tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41224195927645683512024-03-13T00:13:44.956-04:00The Envirocapitalistmaking a living off God's creationUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-19623764741114047512016-12-09T10:51:00.000-05:002016-12-11T15:19:32.517-05:00growing up<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07vydBSgFxI/WErFPgQg_ZI/AAAAAAAAEKs/dyo0BtlftysihDdVPAPIF0ozjiNfM2VeQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20161029_083201321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-07vydBSgFxI/WErFPgQg_ZI/AAAAAAAAEKs/dyo0BtlftysihDdVPAPIF0ozjiNfM2VeQCKgB/s320/IMG_20161029_083201321.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boy and his dinner</td></tr>
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Time moves forward and at a speed I am not always ready for. Seemingly yesterday I was taking pictures of my son with other people's deer and now he is filling our freezer himself. At Thirteen He is close to two inches taller than me and smart as a whip. While I am extremely proud of him, this jarringly sudden maturation has caused me to think a lot about my job of raising him. I won't use this time to critique my parenting skills but I will say that I have became aware of the precious small amount of time that I have to shape my children. When we are at home there are so many distractions and influences pulling at my children that it is difficult to compete. That is why I think hunting and fishing (I'll add trapping) is actually a great parenting tool. D<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">on't get me wrong, w</span>hile in the field we are focusing on many things, but we are together and there is no one else around and usually a lack of cellular data. I have found that a deeper connection occurs in the woods then at home and it allows me to really confer life lessons in more effective ways. I also believe that the work that is going on is so honest and real that it helps to develop a good ethic in a kid. Plus there are so many ethics involved in killing an animal that I also believe it delivers life lessons in a way that is hard for a kid to just shrug off. I am not going to lie I see some young people that I have very little respect for and I believe it to be tied to the amount of time spent on video games compared to time spent in the real world. I define the real world as any activity out in the world not just hunting and I think all work and play has value but hunting and fishing combines all elements from preparation and hard work to excitement and accomplishment. If you want to raise a man who is responsible, resilient, respectful, and resourceful you should raise him outside. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-33730665143470608892013-12-06T21:26:00.000-05:002013-12-06T21:26:03.255-05:00Hunting Generations <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1YQj96_Xj4/Uc44HShRYYI/AAAAAAAABX8/BwgygRi8p7Y/s1600/Ryan+and+9+Pointer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A1YQj96_Xj4/Uc44HShRYYI/AAAAAAAABX8/BwgygRi8p7Y/s320/Ryan+and+9+Pointer.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son posing with a deer my father killed in 2012</td></tr>
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November Means Muzzle loader season here in Tennessee. The cool to cold days lead hunters into the woods in force to see if the added range of a muzzle loader and the wild abandon of the rut can produce better results than the warm, sweaty, buggy bow season did. I am no different, I never miss the first chance to sling lead at my favorite table fare. Recently my son who is ten years old has been making the yearly pilgrimage to Middle Tennessee with my father and I to hunt. To have three generations of hunters in the woods has truly been a blessing from the All Mighty. Back in 2012 My father was able to take a nice eight pointer and share the experience with his son and grandson. I can not think of anything better than the old man seeing his son whom he shared the gift of the outdoors with pass it on down the line. This year My son Ryan and I took two deer from a blind strategically hid on a ridge overlooking a small grove of white oaks. Ryan was able to not only witness the very sobering taking of life when the deer were shot but also all the work that went on afterward. We dressed the deer and drug them out. Later we skinned, quartered, butchered and ground the two deer into food. What better education could a young man receive and what better reassurance could a grandfather receive but to see his son teaching his children proper living. Tonight we said grace over the deer that we came by honestly and as I watched my family eating I was overcome with a sense of how real life can be if you live it. While I feel closer to Thoreau when I am experiencing the fruits of my own labor instead of that of others, I feel closer to God when I share the lessons with my son, Your pal the Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-59254446642791973702013-09-09T08:39:00.001-04:002013-09-09T08:39:38.683-04:00Take a kid outdoors.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn8h7JcEzZs/T11STWuEyyI/AAAAAAAABTA/cZ3XytzFZzk/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_156395="null" height="240" isa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn8h7JcEzZs/T11STWuEyyI/AAAAAAAABTA/cZ3XytzFZzk/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a>Bill Dance used to say "Take a kid fishing". I am going to steal that phrase but make it "Take a kid outdoors". I took my son squirrel hunting in the Norris Watershed opening day of squirrel season and had a blast imparting my love for the outdoors to my him. Late in the morning we were near a trail called Raccoon Run when we heard a whooshing sound so we moved into position to see where the noise was coming from. Flying down the trail was a group of mountain bikers and one of them was obviously a kid. My son said wow they are pretty good riders, and I agreed. They probably did not realize we were even in the woods but we were doing the same thing, taking our kids outdoors. I think we need more of these multi-use areas near our suburbs so parents can more easily involve their children in activities like hunting, hiking, biking, birdwatching, and fishing. Bill Dance is right, the more children we take outdoors the more likely they will appreciate the outdoors as adults. So lets get out there this fall and take a kid to do whatever outdoor activity we fancy and in the process we will be making the conservationists of the future.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-13757045430928577072013-01-30T21:12:00.000-05:002013-01-30T21:12:05.903-05:00Don't call him a "hipster hunter"<br />
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Tovar Cerulli and I probably disagree on numerous topics and If we lived close enough to hunt together I would probably give him a hard time for being so touchy feely, however we would certainly hunt together. Even though Slate Magazine recently dubbed him a hipster hunter I consider him a brother because of our shared love for the outdoors, conservation, and most importantly hunting. Tovar helps bridge gap between people like myself who have hunted their entire life and those who only know meat from the grocery store. In his book <a href="http://www.tovarcerulli.com/book/buy/" target="_blank">The Mindful Carnivore</a> Tovar takes us on a journey that seasoned hunter's will find interesting and curious non hunters will find life changing. Enjoy the video below and buy the book at <a href="http://www.tovarcerulli.com/book/buy/">http://www.tovarcerulli.com/book/buy/</a> . Your pal The Envirocapitalist<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-86757861491858564062012-11-27T21:46:00.000-05:002012-11-27T21:46:13.598-05:00Eating Aliens....A book review<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Aliens-Adventures-Hunting-Invasive/dp/161212027X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354067196&sr=8-1&keywords=eating+aliens" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0BKYROZoPuM/ULVtlgjfqGI/AAAAAAAABV4/W2dTzG7V10k/s1600/51gTlMQOeNL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://jacksonlanders.com/" target="_blank">Jackson Landers</a> is a interesting fellow to say the least, so when I saw that the name of his latest book was <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Aliens-Adventures-Hunting-Invasive/dp/161212027X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354067196&sr=8-1&keywords=eating+aliens" target="_blank">Eating Aliens</a> I had to drop the dough to get it. Jackson's first offering "The beginner's guide to hunting deer for food" is a how to book aimed at introducing novice or even non-hunters into a locavore lifestyle concentrating on hunting deer. Eating Aliens however is a departure from that format. The book is broken into short easy to read chapters that are more like short stories. I found it very enjoyable to read a chapter a day as though this was a collection of separate stories instead of a memoir. While Jackson's stories do provide some information about invasive species, it is far more memorable for Jackson's antics and adventures. His stories bare all from his failures to his successes. This book is basically the story of Jackson Landers deciding he wants to do this for a living and just taking off and doing it. His courage makes the reader wish they could live out their dreams with such reckless abandon. It is this feeling adventure that makes the book different from other books in the modern hunting genre. The Characters he meets along the way are colorful and bring a some realness to the book that makes you feel like you could do this to with him. While I believe the original point of the book (controlling invasive species by eating them) is tore apart by Jackson himself when he states all of the roadblocks (mostly the USDA) that stand in the way of commercially selling the meat of most of the invasive species, he somehow draws you in and makes you want to join the hunt. Jackson makes hunting snails seem fun and entertains while educating. While we come from very different backgrounds I would love to catch dinner with Mr. Landers someday. He seems to be one of the good guy when it comes to hunting and conservation and finds a way to walk the fine line between ex vegetarian tree hugger and blood thirsty redneck hunter. For less than $10 you can score this book and it would make a great companion for a hunting trip. I give this short entertaining book 4 out of 5 stars. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-26679003929206538652012-10-19T22:25:00.000-04:002012-10-19T22:25:00.681-04:00Speed HuntingI am the type of guy that likes to setup camp in a large wilderness area and hunt for a week. I like the immersion and sense of leaving the fake world made of concrete behind. I can only do this once or twice a year due to family (wife and two kids), work (vacation time goes quick), and all the other responsibilities that rule the majority of my life. The rest of the time I have to do what I have termed "speed hunting". I might sit in a deer blind for 30 min before work or an hour after work. I might leave at 4 am on a Saturday and drive 2 hours hunt til noon them drive home to make it to some "thing" that can't be missed. Believe it or not I have killed countless squirrels, several deer, and a few Turkey this way. There are many downfalls to this solution to a lack of time. One is that it is very stressful sometimes when I shoot a deer and have to hurry to beat the clock that is counting down to work or meat spoilage. Another is that the short time in the woods makes me seem like a bad hunter to the uninformed. I will hunt for an hour and forty five minutes after work on day and someone will ask me later if I "got" one and I will say "NO". They usually follow this with when we were younger it seemed like you got one every time you went hunting, what has happen to you big guy. I usually say "I used to not come back from hunting until I got one, now I come back for family fun night at the kid's school. There are some positive aspects of speed hunting. It has taught me to maximize my time in the woods and listen to my instincts more. I tend to appreciate just being in the woods more than I used to because I am constantly ripped from it. It can also be thrilling to be successful under such constraints. Several years ago a good friend of mine named Ron (read the legend Big Ron <a href="http://envirocapitalist.blogspot.com/2010/11/one-cold-night.html" target="_blank">here</a>) had gained access to a rock quarry near his house. You might wonder why this is of interest to a couple of carnivores, well the quarry was full of water which was frequented by mallard ducks. We had only a good hour of daylight before I had to be at work in the morning so Ron had his 10 foot Jon boat loaded on his truck the night before. It always tickles me to see Ron's short bed truck with various boats sticking out the back since there is always more boat hanging out of the truck than there is in it. As we approached the quarry Ron slammed on the brakes and said hold on I have an Idea. After he shared his treacherous plan with me we split up and put it into action. While Ron took the high road to the top of the rock quarry which is nothing more than a deep hole dug out of the bedrock with water in the bottom I waited patiently for his signal. He took his 12 gauge shot gun an hid at the top of the shear rock walls that encased the water at the bottom. He let out a whistle to signal me that he was ready. So I started walking down the old road that dump trucks used to use to get down to the bottom of the quarry. when I got to the bottom my presence flushed the three mallards that had been hanging out in quarry. The plan worked perfectly. the steep and high walls of the quarry caused the mallards to circle to gain elevation which brought them by Ron enough times for him to fall all three. The looked like shot down planes crashing into the water. The excursion was not only successful in supplying us with three ducks to eat but it was exciting as well. We had been so efficient in our time use that after using the Jon boat to retrieve the ducks we still had time to soak up the rising sun while we sat on the almost unnaturally blue water. So don't let a lack of time be an excuse for not hunting, try speed hunting until you can build up enough vacation time. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-83936886203787156482012-08-09T00:08:00.000-04:002012-08-09T00:49:54.650-04:00Bee Hunting<br />
I crept about the house in silence as to not disturb Mrs. Envirocapitalist (not a morning person) or my two children. I packed some gear slid into my truck about 4 am. I was driving to meet my good friend Ron (<a href="http://envirocapitalist.blogspot.com/2010/11/one-cold-night.html" target="_blank">whom I have written about before</a>) at Halls Crossroads so we could do a little bee hunting. After abandoning my truck at a desolate shopping center we headed north east into Claiborne County where we were to meet up with Jayme who had discovered a swarm of honey bees while delivering packages for UPS. <br />
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At this point maybe I should back up to explain why we would drive off a ways to capture a hive of bees at 4 am. It all started a couple of years ago when Ron, who has a similar take on life as myself decided to start producing his own honey. Honey not only tastes good but it is really good for you. From helping with allergies to being a good sweetener for everyone, even diabetics. Honey truly is a super food and as with all other foods my friends are excited when it comes to the prospect of deriving our own sustenance from the great outdoors. With great zeal Ron started this new hobby but struggled with beetles and moths the first year. Year two concluded with about 8 gallons of honey. Ron knew he needed more hives and several opportunities to increase the number of hives had presented themselves . This morning he invited me to come along on the adventure and I was excited to go. Ron and I had hunted everything from deer to frogs but never bees. he had mentioned that if a hive was swarming out on a limb you could drop the queen in a box and all the other bees would follow but the situation we faced today was a active older hive living in a downed tree.<br />
Luckily we were able to back the trucks up to within 60-70 yards of were the tree laid and we walked up the hill to check it out. The downed tree was a 30 inch diameter black oak with a hollow center it had a hole almost dead center of the tree that the bees were using as a front door. The guard bees were doing their job when we approached by milling around at the opening. Ron used a squirt bottle full of water to imitate rain which ran the guards back inside. Next he quickly shoved rags which consisted of used bed sheets into the hole to stop the bees from escaping. Next we used a chainsaw to cut the section with the bees in it out. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyrUsC3eQPg/UCM2JOR9T_I/AAAAAAAABVI/SaY9IO4aOBY/s1600/bee+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyrUsC3eQPg/UCM2JOR9T_I/AAAAAAAABVI/SaY9IO4aOBY/s320/bee+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting section with bees in it out (Big Ron is the one not wearing bee suit)</td></tr>
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Since the tree was hollow we had to be quick about covering the end of the cut out sections with Styrofoam and punched holes in it so the bees would have plenty of oxygen. After all of this it took a tractor to load the tree trunk full of bees into Jayme's truck and unload into Ron's backyard where the bees make their home from now on. while releasing the bees into their new environment by removing the bed sheets Ron explained to me that in the spring we would have to bust the tree open and capture the queen to get the hive to move into a box before the relocation would truly be complete. I thought if you consider how good real honey tastes its not to much trouble at all....Your Pal the Envirocapitalist.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F2MU5NvolMY/UCM2Qz0IG4I/AAAAAAAABVQ/69tylXvMl3A/s1600/final+bee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F2MU5NvolMY/UCM2Qz0IG4I/AAAAAAAABVQ/69tylXvMl3A/s320/final+bee.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bees safe at new home in Ron's backyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-45944635548699421732012-07-18T15:33:00.001-04:002012-07-18T15:33:02.461-04:00BooneCrockett 28<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3QOfjb8avVU?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-3724846821673514942012-07-11T23:38:00.003-04:002012-07-11T23:38:45.279-04:00Why go Ranch<span style="font-size: large;">I want to preface this conversation by saying I am not Judging. I am completely in favor of everyone enjoying the outdoors the way they deem fun. What I am about to say should not be took as an insult but merely the thoughts and feelings of your friendly neighborhood Envirocapitalist. <strong><em>Why in the world do people spend huge amounts of money to go on canned guaranteed shot hunts</em></strong>. I am at a loss of understanding. Pay someone to raise animals and manage them so you can show up eat breakfast, get in someone else's stand and wait for them to tell you which deer you should shoot. I have worked hard in recent years trying to understand the pride trophy hunter's take in antlers and most of these hunters tell me they are a symbol of the tireless work, knowledge, and skill that it took to take such a wary prey and I can understand that, I still have some medals from wrestling in my attic and a unsung hero award from football. This however does not explain why the fastest growing segment of the hunting industry are these packaged hunts. What pride can be taken for someone else doing all the work for you including gutting and dragging the deer. I can see where our anti-hunting friends get the idea that hunting is just about the kill, but I still believe they are wrong. The kill is a necessary step in the process of natural organic meat procurement. don't get me wrong I do get a rush everytime I pull the trigger or let an arrow go but it is from the adrenaline that is always released in life and death situations. I think these hunters paying others to do all the work while they just pull the trigger is more of a function of lack of time and laziness. Every time I tell a would be trigger man that I process my own meat they either say, "man I wished I had time to do that", or "that sounds like to much work." Either way I think there is an innate urge to hunt that drives these modern day gentry to these exclusive ranches to buy their trophy that couches and T.V. have been unable to fully purge. I see it come out a little when I speak with excitement about a wonderful meal I have prepared with wild game. As much as these men of lodge hunting confuse me I have to admit that they are responsible for a large portion of the conservation efforts going on in the U.S. today through the tax dollars and license fees collected and the large tracts of land that is held privately for the wildlife to live. So even though I don't understand our great white hunters of the west, I salute them......... Your Pal the Envirocapitalist.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-30534090378558917712012-04-25T21:38:00.002-04:002012-04-25T21:38:54.023-04:00Video from the field #1I have decided to start taking some video while I am in the field doing my job around the hill and hollows of appalacia. I will call them videos from the field and hopefully show you some of the things I experience on the job. <br />
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Todays video is a little rough and taken with my phone. I apologize but I wanted to show something I run across often. People do not realize that their drinking water (yes a lot of the people in Tennessee are still on well water) comes from rain and runnoff that enters the aquifer through sink holes in Karst geology. The same people who drink well water throw trash and debris into sink holes to "get rid" of it. They are contaminating the very water they will draw from later to drink. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vvwHwzGetzs?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-40425328042893483322012-04-22T22:34:00.000-04:002012-04-22T22:34:34.835-04:00Dekalb County 2011 memories I have the privilege of being able to hunt with the man who taught me how to track, shoot, and gut animals. Even though my father is 67 years of age and suffering from emphysema he decided to make the four hour drive to Dekalb County in middle Tennessee to hunt deer with me. It was to be a three day hunt on private land that my father has access to. This is a trip we have taken for several years and is responsible for a lot of the meat that has filled my freezer in that time. Dekalb County is very rural and is know mainly for spawning country music star Aaron Tippen and the town of Smithville which hosts the Fiddler's Jamboree. The weather was perfect, not cold enough keep Dad off the stand due to his medication thinned blood, but not to warm to make a "stocky" guy like me uncomfortable. I carried Dad's doghouse blind out to the edge of a cleared area he and a couple of his friends had sowed in winter wheat the year before and made my way into the dense cedar thicket to the north of this area. we spent that evening and the next day in this rolling rock pile with no success and faced the fact that with only one day left to hunt we might be skunked for the first time in Dekalb.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father with his kill in 2011 at 67 years old.</td></tr>
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While the sun broke over the ridge top spilling its light and warmth into the valley we were parked in. We split ways at the truck and tuned our two way radios to channel one. I remember thinking how bad it would be to come down here and come back empty handed, not just because of the nostalgia but also for practical reasons. It was deep into deer season and I only had two deer in the freezer. I was a little lost in thought hiding up in my blind deep in the dense cedar thicket when I heard dad's shot. I snapped to attention seconds before I saw a deer in the distance moving through the thicket. It was so thick that I would lose sight of the animal from time to time. I picked the shooting lane I<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three pointer I shot on same trip.</td></tr>
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hoped to the deer would step into and waited patiently. After a few painful seconds the chest and head of the deer appeared. It was a 3 point and one squeeze of the trigger of my Knight Wolverine muzzle-loader laid him down where he stood. It is rare I don't have to trail a deer after a shot, but I was blessed with the perfect angle to get both heart and lung this time. After the excitement was over the work began, I gutted my deer and drug it back over the ridge and left it just behind Dad's blind. He greeted me and took me across the field to were his deer lay. It was amazing, he had shot a three pointer as well. I gutted him and drug him across the field and out the valley to the truck. By the time I got back Dad had already packed up his blind and was waiting by my deer. As I drug my deer back to the truck I not only thought of all the tenderloin that my family would enjoy once I cut these deer up, but also of the blessing of getting another successful hunt in with the man that shared the gift of hunting with me. Don't ever stop hunting....Your pal The Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-83392247371702207602012-04-19T21:53:00.003-04:002012-04-19T21:56:57.548-04:00Turkey in Sequoyah Hills.<div>
Was able to snap a quick drive by picture of a hen turkey strutting down Kingston Pike in Knoxville. That turkey must of made a killing off the housing bubble to afford a nest there.<br />
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<img height="300" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-OnCrL78FAnQ/T5DBtDSSvxI/AAAAAAAABTs/SDXMfd-s8no/2012-04-16%25252015.13.12.png" width="400" /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-41812172731296915382012-03-13T21:38:00.000-04:002012-03-13T21:38:07.348-04:00Boys to Men.I am dismayed by our protectionist culture today. We seem to want to protect everyone from everything. I myself like dangerous things and I know how to use them safely. I was not caudled as a boy and protected from everything and called baby. I was allowed to play outside without a parent panicking that I might hurt myself. I was made to do work, pitch in around the house, and go hunting and fishing at a young age. I was probably as much hinderence as help to my father in most areas but I learned how to do things that a man should know how to do. We used chainsaws, axes, mowers, guns, and knives. We stayed out in the woods for days at a time. We night fished, and crappie fished, and gardened. We hunted, trapped, and ran trot lines. We worked.......and I mean we worked hard. We built a deck onto the house, we painted the house, we worked on our vehicles ourselves, we mowed our own yard. to sum up, I was not treated like a fragile vessel that would shatter at any hardship. Today we seem to be treating our boys like little babies that will never grow up instead of the men in training that they are. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boy on a camping/hunting trip with me in the Big South Fork wilderness area at 8 years old</td></tr>
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I have started giving my son the benefit of the doubt. If the hunting trip I am going on is in a tough rugged place and the weather is not that good I'll take him anyway. If the work that needs done is tough I'm bringing him along. I am proud to say he is blossoming. I was trying to "protect" him from tough situations but as soon as I took some of the constraints off. Let him use his knives, go on overnights in the mountains in the winter, and help bust and stack wood, he began to grow and become more confident and capable. I have learned that our children can become men if we teach them how and on the job training is the best training of all. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-21402907017506143832012-01-02T17:02:00.000-05:002012-01-02T17:02:51.154-05:00Billy's Three and My Tree!<br />
I always find hunting early season archery here in Tennessee oddly conflicting. It is warm, ticks are still climbing all over, and worst of all I always get poison Ivy. These facts never stop me from hunting so I was off to meet my pal and fellow Heiskell Boy Wild Bill for a early season hunt. Now first you should know that Billy is as much cowboy as he is country boy and at 6'1 220 lbs he is also pretty big boy as well. I have known him since I was five years old and like most my life long friends he is an outstanding outdoorsman and an accomplished hunter. Recently he has practiced so much with is compound bow that he is a sure thing inside 50 yards. Unlike Billy I am a gun man and take most my deer with a muzzleloader. But I have found a cure for my lack of practice...........a crossbow. I sight it in like a rifle and take it hunting. Some people have the miss conception that you can shoot a crossbow farther than a compound bow but this is just not true. my crossbow range is forty yards, whereas I have witnessed Billy shoot a deer target at 60 yards with his bow. While he would never attempt that shot in the woods it is proof that the crossbow does not have an advantage when it come to distance. I met Billy at his house and after some entertaining banter among his in laws we shipped out to the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/biso/index.htm" target="_blank">Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area</a>. It is only a little over 2 hours away but its remoteness makes it feel forever away from the sprawl of towns like Knoxville. After Checking in at Bandy Creek, paying for a back country camping permit, and listening to a speech from a ranger about food storage because of the booming bear population. We pitched camp over near Station Camp and headed about a mile down the gravel drive to an area my boss had suggested we should hunt. It was exactly as he had described, with the the tale tale signs of of old homestead. There was what used to be an orchard now overgrown, and scrubby areas that had been clear in the past. After a few hours of scouting Billy and I met back at camp and devised a plan. I was going to guard the old homestead in a ground blind while he hangs in his climbing stand further out on a oak covered point. We built a fire and settled in for the night I had told Billy that he should shoot any deer he sees that I would take it home if he didn't want it (this is standard practice for me). Billy is usually a trophy hunter and tends to pass a lot of table fare waiting on the big wall hangers, whereas I am a meat hunter.<br />
We awoke in the morning to mild temperatures and a silence that can only be found in the woods. After a gear check we moved to our respected deer stands for the wait. The first day I saw nothing but Billy had them scampering all around him just out of range or moving to swift for him to feel comfortable letting an arrow fly. That night a camp I decided that I was to stick it out in the same spot. The sign was just to good to move. Billy decided to move to a different tree but stay in the same area. after a belly full of potato soup we again went to sleep with dreams of tenderloins dancing in our heads. The next morning was colder than the day before and I could just somehow feel we would have opportunity this day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree I slayed by shooting under a doe.</td></tr>
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Billy had just texted me that he had one down when I heard the snap of a twig coming from the exact direction I had my blind oriented. I suddenly got warm and remembered the tree I had ranged at twenty yards earlier and adjusted the "dial a range knob" on my Horton crossbow to the 20 yard setting in anticipation of the deer stepping out of the dense underbrush into the opening next to that tree just as I had planned. Time passed slowly and and I soon realized that it was more than one deer and they were circling me. About the time I readjusted so I could shoot out the side window of the Ameristep dog house blind I saw the first doe step through the brush into my shooting lane. Without thinking I placed the red dot just behind her shoulder and let a bolt fly. The next few seconds were surreal. While I thought I saw the bolt fly straight for the lower chest of the deer I heard a heart breaking THUNK that sounded like tree not flesh. I usually wait before walking down to check my shot but that sound told me that it was a clean miss. as I walked down to the tree the deer had been standing in front of it dawned on me that I had never readjusted the RANGE KNOB ON THE BOW! How stupid..........How could I be so stupid......It hurts me now to tell the story. I stood glaring at my bolt sticking out of a tree 38 yards from my blind instead of the 18 yards I had the bow set to. After kicking myself relentlessly and admitting that my dad had been right all those years ago when he would lament some of my forgetful behavior.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buck Billy shot that now resides in my freezer.</td></tr>
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I decided to hike out to where Billy had been posted up to see if he could use some help with the deer he had texted me about earlier. When I arrived on the scene Billy had the buck spread eagle gutting it and related the story of how a doe and fawn had ran all around him prior to the buck showing up and not really giving him a shot. It was only after they had moved on that lover boy here showed up obviously trailing the doe. Billy grunted to stop the 3-pointer and then laid him down with a double lung shot from 30 + yards. We took turns dragging to get the buck out of the woods. It turns out this buck field dressed at 85lbs and was 2/12 years old. Seems not only did Billy help fill my freezer but he also culled the heard. Even though I had a monumental screw up, I put a deer in my freezer, and most importantly I had a good time and will never forget Billy's three and my tree. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12681 Station Camp Rd, Oneida, TN 37841, USA36.529088046483757 -84.63747024536132836.478061546483758 -84.716434245361327 36.580114546483756 -84.558506245361329tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-73440103138548150022011-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:002011-12-04T00:00:07.106-05:00Steven Rinella is Back<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em><u>The Following is a post from Steven Rinella about his new show.</u></em></strong></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For those who don't know, Steven Rinella is my favorite author. </td></tr>
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As some of you have probably figured out by now, Zero Point Zero Production and I are no longer making our show for The Travel Channel. While it was great experience to be working with that network, and while they gave us a lot of room to make the show we wanted to make, we had to part ways. Ultimately that’s turned out to be a very good thing, because for the past four or five months I’ve been working with the same crew to make a show that’s better than anything <em>The Wild Within</em> could have dreamed of being. This new show, <em>Meat Eater</em>, will premiere this coming January on Sportsman Channel. It has the same look and feel as <em>The Wild Within</em>, the same non-stop action, the same philosophical approach, but it’s even more authentic and gritty and gorgeous. During the creative process of putting the show together, we used the slogan “Killer Hunts, Killer Food” as our rallying cry. And that’s exactly what <em>Meat Eater</em> will deliver to you. If you don’t believe me, check out some of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.220602274679328.55566.201126986626857&type=3"><span style="color: #3399ff;">these choice new photos that were taken while we filmed</span></a>.<br />
And it gets even better. When you’re working with a network like Travel Channel, they end up owning all your footage. You might shoot 60 hours of tape on a hunt, which gets pared down to about forty-five minutes in the edit. The rest of that material ends up in a sort of video graveyard, doing no good for anyone. But now, with our new setup at Sportsman Channel, we own our own stuff. It’s ours to be greedy or generous with, whatever we choose. And we’ve chosen generosity. We’re in the process of building an on-line community where we pour out our hearts and souls (and our footage) for anyone who wants to see what’s up. At anytime. So if you’re sitting around in the middle of the night, 1) wondering what to do with the bullfrogs you just speared; 2) wondering how to properly grill a venison loin; 3) wondering which knives are worth the money and which knives aren’t; 4) wondering what next fall’s crop of presidential candidates might mean for hunting; 5) wondering what happened on past episodes or what might happen on future episodes; or 6) just wanting some wild and wooly entertainment, you can come visit the <em>Meat Eater</em> site and satisfy all your curiosities and desires. Or, if you just want a t-shirt with our sweet new logo on it, we might be able to help you with that as well. <br />
Right now, though, before any of that happens, I need you to do me a big favor. I need you to go to the new <a href="http://www.facebook.com/StevenRinellaMeatEater"><span style="color: #3399ff;">Meat Eater page on Facebook</span></a> and get joined up. Since there is no button that says “love it,” you’ll have to settle for the button that says “like it.” Please, do it now. If not, I’ll come to your house and skin you out and stuff you into a backpack. Well…not really. But you get the point. <br />
Thank you, and good luck out there. –Steven Rinella.<br />
P.S. If you don’t get Sportsman Channel, don’t worry. We’re going to help you with that as well. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-85158387293308921082011-11-27T21:34:00.002-05:002011-11-27T23:02:41.724-05:00Blind Hunting<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G-10 ground blind set up in ruins of 18th century homestead in Big South Fork.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like most hunter's in the eastern hardwoods use tree stands which hang high up in the canopy of straight timber. But I have also found times when the deer are using areas characterized by thickets and small scraggly brush. It is these time that I employ my G-10 ground blind which is less than ten pounds and folds up into a small backpack. This portability and weight translate to a much more mobile and faster Envirocapitalist. I don't believe you trade much as much visibility in a ground blind as you gain in comfort. Just recently in The Big South Fork National Wild River and Recreation area I shot a doe (which later field dressed out at about 85lbs or 45lbs of table fare) at 36 yards with my Horton Crossbow. The doe never knew I was in the world and as you can see from the above picture I had not spent a bunch of time brushing up the set, I simply set the blind up within bow range of the deer trail near a scraggly tree to break up its outline.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Envirocapitalist relaxing in G-10 ground blind wearing camo hat knit by Cousin Jaime</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While I still prefer more active types of hunting, blinds are fast becoming my favorite type of stand hunting. It is so much more comfortable than a tree stand and allows you to move more which keeps me attentive longer. I have found it to be just as effective as climbing 15 feet up a tree and while it may have a reputation as for older hunters I am not to proud to hide on the ground. If it was good enough for Daniel Boone it is good enough for me. I have spent much of this month in the woods and have three deer in the freezer to show for it. Stay tuned those stories to follow.........Your Pal The Envirocapitalist.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-26483286359644933272011-10-16T21:46:00.001-04:002011-10-16T22:20:08.133-04:00More to explore than you think.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One thing that continues to perplex me is the belief of the city dwellers that our wilderness is almost gone. I will be the first to admit that I wished there was more wilderness and less suburban sprawl, but I am not delusional enough to think that the outdoor opportunities in America are few. If I quit my Job and spent the next year just exploring I probably couldn't make a dent in all the wild places in the East much less the western part of the country. I love Big South Fork (See other stories on BSF <a href="http://envirocapitalist.blogspot.com/2009/03/big-south-fork-09.html">here</a>, <a href="http://envirocapitalist.blogspot.com/2007/12/cheating-death-at-big-south-fork.html">here</a>, or <a href="http://envirocapitalist.blogspot.com/2009/03/geat-hikes-series-1-twin-arches-loop.html">here</a>) I intend to hunt it next weekend with a good friend Wild Bill Picket. We have not been able to cover all the ground available to us even though we make a yearly trip there. I can't wait to get there, it has the feeling of a true wilderness. I hope everyone can find wild land to explore nearby and take advantage of it. Your pal The Envirocapitalist.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-18648093907979549102011-10-09T22:06:00.000-04:002011-10-09T22:06:05.253-04:00Grandeur<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beauty of Creation</td></tr>
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As most who read this blog know, I not only like to spend my spare time outdoors but the outdoors is also my office at work. One might think that spending the majority of my waking hours outdoors would dull me to the grandeur that is God's creation. The time I spend in the splendor actually has the opposite effect. I find my self enjoying vistas, falls, and wild lands even more.</div>
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I find lately that not only do I enjoy the exercise of retrieving my own food from the earth and not paying a middle man at the grocery store, but I also feel like I am in the "real" world when I am away from town. It may sound crazy but when I am on pavement, in buildings, or even at my home I feel that I am in a man made matrix and that I am only truly free when I am in the woods outside the confines of society. I feel closer to God outdoors and even seem to think clearer. Unlike some activities being outdoors seem to only bolster my desire to stay longer or go more often. No one judges me when I am hiking. I don't have to worry about how to pay for my accomadations when I am backcounty camping. I prey others out their are enjoying the adventure of the outdoors as well. I will be, October and November are the two months I kill all the venison for the year. It is important time to me but it is also very enjoyable. I dare say for the cost it is better than a movie and it is for real. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-24336978430871088232011-10-02T00:00:00.003-04:002011-10-02T00:00:00.478-04:00Do the Doe<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't eat horms</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I would like to convince all of the people who manage their leases for trophy bucks that they need help with doe population control. I have heard of hunting clubs making rules that each member must kill a doe before harvesting a buck. This is to ensure quality deer management. I would like to humbly offer my services free of charge to come to your lease at my expense and crop your does. I promise I will not only pass on all the old grizzly bucks I see but I will document their movements for you members that wish to harvest these over the hill bucks. I think it is a wonderful idea and any of you guys who wish to take me up on it leave a comment, that is if you are within driving distance of East Tennessee. I sure am tired of hunting public land your pal the Envirocapitalist.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-78837501406018470072011-09-25T00:00:00.000-04:002011-09-25T00:00:02.847-04:00Deer Season<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trophy shot by sportsman and eaten by Envirocapitalist.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is that time again in East Tennessee, opening day of deer season. Many hunter's will take to the woods with bows in their hands. If successful a hunter can expect (after processing )at least 40lb plus of meat to store in the freezer. I have found that it takes 7 small does to feed my family a year but recently that has been unnecessary. Not only do not have the time to hunt enough to kill seven deer but I have found so many people willing to just give their deer to me that I could probably never hunt again and have plenty of meat. It is so odd at times that they act as though I am doing them a favor by removing their "unwanted meat". I cannot understand since it is the tenderloin that drives me to wake up early and chase these creatures around steep ridges. It is like buying chicken quarters at the store and not eating them because it is to much trouble to cut them up and cook them. I will always be careful not to offend my "sportsman friends" who don't eat deer but still hunt them because I am slowly becoming dependent on their kills. I only shot one deer last year and that was a miracle considering how little I hunted. With that said I will now adjourn to my man cave to pack my bolts and sharpen my butcher knife in anticipation of success in the field, Your pal the Envirocapitalist.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-55171028786709922832011-09-18T00:00:00.001-04:002011-09-18T00:00:01.046-04:00The Eagle<strong><em>Found this jewel floating around the internet. I do not know who the original author is.</em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In one of the western states, a man was caught sitting at a make-shift campfire by a forest ranger, and to the ranger's horror, the man was eating a bald eagle. The man of course was put in jail for the crime.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At his trial, the judge asked him, "Do you know that killing and eating a bald eagle is a federal offense?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The man answered, "Yes I do your honor, but I got lost in the woods and hadn't had anything to eat for two weeks. I was so hungry. Next thing I see is a bald eagle swooping down at the lake for some fish. I knew that if I followed the eagle, I could maybe steal the fish. I caught up with the eagle, which lighted upon a tree stump to eat the fish. I threw a rock toward the eagle, hoping he would drop the fish and fly away. Unfortunately, in my weakened condition, my aim was off, and the rock hit the eagle squarely on his head, and killed him."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The judge was moved by the man's story and gave a fast judgment. He said, "Due to the extreme circumstances you were under, and because you didn't intend to kill the eagle, the court will dismiss the charges."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The judge, being somewhat of an outdoorsman himself, then leaned over the bench and whispered to the man. :If you don't mind my asking, what does a bald eagle taste like?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Feeling he had made a friend, the man said, "Well your honor, it is hard to explain. The best I can describe it, it is somewhere between a California condor and a spotted owl."</span><br />
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<strong><em>This is funny to me because I enforce environmental laws and I can't count the times someone confessed a crime to me because they were somewhat proud of it. Your Pal the Envirocapitalist</em></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-73807496644699273372011-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:002011-09-11T00:00:03.154-04:00The difference between me and modern hunters<span style="font-size: large;">I am a
opportunistic Predator. It is fairly simple as to why I come to this
conclusion. </span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I keep guns with me at all times
</strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I eat what I kill and what other hunters kill.
</strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>If I see it and it is in season I kill it, skin it, grill it. Even if I
wasn't hunting it at the time.
</strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I have received a call and dropped what I was doing to drive down the street
and shoot a Ground Hog. ( I had it cleaned quartered and vacuum sealed in less
than an hour) See Ground Hog recipe </strong></span><a href="http://envirocapitalist.blogspot.com/2008/02/ground-hog-for-supper.html"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><strong>here.</strong></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>
</strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I never have the time or money to go on far away hunting trips.
</strong></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>I somehow fill my freezer every year just by taking advantage of every
opportunity. </strong></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am not ashamed that I am not a "sportsman" but a
hunter. I'll shoot a doe instead of waiting on a rack buck. I kill, skin, quarter,
and grind to eat, no letting a processor do my dirty work for me. I enjoy this
ritual because it connects me to my ancestors , the land, the animals, and my
innate need to be self sufficient. I am not competing against other men to see
who the best hunter is, I am making a living off the land. Your pal the
Envirocapitalist.</span> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-26883933561838303962011-09-04T00:00:00.001-04:002011-09-04T00:00:04.530-04:00Puppies are good.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KEMXuHCwtt4/TmLdfD6GeDI/AAAAAAAABIc/BvaCznYdk3g/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KEMXuHCwtt4/TmLdfD6GeDI/AAAAAAAABIc/BvaCznYdk3g/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Puppies are good for kids, and puppies are even good for grown ups. Our new Jack Russell Terriers were intended to help teach my children responsibility and give them some outdoor playmates. It turns out that the little fellers are good for Mrs. Envirocapitalist as well. They have already entertained me and stole my wife's heart. They have played with the children outside and have already proven to not be gun shy. They have laid on my wife's lap and chased each other around the front porch. So far they are a hit.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLdSQVXGjYI/TmLdhpe6yrI/AAAAAAAABIg/Sw4u3KUH71s/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLdSQVXGjYI/TmLdhpe6yrI/AAAAAAAABIg/Sw4u3KUH71s/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I hope these little dogs build a bond with my kids and bring joy to them for a long time, but I have to admit it brings back memories from my youth of having dogs and has made me very happy. The squirrels are in trouble next year and family outings such as hikes and camping trips are going to have a whole new dimension.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ivl2PHcVlcw/TmLdoGMLUwI/AAAAAAAABIk/yoDZKH3wkfI/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ivl2PHcVlcw/TmLdoGMLUwI/AAAAAAAABIk/yoDZKH3wkfI/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
If you don't have any dogs I would strongly suggest you consider getting one. A well trained dog which serves a purpose brings more joy than any possession. Any way Brave is sleeping on his back while Rosie chews on his ear so I had better go and oooh and aaaah with the rest of the family. Your pal the Envirocapitalist.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-43864690323814227592011-08-28T00:00:00.002-04:002011-08-28T00:00:02.710-04:00It is hard to hunt with a 8 year old<span style="font-size: large;">We typically eat between fifteen and twenty squirrels a year, they are not a favorite food of my family but they are relatively easy to obtain and hunting them late summer/early fall gives me a chance to scout for deer and turkey. It is also an ideal time to take your young hunters afield and teach them the lessons they will need to learn to be successful when after larger game. I will be the first to admit that it is tough to hunt with young kids. Young boys do not want to be quiet, sit still, or be patient, which are important when hunting anything. I love hunting with my son even when it causes us to be less successful because I can see him learning, growing, and enjoying the success we do have. Knowing that it was the valuable experience I gained as a kid which allows me to feed my family and make money off ginseng and trapping on top of my day job gives me the extra incentive to teach my son all I know. If you have skills or knowledge you think are valuable please pass them onto the next generation, it will make a difference and really it is your responsibility. On this hot August morning what might have appeared as a fun opening day of squirrel season with my son was in reality just another part of shaping the men of the future. your pal the Envirocapitalist</span>.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59izteUegOI/TlmQL6NKsgI/AAAAAAAABH8/WQjMsZRa5aI/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59izteUegOI/TlmQL6NKsgI/AAAAAAAABH8/WQjMsZRa5aI/s400/003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy with squirrels, working radio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4122419592764568351.post-78412361448391408142011-08-21T00:00:00.072-04:002011-08-21T00:00:00.449-04:00Steven Rinella hits the nail on the head.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMi9hRAcATs/TknIlnGZnmI/AAAAAAAABHs/57i0a5pAjyU/s1600/Steven+Rinella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FMi9hRAcATs/TknIlnGZnmI/AAAAAAAABHs/57i0a5pAjyU/s400/Steven+Rinella.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image courtesy of wildernessathlete.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Every once and a while someone comes along and speaks your mind better than you do. As is the case for Steven Rinella, who puts into words what most hunters wished they could voice and he does it in an entertaining and authoritative way. Even though he has only written two books, (<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/american-buffalo-steven-rinella/1100268243?ean=9780385521697&itm=1&usri=steven%2brinella"><span style="font-size: large;">American Buffalo : In Search of A Lost Icon</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-scavengers-guide-to-haute-cuisine-steve-rinella/1007912149?ean=9781401360177&itm=7&usri=huate%2bcuisine"><span style="font-size: large;">The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">) He is one of my all time favorite outdoor writer's. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">One of his articles</span><span style="font-size: large;"> entitled " </span><a href="http://www.petersenshunting.com/2011/06/02/steven-rinella-why-i-hunt-2/#.TknAy-t-rQI.blogger"><span style="font-size: large;">Steven Rinella: Why I Hunt</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">" which I believe to be a must read for anyone struggling with the ethics of hunting, made me kick myself for not being able to verbalise any of these points to some of my outdoor compatriots who struggle with the life and death aspects of hunting. <span style="font-size: large;"> Both books and numerous articles I read seem to</span> really hit the nail on the head and left me craving for more of Mr. Rinella. His love affair with the obtaining and preparing of wild foods really speaks to me. This lead me to his T.V. Show </span><a href="http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/The_Wild_Within"><span style="font-size: large;">The Wild Within</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> on the Travel Channel. It focused as much on the skinning and cooking of the game as it did on the chase, which I believe is a major part of the hunt and sadly missing from conventional hunting shows. After devouring all five episodes I realized it didn't appear to be coming on anymore. As heart broken as I was, Mr. Rinella appears to still be writing so I digress since I enjoy the written word over television any way. He has written several other articles, of which I can safely say you will not be wasting time by following this </span><a href="http://www.stevenrinella.com/articles/"><span style="font-size: large;">link</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and reading a while. I recommend his work highly and I am sure you will enjoy what I hope becomes an outdoor voice for my generation, your pal the Envirocapitalist.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1