Jack wrestles the bear -NY Sportsman's Expo

Brother Jim & the power of focus

Catchy title for a post, but if you had been paying attention you'd know that the NY Sportsman's Expo doesn't have bear wrestling anymore.

What better way to hone your concentration skills prior to going to the New York Sportsman's Expo than a game of Scrabble?  Now, you may ask, "why are these concentration skills needed?"  I'll let you know.  I really just wanted to post the picture of Jim.

My brothers and I arrived at my parents' house, just outside of Syracuse, NY yesterday (1/25).  We are meeting up to attend the Expo and to purchase things we don't need.  Jim brought a pleasant surprise with him, his son Jack - the last best hope to carry on the Boushie name.  Jack, at 10, doesn't yet feel the weight of this awesome responsibility.

We will start the day (1/26) with a great breakfast, then head to the show.  More to come....

OK, it's about a week later.  I figure everyone has waited long enough.  Sadly, or fortunately, work has gotten in the way of blogging.

No Bull Jack

We had a great time at the Expo.  As soon as we entered the building from the subarctic cold, Jack knew what he wanted to do...ride the bull.  Let's just say that Jack shouldn't quit his day job to take up bull riding, if he had a day job to quit.  It was a riot to watch and Jack had a great time.

The show was a good mix of vendors and lodges/hunting packages.  There were also several activities for kids, including the bull riding and fishing.  Although it didn't seem like most of the kids were catching many fish.  Perhaps the Boy Scouts whipped them all down fishing themselves.

A Boushie not catching fish

The best part of the Expo was watching the Dock Dogs competition.  The dogs, mostly Labs with a Whippet and American Eskimo dog thrown in for good measure, would run down the ramp and dive after a thrown ball.  Most of the dogs showed lots of enthusiasm, if not skill.  I think our dog Cabot could excel at this event and maybe start to earn his keep.  There was one poor Lab who balked at jumping off the dock.  A sad embarrassment to the breed.

Blurry Dock Dog

Jack passed on the hat

While we didn't book any trips this year, most of us ended up with some "needed" things.  While I'm not sure that I would drive 5 1/2 hours (the weekend after the Sportsman's Classic) to see the Expo.  It was worth the drive to see my folks and brothers.  It was also worth the drive to pass on the tradition of the Boushie men...buying stuff they don't need at outdoor shows.  It was great getting together, enjoying each other's company, winning at Scrabble, and enjoying some great home cooking (and baking).

Poor old Sally (left) couldn't keep up with all the stories and commotion.  I think she's on to something, having a good nap next to a fire.

This may be one of the only outdoor blog posts finished at O'Hare International Airport while waiting to board a flight...to Vermont...on a Thursday...at 5:30 PM.  I'll check with the Guinness World Records people.

Yankee Sportsman's Classic

I'm still digesting all the information from the speakers and exhibitors at the Yankee Sportsman's Classic held this past weekend, from Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, January 18th - 20th.  I won't go into what products I bought, publications I subscribed to, or organizations I joined because there is always the chance, remote as it is, that my wife could start reading my blog.  Let's just say I did my part to defend our Second Amendment rights and I will be receiving at least one extra-large publication from Maine once a month.

It was great seeing a lot of kids at the show.  Many of them were trying their hands at target shooting, archery, and fishing.  Some kids were enjoying themselves by running around with a skunk skin over their arm pretending it was alive and scaring (I mean startling) older sportsmen .  There also seemed to be many spontaneous reunions between old classmates, neighbors, and friends.

 As of Sunday night, I failed to win two raffles.  I'm OK with that.  I have my sights set on the "TWO ALL-EXPENSE PAID MANITOBA, CANADA TROPHY WHITE TAIL DEER HUNTS & TIMBER WOLF HUNTING."  If I win I will, of course, declare the value of hunt to the IRS and pay taxes on it.  I guess I'll have to if I write about it!  I got two tickets, one for me and one for my dad.  I told my dad I'd take him if I won.  I'm hoping Dad will reciprocate the favor.  The drawing is on April 30th.  (I understand that even if you decide not to hunt timber wolves in Manitoba that is no guarantee that they won't hunt you.  Seriously.)

I had the pleasure of interviewing several of the seminar speakers and vendors.  Those interviews will appear in detail in upcoming blog posts.  Here is a quick summary of what I learned:

• Fanatical outdoorsmen are just plain interesting.  They have spent thousands of hours more than you (or least me) studying their craft.  They also probably tend to support the Second Amendment more than your average citizen.
• If you love your job it doesn't seem much like work.
• If you are a self-employed lodge owner and guide in Maine you work awfully hard.
• A professional game call maker can blow through a handheld pencil sharpener and make it sound like a hen turkey or mallard duck.  So when you buy the barred owl call, don't be surprised that it sounds like a constipated goose (not that I really know what that sounds like).  Becoming proficient with anything requires practice and lots of time spent with your dog launching himself at you each time you blow into the call.
• If you are going to rattle for deer in the Northeast, rattle for at least a half hour.  And real antlers work better than a rattle bag...unless they are from most Vermont deer, then just rub two pencils together.
• The best week for rattling success is the second week in November.  The best time of day to rattle is between 10 AM and 2 PM.  (This will make Dick M. happy and reduce our chances of ever taking a midday break at the local diner.)
• The best day to take a Boone and Crockett buck is on November 11th.  To be safe, you should probably hunt other days as well.
• When hunting in Manitoba, always load your gun 300 yards from the road - the minimum legal distance.  You may not be hunting wolves, but that isn't a guarantee they won't hunt you.
• Bucks grunt while fighting.  A doe rarely comes to a buck call.  A doe usually responds to a doe call.  Husbands usually respond to the "dinners ready" call.
• Never bait coyote using an entire cow carcass.
• Never have a frozen cow carcass dropped into the bed of your pickup truck - it could break out your back window.  (I suppose you should also mention it to your significant other that you intend to bring a cow carcass home.)
• Deer are just a fancy, glorified goat.  They will climb up to 3000 feet to avoid hunting pressure.
• Beagles don't bark around the house if you run them 9 miles a day.  Swim them if it is hot.
• Snowshoe hare have two uteruses (or is it uteri?), just the does, and are almost always pregnant, even when nursing a new litter.  Unlike rabbits, hare kits are born with fur and able to see.
• March is the best month to hunt hares in Maine.
• Wood ducks are the best tasting ducks.
• It is no wonder that collecting hand-carved decoys becomes an obsession for some.
• It is possible to try hunting waterfowl without going broke.
• Passion for the outdoors and wildlife is infectious...and not easily treated (even under Obamacare).

Brian and Leo at their booth

Let me thank the following for giving me their time and for answering my many questions:

• Bob Howe (owner and Maine Master Guide) with Pine Grove Lodge;
• Ken Hammel (owner) with Mountain Hollow Game Calls;
• Brian Bouchard (owner and guide) and Leo LaBonte (guide and decoy carver) with Fields Bay Outfitters; and 
• Wayne Laroche (owner and author) with Trackometer.

New York Sportsman's Expo, Jan. 25-27, 2013

Looks like the 2013 New York Sportsman's Expo at the New York State Fairgrounds will be a family reunion of sorts.  The Boushie boys will be heading home to Mom's good cooking to attend the Expo on Saturday, January 26th.  The Expo may never be the same.

Last time I attended was when Katie and Maddie were just little pumpkins and the Expo still had bear wrestling.  That's right, bear wrestling.  It was a fantastic show and probably about as safe as feeding bears at the dump (below).  That didn't always end well either.

Feeding the bears outside Tupper Lake

The Expo had a big black bear who would wrestle all comers.  The bear got a half a head of cabbage if it won - with which the bear seemed pretty pleased.  I don't recall what the prize was for the human wrestler if he won, although it never mattered.

These big guys would get up on stage and rush the bear (who was already on its back legs, like the picture above).  As the guy would get near the bear, the bear would just swat him and toss him off the stage - usually ripping the guy's shirt in the process.  As I said, great fun to watch.  No human came close to winning or came close to actually wrestling the bear.  All for half a head of cabbage.  I'd understand wrestling for a donut, but for a vegetable!

My wife, Karen, thought she could beat the bear.  Her idea was to slowly walk up and start scratching the bear's stomach.  She was convinced that the bear would just sort of lie down on its back like the family dog. That might have worked on the bear wrestlers, but I'm not sure it would work on the bear.  Remember, the bear did get half a head of cabbage if it won.

Sad to say the bear no longer works the Expo.  Perhaps it is a good thing, otherwise I'm sure one of us brothers would dare the other to go wrestle the bear.  It would make for an interesting article or post.

I'll be sure to take some photos while I'm there, but not of the bear.

Happy days afield or inside at the NY State Fairgrounds.

The older I get, the better I was

I have always enjoyed the company of old people.  I just never thought I'd become one.  Older people have the most, if not the best, hunting and fishing stories.  My cousin Sonny certainly has the most and, if not the best stories, some pretty good ones.

Over the holidays I saw many friends and heard a lot of hunting stories, many repeated at different parties we attended.  I also became aware of a recurring sub-theme, "I'm not as good as I once was."  These were stories of new aches and pains, echoed by most of  my friends . . . swollen knees, other knees with torn menisci, adult on-set diabetes, torn rotator cuffs, hips in need of replacement, lack of stamina, and on and on.  Then the common chorus, "when I was young, I could trail a deer all day...uphill."

Before, we men used to talk of heroic deeds of stamina and skill.  Now, we older men talk of the lightest, most comfortable seats we can carry in the woods.  The tree hammock seems to have been the winner at one Christmas party.  What did the old Irish Spring soap commercial say, "Manly yes, but I like it too."

Brother Kirk and me on one of our first hunts

One thing is for sure, God does have a sense of humor.  I'm convinced that aging is some twisted gift that, one day, allows us to stand humble before God.  I'm living proof of that.  Fortunately and unfortunately, I've been blessed with a pretty good memory.  Fortunately, I can fondly recall a fair amount of my happy childhood.  Unfortunately, I can also remember too many stupid things I said, or did, or uninformed thoughts I held as a youth.  I remember riding my father because he wasn't active enough and boldly stating that I would never be heavy or out of shape.  I was wrong.  I recall thinking little of "so-called" sportsmen who used scopes to hunt.  When my vision started to deteriorate from 20/15 to needing to wear bifocals, I ended up buying scopes for all my rifles.

They say that youth is wasted on the young.  I used to think that that meant that young people were not smart enough to appreciate that they were having a good time and enjoying the freedom of being young.  At the time, I didn’t buy that.  I thought I did appreciate being young.  I think "youth is wasted on the young" has a more fundamental meaning that cannot be appreciated by the young.  Youth cannot know what it means to wake up with the normal aches and pains of getting older.  Youth cannot appreciate the physical limitations, some minor and others more profound, placed on the more mature outdoorsman.

One thing I have always treasured, whether young or in my current state of being "not young," is the hunting stories of older outdoorsmen.  A younger sportsman's stories just don't have the right sense of setting, development, or timing.  (This may be, in part, because they haven't had the opportunity of retelling them for 20 years.)   They are also missing the nostalgic glint in the older storyteller's eye that brings the listener back to another time and place.

So here is to all my older friends, family, and mentors.  I never really doubted the hunting prowess of your youth.  Thank you for still making the effort to get outside and enjoying the company of others - whether or not your efforts result in success.  And thank you for the great stories of past hunts and past trips.  Let's hope there are many stories left in years to come.  And to the not-yet-old, we are delighted at your passion for the outdoors and thanks for listening to all our stories...some of them are even true (at least in part).

Happy days afield.

Yankee Sportsman's Classic 2013

I'm looking forward to the Yankee Sportsman's Classic this coming Friday through Sunday, January 18th through 20th, at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction.

My tentative schedule for seminars is:

Friday
1 PM  Trophy Whitetail Calling Tactics: Ken Hammel
2 PM  Coyote Hunting: Bob Howe
3 PM  Tactics for Hunting Mature Whitetails: Scott Kirkpatrick
4 PM  Hunting Big Woods Bucks: Hal Blood & Chris Dalti
5 PM  2012 Big Buck Adventures: The Benoit Brothers

Saturday
11 AM  Hare Hunting: Bob Howe
12 PM  VT Deer Outlook: Adam Murkowski (VTFW deer biologist)
1 PM  Black Bear Tactics: BWB Prostaff, Tom Hamilton & Mike Stevens
2 PM  Training for Retrievers, Pointing and Flushing Dogs: Alec Sparks
4 PM  Whitetail Hunting & Tracking: Joe DiNitto & Jim Massett

It appears I'll be working the Ducks Unlimited booth for a couple hours on Sunday.  If you read this and stop by the booth maybe Art will buy you lunch!

If I miss a seminar on Saturday, I can make it up on Sunday.  It should be informative and, who knows, maybe I'll get an interview or two out of it.

Hope to see my local friends there.

A hunter's prophylactic

I can just see my daughters cringe at this post.  Yes, I am going to discuss a hunter's use of condoms.  "Don't say that word!"

When I was hunting with Jim and Paul during muzzleloader season this past year, I noticed that Paul put electrical tape over the end of his barrel...to keep his powder dry.  I had not done that before and was wondering whether it was necessary and whether it would impact shot ballistics.  (To impact shot ballistics a shot must be fired, so this is clearly outside my range of expertise.)

Fast forward a month.  I'm reading Outdoor Life magazine (December/January 2013) and I noticed a short write up on a muzzle condom.  The actual product, by Walhog Wilderness, is called the "gun-jimmy" and it is used to cover the barrel muzzle to keep moisture and debris from fouling the inside of the barrel.

After reading the advertisement in Outdoor Life, I Googled "gun condom." OK, so my search results weren't exactly on point, especially the site for "one big gun condom."  That can be a topic for someone else's blog post. I did learn that GIs used condoms during WW II (wait, there is more) on their rifles when storming beaches - to keep sea water and debris out of their rifle barrels.

One web site recommended using finger cots (think of a condom for your finger - pictured). A box of these averages about $0.04 per cot, versus about $1.50 per gun-jimmy. It appears that finger cots come in different colors, but I'm not sure if they come in black to match your gun barrel. If the color of your rifle prophylactic is important, then spend the extra $1.46 and get the gun-jimmy. You have to give Walhog Wilderness credit for marketing.

Picture for www.walhogwilderness.com

According to my not cited, but vast research, the air compression coming out of the barrel after a shot is fired will tear the gun condom or push it off the muzzle before the bullet arrives.  In case you were wondering, as it says on the packaging, the gun-jimmy is "not for medical use."  Besides, who wants to brag about having only a .30 cal...never mind.

While the Catholic Church has made its position against products such as the "one big gun condom" known, it is not clear whether or not the Catholic Church has taken an official position for or against the gun-jimmy gun condom. So go ahead and use one to keep your barrel clean. You can always go to confession later.

Mountain Gazette, January 10, 2013 Edition, page 7

New Year's Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are often focused on making things better, usually ourselves.  These resolutions often fail because despite our best efforts to live healthier and rid ourselves of our bad habits, resolutions are usually no fun and are difficult to keep.

What if resolutions were enjoyable, good for you, and good for those around you?  I have been accused of offering advice when none was requested.  In that spirit of helpfulness, if you are looking for assistance in coming up with a suitable resolution, or two, or three, then read on for some suggestions.

•  Teach a young girl to shoot a bow just like Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games or teach a young boy to shoot a bow just like you or another legend.
•  Make a resolution to explore new spaces for hunting and fishing.  Keep your rod and reel in your car so you can cast a line someplace new if you have a few minutes to spare.
•  Introduce a non-hunter to venison or other wild game (the venison from the old buck that has been in the freezer for over a year might not be the place to start on this one).
•  Get involved…and enjoy it.  Join one of the many groups out there like the Ruffed Grouse Society, Trout Unlimited, or Ducks Unlimited.  Attend their dinners.  Meet new people and volunteer some time to help on a project.  Attend a meeting or two to learn from some knowledgeable local and national speakers about topics you enjoy.
•  Introduce a friend to nature.  Take someone snowshoeing and show them animal tracks.  Watch their surprise as a grouse flushes from its snow roost.  Take a hike and show them deer rubs and scrapes.
•  Learn a new woodsman skill.  You may have been an outdoorsman your entire life, learn a new skill to better understand and appreciate our native woodlands.
•  Take someone hunting or fishing who is either too young or too old to go by themselves.  Both you and they will remember the day for years.
•  Take up a new and complimentary “hobby”; something to get you out in the woods during the off season.  Take up photography, bird watching, hiking, canoeing – something to get you outside; something you can do with family or friends.  And it is definitely alright to do some scouting when you are outside.
•  Support your local fly shop and hunting shop.  While Cabela’s is great, check out your local outdoor shop first.  It is great to have and to maintain local resources.

If you are still looking for another resolution, then go ahead and lose 10 pounds and read some of the classics.

To comment or suggest new topics, please visit www.sportingafield.blogspot.com.

http://www.mountaingazetteofvermont.com/

A great product for the outdoorsman or woman

You are away at hunting camp with your buddies. You shoot the biggest buck of your life and are dragging it back to camp when you take a bad fall and break your leg. Luckily one of your friends finds you, gets you out of the woods, and gets you to the local clinic. You are in quite a bit of pain can can't think straight - can't recall your wife's cell phone number; can't recall your medications or the dosages. This scenario isn't too far fetched. OK, maybe the biggest buck of your life is a bit out there.

It isn't often that I will rave about a product, but RoadID® is such a great idea that I have recommended it to several people and have given it as a gift to several others. RoadID® was originally developed for runners and cyclists, but I think RoadID® is perfect for anyone who spends any time in the outdoors, whether by themselves or not. RoadID® is an ID bracelet (dog tag, anklet, or shoe attachment) that provides first responders (or anyone else) with all of your critical information. The bracelet itself will usually have your name and other information such as a home phone number or town and state. The ID also has both a number to call as well as a web site and a personal identification number (PIN). Someone calling the number or going on the web site and entering the PIN has access to a host of information that you have entered previously, such as critical phone numbers for family members or other emergency contacts, your doctor's name and number, medical conditions, medications and dosages, allergies (to food, medicines, insects, and other things), and a host of other information that you can include.

RoadID® can save lives if someone is injured and can't communicate critical information. The beauty of the product is that it is interactive. You can go online and change any of your information as often as is necessary and you never have to get a new bracelet or other ID. It is perfect if you have a condition that requires medications that change over time.

The IDs range from $15.99 to about $24.99. I settled on the "wrist ID slim" which is about 1/2 inch wide and is $15.99. (See the picture to the right.)  The cost covers your first year of registration. Registration for subsequent years is only $9.99. A small price to pay for some peace of mind.

More information about RoadID® can be found on www.RoadID.com.  (I have contacted the company and they are considering offering readers of my blog a discount. As soon as I hear anything I'll include details as a standalone blog post.  They also said it might take them a while to decide on whether to offer a discount and what that discount would be, which is why I'm moving forward and publishing this post.)

Happy and safe days afield.

A corrosive story

Winter has finally come to Vermont.  Winter is defined by our household as having enough snow to snowshoe and cross-country ski.  Downhill skiing doesn't factor into this definition since the ski resorts can manufacture their own snow.

So winter is here; a good opportunity to go snowshoeing with my wife (who is in very good shape and weighs about as much as my right leg).  Some would say that it is also a good time to give my wife another opportunity to "off me" and use the insurance money to build a horse barn.  I would never say such a thing, but others might.  Imagine my horror, my surprise, my utter disappointment when I discovered that my LL Bean snowshoe boots had corrosion on and in the eyelets.  For shame!  I can live with the corrosion, but two of the eyelets (shown) were so caked with corrosion that the shoelaces were locked in place.  I was able to use my other LL Bean boots, the famous Maine Hunting Shoe, and still go snowshoeing, but that is not the point of the story.  I also survived the outing, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this...although my wife did lead me directly up a series of hills just to see if a barn was in her immediate future.

When we arrived back home and my heart rate returned to normal, I contacted LL Bean via on-line chat to ask how to clean the eyelets.  After some consultation, the LL Bean employee recommended baking soda and water or baking soda and vinegar.  It was pretty cool watching the chemical reaction of adding baking soda to vinegar.  The mixture did help somewhat, but it did not get the corrosion inside the eyelets.

Mel's secret weapon

I explained my dilemma to Mel at the Jericho General Store and he suggested Flitz.  I had never heard of it.  Mel lent me a small tube (picture left).  It worked great on the parts of the eyelets you could reach - better than the baking soda and vinegar.

I also used Flitz on my Maine Hunting Shoe eyelets which had a small amount of corrosion on the eyelets.  Flitz cleaned them right up, then I used Jim's trick of using a Q-tip to apply some WD-40 to the eyelets to prevent any recurrence of corrosion.

The Bean snowshoe boots went back to Leon Leonwood today for them to repair or send me a credit.  I'm pretty sure they won't try to repair them and I will have to see what I get for a credit.  [Update: I just received an e-mail from LL Bean and they are sending me a $69 credit for the boots, certainly standing by their pledge of customer satisfaction.  Thanks Bean's.  Since I already got new boots, maybe I'll apply the credit towards some new chest-high waders!]

Thanks to Mel and Jim for their suggestions.  I did order a replacement pair of boots from LL Bean.  I can write about buying new boots because my wife never reads my blog!