Jake’s Outdoors

Local Archery Team Heads to Nationals

Meigs Local School District must have a great archery coach!  The elementary school, the middle school, and the high school all three made it to the national competition that will be held this Saturday in Louisville, KY.  There will be 3000 students who will meet to compete.

According to one of the students on the team, they practice 2 hours per day, 3 days per week.  I suppose that is why they are so good!  I would have loved to have had an archery team when I was in high school.  I am so glad that there are programs like this where kids can learn the skills that are taught by archery.  An article from the local news station had this to say:

The good thing about archery is you don’t have to be an outstanding athlete, super strong or the perfect weight and size—it’s all about the mental.

“It levels the playing field. You can be a computer geek or a star athlete and still have to follow the same rules and use the same equipment,” said Coach Jones.

And the lessons beyond the target are what keep these kids right on target.

“There’s a lot of concentration and focus that they can also use in the classroom when they’re taking a test or when the teacher is talking to them,” said Coach Jones.

Archery is such a great sport for all the reasons that are mentioned in the quote above.  It is a sport that teaches good characteristics like focus, and concentration (perhaps more than any other sport).  It is also a sport that nearly every person can do.  Even those that are handicapped in some way can participate in archery.  So, kids that may not be capable of participating in other sports, or maybe are just not good at those sports, or don’t like them, can join in with archery.

Good luck to the Meigs Local schools at the national competition on Saturday.  I hope they do well.  Just making it to that level is a great accomplishment.  But, if they are anything like me, that won’t be good enough!  They will do their very best, and try to take it all!

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USA Fly Fishing Team? How Cool Is That?

I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as a USA Fly Fishing Team!  But, it appears that it is time to add a few new members to the team.  According to the Patriot News, the team will be adding 6 new members, ages 14-18.  I guess that rules me out.  But just think how cool it would be to be chosen for a National Fly Fishing Team!

The National Championships this year will be in Penacova, Portugal.  What a great opportunity for these young guys or gals to be able to travel to a place like that to fish!  New members are chosen for their fly fishing abilities, as well as their maturity and coachability.  I would think a 14 year old would have a hard time being ready to take the pressures of traveling the world, and fishing in competitions like this, but I am sure there are some out there!  I am also guessing that there is a lot of competition for the limited spots available on the team–much like other sports’ national teams.

Last year, there were two teams from the USA.  One team finished 4th, just one fish out of the bronze medal, and the other team finished 7th in the World Championships.  There were also teams from Canada, The Czech Republic, England, France, Ireland, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain.

If I remember to do so, I am going to check up on the new team, and see how they do.  Here’s wishing the Youth USA Team luck during the year!

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Tuesday’s Tracking: Idaho Trout Hunter

I’m checking in a little late today, but I didn’t want to miss the Tuesday’s Tracking this week. Thought I’d cast a line in the direction of Ol’ Eagle Eyes over at the Idaho TroutHunter! Eagle Eyes’ site is on my daily read least, and I try to get over there and check it out every day…its been harder and harder to read my daily read list lately!

I enjoy the Idaho TroutHunter blog because I enjoy reading about fishing from all over the country. It is fun to be able to read about different styles of trout fishing, and see fish from different places. If you look at the TroutHunter blog, you will see some nice pics of big fish on the front page.

I think another reason that I like The Idaho TroutHunter is because he writes of places that I have never been, and may never get to go. I would, however, like to get out there and wet a line one of these days. I enjoy my WV mountains and the beautiful little brookies that we have, but One day I’d really like to tie into one of those big western trout. Who knows, fate may carry me to big trout country one of these days!

Eagle Eyes has made some changes on his blog over the last few weeks, and it is looking great. He has some cool widgets around his blog, including some video clips. I may have to get that widget and add it to some of my blogs as well!

Eagle Eyes has also opened up a forum to discuss various fishing topics. I don’t get in there as often as I would like, but I do enjoy jumping in there and looking around. I’m going to try and jump in there and read a bit more, and maybe even try to participate more. I really enjoy reading what others have to say in a lot of the outdoor, hunting and fishing forums. I guess I should be a bit more active in there too!

So, thanks Eagle Eyes for the enjoyable read. I look forward to future posts!

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Another WV Hunting Accident Tragedy…

I heard this on the news a day or so ago, but had not written about it because I am tired of writing about negative things that have to do with hunting.  But, it is a pretty big story, so I thought I would share it with you.

A 16 year old boy was shot while turkey hunting near the town of St. Albans, WV.  Evidently he was hunting with a bow and arrow, and was shot in the head by another hunter who was hunting with a 12 gauge shot gun.  The second man is 19 years old.  You can read a bit more about it in this article from the Charleston Gazette.

This type of story is so discouraging to me.  Here was a young hunter, who evidently was not doing anything wrong, who was shot by someone who was very careless in his hunting methods/ethics.  I was talking about this story with a friend of mine last night, and he said that he couldn’t understand how this could happen.  Rule number one in hunting is:  Identify your target!  If you absolutely know what you are shooting at, then you cannot make a mistake such as this one.  It is a simple rule, and needs to be hammered into the heads of our new, young hunters.  There is no game animal out there worth the life of another person.  That means, if there is any doubt, you have to pass the shot.  I realize that it is often the case that people will get excited, and shoot in their excitement.  That is no excuse for this kind of mistake!

Another huge issue I have with this story is that the shooter simply left this 16 year old in the woods.  He ran away.  How can you be so inhumane as to leave another person, either wounded or dead, in the woods about a mile from the nearest road?  I don’t know the full situation, but there had to be some possibility that the young boy was still alive when he was left behind.  There is no excuse for this type of behavior…and this isn’t about hunting!  It is about common human decency.

I realize that any activity that includes loaded firearms has the potential for being dangerous.  Every state has programs to teach people how to hunt safely.  But, for some reason it just doesn’t seem to be sinking in!  There have been several fatal turkey hunting accidents (carelessness?) this year already.  I don’t know what the solution is, but I am sure that something will be done to try and  bring down the rate of these shootings.  But, as I once heard someone else say, “You can legislate stupidity.”

It appears that charges will be filed against the 19 year old who did the shooting in this case.  That is a good thing.  I think he should be punished severely.  I know some will say, “But it was only an accident.”  That may be true, but it was an accident that never should have happened.  He had full control over what was happening, and he pulled the trigger on another person.  The 16 year old’s family now has lost a son, and he won’t be brought back.  What this story doesn’t mention is that the “family member” who found the body was the 16 year old boy’s little brother.  Imagine that for a minute!  This man needs to be prosecuted for at least manslaughter, and reckless endangerment, and he needs to spend time in prison for this.  Such severe punishment might make the next person think more before shooting.

Folks, if you are going to take on the responsibility of hunting, then you need to learn to do it safely.  Don’t shoot unless you are 100% sure of the target, and what lies behind it.  I can’t imagine pulling the trigger only to find that I had just shot someone.  Don’t put yourself in that position.  I am far more concerned about the idiots out there that shoot first and ask questions later!

SIDE NOTE:  I saw that Arthur has requested a post about “Why I Hunt”, and I am going to do that because it is such a good idea.  I just want to take at least a couple of days to organize my thoughts before getting to it.  I do look forward to the other posts on the subject!  BTW, I love the new graphics Arthur has put up on his site!

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Tuesday’s Tracking: A Blessed Crazy Life

Today’s Tuesday’s Tracking goes out to A Blessed Crazy Life.  This blog has been on my daily read since before I started a daily read list.  In fact, it was this blog that inspired me to start a special section on my blog roll highlighting the “Daily Read.”

Blessed (as she is known in the blogging world) writes this blog, which is not strictly a “hunting blog.”  She keeps us informed (albeit cryptically) about much that happens in her life, and with her family, and pets.  She has been writing recently about some of her dogs.  She recently lost one dog, which is always sad.  But she has also been writing about her Labradors, which just happens to be my favorite kind of dog.  I have two of those myself!  Make sure and check out her contest that is running right now (which I still haven’t thought about long enough to send in my entry, but I hope to do soon.)

One thing I have really enjoyed about Blessed’s blog is the pictures of the many mounts that she has throughout her home.  Her family has a great selection of different game animals, birds and (I think) fish.  It makes my collection (one deer head) look pitiful, but inspires me to want to add a few more to what I have!  The mounts she has are very well done, so she must have a great taxidermist!

Blessed is great about visiting other blogs and leaving comments.  She always adds something profitable to the discussion.  I enjoy reading what she writes, on her own blog and in the comments of so many other blogs.  It is nice to see someone so involved in our blogging community.

Blessed also recently took me up on some advertising on another of my blogs, and she wrote a great review of a couple of my blogs.  Thanks so much Blessed for all you do among our group of blogging friends!

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Dead Bear Found on Porch in Man, West Virginia

This would be a shocking “good morning” to you! Elaine Short, of Man, WV, woke up to found a 500 lb black bear dead on her porch. Evidently a 16 year old neighbor shot the bear with his bow and arrow, and it wandered off to the Short’s house, where it expired sometime in the night.

The bear had evidently been tagged at least twice by the DNR. This early in the spring, it is not surprising that the bear wandered closer to homes, as it was probably looking for something to eat.

What shocks me about this story is that the 16 year old that shot the bear, out of season, was only issued a warning by the State DNR. I suppose that they were “going easy” on him because of his age, but I think they are making a mistake! There is already a huge problem in this state with poaching, and to simply give a warning to this youngster is not good enough. He knew what he was doing when he shot this bear, and he should have some punishment to follow his actions. The only exception to this (and there may still be more to come out of the story) is if there was some danger and he shot the bear in defense of self or property. Thus far, there is no indication of this. I am not advocating locking him up in jail, or even stripping his license for ever, but I do think that some punishment is justified to show him just how serious this type of offense is. Let him do some community service. Let him work with the DNR for a few weeks. Let him get a real taste of what respect for the outdoors, and the wildlife is about!

Photo courtesy of WOWK TV, and Credited to Elaine Short. Click on it to see a larger image of this great bear!

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Take a Kid Fishing…

I saw this article online today, and it has spurred me into wanting to take my kids fishing. I hate to say that I have to be spurred into taking them fishing, but things around here have been incredibly busy. However, my 5 year old has been asking for several weeks to go fishing. I am going to have to try and find a good place that is somewhat close by where he can find some fish. I know there are a couple of smaller lakes that are nearby that are stocked by the DNR, so I will have to find out when they will be stocked.

The author of this article mentions how early he started fly fishing. I have been thinking about that very thing with my son. I know that some folks have started their kids as early as 2-3 years old, but I’m not sure my son had either the patience or the coordination to start into fly fishing at that age, especially since we don’t have a convenient place for him to practice. But, now that he is 5 years old, he may be able to start dabbling in it. I would like to get a hold of a small 6 foot 2 or 3 weight set up for him…it could then serve double duty for me when I want to fish small mountain streams for native brook trout.

I started my son out on a little Zebco (I think) Tigger rod. But, now he is ready for something a little more substantial. I am going to take him over to Wal-Mart and let him get an Ugly-Stik ultralight combo. That makes a great combo for trout, and I like the fact that they are virtually unbreakable. It is what I use when I go trout fishing, and is also perfect for pan fishing.

So, I am going to try to be more diligent to take my kids out fishing now that it is getting warmer. I know they enjoy it, and I enjoy taking them. It is a bit difficult to find a place that is both safe, and has plenty of fish. Remember, if you are taking a kid fishing, make sure they have a safety vest on in case they fall in. I know that we often fish near fast moving water, and I wouldn’t feel safe if my kids didn’t wear their vests. The same can be true around lakes. Give them a vest, and make sure they wear it!

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Product Review: SpiderWire XXX Super Mono

A few days ago, I wrote a post about my first fishing trip of the year on the Williams River in the mountains of West Virginia. Overall, it was a very good day, and we enjoyed ourselves. However, I did try a new product that day, which turned out to be a disappointment. I have done a few reviews on this site, and I think all of them have been positive. I guess there is a first time for everything!

Every year at the beginning of the season, I replace the old fishing line on my poles with new line. I am always looking for strong, fine line that is smooth and easy to use. I have tried several, some with good results, some with not so good results. This year’s experiment was of the latter experience.

I chose the new SpiderWire XXX (using that name will get my blog blocked by some filters!) Super Mono in 4 pound test. My first indicator that I wasn’t going to be extremely pleased with this line was when I got finished putting it on the reels. The line seemed a little stiff, and would jump over the reel, making it difficult to keep it from getting tangled right off the bat. I thought I may have just over filled the reels, so I didn’t worry too much about it.

However, when we hit the water, i found there were several other problems with this line. I found out very quickly that the line was not very smooth, as most of the time when I would tie knots, I could not get them to tighten down properly. It was as if there were knicks in the line, which kept it from getting tight on the hook. Several times during the day, while tying on hooks, the line simply broke off instead of drawing down tight. There were a couple of times during the day that I broke off fish at the hook, which indicates a weakness in the line. Some may think that perhaps I just didn’t know what I was doing tying on these hooks, but I have used tons of line, and been fishing hundreds of times…I think I know what I am doing. For reference, I was trying to use an improved clinch knot to tie on hooks.

Also, in my previous post, I told you about taking my friend Chad fishing for the first time. He had a lot of trouble with the line. It did keep jumping over the reel, as if it were too stiff. Being inexperienced, he didn’t know what to watch for, and ended up with several real messes. A couple of times, the line jumped the reel, and got tangled in the gears behind the reel. Granted that the broader problem was a result of his inexperience, but the line jumping the reel, especially when it had begun to run down after the first several tangles.

My take on this line is that I will not ever be using it again. I was tired of fighting with the line by the end of the day. i will be removing what is left of the line, and putting something else on my reels. If you all have used this line, and had better experiences, let me know. I may have just gotten a bad box. I did write a note to SpiderWire on their website. We will see if I get any kind of response.

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Outdoorsmen are Susceptible to Heart Attacks

I think we all know that hunters and fishermen (those not sitting on a boat fishing) are more susceptible to heart attacks. In fact, some research indicates that the rate of people who die in “hunting related endeavors” is seriously raised by heart attacks. In hunting seasons, more people will die from a heart attack than will die of gun related accidents. Ironically, I often hear the media report such incidents as if they were gun related. How often have you heard a reporter speak of a heart attack as a “hunting accident”? I know I have!

But, since we as outdoorsmen (there are higher incidents of heart attack among men than among women, at least in conjunction with the outdoor sports) are so susceptible to heart attacks, I thought I would share with you a website that I found that has to do with understanding heart attacks. You can jump over to the St. Jude’s Medical Center page dedicated to Sudden Cardiac Arrest if you want to learn more.

It is amazing to me how much progress has been made with heart health, and preventing heart attacks. I have a friend who has had an implantable cardioverter defibrillator put in his chest for some time now, and it has had a great impact on his ability to live a more normal life. In fact, he most likely would not be alive today if the device had not been implanted years ago. Unfortunately, he had a problem recently with the device, and had to undergo surgery to replace the wire leads, but he seems to have come through it pretty well, and is recovering.

I think this is an area that many outdoorsmen could make improvements. We need to identify whether we are at risk for heart attack, and try to take preventions to avoid it. I know that I could lose some weight before next hunting season to help avoid this threat (and I am trying to do it!). Other elements that may impact a person’s likelihood of heart attack include previous heart problems, smoking and strenuous labor that you may not be used to. I found a really good article over at HuntingNet.com written by Tracy Breen that addresses some of these issues. There is a really good chart, showing the increased heart rates of certain activities related to hunting in some hunters that were being monitored. I know that makes me think!

If you get a chance, check out the two videos on the St. Jude’s page, InsideCardiacArrest.com. There is some very good information available there, which will help you to evaluate yourself, and the chance you may have of succumbing to a heart attack. As is stated on the page, don’t limit yourself to the information found there…be sure and check with your own doctors!

Thanks to InsideCardiacArrest.com for helping to support this blog!

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Tuesday’s Tracking: A Little Self Promotion…

I hope you all will indulge me a bit today with the Tuesday’s Tracking. I wanted to let you all know about a couple of new(er) blogs that I have been writing, because I thought you all might enjoy them. Before long, I may have more than I can reasonably keep up with!

Some of you have probably seen the first one that I want to mention. It is called The Next Best Thing, and focuses on different topics related to the internet and to blogging. Though I certainly am no expert blogger, I try to share some of the things that I have come across in making blogs, and trying to improve them. I also write about various methods of making a few bucks here and there off of the internet. Again, I am no expert in these areas, but I am trying to share what has worked for me, and what has not (so that maybe you won’t waste the money that I have!) You might be particularly interested in the sections about blogging, and the sections about design stuff. Let me know if you find anything useful!

The second blog that I just started is called Shooting from the Right, and I am planning to use it more for political and current events centered discussions. You all have probably figured out from some of the stuff that I have written here that I am pretty conservative when it comes to my politics, so you will certainly find more of that over at the new blog. That may suit some of your fancies, and others may not like it…drop in and check it out! I am hoping to share the writing on that blog with one of my brothers (Aaron), so that I won’t have to keep it updated all the time by myself. He is a good writer, and a good thinker, so I am really looking forward to sharing this project with him. If he ever gets a post up, make sure and leave him a comment so he doesn’t get discouraged. He has tried this blogging thing before, rather unsuccessfully, so I am hoping to prod him into sticking with it this time! By the way, Aaron is Cheyenne’s Daddy…just so you can connect all the dots in this blogging family!

Thanks for letting me share some of these new blogs with you. I hope you enjoy them, and that they might be helpful to you. Stop into the Next Best Thing for some good tips, and stop into Shooting from the Right for some good discussions. Jump in on both!

I also thought that I would mention that I have 5 advertising slots open on Shooting from the Right. Because it is a brand new blog, I am not trying to sell these slots. I am offering them for the price of a blog post. If you would like to put a 125 X 125 ad on that blog, simply send me the graphic for the ad, and then write a blog post linking the two blogs highlighted in this post. Ads “purchased” in this way will be good for AT LEAST one month (probably longer). If you are interested, drop me a line in the comments!

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