letters “The Winners Are” Draws Comments Editor, Wow, I didn't know anyone actually kept a count of awards received by those in our industry. Did you compile the list? The process of entering, judging and receiving the awards requires a ponderous amount of time, money and effort on the part of everyone involved. When I see some of my peers, or obviously my superiors as indicated by the 10 awards won by Eddie Nickens, in the same perspective as a set of baseball stats, it's rather impressive. But I wonder, does anybody really pay attention? Does it raise the recipient's profile or status? It certainly is an ego booster to know that your work has been judged exemplary. It would be nice to read or view more award-winners so we could all see examples of contemporary work judged to be exemplary as a gauge to see how we could improve our own craft.
I'm very impressed by The Pines Review, especially since you mentioned it is essentially a one-man show. Impressive. Best, Mike Marsh Outdoor Writer/Photographer Mike, Thanks and your profile begins on page 6 of this issue. As to your question regarding whether anyone really pays attention, read the next letter and your question is answered. Glg Editor, Would you mind forwarding a copy of the writer award list you published? It would help with my database of outdoor writers. Thank you. Brandon Butler Battenfield Technologies Marketing Manager Brandon, On its way and I hope it helps you in your marketing efforts. Glg
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 5
rado or Baja. In the hunting shows, shotgunners slaughter whole pen-fulls of pheasants or bobwhites, and I swear the waterfowlers all hunt around fields or potholes that have been baited for weeks before the camera crew and host arrived. The big game hunting shows have to show Bubba blowing a shot or two, having the camera man spook game at least once, and then end with a kill or two, frequently showing poor field shooting. I haven‘t found any shows that are actually filmed on public land where you and I hunt and fish. Most are on private ranches or lakes or deep wilderness outposts, and they all feature a guide who has fished or hunted the particular area his whole life. It‘s his job to lead the host to the holy grail of game and fish. There‘s not much on how to do things, or where to do things, or how some things are only learned with time. Thomas McGuane, a novelist of some note, wrote a collection of outdoor essays entitled ―The Longest Silence.‖ The title piece is about the long investment in time, quiet time on the salt flats, and the effort and mistakes necessary to catch one permit on a fly rod. But all of the essays, whether about hunting or fishing, revolve around how the blood sports are patient endeavors that require a life-long investment of effort and soul. Outdoor television doesn‘t get or doesn‘t know how to convey that element, which ultimately is what attracts and keeps us returning to these sports season after season. Newcomers watching outdoor TV think everything is about action, big bags, and success when nothing could be further from the truth. After the catching and killing comes the worst part of the shows: the celebrating. I have been hunting and fishing for about 50 years, and I can honestly say that I have never highfived anyone after a fish was caught, and certainly not after a head of game was killed. I‘ve never done a chest bump or a fist-clench, arm pump. I don‘t know anyone who has. I have put my hand on a son‘s shoulder after a fish was landed or offered to shake hands after a fine shot that humanely put part of our winter meat supply on the ground. I‘ve marveled at the beauty of a trout or stroked the feathers of a quail before putting in my game bag. Prayer is more appropriate than a chest bump. This celecrating is outdoor television‘s biggest abomination and a black-eye for our sport. The hunters I know have reverence for the game we pursue; I‘m not so sure about the moronic guys on television giving high-fives
and fist-pumping after they kill a buck or stick a big bull with an arrow. They‘re cheapening the hunt, life, and good sense. Do you highfive the vet after he gives a lethal injection to an old hunting dog who has been a part of your life for over a decade? Do farmers celebrate each time they lop off a head of a chicken they have raised for eggs and soup? What about the guy with the pneumatic gun in the cattle slaughter house? Do you see those guys run and do chest bumps at the end of a long day of killing? Television hunters don‘t get it. They blather at the camera, honk their sponsors, catch and shoot piles of game, and cheapen our sport. It‘s just wrong from start to finish and sends the
wrong message -- especially to the nonhunting community. I can only imagine what someone who doesn‘t hunt or fish thinks when they stumble on one of these Bubba shows. Polls continue to show that the vast majority of the public believes that managed sport hunting and sport fishing are legitimate activities. Since hunters and fishermen are increasingly smaller minorities, we need that support. But how much longer will be have it? I‘m afraid our own outdoor shows turn more of them against us than whack-jobs with animal rights agendas. We have met the enemy and he is us. Unfortunately, long silences don‘t sell on TV, and increasingly they don‘t sell to an instant gratification society. Outdoor sports may not be doomed just yet, but I fear for their soul.
Pemba Islands, Mozambique Photo and Copyright Galen L. Geer
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 6
Mike Marsh Book Author, Magazine Writer
Who We Are . . .
A Submit yourself! Submit five hundred to one thousand words and two or three photos about yourself. Who We Are is a new feature in The Pines Review intended to give outdoor writers, photographers & artists an opportunity to tell the other members of the outdoor sports community about themselves. Veteran and newcomers are encouraged to submit articles. Send submission to: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com with ―Who We Are Submission‖ in the subject line. Length: 500-1000 words Include 2-4 photos. Include both ―office‖ and ―outdoor‖ shots. Payment is on acceptance.
lthough my father was not a hunter, his encouragement at pursuing what I loved blazed the trail to my becoming a writer and photographer specializing in hunting, shooting and fishing. Curtis L. Marsh Jr. was an electrical engineer who enjoyed shooting as a casual pastime when not designing missile guidance systems. His work landed his family - my mother, Janice, and brothers Curtis III and Rick, in Climax, N.C. I was 10 when he bought the remnants of J.P. Morgan‘s quail hunting estate. My playground consisted of the caretaker‘s cottage and its outbuildings. While the surrounding landscape was changed from Morgan‘s heyday of hardscrabble farms, the landowners took me under wing and allowed me to hunt the same territory a millionaire financier once trod. The lodge proper had been torn down for constructing other homes during World War II. I received a Daisy Model 25 air gun for my eleventh birthday and a .22 Remington 510x .22 for my thirteenth birthday. As the hunter in the family, over the years I came into possession of heirloom weaponry from kinfolk in Iowa. Gifts of guns were left for me under the Christmas tree every year. My most beloved possession, which actually possessed me, was a working Irish setter named Red, who arrived from Iowa when I was 14. Also on my thirteenth birthday, my old man gave me a copy of Robert Ruark‘s The Old Man and the Boy. That was the day I became an outdoor writer in spirit. My heroes became the writers of national sporting magazines. I devoured columns by Bodie McDowell in
the Greensboro newspaper. Bodie discouraged me from striking out on my own many years later after I had moved to Wilmington. But he also tipped me off about writing a column for the Wilmington Star-News, which I‘ve now done since 1994. My arriving in Wilmington, Ruark‘s hometown, was incidental. I had earned an Associate Degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from Wayne Community College and was working in an unrelated field for the N.C. Dept. of Natural Resources. Once I moved to Wilmington, writing about the same things Ruark found so inspiring came as naturally as breathing. Dissatisfaction with what others would have considered a good government career inspired me to write Quest for the Limit – Carolina Hunting Adventures, which was published by W. Horace Carter‘s Atlantic Publishing. Horace was an outdoors writer and newspaperman. My outdoors columns also began appearing in Horace‘s Tabor-Loris Tribune, which had won the state‘s only Pulitzer Prize. To gain publicity for my book, another editor, Fred Bonner, suggested I begin writing magazine articles, which eventually led to writing a regional column for Carolina Adventure magazine. I left the state agency for a civil engineering firm, but still found the work unsatisfying while recognition of my writing and photography grew. When my son, Justin, entered the U.S. Navy and with the support of my wife, Carol, I left the consulting firm to pursue my dream. I‘ve been a fulltime hook-and-bullet writer since 2001. Mine is a volume business, which at its peak produced more than 500 articles and
Jack’s Cabin
A Mountain Retreat for Anglers, Hunters, Writers And Artists
Jack’s Cabin overlooks Southern Colorado’s Wet Mountain Valley
A-Frame Cabin with a Spectacular view of Colorado’s Wet Mountain Valley. Cabin has two bedrooms, kitchen, living room and dining room. An ideal retreat for the writer or artist who needs seclusion to work yet access to nearby cities. This is also a great retreat for a family, couple or group needing a vacation. Cabin sleeps 1-4 adults (plus kids) and pets are welcome. Fishing and hunting are both within a short drive. Hiking from cabin is available. Canon City, Florence and Pueblo are all within 1 hour drive and Colorado Springs is less than 90 minutes away. 2 night minimum, $70 night, 1-4 adults, 6 night stay only $360. Monthly rates are seasonal. For information or Reservation: chas.clifton@mac.com , Phone: 719-784-3160. Web Site: http://www.jackscabinwetmore.com
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 7
OWAA Appoints Interim E-D Robin Giner has been named the interim Executive Director of Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA), the nation‘s oldest national organization for the outdoor media. Robin is only the second woman to hold that position in OWAA‘s 83 year history. The organization‘s leadership has been searching for a new ED since mid-March when Kevin Rhoades resigned after eleven years with OWAA, although Rhoades did stay on as ED until May 7. In his resignation letter, which was published on the OWAA web site, Rhoades did not give any specific reason for his resignation although he did write that he submitted the letter ―With no regrets . . . .‖ Rhoades also said that he had ―not applied for another position, nor been offered one.‖ He did indicate that he planned to remain in the outdoor media field. Rhoades is best known in the outdoor media community for guiding OWAA through what was probably the organization‘s most difficult period when a large number of its members resigned over a disagreement with the Board of Directors. Many of the individuals who resigned had been active in OWAA throughout their professional careers. The Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) was later formed by those same outdoor writers and photographers who left OWAA in the dispute. Giner is well aware of the difficulties that plagued the organization at that time, having served since May 2007 as OWAA‘s Director of Membership and Conference Services. Prior to that, in 2000-01, Robin served as an Executive Assistant.
WHO WE ARE—Continued 800 images for magazines and news papers annually. My work appears primarily in middle markets, super-saturating North Carolina magazines and newspapers. But I also contribute to some of the biggest hunting and fishing magazines in the world. I‘ve produced more than 5,000 articles and three books and have a finalized book contract on the desk. The working title is Fishing North Carolina – 100 Places to Fish Across the State. The publisher is John F. Blair. It‘s been a wild ride, with the only regret a wish that I had left my real jobs much sooner despite the recent media meltdown, which has created a 40 percent decline in my writing and photography sales. I‘m using the downtime to restock my story bank. Whereas a couple of years ago, I was having trouble hitting the woods and water enough to feed my markets‘ demands, I‘m hunting and fishing more and producing less. Media markets won‘t be diminished forever, so I‘m keeping on top of cutting-edge stories. When folks lose their jobs, they hunt and fish more while still demanding topnotch information about their pursuits. Embracing the ―new media‖ has taken a higher priority, so I now have a Website, www.mikemarshoutdoors.com along with a Facebook page and other social networking presences. So far, these Internet experiments have taken more time and money than seem worthwhile. But, hey, it‘s the future of media and I‘m going to keep riding this old hook-and-bullet horse until she bucks me
Between 2001 and 2007, when she returned to OWAA, Giner was working in Chicago at the Urban Libraries Council. In a short email interview with The Pines Review she explained her work: ―I worked on their Programming and Development team where we solicited grants to develop programming for the betterment of large urban public libraries.‖ The current president of OWAA, John Beath, is pleased that Giner is in the ED position. ―I'm really excited to have Robin Giner as our interim Executive Director. Robin has been an excellent and valuable employee for OWAA and will now have the opportunity to grow her professional career with OWAA.‖ The organization will also be benefiting from Giner‘s Chicago experience and Beath is quick to point out it is an added bonus. ―Robin has grant writing experience and some great ideas to promote the growth of the organization.‖ According to OWAA officials their present membership is hovering around 1,200 outdoor communicators and with Giner in the interim ED position the leadership is anticipating a growth in membership numbers and new outreach programs for OWAA. Robin is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University (Chicago) with dual BA degrees, one in English Composition and the other in Linguistics. Although unmarried, last year she adopted a year-and-a-half lab mix from the pound, explaining that her dog is now ―her kid.‖ off. A non-profit organization I co-founded, the North Carolina Public Access Foundation, Inc. (www.ncpaf.com) is stemming the loss of oceanfront fishing piers and boat ramps. North Carolinian‘s have lost half of their fishing piers and no one knows how many marinas and ramps were converted to exclusive use during the latest real estate boom. This project has taken an enormous amount of time and effort. But I felt an obligation to give the hunters and fishermen who have given me so much a way to protect their heritage. I couldn‘t have slept at night if I hadn‘t set up NCPAF, Inc. because I knew I was the only one who could make it happen. NCPAF, Inc. has already helped save Oak Island Pier from going condo through monetary donations and public awareness. It will soon be protected in perpetuity with a conservation easement dedicated to NCPAF, Inc. NCPAF, Inc. has also initiated, in cooperation with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, an Adopt-a-Ramp program. In the beginning, I thought becoming an outdoors writer would benefit me through some incredible hunting and fishing trips. While that happened beyond the wildest imaginations of a 13-year-old kid, I‘ve discovered as a 56-year-old man that using the influence I‘ve gained from my constituents to help them help themselves is magnitudes more important than the personal selfishness that began a fledgling career.
The Pines Review Page 8
C
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
ontemporary hunters need a leader. Someone is needed to help hunters look inside themselves for a better understanding of why they hunt and their goals as hunters. This person must shape more than a hunter‘s personal opinions but reach across society‘s broadest spectrum and shape the non-hunting social groups‘ understanding of hunting. Many people believe that such a leader has come and gone in the person of Aldo Leopold and his seminal work A Sand County Almanac. This book influenced millions of readers, many of them hunters, and brought them closer to understanding hunting‘s connection to the environment. Another writer who strongly influenced hunters was José Ortega y Gasset, the social philosopher who expressed much of today‘s hunting philosophy in Meditations on Hunting. Another influential leader, one who shaped political policy, is Theodore Roosevelt. His philosophy about hunting, democracy, the nation‘s land and wildlife, still dominates hunting and outdoor philosophy. Leopold, Ortega and Roosevelt are, however, dead, and while their work Randall L. Eaton, Ph.D is continues to influence today‘s hunters, popular opinion among many in the outoffering some insights door industry is that hunting is entering its final decades. that some may believe Some disagree. One of those is Ranare too radical, but for dall L. Eaton, Ph.D, the leader of a proothers he is the last hope hunting movement. The movement has emerged from the Jungian psychology of the American hunter. which influenced the 1980‘s men‘s movement, which is often viewed as a weak response to the powerful (and still active) feminist movement that gained By Galen L. Geer popularity during the backlash to the Publisher/Editor Vietnam War. Eaton‘s movement is founded on the principle that hunting is an initiation that helps individuals recognize their inner selves and then transfer that recognition into wider circles of social responsibility. The core of Eaton‘s belief system is not the Men‘s movement per se but primitive societies‘ relationship to nature. In Rethinking Hunting, a short paper by Eaton, his first paragraph references not only Roosevelt and Leopold, but Jefferson, Audubon, and Thoreau, and points out that each of them was a hunter. He also references Nobel Prize winners Jimmy Carter and Nelson Mandela as personifications of hunting‘s influence on a person‘s development of an inner peace. Michael Gurian, an internationally respected authority on youth education, is another source of Eaton‘s search for understanding of how hunting transforms the individual. In the ―Forward‖ of From Boys to men of Heart, Eaton prints his interview of Gurian, focusing on the male transformation from boy through adolescence to adulthood, and hunting‘s role in this transformation. Eaton asks Gurian about the effects of video gaming on adolescents and Gurian explains how hunting creates less violence: . . . playing video games creates more violence. The reason I say that goes back to nature and how the brain works. . . . the more holistic the experience, the neural experience that the brain has, they lead to future holistic activities of that brain system or that Top: Dr. Randall Eaton during his years neural web, so if I sit around and play a bunch of video game which are based on huntof studying Orca whales. ing . . . and I play those, but I never see the consequences—I never touch the liver of the Above: The cover of the multi-discipline antelope, I never touch the squirrel—that‘s not a holistic experience, that‘s just a hunting publication he founded. -war experience that‘s going on in my fantasy world, and I don‘t feel the consequences. Next Page: Speaking at the Onterio I don‘t develop any kind of respect or justice or decency or fairness from that kind of Federation of Anglers and Hunters experience.‖i Page 10: Signing books after a seminar.
Does this man hold the key to hunting’s future?
Page 11: In his home.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 9
Gurian‘s interview reinforces Eaton‘s philosophy--the belief that hunting is a valid tool, that a person who is a caring and ethical hunter will be a better person. In the next paragraph Gurian explains the holistic experience. But if I‘m hunting, that‘s a holistic neural experience; I not only have to have the skill to acquire the animal, to kill the animal, I skin it, I take care of it, I feel it against my body, I smell it, I have the blood on my hands— that‘s a holistic neural experience that should lead to future holistic experiences when I‘m faced with life and death again.ii Eaton and Gurian agree that hunting‘s holistic experience cannot be duplicated by the video game experience because the games exist only inside the mind of the participant and the participant does not experience any tactile induced relationship to the animal— regardless of the game‘s technological sophistication. In Eaton‘s view of contemporary society there is an exponentially growing danger that humanity is lurching every closer to creating its own doomsday. In his ―Overview,‖ (xlvii-liv) Eaton begins with this mind-jolting statement: ―That humanity may threaten its own survival and the viability of the biosphere is reason enough to question the influence of civilization on sanity.‖ Taking that statement on its own, a person would believe that Eaton is a fatalist over the future of humanity, but in truth Eaton is an optimist who believes humanity‘s salvation exists deep within humanity‘s anthropological psychic—hunting. The Role of Hunting, Past Randall Eaton‘s campaign to create a movement to salvage hunting began when he was a featured speaker at the 1971 Game COINiii conference in San Antonio, Texas. His speech was a plea for hunters to recognize their ancestral roots, and it was carried by the nationally by CBS News. Other speakers at the conference included former Texas governor John Connally and the award-winning actor Jimmy Stewart.iv Eaton explained to The Review how a Georgia archery hunt had become one of the pivotal events of his life shortly before the Game COIN conference: ―. . . after many years of hunting waterfowl and upland birds and a few meager attempts at deer, I bow hunted deer in Georgia from a treestand for two days which aroused my alertness to an unparalleled level and profoundly connected me to nature.‖v The connection, for Eaton, was not yet complete. In 1975, four years after the deer hunt, he decided to undertake a vision quest in the Cascades‘ foothills east of Seattle. That experience made him realize his life was taking on new meanings, expanding his awareness of how he had been living, that social pressures were forcing him into a somnambulistic state where the need to be ―productive‖ was met without any meaningful benefits to his mental and physical being. ―. . . a kind of poverty of the spirit that only wilderness solitude may mend‖ (Ibid). Equipped with his MS and doctorial degrees in animal behavior and wildlife ecology, he still faced uncertainties about his life—until he sought a vision—an intensely personal act. Today he believes young men should once again seek a personal vision as they make the transition from adolescence to early adult. ―It ought to be a normal ritual for young men, as it was among northern Europeans for millennia,‖ he said. Following his vision quest, Eaton‘s understanding of himself and the world around him began to expand. In response to Review questions he explained: ―I was studying Kidu (Jidu) Krishnamurti, an Eastern teacher who professed no particular faith or path other than keen awareness of (Continued on page 10)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 10
Eaton (Continued from page 9)
what is in the moment. . . . He taught that freedom lies in observing the self without judgment, with the same kind of alertness that a good naturalist or hunter gives to a bird.‖ During this period he went through a powerful emotional and visual experience which he compares to a near death experience, explaining that; ―. . . at one moment I felt I was climbing the stairs, but when I reached the doorway, sensing that the answer I was seeking was on the other side . . . I was snatched from this body and dimension and taken on the greatest odyssey of my life. Now mind you I had been an atheist since college . . . I returned to my body knowing that what we are essentially immortal, i.e. death is not annihilation, that there is nothing to fear. . . . Not long after I began to study orca whales, giant dolphins with immense intelligence, the only dominant predator on earth that does not make war on its own kind. . . . The orcas inspired me to go out and teach that life is sacred and to honor it, which gave rise to The Sacred Hunt video and all my work since.‖vi Eaton‘s ―work since‖ has been focused on finding those connections between people and nature, a direction that also marked his earlier work, which included the design, development and promotion of a wildlife park, the research and writing of a popular science book on the cheetah that received a National Book Award and he has been a leader in the revision of zoo philosophy with goals toward naturalism. He founded the extraordinary interdisciplinary scientific journal, Carnivore, with Nobel laureate, Oxford professor Niko Tinbergen,vii on the journal‘s editorial board. Dr. Randall Eaton‘s lists of accomplishments have lead him to deeper understanding of the hunting rituals and practices of early humans and today‘s primitive hunting/gatherer cultures. Eaton believes that if contemporary hunters understand the primitive hunter‘s relationship with nature they can share that knowledge with larger segments of contemporary society, creating an understanding that he believes will ease tension between civilization and nature and consequently between nations, social groups and individuals. It appears to be an impossible belief, one that seems Messianic in ambition, but recent environmental disasters point to a critical juncture between humanity and nature. In his ―Overview‖ Eaton writes: Hunting teaches us that, like all life forms, we are dependent upon the integrity and viability of nature. Though the hunt is goal-oriented, it teaches us that all of creation functions by deeply interconnected processes
and that we are part of the process. It engenders a ―7th generation‖ perspective,‖ making decisions today with future generations in mind.viii When Eaton speaks of today‘s civilization he points to the myriad problems besting it, and as his opening sentence for the ―Overview‖ proclaims, civilization‘s sanity must be questioned. But Eaton is not a doomsday soothsayer preaching that humanity is doomed—the opposite is true—in his writing there is opportunity for a revival. His vision and work have led him in the direction of hunting. ―Hunting teaches us to be observant and to emulate nature and slow down, to ‗be here now‘ in the present moment. It teaches us that inner peace and sanity are possible in a world gone mad.‖ (Ibid). His proposition that hunting represents an opportunity to encourage people to save the natural world from the rape of its resources, and humanity from its own self-destruction, are not ―sky -hooks of salvation‖ix but is the result of a life‘s work measured in accomplishments and accolades. To reach that understanding he has lived among and studied several of the world‘s remaining primitive peoples. In one summary paragraph in The Sacred Hunt he provides a clear window of insight into his hunting philosophy: Great intellectual humility is required now more than ever precisely because human and world survival hang in the balance. To confuse historical reality with our emotional certainty about how the world of tomorrow ought to be different from yesterday is to invite disaster. The primal man has no word for the Sabbath; neither does he construct a single place of worship. To him, life is divine, worthy of continual prayer, and his temple is the world. Though he has been accused of reducing God to the mundane, that is not quite true. Rather, he sees all that is as a sacred expression of the one God. Civilized man sees God and himself as divine, everything else as outside sacredness and most men not too sure about God. To refer to what lies outside civilization, men invented words like savage, wild and wilderness, but the primal man makes no such distinction.x Eaton sees a divinity in nature and through it to God. He points out that the San Bushmen say that ―God is unknown, a stranger; God created himself and no one can command him.‖ xi He adds that the San believe, ―He (God) created the water, earth, air, and bush-food, and generally is regarded by the Bushman as a supremely good being.‖xii Eaton believes that contemporary hunters‘ foundational premises are not unlike those of the Bushmen and other primal societies, and for proof he points to the eagerness with which hunters embrace environmental issues. ―Hunting not only leads to ahisma, avoiding unnecessary harm, it also promotes stewardship of the living earth. No wild places, no wild things, it‘s as simple as that! The hunter has been and still is the foremost champion of the wild.‖ xiv (Continued on page 11)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 11
Most hunting spokesmen are satisfied with getting just that message to the non-hunting public; Eaton has taken the message farther, to the primal hunters, to demonstrate that hunters have always maintained a close relationship with nature, and then he demonstrates that hunting is the most significant force for ending the rape of earth. To understand this premise Eaton explores Pastorlism‘s compounding negative effects on humanity as animal husbandry replaced hunting. The erosion of the connection between humanity and nature, which is a product of pastoralism, is causing young men to begin losing essential elements of direction with their lives. Writing in Chapter 5, ―The Story of Human Development‖ in From Boys to Men of Heart, Eaton emphatically states his hypothesis: I have argued since 1985 that we all are victims of the patriarchal, pastoral mythology of male dominance and the subjugation of nature, which tore us away from a relationship of respect and admiration for the animals, the earth and one another.xv Eaton‘s argument against pastoralism frequently dominates his writing. Exploring this he relates an experience of being on a plane when a young woman sitting beside him noted the title of his book (The Sacred Hunt) and she explained that she had written her senior college thesis on hunting as male initiation and she suggested Eaton read the writing of philosopher Sam Keen.xvi Eaton‘s examination of Keen revealed an extension of the ancient pastoralist philosophy that has haunted hunting. Keen emphasizes the importance of men committing themselves to the ecological stewardship of a place. He believes that there is no dignity for men unless they assume the role as earth fathers and protectors of place. Keen knows that men need to fully embrace life as interdependence, but for him that movement is focused on other humans and on place, and it does not originate from or encompass hunting wild animals for food.xvii Eaton‘s examination of Keen‘s work discloses a weakness in Keen‘s philosophy that prevents young men from fully realizing their connection to hunting and its role in their maturation. ―. . . he [Keen] insists that wildness first comes from identification with the actual wilderness—mountains, forests, tundra, the haunts of untamed grizzlies, undomesticated wolves, fierce cougars‖xviii [Italics, mine]. Untamed grizzlies, undomesticated wolves? Strange animals? Unpredicatable dangers? These usages suggest that Keen is a city boy, and judging from Keen‘s account of his maturation, he did not grow up hunting or fishing. . . . Keen‘s
hunting instinct atrophied from lack of use. Wild animals figure into his mind as challenging confrontations, but apparently not from directly participating with them in the food chain. . . . much of Keen‘s definition of manhood is founded on civilized concepts from classical Greece, such as heroism, which appear to reflect Keen‘s background in Western philosophy. Heroes and husbandry both smack of civilization and herding life; both are related to the domination and taming of wild nature, within and without [pastoral]. (Ibid) Keen‘s philosophy has exerted a considerable influence on contemporary American male society and Eaton‘s efforts to counter Keen‘s arguments are important to the hunting community because they provide hunters with foundational principles to counter anti-hunting arguments. Eaton points out that Keen maintains a criticism of hunting by arguing that hunting cultures, being nomadic, could not create complex culture. Eaton counters by pointing out that many hunting societies are not nomadic and Keen‘s argument fails because hunters did have a surprisingly complex culture, concluding that ―. . . the heart of culture exists in the stories told about creation, culture heroes, the behavior of animals often as teachers, the place in which people live and in resources, the history of the society, the cosmos.‖xix Finally, to drive home his points about Keen‘s ―absence of hunting‖ philosophy Eaton points out that Keen‘s work is: Like a Neo-Marxist anthropologist, he paints a picture of women creating agriculture, which they may have done, but he imagines that it was planning (planting) that give rise to mathematics and science. While the eco-feminists may approve of Keen‘s perspective, there is good reason to say he is wrong, that it was hunting that promoted science and math. It is hunting that calls upon formation of hypotheses, deduction and experimental testing, i.e., problem solving. Even Einstein recognized subsistence hunting as proto-sciencexx. The examination of Keen‘s entire philosophy provides Eaton with an opportunity to delve into the conflict between the pastoralists [herding] and farming lifestyle by comparing the hunter‘s spiritual lifestyle against that of the farmer, concluding that ―Long before any fields were plowed, hunters were keeping close tabs on lunar, solar and seasonal cycles, as reflected in their calendars and in their stories.‖xxi Eco-Feminism vs. Hunters? One of Eaton‘s most important, and probably controversial, points of discussion is the debate between the eco-feminist who emerged from academia in the 1980s and hunters in general. The decade of the 80s was a difficult time for hunting and men. Eaton writes that one aspect of the eco-feminist movement that has maintained its popularity is that men and male-centered activities are guilty of all ills besetting society. ―Female anthropologists have questioned time honored theories about the nature of masculinity and femininity.‖xxii (Continued on page 12)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 12
Eaton (Continued from page 11)
One academic on whom Eaton draws his sights is one of today‘s most popular woman hunting writers in western culture— Mary Zeiss Stange—author of Woman The Hunter.xxiii Eaton writes about Stange‘s proposition that women have always been hunters, pointing out that she appears to have based her assessments on her interpretation of ancient mythologies and the fact that Pygmy women participate in a group hunt and that in the Philippines the Aka negrito women hunt deer and wild pigs. In both cases, Eaton argues against Stange‘s position, maintaining there are serious disparities between Stange‘s arguments and what, in fact, actually transpires on these hunts. Eaton also points out that in any foraging culture women dot no kill any big game. The feminist would like to be able to say that throwing stones is encouraged by men or imitated by boys, or that little girls are discouraged from throwing stones. The problem is that there is no evidence to support that objection. Little boys throw stones whether adult men throw them or throw nothing at all. The shaping and throwing of stones as weapons for hunting or defense may go back millions of years among our ancestors. Its appearance at a predictable age among human males indicates that it is firmly established in the developmental blueprint of ―man the hunter,‖ but not in females.xxiv Drawing upon his research, Eaton maintains that boys begin throwing rocks between 4-5 years of age while girls do not. Eaton does, however, support Stange‘s arguments that anthropologists have exhibited a strong and biased sexism regarding the roles of men and women he also points out, ―that does not disprove the theory that hunting and gatherer have been the primary division of foraging labor between the sexes.‖ xxv One of his most important arguments against Stange is that he believes her theories posit that male hunters ―. . . feel aggressive or angry toward animals we hunt for food. Nothing could be further from the truth.‖ xxvi Finally, to prove his point Eaton quotes Eric Fromm,xxvii the author of The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness in which (Eaton writes) ―that in the act of hunting, a man becomes part of nature again, and based on a considerable body of knowledge about existing primitive hunters concluded that hunting is not conducive to cruelty and destructiveness.‖xxviii As if to prove Fromm‘s [and Eaton‘s] point a recent video posted by PETAxxix purports to show Chinese fur farmers inflicting senseless cruelty on dogs and other animals raised for their fur. The Chinese pastoralists, if the video is even partially true, proves both Fromm and Eaton‘s arguments of the inherit violence of the pastoralist compared to the actions of hunters. Eaton’s Argument Dr. Eaton‘s work and argument is not against the women‘s movement in hunting and he does try to soften his criticism of Dr. Stange‘s work. When he examines the archetypes of the mature man in Chapter 7, ―Orion‘s Legacy: Men, Myths and Hunting‖ Eaton turns to the work of Carl G. Jung, the founder of analytical psychiatry. ―Jung understood that much of the unconscious was the consequence of repression resulting from civilized humanity‘s separation from nature.‖xxx This is, Eaton believes, the core problem that contemporary civilization is struggling
with, and that it is having a long lasting and deeply negative impact on young people, especially young men, throughout the world. One of the failures he points to is the lack of a serious study of the ―good‖ psychological aspects of hunting, and he writes: Nowhere in a recent professional wildlife publication about the future of hunting that examined anti-hunting sentiment was there any discussion of the psychology of hunting, which is surprising because anti-hunters have vehemently claimed that hunters are sadistic and psychopathic. Psychologist Jim Swan believes that one of the reasons that there has been a shift in attitudes about hunting is a lack of study of the motivations for hunting, but in this case he says, ―Despite vitriolic accusations by some anti-hunters, there is no substantial psychological research or writing to conclude that hunting in general is in any way associated with mental disease. What evidence there is supports just the opposite position.‖xxxi In Eaton‘s analysis of his survey of hunters he uncovers layers of evidence that the majority of hunters, men and women, are actually reverent toward their kills. Taken with his personal experiences, his vision quest, drifting away from hunting and in-and -out of relationships until he returned to hunting and with that return gained an understanding of what he wanted to do with his life, have combined to have a monumental impact on his life— and where he wants to take his work. Jim Casada, who is himself a retired history professor and respected outdoor writer, has known Eaton for twenty years and in an email to The Review Casada commented on Eaton‘s dedication to a dream, writing, that Eaton is, ―inspiring and clearly committed to passing on the legacy of love for the natural world and preaching the gospel of what ‗connectedness‘ with the good earth can do for youth.‖ xxxii For Randall Eaton, this is what drives him—commitment to the natural world and youth. He is firm in his belief that through his vision quest and the subsequent vision, and the following years of interaction with nature—from orca whales to the Bushmen of the Kalahari—he has rediscovered the vital connectiveness between humanity and nature that offers the greatest hope for the future of this Mother Earth. Perhaps, in the minds of some who would rather criticize than listen, Randall Eaton‘s message sounds too Messianic for their liking, but on the other hand, as Eaton might point out, the critics have had their chance and what we‘ve got for giving them the chance is war, oil on our beaches, newly polluted rivers and generations of young men and women who are searching for meaning in their lives. It might just be possible that the meaning they need has been there all along.
To Contact Dr. Randall Eaton Readers interested in contacting Dr. Eaton may do so by any of the following: Email: reaton@eoni.com. Phone 513-244-2828 USPS Mail: 5128 Ralph Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45238 Text Notes i. R. L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart, pg. xliii 2009. ii. Ibid. iii. COIN, Game Conservation International, based in San Antonio, Texas.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 13
iv. R. L. Eaton,Email Interview, Pines Review, May 2, 2010, 9:00 PM v. Ibid vi. Nikolaas, ―Niko,‖ Timbergen, (April 15, 1907 – December 21, 1988) A Dutch ethologist and ornithologist who shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Karl von Frisch and Konard Lorenz for their discoveries concerning organization and elicitation of individual and social behavior patterns am animals. Ethology s the study of animal behavior and modern ethology is credited to Timbergen. vii. R. L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart 2009, pg. li viii. “Skyhooks of salvation” a phrase used when describing an improbable solution to a problem and used by someone to justify their statements or teaching. ix. R. L. Eaton, The Sacred Hunt, pg. 25-26. 1998 x. Ibid, 27 xi. Ibid xii. Ahisma: Do no harm. Originated in ancient India. xiii. R. L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart, pg. 159. xiv. ibid, 48 xv. Sam Keen, American philosopher examining social issues. He holds graduate degrees from Harvard and Princeton. xvi. R. L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart 2009, pg. 71 xvii. Ibid xiii. Ibid, 76 xix. Ibid, 77 xx. Ibid. xxi. bid, 79
xxii. Mary Zeiss Stange, has contributed to Bugle and many other publications and is widely recognized for her work in encouraging women to become hunters. She was given the opportunity to reply to Dr. Eaton’s challenges to her work and she refused to do so, citing commitments for editing and other work. She did, however, send an answer regarding her assessment of Dr. Eaton’s work but when The Pines Review asked for permission to publish her reply she adamantly refused to give permission and did not offer any further explanation. xxiii. R. L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart 2009, 84 xxiv. Ibid xxv. Ibid, 89 xxvi. Ibid xxvii. Eric Fromm, A German born psychoanalyst whose work included the seminal work Escape From Freedom (1941) which is the underpinning work of modern political psychology. In 1956 he published The Art of Loving, which is still a popular teaching text. xxviii. Ibid xxix. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. A radical animal rights group that is opposed to hunting and nearly all other uses of animals. Past hyperbolic and false claims by PETA members weakens any claims they make against the Chinese fur farmers. Other, more reliable organizations, however, have made similar claims giving credibility to the PETA charges in this case. xxx. R. L. Eaton, From Boys to Men of Heart, pg. 101 xxxi. Ibid, 219 xxxii. Jim Casada, Email Interview, May 03, 2010, 6:37 PM
BRIEFLY
p.m., Tuesdays at 6 a.m., Thursdays at 5 p.m. and Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. Flats Class TV will be focused on inshore fishing for species including snook, redfish, sea trout and tarpon and the two hosts for the program are Captain C.A. Richardson and Captain Ray Van Horn. Broadcast dates are: Mondays at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday at 10 a.m., Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 p.m.
Interactive Fishing & Regulations
Interactive fishing and hunting regulation guides for all 50 states can now be quickly and easily accessed at the website huntnfishregs.com. Guy VanDyke, vice president of sales for huntnfishregs.com, explained ―Our [online] navigation tools will help users find exactly what they need. Once found, the regulation guides can be downloaded as PDF filed and then printed.‖ Visitors to the site also will find other useful tools to help them plan their hunting and fishing trips. A user can buy a hunting or fishing license, find a hunter safety course, check out maps, fishing reports, weather/lunar forecasts and obtain contact information for state and federal natural rescource agencies. The founders of huntnfishregs.com, Guy VanDyke and Jeff Hunt, each have more than 15 years of experience producing hunting and fishing regulation guides. They also are avid sportsmen who know what is needed to plan a successful fishing or hunting trip. For more information visit the site at huntnfishregs.com or contact VanDyke at gvandyke@huntnfishregs.com or www.huntnfishregs.com.
Sportsman Channel Fishing Programs Sportsman Channel is adding a fly fishing and a fishing show to its second quarter lineup. The fly fishing show is Fly Fishing Top 2 Bottom and will feature host Charlie Charlesworth with cohosts Donald Trump Jr., Joe Humphrey and Patagonia fly fishing legend Martin Carranza. In this series the host and co-hosts will seek out some of the western hemisphere‘s greatest fly fishing destinations. The series will be broadcast on Mondays at 12:30
Bushnell v. Brunton Lawsuit Settled After being in the court system for more than a year the Bushnell/Laser Technology, Inc., (LTI) lawsuit against the Brunton Company has been settled. The lawsuit was filed in January 2009 by Bushnell and LTI against Brunton and other defendants for patent infringement and the U.S. District Court of Kansas granted Bushnell and LTI a preliminary injunction against the defendants and prohibited them from importing and selling certain laser rangefinder products. The settlement permanently barred Brunton from selling the infringing laser rangefinders and the company must pay Bushnell an undisclosed settlement amount.
North Dakota State Univ. Pheasant Forever North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, is now home to the newest Pheasant Forever Chapter and only the second collegiatebased chapter. Students at the state‘s two largest campuses, University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, and NDSU, are drawn from a large hunting community with wide faculty support.
The Pines Review Page 14
Kathleen Clary Miller
It’s All in the Letting Go or How fly fishing altered my plan
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
High On the Wild With Kathleen Clary Miller Catch and Release. I saw it on bumper stickers when I ventured into King Fisher Fly Shop to obtain my first fishing license. It‘s the unspoken promise, the word of honor that you‘ll return any fish you hook to its river so there will be some left for others who come to the trout stream. Entirely understandable— commendable considering the overcrowded sporting-contest conditions found on the banks of any river that runs through it. No one wants to deplete our natural resources. But where is the guts and the glory in that? The barbeque and the boast? It‘s difficult when you‘ve lived as long as I have to abandon the basket and the string of accomplishment held high for the camera. Catch and release. Never did that in salt water, bobbing out in the ocean under the searing sun on my brother‘s outboard. When I‘d seen pictures of fly-fishing, the fisherwoman was standing, albeit thigh deep in waders and wearing an unattractive hat. Here was involvement; the man I watched on television was casting over and over again, his eye on something. But was I willing to don on all that gear—the waders, the boots, the vest—over dry clothes, and stand in icy water until I snagged a trout, wrestled him in a watery duel, then landed him, only to let him go? Not to mention that in the process of removing the hook from lip, jaw or God forbid, eyeball, the occupation would become more relational than I had ever intended. Could I engage that closely with the hunted and
remain a hunter? Few things taste better than buttered, grilled trout with a good Chardonnay. God would be my only witness. Streams were not wide enough for two to fish across—and a private sort of sport it is at that. I had seen people spread out the length of the river, stealthily glide forward after a few casts, then try again. Who would believe I really caught one if I couldn‘t bring it home? I‘ve always been a manager, but despite my effort to put each proper thing in its proper compartment, I confess that I am not the most vigilant environmentalist on the planet. I begin each day with resolve but ashamedly admit that I fall prey to avoiding the extra mile to recycle.. If the ―paper and plastic‖ container is not nearby, I cave to convenience, aim for any old trash can. Nor am I, despite my painstakingly cautious basic nature, as concerned as I should be about important edible species, and was once witnessed sampling endangered buffalo (back when it was) from a menu in Montana. So when I married a man whose nightly prayer is for another salmon-fly hatch and whose book collection includes twenty volumes dedicated to understanding trout, I was not only understandably goal-oriented and determined to grow adept at fly fishing, but also certain I would want to net and keep just one for the barbeque. Even though he faithfully practices catch-andrelease as policy, there surely are fishermen who sneak a small trout for a celebratory
meal. A River Runs Through It had been a favorite book and movie, the latter not merely due to Robert Redford‘s narration and Brad Pitt‘s acting. From the moment I read Maclean‘s words and was mesmerized by the film‘s stunning depiction of casting knee-deep in the Montana wilderness, I was hooked. I signed up for a class. Formal instruction on the sport as well as hands-on casting would get me where I wanted to go. It was the sensible, logical step any arrangement aficionado would take before venturing into the wild. Like the dutiful dog that I am, still suffering from post teacher‘s-pet syndrome, I slipped easily into the classroom chair. From my seat (front row center) I could offer undivided concentration as I nodded to the instructor, thus exhibiting total understanding of the intricacies of knot tying—a different microscopic seven-step design for each portion of the process: leader to tippet to dry fly. More passing years than I can count flashed before me that morning, as rather than rapt and on the brink of discovery with each new lesson, I was near comatose, incapable of staying alert, craving Starbucks like a woman crawling toward water in the desert. Seems age had removed my capacity to remain awake while listening. Still I persevered, my inborn tenacity not to be assailed. Luckily, the hours gave way to an afternoon of casting practice where I strove to excel in each sequential step. The lead fisherman lauded my every move—at
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 15
first. Having instilled a foundation of confidence, he began to suggest that I was ―a bit stiff‖ and should ―loosen up and forget the rules.‖ Forget the rules? I struggled to allow my natural instincts to rise to the surface, but they battled with my basic personality; I am nothing short of stellar at following orders. So the instructional day ended with budding knowledge, but although I could tie each knot and repeat every motion, I was left with the haunting awareness that I wasn‘t graceful. I would not resemble the piscatorial ballet I had seen in the movie. A month later found me standing on the edge of Rock Creek, christened that name for a reason: as if the current isn‘t enough to wage with weakened thighs, the bottom is covered with mossy boulders of every shape and size—not an inch of sand between them. The first thing I had to let loose of was the shore. At the casting lesson, we had anchored our steady stance on terra firma as lines fell neatly in an arcing pattern. Here on mossy boulders that bottomed the creek, I required no less than the grip of an octopus simply to hold my ground. Next I had to unhand the notion that I was somehow superior, an expert who had attended classes that had birthed newfound intelligence allowing me to camouflage my presence in a river where I did not belong. Despite all my outdoor-catalog clothing purchases I could not pull the wool over these altogether perceptive creatures. Instead, I could only catch a brief glimpse of them as they tauntingly revealed themselves—a flash of brilliance in their rise only to snub my pathetic attempt to create nature with a man-made fly. Far from blending, I was still the interloper whose false temptation seemed, even after hours of rehearsal, awkward. Lastly, I had to abandon still air. The formidable breeze twisted unwanted knots with each toss of my line—few of the classroom rules were at work here, and my frustration was not unlike that of the pre-schooler who has mastered coloring within the lines only to be handed a blank sheet of paper. Where were my boundaries? Then all at once I heard it. There are none. Loosen up; forget the rules. I closed my eyes to the staggering scenery that surrounded me and sensed the weight of the rod as the line soared overhead. Then, as soon as I felt it bow ever so slightly, I even forgot to cringe for fear of snagging an earlobe. My line snapped forward and as I heard the soft whir of filament like quick wind through
branches. In that moment I was part of the dance. The catch was utterly secondary to the art. As my whooping holler echoed off sheer cliffs dotted with big-horned sheep, I opened my eyes. I had let it go. When several days later I landed my first fish, performed gentle surgery to remove the hook from his gaping jaw, and released him back to the ebb and flow of teeming life at my feet, he rested there for just an instant, then swirled around my boots and shimmered off into the glare of sun on clear water. I was the environmentalist I had always known I could be—it had somehow come naturally. Why wouldn‘t I soothe a fellow creation of God as I carefully extricated metal pain from his pouting lip, tell him to return to his friends, and that everything would be okay? In that moment, I soared high above recycling and best-laid plans to a level of wriggling flesh and breathing gills—a creature with eyes that looked right into mine as we were both released. Some go fishing to count the number of tight lines and how many fish they net. And yes, there is an undeniable thrill in the catching; I cannot pretend otherwise. But trust me; it‘s all about the letting go. Really. That first glorious moment I relinquished my prize, I was reminded of a poem by Elizabeth Bishop that I used to teach in my high school classes. Entitled The Fish, the poet describes a trophy she has pulled into the boat; how, weakened from battle, he no longer struggles; how she looks into his eyes that stare back at hers; how, as she disengages the hook, she is suddenly engaged. She notices bits of barb and line hanging from his lip—old wounds inflicted by former entanglements, and she contemplates the heady victory that fills her boat—the trophy she realizes she can carry home. All has gone according to plan… ―…until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! And I let the fish go.‖ Read Kathleen Clary Miller’s blog and other stories: http:// kcmillersoutpost.blogspot.com/. Her essays and stories have appeared in Newsweek Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, The Hartford Courant, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, Orange Coast Magazine, Missoula Living Magazine, Flathead Living Magazine, The Johns Hopkins Memory Bulletin, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was a regular columnist for The Missoulian—Western Montana’s Daily Newspaper. Her current monthly column ―Peaks and Valleys‖ appears in Montana Woman Magazine. She has contributed to NP Radio‘s On Point. She lives in Huson, Montana.
The London Review Bookshop Online ordering of books directly from our store. Visit our website for more information and to subscribe to The London Review of Books. Published 24 times per year with essays by leading writers. USA Subscription price: $42.00 annually. Web address is: http:www.lrb.co. Phone: 020 7269 9030 Dept. TPR Fax: 020 7269 9033 Write us: London Review Bookshop 14 Bury Place, London WC1A 2JL
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 16
Video/Broadcasting With Andy Lightbody
Andy Lightbody
This gizmo had straps, lanyards, colorcoordinated tags, sliders, attached grease pencil/log board . . . More whistles and bells than a Rube Goldberg mousetrap!
Having been in the magazine/book writing, editing, and TV/video field for more years than I wish to testify to under oath, it never ceases to amaze me how “easy” everyone thinks it is to write an outdoor-related TV/video script, whether for a commercial, infomercial or even a non-commercial program. If you‘re one of the many readers saying that I‘m wrong about this, all you have to do is turn on any of the major network TV channels and spend a little time watching anything from the news to sports or your favorite programs, I guarantee that within a short time, you‘ll watch major manufacturer commercials that will leave you wondering WHAT THE...? Was that all about?!!! Just look at some of the major car maker‘s ads. They spend so much time on showcasing sexy ladies you‘d think one supermodel is included in your purchase price! If you are an outdoor enthusiast and regularly watch any of the major sporting/outdoor channels the situation is even worse! I recently saw a TV commercial for something as simple as a new fish stringer. You know… something to hook your fish onto and put it back in the water to keep the fish alive?!! Instead of being informative, educational and entertaining, the maker and/or producer of the fish stringer script took a fun, fast, musical totally irrelevant approach to try enticing me and other viewers that this was the greatest innovation to come
along since Jesus reached into a fish basket and fed the hungry! This gizmo had straps, lanyards, color-coordinated tags, sliders, attached grease pencil/log board with date/ time/location input, dual ground/boat/pier stake attachments, and more whistles and bells than a Rube Goldberg mousetrap! I‘m not saying all of these new tech innovations are not something every angler needs but the fish stringer script and production were so convoluted, the message so garbled and lost in music and shock-value graphics, that I could not understand the message, the point of the commercial or why I needed a new fish stringer. This is just one of the many, many productions out there using TV or video to sell products or services. The myriad TV programs ready for you to sit down and learn all about hunting turkeys, landing lunker lake trout, or increasing your backwoods survival skills are not much different. Some of these shows, featuring well-known personalities, have been producing a continuing series for years and years! Virtually all of these programs begin with lots of action, good music and the promise that they are going to show you their adventures and teach you to be their equal the next time you head to the field. After 30-minutes, you‘ve been inundated with ―whispering hunters‖ jabbering to each other in the field—where you can‘t understand a word they are saying;
or there is some grinning angler telling the camera; ―Got me another one and boy is he a hawg!‖ Mindless entertainment? To be sure. Information I can use in the field to better my own skills, or teach me/introduce me to new equipment, tactics, or techniques? Rarely. The Cardinal Rule I have written or coauthored several dozen books, thousands of magazine articles, edited hundreds of issues of leading outdoor publications, and produced hundreds of TV shows, product tests, commercials, infomercials and outdoor corporate profiles and the first and hard, number one rule to all of the above is each one must have a beginning, a middle, an end and a call to action. Sounds so simple, doesn‘t it? Actually it is, and in the history of multi-media that rule has been the guiding light for successful TV programs, commercials and in everything from print to broadcast. Yet, it seems today that more and more TV/Video producers are losing sight of those simple objectives in helping viewers to learn ―stuff;‖ helping manufacturers to showcase their products to drive retail sales; and of course inspire people to get out and enjoy the out-of-doors. At college seminars and guest-talks where I am trying to convey this simple message in 44-48 minutes to AV/TV/ Video students it seems that many students hold dear to the idea that the production value is the most important element. At film festivals I‘ve attended, whether at the college level or major film fests, it‘s often the same. In my own productions, (Continued on page 19)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Photography’s World With Jeff Davis The outdoor writers I‘ve met are an eclectic bunch; diverse in age, gender, ethnic origin, specialty, outlook, and personality. It is difficult to generalize them with any degree of confidence, except in this single area: They are lousy photographers. Yes, yes, I know, some are good – a few are even very good. But the vast majority range somewhere between awful and ‗good enough.‘ (And don‘t for a second tell me that a photo is good because it won a contest. I‘ve entered contests, judged contests, and watched open judging of contests. Placing in a contest where all the photos are mediocre does not indicate the winners were good, just not as bad as the competition. I‘ve also seen excellent photos eliminated because of bad mounting, printing, captions, and for no discernable reason.) For me a great photo is one that has impact, an image that makes a reader stop, and stare, then linger on the image, forget about everything else in the room, and just let the image take them over. The best photos make the reader feel. Feel compassion, awe, fear, amazement, excitement, serenity, or elation. A great photo compels a reader to grab their friend and say ―Did you see this?‖ A great photo gets cut out, saved, or sent to someone else. Great photos live in the memories of the readers, and touch a part of their soul. Great photos are hard to produce, and for even the best
full-time photographers, great photographs are relatively rare. But good photographers will consistently produce good photographs. Let‘s say that a photograph that is a ‘10‘ is a great photo, and a ‗one‘ is not publishable at all. Good photographers always work to try to get that 10. If they don‘t get a 10 on every assignment, you can still depend on them to bring back sevens, eights, and nines consistently, every day. However, it seems that outdoor writers will consistently bring back twos to fives, and occasionally produce a six or seven. I‘m convinced the six or seven will be a fluke. I‘m not trying to go out of my way to be unduly harsh towards outdoor writers. Communicating through language and communicating visually are vastly different skills, and are even processed in completely different parts of the brain (for both the production and for the consumption of the information). It is the very rare individual that is both a good writer and a good photographer. But just because a skill is not inherent doesn‘t mean it can‘t be learned, developed, or improved. I started out as a photojournalist, and to this day writing is a struggle for me. Actually, photography is also a struggle, but I enjoy that tussle. For me, writing is about as enjoyable as a swarm of mosquitoes. I don‘t think an average writer will start spitting out photos that are nines and 10s, but they can certainly improve enough to
turn their twos into fives or sixes. I‘ve seen outdoor writers pull out a point and shoot camera, take a single frame, and say ―Got it.‖ I know these same wordsmiths work pretty hard to get the right word, phrase, sentence structure and tempo in their stories. They should do the same with their photographs. And if I can learn it, so can they. I‘ll admit that I didn‘t really pay attention in English class, which means that now I‘m completely reliant on a well-thumbed set of reference books on grammar and writing. I can dangle a participle with the best of them, and when confronted with the lay/ lie conundrum I‘m ashamed to admit I take the coward‘s way out and just rewrite the passage. I live in fear when real writers start talking about transitive verbs, subjunctives, and antecedents, because without my books I‘m completely useless. How then to convince writers that they can easily improve their photographs, without boring them into a coma with esoteric photographic jargon like eye trap, S -curve, depth of field, circle of confusion, or grey scale steps? How about drawing analogies between writing and photography? How writers can make better photos: Determine the purpose for the photograph. This doesn‘t have to be an Intensive philosophical struggle, just understand what you want to shoot, and why you want to shoot it – just like you would determine why you are writing a story (or a part of a story). Is this the main story, or a sidebar? Is this the main theme, or detail information (Continued on page 20)
Page 17
Jeff Davis
I am not trying to go out of my way to be unduly harsh towards outdoor writers. Communicating through language and visually are different skills.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 18
Social Media With Rachel Bunn
Rachel Bunn
“Why do I need social media?” My answer is that social media is a wonderful untapped resources . . . . In 2008 nearly 83 percent of Internet users used some sort of social media.
Blogger and social media guru Pete Cashmore once said, ―Social media is the media.‖ Although some people are skeptical, I completely agree with Cashmore‘s assessment. For centuries there was only one medium of mass communication: print. Then came photography, motion pictures, radio and finally television; each one of these is a separate and unique medium. Now, there is the Internet which allows us to combine all of these separate and unique media into one that is easily accessible worldwide. I have run several seminars on the importance of using social media and the number one question I am asked is, ―Why do I need social media?‖ My answer to this question is that social media is a wonderful untapped resource for communicators. Many people still believe that social media is a place where teenagers upload silly pictures and discuss washing their dogs or last date. However, social media has become the best way to engage the largest and most diverse number of people in the shortest amount of time. To put this in perspective, in 2008 nearly 83 percent of Internet users used some sort of social media site during their time online and that number has continued to grow in 2009. Overall, researchers following the trend maintain that nearly one billion people are using social media! There are many, many opportunities to engage people through social media. Unfortunately, writers and journalists have been the slowest professionals to utilize this opportunity. As an example, in my personal experience, as a child of the digital age, I know that I am up to twenty times more likely to read a story or open a link if it appears on Facebook or Twitter. Rarely do I ever visit the Web site of a newspaper, magazine or writer if their links are not coming to me via my social media sites. Despite the facts and figures supporting the use of social media, many people still shy away from its use. Common rationalizations for avoiding any social media is they are afraid other users will comment or criticize them, they do not want to be spammed, and they do not
want people to be able to see their personal information. It is not uncommon for communication professionals who have not been exposed to social media by family or in the classroom to be intimidated. One of the greatest aspects of social media, however, is its ease of use and user friendliness. Almost all social media sites are free to use, requiring only a valid e -mail address for a person to join the site. As for becoming a member of the site, most social media sites provide new users with step-by-step instructions and tips for getting started. The simple design of the sites keeps them uncluttered and less confusing for new users. Another useful innovation for those who find it too complicated to check several Web sites each day, there are a number of applications and Web sites that provide the means for users to check all of their social media accounts from one place online. Perhaps the most time consuming and complicated part of using social media is getting started. Despite the ease of creating accounts, it takes time and effort to build a presence on any social media site. Creating an account but never checking it is the same as buying a steak but never cooking it. Having an account on Facebook does no good if there are no posts on it. Social media is about interaction with other users. If you are not interacting with other users, you are missing the point of social media. Building a presence in the world of social media requires making social media part of a daily routine; whether in the office or at home, time should be aside every day for posting and checking sites. The second most frequent question I am asked by new social media users is, ―How much time is this going to take each day?‖ Most of the time, users only need to spend 15 minutes a day checking sites. Fifteen minutes gives people enough time to read and reply to
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
articles or even book projects. Secondly, social (Continued from page 18) media is really about self-promotion and interaccomments, make comments of their own, and tion. Publish a new book? Have an article in a check to see what is happening at that time with magazine that you want more people to read or other users. However, 15 minutes is not a rule— industry leaders to be aware of? Immediately time spent using social media can vary from site send it out in a status update or tweet and receive to site but 15 minutes is a good starting point for feedback from across the media site. The majorthe new users. ity of social media users may not be poetic but they will provide excellent insight and analysis The New Tool of Choice? Social media is one of the most important into stories and ideas that become stories. tools to emerge from the Internet. Writers and Finally, social media is fun. Because there is a journalists, especially freelancers and those who constant stream of news and information, social self-publish, can benefit greatly from its use, media can lead you to some interesting Internet whether using it as a research tool or for market- discoveries. The most astonishing nature photoging their own work. It is a wonderful resource of raphy I have seen was on a Facebook page and ideas for freelancers, easily replacing the old many of the most interesting articles and stories I ―idea file‖ freelancers were urged to have read have come to me via Twitter. Admitmaintain in the pre-digital age. tedly social media still has useless information What are people interested in? What do they and viral videos but using it wisely can lead to think about a particular subject? A quick search unexpected discoveries about people and their around Facebook and Twitter can lead to interest- interests that savvy writers can transform into ing and unusual finds that can become magazine sales. Social Media
Andy Lightbody, Video (Continued from page 16)
when I or the staff of Rocky Mountain Television/Productions (RMTV) sit down to evaluate a product, produce a commercial, or a TV/Video about doing something out-of-doors, we always begin with the question; ―What is the production supposed to accomplish?‖ Once that‘s determined and the goal has been set, we develop 3-8 bullet points that will be needed to fulfill that #1 Rule: a beginning, middle, an end and a call to action. When we‘ve completed a production we‘ve learned that it‘s often a good learning curve for everyone involved at all levels of production (researching, scripting, videoing and editing) to view the finished product with outsiders who have no idea what is being presented to them. At the end of the viewing everything comes down to one simple question… So what did you think? Answers that come back saying, ―I really liked it,‖ tells me nothing! Answers that come back saying, ―That was cool,‖ are equally uninspiring or lacking in value. Instead, when viewers say that they learned something, want to go out and try this for themselves, want the product, or are ready to book their adventure at that resort or with that particular guide/outfitter then I know the program had solid production value, packed with information and was obviously entertaining and held their interest. Helping Our Industry Outdoor product makers are probably the most innovative group of people I have ever had the privilege of working with. Forget the mousetrap,
these folks have come up with ideas that most of us could never dream of in our lifetime. Certainly some are indeed best categorized as when the ridiculous becomes the absurd, but many others are definitely on the list of new ―Must Have‖ products that help us better enjoy a host of outdoor recreation opportunities. In today‘s tough economy, providing people with better ways to enjoy the out-of-doors using what they have in terms of dollars to spend, can be a formula for success. Being in tune with how to help these entrepreneurial wizards of small industries get their message out to a buying public with a buzz that builds sales, bookings for outdoor trips or simply in better educating everyone that there are new and better ways to hunt, camp or catch fish, is the challenge that the modern script writer/producer must struggle with for today‘s TV and video. Now, go watch your favorite outdoor shows, the car commercials or products that are touting that your life will be better with their product or service. I promise that you will be a little more critical and appreciative of those shows and commercials that do convey a solid message and when you‘re not—you can always say… WHAT THE…? Was that all about?! Andy Lightbody and Rocky Mountain Television/ Productions have produced dozens of award-winning TV/Video programs, including the most prestigious, Broadcaster of the Year 2009 Pinnacle Award from the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). Questions/needs about TV/Video productions can be sent directly to him at info@rmtv.net
Page 19
A Pen Lover’s Paradise We have a complete line of fountain pens, inks and other supplies for the writer. Our pens range from higher end exotic pens to more economic work horse pens. Our orders are shipped the same day they are received. Please visit our website at:
www.apenloverparadise.com Phone or Write Us: P.O. Box 6691 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 Toll Free: 866- 588-7367 Local: 757-427-1887 Fax: 757-427-2707
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 20
“
SUBSCRIBE! TO THE PRINT VERSION OF THE PINES REVIEW & RECEIVE A
FREE GIFT A ONE year paid subscription to The Review Nets you your choice of a “Rite In Rain” Sportsman’s Journal A TWO year paid subscription Nets you your choice of either a BÜLOU Fountain Pen (Fine or Medium tip) or “Rite In Rain” Bound Journal To Order your print
Pines Review Send an email to: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com And tell us if you want One or Two years. We’ll Email you an invoice with your gift options and when your invoice is paid your gift will be sent by Priority Mail.
Photography (Continued from page 17)
to support the theme? Is the photo to document what is there, to capture an special moment, to put in an album, to send to a friend, or so the designer has a cool background image to use as a graphic? Determining the purpose will help in deciding how to approach the subject. Every photo need not be a prize-winner. If you are happy with it and it helps support the story, it is a good photo. Have a point of view. Are you trying to capture the reality and exactness of the subject, or are you trying to convey a mood? Are you trying to show reality or communicate a concept? For example, are you trying to show a garden so you can identify the variety of species, or are you trying to convey the serenity that you feel in the garden as lateafternoon light filters through the rows? Is the landscape dramatic, or peaceful? Is the photo of the hunter a portrait, an action shot, or are you trying to show the ravages of time and weather imprinted on his face? This is sort of connected to determining the purpose of the photo (above), but they are often separate items. Build the photo like you build a sentence. Just like a sentence, you need to have a noun in your photo – the main subject. In too many photos everything is the same size, and on the same plane. If everything is the same size it all has the same level of importance to the viewer, and it‘s boooring! If there are three people in the photo, make one of them dominant—this is the noun. You can easily do this by putting one of them closer to the camera, with the other two behind and to the side (the adjectives). In the standard ‗guy with a dead deer‘ photo, too many times the deer and the guy compete for attention, because they are the same size, and on the same plane. Put one in front of the other, or one above the other. Is the deer the subject of the photo, or is it the guy? No writer sits down at a keyboard and just starts typing, he decides what it is he wants to say and intentionally structures his sentences. It is the same with photography. Instead of walking up to the scene and just taking a photo, think about what the main subject is, and what information you want to communicate. Just like creating a paragraph, have only one topic in your photo. How many words long is your average sentence? Is it a good idea to have a sentence that deals with three different subjects? Too many photographs have too much information in them, and just like a run-on sentence it‘s not a good idea to make the reader work too hard to com-
prehend what is in the image. You may think you need to include the hunter, the float plane, the canoe, the cabin, the rifle, the dog, and the cool cloud formation all in one photo, but that‘s incredibly difficult to pull off. Give your reader only one, obvious, center of interest. Keep it simple is great advice, and a rule that should rarely be broken. Don’t fill your story, or your photos, with useless information. The photographic corollary is don‘t surround your subject with dead space. The single biggest reason many photos have too much information is that the photographer is not close enough to the subject. This technique for solving the problem has been around for as long as I‘ve held a camera, and it‘s still valid: Compose your photo, then take the camera away from your eye, see how far away you are from your subject, and then cut that distance in half. Sometimes you‘ll need to do this a second time.(This is a little tough when shooting landscapes, but it certainly applies when photographing people.) It is almost impossible, with using standard cameras and lenses, to be too close. In far too many photos the subjects take up a small portion of the frame, and they are surrounded by huge expanses of beach, sky, buildings, room interiors, or other background. When shooting a picture you are concentrating on the subject and you don‘t realize they are only taking up ten percent of the frame. After composing, look around the subject. If they don‘t take up at least half of the frame, put the camera down, walk off half the distance (or more) between you and the subject, and recompose. Fill the frame with the subject. An iconic war photographer once said, ―If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough.‖ He was right, but unfortunately for him his career was ended by a land mine. Provide an interesting point of view. Writers make a conscious decision how to present their stories to their readers. First person, or third person; bulleted list, or narrative description, each choice has strong and weak points. Writers pick an angle of view for a story to make it interesting to the reader. It is no different in photography, except the photographer must actually, physically, attain the point of view, while writers have the luxury of being able to create it in their minds. Most people view the world standing up, with a normal field of view that is approximated by a 50mm lens. Any time you show someone something from a point of view they have never experienced it is inherently more interesting. Get level with the subject, get
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 21
under it, shoot it from behind, get a ladder for a different view, use a wide-angle or telephoto lens (if available). Different lenses change the perspective of the elements in the photo, providing a view that is not possible for humans to see. Just like in a written story, give the reader a different view, angle or perspective. Simplify your subject Lots of adjectives, over explanation, and flowery writing can really get in the way of a good story, and the same is true of a photograph. Take your subject and isolate it from things that can be distracting. Frame the subject against a natural contrasting (dark or light) background, (often just moving slightly can clean up the background). Bring a background with you (black velvet, paper, etc.), cast a shadow on the background, or move the subject (if possible). Use a telephoto lens to reduce the background angle. If you are shooting a large area, get low (so the subject covers the background or the sky is the background) or high on a truck, tree, or ladder (to cut out the horizon) to control objects in the background. When you look through the viewfinder, think of how you would describe the entire photo in words. If you are using too many words on detailing useless information in the photo, you need to isolate your subject to a greater degree. Use Foreground/ Background composition Writers often use supporting information to build interest in the main subject. This can also be done in a single photograph by Photo & © By Jeff Davis placing an object prominently in the foreground, while providing a supporting object in the background. When done correctly it does not make the photo busy, but the photo now has two elements that support each other. This provides an instant point of view, while making an esthetically pleasing composition. Think of a fisherman holding a trout in the foreground, with the winding river receding into the background behind him. Introduce tension into the photograph. Good writing often includes tension. Good writers select specific words and phrases, and organize them in specific ways to create that tension. It is the same with photographs, and once you learn how to do it, it is simple and repeatable. Square straight lines, especially through the center of the photo, result in a static, and therefore
boring, composition. That‘s fine, if your intent is to provide a photo that invokes a calm feeling in your reader (like a lake horizon through a sunset). However, static photos will quickly bore a reader and have them assume the story is also boring. Don‘t minimize the impact that boring photos can make on a reader. Every writer I know wants people to read their work, and if the photos convince the reader the story is boring even before the first word is read, the battle is already lost. Create a composition in your photos that create tension (interest) inside the photograph. You can do this by including diagonal or curved lines, providing a path for the eye to follow, and making for a more interesting, dynamic photo. The Rule of Thirds is a classic compositional tool. Separate the photo into thirds, both vertically and horizontally. Placing a subject on the four intersecting points will provide the most dynamic composition (in theory). Placing the horizon or subject on a line one-third inside the frame instead of the center will also add dynamic tension. Placing the horizon in the center will provide a static feeling. Summary Photography can be taught, and even the very best photographers can be better. If you think you are already a good photographer, work a little harder, learn something new, and try to be better. If you know you should be better, work a little harder, learn something new and you will get better. You can achieve better photographs by remembering a few simple rules, by daring to break the rules when you see a better image, by getting out to shoot, and learning from your mistakes. • Develop a point of view, and determine the purpose. • Get close to the subject. • Use different angles: up, down, something more interesting. • Isolate your subject against the background. • Use diagonals or curves to introduce tension. • Use The Rule of Thirds. Examine your results honestly and critically. Learn from your mistakes. • Get out and shoot pictures!
Jeff’s Truisms of Photography —The best camera to buy is one that you will use. —The subject is the important thing–if you are happy with the photo, it‘s a good photo. —Expensive cameras do not necessarily produce better photos. (A good photographer will produce better photos with inferior equipment than a bad photographer can produce with superior equipment.) —No one ever asks a writer what computer or software he/she uses to write with. (―That was a great book–you must use a really expensive computer.‖)Having said the above, there is no substitute for good equipment, and . . . . . —There is no problem in photography that money can‘t solve. —If it‘s stupid but it works, it isn‘t stupid. —Don‘t let anyone goofier than you drive the rental car. —The important things are very simple. —The simple things are very hard. —Professionals are predictable. —Unfortunately, the world is full of enthusiastic amateurs. —If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough. —There are no absolutes in photography. Rules will improve your photos most of the time, but if it looks better when you break The Rules, go ahead and ignore them!
The Pines Review Page 22
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
African Expedition Magazine
David Hulme is taking a walk—a long walk— around the borderline of Zimbabwe. It is a tortuous test of human determination and modern equipment. And, it is proof that the world still has people who are willing to sacrifice their health, comfort, and safety for what they believe in. For David Hulme, that belief is that Zimbabwe‘s Savé valley is worth saving, and that the poaching of wildlife must be brought to an end. Our philosophy here at African Expedition Magazine (http:// www.africanxmag.com) is one that shares Hulme‘s beliefs. That‘s why we contacted David and offered to become the facilitator for his By Alan Bunn, dream, publish his story in our magazine, and Associate Editor, The Pines Review once completed, to publish it as a book. USA Editor, African Expedition Magazine Let me take you back to the beginning of the relationship between African Expedition Magazine and David because it begins in an odd place for an adventure of this sort—the Accurate RePhotos: loading‘s African Big Game Hunting forum (http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/ Bottom left: frm/f/1411043). Because I am the USA Editor of African Expedition Magazine, and I‘ve made a David Hulme as he appeared few safaris to Africa, I check into the Accurate Reloading forums on a regular basis. Just about when he began his Zimbabwe two years ago, David pitched Borderline Walk. up on Accurate Reloading with Right: An elephant demona posting about his dream. I strates his displeasure at David was intrigued, and wanted to getting too close. know more about what he was Far Right: David and Jephita planning, so initially we corretaking a break from their walk sponded by email. I told him to make tea and lunch. that both the African Editor and Bottom Right: An uninvited but I were intrigued by his prowelcome dinner guest. posal—so to the phone comDavid and Jephita have learned pany‘s delight I phoned David that the wildlife will often acat his home in Zimbabwe. cept them as part of the enviDavid Hulme is the younger ronment as they walk. David‘s brother of the highly respected only weapon is a sheath knife professional hunter and safari for cutting firewood. operator with whom I am al-
And the Great Zimbabwe Borderline Walk OR How One Magazine Decided To Take A Risk With Adventure & An Unknown African Writer
ready acquainted, Jonathan Hulme, one of the partners in the safari operation, Zambezi Hunters (http://www.zambezihunters.com/). When David answered the phone, he mistakenly thought I was interested in talking to his older, well known, brother. ―No,‖ I explained, ―I want to talk to you about this Borderline Walk.‖ There is a wonderful blend of naiveté, outdoor savvy, and inner strength in David, and I picked up on it in the first few minutes of our (Continued on page 23)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
conversation. I was also convinced that his dream of a ―Walk‖ around the Borderline of his home country was something that could be done—even in Africa. But before I pitched any of the ideas to our African Editor, Mitch Mitchell, there was one thing I had to do—clear the air over why I‘d left the African Hunter magazine a couple of years earlier. There had been some pretty disparaging remarks posted on the Accurate Reloading site, and I knew he‘d read them, and also that I had not responded to them. I told him my reasoning, and he understood why I‘d made my decisions even though my legal case was rock solid—friends are friends. That case was closed and I made my pitch. ―We want to publish your Walk in our magazine,‖ I said, and then explained, ―we‘ll do it in installments. Between our deadlines for each issue while you are on your Walk you keep notes, and then when the deadline is approaching you find someplace where you can write an installment, and send it to us along with some pictures you‘ve taken. We‘ll do the needed editing, select some photos, and publish it, and we‘ll also pay you for each installment.‖ ―Pay me!‖ he said, as excited as if I‘d offered him the moon. I knew he had written for a smaller African based magazine, but it turned out he had never been paid one cent, or even thanked, for his work. The only money he had earned as a writer had come from the sale of his book, Shangaan Story, a self-published memoir of growing up on a farm in the Savé valley of Zimbabwe. He had completely sold out of his first printing and was busy scraping the money together for another printing. I wasn‘t surprised that he hadn‘t been paid for his writing; in my years as the Internet Editor for African Hunter, I‘d learned that few safari magazines will pay for the stories they publish, because there is a long line of Robert Ruark wanna-be writers willing to give their work away, just to get their ―African Adventure‖ into print. There was a little bit of give-n-take before we reached an agreement, but part of it was that we would help him get a new edition of Shangaan Story into print, although it would be a Print-OnDemand book. Of course, we would pay him for each installment of his story but, equally important, we would help him gather together the gear he would need for his adventure. For More Than Adventure The idea of taking a ―Walk‖ around the country came to David in the sort of place where lots of ideas are exchanged— a dingy coffee shop. For David this coffee shop was in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe, where he was sitting with his long time friend, Dean McGregor, who actually proposed the idea. David explained to me that at first he didn‘t grasp the magnitude of what his friend was proposing. Over time, as the two men talked, the idea took shape, but that was in 1996, now fourteen years ago. In the years that followed, David ―grew‖ the idea, although it wasn‘t something that he necessarily realized was growing in his brain. During (Continued on page 27)
Page 23
All photos accompanying this story are Copyright, David Hulme, 2009
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Book Review
nated local politics and the stampede of touristhunters that would follow on the heels of Robert Ruark and Hemingway‘s second safari were more than two decades away. Consequently, Africa, especially that half of Africa from the equator south, still included vast tracts of land filled with game and magnificent trophies. After a few false steps Jorge managed to insert himself into the world of professional hunting and killed his first elephant—making that leap from sport hunter to professional hunter. But Jorge maintained a strong connection to the ideals of the sport hunter. Early in the text, on page 37, Jorge relates the story of a hartebeest hunt. His brother and a wealthy uncle had decided to join him in Africa for a safari (one that Jorge hadn‘t planned for), and the two brothers were hunting Lord Derby Eland when they came upon a small herd of hartebeests. The two brothers decided to shoot two of the animals for meat because both their camp and the nearby village larders were empty. Both brothers fired and two of the hartebeests broke away from the herd. They crossed the boundary between the free hunting zone and the game reserve. Jorge explains that ―both animals were mortally wounded and with no chance of survival‖ and they could not leave the animals to suffer. The two brothers went into the reserve and killed the wounded animals. Most of the meat was taken to the local village for distribution and the remainder was taken to their camp. ―I had followed the rules of proper sportsmanship and the fact that the final chapter of the chase took place inside the reserve boundary never bothered me.‖ This vignette of a single hunt sets the stage for much of Jorge‘s text. There is, in fact, an attention to sportsmanship throughout the book and he frequently writes of the importance he felt of ensuring that the meat from the elephant, rhino and other game that he killed was properly distributed to the nearby villages. Jorge also explains that even with the liberal licenses enjoyed by the white hunters and the vast numbers of game, some hunters still killed game to excess. Jorge, however, didn‘t have the stomach for the sort of killing of game that was modus operandi of some hunters. On page 90 Jorge writes about meat hunting cape buffalo in Mozambique. ―. . . I had already shot what I considered a rather shameful number of buffalo. They were so plentiful, that in a short period I made a substantial profit. However, this indiscriminate slaughter was not sporting.‖ What he seemed to be searching for was a personal balance between the business of hunting and the
Page 24
In The Company of Adventure Book Review By Galen L. Geer In The Company of Adventure by Jorge Alves De Lima. 334 pages. 9 Color maps, 159 Black & White photos. Indexed. Hardback. Trophy Room Books, Box 3041, Agoura, CA 91301, USA. Price: $150. My friend Bob Poos, who at the time was the Managing Editor of Soldier of Fortune magazine, was loath to celebrate his fiftieth birthday by himself so the day before his birthday I agreed to drive from my (then) home in Southern Colorado, more than a hundred miles north to Boulder where the magazine‘s offices were located. The next day he was given an office birthday party, and that evening Bob and I went drinking to celebrate the passage of a half-century of adventure. That night, after a pleasant evening of sampling Boulder‘s beverages Poos leaned across the table and made a simple statement that has stayed with me in the thirty years since that night: ―You realize, my friend,‖ Poos slurred, ―that you and I are of the sort of people who could die now and still have lived more adventure than most men can dream in a lifetime.‖ Throughout my reading of In The Company of Adventure the words that Poos said to me on his fiftieth kept coming to the front of my mind because Jorge Alves De Lima had also enjoyed a lifetime of adventure that I could only dream of. Jorge was born into Brazilian aristocracy and wealth and he was educated in the United States. He enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle that he could have easily maintained if he had followed the path his father had planned for him. Instead, in 1947 in New York Harbor he boarded a small passenger ship that was bound for London where he bought a Holland and Holland .500/.465 double rifle, a military .30-06 rifle and a .30-06 hunting rifle and then set off on his dream—to be an African White Hunter. The difference between Jorge and most people is he accomplished his dream—he became a white hunter. He was in the right place at the right time. By the fortunate convergence of politics, economics and the world‘s interest in Africa, when Jorge entered French Equatorial Africa the old order of colonialism still domi-
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 25
sport of hunting. He found that balance. To Live a True Adventure When he had finished with the meat hunting episode Jorge returned to what he truly loved— hunting elephant. Life for Jorge was good and he was living the life of adventure that he had dreamed of as a child. The elements of adventure that stand out in his personal history are not the number of elephants he killed or the tons of ivory he sold but the way that he lived his dream. When other, less courageous men, were staying closer to established camps Jorge was trekking deeper into the bush and setting fly camps on the spoor of the elephants he was tracking. When other hunters would turn back from the onslaught of the tsetse fly he pressed on. This does not mean he was stupid about his hunting—on more than one occasion he writes about turning back when the odds began to stack too heavily against him. In my reading of travelogues and what I call adventurelogues one of the elements I always look for is how willing the author is to admit his failures as well as triumphs. I am not talking about the fashionable mea culpa nonsense that has become so common by today‘s weak writers, but the honest-to-God-I-failed admission that make a remarkable story much more rewarding to read. That‘s the mark, I believe, of the true adventure story; you don‘t have to read very many of today‘s ―keyboard commando adventures‖ before you can smell the rat of chest-pounding bravado. Jorge does not pound his chest and he admits his failures, whether it is a poorly placed shot or not correctly reading the spoor and wind. Sensing the Future Given the time period he was in Africa, it is a
safe assumption that Jorge was well acquainted with the stirrings of a new political climate. When he began his remarkable adventure the smoke hadn‘t completely cleared from World War Two‘s battlefields and no one was expecting things in Africa to change, at least not until Africa was ready for change. Early in Chapter Twelve Jorge relates the story of his meeting with a Portuguese nurse in a remote village. The nurse was ―a fine young man in his thirties with blue eyes and thick, black, well-trimmed moustache‖ (101). He had been drawn to the nurse by stories of the man‘s abilities as an elephant hunter. Their conversation ―centered on elephant hunting, lion and the future of African colonies. That subject appeared to be crucial to all residents of Africa, mainly to those who loved it, had family there and wished to remain. This preoccupation was subjugating the hopes of many white men living in different parts of Africa‖ (Ibid). Jorge writes that the end of the colonial era was expected and was, in fact, the dream of many, but no one expected it to end with the colossal upheavals that would rewrite borders and kills tens of thousands, if not millions of people. Sprinkled throughout his text Jorge hints at the gathering storm but unlike many authors of that period he does not allow the political problems and their ramifications into the hunting world to sidetrack his purpose, which in this text is the adventure he was living. By the time a reader has reached the mid-point of Jorge‘s book the question that begins to nag is if the adventure Jorge is living can be sustained for another hundred and fifty pages or, as is often case, will the book become a tiresome repetition of (Continued on page 26)
Jim Casada Books Award-winning author Jim Casada has completed his tribute to the finest wild trout fishing east of the Rockies—Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All 448 pages are packed with the information that will inspire even the novice angler to fish the streams of America’s most popular park. A reader’s bonus however, is the incredible amount of history, human and natural, that is woven into the tapestry of the book, making it a pleasure to read and information filled. Softbound: #24.95 Hardbound: $37.95. $5.00 P& H Ea. Book Other Titles Available The Lost Classics of Robert Ruark $35.00 and Ruark Remembered $40.00 Contact: Jim Casada Books, 1250 Yorkdale Dr., Rock Hill, SC 29730-7638 Ph. 803-329-4354, Fax 803-329-2420. www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com
“In my reading of adventurelogues one of the elements I look for is how willing th author is to admit his failures.…”
Book Reviewers The Pines Review welcomes book review contributions. Reviews must be for books that have been released no more than six months previously or will be released within three months of The Review‘s issue date. Contact the editor before submitting a review. Book review assignments are not made to PR contributors. Critical studies of older books or the works of authors are considered for assignment and are not published as book reviews. Qualifications for critical work must be included in query. Self-published books, whether Print On Demand or bulk printing, are given same review consideration as all other books submitted for review. All books submitted for review become the property of Pen on Page, Ink or the reviewer and cannot be returned. Publishers should send books for review to: The Pines Review PO Box 31 Finley, ND 58230. For more information contact the editor by email: editorpinesreview @mlgc.com
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 26
Book Review: Company of Adventure (Continued from page 25)
the stories that have already been told, i.e. same plots but different characters? There is a danger of this happening in this book because we are reading how Jorge saw and lived his life between 1948 and the end of the colonial era. He avoids the problem although there are some near misses because of the way that he has constructed the book—it is not a liner text, thus the danger of repeating a story is always present. In a liner text the author begins at point A and writes through the events to point Z. The letters between A and Z are the different stories the author wishes to relate and because the stories are liner, one following the other in chronological order, there is little danger of repeating the story. Jorge‘s stories are based on a liner account of his Africa adventure but he does not follow the straight path—he meanders between highpoints and on occasion he writes about an incident in one story (chapter) and then repeats a part of that incident in another story. When writers are ―weaving a tale‖ this is where they trip up themselves. One account does not match the next. (I‘ve written more than one review of personal adventure stories where I‘ve questioned the author‘s veracity because events didn‘t match.) In my reading of this book that problem never crops up and what is truly enjoyable about In The Company of Adventure is that when Jorge does refer to something he always does so in a slightly different viewpoint so the reader is treated to a confirmation of the event previously told. Additionally, he takes an unusual risk of allowing his brother, Eduardo, to write a chapter about the same hunt that he, Jorge, had written about earlier. The effect is pleasing to the reader‘s ear because it is as if two people are telling the same story with different viewpoints. There is one other ―standard‖ to which a personal adventure text can be applied and I call it ―the Capstick effect‖ of the ―adventurelogue.‖ (See the sidebar for a more detailed explanation.) In this approach to a story the author builds a scene with successive powerful sentences then ends each paragraph with a strong, compelling statement that drives the scene onward. An example of how Jorge handles this approach to adventure writing is the story of a lion that he killed—dramatically. What an unforgettable spectacle that magnificent beast was giving me, its mane fluttering against the wind and still uttering feeble but quite audible grunts. It seemed at that particular moment that he was grumbling about life, ignoring manifestations that were to be his death sentence. Busy with his moans, he did not suspect my approach. We were separated by less than 100 meters, and I was trying to leave my position from behind in order to make a detour to his left to aim at his shoulder. To close in was not my objective, because as it had happened on other hunts the negative consequences of too close an encounter were still fresh in my memory. The combination of my recent bout of malaria added to my eagerness and excitement left me once more, somehow unstable, breathing with difficulty, and unsteady hands. In order to regain emotional stability as quickly as possible, I had to keep a cool head and exercise control over my men, now excited to the extreme. The imminent danger, the possibility of an abrupt attack and the loss of a great opportunity to conquer a splendid prize are always present.
Therefore, it is important for the hunter to control the situation, for these opportunities last only a few seconds. Success and failure go hand in hand. Bear in mind that in the majority of instances very favorable circumstances rarely repeat themselves. (267-8) Tension, power, color, self-doubt blended with the author‘s determination to see the episode through to the end are all present and with the last sentence there is no reader desire to stop reading but a need to continue reading, to learn what the outcome will be even though the reader already knows the author survived—but how? These are the powerful tools of good writing being put to work by a skilled writer. By the time a reader has finished with Jorge‘s book there is a sense of exhaustion, of wonderment—just how in the hell did one man manage to live that adventure? In The Company of Adventure is worth reading, worth keeping on the bookshelf and returning to on long nights when scudding clouds and forbidding weather move a person to keep the hearth logs burning while the dog sleeps nervously between the fire and his master. And, whether the reader is dreaming of adventures to come or remembering adventures of the past, this is a book that prods the reader to think about life, just as Poos‘ fiftieth birthday prodded him to think of his past adventures, and mine, and then point out that we had many more to come.
The Capstick Effect By Galen L. Geer I am fully aware that some people may balk at the notion of applying a reference to Peter Capstick as a measurement of a text such as the work of Jorge Alves De Lima. It may not be (in their view) appropriate, but my assertion is based upon my research of Capstick‘s texts. In my study of how an outdoor adventure text affects the reader I found that Capstick had taken Hemingway‘s ―Iceberg Principle‖ of writing and expanded upon it by a reapplication of the principle to a succession of paragraphs, with each paragraph resolving issues of the previous paragraph. Thus, because of this pattern of constructing text, Capstick‘s writing had a pronounced affect on readers. They continued to read his text because the only way to obtain a resolution to each paragraph is to read the next, and the next, and the next, but with the full awareness that each paragraph would be, in part, unresolved. Capstick‘s trademark as an author, then, is this constant building of anticipation by the reader. Many Capstick readers have remarked that after they began reading one of his books they were unable to put the book down, regardless of their feelings toward the author ―because of the anticipation of what would happen next.‖ Another, frequently heard comment, is that after reading a Capstick book the reader felt physically tired, as if he had been with him in the story. This sort of tension building is a literary device commonly used by skilled fiction writers but rarely by authors of nonfiction unless they are falling back on creative nonfiction as their form. ―The Capstick affect‖ is this paragraph building of sustained tension in a nonfiction adventure text.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 27
Border Walk (Continued from page 23)
our conversations, both on the phone and by email, David explained to me how he had started his life down one ruinous path, realized the mistakes he was making and put his life back on the right track, all the while remembering, and often thinking about the idea of walking around the Zimbabwe Borderline and somehow using the walk to promote the two things he believes in, helping his home country and putting a dent, if not a stop, in poaching. Chief among David‘s projects is the ―Hunters For Zimbabwe‖ program, a non-profit effort to help the desperate plight of the indigenous peoples whose homes and villages Borderline the Savé Valley. The goal is to provide community improvement programs that will alleviate the local people‘s dependence on poaching in the Savé Conservancy. He explained to me, and wrote in his first installment, that ―These community programs will be transparent, well-managed and viable, and will be all about production, education, and restoration: the production of food, by establishing irrigation; education of the people about wildlife conservation, the restoration of community vitality with an emphasis on creating employment, child welfare, health services, and community infrastructure.‖ What he wants to do resonated with African Expedition Magazine, because we know that to protect Africa‘s wildlife, we‘ve got to make it more valuable as a resource that produces income to help the local people, than it is as an animal poached for food, sold for biltong, or its hide, horn or ivory. If David Hulme‘s desire to hoof it around his home country can make any inroads into what we know is a desperate situation—we‘re all ears to help him. David is not all idealistic, however it might appear, beacuse he also knows that if there are going to be any inroads made into Zimbabwe‘s poaching problem, the people fighting the poachers need help. He asked me if we would include a system for donations to an anti-poaching fund on the pages of the magazine. This is the beauty of the digital age; we could do that, and we quickly agreed to do it. At the end of each installment is a page with the linked donation buttons so readers can contribute to the
anti-poaching program. Of course, we also put a program together to sell T-shirts with the profits going to support the Walk as well as the anti-poaching efforts. The Tools Needed For the first time in my life as a journalist, I would have to go begging. African Expedition Magazine is a young business and to be honest, we did not (and don‘t) have the financial resources to purchase the equipment David would need on his Walk. So, I contacted my friend, Galen Geer, publisher and editor of The Pines Review, and asked him how to go about contacting companies. I know that over the years Geer has been involved in a lot of fund raising efforts and is not shy about asking for help. His advice wasn‘t reassuring. ―Most companies get hit up for so much stuff,‖ Geer explained, ―they are going to ignore your request, or if they don‘t ignore it, are going to ask for a pretty good case on your part.‖ He also explained that I had to put together a list of what was going to be needed and what the company would be getting for their donation. His last warning was that if the company was more interested in trees than deer, they wouldn‘t participate. His warning was ―spot on‖ and I learned a bitter lesson; even though the goal of the Borderline Walk is to stop the slaughter of African wildlife by poachers, and to help the impoverished and long suffering people around the Savé valley, the agenda of the anti-hunting community is one that will allow wildlife to die if conservation is the long term goal. A week later I started my search for gear to support the Borderline Walk. The first pieces of gear that I wanted to get for David and his walking companion were good backpacks and sleeping bags. They would each need a pack that was able to survive the rigors of the African bushveldt for weeks at a time. This wasn‘t a weekend hiking trip, so I turned to the well-known American companies, The North Face and Kelty, figuring I might as well try both at the same time. Both companies were interested in supporting the Borderline Walk, until they learned that ―Hunters For Zimbabwe‖ was involved, and then they beat a hasty retreat. Finally, an African company, Red Mountain, stepped up and offered their backpacks, leaving me to resolve the sleeping bag problem, which was solved by Jim Reid at Coleman®. A big and pleasant surprise was when Canon ® Inc. agreed to provide David with their PowerShot G-10 (http:// www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller? act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=144&modelid=17624) digital (Continued on page 28)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 28
Border Walk (Continued from page 27)
The bushbuck David Hulme saved from certain death. When the frightened and disoriented ram jumped into the croc infested water Hulme went in and wrestled it to shore to save it from the crocs. Next Page: Eating with villagers and bottom, the rangers posed for a photo before leaving on fateful trip.
concern we had, communications, was a big one, because there would be many days when David and his companion, Jephita camTumwi, would be several days walk from civilization if they era. needed any emergency help. Again, the solution came from an Gradu- unexpected source; Iridium Communications resolved this probally, lem with their new Model 9555 Satellite Phone, complete with the 2,000 minutes of ‗air time‘ (http://www.iridium9555.com/). other Then, Garmin Ltd. agreed to provide David with the Colorado prob- 400t GPS All Terrain Navigator, just in case his exact coordilems nates had to be determined (https://buy.garmin.com/shop/ were shop.do?pID=11022&ra=true). reDeath, Life and a Bushbuck solved. David started the Borderline Walk on July 21, leaving from The Victoria Falls. He intended at some point in the next year or so, last that he and Jephita would return to the Falls, having completed a walk around Zimbabwe. At African Expedition Magazine we‘ve been closely following his progress. Each day he uses his Garmin GPS to get an exact fix on his position, and then he uses his Iridium satellite phone to notify our African office of his position, sending a text message with the coordinates. The adventures themselves we don‘t receive until he sends, via email, an installment with a collection of photos. I suppose that in any adventure of this magnitude there will be occurrences of life and death. Early on his walk, when the two of them reached the upper reaches of Lake Kariba, they stumbled onto a bushbuck ram that was caught in a poacher‘s snare. Maybe it was serendipity that put them there, but David knew he had to free the struggling bushbuck; he also knew that the bushbuck is a very dangerous animal for its size. When he finally did manage to get the snare off the young ram, the bushbuck, by now thoroughly disoriented, plunged into the crocodile infested water and became entangled in the shoreline plant growth. David, ignoring the danger, went in after the struggling animal and pulled the bushbuck to shore.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 29
―Soon I had the buck on dry land and on its feet. Trying the same method as before,‖ David writes in our September, 2009 edition, ―I pushed it away from me towards the bush, this time instructing it to ‗go bushbuck, you are free.‘ Once again, the bushbuck had a different plan and it turned on me, dropping its horns and charging from close range. Fortunately, I turned my back at the last instant and received only a minor flesh wound in the well-padded area where my left buttock meets my left thigh.‖ The bushbuck was free; David had a hole in his thigh and had been thoroughly beaten up by the animal he knew he had to save. The poacher‘s snare was destroyed and his reasons for making the Walk were one again reinforced. A few days later at the Matusadona National Park, where the Tashinga Initiative—a volunteer organization that is the work of
in from patrol, were about to cross the Umi River in a dugout canoe, ―to do some shopping at the Umi crocodile farm store, and that he thought he should go with them, to buy some supplies that we desperately needed, like biscuits for example.‖ David followed Jephita outside to meet the Rangers and after he‘d passed out cigarettes, they told him stories of their encounters with poachers. ―There were six of them in total and they were a jovial, pleasant bunch, as Zimbabweans tend to be,‖ David wrote. Later, David pieced the story together and in his installment wrote: ―The Parks guys had concluded their business at the croc farm by 3 p.m., and were heading back across the Umi shortly afterwards. On board the boat were six Rangers and Jephita. For reasons still not quite clear, the front of the boat nosedived several hundred meters from shore, and all its occupants were tipped into the river. Of the seven guys on board, only five made it out of the river. Four of the five survivors were rescued by local fishermen, but no boat came for Jephita, and he was forced to swim three hundred meters to shore. It was a terrible ordeal for my young friend—he is not a powerful swimmer, and everybody knows that the Umi is full of large crocodiles. He told me that as he hit the water, he brought to mind the lecture I have so often given him regarding what to do in such a situation—keep calm, don‘t splash about (crocs), don‘t attempt to help anyone else, swim breaststroke slowly (conserve energy), and when tired turn over and float. By keeping cool and doing what he should, and with the help of an unidentified woman who shouted encouragement from the bank, Jephita survived the Umi boat disaster. I am so relieved, so thankful, and so very proud of him.‖ The bodies of the missing men were found two days later. Amazingly the crocs, which are found throughout the region, had not mutilated the bodies. The incident has stayed with David, however, and through it he has become even more dedicated to completing his Walk. Saving the life of the Mrs. Lynne Taylor—has achieved impressive improvements that bushbuck, and later coming so close to losing his friend, have includes a solar power system which provides power to a water heightened his sense of purpose for his Borderline walk. He is pumping and filtration system, plus lights, computers, and broad- continuing his Walk and we at African Expeditions Magazine are band internet, David was able to file another installment. He going to continue publishing each installment. In the end there writes in his story for the November, 2009 issue: ―As soon as I will be a book and after that, it‘s anyone‘s guess. One thing all of was made aware of that [broadband], I knew we‘d be spending a us know, nothing will be the same, and all of us have grown befew days. . . . One can‘t make a cause of David‘s ordeal as a writer. living as a writer if one doesn‘t Editor’s Note: If you would like to submit articles eh? Actually, I read the installments in African don‘t think one can make a living Expedition Magazine you can read as a writer anyway.‖ each one at the magazine’s web site: Continuing to recount the day http://africanxmag.com . For comhe writes: ―Dawn on September plete information on The Borderline 9th promised a fine day and I was Walk go to: http://africanxmag.com/ up at the crack of it, determined to the_bordeline_walk.htm . If you get the Borderline Walk ‗Stage would like information on how to One‘ article completed, then post support the walk or for possible updates and photos on the Interreprints of the installments contact net.‖ Alan Bunn, the USA editor by email At 9 a.m., Jephita told him that at: editorusa@africanxman.com some Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Rangers, who had just come
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 30
language and the Internet in this decade but What Do You Really Know About ofits computer roots are found deep in the 1970s. The basic form of The buzzword ―Social Media‖ burst into the lexicon
The History of Social Media?
social media is merely the communication between peers through web-based technology. To understand what comprises social media, however, a person should also be able to distinguish the differences between the term ―Web 2.0‖ and ―Web 1.0,‖ because the former is often used to describe and distinguish social media from other types of Web sites and Web based material. The concept that drives Web 2.0 is that people are actively engaging in discussions with friends, businesses Associate Editor and Columnist Rachel Bunn and even total strangers through the Internet, making it a Provides an overview of the media’s history with true yet virtual two-way street for communication. The notion of a Web 1.0 was the somewhat more basic idea some surprising information about the media’s that the Internet offers a means for information exchange, not discussion may have existed at some early roots in the computer age. point in computer development but Web 2.0 has existed in one form or another since the mid-1970s. Realistically, though these communication outlets existed previously, and then in early program language, it has only been in recent years that social media‘s popularity has been catapulted from the caves of geeky computer hobbyists to the global phenomenon it is today. Discussion Boards The foundational form of social media, and the one that launched the social media revolution, is the Internet forum, or discussion board. Based on the pre-World Wide Web Bulletin Board System (BBS) that took root in the 1970s, discussion boards began appearing for the general online computer public in the mid-1990s. The BBS required users to first log into a system then once logged in users could interact with one another through the postings of public and private messages. While BBS was very similar to today‘s Internet system, each BBS was hosted by a third party server and often encountered problems when multiple users tried to simultaneously enter the system. Emerging from the basic construction of the BBS that people would be able to discuss specific topics among peers throughout the world, discussion boards quickly took hold because they were one of the first places strangers who shared common interests could have more active discussions. These Discussion boards were short-lived, however, and have waned in popularity with the rise of social networking sites and their user-friendly construction. Some of the discussion boards were often integrated into the new media sites rather than remaining on the web as a standalone site. Discussion boards did have a powerful influence on the evolution of social media, however, spawning a slew of social media mainstays including comment boards and Wikis, as well as chat rooms and instant messaging. Comment boards, today‘s most commonly used discussion boards, are an integral part of most Web sites. Comment boards, unlike traditional discussion boards, are not a separate page, but are added at end of another page for people to leave comments on either a product or a story. Another important distinction is that discussion boards require a moderator while comment boards rarely required a moderator. Historically the emergence of comment boards on web sites follows the discussion boards‘ rise to prominence, appearing on Web sites soon after discussion boards. Wikis are Web sites that are contributed to and edited by the site‘s users. The first wiki software was created in 1994 by Ward Cunningham as a way to allow Internet users to edit and control data. Wikipedia, arguably the most famous wiki, is a global collaborative effort to create an
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 31
online encyclopedia. Sometimes panned as an ―unreliable source of information‖ because wikis are user created content that is constantly being revised, users are encouraged to validate the information before relying on it as a source. The proliferation of wikis, comment boards, and multimedia sites such as Flickr, Picasa and YouTube, have developed into a broad-based user driven media for the sharing of information, pictures, and personal histories; they allow the users and viewers to share and comment on pictures, videos and music files. Social Networking Although the popular site Facebook might seem like a new idea its roots go back 25 years, to 1985 with the online community ―The WELL.‖ The WELL offered users access to Internet Forums and email, and became the first site to allow users to host their own personal web pages. The WELL and the other free-hosting services that it inspired are considered the pre-cursors to blogs as well as social networking sites because they allowed users to publish anything they wanted over the Internet. By the mid-1990s, the Web sites Classmates.com and SixDegrees.com had evolved into the revolutionary concept of user creating a page by allowing them to create profiles and then finding other site members with similar connections or interests was taking over the online community. This ability to make a connection with other users became the foundation for all the social networking Web sites that have followed. By 2002, modern social networking was emerging. Then in 2003, MySpace™, one of the most well-known sites, was launched and by 2005, MySpace had received more online views than Google™. Initially MySpace was launched as a Web hosting site, but only focusing on popular features from other sites, such as Friendster® or Classmates.com®. To reach a larger community MySpace‘s founding team decided to keep the Web site free to engage other Internet communities. Many of the original features of MySpace have become the cornerstones of other social networking sites. About me, comment boards, blogs, interests, groups and image uploading are among the features you‘ll find in other sites. One feature of MySpace that has yet to be replicated by its major competitor, Facebook™, however is the MySpace music page. Although Facebook has launched pages of its own, MySpace music pages were designed specifically for musicians, allowing them to upload songs directly to their pages. MySpace music is credited with launching the careers of many well-known musicians, including Taylor Swift, Lilly Allen and Sean Kingston. The first major competitor to MySpace was the brainchild of Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg, who develped Facemash (forerunner of Facebook), a site founded by him after he hacked into Harvard‘s computer network and created an online directory of students living in nine of the university‘s dormitories. Zuckerburg‘s idea behind the site was to determine how attractive students living in the dorms were. While the Facemash site was shut down by the Harvard administration, Zuckerberg did launch Thefacebook.com™ in 2004 to create an online directory of students because Harvard did not have a directory at the time. His original concept of (Continued on page 32)
Photos Page 30: Crabapple Blossoms © Galen L. Geer, 2009 Above: Tiger Lilly © Galen L. Geer 2009 Page 32: Crabapple Blossoms © Galen L. Geer, 2009
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 32
Social Media (Continued from page 31)
Thefacebook.com was to create online directories for college students and provide them with a way to keep in contact through the Internet. The concept was a digital world firestorm and Thefacebook expanded its services to all universities in the United States and Canada. In 2005, Thefacebook officially changed its name to Facebook and opened the network to high schools. In 2006, Facebook was opened to all people over age 13 with a valid email address; according to the Facebook press information there are 400 million Facebook users worldwide. Facebook does maintain differences from its rival, MySpace. Users of MySpace are allowed to customize their sites using HTML and other style sheets; Facebook only allows plain text and users must customize their sites using applications and these applications include the popular ―Photos‖ app which allows users to upload pictures onto their profiles, ―Gifts‖ where users can send other users virtual and real gifts and gaming applications such as Scrabble, Bejeweled and Farmville. It is interesting to note that of the estimated 200 social networking sites worldwide Facebook and MySpace are the most commonly used. Blogging Blogs evolved out of the popular webhosting sites that were common in the early 1990s. The first Weblog appearance was in 1994 when a student at Swarthmore College, Justin Hall, began updating his Web site on a regular basis. Initially Hall was providing helpful advice and tips on navigating the Internet, later he began adding intimate details of his life. The term ―blog‖ was coined in the late 1990s as an abbreviation of the original term ―weblog‖ (web+log). By the end of the decade blogging had started to become popular after the introduction of blog hosting software, including Open Diary, the first blog site to allow users to comment on other people‘s blogs. In 2001, political and culture commentary blogs were appearing on the Internet in increasing numbers and today bloggers have become a driving force in the current political and cultural life of the United States. Finally, in 2004, Merriam-Webster declared ―blog‖ the word of the year. Social Bookmarking Social bookmarking sites allow users to manage and organize bookmarks on the Internet. The first social bookmarking site ―itList‖ was launched in 1996 and allowed people to create public and private bookmark lists. Within a few years other bookmarking software entered the exploding market, unfortunately, however, most of these dot-com firms lacked reliable revenue streams and the bubble burst for them in March of 2000. In 2003, the site Delicious (del.icio.us) created the idea of tagging, or assigning specific words to information in order to make it more easily searchable.
The evolutionary development of the bookmarking trend led to social news sites that are a form of social bookmarking sites. Users are asked to vote on news stories and other links to determine their ranking. Stories and links that are similar to higher ranked stories and links are then retrieved for the user. Social news sites such as ―Digg‖ and ―Stumble Upon‖ are now used by some publications to engage readers in other stories that might be of interest. Microblogging Microblogs are the newest form of social media. The idea behind microblogs is a more concise blog, usually answering the question ―What are you doing?‖ Microblogs were initially called tumblelogs because they were not well thought out or researched posts, but rather examples of an endless stream of consciousness writing. Microblogging sites are well known among their users for their popularity with celebrities. Currently the most popular microblogging web site is Twitter®, which was founded in 2006 as a Short Message Service (SMS). The next entrant into the microblogging world was Tumblr®, which was created in 2007. The initial idea behind Twitter was similar to a text message, which also uses SMS. Friends would be able to keep up with friends through short messages posted to a Web site or delivered to a phone. Tumblr is a similar service; however, Tumblr is more closely related to a blog, allowing users to upload photos, video and text directly onto the site. Twitter‘s users who want to upload photos and videos have to use third party sites. Microblogging is rapidly changing from a social networkingbased site to becoming more and more like an informational collaboration site. Users such as The New York Times and other newspapers and magazines use Twitter to distribute news and information as well as gather news and information from millions of Twitter users. Currently Twitter remains the fastest growing social media site on the Web, growing its user base an incredible 1382 percent from 2008 to 2009. As for what will happen in the next decade? --- Based on the last two decades --- That‘s anyone‘s guess.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 33
Congressional Chairmanship of Powerful Appropriations Committee Passes to Staunch Anti-hunting, Anti-gun Congressman Jim Moran
from cruel treatment is not a partisan issue.‖ Gallegy added that, ―Animal cruelty has no place in a civilized society.‖ Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS said (in the release): "The newly constituted Congressional Animal Protection Caucus will help better align our federal policies with public opinion, and we are excited to work closely with its leaders and with the entire Congress to combat cruelty and abuse." ast March, Jim Moran (D-VA) was named Chairman of Moran‘s newfound influence with the Appropriations comthe influential House Appropriations Subcommittee on mittee, which oversees funding for the Department of Interior and the Interior, Environmental, and Related Agencies. As its agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will chair of this subcommittee Rep. Moran will have criti- now play a larger role in the plans of organizations such as the cal oversight over federal funding for wildlife conservation, yet HSUS because the committee exerts powerful influence he is a well-known opponent of hunting, trapping and gun owner- over public policy on federal lands, where the majority of ship. Americans hunt both large and small game. During his congressional tenure Rep. Moran has backed a number of anti-hunting and anti-trapping bills. These include an effort to ban the use of bait to hunt black bears on federal land despite this practice being considered a valid management option by most wildlife professionals. This action earned him the support of the nation‘s leading anti-hunting group, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Currently he is supporting HR 3710 which would prohibit the use of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Prior to his 1991 election to Congress, Moran was the mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, serving in that position from 1985 until 1990 when he resigned to run for Congress. Moran‘s Virginia district includes the towns of Alexandria, Arlington and Falls Church, and his base of party support emanates from the large numbers of federal employees, information technology employees and political interest groups who reside in his district. Many people best remember him for his Congressional house floor shoving match with former California Republican Above: Congress Jim Moran demDuke Cunningham. In the gun industry Moran is reviled for using onstrates his support of the antithe 2007 Virginia Tech shootings for political gain, a charge he gun agenda by attending a denies. He also was severely criticized for anti-Semitic com“Mayors against illegal guns ments at the start of the Iraq War, statements for which he later rally.” issued an apology. Moran has been the subject of criticism for a Below: Moran receives the gavel from the former chairman of conflict of interest over an MBNA loan and ethics issues over the appropriations committee allocation of government contracts to the PMA group which donated large sums of money to his PAC and supported his younger brother‘s political campaign. He and several other powerful congressmen were cleared by the House Ethics Committee. In a February 18, 2009 press release from his office and published on his website he (http://moran.house.gov) announced the formation, with Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), of the ―Creature Caucus‖ to promote animal rights issues in Washington. Moran stated, ―Animals are sensate beings that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. I look forward to building a consensus among my colleagues in support of sensible animal welfare laws that reflect our common values. Protecting animals
L
The Pines Review Page 34
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Short Fiction
The Missouri River Mist By Kenneth L. Kieser She is gone. I watch the river current for a sign, any sign, but she is gone taking part of me with her. Her face still looks back at me in every ripple. She was beautiful, and sparkling sunlight off the brown water still reminds me of her beauty. I hate that damn river. We would probably have never met except that her old man owned some of the best river-bottom hunting on the Missouri River. Gobblers had ground-dragging beards on his property—and those were the younger birds. My brother, Rodney, and I quickly became friends with her old man. We sat on his front porch overlooking the river and listened to him playing an ancient fiddle, some eerie waltz or something. Her mother had run off a few years past and never returned or even tried to contact her husband or daughter. I graduated from high school in the early 1960‘s and started bouncing between meaningless jobs, shoveling manure or any other job that would buy another meal. Rodney still endured the confinement of high school, though he occasionally played hooky for our hunting trips. She, too, attended his school and they occasionally stopped to talk in the hallway. He said she always asked about me. I started thinking about her most of the time. The amazing flock of turkeys that ran through her old man‘s bottomland held a trophy bird with a remarkably long, shaving-brush Kenneth L. Kieser has been writing for more than 33 years. He has several thousand bylines and his writing and photos have appeared in most of America‘s outdoor magazines and numerous newspapers. His writing awards, include: 1st place in the 2005 SEOPA magazine section, the 2006 SEOPA Sharon Rushton Award and 2nd in the 2007 and 2009 SEOPA magazine category, plus several OWAA awards for newspaper writing. His first western novel, ―The Trail of Death,‖ was published by La Frontera Publishing in September, 2007 and his second novel, ―Black Moon‘s Revenge,‖ was released in early October, 2009. This year Kieser is being inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as an Outstanding Communicator because of his writings and work with mentally and physically challenged youth. He served on the OWAA Board of Directors and is an active member of the Western Writers of America, SEOPA and the Missouri Outdoor Communicators. Kieser is SEOPA‘s current president until October, 2010 when he becomes chairman of the board.
beard and a deep, spooky gobble. The old bird ignored all types of calling. He would occasionally show himself, but never close enough for a shot. Both Rodney and I had watched this incredible gobbler float through the river‘s fog, always out of range. We even broke our personal turkey hunting ethics to only shoot gobblers in the spring and tried for a fall ambush shot. The gobbler sent his younger toms forward and stayed in the safe underbrush. We started calling this phantom, ―The Mist.‖ Rodney almost had a shot at The Mist on a crisp spring morning. We both called three big gobblers down from a nearby ridge. The big birds were chain-gobbling all the way in as we prepared ourselves for a possible shot. I was looking down my shotgun sights at an easy kill when a shadow passed over my head. The shadow landed in front of Rodney. He blinked hard under his camouflage face mask to find The Mist had landed in front. He took careful aim and started to squeeze the trigger. The big gobbler stretched out his neck, looked at Rodney a half second before the shot, then stepped into a fog off the river, a fog we had not seen. We stood up to find the gobbler had escaped, in fact, disappeared. We left the woods with an empty game sack figuring he had one heck of an escape route. Rodney said, ―That
damned bird was either smart or lucky.‖ I figured he was both. I looked forward to the end of each hunt because she almost always waited for our return. I started talking to her like a friend, and as time passed, her hand started fitting in mine when we walked down the dirt road. Eventually we shared a kiss. Her lips were sweeter than anything I had ever known. Her dark brown eyes and neatly combed long brown hair took my mind off turkey hunting and most other things. She always smelled good. I started thinking about her a lot—maybe too much. I loved everything about her except her stupid little barking dog. I should have shot the little bastard. My life would have turned out differently. One hot, late spring day Rodney and I had business in town; we needed some money to pay the bills. We had stored turnips in our family root cellar all winter to be sold in the spring. So we loaded some in the back of grandpa‘s rusting ‘48 Chevy pickup and sold them from the back of it while we were parked in front of the local market. The store manager didn‘t like it, but he knew better than to start trouble with us. Late that afternoon, after going to the bank, I decided to stop by her house on the way home. To my dismay, my brother wanted to tag along. We barely reached the bridge that crossed
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 35
the river to her house when a scream rose above the noise of the river‘s flow. We watched in horror from the bridge as she ran down the bank and dove in to rescue her dog. The mutt had jumped in to cool off and its collar became tangled in a wad of floating brush. I swam the Missouri once on a bet and almost drowned. Heavy current and undertow beat at my body while I struggled to cross. Brush and trash, swept along by the river‘s flow above and below the surface rubbed my legs in passing. I was always a strong swimmer but I barely made it. I don‘t remember running down the bank or jumping in the river; it all happened too fast. I only remember the foul taste of that brown water, a poison I tried to spit out. Rodney ran farther down the bank, racing the flow while slipping in riverbank slime, a mixture of quicksand and mud that could suck you under, sure as the river‘s currents. I started pumping my arms and legs across powerful currents that promised death if I quit. Brush and trash raked my sides as I fought the river‘s unseen power that wanted to claim me. Submerged trash bumped my legs. The pull started to drag me under; the monster was tugging at my body. My panic to save her tripled my strength and I plowed across the swirling, ugly flow. I made some progress and saw her just in front of me at the tips of my fingers as I reached and as the current shoved a log into the back of her precious head, the blow driving her under the murky brown surface. I reached the spot and dove repeatedly until my strength was used up. She was gone. I could not grasp that; I probably was in shock. I tried to return to where I thought she went down, but the current pushed me downstream, and I probably never was close to saving her. Once through the blackness, I felt cloth slip through my fingers, at least I thought I did. I kept diving. Rodney‘s strength saved me from joining her. Hell, I wanted to. I don‘t even know how he reached me or where he came from. They never found her or the dog. She joined others who have made the river their final home. I did not attend her funeral, but watched from a distant hill. She was not there so I had no reason to be either. I started dreaming about her brown hair floating in the river and always woke up in a sweat. Sometimes I would see her brown eyes just under the water, looking at me. Other times I felt her dress slip through my fingers, again to disappear into the murky depths. I lost my desire to sleep. Nightmares snapped me awake. . I started drinking booze, all I could lay my hands on, anything to escape. Rodney knew he could always find me, starring down at the murderous current. My father, an ex-Marine, decided a change of scenery courtesy of the military would help. He thought I‘d be sent to Alaska or Germany but Westmoreland and LBJ had other ideas. I enlisted in the Army and was sent to Vietnam. I was awarded medals for bravery, but truthfully just didn‘t care. Most did not want to go on patrol with me in the bush. They claimed that I took on a look scarier than the V.C. regulars. My commanding officer soon separated me from the rest before someone nuked my ass. The other
grunts started considering me a loose cannon that might get them killed and soon I was alone—just how I wanted to be. I would have been sent to the Looney bin, but one of the sergeants was a hunter and he knew I was good. Charlie was good but a turkey or deer hunter is better. My nightmares were the river and her—not the enemy. Charlie was good, but I saw enough of their terror tactics to learn how they operated. Vietnam became my private game board. My battalion commanding officer ordered my company CO to let me go through the wire every night and then through the canal that bordered our compound. Everyone knew I was expendable and no one was better at scraping up information on what Charlie was doing across the river. My trips into darkness were unofficial, but we were losing men and my talents were needed. Sometimes I left a little card with ―The Mist‖ printed in English and Vietnamese, sometimes spiked in a gook‘s chest. I loved the hunt back home, but this prey wanted to find me. Division said someone called ―The Mist‖ had a bounty on his head. A Chieu Hoi who had been with the Viet Cong before defecting to our side said the average Viet Cong soldier was frightened and wanted no part of the reward because they had found his card on dead friends and sometimes in their camps. The Mist became a legend or superstition, a monster that moved invisibly and silently through the jungle. Hell, I started enjoying it but other soldiers started leaving Mist cards after a firefight. It was time to go home, even if the Army had let me volunteer for another tour. After serving in combat I felt less ate up than most, at least I thought so. I was already scarred before I left the States. Vietnam faded quickly for me. I could not remember most of my experience. My family welcomed me, but most folks in the town passed strange stares and avoided me. I didn‘t care. Turkey season opened a couple months after my return. By now Rodney was married and building houses, but he insisted that I join him on a hunt. Besides, he wanted to take me back to the river bottom property to face my ghosts or something like that; I just thought that he had been reading too many Reader‘s Digests. I had relived this hell every time I swam that damn river in Vietnam. Sometimes when I swam at night, I could see her eyes and late at night, crawling in the putrid jungle floor, I‘d smell her remarkable scent. Sometimes, swimming back across the river, I felt her hand in mine, then her dress slipping though my fingers in the river current. I had to go back to her. Part of
(Continued on page 36)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 36
The Mist
in for a clean kill. I started to squeeze the trigger when movement caught my eye. me was still in that river, just downstream. A large, dark shape drifted through the fog‘s hole behind my The morning finally came. We walked down the dirt road in turkey, a huge gobbler with an unusually long shaving-brush pre-dawn darkness and across the bridge without speaking, shot- beard. I blinked my eyes hard as two other figures appeared out guns over our shoulders. I sensed Rodney watching to make sure of the fog, a brown haired, brown eyed girl and a little yappy dog. I was not going to come unglued. But he had nothing to worry She looked at me and smiled. about. Now I was truly home. I jumped up to join them and stepped into a thick fog. I fell I felt a strange joy while standing on the old rotting wooden into a pool of darkness; suddenly Rodney was kicking my leg. planks. Her brown hair and eyes glistened. Her lovely smell filled ―Wake up. Did you see the turkeys?‖ he asked. I rubbed my my nostrils. And then she vanished when Rodney walked up be- eyes and looked to the spot where she had stood. The fog was hind me and insisted that we go hunting. I stumbled off the gone—if it had ever been there. bridge and down the riverbank. I started to stand up, but sat back down when he continued, The river bottom property was starting to green up after a ―I probably would have gotten a shot at the big gobbler if not for long winter. Tiny green leaves filled the trees and the crows and that damned yapping little dog. I never did see the dog; did you?‖ blue jays mouthed off to pass the time. The morning sun promI heard and saw the dog, or at least thought I did. But Rodised a warm day. ney heard it, so maybe I was not going crazy. Yet, he did not see Gobbling filtered down the trail. We quickly settled in. That it; he only heard it. Sometimes a yelping hen can sound like a same fog started filtering off the river from the cool morning air small barking dog. I just looked at him and said, No!‖ I turned so and warm sunlight. he would not see the tears on my cheeks. She was gone again. Rodney was out of my sight, and I was positioned in the best Time and decades passed like flowing river current. Rodney spot for incoming birds. He wanted me to take the shot while he moved to Kansas City where he could find more carpenter work called on a slate and mouth diaphragm at the same time. He told to support his wife and twin boys. The old man died soon after me not to bring a call, just my shotgun. I guess he wanted to get the 1993 flood wiped out his old house. I stayed on the river me started hunting again. I never talked about Vietnam. banks three days and nights during the flood to watch more of my He started with soft hen yelps and clucks, which were life slip into that dirty river. greeted by chain gobbling, the remarkable sound made when The old man left me his property, an old pipe and his fiddle, three or four gobblers echo each other. Soon I was peeking everything he had left in this world. I guess he considered me the through my camouflaged mask as a hole in the fog opened up and closest thing he had to kin, and I would have been if she had a huge gobbler moved cautiously in my direction. I wondered if lived. Rodney helped me build a simple cabin where his old he was kin to ―The Mist,‖ who would surely be dead of old age house had been—right below the ridge where the turkeys gobble by now. on warm, spring mornings. The remarkable gobbler continued moving towards me, in Now I spend every morning and evening sitting on the back and out of the thickening fog. My shotgun‘s bead lined up on his porch, playing a tune on that fiddle and staring at the river and head as I waited for the right moment to shoot. His eyes moved looking for that fog to return—for another look at those from side to side, searching for the hot hens sending out turkey soft, brown eyes and remarkable hair. I don‘t even care if love chatter. He stretched his neck and I zeroed the shotgun sight she brings that damned dog—I just want to see her! (Continued from page 35)
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 37
The Writings of Dr. Randall L. Eaton
tionship of red people to wild animals and the earth is well established in North American cultural life. When I made "The Sacred Hunt," I deTo understand the broad impact of liberately interviewed members of eight native Randall Eaton’s work, it is essential to read what tribes so that the viewer would discover that recreational hunters and native subsistence hunters he has to say about hunting, the outdoor use exactly the same words to describe how they message and the future of our world. feel about animals they hunt. For anti-hunters this The following essay is Dr. Eaton’s response to a had a powerful influence, even converting some to National Geographic article. hunting. In the questionnaire survey I conducted of 2,500 The Conservation Ethic: recreational white hunters, average age over 50, Towards a North American men and women both, I asked them to describe how they feel about animals they hunt; the three Hunting Culture most comBy Dr. Randall L. Eaton monly selected he November 2007 Nawords were, tional Geographic article, "respect," ―Hunters: For Love of the "admiration," Land,‖ was important for the and future of hunting. No doubt it "reverence." planted seeds in the minds of And in remany people in the middle sponse to the ground who care about nature question about and wildlife but who do not what they did hunt. So it is a major success when they compared to what has been for killed an anithe most part "a failure to mal, 82% recommunicate‖ by the hunting sponded that community. they either If Dr. Wade Davis, the anthanked the thropologist interviewed, had animal or the Photo & © 2008 Galen L. compared the way subsistence Creator! hunters feel about animals they Sounds a lot hunt to how recreational hunters feel, the article would like native hunters. So why is our non-hunting community have been better yet. While we have a hunting tradition in not aware of how we feel? North America, we lack a hunting culture. Let me explain. Because we don’t communicate about it among ourIf you talk to people on the street who have no direct expe- selves. With few exceptions neither do we undertake riential or familial link to hunting about how Native Ameri- public rituals that honor the animals we hunt. cans feel about animals they hunt, nearly all will offer reWe talk about the details and events of the hunt, where sponses such as, "They respect animals," we went and our success or failure, the game we saw and or "They have reverence for nature," or "They feel spiritu- what Ted Nugent said to Geraldo on TV. We talk about ally connected to wildlife.‖ hunting as a ―management tool‖ or about controlling game But if you were to ask these same folks about how recrea- populations, but we don‘t talk about how we feel about the tional hunters feel you would get blank faces, i.e., no reanimals we hunt or why we actually hunt. sponse. Dr. Bob Norton, retired professor of psychology at My survey is the first ever that has asked truly fundamenUniversity of Wisconsin at La Crosse actually did this (see tal questions, the responses to which reveal how spiritually his new book, The Hunter: Stages and Ethics, Riverbend empowering is the hunt experience and why it is genuine Press). education for us and good for our young people. The word The combined effect of decades of TV programs and "education" means to "draw out of," not put into. The hunt movies along with articles and books is that the basic rela(Continued on page 38)
T
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 38
Eaton’s Writing (Continued from page 37)
brings to the surface of our being critically important dimensions of what it means to be human. It connects us deeply to the creatures and the earth and motivates us to take care of them. The survey also reveals that hunting teaches us universal virtues ranging from patience and inner peace to humility and compassion. And that is the image we need to create if we are to perpetuate hunting and culturally establish its value and importance. That also is
Photo & © 1995 By Galen L. Geer
what will get parents to send their kids our way. There is much we need to do, and I think it has to begin with educating our own ranks. Most wildlife biologists, wildlife professors, hunter ed coordinators, outdoor writers and heads of hunter organizations cannot supply an accurate definition of hunting or explain why we do it. All hunters know that hunting engenders respect for life and responsibility as in handling firearms, self-restraint, honoring property rights and so on. But how many really grasp that hunting is not sport but instinct? Knowing that hunting is instinctive (for males anyway) has serious consequences. If it is merely sport then boys might just as well take up a different sport. On the other hand what if there is no adequate substitute for the hunting experience? Shooting a deer is not at all the same as shooting a basket. A kill shot on the court is not like a kill shot in
the field. We do not respect or revere tennis balls, and nearly all hunters report that they feel sad about the death of the animal. The use of the word "sport" has brought untold harm to hunting. On the court you take the open shot when you have it. When you're in the field it‘s a different ball game altogether, meaning that you listen to a different master than your ego. We call it the heart. If there is anything that can change this world it is experiences that teach us to listen to the heart. There is nothing that invites males down that road like hunting. And that is why it is so very important to the future of human life and the environment. Once we hunters raise to full awareness the true educational benefits that hunting has given us and better articulate "the heart of the hunter" we have a chance of becoming effective evangelists for hunting and all it means. It‘s not sport. It is instinct that has the potential of connecting with the heart and transforming us into better people. That's the bottom line. Hunting is a great "product," but it is not selling. We have to recall and repackage it in terms that communicate why we do it and what it does for us and the world. We do not hunt to control game herds or conserve wildlife. These are significant byproducts. We hunt to connect with the original human in us all and to profoundly connect with nature and wild animals. We hunt to experience and celebrate the beauty, intelligence and power of nature and to learn about God. We hunt to transcend the ego and become one with the environment, and in so doing we come to know at a deep level that we are as responsible for the world as we are for our self. From this profound experience the conservation ethic is born. Dr. Randall Eaton has been studying hunting for 35 years. Author of From Boys to Men of Heart: Hunting as Rite of Passage, published by OWLink Media in 2009, he produced ―The Sacred Hunt: Hunting as a Spiritual Path,‖ with wildlife filming by Marty Stouffer and music by Ted Nugent. The film won 11 awards. Contact Dr. Eaton at 513244-2826 or at reaton@eoni.com. Learn more at: www.randalleaton.com.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 39
Register Today! September 24, 25 and 26, 2010
Hyatt Regency, San Francisco, Airport
2010 Gun Rights Policy Conference Saving Freedom! Sponsored by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Second Amendment Foundation Come meet national gun rights leaders and your fellow grassroots activists at the 25th Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference (GRPC 2010) in San Francisco, California. This your once-a-year chance to network and get an insider look and plan pro-gun rights strategies for the coming year. Past GRPCs have outlined victory plans and made public the latest firearms trends. They allow you a first-hand chance to hear movement leaders—and make your voice heard. This year we’ll take a look at critical issues such as: city gun bans, youth violence, “smart” guns, concealed carry, federal legislation, legal actions, gun show regulation, state and local activity. We’ll also preview the upcoming elections and analyze the U.S. Supreme Court McDonald decision. The full roster of GRPC speakers has not yet been set. Past speakers have included Alan M. Gottlieb, Joseph P. Tartaro, Wayne LaPierre, G. Gordon Liddy, Michael Reagan, Larry Elder, Ken Hamblin, John Lott, Sandy Froman, Massad Ayoob, Tom Gresham, Alan Gura, Reps. Bab Barr and Chris Cannon and many others. Check our web sites—www.saf.org or www.ccrkba.org for updates.
CONFERENCE and HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF MATERIALS ARE FREE! Books, monographs and other materials—enough to star a Second Amendment library are free, as are Saturday luncheon, Friday and Saturday evening receptions and morning and afternoon snack breaks. Other meals, travel and lodging are to be paid by the attendee. After you register, you will be mailed information about hotel reservations, invited speakers and a tentative agenda.
2010 Gun Rights Policy Conference/FREE Yes, I want to attend. I understand that registration, conference materials and luncheon will be provided courtesy of CCRKBA and SAF. All other meals, lodging and airfare are to be paid by attendee.
NAME___________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS_________________________________________________________________________________ CITY_____________________________________STATE______ ZIP__________PHOINE(_____)___________ FAX______________________EMAIL_____________________________Topics you would like discussed: ___ _______________________________________________________________________________________ Send To: 2010 GRPC/12500 NE Tenth Place/Bellevue, WA 98005 Phone (425) 454-7012/Fax (425) 451-3959. Or Email your registration to: GRPC2010@saf.org
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 40
Trophy Animals The animals I never killed Lie in gutters and hang on walls watching me Stand up from their graves and follow me down the road The deer I never killed wonder why I refused them They blink and ask, ―What kind of hunter are you?‖ In dreams I caress their hides And feel their empty hearts beating In coffee houses and truck stops I touch the painted black noses Of trophy elk and bears and say a silent prayer: Next fall I‘ll pull the trigger. Next season I‘ll bring you home.‖ Grizzly Mountain Randall L. Eaton
coyotes hunt gophers in the meadow deer eat acorns in the band of oak below the ponderosa near the top a cougar kills the deer Randall Eaton
Photo & © 2009 Galen L. Geer
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 41
Sunset in January Closing moments slowly approach, catch you by surprise. Bright, glowing threads of tangerine stitched into a cold blue sky. Colors morph through quiet stages, changing like dunes in a wind. Red paint flung on purple pillows, gaze long and the stain will blend. Looking back reluctantly, hesitating at the door. One last tired smile, eyes cast to the floor. Gone. Poem By John Solomon Albuquerque, NM
Photo & Š By: Jeff Davis
City Shaman You were meant to live in cities And paint to the hills To make dreams for the steel-grey heart Resonating the sound of geese never heard You chant to saints and whores The song of another Kingdom.
Poem By Randall L. Eaton
Photo & Š 2009 By: Galen L. Geer
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2
Page 42
Products For Outdoor Artists, Writers and Photographers Photo Book Replaces the Portfolio
Last issue we told you about digital pens, for the outdoor writer. Here’s a notebook with waterproof paper that completes the set.
The photographer‘s portfolio has hit the dustbin. Digital Foci, Inc. www.digitalfoci.com recently introduced Photo Book, a portable digital photo album with an 8-inch 800 x 600 digital LCD color screen with 4GB of internal memory. Featuring a slim design encased in a soft leather-like case Photo Book offers over 2.5 hours of battery life for an easy and portable way for photographers to present their work to clients and editors. Photo Book is encased a soft leather-like case for attractive initial impression and is easily passed around during a business presentation. The internal battery eliminates the AC power cables making it very easy to handle. To use, simply load photos to Photo Book‘s internal memory directly from a memory card, USB flash drive or computer. Supported memory cards include CF, SD, SDHC, MMC, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick, and MSPRO. The user organizes their photos into albums and the selects a specific album to view based on the client‘s or editor‘s
Waterproof Digital Pen Paper Rite in the Rain has a Field Book for writers who take notes with a digital pen. The book has a tough black Fabrikoid cover that will withstand the rigors of the field and the ages are printed on "Rite in the Rain" all-weather paper. Each sheet is pre-printed with the Adapx digital dot pattern for use in the capturx digital data collection solution. What you write in the Field Book with the Penx digital pen (available at www.adapx.com) is transferred seamlessly into your computer via Microsoft OneNote. The Universal Pattern for notes and scaled drawings is printed with the dot pattern. 160 pages (80 sheets). For more information on Rite in the Rain products: www.RiteintheRain.com. For digital pens: www.adapx.com.
needs. ―Photo Thumbnail View‖ lets the user browse the thumbnails of the photos in a selected photo album then switch to full screen. Ideal for photographers to professionally display and protect thousands of photos in a sleek portfolio, Photo Book supports RAW images from a wide selection of DSLRs, plus JPEG, BMP, GIF, and TIF image formats. Photos are automatically rotated to their correct orientation based on the EXIF data captured by the camera, and can also be zoomed, panned, and rotated. Photo Book Features: 8‖ digital LCD with 800 x 600 resolution. Large 4 GB internal memory. Memory card slots for: CF, SD/HC card, MMC, xD-Picture Card, MS/MS PRO (Supports mini-SD, RS-MMC, MS Duo with adapter). USB host capability - supports USB flash drives. Copy albums directly from memory cards for USB flash drives to internal memory without a computer. USB 2.0 connection for transferring between computer and device. Displays photo albums with name and preview. Optional displays. Run automatic Full-Screen or Photo Book Slideshows with adjustable time intervals. Scroll photos manually with zoom and rotate functions. Supported audio formats – MP3, AAC, WMA Supported video formats – MJPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-4 SP. Built-in 1 channel, 1.4W speaker. Rechargeable Lithium polymer battery with 2.5 hours of battery life. Photo Book ncludes case, AC power adapter, USB to computer, USB adapter to USB flash drive, and Quick Start Guide. Priced at $189 SRP, www.digitalfoci.com.
The Pines Review
Spring-Summer, 2010 Vol. III No. 2 Page 43
June:
July: August:
September:
October: November: December:
Events Calendar
Classified
2010
Advertising
June 10-13: Outdoor Writers of America Assn., Rochester, MN. Contact: Robin Giner, rginer@owaa.com. June 17-20: Outdoor Writers of Canada, Whitehorse, Canada. Contact: T. J. Schwanky, outdoorwritersofcanada@shaw.ca June 20-25: Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival, Aspen, CO Contact: Natalie Lacy, natalie@aspenwriters.org June 22-26: Scenic Wildlife Photo Workshop at Rky. Mtn. Natl. Park, offered by Rky. Mtn. Outdoor Writers and Photographers. Contcct: Nic Showalter, photoworkshop@rmowp.org. No Listing Aug. 11-14: Professional Outdoor Media Assn., LaPorte, IN., Best Western Hotel. Contact: L.L. Dovey, lldovey@professionaloutdoormedia.org. Aug. 18-22: Florida Outdoor Writers, Tallahassee. Contact: Tommy Thompson, tommythompson@mindspring.com Sept. 8-12: Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers, Yellowstone National Park. Contact: Don Laine, lainedbe@TaosNet.com Sept. 13-16: Assn. Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, Ashland, WI. Contact: Berdette Zastrow, bzastrow@nvc.net. Sept. 24-26: Gun Rights Policy Conference, Hyatt Regency Hotel, San Franciso, Airport, San Francisco, CA GRPC2010@saf.org Oct. 6-9: SouthEastern Outdoor Press Assn., Huntsville, AL., Contact: Lisa Snuggs, lisa@seopa.org No Listing No Listing
2011 January: February:
April: May:
Jan. 18-21: SHOT Show, Sands Convention Ctr. Las Vegas, NV http://www.shotshow.org Feb. 17-20: NWTF National Convention, Opryland Resort & Con vention Center, Nashville, TN www.nwtf.org. March: Mar. 19-21: Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Assn., Rehoboth Beach DE., Atlantic Sands Hotel. Contact: Ken Tidy, Kptidy@comcast.net. April 28-30: Tenn. Outdoor Writers Assn., Greenville, Tennessee Contact: Gil Lackey, gillackey@bellsouth.net No Listing
Events listing is free to writers organizations, conservation organizations and other groups with events that are of interest to members of outdoor media. All listings are subject to editor’s approval. Contact the editor at: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com.
Autographed Copies Last Supper In Paradise By: Galen L. Geer $13.95 +$5.00 P&H Collection of short stories set in modern Africa. ggeerpinesed@mlgc.om Writer’s Retreat Cabin For Rent A-frame cabin in scenic Wet Mountains of Southern Colorado. Rent by day, week or month. See our ad this issue. Phone: 719.784-3160. Email: chasclifton@earthlink.com. German Wirehaired Pointers Top quality pups. Three Paws Kennel 701.347.5246. Casselton, North Dakota Free Newsletter Free monthly e-newsletter. Lists of books on turkey hunting, Africana, Archibald Rutledge. www.jimcasadaoutdoors. com. Or write: Jim Casada 1250 Yorkdale Drive Rock Hill, SC 29730-7638 Phone: 803-329-4354 FAX: 803-329-2420. Voltage Converters Travelling outside the USA? Convert 220v to 110v. $25 plus $5.00 S&H. ggeerpinesed@mlgc.com Classified ads in The Pines Review are limited to 25 words; the rate is $10 per issue.
Classified ads in The Pines Review reach the outdoor media.
(At the last minute) NWTF/FFA
$5,000 Scholarship Award Recipient
Tyler McGee, a senior at Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, California, is the 2010 recipient of a $5,000 National FFA Organization Collegiate Scholarship funded by the National Wild Turkey Federation. McGee maintained a 4.0 grade point average while an active member of the High Desert Chapter of the NWTF, the school‘s FFA chapter, National Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society, 4-H Club and is a competitive marksman, but that‘s only the surface of his achievements. He is an active community volunteer, Captain of the Post in the Apple Valley Sheriff's Explorer program, volunteers 120 hours per month as a deputies' assistant, tutors first grade students, teaches them what to do if they see a gun, works at the local NWTF JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) events, and trains and certifies therapy dogs that he takes to visit nursing homes. The high school senior is frequently involved in community service projects. In 2009 he organized a pancake breakfast that raised $15,000 to help a sheriff's deputy with a brain tumor pay medical expenses, and he's helped provide more than 4,000 books to schoolchildren in his area. McGee plans to major in criminal justice and pursue a career in law enforcement as a deputy or game warden. "I look forward to teaching others about the shooting sports, gun safety, hunting and conservation, along with protecting our land and enforcing the law in my career," McGee said. "I'm very grateful to the NWTF for helping me achieve my academic goals through this scholarship." In addition to his $5,000 FFA Scholarship McGee also received $250 local and $1,000 state scholarships from the NWTF. To be eligible for the $5,000 FFA Organization scholarship funded by the NWTF, applicants must support hunting, possess strong leadership skills, achieve high academic successes and pursue a career in the natural resources field. To date, the NWTF has awarded more than $3 million in scholarships. For more information, visit http://www.nwtf.org/ or call (800) THE-NWTF for details.
Henry Herbert, father of modern outdoor writing, wrote under the pseudonym of “Frank Forester.”
!FREE PDF SUBSCRIPTION! Members of outdoor writers organizations, university/college English, MassComm Departments are eligible for free email subscriptions to The Pines Review. Email your request to: editorpinesreview@mlgc.com. PAID SUBSCRIPTION RATES Paid subscribers may make payment by PayPal, check or MO to: Pines Review, Subscription, PO Box 31, Finley, ND 58230. Payment Enclosed Bill Me Please specify how you wish to receive The Pines Review. PDF File by Email: $6.00 one (1) year $10.00 six (6) issues PDF File on CD by Regular Mail: $10.00 one year. $15.00 for six (6) issues Print Version: $36.00 one year $70.00 for six issues SEE PAGE 20 FOR FREE GIFT OFFER! Name:_____________________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________ City:___________________________________ State:________ Zip Code:_____________ Email address:______________________________________________________________