K9 Deputy?

Dogs are God’s creatures given to man as a tool, a friend, and as a teacher. Dogs are the only creature I can think of that actually, truly love to work. They work for many reasons, which makes dogs such a unique being. Canines work for the benefit of their masters and also they do it because that’s what they were born to do and that’s why they love it. They are satisfying not only their master and their instincts, but also a desire to perform work.

I love to hunt with hound dogs because they are so motivated to work and hunt hard. They run themselves to the extremes to please their owner and the fact that they absolutely love what they are doing. It’s a perfect combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation that dogs have.

There is also a unique bond between a man and his dog. Both partners are willing to do almost anything for their counterpart; this can include sacrificing their safety and life. Dog and man work for each other and it is a perfect relationship. Luckily, I have five dogs and I feel that bond and love that I have described for each one of them. There are few things that I love doing more than going hunting with my five hounds out in the wounds or across a picked corn field in pursuit of a raccoon or coyote.


I’m really struggling to decide what career I would like to pursue when I enter the work force. I want an action packed job that is reliable and that I won’t have to fear losing due to a poor economy. I’m somewhat shading away from serving in the military as an officer, which is what I have had my mindset on for a couple of years now. Now I want to be an officer, but for the police. I think the jobs will be very similar. Also being a cop I will be able to stay “home” and enjoy hunting, fishing, and trapping in my free time off of work. I am telling you this now as I want to clarify what kind of officer I want to be in the police force and that is a canine deputy. I think I will serve the public very well as a canine deputy because of my past history with dogs. I think I will be able to maintain the battle against crime very effectively with a dog because of the deep bond and appreciation that I have for them. I think this career choice will be perfect for me as I will be able to maintain an adventurous job and combine the love of dogs that I have.

Blogging

I blog as it is necessary and requested of me and also because it helps me keep a regular record of my thoughts and actions throughout the school year. It serves the purpose of a journal as I get to write about what matters to me and what I’m concerned about. My blog as a journal serves as an outlet for me to construct my thoughts and share them with others that have similar beliefs and views. Blogging is a great way for me to come to a common ground with others that can share their experiences and knowledge with me, and can help me grow as an avid outdoorsmen, athlete and Christian.

Blogging for me is also a requirement that I must fulfill for my A.P. Language and Composition class. At a minimum I must have three blogs a week with a total of twelve hundred words and the posts can be about anything, but it is encouraged if a central idea or topic is maintained throughout the blog. For those that haven’t yet explored the this site the foundation of this blog is the outdoors, and what I find myself doing when I’m out in the woods. As a quick note though of blogging, don’t fall behind with your posts as the entirety of this blog, of any blog, is to post often. Blogs are not like a book or magazine, as a blogger is the writer, editor and publisher all at once. Blogs share your insights and thoughts instantly with the all the host’s of the internet (and this is the world).

The blog also serves as my public journal. Everyone is able to criticize and comment on my blog and it is really humbling to be able to get this feedback. As most work that’s performed for school is just presented to a teacher, and with the blog I find myself able to learn from others. The blog is just another symbol of globalization and the spread of ideas from nation to nation to rather individuals from nation to nation or within their own nation.

Although blogging is a hassle I have found it a great tool to connect with others, and to learn from others. It seems easy and not fake posting on my blog as I have freedom to choose my topics and I’m in no way restricted by anything yet the need to satisfy the length and number of posts. Blogging is a tool that I think in the future will be a huge part of classroom learning and worldwide learning.

Fronts of the Past and Future

In the last week Iowa has experienced a massive warm front that moved through the entire state practically. Temperatures “soared” (well they at least went up) to sixty degrees as the high, I’m almost positive that we made some record highs in the past week. It seemed everywhere I went people were with the higher temperatures in higher spirits as well. It was a huge relief for me also, it seemed like forever that I didn’t have to go out to my frost bitten car and scrape off the frost. This was a great foretaste of spring I think for everyone that was growing so weary of the cold winter months. I was able to pull out some shorts for one of my school days as the weather felt so warm and great. I saw several motorcycles that were being ridden out and about, and this was only a sign of the two-wheel terror that I will soon be able to get and call my own.

The warm up I feared would melt all of the ice ending my ice- fishing ventures for this year. However, the fears were unnecessary as the ice remained and the Bass Masters tournament, which was about right in the middle of this warm front was still able to take place. The majority of the massive amount of snow that we’ve already this winter has for the most part melted off. I had forgotten how beautiful the land is without the “monotonous” look of white snow covering every foot of it. This early snow melt I hope will also help lessen the floods that might occur in the spring or early summer due to the vast amount of snow melt- off. However, there is still snow in the shadows of trees or in the spots where huge piles of snow found refuge in the parking lots of commercial buildings.

This morning was the first in about a week in which a found frost on my windshield. As Charlie Brown would say, “OHHH drag,” I know there is more winter to come and the frost on the windshield this morning was the sign of its return. That is along with the weather forecast of a snow storm aimed for Cedar Rapids for Friday and lasting to Saturday morning. This is Iowa weather and if you don’t like it today wait three days and it will be different.

Finnish Raccoon Hunting, Go Figure...

Watch this, whoever knew Europeans had raccoons and that the hounds to hunt them. This is really interesting to watch if you have ever gone raccoon hunting and to watch the similarities and differences of Finnish raccoon hunting and hunting in the woods of Iowa. If it wasn't for the youtube title I don't think I would ever know that they were hunting out of the United States except somewhat because of the accents.

Furs Sold in Rowley, New Report on Fur Prices

I had another set of furs that I sold this past Saturday and it was very interesting to see what the prices of fur have done. The fur market has correctly fallen in result of lower oil prices and the mild winter in Russia, which are the two driving factors that primarily determine the fur market’s strength or weakness. Both of these factors this year had a negative effect on the prices, or at least the market wasn’t as high as expected. In September and October reports were coming in the newspaper, magazines, word of mouth, and on the internet that there was going to be a boom in the fur market. Raccoon pelts were expected to be about twenty five dollars a pelt, compared to the last decade of prices being about ten or twelve dollars a pelt.

As I was driving up to Rowley, Iowa the dealer where I typically sell my cousin and my furs I was nervous enough that our pelts would fetch low dollar prices. Side note: I sell the furs in Rowley like I’ve previously stated, at the Northeast Iowa Fur Exchange on Main Street. I’ve read reports in the last couple of weeks that raccoon pelts were now fetching six to eight dollars and that coyote pelts (which my grandpa had shot one and had me sell) were worthless, and shouldn’t even bother being brought in to the exchange. This is almost the most depressing news that a trapper or hunter can get, as all his hard work may not even reimburse for the gas that was used when he was hunting or trapping.

I talked to the furdealer while he was grading my furs and had talked about how the fur prices had recovered some as there was still strong demand for furs in China and Italy and that as oil prices stabilized and gas prices went up slightly had helped bring the fur market back to the norms of which I had been used to in the last decade. I sold the furs at still low prices, but I received fifteen dollars for XXXL size raccoons and nine dollars for XXL size pelts. For the unskinned coyote my cousin got five dollars, which is by far better than nothing, and the couple of muskrats that m cousin had he got an average of two dollars or so. There is some rejoicing to be had in this news I thought, but yet this market falling out for a period of time still gives me fear that one day the pelts will be worthless and that will definitely be a sad day for trappers and hunters.

BassMasters Tournament

This last Sunday the Bass Masters club of Cedar Rapids held their annual ice fishing tournament on Pleasant Creek lake. Although the event was not noted in the outdoor section on Friday of the Gazette it was evident that enough hard- water anglers had heard of the tournament as it seemed that the entire lake surface was covered with ice shelters, four wheelers, ice machines, and men on buckets. It was amazing to see that many anglers on the lake as there is usually only a handful of fisherman (two or three ice fishing huts) on the lake normally. However, today was an exception and the fishermen were probably more abundant than the fish population underneath the ice.

I was obligated with a volunteer job at church when the tournament was occurring and so I was unable to go fishing for any length of time. A side note though, a really hope to be able to participate in this ice fishing tournament next year; the only requirement is a donation of one dollar.

After the church duty I was at least able to head out to the lake and observe some of the goings on. I found out soon enough that there was prizes for catches of each species of fish and for the heaviest specimen obviously. I also took key note to where all the “hot spots” were on the lake, as they were somewhat easily identifiable with ten to fifteen ice huts in a small region of the lake. It’s easy to understand that these would be the hot spots, but I knew there was others that the best fisherman were on, and no one else knew about. I got some really great ideas as to where to try fishing next time I head out (I hope soon) and try Palo lake once again, because its so close to my house. Good luck and good fishing to all.

MOTORCYCLE!!!

It won’t be very long now until the snow and ice melts off and some green growth returns to the environment that surrounds my eastern Iowa home. When this happens it will alert me to the fact that motorcycle season has returned to Iowa, and this year I get to purchase my first motorcycle. I can’t wait to ride this bike and be able to have some reasonable speed and acceleration power, and leave my beloved Chevy truck parked in the garage (which has a zero to sixty of like 20 seconds). I’ll also be the only student at my school that will have a motorcycle and there is a spot near the building to park them, which will seem a blessing from marking at a minimum half a mile away from the school.

Beyond the obvious other reasons I’ve stated I will become a part of the two- wheel revolution that is starting to spring up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa it seems ever since the oil prices sky rocketed in the last summer or two. However, I’ll be the minority of this group with a cruiser bike and not the speed bikes that so many Cedar Rapidians have.

In the next month or two when I finally get this bike I think I’ll have no chance of ever getting off of it. I’ve tasted the freedom and power of a cruiser underneath me and it’s such a great feeling. Right now I’m making my decisions on which brand that I want to purchase from. Harleys Davidson’s although the most classical American bike is also the most expensive and I’m not really looking for the Harley hog. Honda’s are on the opposite spectrum and they aren’t not renown for quality motorcycles. Largely, that leaves me with either a Suzuki or a Yamaha motorcycle to choose from. Both of these brands have several motorcycle options to choose from in the price range that I’ll be in. I’m looking specicifically for a six- fifty or a seven- fifty motor, any color really, saddle bags, and a sissy bar, most of the motorcycle options of these two brands have these requirements. I’m just going to need to continue doing some research and asking around to see what would be the best bike for me (if you have any advice please leave me a comment, and I’ll really appreciate the help).

Early Symptoms of Turkey Fever

Turkey hunting… it seems hard to bring this subject up now in the dead of winter, but I’m going to anyway because I love to hunt the bearded gobbler so much. It’s such a fun challenge to be able to chase after this game bird in the woods, or rather have them chase you down in response to some imitated clucks of a hen. Although at times it seems hard to wake up at four or five o’clock in the morning its wholeheartedly worth it, there’s nothing quite like being in the middle of the woods when the sun wakes up all of the song birds and the sun’s light leaks through the greening canopy of oak trees. It seems a tradition very much unchanged since hundreds of years ago that mankind first hunted the turkey with a gun.

I watch in earnest as I’m able to cross off the days of the calendar until the opening day of turkey hunting season comes, which happens to fall on April 13th this year. I’ll be returning to my same hunting ground this year which is a large three- hundred acre piece of timber with a pond in the middle and to the south edge of the timber lays some grain fields. The timber is owned by my uncle and is in between New Sharon and Barnes City, Iowa. There is a large population of turkeys in the vicinity of these woods and I have seen on several occasions the biggest turkey I’ve ever seen on t.v., in magazines, or anywhere, but of course he is the wariest of the male turkeys in this wood and without a doubt that is why he is still alive and so big. However, this year I hope that I can get him, as I’ve watched him for two or three years now and I believe I know his pattern of movement. Undoubtedly I will keep you all posted on this tom and of course the others that I pray will cross my path in search of his lady friend the hen.

A night or two ago I really caught the itching to go turkey hunting and I soon found myself cleaning my twelve gauge and dusting off the turkey decoys. I won’t be surprised if in the next week or two I’ll be in Wal-Mart buying some turkey loads for the shotgun and some new turkey calls. This is the year to get that big tom, and I’m already preparing myself to do so. I hope you all haven’t caught the turkey fever like I have, at least not THIS early, well anyways see you in the woods or on the lake, and good luck.

Bewteen Another Set of Seasons

As I’ve previously posted I’m in the off-seasons of football and track and that I’m now strength and speed training. However, I’m also between another set of seasons and that is spring spawn fishing and turkey hunting and I’m training (in a sense) by keeping myself in the outdoors ice fishing and coyote hunting.

Wolf hunting and ice fishing to catch some hard chased bluegills and crappies I can only endure so much, as the cold on a day when things are slow sucks the heat of my optimism and patience away from my numb fingers. One can only use his fingers to deice his line and grasp the cold barrel of his .243 so many times before he wishes he was some place warm watching Bill Dance catching a big largemouth bass. Or at least in the warm comfort of his home getting ready for the spring seasons of turkey hunting and open water fishing.

So… that is what I find myself more often doing as the spring approaches in the next six weeks, and as glimpses of warm days to come are caught by a two or three day stretch of 40 degree weather (typically this winter it is then followed by some below ten or twenty degree temperatures). I’ve been cleaning my 12 gauge shotgun every time that I clean my .243 high- power after ‘yote hunting in preparation for aiming the sights towards a long bearded gobbler. I’ve also been cleaning my reels and respooling some six pound line and some 20 pound (for the spring thaw out on the larger lakes when the dead shad bunch up and the catfish gorge themselves).

It seems impossible to think of the spring coming, and I long (and I believe all of Iowa does too) for the return of some “mild” temperatures. As long as it stays cold though I’ll keep pursuing after some fish under some twenty- two inches of ice and I’ll keep tracking and letting my hounds loose at some “vagabond dogs”. In the meantime I’m going to keep going home to warm up watching some old rerun fishing shows and getting ready for those doomed (I hop) tom turkeys and aggressive spawning walleyes and bass. Good luck and good hunting to all you fellow sportsmen.

Late Furbearer Season

The end of the year doesn’t signal the end of the fur harvesting season at least not for another month. The 2008 trapping and hunting season officially ends January 31, 2009. However, coyote hunting continues as a year round season with minimal regulations and beaver trapping continues until spring April 1, 2009.

It seems irrational to think of those still trapping and coon hunting at this time of the year as it both it drives man and furbearers into their home dens. Furbearers have extremely minimal movement this time of the year and it is difficult to find them le alone trap them. One has to be smart enough to find the dens of where they are “hibernating” throughout the winter. Many times trappers and hunters target the many barns that are throughout rural Iowa as these are hotspots for ‘coons and other predators to hole up for the winter and for warmer weather. Box traps or conibears guarding modified five gallon buckets are very effective at these locations and to hunt raccoons in these barns smaller type hunting dogs are required. These hounds are typically either beagles or some breed of rat terrier and then these dogs trail after a ‘coon in the noticeable entrances of the ‘coon’s dens in the mounds of hay.

However, barns are in limited supply and after a couple nights of hunting the barns can be cleaned out around where you live. I have never really pursued to heavily after this kind of hunting or trapping. It seems unusual that the season doesn’t end until the end of the month of January. I can’t imagine to many hunters or trappers are out this winter in the unusually below average and below zero temperatures trying to hunt and trap when the fur prices are falling out and into chaos.

I’m looking forward to trapping beaver in the spring when the streams unthaw, but for now I’m leaving the ‘coons alone until next fall and staying in my den or trying to catch a fish through two feet of ice.

Track Next Month, Football in 200= 2009 Season

The groundhog has come and gone and now is the transition period between the long winter months of football weightlifting and track season in the fall. This week will be our second presentation of the “gun show” here at Kennedy High School, and is now approaching the two hundred day mark until the Kennedy Cougars have the kickoff at the Linn- Mar game. It is also about a months time until the first indoor track meet (at the UNI dome (also the place where NFL player of the year Kurt Warner played)).

With all of these events upcoming on the calendar know is the time for me to be training and strengthening for these altheltic competitions. Every game, every time I step on or off the field next fall it will determine whether I’ll get a scholarship or an opportunity to play on a college football team. I really want to play in college and I’m striving to play at a Division two or possibly Division one school, it really depends how hard I work in the off -season and how hard I play on the field.

Track is not so much a big deal as this will still only be my junior year, however the recruiting process will still keep an eye on juniors as they may have a difficult time recruiting in the spring, as man althetes may already be “picked over”. Also, as of last year I was the top shot put hurler of the underclassman, a couple of seniors went to state and districts but there was a small and not very talented junior class last year.

This year is very important and will determine if I’ll be a student- althete in college. Now is the time to improving my strength, endurance, and speed for the 2009 season. Go Cougars.

Iowan Vs. Wild

Ever since the show Man vs. Wild and Survivorman started showing I knew that I would want to try this out on my own. From that point when I made the decision I have been training myself with things ranging from reading military field manuals, website information, and other survival books that I could get my hands on. I wanted to make my own southern Iowa edition of these ever popular t.v. shows.

I know that I want to do this my senior year of summer (the summer before I head off to college) and I’m going to do this with my younger cousin. We may or may not tape this as I don’t want to end up being another of the millions of never found, but yet good youtube videos. I’m leaning away from this as it will be just a hassle, and a reason to ruin an expensive camera.

Our version will consist of us residing along the banks of the North Skunk river, and the whole point of this “experience” is to see how long we can survive out in the woods without any outside help or assistance of any kind or form. I’m hoping that we can sustain ourselves with both a shelter, food, and water and that we will have no need to give up, but will rather turn in because we are bored of being out in the woods. Also, my cousin and I are hoping if things turn “south” and we do struggle in maintaining a supply of food and water or if the weather is horrible that we will at a minimum be able to stay out in the woods for one week.

The conditions (what we are going to bring with us) include two knifes, one hatchet, 200 yd. of braided survival line, and a set of hooks. Due to the fact that we are going to be on a river we are going to be fishing a lot, and it is going to be a huge aspect of what we are going to need to do to “survive”. There are several nice locations on the river that would be great spots to make our camp shelter.

I think our days will consist mostly of fishing and tending the fire, but also foraging, preparing the meals, and improving and making the shelter. (Kind of sounds like Lord of the Flies, doesn’t it?) Anyways this is what I’m going to do next year and this year I’m going to try a “test” trial to see if I’m capable of sustaining myself for at least a couple of days.