Deer, Fish, Cards... Cheap Cigars, Bullets and Beer

2007-04-22T15:37:00.000-06:00

A webpage devoted to antique fishing lures and tackle boxes.

My buddy's paintball-park blog, Spirit Fire.

A camo-clothing store that specialises in outfitting big-boned people. >8-)

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I've "finished" the bass sculpture... for now.

2007-03-29T21:26:00.000-06:00

Pics click to enlarge. I am nearing the end of transforming the first sculpture. No idea what the next two will end up like, yet.

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American Museum of Fly-Fishing

"The museum's extensive fly collection also includes the oldest known flies in existence, tied in 1789, and the original flies used as the basis for the color plates in Mary Orvis Marbury's landmark book "Favorite Flies and Their Histories," published in 1892."

Mystery of the Megaflood is a great PBS NOVA show about a series of glacial floods that carved out the unique geology of Oregon's interior "scablands".

Netknots.

"The best fishing knots as well as essential rope knots are clearly illustrated and described in this site."

Git-R-Down. Website for a device that enables fishermen to return fish to deep water. The theory being that it reduces mortality, when fishing very deep.

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Bassalope?

2007-03-18T18:09:00.000-06:00

Here's a peek at the papier-mache sculpture that I have been working on this spring. It was first displayed (as a 'normal', giant Smallmouth Bass) at last summer's Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

It is undergoing a serious change of form, now. I have created a video of the first part of the transformation... and it will be posted at my Bingorage-artblog (Link to index page) by Monday March 19.
Update: Posted to Bingorage on Tuesday, March 20.

This is how the bass looked before I tore into it. It is about six feet long and nearly a foot wide through the body (excluding fins).

(These pics clicks to enlarge; following pic does not.)

2007-03-14T06:04:00.000-06:00

The legendary Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School, online.

Tom was the template for the civvie instructor in The Hunted, forced to track down a former pupil.

Wikipedia article about Tom.

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Rublines

"Since 1999, Rub-lines Magazine has been a unique publication in which everyday whitetail hunters have personally shared first-hand accounts of their deer hunting experiences. Enjoy enlightening accounts of opening day hunts through the eyes of the experienced hunter or the breath-taking excitement of the first hunt as seen through the eyes of the novice. For generations sharing deer hunting stories has been as enjoyable for the teller as for the listener. The tradition continues through Rub-lines Magazine."

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Now that's a pike.

2007-03-13T16:32:00.000-06:00

A friend forwarded these pics to me by email. I do not know where they came from, originally, but it looks like some big Northern water in the background. Looks like a fifty+ pounder; anybody know something about this fish?
First pic clicks to enlarge

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Random Stuff:

A fishing and boat/boating directory.

How to build an igloo.

Use your knife like a pro.

"Step-By-Step Guide to Using Your Knife Like a Pro
I was looking through all of the knife skills information I’ve posted on Corduroy Orange and realized that, though I have a fairly comprehensive set of instructions..."

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Reduce your carbon footprint without giving up your meat and chainsaw.
8-)
Run your computer with a better power save mode, free.

"Download the 100% Free LocalCooling Application and it automatically optimizes your PC's power consumption by using a more effective power save mode. You will be able to see your savings in real-time translated to more evironmental terms such as how many trees and gallons of oil you have saved."

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punt gun

2007-03-06T22:15:00.000-06:00

stuff

2007-02-12T00:29:00.000-06:00

A site about hunting and cooking squirrel.

Learn how to throw knives, spikes, stars, etc.

A Flash-based virtual globe, using satellite imagery and aerial photos.

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Roadside attraction in Hearst, Northern Ontario.

For the guy who has everything...

2007-01-09T17:18:00.000-06:00

A shot of pennicillin?
No.
The million dollar fishing lure. 3 pounds of gold and platinum, covered in diamonds.

super realistic fly-tying

2006-12-18T02:35:00.000-06:00

Realistic fly-tying, by Graham Owen. If this house fly gives you the wow, check out the other pics on his page.

Bingorage deerhunt - 2006

2006-12-13T15:53:00.000-06:00

First off, I would like to thank the Szeder family for hosting our group on their properties for nearly twenty years. Frank Sr., Stephan, Frank Jr. and Inga share their hospitality, their guiding services and intimate knowledge of their properties, their bounty of good deer population and their ever-present good coffee. If anyone is interested in visiting Northwestern Ontario for next deer season and would like an introduction to the area, I will ask their permission to post or send contact information.

This is a googlemaps satellite photo of the general hunt area, north of Emo. This photo encompasses several WMU's, however; including 9a, 9b, 10, 11 and others

There are many accesible deepwoods areas to explore and plenty of 'edge' with many generations of cut and regrowth, deep pristine forest, muskeg, large granite ridges and plenty of isolated islands near or connected to shore by shallow spits. When these are near fields or succulent regrowth in old cuts, they will harbour some big wily ones. If you're willing to make the effort.

The crew I hunt with stick to the field, cuts and ridges near the road. We're stiff, bent codgers who still drag our deer by hand.
8-)

I see many guys towing increasingly bigger ATV's up here however... and that's fine because there is enough accesible bush that we need not run over each others toes.

In the Wildlife Management Unit, that we hunt, Non-resident deer hunters are required to have a licensed local guide. Local full-service lodges, free-lance guides and basic-service camps either provide guiding services or can provide contact information for guides.

This link connects to the 2006 deer regulations for Ontario.
(You may need to download it as a document to view it, unless you have an in-browser PDF reader, like the free reader at Adobe.)

MNR publication page.

This is a satellite photo of Emo.

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Secondly I would like to thank the guys at huntshow for their prompt and helpful feedback.

I am preparing a video clip for them, right now. My video for this year's hunt will be posted later, because it has to be retrieved from my old hard drive. No big deal, but I have to get a piece of hardware for it, first.

So...
I give you the pics and a few comments from thisw year's hunt. I'll finish and post the video, next, or as an update to this posting.
:Eric C.
December 13, 2006
6:17pm CST

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Alfalfa Fields

At 'alfalfa fields'-west, as light began to fail.

Cut and planted field at 'Alfalfa fields' west, with plenty of 'edge'; sweetspot opening with finger of bush connecting large wood plots.

Large track in Alfalfa field.

Deer highway into the field, in fresh snow.

Another large track in the field.

Another entry/exit point over the barbed wire.

Another large track.

The crew; with a couple little ones on the beam and in the bag.

Dad with his monster.

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Near Off Lake

Just Tosh and I for a couple of days after the majority of the crew left. We spent time at our favourite spot. I've been after 'the monster' here, for years. I missed it last year. [2005 Bingorage deerhunt]. The Szeders tell me that a big twelve pointer came out of here, this season.

Abandoned homestead (?) near Off Lake.

Scopeview. Top of property, near Off Lake.

A fresh cut, on the edge of a muskeg.

Tosh; climbing into his stand.

The view across the valley, into a fresh cut where I dropped my 'buck'. Just over 100 yards through some sticker popple and alder tops.

My 'buck'; possibly the smallest 4-point rack, ever.

He was a looonnggg little critter, but not big by local standards. Probably a yearling.

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My buddy Tosh... All packed up, after dropping the beastie off at the butcher.

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Deer hooves sticking out of the truck; my father and I got this one the week after everbody else left. Just a 'button buck' that we used an antlerless tag on.

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Platypus bludgeon not legal for deerhunting in this Wildlife Management Unit (WMU)...
Click to enlarge.

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unbelieveable stuff

2006-12-11T14:29:00.000-06:00

First 3 pics click to enlarge.

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The most famous frame from the "Patterson film".

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"Femurhead" buck.
I was picking up my venison at the Cloverleaf butcher place, in Emo, when I spotted this unusual rack. The head was HUUGGGEEEE...! The butcher guy told me that the body was real small, though; I guess this buck was long past his prime, but must have left many incredible sheds in his lifetime.

Detail. The "femurhead"-feature of this antler grew so close to the head that it has pushed the hair aside. One of the most unusual 'drop-tines' that I've ever seen.

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Click the orchid to visit my main blog:
Native Art, Bingorage and Other Stuff

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This is a funny, funny, funny bit from the "Man-Show" with Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Corolla. Deer prank.

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in stitches

2006-12-08T16:51:00.000-06:00

A great, poetic deer-hunting blog. 8-)

Deer Camp Blog

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Looking for collectible hunting thingies?
This link connects to my Ebay auction for a 1999 MNR deer hunter badge.

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Another great clip from the new site -HuntShow.com- go on over there and upload your homemade hunting clips. I'm putting together a few pieces for them, myself.

huntshow

2006-12-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

Just ran into an interesting site,
Hunt Show . com; kind of a 'youtube-type' video site, specifically for hunters.

Samples:

This is a priceless clip, of a guy who really, really... really
shot the wrong deer.

A clip with Hank Williams Jr nailing a HHHUUUGGGEEE buck in Saskatchewan.

got flashlight?

2006-12-02T07:02:00.000-06:00

Check the story at Extreme Geek.

Monty Python linkpage.

Platypus deerhunt

2006-11-15T21:16:00.000-06:00

Click pic for link to posting at my main blog and half-assed explanation.

Deer hunting explained

2006-11-14T18:56:00.000-06:00

Jeff Foxworthy breaks it down.

skeets

2006-11-12T19:03:00.000-06:00

Hey folks; still working on my deer hunt story, but here's some target practice to chew on.

Slow deer hunt, so far.

2006-10-30T18:54:00.000-06:00

The weather has been windy.
The forest is dry, crunchy and filled with the noise of the shifting air.
The winds have not been consistent, either, and deer have been spooked by swirling scent trails downwind, long before they can be seen.
Still; we have seen thirteen deer in the first two days of hunt, when there have been whole deer camps without seeing so many.
I shot at and missed a small buck, at full gallop on the first morning and wish I had been more mentally prepared for the encounter, but there is a whole lotta deersies out there still.

Just ran into town for a couple of errands; But, here's a short clip of dad, sighting in the 30-'06.

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Cool article about ice age cave sealed for fifty thousand + years with claw marks of extinctshort-faced bear in still-soft clay.

Deer season coming up

2006-10-16T23:29:00.000-06:00

This guy can move anything.

The eelpout festival coming up.Click pic for link.

Check out the incredible shooting!

Tags:
deer hunt
Bingorage
Eelpout festival
native
blog

How NOT to use firearm.

2006-10-11T23:47:00.000-06:00

Tags:
firearm
Target Shooting
bingorage
blog

Trail cameras

2006-10-06T17:11:00.000-06:00

Good article at KC Star, about using trail cameras to prepare for deer hunt. Too expensive for my current tastes, but you may find it useful. Meanwhil; I'm sharpening and polishing my deer-harpoon for the end of the month.

Schara; on October

2006-10-01T18:41:00.000-06:00

Ron Schara article; Ode to October. From the article:

On the first day of the best month of the year, this might be a good time to launch a diatribe on behalf of October. I'd rather it be called a campaign.

Frankly, we Minnesotans ought to take more control of our own happiness instead of waiting for politicians or bureaucrats. And most of us already know -- especially if you hunt, fish, hike, camp or step outside -- that happiness IS the month of October...

Think of how jealous South Dakota would be with only four weekends of pheasant hunting compared to our eight...

Do you remember Jim Rockford's answering machine...

2006-09-01T15:29:00.000-06:00

at the beginning of each episode, there would be a different message.

Excerpt from The Sandbox.Net:

Profit And Loss Part One: Profit [112] Hey Jimmy, this here's Tida Skaret. Remember me? From the army. I'm stuck here in town. How about I come over and bunk with you, buddy?

Profit And Loss Part Two: Loss [113] This is Mrs. Mosely at the library. We billed you for your overdue book "Karate Made Easy." We abuse our libary, we don't get our cards renewed.

Aura Lee, Farewell [114] Mr. Rockford? You don't know me, but I'd like to hire you. Could you call me at...my name is, uh, never mind. Forget it.

Sleight Of Hand [115] Rockford, this is Mr. Dow. If you think I'm going to pay to have your car repainted, you're nuts. You can take your expense bill and stuff it.

Image from TelevisionHeaven.CO.UK

A podcast about Wisconsin deerhunt; 2005

2006-08-24T21:41:00.000-06:00

I found this podcast at Odeo.com It is an archived post from a now-wrapped-up blog:
SexandPodcasting.com.
The podcaster makes a prediction about the emergence of a deerhunting-dedicated podcast.
Someone will do it, eventually... if it hasn't been done already.

I registered for the Odeo service, myself, and will post some stuff, eventually.

powered by ODEO

PS: If you are a new reader, check out my written 2005 deerhunt story... link in the sidebar.
:Eric

Alder swamp footage; deer hunt, 2005

2006-08-19T15:13:00.000-06:00

Doe on a ridge.

2006-08-10T16:33:00.000-06:00

T. and I sighted in the rifles for the 2005 deer season.

After a long afternoon of sighting-in rifles, this doe crossed the ridge behind us. Clearly; she knew it wasn't hunting season, yet. Unforthunately; I missed the buck that was chasing her; you can see her look back and move on as he was catching up.

A fly-fishing Association and their blog.

2006-06-12T20:09:00.000-06:00

Berkshire Fly Fishing News Service.

Their home site"; Clicking their Navbar, in the blog also gets you here.

Deer floods house, KO's pit bull.

2006-06-07T21:48:00.000-06:00

Pluck the cigar-box banjo, for original article.

Excerpt:

The animal ran into the bathroom, and the family locked it inside. The Falkners, however, did not know that their pit bull, Shadow, was in inside the room with the deer.

The deer kicked on the water, flooding the apartment, and briefly knocked the dog unconscious.

Ted Nugent wants to be governor of Michigan and : Kill what he eats.

2006-05-29T13:09:00.000-06:00

Article excerpts:

Nugent, who has personally slaughtered all the meat he's eaten since 1971, hosts two reality shows from the 300-acre ranch - just up the road from Bush's compound in Crawford...
Nugent has had a Sheriff Deputy's badge since 1982, and recently assisted with federal raids, "kicking down doors and arresting people"...
he abhors drugs, including alcohol, and maintains that he has never used such substances. He considers homosexuality morally wrong. He speaks about Muslims in a way which, were he to repeat it on globally networked television, might endanger his life. Nugent is aiming to run as Governor of Michigan in 2010...
"...I visited Saddam Hussein's master war room. It was a glorious moment. It looked like something out of Star Wars. I saw his gold toilet. I shit in his bidet."
He fires at a Styrofoam bear using his weapon of choice, a traditional bow and arrow. "Straight through the heart... dead bear," says Ted, as his heavily pitted target submits to yet another onslaught. "Both lungs... dead bear."

I suppose that there have been crazier people in politics... sloth and greed seem to be the main qualifications for entering the public fray, nowadays. I suppose a Ted Nugent campaign and office would shake things up a bit.

Check out the full article.

Tickle the musty platypus for direct link to the Independent Online article.

Tags:
ted nugent,michigan governor,tribe nuge,NRA,blog,bingorage,republican

Fly Anglers OnLine, Your Complete Internet Flyfishing Resource.

2006-05-28T23:00:00.000-06:00

Fly Anglers OnLine, Your Complete Internet Flyfishing Resource.

Cool articles and a good info. resource. I especially like the fly-tying stuff; I remember trying to tie flies with all kinds of weird materials when I was a kid - basically anything kicking around the house. Now I make beaded flies, as well.

Click for larger pic

Click for larger pic

I've always been fascinated by the technique of fly-fishing, but never really got into it. I have a friend who swears by it, though.

I also loved the film A River Runs Through It; the Uber fly-fishing
movie.

State law would allow hunting from vehicles

2006-05-26T01:55:00.000-06:00

Tennessee State law would allow hunting from vehicles, for those who are hunting on private land with permission; Not just "disabled" hunters.

I sure hope that this kind of legislation never finds its way up here. If you're just sitting in your truck, shooting your moose out the window... It's only a matter of time before you're whacking out the tenderloins, cutting off the antlers and one quarter and not bothering to tag the critter.

CBC News Indepth: Gun Control

2006-05-17T16:27:00.000-06:00

The conservative government has proposed to kill off the shotgun / rifle registry. Click here for a timeline of the history.
CBC News Indepth: Gun Control

It is by no means, a done deal, though.
NDP and Liberals will probably continue to support the registry, as will the police forces.

Rocky Mountain News: Local

2006-05-17T16:14:00.000-06:00

Cougar Eats Kitty, takes nap in yard.

What is the world coming to? When a cougar cannot eat in peace?
I'm pretty sure that we have cougars around here, although I've never seen one myself; there are reports every couple years. Just a few states over, in South Dakota, they had a successful cougar hunt, last year.
SD Cougar hunt survey results.

The Modern Hunter-Gatherer - New York Times

2006-03-27T02:19:00.000-06:00

The Modern Hunter-Gatherer - New York Times

A hunting story, from a non-hunter.

"It was as if I'd dialed up the gain on all my senses, or quieted myself to such an extent that the world itself grew louder and brighter. I quickly learned to filter out the static of birdsong, of which there was plenty at that early hour, and to listen for the frequency of specific sounds — the crack of branches or the snuffling of animals. I found I could see farther into the woods than I ever had before, picking out the tiniest changes in my visual field at an almost inconceivable distance, just so long as those changes involved movement or blackness. The sharpness of focus and depth of field was uncanny, though, being nearsighted, I knew it well from the experience of putting on glasses with a strong new prescription for the first time. "Hunter's eye," Angelo said later when I described the phenomenon; he knew all about it."

David Kucer Miniature Arms

2006-03-06T16:36:00.000-06:00

David Kucer Miniature Arms

Man smiths miniature firearms, accessories and cases.

thedailytimes.com - Young huntress bags two deer with one shot on first attempt

2006-02-27T21:02:00.000-06:00

thedailytimes.com -10 yr. old girl bags two deer with one shot on first attempt

Squirrel Recipe, etcetera.

2006-02-20T16:20:00.000-06:00

CREAMED SQUIRREL OVER BISCUITS

Jerry's Recipes

Source:Terri Bloss

Prep Time:
2 hours

Ingredients & Utensils
3-4 squirrels - cooked and de-boned
Large pot
1/2 stick margarine
Sauté pan
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 beef bouillon
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic (crushed)
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoon flour
1 can chicken broth
Directions
Parboil squirrel and pick meat off the bones
Sauté onion, garlic, beef bouillon in margarine and Worcestershire sauce.
Add salt and pepper
Add in flour to thicken
Add squirrel meat

*Serve over biscuit, bread or mashed potatoes with salad, applesauce or coleslaw.

Critter Recipe Index-Page for Jerry's Bait and Tackle.

More squirrel recipes from Backwoods Bound.com

Tags:
food,
Squirrel recipe,
game,bingorage,emo
hunting,
blog

2006-01-21T17:06:00.000-06:00

Whiting Farms, home of "the best fly-tying hackle"".

(From the site's "History" section)
"From the mid 1960’s until 1989 Henry Hoffman of Warrenton, Oregon devoted his life to producing the best dry fly hackle in the world. His primary motivation was an all-consuming, life-long love of fishing. As an offshoot to this intense interest in fishing Henry also learned to tie flies, often by taking apart lost flies he found on the stream bank while out fishing.

Fortunately (for himself and the world) Henry was born into the right situation. His parents had a small meat chicken breeding operation in California, so Henry grew up learning the basics of breeder selection and poultry husbandry. After a stint in the military, Henry settled in Oregon and made his living tying fishing flies commercially, predominantly dry flies.

In the 1960’s good quality feathers for tying dry flies were nearly impossible to obtain and tiers had to rely on very poor quality capes imported from India or China - basically pelted village chickens. In addition, the black and white barred pattern feathers, called grizzly, did not exist in the village chickens, thus major fly patterns which required grizzly hackle garnered a premium price. Therefore, Henry set out in the mid 1960’s to find grizzly chickens to raise for his own tying needs and potentially to develop into a marketable genetic hackle line. He searched amongst the county fairs and poultry fanciers in the Pacific Northwest and finally found an exceptional trio of Barred Plymouth Rock bantams. Incredibly, they exhibited excellent (for that time) dry fly capes and also a respectable dry fly saddle. By Henry’s own estimation these initial birds saved him 10 years of development; and he was off and running."

Tags:
Fly fishing,Chicken,Hackle,blog,bingorage,emo,fly tying

Winchester bites the dust.

2006-01-21T16:22:00.000-06:00

A small Obit. for Winchester that becomes a particularly loving article about the Win. lever-action. Good read.

Link to full article, here.

"Winchester is gone too, or at least the most interesting parts of it. The traditional company whose symbol was a fringed rider flying across the plains on a pinto, gripping his trusty Model '73, is finally biting the dust. The entity -- now technically U.S. Repeating Arms, which produces the rifles and shotguns as a licensee of the Olin Corp., which still owns Winchester ammunition -- announced Monday it was closing the plant in New Haven where the rifles and shotguns have been fabricated for a century and a half. Some Winchesters will continue to be built overseas, but three guns -- the classic lever-action rifle of western fame, the bolt-action hunting rifle (called the Model 70) and the Model 1300 pump-action shotgun -- will no longer be manufactured.
That lever-gun -- the quintessential cowboy rifle, the mechanism that "won the West" and maybe helped lose it, too (ask the 7th Cavalry boys who fell to a few dozen Native Americans carrying precursors of the classic Winchester at the Battle of the Little Bighorn) -- is the primary victim of the closing...
If you take one down and examine it -- kids, don't do this at home, unless Dad has cleared the rifle first and made sure no moldy .30-30s from last year's hunt remain in the chamber -- you note certain things instantaneously.

How light it is, how quick to the shoulder, how pointable! It begs to come to the eye. It swiftly finds what's called the natural point of aim, the perfect equipoise between its own grace and its shooter's talent. There, it wants to be fired. It's knobless and trim yet hardly streamlined. It hails proudly from the pre-streamlined world. No ergonomic study went into its design, only the sound trial and error of Yankee genius that finally found the ideal form.

It's weirdly squarish, yet like other classic guns, it boasts an orchestration of lines of unusual harmony, which somehow seem to soothe the eye. The Colt Peacemaker revolver, the Tommy gun and the Luger have the same effect; all are instantly known and knowable. They have a design charisma that transcends their actual usage in the real world...

(John) Wayne used that rifle or one just like it (there seem to have been four altogether) over the years in a variety of movies, like "Hondo" and even as late as 1959's "Rio Bravo." Wayne, something of a gun expert himself, knew that a handgun's only purpose was to fight your way to the rifle you were going to win your fight with. He used the Winchester a lot..."

Tags:
gun,
rifle,article,bingorage,emo,firearms manufacturer,blog

Bingorage xmas story.

2005-12-27T01:38:00.000-06:00

The Bingorage Christmas story. Over at Drip and Spew. Sorry it's late, but enjoy, anyways.

:-)

Tags:
native fiction
native author
Blog
bingorage
script?
Fort Frances
northwestern ontario

The Orange Vest

2005-12-22T23:28:00.000-06:00

Your digital hunting lodge The Orange Vest.

A good hunting-oriented blog and article source.

Buck - the Singing, Talking Animated Trophy

2005-12-21T23:56:00.000-06:00

Do you remember that Billy Bass, a singing bas mounted on a pseudo wooden plaque, that was all the rage a few years ago? I know that a few of you got one in your garage or attic, right now. Well, it's time to trade up to a singing deer head.

:)

Buck - the Singing, Talking Animated Trophy

Double-Mouthed Fish Pulled From Neb. Lake

2005-12-21T20:48:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! News link

"I reached down and grabbed it to take the hook out, and that's when I noticed that the hook was in the upper mouth and there was another jaw protruding out below," said Olberding."

Lariat Types & Care

2005-12-18T20:26:00.000-06:00

Lariat Types & Care

A cool little page on the care and use of lariats. Should you need.

AMERICAN MONSTERS- casting call

2005-12-13T12:14:00.000-06:00

link

Wanna hunt Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster? Get your ugly mug on TV, at the same time? American Monsters is looking for a few good men. Well at least two.

"American Monsters has been asked to help in the
creation and casting of an upcoming TV series. We are
looking for two young Crypto enthusiasts ages 18-24 to
host an upcoming Cryptozoology weekly series for a
major cable network..."

update May29,06;
As far as I know, nothing has come about as a result of the American Monsters casting call; but, who knows, it may be on TV, soon. Good source for monster lore, articles, etc.

Dad and I are always on the lookout for bigfoot and lake monsters, ourselves. Maybe we should have a show.

California Academy of Sciences - Skulls

2005-12-10T16:53:00.000-06:00

link

A cool page with animal skulls and their owners.

local6.com - News - Hunter Rescued from Deer Stand

2005-12-10T13:19:00.000-06:00

link from Florida news station.

" MOUNT HOLLY, Ark. -- A hunter suffered hypothermia and kidney damage after becoming entangled in his deer stand and dangling upside down 30 feet above the ground in sleet for 81/2 hours."

Whatever you do, while hunting... avoid stupid sh*t.

Last year, I crossed a slick, rickety plank, with a four foot drop into a four foot+ deep creek... carrying two rifles.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. When we determined it was unsafe, to hunt on the other side of that creek and those planks... I had to cross back.

I have no idea why you are not reading about me drowning, upside down in that crick, right now.

Fishosaur.com: Pictures of huge fish

2005-12-08T15:21:00.000-06:00

Fishosaur.com

Fishosaur... What more can I say?

fishosaur?

Father Accidentally Shoots Son In Leg - Pennsylvania

2005-11-30T11:51:00.000-06:00

CBS Philly story

It's all fun and games until you shoot your son in the leg.

The Box O' Truth #5 - The Locks O' Truth

2005-11-24T22:43:00.000-06:00

link

A guy accepts the challenge of testing movie method of opening a padlock with a pistol/rifle/shotgun. Great pics and interesting results.

The Box O' Truth is a great site for the firearms enthusiast in everyone, who wonders what their firearm would do to a certain vegetable, sandbox, lock, bullet-resistant glass, etc.

Why it's a bad idea to be 'huggy-kissy' with llamas

2005-11-23T20:33:00.000-06:00

link

"The first hint Dale Airsman got that his morning's chores might end badly was the unusual growl from Charlie, a 4-year old llama.

Llamas have three sets of fighting teeth, seen in this skull.
The noise graduated to a high-pitched squeal, whereupon Charlie spit, flattened his ears back and bared his teeth, including the three sets of razor-sharp "fighting teeth," which llamas use to rip the scrotum from male competitors in the wild."

See the skull at link.

Travelprose.net Roadkill article

2005-11-22T14:14:00.000-06:00

link:
"On a large, grassy field, the contestants were erecting tents, setting up grills, and preparing their meats and seasonings. Signs at the various stations advertised 'Buzzard Breath Maggotini,' 'Turtle A1-A Road Soup,' and 'The Buck Stopped Here Pepper Steak.' Boy, was I glad I'd skipped breakfast to save room for all this."

Ah, yes... I remember picking up a really fresh roadkill and slinging it in the back of the truck. The surreptitious, guilty tagging of an ear on a mushy head.
:P
I won't mention what particular state (with lotsa skiing, in New England, with a famous "turning of the leaves" tourism industry and Maple syrup harvest) the hunters were from; but my hunting pals and I saw a deer hanging on a pole at our lodge that had some really badly broken front legs and no entrance/exit wounds.
:)
Tags:
hunting,roadkill,blog,grilling,bbq,barbecue

Bucky attacked: Deer lawn ornaments traumatized, but survive brutal nighttime ordeal

2005-11-21T18:46:00.000-06:00

link to full story

Concrete deer survive surprise assault.

(excerpt) " The fallen heavy buck ornament had its horns snapped and its stomach cracked.

The story gets more gruesome. A nearby concrete doe ornament - still somehow standing - had scratch marks on the tail and hind legs.

Evidence was soon found on the ground. The culprit was not a human vandal. Deep, fresh hoof prints were left by both ornaments..."

Random Emo pics

2005-11-20T21:56:00.000-06:00

West End Jeep Emo.

An Emo church.

Tags:
pics
Emo
bingorage
Northwestern Ontario
blog

Village variety renovation.

2005-11-20T21:42:00.000-06:00

Nov.21

Nov.18
Tags:
Emo
Northwestern Ontario
Bingorage
Blog
Pics

The Christmas Store - CVFM building; Fort Frances

2005-11-18T20:59:00.000-06:00

"The Christmas Store" is open again. In the Clover Valley Farmer's Market building; story at Fort Frances Living Online.

Tags:
Christmas
Fort Frances
Northwestern Ontario
blog

Deer Hunt North of Emo

2005-11-12T13:53:00.000-06:00

The hunt group.

The most interesting moment of my 2005 deer hunt, other than "walking the plank" (another story), was the "last minute".

"The guys"and I have been hunting together as a definable group for around a quarter-century. For as long as I can remember, my dad and I have been going off to deer camp (closer to twenty years). For the last ten years, my bud from MPLS has been part of our group. This year, we got two deer out of five guys and seven tags. My dad and I have another doe tag; so we will probably go out again some time... soon. Let me tell you how we got to my last minute.

Wilson Rd.

For years, the landowners had been telling us of the huge bucks that they had seen while cutting the cedar and poplar around the property. Great-bodied beasts with12+ points. As a kid and rookie, I was captivated by " The Monster of 'X' -Lake. I had never seen The Monster, myself, but others in the party claimed to have seen him, always in the deepest furthest reaches of the property. Places where the potential of getting a good shot were only overshadowed by the horrors of actually dropping the beast and having to drag it out of there. (We are still hunting without ATV; but as we get more infirm, the damned clangers are looking more and more attractive.) I of course had tracked the beastie on occasion, invariably following the huge hoofprints into the ugliest tangled shit that I could ever hope to get trapped in and would bow out (being hours behind anyways; but I could have been within ten yards of The Monster in that crap and never have known it).

We usually hunt the first weekend of Ontario's rifle season in Wildlife Management Unit 10 (WMU 10). The last eight years have been increasingly warm, however, and the rut seems to be delayed. At one point on this hunt, I was enduring August-like waves of blackflies on a ridge overlooking a little creek and valley, enduring 70+ degrees in sweat-soaked blaze sweatshirt, in November. No global warming... my ass. We prefer hunting in snow, to gauge deer-sign and aid tracking after a shot that isn't immediately fatal, but it had been relatively warm, windy and wet all week. The little deer-beasties had no reason at all to be moving, unless one of us spooked them up.

Wilson RD.

Our first deer wasn't taken until the fifth day of hunt. We had gone to an old, reliable spot in Blackhawk township that had already been hammered pretty hard, earlier in the week, by another party, but there lots of woods and deer out there. I had gotten into the woods fairly late and decided to make a stand behind the other guys, because deer use the numerous little valleys and ridges as escape routes between the hunters as they move into position at first light. My father had taken up a similiar position closer to the road, to my relative right. Of course; a doe came blazing over the ridge between us, negating a shot. She spotted me and swerved but never slowed. Probably crossed the skidder trail and dashed into the cedar swamp behind the ridge overlooking the old clearcut behind us. Dammit. I stayed put, lying on some soggy moss at the top of a low ridge, with poor shooting lanes because I'd taken my sweet time getting in and it was too bright to be moving around now. I should also mention that I had forgotten my radio and the clip for my rifle. I had two bullets and there would be a good three or four seconds between a first and second shot.

All of a sudden, there was a crisp "bang" from over the high ridge. Paul's position. Ahhh; good excuse to get up and stretch. I collected my hot seat, which had been my rifle rest on a jagged bit of rock, packed it in my sack, shouldered it and started to wander over to his position. I figured that if I had buggered up my own shoot, the least I could do was mule some venison, out to the road. When I got over the rise, Paul was still seated in his rock cradle and there was no sign of any other hunters. I hissed his name and signed "shot? you?". He shook his head and pointed across the valley. Jebus, somebody was pretty close to stepping on our toes out here. I retreated over the rise and quickly placed myself on top of the highest point overlooking "Buck Valley", my original destination.

I love hunting this site: it's got clear lanes across a thinly wooded valley, with sight lines across to the next ridge offering maximum shots of around 120 yards downhill, with sweet spots on a trail down the middle of the valley at about 80 yards. There are brackets of thick Balsam to the southern end of the valley and thick alder swamp at the north end. Good deer structure. However, I was late getting in and most of the action here takes place at first light, so I wasn't holding any great hopes, but the wind was with me, blowing through the valley, consistently crosswise, south to north. I lay down on the ridge at a point higher than I'd ever hunted the valley from before, but I was carrying a .300 Win. Mag., with a 9 power scope that could bring any shot in or across the valley into play. It's a flat shooter and I had a great rifle rest. The prone position is my favourite shooting position, wherever feasible.

Buck Valley, Blackhawk.

I had been in that spot for over an hour and was beginning to consider moving back towards the trucks when I spotted her. A good-sized doe doing her little waggle walk into the wind at the north end of the valley.

{At this point, I should tell you; When I got up to investigate the shot that I thought had come from Paul's position, I had left my second bullet nose down in a thick moss felt, where I thought it would give me the best chance at a reload. So, I was down to one bullet. :) }

I had a good broad-side look and placed a steady cross hair on her chest and squeezed the trigger.

Nothing happened. I'd left the damn safety on; fer crying out loud. I resisted the urge to boot myself in the ass, but promised to take care of that at a later point. The doe had walked behind a clump of Balsam in the middle of the valley, so I repositioned myself and waited for her to creep out on the right.

She came much faster than I expected, so I tried to whistle to get her attention, but no noise came from my dehydrated lips. (Late-night shenanigans catching up to me.) Instead, I drew the hairs on her and shouted "Hey!". She froze in her tracks and left me a clean look. I took the shot. The doe, bounced off, tail high in the air. Oh crap. I figured that I'd either missed her completely somehow, or there had been a second deer that tok off when I dropped her. The transition from scope vision to eye vision can be a little disorienting after a shot. I lit a smoke and waited, replaying the shot in my mind. It was perfect... unless the scope had been whacked seriously out of alignment, somehow. Tosh and I had spent a whole afternoon tuning the irons and they should have been on.

Paul came over the rise pretty soon and we smoked and chatted. Paul got first laugh rights on my one bullet, no clip situation as we shot the shit and fought the urge to run down the ridge, right away. After about twenty minutes from the shot, we eased ourselves down the mossy, jagged face and started searching where I was pretty sure I'd hit her. Nothing. I was crestafallen. Paul wandered towards the Balsam and whispered "Blood". Relief. More relief when I saw the blood sign; it had been a good hit and the deer would be within paper airplane distance.

Frosty Blackhawk.

We walked about twenty yards through the edge of the Balsam and found her on a low mossy ridge. Paul went to higher ground to get a radio signal and I put out some tobacco nearby before beginning to dress her. She cleaned well and was ready to move by the time the others arrived. I had tagged her with my extra "antlerless-only" tag and was pleased with her size. We dragged her out fairly quickly to the road. Southwest; skirting an Alder swamp where we'd been snake-bit, dragging before. If the skidder trail and clearcut access hadn't been blocked by some dickwad's camper, we may have dragged to the north; but we couldn't drive in there at the time.

[I haven't made too much squawk about that camper, but I'm pretty sure that blocking a road in crown territory with a semi-permanent structure isn't quite legal.
*Remind myself to get an opinion from someone at MNR, Eric.*]

Tosh got the second deer of the trip that evening at 'X'-Lake. After expounding
on the futility of shooting at a running deer (on the ride back to camp for lunch and nap-time) he goes and knocks down a galloping button buck with one shot from his .358 lever action "tinny piece of crap". Yeah... whatever.

Thursday was a non-starter and our Thunder Bay / Nipigon contingent had to bail, that day, after the morning hunt. The evening was a bummer, too.

The morning of the last day was different, though. We were greeted by three inches of powder snow that had fallen overnight. It was beautiful and perfect for hunting in.

Snowy 'X'-Lake.

We got into the woods at a good time, the air was crisp and still and conditions seemed perfect for seeing deer. There were no tracks and we didn't hear or see a thing the entire time on stand. After it got fairly bright and the wind picked up, I packed up and walked towards my father's position. He had a beautiful position with some great shooting lanes, but had seen nothing. I decided to walk towards Tosh's stand to see if I could push anything towards him. Again, nothing.

Tosh decided to walk down the trail past his stand a ways, and we crossed the track of a deer that must have peeked around the corner and seen him moving around, before buggering off into the creek paralleling his position, but separated by an impenetrable tangle of "sticker popple".

Snowy 'X'-Lake, 2.

We decided to walk back to the truck, picking dad up along the way. As we made our way back down the trail, I kept my rifle at the ready, because Tosh and I have a long history of jumping deer on this trail. I was especially alert when we came to the bog, because it afforded long views of major deer trails and crossings of a small clearing to our left. Again, silence and stillness. I put the rifle down across my waist as we approached the last bend in the trail, where the vehicle would be visible. Of course, a large buck jumped up from the right side of the trail, perhaps five feet into the woods, in a patch of tall grass. By the time it cleared the brush and ws stepping onto the trail, my rifle was up, but it took a moment to get the deer in the sight because of fog and snow crust. When I did get a good look at the deer, it was already starting into the bush on the left side of the trail. My biggest target was the ass, but I wasn't going to take that shot. I tried to focus in on the dark patch where the neck, shoulders and back meet, then took a shot while the deer was on the height of a bounce. I was immediately sure that I had missed. It was over and already I had started replaying those three or four seconds over and over.

We checked the point where the deer entered the woods... no blood. I followed his trail down hill, through poplar stands and conifer clumps. What huge hoofprints; If I'd been thinking properly I would have taken some pictures of his trail. It looks as if he never slowed down, eventually coming out to the clearcut and heading straight across it.

Snowy 'X'-Lake, 3.

I stood there, looking across the cut, knowing there would be no second shot. Some of the thoughts that went through my head: "Deer don't get that big being slow and stupid.", "I don't know when I'll ever get another shot at a buck like that.", "F*ck, f*ck,f*ck." and "I can't wait for Tosh to start giving me shit.".

Dad appeared at the edge of the cut, where the upper trail came down; he waited and I turned to join him.

Later; Tosh said that it was a hell of a great way to screw up the end of the hunt. Or something like that.

Tags:
Hunting
Emo
hunt story
bingorage
outdoorsman
Northwestern Ontario
deer
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Blind students get a shot at deer hunting

2005-11-11T21:21:00.000-06:00

Blind students go deer hunting. Espn story.

No... it's not the punchline for a dumb joke. The students were matched with a guide to tell them how to align their shotguns and when to pull the trigger. no mention of actual deer taken.

Not as silly as the online hunting site, Live Shot.com "Although hunting thru an internet connection has been banned by Texas, and several other states... We can now offer a unique hunting opportunity for disabled and handicapped hunters, as well as others, who may need the assistance of our system while hunting. But, due to the recent law, only if you have the ability to come to the ranch. This is offered in addition to the traditional hunting methods we offer at this, and various other, ranches throughout South and Central Texas."

hmmm.

Artwalk of Ranier

2005-10-16T00:23:00.000-06:00

Angie from ShesaSheila.com
is hosting the second "Artwalk of Ranier", Saturday, November 26/05, @ Woody's Fairly Reliable Pub and Resort. Ranier, MN, is just east of International Falls and directly across the mouth of the Rainy River from Pither's Point Park in Fort Frances. Ranier is quite literally closer to my place than my studio and "Downtown" , here in the Fort.
:)
Broken Vulture Art/Bingorage will be there; so should you.

Interested in participating? Drop an email to Angie:

angie@shesasheila.com

Tags:
International Falls
art
bingorage
Broken Vulture Art
crafts
blog

Our deer-hunt field blind

2005-10-15T21:19:00.000-06:00

Hunting stand designs at an Angelfire.com site

Dad and I put together our field blind, a couple weeks before deer season, in a field about six miles North of Emo. It's a pretty simple setup, with shooting ledges of 1x4 and brush and fabric strips to break up our outlines. In the first photo background, you can see the opening between a block of woods on the left (west) and a strip of trees between fields, leading to another block of forest to the right (east). Our blind overlooks this notch, at about 50/60 yards.

Tags:
hunting
Emo
deer hunt
field blind
Northwestern Ontario
blog

2005-10-12T20:24:00.000-06:00

Hybrid satellite / map hybrid view of EMO.

Some Emo pics:

Tags:
Emo
bingorage
pics
Northwestern Ontario
blog

Some "other" Emo links

2005-10-10T09:09:00.000-06:00

What is "emo"?
Emo Videogame
How can I dress "emo"?
How "emo" are you?

Tags:
Emo
Northwestern Ontario
blog
bingorage

Some Emo, Ontario links

2005-10-05T07:04:00.000-06:00

The "official" EMO webpages.

The Wikipedia (free "community" encyclopedia). If you would like to add information to the Wikipedia, regarding Emo, there is a simple sign-up process.

Emo restaurant listings. You can add restaurants and reviews to this page. Clicking "submit review" under the restaurant listing will send you to a page where you can register with an email and nickname, etc.

Regional Weather Radar

The Norlund Chapel

Tags:
Emo
Northwestern Ontario
bingorage
blog

2005-10-04T00:55:00.000-06:00

Mooseguts script-reading in International Falls.

Technorati Tags:
theater
Fort Frances
Northwestern Ontario
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2005-10-03T21:15:00.000-06:00

A collection of remixed pics at Drip and Spew. Giving a workout to my new photo editing software filters.

link

Tags:
digital art
pics
Blog
bingorage
Fort Frances
northwestern ontario

Clover Leaf and Malkin's Jam

2005-09-25T17:44:00.000-06:00

I was poking around the Internet and found out that Malkin's Jam has a website and they've got an entry for Cloverleaf Grocery (with pics)
Cloverleaf entry

Audio Foreword to "Case of the Rainbow Motel"

2005-09-24T00:06:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to the updated text of the Foreword, at The Rainbow Motel blog

Rainbow Motel Fiction

testing

2005-09-18T23:43:00.000-06:00

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