Tracks in the Snow (and Crappies Under the Ice)

When I was out fishing this past weekend I saw a long trail of FRESH coyote tracks on an old road that I myself found I was also using for travel. The coyote couldn’t have left those tracks much more than half an hour ago. Coyote season has once more
come upon this boy.

Next week, over break I’ll surely be doing some calling and hunting with dogs to catch these predators, but when I return I’d like to pursue some coyotes around home. What better place would there be then to return to the place where I know there’s a coyote, so I’ll be heading out to the lake very soon with a gun behind the seat and my coyote call in my pocket… and my fishing poles in the back, so as to catch some fish if I fail on the hunt. If it just wasn’t for school, then my life would be one of the best in the world. Not to many get to go hunting and fishing all in just the passing of just a few short hours.

On a different note, late this past summer my cousin Tyler and I were putting a hurt on some crappies on one of our grandfather’s pastures, and we released all but the nicest four that we had caught in hopes of letting them get a little bigger for this winter. Now the time has come to reclaim these speckles (crappies) and we turned out some really great ones and there was quite a number of them as well and I’m really excited to see if we can catch them again over break.

First Ice Fishing Trip of the Year

I finally made it out on the ice this weekend, as Spencer and I loaded up our poles, and auger to try our luck at some of Iowa’s finest fish species, the bass and the bluegill. We started out on a half acre pond that is hidden away in Pleasant Creek State Park and after some quick success there, tried the main lake.

It was apparent that no soul had fished this pond this winter as there was no tall-tale sign of footprints or holes in the lake. We quickly nailed in a couple of holes near the deepest part of the pond and soon a few fish were spotted with the Vexilar. We continued on for a couple of hours catching a fair share of ‘gills and one bass, and the great thing about this pond was that we were sheltered from the snow storm and the unusually strong winter winds. However, it wasn’t too long until we wanted to chase after some crappies and some walleyes. We packed up the sled and made the one mile track back to the truck. As we drove to the lake it was easy enough to tell that we would soon be facing the winds and the full strength of the storm on the unsheltered lake. Ten minutes on the lake and with a couple of fish just spotted on the sonar the 40 mph (my approximation, it felt like a Category 5 hurricane to this Iowa boy) hit our small shelter. In disbelief, we were soon being pushed around on the lake in the sled-like shelter and we had long lost the holes we were fishing out of after we were pushed off of them by the wind. We made our way out of there after the battle of putting down our shelter and helping a lone fisherman next to us take down his, it was a good way to start off the year and I most likely won’t be so eager to head out on the ice again (or at least until I forget about being blown off the lake, so I’ll be out in two days then, surely I would forget by then). Good luck and good fishing!

Preseason Victories

Those not involved with winter sports have been preparing themselves physically for the next year’s football season. All of the coaches are excited for the talent and hard work that they see in this team and we are working harder in this preseason that ever before. We have been weightlifting and are making some vast improvements and are also working on our agility, not to mention that we are working on coming together as a team and becoming familiar with our new teammates.

The Cougar football team and I have been lifting every school day, except on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays we perform mat drills (which are similar to the ones done during the weightlifting competition at Washington High School), which are rigorous workout routines primarily done without weights involved. There about 25 of us in their every Wednesday along with Coach Lewis, varsity coach, and Coach Meyers, sophomore coach. We really get the sweat and blood going as we do various agility and endurance drills in tune with the rock music listened to by Coach Lewis when he was a football player.

We never take a break during this Wednesday morning session at 6. It is non- stop movement and many times a few of the guys that brave eating anything before these workouts fill the wrestling room with the smell of their vomit. Oh the joy of football. We all make a few jokes at them and then they are right back at it like the rest of us. It is evident that we can’t all be excited at waking up at 5 and throwing our bodies to the extreme, but we are coming together as a team. There is nothing quite like brutal tests of endurance and strength (of mind and arm) to bring young men together. As we are there to encourage and help one another and there to let the other know they feel the same thing that there companion is feeling.

I’m looking forward to seeing all my teammates together again this summer, but the weightlifters all understand that are other teammates are working hard in other sports and representing Kennedy. The Cougars this year will own Kingston’s turf, and will own all of Iowa’s football fields after the race to the dome has been won.

Rare Catches

Every since I started my passion for the outdoors, it seems I’ve always been looking for the rare catch. I’ve caught, fished, and hunted many larger that average game and fish, but I’ve always looked for the catch of a lifetime. I bring up this topic after reading a story about an Indiana man catching a fully white muskrat, which is the photo shown here.

I always carefully inspect any game that I catch for any small “defect” or uniqueness. I remember previous years in which a caught a muskrat with white spots on its belly fur and last year a ‘coon I caught was very unusually colored; I just had wished that the muskrat would have been all white and the raccoon fully a cinnamon (a certain hereditary fur color).

Both my uncle and my grandpa have had their share of unusual catches and so has many other hunters, trappers, and fisherman. My uncle has caught on a couple of occasions the cinnamon ‘coon, which I mentioned earlier, and my grandpa has had the most success at rare catches (I think because he has gone hunting longer than most and thus has had more chances at a catch). My Grandpa Ferguson has caught black, orange and even one albino coyote along with hundreds of regular ones. His albino coyote he gave to a furdealer, which he had mounted in his fur trading room.

I hope to be able one day to catch one of these rare specimens of a species and be able to mount it and “show it off” so others will know that I’ve hunted hard in my life and had many hunts, just like my grandpa has done.

Warm Disappointment

As things always are they never go as planned, I wrote last week how I would be trying some early ice fishing, but yet this hope was dashed. The entire state was consumed in a warm front that brought highs of 50 degrees or so, this quickly ended any chance of venturing out on the fishing hole. Most of the top ice melted off and thus was unsafe to walk on.

However, December 15, the Monday after this warm weekend temperatures dropped nearly 50 degrees in 24 hours (welcome to Iowa). This refroze any exposed water quickly and now if I find myself with any extra time, I’ll be hitting the water chasing after some dinner.

The warm weather did provide a good time for me to assemble the traps I would need this winter, and I was also able to get my ice- fishing equipment organized as to prevent some anxiety and stress when I’m not able to fish because of a tangle.

I’m really looking forward to any spare time that I might find myself with, just a few hours and you can all be sure this fisherman is loading the truck and driving to some FROZEN water. I’ll report on any success on these fishing ventures soon. Good luck and good fishing.

The Start of the Coyote Hunt

With the change of the season, with the turn of open ground to snow covered, thus my interests change. From ‘coon hunting and open water fishing to trapping and drilling holes in ponds to look for a fish. Another pursuit of mine is that of coyote hunting, which is a tradition of the Ferguson family, passed to me from my grandfather.

Southern Iowa has one of the highest concentrations of coyotes in the country, and sportsmen from all over the state, like myself, head south in chase of the wily ‘yote. Coyote hunting is fast- chased and a good sport of comradery as dozens of hunters will be with hunting with you.

There are two ways to hunt these predators the first is that of calling them using prey-in-distress sounds, and the second, the way that I primarily hunt is that of using hounds to chase a coyote into a brushpile or until it is too tired to run anymore. Both ways are very efficient and several coyotes can be hunted at the same time.

The only thing that is needed to be able with hounds is snow, and fresh snow at that.  Fresh snow allows a dog to be able to pick up the scent of a recent coyote track very easily and because of this it is much easier for both man and dog to hunt the coyote.  The morning after a fresh snow it can be guaranteed that the hunters will be in pursuit of coyotes, with shotguns and highpowered rifles wildly being shot, and CB radios been excitedly talked through.  

I'll be hunting all Christmas break and will update on the 'yote count to all those interested.

FIRST ICE!

Finally, the first ice has come! Ponds and lakes have frozen and even the currents of the mighty… Cedar River have closed their open waters to the cold, bitter wind. Yesterday, Cedar Rapids experienced its first ice storm of the year (this was accompanied with a cancellation of school) and thus almost always marks the first day that I’d be willing to go out fishing. As ice storms usually adds an inch or two to the already previous ice amount, which determines, generally, the weight load capacity of the ice.

Last year was my first measurable year of success of ice fishing. Sure I’ve always caught plenty of bluegills and crappies, but I’ve never really had any success with the “big game” fish species, such as walleyes and bass, until last ice fishing season. The major difference is that I acquired a vexilar sonar flasher and that I did plenty of preseason research to know where the fish-holding brushpiles and deep dropoffs were hiding under the ice. Towards the middle of the season I also got a “clam” ice fishing shelter, which is one of the best things that I own. Now I’m able to spend more time out on the “water” before getting frostbite or having the happiness of life get pulled out of me, and with the vexilar I’m able to locate fish and know at which depth they are at. This has been the difference.

This season I’m much more prepared, and I have all of the possible equipment that I would ever need. I have my sled, shelter, lures, bait (which I am able to grow during the offseason), rods, atv, and vexilar, which now I’m extremely familiar with. To any that ice fish and don't have a vexilar or even a camera and regularly have any success I take my hat off to you, for that is true understanding and knowledge of the sport and of the fish.

There’s a certain allure to ice fishing to those that don’t own a boat, as one isn’t limited to the shore and all water is now open to their access. Although I own a boat, I’m much more capable of accessing smaller bodies of water which typically I don’t use.

I’ll be sure to update you on any ice fishing ventures, I’m planning on heading out this weekend to the lake. Good luck and good fishing to all!

Winter Trapping (over the next break)

This year I’m going to try to extend my trapping season to its fullest legal length by trying to trap over Christmas break. Usually trapping in the snow and ice is very hard and unproductive to accomplish as most of the fur doesn’t even move during these late winter months, except close to their dens. It will be crucial to locate these dens if I plan to successful in trapping over break.
I will be in the pursuit of primarily both beaver and ‘coons. I had great difficulty in trapping these two species over fall break, and now that the conditions are tougher I’m not expecting my catch rates to be too high. However, I hope to be able to bag some more game, which I don’t usually do over winter.
This winter trapping will require some unprecedented trapping tactics and methods if I plan on being successful. . I usually trap just in the water, which is frozen at this time of the year and will occasionally place some dirt hole (land sets), but this has also been “shut down” by the snow. To be able to do these things I will be pursuing the ‘coons in several old barns that I have permission to and at an old bridge where I have seen several ‘coon living this year. I’m also aware of where a couple of beaver colonies are living and I will try to target them there… under the ice.
For the ‘coons I plan on using almost all bucket sets with 160 and 220 conibears and some snares if I come across any well used coyote and ‘coons trails and crossing logs. With the beaver, I will have to trap them through the ice in order to even get to them, I plan on using my ice fishing auger to drill a hole, and then attach a 330 conibear or a #4 coil or longspring on a 6 ft pole into the hole. This is a set I’ve never done and I picked this tip up from an old trapper, and I would be ecstatic if I was actually able to be successful with this set and catch a beaver.
I will make a quick entry after Christmas break if I (or don’t) have any success with trapping.

Thanksgiving Trapping- End of the "Regular" Season

My big outdoors week concluded this Monday, December 1st when Thanksgiving break officially ended. I sold half my furs on Saturday, which was a total of 47 ‘coons and 27 muskrats. The rumors of the fallen fur market were confirmed after I received my bid from my fur buyer (Northeast Iowa Fur Exchange). From the projected average of $25 average ‘coon prices fell to around $8-9 after the price of oil fell and the world’s depression deepened throughout this fall. Markets for muskrats remained the same from last year at around $2-3 for good hides.
Hopefully next year with the prices having gone done like they did this season, that there wont be as much competition for fur as I experienced this year. This was the worst I’ve ever seen it and it was unfortunate to see that almost every culvert and every ditch in the state had traps in it. Every timber that I went to had evidence of hunters having already attending to it and harvesting ‘coons on ground that had for many years been hunted or owned by my family. It was very disappointing at times, especially when I was trapping. On most days trapping bagged me 4 or 5 ‘coons a day, but this year I was only able to catch 1 ‘coon in a trap for the season so far. Although the fur markets are down I’m hoping to be able to harvest more ‘coons next year than I did this year.
Snow is blanketing the ground as I write this now, and this for the most part will end ‘coon hunting and trapping for the most part this season. However, I’m already looking forward to next year which could be possibly my last year trapping, but I hope and pray it is not. As I’ve made so many fond memories and memorable catches in those southern Iowa timbers and creeks and I wish to be able to continue this until it is my time to go from this world.
Next year I’m going to push myself to new limits and attempt at harvesting unprecedented numbers of fur. I would also like to catch an otter, fox, and coyote, along with a couple of beavers next year and at least 100 ‘coons. This would be a good way to end my trapping and hunting career if this were to be my last season or at least to end my “school” trapping. I’m going to expect a lot out of myself next year to meet these goals and I know I will be able to do these things.

Hunting and Trapping Opener and Second Weekend

Opening hunting and trapping season was a beautiful weekend weather wise for me to chase after some ‘coons. I ended up hunting 18 ‘coons on the opening night of November 3rd, and trapping several ‘coons and 1 muskrat. If the prices of fur are as high as they were forecasted to be, then this one night of hunting will have made a nice sum of cash. But this is not why I love to hunt and trap, I love it because it’s the greatest hobby to pursue, and that it is able to pay for itself from the costs of gas, ammo, and new traps.

However, others are responding to this increase in fur prices and are also pursuing this game harder than in previous years. This makes it tough to hunt and trap, when the game has already been hunted and trapped. So, this past weekend, the second week of the season I was finding that much game has already been hunted and trapped.

There was no school on Friday November 7th, which extended my hunting and trapping trip for this weekend. The first night I went by myself and was able to get 14 ‘coons, most of them were in one tree. The next night my friend, Spencer came with me along with my cousin and uncle. We split into two groups, Spencer and I were able to kill 9 extremely large, prime ‘coons that evening and my cousin and uncle got four ‘coons. Saturday, the last night of hunting for Spencer and I we only were able to hunt two ‘coons to our name.

This last hunt greatly surprised me as we got such a low number of ‘coons and we were an excellent spot to hunt. However, this leads me to believe that we were hunting I places that everyone else had already. The fur count to date is 34 raccoons and 3 muskrats.

Offseason Begins

Even though I’ve played every game it never really felt like those were my games or my season. I played my hardest, don’t misinterpret me, but it never really felt like I could say that this was MY season.

However, with the conclusion of the Xavier game that brought our season to a bittersweet note, the juniors are now the seniors for football. The clock is now ticking for the season that we may call ours. We as a class and as the new leaders of the team want nothing less than to go all the way, and bring home a state championship trophy for our school.

To do this we must work harder in the off-season and during practices next year than any other team, this will grant us victory. Personally, I want to be able to be stronger than any opponent I face in next years game. I must commit myself to the weightlifting program and never cheat myself or my team by cutting any corners. I want to go above and beyond and be able to lift and lead the Cougar football team to new heights.

Ever since I was a little boy and was introduced to the greatest game I’ve wanted little else than to win state. This is a huge goal though and I can quickly recognize and see that this won’t happen unless my team is willing to commit themselves similar to as I have. We all want to achieve this goal, this dream, but the amount of desire that our team and as individuals have will determine if we possess strongly the will to win.

Cougar Football 2008

Kennedy played the Xavier Saints on October 29. My team lost to them with a mere 10 to16 point difference. It was a very emotional loss for the seniors as it was for many of them the last time they would every play the greatest sport. The loss also meant that the majority of us would never get to play with these same teammates ever again for the rest of our lives.

Throughout the entire game Kennedy played some great football against Xavier. Kennedy’s defense held the Saints to a mere 80 yards for the entire game, and our offense were performing very well offensively with the passing and rushing game. In the first half we held the lead 10 to 7, but we gave up a touchdown and a safety in the third quarter of the game. We were able to march down the field however in the fourth quarter, with only a few minutes left after Bond Harman made a critical fourth down catch. We managed the clock and were also able to manage the ball down field. With only seven seconds remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter, the Cougars found themselves on the 12 yard line. If the Kennedy Cougars could make push the ball in just the 12 yards we would be able to tie the game and with the extra point win the game.

However, with double coverage on our varsity receiver Jake Heffernen we were not able to complete the pass for the tie. This ended our season, a season that has consumed days and hours of our time throughout the last year, which I believe was still worth that sacrifice. Now my clock is ticking, my last season is just up ahead and I must rally our team to get ready for the next, my last high school, season.

Conclusion of the Mascot Olympics

Weeks passed and the Cougars continued playing football games that were won and lost. Yet somehow, THE cougar continued to maintain the point lead throughout 8 weeks. I was ecstatic to know that I could possibly win these Olympics.

Upon the nearing of week 9 of the regular season, I was informed that I had won the Mascot Olympics. Mr. Arons had informed me over the phone that I did win this competition and that they would like to have me come to the studio to help the sports anchors broadcast the week 9 Friday night football highlights. I quickly agreed to this offer as I had always wanted to see what the opposite side of the news camera looked like.

However, the sports broadcast always took place at 10 p.m., which was just minutes after the end of most of our games. I didn’t know if this would give me enough time to get to KGAN, but I still took my truck down to Kingston before the Kennedy v. Dubuque Walhert game.

We won the game, as I have mentioned in the post below this one, and I quickly got ready for the broadcast in the locker rooms of Kingston. I drove down to the studio at 10:12 p.m. just a few seconds before they had planned for me to go on. A studio manager helped me get my stuff on as we ran into the KGAN studio.

This was my first time live and it is more than fair to say that I was a little bit nervous. Arons presented me with a gold medal for winning the Mascot Olympics and then I helped the two other sports anchors finish the Friday night football highlights.

I really had a tremendous time being the mascot, and I was glad that I could represent my school in this way. As I reflect upon it now I can’t believe that I won this event, and even better yet had such a great time doing it.

(Just a note: this will be my job after highschool- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgdbatwWUNQ )

Cougar Football- Week 9

The Cougars beat Dubuque Walhert 27-7 in their last regular season game. The game was played in rain that lasted most of the night. This game was Senior night and was also the last regular season game of the 2008 season. We ended our season with the record of 6-3, which places us into substate. We have shown great tenacity as a team as we didn’t let the three game losing streak in the middle of the season damper our spirits, but instead went on to win every single game after that.

The Cougars will play Xavier at their home stadium, which will give Kennedy a much desired rematch of our number 1 rivals. The Battle for 42nd Street will be replayed. My team mates and I are greatly looking forward to another chance of playing our down-the street rivals. As they only beat Kennedy last name after breaking a few big plays, and a missed scoring opportunity on defense, which 7 yards from the goal line separated us from the win. We also have Royce Bell back as our starting running back, after he had missed the first five games of the season.

We have already had two practices (Saturday and Sunday) and I’m in good faith of knowing that there isn’t one player on my team that can’t wait to beat Xavier. Not only are we playing for pride and revenge, but we are playing for the Street and for our own grab as the Iowa 4A State Champions. The Kennedy Cougars are going to play a night of football that is so physical that no one will have ever seen the likes of it. Our coaches have told us that they know that we need no extrinsic motivation for this game, because this battle is ours, 42nd STREET IS OURS!

Mascot Olympics

I'm the cougar mascot at Kennedy. I've attented many sporting events and represented my school not as a player or as a mere fan, but as the mascot. I love being in the cougar suit because it allows me to become a completely new person and I can choose to act in almost manner I please. All it takes is a big cougar head and some fur and a person can instantly become the life (and comedy) of any event.

Last summer I was asked to represent my school yet again. However this was vastly different from any other time I've been asked, as now I was to take place in the actual event instead of on the sideline. I was called to arms to serve and represent my school in the 1st Annual Mascot Olympics.

As I drove down to Kingston I was fairly confident that I wouldn't complete fail for my school as I had become vaguely familar with becoming the cougar. I was the first person to arrive at the ancient stadium and I didn't want to yet get in my suit of fur as the thermometer was nearing 95 degrees. At that point I knew this competetion was going to become brutal fast, as when someone gets in the cougar its at least 10 degrees warmer then it is outside of it.

Our judges, the Kernel's and Roughrider's mascot, soon showed up. Arons of KGAN, ran these olympics and soon all of the mascots, including me, had performed nine events. We were scored on all of these events and the mascot witht the highest average score won.

Weeks passed, and one out of the nine events were shown during football highlights on KGAN.

Cougar Football- Week 8

Another important topic on this blog will be that of sports, more specifically in honor of the season, football. I’ve been playing tackle football since elementary, and it continues to play a hugely significant role in my life, I work year round playing the sport, practicing for it, and conditioning and strengthening my body for it. I hope to be able to fund a large portion of my college tuition, by playing the sport for my after- high school institution.
Today (Friday October 17th), I’m merely hours away from my team’s eighth game of the season. We will be playing football at Dubuque Hempstead’s Lazell Stadium. This will be the farthest away I’ve ever travelled to play ball, but I need to train myself to the fact of not being effected by traveling if I’m to play any college football. If we win tonight we will be 5-3, which guarantees the Cougars of a winning regular season, a major accomplishment in the Mississippi Valley Conference. This also will insure Kennedy’s spot in substate, and with a win today and next Friday it will give us a favorable advantage for this upcoming substate game.
Dubuque Hempstead has a “Division 1” runningback who has already signed on for Iowa State. They are a good football team, who offensively runs the “wing-t” formation as their standard. On the other hand, Kennedy has one of the best defenses in the league, and our offense is rapidly improving game by game. (This post will be updated after the game.)

On Friday night the Cougars came to play some ball. We spoiled the Hempstead Mustang’s homecoming with a 21- 12 win. We dominated Dubuque’s offense and held them to 69 yards for the entire game. We continue to vastly improve offensively, and had great success with the running and pass game. The Kennedy Cougars have a home game at Kingston next week againist Dubuque Walhert, it should be another great game.

Hometown Trapping

Earlier in my trapping and hunting career I was limited to my parent’s driving me down “home” over Thanksgiving holiday, as it is a 90 minute drive and I had not yet my driving license. Whereupon reaching my hunting grounds I had access to an old beater farm truck or a quad with which I used both to get the required mobility to be successful. In accordance with this, ever since I was a little boy I’ve been wishing and working so as I can get my own truck that I can take hunting and trapping when I can legally drive. My hard work persisted and now I’m driving a four-wheel drive Chevy Silverado short-bed truck, the ultimate outdoorsmen vehicle (at least in my own biased opinion).
Now, I finally don’t have to rely on my parents to get south. I have the freedom to go hunting and trapping every weekend now during season and still including Thanksgiving break. The only thing that separates me now is the 90 minute drive to my grandparents, as this quickly becomes an expensive endeavor.
Luckily, I have come up with a solution that will help me curb this potentially high bill for gas, and that is to do some trapping around my home when I’m not chasing wild game in Mahaska. This is the first year that this great opportunity has been made available to me because of my Silverado. Trapping around home I think and hope will provide me with some of the best trapping that I will ever get to experience. As the fur around my home is an untapped resource, that hasn’t been pursued in many decades, this meaning that there should be a vast amount of critters.
I hope to be able to trap several bridge crossings and some public hunting grounds, in which I have scouted during this pre-season for sign of furbearers. This scouting has been a success and I’m greatly looking forward to laying some steel in these new locations. However, as I will be trapping outside of a major urban area I realize that I might face some trap and fur theft because of the surrounding large population of people. This will make it critical for me to check my traps in the cover of darkness (well before sunrise), when it will be very difficult for people to see me checking traps.
If I execute this plan of trapping around my home with good order I think that I could make some good profits and put some spending money in my pocket, but most importantly this will give me more opportunities to do what I love doing. I’m greatly looking forward to the opening of the season as this will be a great change in the monotonous school day, a boy getting to check fur-laden traps before the 8:00 am school bell rings.

Hunting and Trapping Introduction

Every year I make my annual pilgrimage down to Mahaska County to trap and hunt until my heart’s content (and my muscles ability to continue these extremely rigorous activities). My grandfather and several other of my relatives have either a farm or a property in Mahaska, in which permits a lot of acres of territory to hunt and trap. Ever since kindergarten over the Thanksgiving holiday I pursue to harvest a multitude of species that all are united by the fact that they are furbearing. These furbearing critters more specifically include ‘coons (raccoons), muskrats, minks, beaver, coyote, fox, and occasionally the odd ‘possum. As these creatures are harvested for their furs they are worth, a usually meager, ransom, which has many times allowed me to at least break even with the high cost of expenses that my hobby entails.
There is something more than an escape from school or a few dollars earned that motivates me to go down south every year, and I’m not exactly sure what that is. On the other hand I don’t think I’m supposed to know and rather this mysterious phenomenon that occurs between man, nature and beast should be left undiscovered, but yet loved and revered. I know that I’ve been hooked for life by hunting and trapping and I want to share my passion in this blog and describe some of the picturesque details that I’ve experienced while out in the woods or down in the river bottoms of the North Skunk.
Trapping and hunting has forever changed my life and has made me into the man that I am today and want to be tommorow. It has given me a great appreciation and knowledge of nature, which I strongly believe is a fundamental element of life that each man must experience at some point so as they will come to respect and understand the amazing environment that surrounds them while they waste their lives in the “cement jungles”. Also, trapping and hunting teaches us many admiral traits that make us better humans. It strengthens both our mental and physical stamina as we must outfox the fox in its natural habitat, teaching us to be clever, observant, patient, and understanding. I also believe there is something spiritual when we pit ourselves as a lone human against nature and try to overcome it. From all of this, the outdoors, which largely includes hunting and trapping, are going to be a main focus on this blog as my love for it is quite evident in the above text and in my future posts.

Welcome to the Hunt

This is a blog of my life. What interests me, what I think about, and what I'm supposed to be doing here on this Earth. Feel free to take a timid toe dip or a plunge into the deep- end of my mind. Now lets get going, because its a beautiful day to go chase down the great hunter, Cougar, that prowls in all of our thoughts and minds.