MISSISSIPPIHILLCOUNTRY outdoors FR

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OCTOBER 2013 JOHN 3:16 VOL. 4 NO. 38

Follow us on FacebookHillcountry Outdoor Magazine/Dean Wells

158 East Road • Ecru, MS 38841hillcountry@ms.metrocast.net

IN THIS ISSUEIN THIS ISSUE:

The Time for Food Plot PlantingIs Running Out

DIY Firestarters That May SaveYour Life

How To Sharpen Your Chainsaw

Outdoor Truths

Booners to Bombers

Pull The Trigger Or Let Him Walk

First Aid Has Changed And SoMust We

Deer Season Tent Camping

MDWFP NewsWill Henson, of New Albany, with anice trophy black bear.

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Editorial

The Restoration of Adventure This morning, as I sat at the TV, I was tuned in to one of the outdoor shows, just enjoying myself as the camera man scanned all of the creation God had made. Soon, it was ad time and all of the latest and greatest was thrown at me at top speed. As I sat there I remembered the time when there was neither hunting channels nor any of the fancys they sold, and dang it, if people didn’t seem like they liked hunting more. This phenomenon scares me, to be honest. Kids who hunt, have about everything they want so easily. We show them all the greatest and latest, they know how to field judge a deer to know the age. They know about ballistic charts and deer pheromone scents, verses cover scents. Solunar tables and moon phase charts. They have the warmest boots, ground blinds with heaters, and cell cameras that tell you when ole drop tine is hitting the food plot. Coon hunters and hog hunters watch their dogs on gps maps, as they follow there noses. It makes me ask, “where are we going?”. Don’t get me wrong I like all of the lat-est and greatest, but could it be all of this is removing some of the things we are going hunting for in the first place. The challenge, the surprise of wandering up on a swamp you never knew was there. The exhilaration, the exploration level is nowhere near the same as following a Google map. All of this has changed fishing to a point that you can look under a limb from your boat and see what size fish it is, right there on the screen. I guess there won’t be much more watching your Texas rigged worm free fall for 5 seconds into a unknown creek, after pulling it over a log. I often think, if my great, great, grandpa could see all this, what would he think or what would he do. I guess the next thing is we will have something that tracks the deer or ducks from space and tells us where they sleep and eat then we just cut them off at the pass and drop the hammer. You say that is far-fetched, but I don’t think so. If it does happen, I can hear the voice of BB King singing The Thrill Is Gone. I’m not meaning to throw a shad-ow on all the good stuff, just saying, “hey, wait a minute here.” There are some things I just don’t want to know, for my own sake. I don’t have to know everything, and neither do you. As a matter of fact, I find the less I know, sometimes, the better I like it. You might say I have chosen to keep all of my dopamine induced emotions handy, for balance and stress relief and the wow effect. Some folks think that because I hunt a lot, I use trail cameras and all kinds of things, but I don’t on deer. I don’t want to know until it happens. I want to wonder into where” I think” ole big boy sleeps and maybe luck up on him lying there catnapping some frosty morning. I have chosen to keep the thrill, that can’t be found in a pill or bottle, or bought in a store. For a change, you might have something exciting to tell to the guys at church or around the water cooler at work. Swing your double bit axes my friends, and warm yourselves around a fire in your red plaid till it smells of hickory smoke. Taste and smell the spirit of adventure and stand in awe from the element of surprise. O, how I am prone to and love to wonder, just let me fall right in the lap of surprise. After all, its why hunting unplanned, uncharted, off-course adventures is what makes all of us happy, “isn’t it?”

See you in the outdoors,

Dean

Dean WellsEditor

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I bought an old house last summer and inherited lots of the former owners’ stuff — some of it good and welcome, some strictly landfill-fodder.

Among other things that the sellers left were bags of stove pellets. Now, that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, the stove for those pellets has a broken igniter and some of the pellets were stored in damp conditions and are dissolving back into the sawdust they were made from.

Why bother, I thought? Firestarters are cheap. Why spend hours on something I can get at the hardware store for a few bucks? (Yes, I know that’s not the best backwoods thinking, but there it is.) Not until somebody else laughingly suggested that I make my own and mar-ket them as “Firebrand Firestarters” in recognition of my political heckraising did the thought of homemade firestarters spark my imagination. Besides, since I wasn’t about to pay $200 to repair my stove’s igniter, I was going to need a lot of firestarters to get the thing going. At least one a day during heating season for years to come.

Well, I can tell you I’ll probably never market “Firebrands,” but I’ve discovered that making firestarters is a lot of fun. Not only that, the homemade type have several advantages over storeboughts:

• They work better.

• They’re less expensive — virtually free when made from materials already on hand.

• It’s easy to make several months’ supply in one session.

• You can custom-design your firestarters to have characteristics you want. Make different types for backpacking and home use, for instance, or one type for lighting charcoal and another for wood.

Here’s what you need• Some form of wax. This can be paraffin bought from your local canning supply. But I’ll bet you’ve got a bag of old candle ends around somewhere. Those will do just as well. So will those broken crayons your children no longer use. Or wax seals you’ve removed from old canned foods. Or beeswax.

• Some type of combustible material in small bits: sawdust, dryer lint, ever-green needles, wood chips, crumbly stove pellets, cotton balls, thick shred-ded paper or cardboard, cut up bits of old cotton rags — even the soft under-coat you’ve brushed out of your dog’s fur. Don’t use anything that might be toxic (like sawdust from treated lumber, for instance); otherwise, if it’s small and it will burn, it’s probably good.

• A large pot (a water-bath canner with a rack in the bottom does nicely, but a stewpot will do)

• A quart-sized jar

• Something you can use for a mold: egg cartons, muffin pans, aluminum pie dishes, minia-ture paper cupcake cups, shot glasses, or votive-candle cups (if you have a bunch of them), or anything else that can hold the materials. Cut-down sections of toilet-paper rolls could work. Ice cube trays are a possibility; just make sure yours won’t melt!

• A cookie sheet or some other material to protect your kitchen counter from spilled or leaking wax.

How to make themOne important thing to remember: Although this project is easy and safe if you use reason-able precautions, you are working with flammable (and hot) materials. So melt your wax at medium to low temperatures (never use high heat). Keep an eye on it as it melts; don’t walk away and forget it. Handle hot materials with oven mitts. Work carefully to avoid spills. And keep small children and animals away from the stove and the rest of your work area.

1. Assemble your materials.

2. Place just two to three inches of water in your pan — no more.

3. Fill a jar about halfway with wax and place the open jar into the water. Note: If the jar tries to float when you put it in the pan, either add more wax to the jar or lower the water level in the pan. Otherwise, you could end up with wax in your water and water in your wax.

4. Heat the water on medium just to simmering. As soon as you see rising bubbles in the water, turn the heat to low and watch as your wax finishes turning liquid.

5. While the water is heating, place your combustible materials loosely into the mold or molds. Place the molds on the cookie sheet or other protective surface.

6. Once the wax has completely melted, lift the jar carefully from the pan (wearing oven mitts on both hands) and pour just enough wax into the molds for your combustibles to ab-sorb. Don’t worry about completely covering the materials; it can actually help to have some bits sticking out from the wax; protruding material can serve as a wick.

7. Once the wax has cooled, you can remove your firestarters from their molds. How you do this will depend on the materials you’ve used. If your mold was made of paper (like an egg carton or muffin cup), the mold may end up becoming part of the firestarter. Just cut or tear the excess away and use the remaining paper to help light your creation. If your mold was rigid metal or glass, put it in the refrigerator for half an hour and your new firestarters will pop right out. If your mold was flexible metal like an aluminum plate, just bend it until the waxy creation within pops loose.

Some tips and some fun additionsOnce you have the basics, you can customize your future creations. Each material has its own characteristics, and by changing materials and sizes, you can make firestarters that are best for certain purposes.

For example: Cotton ball firestarters can be among the hardest to light. But because they’re lightweight, compact, and don’t crumble, they may be your best bet for backpacking trips. Also, if you’re using an egg carton or other paper mold, the saturated cotton balls may pop out without the need to destroy the mold.Continued on pg. 5

The plate in the foreground contains all the different types of fire-starters from the egg carton plus some small wax-coated pinecones. I suspended most of them from pieces of cotton yarn and dipped them in purple wax. The remaining bits of yarn (also wax-saturated) serve as wicks. The bowl in the rear contains chunks of firestarter from the pie tin.

Fill a mold with your combustible material. Here I’m using an egg carton, but many other types of containers will do, from pie pans to toilet-paper tubes. From left to right the ma-terials in the carton are: dog fur, evergreen needles, dryer lint, sawdust from crumbling stove pellets, cotton balls, and torn bits of the egg carton itself.

DIY Firestarters That May Save Your Life When You’re Alone In The Woods by Claire Wolfe

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DIY Firestarters That May Save Your Life When You’re Alone In The Woods. (Cont. from pg. 4)

I like to make the starters for my pellet stove using an aluminum pie pan. Just layer ½-inch or less of combustible material in the pan and pour in enough wax for the material to absorb. When it sets, you have one big pie-sized lump. It ain’t pretty. But it’s fast and you can break the “pie” into any size chunks you need. The irregular edges and protruding combustibles also make these pie-plate “Firebrands” very easy to light. The pan is good for several uses before it develops cracks.

If your only aim is to get a campfire, barbecue, or stove going, you probably don’t care how your firestarters smell. But be aware that some materials (like pine needles) produce a lovely aroma. Others (like dog hair) may stink when they burn.

If you discover that your newly made firestarters are hard to light (unlikely, but it can happen), wrap them in a twist of paper like a candy. Apply a match to one or both ends of the paper and you’re on your way.

You can also make firestarters by tying a length of cotton string or yarn to a small com-bustible object and dipping it several times in the melted wax. Pinecones are the most common for this, but you could get creative with any small, easily burnable thing — cut cardboard shapes, little scrolls of rice paper, small wooden game pieces, or wooden beads, for instance. Once the wax dries, cut the string (leaving enough to serve as a wick), then pack your finished firestarter in a gift basket for a friend. (If you’re giving fire-starters away, it’s a good idea to test that your particular kind works first.)

Melt your wax over medium to low heat. Keep the water level in the pan low enough to prevent the jar from trying to float. If you prefer, you can use a double boiler instead of a jar and kettle to melt the wax. But that could take quite a bit of cleanup. The jar has the advantage of giving you a place to store leftover wax until your next firestarter-making session.

My hunting vehicle is a 1995 Nissan Pathfinder. For the past 3 or 4 years I have been thinking how that anytime, it is going to bite the dust. I am the second own-er. Its first owner totaled it in a wreck years ago and I bought it from the insur-ance company. It was salvageable so it became my son’s first vehicle. Many of the cosmetic parts that should have been replaced were simply beaten back into submission. We only fixed or replaced that which was absolutely necessary for it to run safely. After a few years of good service, my son moved into a car (not literally, but I thought about it sometimes) and I made the Pathfinder a full-time hunting and fishing vehicle. Since that time it has eaten 2 transmissions and was “retotaled” when a deer ran in front of it. And that doesn’t include how I went for a couple of years without any dash lights working and the headlights would only work on dim. Finally got that fixed but now there is a big hole in the floorboard that has given way to rust. The good news is, the engine runs, the air-condition unit only needs to be refilled with Freon every other year, and as long as I smell oil I know it’s not dry. I think it can make it one more year (I do need some tires though – used of course).

Did I mention that I’m having a birthday this week? Really don’t know what made me think of that. But on second thought my Pathfinder and I do have a lot in common. I can imagine years ago when its original owner let Metallica rip through its cassette player. Today Metallica is driving. He has silver in his hair, gold in his teeth and lead in his butt. And while me and my little SUV may be consistent, we also need to make sure we stay in the slow lane. And what about the dings and scratches? Well the dings have given both of us character and the scratches are bookmarks that serve as reminders for some great stories; stories that new and shiny can’t offer. I’m getting to the place however where parts cost more than the vehicle is worth. Oh yeah, my candles this year will probably cost more than the cake. Maybe the comparisons are endless, but there is one thing I know – some things only get better with age and it’s not only wine. It’s those who have let God guide their path. A long time ago I knelt in recognition of the One who would direct my steps. I still kneel today. The only difference is, I looked around while I’m kneeling to see if there is anything else I need to do while I’m down there.

by Gary Miller gary@outdoortruths.org

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By Todd Masson Many deer hunters and land managers across Louisiana and Mississippi have delayed planting their food plots this year because of the extreme heat. Not only is hot, dry weather tough on young seedlings, it’s just downright miserable to plant in.

But the clock continues to tick toward the Oct. 1 archery-season opener, so most hunters will break out the tractors, discs and harrows in the next few days.

What and how they plant will dictate how successful those plots are at attracting and bene-fiting whitetail deer throughout the hunting season.

Don Reed, who studies deer at the state’s Idlewild Research Station in Clinton, wrote a pamphlet that offers advice to hunters about what they should and should not do when planting plots in this region.

The primary rule of medicine -- the Hippocratic oath -- is to first do no harm. The same rule applies to putting in food plots, but many hunters mistakenly do a tremendous amount of harm while believing they’re helping their herds.

They’ll destroy acres of native browse to spend a fortune on seed, fertilizer and lime.

“Management of native browse species is many times overlooked when hunters and sportsmen want to improve habitat conditions,” Reed writes. “Fertilizing Japanese honey-suckle, blackberry and dewberry and other forbs and vines normally found in open timber stands will greatly enhance the food and cover that upland wildlife depend on.

“In some cases, individuals fail to plan and prepare when it comes to planting food plots, and actually destroy large areas of these native browse species.”

Hunters should put new plots only in areas that have subpar deer habitat, Reed advises. They recommend looking to power lines or pipeline rights-of-way for new plots but recog-nize cleared fields that have begun to regrow may also be great options, provided that the natural browse is only minimally impacted.

“Where manipulation of the native habitat is possible, establishing long, narrow food strips in a wagon-wheel fashion can be of maximum benefit in getting the highest amount of food plot acreage established on a minimal amount of total area,” the author writes. “In this planting arrangement, the deer stand or viewing platform is the hub of the wheel, with food strips coming off at various angles and lengths as the spokes of the wheel.”

Much of the woods on which Louisiana and Mississippi hunters chase deer is owned by paper companies and planted in pine, which isn’t prime deer habitat. Because of that, hunters have limited options in managing undergrowth.

Those who do own their woods, however, should take great care not to let them grow out of control.

“Regardless of the forest type, regular manipulation of the native habitat by timber man-agement is necessary to keep a forest productive for deer,” the author writes. “Clear-cut-ting, regular thinning and prescribed burning are forest-management activities that land managers can use to accomplish this task.”

These actions encourage new growth in the understory, which is palatable and nutritious to deer.

When thinning or burning is not an option because of landowner restrictions, food-plot planting is even more critical. For maximum health of the herd, Reed recommends doing warm-season plantings as well to provide ample forage for deer during the often-lean summer months.

But hunters heading to their tracts to plant in the coming weeks will be looking to start plots that thrive in autumn and winter. The success of these plots is important to herd health.

“Late winter finds some deer habitat devoid of the hard- and soft-mast crops and deciduous browse species that they started with the previous fall,” Reed writes. “Food plots at this time of the year may provide deer with the necessary energy to carry them through until spring green-up takes place.”

Many companies offer premixed seed blends that certainly do well in our climate, but these can relieve you of a good bit of your budget. A less-expensive route is to purchase the individual seeds from a feed store or co-op and mix them yourself.

Here’s what Reed recommends for our region:

Austrian winter peas (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 1): Rival warm-season plantings of soybeans and cowpeas in their attractiveness to deer. Inoculated seed should be drill planted at 40 pounds per acre or broadcast at 40 to 60 pounds per acre. These plantings are better adapted to heavy clay soils with moderate to heavy fertility. Fertilize at 250 pounds per acre with 0-14-14 and maintain a soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0.

Crimson clover (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 15): One of eight or more clovers that can be planted in Louisiana to provide a high protein source in the winter. Clovers are generally planted in a mix with other cool-season annuals. Clovers are rather expensively priced per pound, but this cost can usually be justified when one looks at the small amount of seed required to cover an area. Clovers are one of the items land managers can save money on by mixing chosen species themselves rather than buying premixed bags. In planting any variety, take care to maintain pH at recommended levels. Most clovers are very site-specific. The big advantage of crimson clover is its high tolerance to acidic soils. With any species of clover, reseeding can be enhanced by disking or mowing in the fall after initial establishment. After soil disturbance, apply 0-20-20 fertilizer at the rate of 300 pounds per acre and maintain soil pH between 6.5 and 7.5. Seed should be inoculated and drill-planted at 15 pounds per acre or broadcast at 20 pounds per acre.

Subterranean clover (plant Sept. 1-Oct. 15): Subterranean clover is a cool-season annual legume that can tolerate shade quite well, making it an ideal choice for plantings on narrow logging roads and small loading decks in thinned timber stands. Fertilize at the rate of 200 pounds per acre of 0-20-20 and maintain soil pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Inoculated seed should be drill-planted at the rate of 8 pounds per acre or broadcast at 15 pounds per acre.

White or Ladino clover (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 15): Another popular cool season annual legume that provides excellent high-protein forage. Plantings can be established by seeding as little as 4 pounds per acre when drill-planting and 5 to 6 pounds per acre when broadcast-plant-ing. Fertilize with 400 pounds per acre of 0-20-20 and maintain soil pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Ladino clover varieties include Osceola, Tillman, Regal, Louisiana S1 and California.

Continued on pg. 7

The Time For Food Plot Planting Is Running Out

Deer hunters over the next few days and weeks will be putting in their food plots, but not planting the right crops can lead to a disappointing season. (Photo by Todd Masson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)(Todd Masson)

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PratersGROCERYHighway 341 • Pontotoc, MS

• FOOD• FUEL• ICEOpen 5 a.m. Monday - Saturday

PJ’sAcross from Wren Flea MarketHighway 278 • Wren, MS

•Deli Sandwiches •Fuel•IceOpen early for breakfast.

Hunter & Fishermanʼs One Stop StoreJust under bypass

The Time For Food Plot Planting Is Running Out (Cont. from pg. 6)

Elbon rye (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 15): A small grain annual plant that is similar to wheat and heavily used by deer in its early growth stages. It is very cold-tolerant and can survive fairly frigid conditions later in the year, although as it matures, it loses a portion of its protein levels. Plantings established in the fall begin to die back the following summer. Elbon rye should be drilled or broadcast at the rate of 80 pounds per acre with 200 pounds per acre of a balanced fertilizer blend such as 13-13-13 applied at planting. Soil pH should be main-tained between 5.6 and 6.5. Elbon rye makes its best growth on well-drained, light-textured soils.

Oats (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 1): A cool-season annual grain that has the disadvantage of being less cold-tolerant than rye or wheat. Established plantings are browsed heavily by deer in their early growth stages. Seed should be drilled or broadcast at 80 pounds per acre, and 200 pounds per acre of 13-13-13 should be applied at planting. Top dressing with a blend of ammonia nitrate fertilizer such as 34-0-0 in January for February is recommended to give added growth later in the year. Maintain soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5.

Ryegrass (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 1): Ryegrass is able to grow under such a wide range of soil and light conditions that it is one of the most common plantings to establish for whitetail deer either planted alone or more often as part of a mix. It is a cool-season annual grass, but repeated stands can be achieved by allowing plantings from the previous year to mature and go to seed. Disking such areas the following fall will almost always show some ryegrass returning. Seed can be drilled or broadcast at the rate of 20 pounds per acre. Fertilize at planting with 250 pounds per acre of 13-13-13 followed by top dressing with 150 pounds per acre of 34-0-0. Ryegrass grows best in soils maintained at a pH of 6.0.

Wheat (plant Sept. 1-Nov. 1): Wheat is a cool-season annual small grain that is widely used by deer in the early stages of growth. It, along with ryegrass, is a staple food-plot item that represents some of the most used food-plot ingredients for whitetail deer. Establish plant-ings by broadcasting seed at the rate of 80 pounds per acre. Fertilize at planting with 200 pounds per acre of 13-13-13, and top dress later in the year with 150 to 200 pounds per acre of 34-0-0. Soil pH should be maintained between 5.5 and 6.5.

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I am not ambidextrous. My wife, Judith, uses chopsticks with either hand or even both hands at once. She is ambidextrous. I can barely write with my right hand, much less my left. Even so, I use this ambidextrous method of sharpening my chainsaw, and can sharpen the chain in 10 minutes or less without removing the chain from the saw, while using only a chainsaw file and a homemade stand.

Here are the secrets to sharpening a saw without weird filing jigs, fixtures, or other expen-sive and time consuming mechanical aids.

Basic principles

1. It is essential to look at what you are doing. You cannot, as I used to do, put the saw on the ground, kneel on the handle, and file away on the saw teeth and expect them to become sharp by the grace of a higher power. The homemade stand, shown in the illustrations, is designed to be used on a bench. It will place the saw chain where you can see what is happening to the teeth while you sharpen. The stand will also allow you to assume a com-fortable position while you work on the saw. If you use reading glasses, put them on when you sharpen.

2.Orient the bar vertically. This is the most important purpose of the homemade stand. When the bar is vertical, gravity is your friend, and you can easily control the file position in the throat of the tooth. If you attempt to file the chain with the bar in a horizontal position, gravity drags the file downward into the throat, and you will miss the cutting edge entire-ly. Orienting the bar vertically is so important that once you learn this technique, you will henceforth lean the saw vertically upwards against a tree if the saw needs an emergency sharpening in the woods where the stand is not available.

3.Adjust the chain tension prior to sharpening. This will pull the teeth into the bar and pre-vent them from flopping back and forth while you sharpen. This will make your filing faster and far more precise.

4.Wear gloves while sharpening. When sharpening, you will grab the bar with one hand to stabilize it, and your other hand, which is doing the filing, will frequently be driven into the chain. Gloves make sharpening a much more safe and comfortable enterprise.

5.Keep a block of carpenter’s chalk in your chainsaw toolbox. When sharpening, use this to mark your starting point on the chain. It can be remarkably difficult to figure out when you have finished sharpening without this mark. You will also probably use the chalk to lay out cuts when you are using the saw.

6.When you begin to sharpen, allow the file to contact the tooth only in the forward (cutting) direction. Dragging the file back through the tooth will shorten file life considerably, will re-sult in a poor tooth profile, and is at odds with the principle of watching what you are doing. After each tooth is finished, dust the filings out of the file teeth by brushing it across your

pant leg. (I assume you are wearing work clothes if you are out there filing a chain saw). The file cuts more smoothly if it doesn’t have to jump over filings that are stuck on the file surface.

7.Sharpen the saw frequently. Once every one or two tank fillings is about right. If you sharpen at this interval, the saw will always be a pleasure to use and sharpening will go quickly. If you hit a rock, you might as well give it up and go sharpen the saw. A dull saw tends to wear the bar unevenly, so keeping the saw sharp will extend the bar life.

The homemade stand

The stand is nailed up from a few scraps of wood to loosely hold the saw in a vertical position. Make it of a size to hold your saw. The long vertical side should fall six inches or so below the top of the bar when the saw is placed in the stand. The two cleats on the long side of the stand that constrain the saw in the side to side direction are important. In order to position them, place the saw in the stand with the blade upright and mark the saw chain on either side where it contacts the long side of the stand. Leave a gap between the cleats that is wide enough to easily clear the saw teeth as you advance the chain to expose new teeth for sharpening.

Sharpening

Make sure that the saw’s off-on switch is turned off. It isn’t very likely that the saw could kick back while you are handling the chain, but I suppose it is possible. If the saw is electric, it should certainly be unplugged

Place the stand on a bench that is at a height so that the teeth in the center of the bar are at about eye level. Different chains require different file diameters so be sure that you have the correct file. I probably don’t need to mention that chain saw files are designed specifically for sharpening saw blades and are not the same as ordinary round files. For your first try, use a new file if you have one. This will show you how a good file should cut so that you will eventually know when to replace it. When the file is worn out, you can feel and also hear that it is not biting into the tooth material, and it won’t produce much in the way of filings.

Now to sharpen: Look at the saw teeth. You will notice, on newer chains, a diagonal line scribed across the rear part of the top outside surface of the tooth. The finished tooth profile as seen from the top of the tooth should be parallel to this line. If your saw chain does not have these scribed markings, you should draw lines across the back of the saw stand at the correct angle, and use these lines to guide your filing angle.

Stand in front of the short side of the stand so that you can see the teeth ascending on the top side of the bar. Pick a tooth that slopes upward to the left and mark it with chalk. You will sharpen this tooth first, and then sharpen all the similar teeth while advancing the chain through one full revolution. Then you will sharpen all the teeth with the opposite slope while advancing the chain through a second revolution.

Grasp the saw by the top of the bar with your left hand, and brace it firmly against the top of the stand and the right hand cleat. With your right hand, sharpen the tooth that you previ-ously marked.

Unless the blade is rock damaged, sharpening a chain in good condition should take about four file strokes per tooth. Take your first stroke and watch what happens to the cutting edge of the tooth. The file must travel in a straight line that is parallel to the scribed line on the tooth. You must also pull the file slightly toward the cutting edge (which is toward you) Continued on pg. 9

How To Sharpen Your Chain Saw

Page 9

How To Sharpen Your Chain Saw (cont. from pg. 8)

to assure that the cutting edge rather than the bottom of the tooth throat is filed. If things are going well, you will see a slight “wire edge” form on the cutting edge which is the last fragment of metal breaking off when the tooth becomes sharp. When the tooth is finished, the entire cutting edge will be straight, parallel to the scribed line, and sharp enough to peel a chip off the top of your fingernail.

Now comes the ambidextrous part: When the left-upward sloping teeth are finished, it is time to repeat the process for the right-upward sloping teeth. The best way to do these teeth is to merely switch hands. Grasp the top of the saw blade with your right hand, and file with the left. This allows you to remain in a position directly in front of the saw where you can see what is happening to the tooth. Although I am strongly right-handed, I found this very easy to do the first time that I tried it, and now, the left-handed teeth actually seem to go faster than the right-handed ones.

This is a fast process. If your chain has 40 teeth, and you use 4 file strokes per tooth, sharp-ening requires only 160 file strokes.

Problems

If filing does not make the cutting edge parallel to the scribed line, it means that the file is not parallel to the scribed line. If you are rocking the file up and down (vertically), the cutting edge will become rounded. If the file is tipped front-to-back, the cutting edge will not remain parallel to the scribed line even though the file appears to be at the proper angle. (See the illustrations.)

Attempt to file the same amount off of each tooth. Count the number of strokes that you use and file the same number on each tooth. After a number of sharpenings, some of the teeth may become noticeably shorter than the others. To fix this, try to use fewer file strokes on these teeth for several sharpenings until the others catch up. If you wish to really true up the blade, you should locate and sharpen the smallest tooth, mark off its length on a scrap of wood, and use this as a gauge to file the remaining teeth.

If the saw has become rock damaged: Rock damage usually damages all the teeth on one side of the chain. Because of the way that I hold my saw when cutting near the ground, this usually seems to be the right handed teeth. The effect is usually to knock the point off all these teeth. To sharpen a rock damaged blade, I sharpen the blade using 10 or 12 file strokes per tooth, being especially careful to maintain the file alignment. This much filing may not completely restore the point on the tooth; however, the blade will usually cut reasonably well if the cutting edge is sharp. If the blade does not cut well, I sharpen it again and try it. I have never had to sharpen it more than twice. After a few more filings, the tooth point will be restored.

Rakers: Rakers are the projections that stick up between adjacent teeth to clear chips from the cut. Since the tops of the teeth slope backwards slightly, continued sharpening may drop the teeth so low that the blade rides on the rakers in the cut. This may prevent the teeth from biting even though they are perfectly sharp. If your saw chain has been filed a number of times and has reached a point where it just doesn’t seem to cut well, the rakers may be at fault.

Blade manufacturers sell filing guides for raker filing to drop the rakers the correct distance below the teeth. This is a simple metal channel that sits on top of the teeth. The raker to be filed protrudes through a hole in the channel, and it is filed with a flat file until it is flush with the top of the channel. I usually file the rakers three or four times during the life of the blade using one of these guides.

Do not over-do raker filing. If the rakers are too low, the saw “grabs,” becomes difficult to control when starting a cut, and is much more prone to kick back—a definitely dangerous condition. If you file the rakers too low, it will probably take several teeth filings before the teeth are low enough to correct the condition. Some one who knows more about chain saws than I do has told me that he never files the rakers because of the kick back problem. He feels that a really sharp blade will work even if the rakers are too high.

Try this method. Especially try using the saw stand. You will find that you can sharpen your saw with great confidence when you can actually see what is happening to the teeth. Inspect your current blade. You may discover that the teeth are all sharpened at odd angles and have irregular lengths. You will be able to true them up very quickly using the saw stand and a fresh file.

One of these days I’m going to show Judith how to do this and then I will really have a sharp saw.

662-871-8649

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Iowa, one of the most sought after states in the U.S. to take a booner by southern deer hunters is now in trouble.Credits to CHELSEA DAVISCourier Staff Writer Ottumwa Times

Deer numbers continue to drop, which means hunters can truly “hunt” again.

In the entire state, the deer harvest declined for the seventh year in a row, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. From its peak in 2006, harvest numbers are down 23 percent.

“From a hunter’s perspective, now they’re back to a hunt,” said Kurt Baker, director of the Wapello County Conservation Board. “It was not hard to harvest deer back then [in 2006], but now hunters have got to spend more time on the pursuit. It’s back to what it should be, I guess.”

During Ottumwa’s eighth deer season for bow hunters, which ended on Jan. 20, Police Chief Jim Clark said 45 hunters registered with the Ottumwa Police Department to partic-ipate in the program. They harvested a total of 48 deer, down from the 2011-12 season, when 66 deer were harvested by 36 registered hunters.

Baker said the focus of deer management is to get the herd size to a reasonable, sustain-able level, “meaning we don’t need 50 deer per square mile.”

“That has too much of an impact on agriculture and natural habitats,” Baker said of deer overpopulation.

In the 2012 season, hunters statewide reported 115,606 deer to the harvest reporting system. Those hunters purchased 378,447 licenses, which also dropped nearly 14,500 from the 2011 season. These drops are due to the “elimination of the three-day November antler-less season, a shortening of the January antlerless season and reduced antlerless license quotas in some counties,” according to the IDNR.

Baker said those with antlerless permits are shooting more does (the producers), which has contributed to the population decline.

“If there’s a region of high deer density, the [IDNR] will issue more antlerless permits,” he said. “So you cut back on the number of producers, and you obviously cut back on the annual recruitment, or number of deer.”

In August, Parks Director Gene Rather told the Courier that Ottumwa’s deer hunting pro-gram had reduced the local deer population by more than 600 since the program began in 2005.

From an environmental standpoint, reduced deer herds is a positive.

“Back in 2006, in the peak of deer harvest, deer hunters were spoiled,” Baker said. “They’d go out and see 25 deer a night. It was not uncommon at all. Now in the same area you’ll see two, three, four, maybe none.”

But in 2006, Baker said farmers probably saw far more crop deprivation problems from deer feeding on the crops and reducing yields.

Another confounding issue that contributed to last year’s reduced deer herd was EHD, or Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease.

“That was a disease as a result of dry conditions and not very many water sources,” Baker said. “Deer would go a distance to get to these water sources, and they might get bit by a biting fly or midge that carried the disease.”

EHD had a profound impact in southeast Iowa especially, he said, resulting in tens of thou-sands of deer deaths.

“Southeast Iowa saw the biggest infestation of EHD,” Baker said. “There’s more deer down here, for one. And it’s just a combination of environmental conditions ... and a concentration of smaller water sources.”

And while Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) did affect a number of confined deer in south-east Iowa last year, Baker said that had no affect on the overall population reduction.

“But it could if it ever gets a hold, if we begin seeing CWD in wild populations and it spreads within that population,” he said.

Deer hunting in Iowa brought an economic impact of nearly $214 million last year, according to the IDNR, and Baker said Iowa has not suffered an economic loss as a result of lower deer numbers.

“Iowa is still regarded as a tremendous trophy deer state, and as long as that status is main-tained, a lot of [out-of-staters] will want to hunt white-tailed deer in Iowa,” he said. “But if the populations dip even further, then that’s an issue. But where we’re at right now, there’s still a sizable number of non-resident people who want to come to Iowa to hunt.”

Reduced deer numbers affect the length of the hunting season, and Baker said seasons already have and may continue to see an impact. As the IDNR fine-tunes the deer popula-tion size this year, Baker said hunting regulations will reflect those changes.

“If we are approaching the desired herd size, probably the deer season length will remain very similar to what we’ve seen this year,” he said. “If it continues to decline, hunting oppor-tunities will shorten somewhat. As long as we maintain a healthy deer population, a lot of people will be deer hunting in Iowa.”

From Booners to Bombers

MDWFP News Mississippi Deer Archery Season Now Underway

The 2013 - 2014 Mississippi deer hunt-ing season is now open in the Hill and Delta Zones. The Southeast Zone will open October 15. Hunters need to be aware that the archery season opening date for the Southeast Zone listed in the 2013 - 2014 Mississippi Outdoor Digest is incorrect. New this year during archery season is the addition of crossbows as legal archery equip-ment. Longbows, recurves, compound bows, and crossbows are all legal archery equip-ment and can be used during all deer hunting seasons. There is no minimum draw weight, maximum draw weight, or minimum arrow length requirements; fixed or mechanical broad-heads may be used. The MDWFP wants to remind all Wildlife Management Area (WMA) hunters that they are required to wear a full-body harness (fall-arrest system) while climbing a tree, installing a tree stand that uses climbing aids, or while hunting from a tree stand on a WMA. While required only on WMAs and Pearl River Valley Water Supply District lands, the MDWFP urges all hunters to wear and know how to properly use a full-body harness while hunting from an elevated position. Hunters should take time before the hunt to ensure that all safety equipment is working properly. Remember, the most important part of the hunt is making it home safely. For more information regarding deer or deer hunting opportunities in Mississippi, visit our website. Bass Genetic Sampling in the Pascagoula and Pearl Rivers MDWFP fish biologists are working with Dr. Michael D. Tringali, Research Scientist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, to identify a new black bass species known as the Choctaw bass. Choctaw bass are very similar in appear-ance to the spotted bass. The only way to tell the difference between species is through DNA analysis. Biologists are collecting spotted bass fin clips in the Pearl and Pas-cagoula River watersheds and sending them to Dr. Tringali for detailed analysis. These results will help identify whether we have a new game fish species to enjoy in Missis-sippi waters.

Youth Dove Hunts at Black Prairie and Mahannah WMAs Successful

The MDWFP hosted youth dove hunts on Black Prairie and Mahannah Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) on Septem-ber 2 and September 14. These popular hunts offered the first dove hunting opportunity of the year on both WMAs. To participate, youth registered online prior to the hunt. Each event began with a sponsored lunch, followed by basic hunter safety instruction. Participants then sharpened their shooting skills by using the Laser Shot Hunt-ing Simulator and MDWFP skeet shooting trailer. Youth went to the field during the early

afternoon and hunted until sunset. Eighty-six youth participated and harvested approxi-mately 450 doves. The youth dove hunts at Black Prairie and Mahannah WMAs were a huge success. All youth spent a day in the outdoors with family and friends, and many even harvested their first dove. The MDWFP is committed to introducing families to hunting and outdoor recre-ation, and many more of these opportunities are available throughout the year.

WMA Waterfowl Draw Hunt Applications Available Oct. 14

The MDWFP will begin accepting applications for waterfowl draw hunts on several Wildlife Manage-ment Areas (WMAs) on October 14. Applications must be submitted online atwww.mdwfp.com/draws. WMAs offering waterfowl draw hunts are Charlie Capps, Howard Miller, Indianola, Mah-annah, Muscadine Farms, Tuscumbia, and Trim Cane. Hunters can select the WMA of their choice and assign priority to the dates they wish to hunt. There will be five separate draw periods available to hunters. Each draw period will allow applications for a specific set of hunt dates and will close at least two weeks prior to the first hunt date in that period. Applications may be submitted during the following dates: 1st Draw Period: October 14 - November 3 for hunts November 22 - December 12nd Draw Period: November 4 - November 17 for hunts December 4 - 153rd Draw Period: November 18 - December 1 for hunts December 16 - 294th Draw Period: December 2 - December 15 for hunts December 30 - January 125th Draw Period: December 16 - December 29 for hunts January 13 - 26 Hunters may apply for a hunt in each hunt period on as many WMAs as they wish. All waterfowl draw hunts will be for one day. Drawn applicants will be notified by email. All applicants must be 16 years of age or older and hold a valid Mississippi hunting license. Mississippi Wild Turkey Brood Survey Results Each year from June to August, the MDWFP performs a survey to monitor wild turkey reproduction across the state. The “brood survey,” as it is commonly known, enlists numerous observers who note all turkeys seen during the three-month survey period. The resulting information allows turkey biologists to measure reproductive success and gives hunters an objective look at how turkeys are faring across the Magnolia State. Dave Godwin, the MDWFP Wild Turkey Program Coordinator, reports that the brood survey data indicates reduced turkey reproduction for much of the state during 2013. “We witnessed our best hatch in over a decade last summer, but unfortunately it was followed up with a decreased hatch in most areas this year,” said Godwin. According to Godwin, the proportion of hen wild turkeys observed with young in 2013 declined 43 percent from the previous year’s tally, and the average brood size dropped substantially as well. Adam Butler, MDWFP Wild Turkey Program Biologist, suggests several factors that could be responsible for this year’s decreased hatch. “We had an unusual spring this year. Springtime nesting activity seemed delayed as a result of the late winter and cool spring, and the later the birds get started nesting, the worse they tend to do,” Butler said. He also pointed out that untimely rains during the nesting and early brooding period likely had a negative impact. A final factor at play could be the great hatch of 2012, which may have skewed the population in favor of juvenile hens. Research has shown that young hens tend to nest less frequently, and they are often not as successful.

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Pull The Trigger or Let Him Walk

Even though some individual bucks will stray from this red line, we can extract a number of broader lessons and guidelines from the graph. Here are a few points that stand out to me.

The gains in antler growth are biggest in the early years. A buck will likely make his greatest leap in antler size, as a percentage of his lifetime potential, from 1½ to 2½ years of age – nearly doubling his antler size and expanding from only 30% of his potential to 60% of his potential. “Let him go so he can grow” is most relevant to yearlings, because they will likely make a big jump in antler size if they can only survive their first year with antlers. This is a great selling point to get non-QDM’ers to test the water and begin protecting yearlings. You’re not asking them to wait till a buck is 5½. If they can pass that forkhorn yearling and shoot him next year at 2½, they’ll be dragging out a significantly larger buck, both in body and antlers.

A middle-aged deer is a nice buck for any hunter. For many good reasons, a lot of hunters choose wisely to take bucks at 2½ or 3½ years of age. This is perfectly within the goals of QDM; anyone who says you have to wait for full maturity when practicing QDM is flat wrong. Moreover, these hunters are taking a really nice buck. At 2½ a buck is likely displaying 60% (the majority) of his lifetime antler potential. At 3½ he’s likely displaying 80%. At this point, he might have been “a good one next year” but likely not a whole lot better.

A buck that scores in the 120-class at 3 1/2 is unlikely to become a Booner, and most hunters (if they are totally honest about it) turn into wobbling jelly when they see a 120-inch buck. I know I do!

For more advanced QDM’ers, aging mistakes are critical at 3 1/2. If you are among the uncommon hunters who enjoy an abundance of adult bucks where they hunt, you may now be trying to kill bucks at the peak of their maturity and antler size. This chart shows you the importance of recognizing and protecting high-scoring 3½-year-olds. Those rare bucks on the right side of the bell curve, the valedictorians in their age class, will really be impressive at 3½. A buck that reaches the 170s by full maturity is likely 140 at 3½ and in the 150s at 4½, a size that will severely test your commitment to your age estimate!

“Standing crop” decisions can start at 3 1/2. Dr. Steve Demarais and Dr. Bronson Strick-land of Mississippi State University wrote a great article for Quality Whitetails ecently about “standing crop” management for hunters in advanced stages of QDM success. Once you’ve produced an abundance of adult bucks, it’s wasteful to kill only the top performers and pass the bucks on the left side of the bell curve just because they don’t score high. That’s a rec-reational opportunity and hunting achievement someone could be enjoying, not to mention the venison. If you are confident a buck is 3½ or 4½, and he’s on the low end of antler scores for that age class where you hunt, this chart helps you confidently green-light that buck and enjoy the harvest earlier than you would with others. You must first determine the average scores by age class for bucks where you hunt to be able to make these decisions correctly, and you can get this age and antler score information from bucks you’ve already killed. But, remember what Steve and Bronson said in their article: the weakest link in this process is usually the hunter’s skill at accurately judging age and antler score of live bucks!

“Huntability” is the missing line on the graph. We don’t have definitive research on this, but I think hunters and researchers alike can agree that bucks often get harder to see and kill as they get older. They may become more cautious or nocturnal, but they also might die of some other cause in the meantime. If we could chart that relationship and combine it with the graph featured here, it would likely show us a distinct trade-off. If you choose to let a buck reach 100% of his antler potential at age 5½ or 6½, you are accepting a greatly increased risk of not being able to see or kill the buck at all. At 1½, bucks are curious, inexperienced, and visible. At 5½, not so much. I believe this should factor into your decision to take or pass a buck using this graph as your guide. While that 3½-year-old in your sights might be “a good one next year,” he may not appear in your sights next year. Understand that passing such a buck doesn’t guarantee he will be available for harvest in the future.

There’s one more factor you can’t and never will see on this chart: Fun. No two hunters approach buck-harvest decisions from the same perspective or experience level. When you see and study a buck in the field, you won’t have to look at this chart or any other numbers or science to know whether he’s one you want to take home with you. If he makes you a happy hunter, who cares what he’d have been next year? He’s a great buck right now.

Every buck’s path in life is unique, and so is every buck’s antler growth progression. Ups and downs come with external factors like drought (or, conversely, abundant rain), poor mast crops (or heavy ones), severe winters (or mild ones), injuries (or the lack of), and dis-ease (or good health). In the middle of his life a buck might drop in antler size from one year to the next in response to such factors, or he might make an unusually large leap in antler size from one year to the next. So, no one has a crystal ball, and no hunter is safe reading fortunes for any individual buck.

However, we know that taken as a group and averaged out to determine the norm, bucks grow a larger set of antlers each year of their life up to a point. The graph below, based on research at Mississippi State University and Texas A&M-Kingsville, is a striking visual depiction of this knowledge. It shows the average percentage of maximum gross Boone & Crockett score achieved by age class.

Page 12

Today, Ann LaBelle admits that it was a stupid thing to do. But when she jumped off her boyfriend’s motorcycle and burned her inner leg on the tailpipe, she didn’t know how to treat the injury. “It burned a hole right through my jeans, about the size of a fifty-cent piece.” Her boyfriend’s mother suggested she clean the area and put butter on it. For the next several days, LaBelle repeated the process. “It kept getting redder and redder, and it really hurt.” Two weeks later, when the burn wasn’t healing, and she developed a 104 degree fever, LaBelle went to the hospital. There she was given antibiotics to fight the infection. But they didn’t help. About a month later, she underwent surgery to close up the wound.

LaBelle made an all-too-common mistake—she relied on an old wives’ tale. First-aid treatment has evolved, and many of our mothers’ remedies are no longer recommended. Take a look inside your first-aid kit: bandages, some gauze, painkillers, a tube of antibacte-rial cream, maybe iodine or hydrogen peroxide. We’re all familiar with these tried-and-true solutions.

They may be tried, but they’re not all true. “Many people still use their mother’s remedies, like putting peroxide on a wound,” says Michael VanRooyen, professor of emergency medi-cine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “This, and other remedies are very common, but wrong.” After years of research, experts are finding that your standard first-aid response may sometimes be the worst thing you can do in an emergency. Here’s how to update your first-aid kit.

BURNSButterYou burn your hand—on the stove, an iron, or a hot plate. According to a popular old wives’ tale, you should spread some butter on the burn to ease the pain. But that isn’t a good idea, says VanRooyen. “Butter was thought to coat the burn, but it can cause infection and create an environment for bacterial growth.”

Better BetRun the burn under cool water immediately to help remove the heat and put an end to the damaging process. “The water will also clean the area, decrease the risk of infection, and make it feel better,” says VanRooyen. Next, wrap the burn with sterile gauze or a nonadhe-sive bandage, and keep it clean and dry. If blisters form, don’t break them—the fluid inside is sterile, and it creates a natural bandage over the burn.

POISONINGSyrup of IpecacWhen a child swallows anything that’s poisonous, parents probably think they are well prepared if ipecac syrup is on hand. Wrong, says the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology. If you have ipecac in your house, get rid of it. For years, ipecac was thought to be a good way to treat a child who had swallowed a toxic substance, but not anymore.

Made from the root of a Brazilian plant, ipecac irritates the stomach to induce vomiting. But a recent study from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that ipecac doesn’t reduce ER visits or save lives. Maybe that’s because it doesn’t always remove enough of the toxic substance from the body, says American College of Emergency Phy-sicians spokesperson Charles Pattavina, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University Medical School. Ipecac can leave 40 to 50 percent of the toxin behind. It can also lead to excessive vomiting, a problem that may cause dehydration and prevent doctors from giving other treatments. Another risk: If the poisonous substance is caustic, like lye, it burns the esophagus when swallowed, and can burn it again when it comes back up.

Better BetImmediately call the national poison control hotline (800-222-1222), which will be answered by your local poison control center. (Paste the number on the back of your phone.) The ex-perts will be able to tell you what, if anything, to do. If it’s a true emergency, they may send you directly to the ER. There the treatment of choice is often activated charcoal (AC), a very finely ground charcoal powder. When the tasteless powder is swallowed (often it’s mixed with soda), it can soak up the ingested substance like a sponge, preventing it from entering

the bloodstream. The charcoal then passes through the digestive system and leaves the body.

It’s important to move quickly, since AC is best taken within an hour of ingesting the poison. Some poison control centers recommend having AC on hand (you may find it in drugstores), but stress that you should never use it without expert guidance. The poison control center will tell you if it’s necessary, and how much to use, which depends on the victim’s weight. Look for AC in powder form, or pre-mixed with water (called a slurry), not capsules—you’d need to swallow 50 of them to get the benefit.

EXCESS BLEEDINGTourniquetsOnce upon a time, every well-trained Boy Scout in America learned how to stop bleeding with a tourniquet. But studies show this method causes more harm than good. “Only in the most dire circumstances would you want to put a tourniquet on somebody,” says Pattavina. Tourniquets can increase the risk of tissue damage or even the loss of a limb, and since there are other methods that can slow the blood flow—and preserve life—without the loss of the limb, tourniquets are out.

Better BetApply direct pressure to the wound. This is what the Red Cross has always recommended and it’s the best solution, says VanRooyen. Simply place a clean cloth on the wound and press firmly; don’t remove the cloth, even if it gets saturated. If necessary, add more cloths right on top of the first. Applying direct pressure reduces blood flow to the wound. This should stop the bleeding and promote clotting, but still leaves blood circulating to the rest of the limb, says VanRooyen.

If that’s not enough, you can further slow the blood flow by applying pressure to the main artery of the upper arm or leg, depending on the site of the wound. You can learn about this procedure in a first-aid course or through the American Red Cross at redcross.org.

CUTS AND SCRAPESHydrogen Peroxide, Iodine, Rubbing Alcohol, Mercurochrome

When the skin isn’t broken, it’s hard to beat iodine for killing bacteria. That’s why doctors use it to clean an area before surgery. But when there’s a cut, says dermatologist Robert Kirsner, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology, full-strength iodine, hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol can be toxic to skin cells, impeding healing. The chemical reaction (and bubbling) that occurs when hydrogen peroxide hits the skin isn’t only cleaning the wound—it’s killing healthy cells. And that stinging from the rubbing alcohol? This stuff hurts because it’s wiping out healthy tissue.

Putting iodine on cuts and wounds kills bacteria, says VanRooyen, but it won’t clean the wound. “You want to protect the good tissue, and iodine doesn’t do that.” Mercurochrome also kills bacteria, but as the name suggests, it contains mercury, which is toxic, and not generally recognized as safe, says the FDA. Today, doctors don’t use Mercurochrome.

Better BetRemarkably, cleansing a wound has become much simpler: “The most effective way to get rid of debris and bacteria without damaging healthy tissue is flushing the wound out with water,” says VanRooyen. Put the wound under a faucet, or spray it with the nozzle on the kitchen sink. Flush it with water to clear it of all debris. If you are worried about the bandage sticking to the wound, consider using an antibacterial ointment that contains bacitracin or neomycin to keep the area lubricated.

First Aid Has Changed and So Must We.

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Here is some helpful info to get you started.Winter CampingBy Brian J. Murrey

This is what I pass out to my Scouts about a month before our winter camporee. That gives us a couple of meetings or more to discuss cold weather survival skills, and a chance to inform parents of the dangers of cold weather camping when one is not fully prepared.

Brian J. Murrey - Assistant Scoutmaster and Outdoors Activities Planner Computer re-typed and reformatted by Chuck Bramlet.

PLANNING FOR WINTER CAMPINGMost of this information can be found in the Boy Scout Handbook. If you are going to be doing a lot of outdoor activities, this book is an invaluable source of know-how and advice.

“One has to lie deep in the snow to learn how warm and protective it is. A den in the snow confines the body heat like a blanket or overcoat. It is a snug place, no matter how hard the wind may howl. One who holes up in the snow understands better the mysteries of the woods in the winter. He understands why deer bury themselves in drifts, lying a half day or more with just their heads sticking out. He learns something of the comfort of the bear in hibernation.”

William O. Douglas, 1950

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT WINTER CAMPING

Myth #1: Leather hiking boots will keep your feet warm. -- FALSE- The snug fit of most leather hiking boots can limit the circulation of blood in the foot. Especially with thick socks on. Overboots cut generously enough to hold your foot and shoe are much more effective. The cloth stitching in leather boots can also wick moisture into the shoe. Nothing is worse that wet feet in cold winter.Myth #2: Waterproof clothing is ideal for cold weather camping. -- FALSE- To keep warm, in the cold, your clothing must allow body moisture to escape. Moisture that is trapped too close to the body can wick heat away through evaporation. It is better to layer your clothing on in cold weather. Wool, Gor Tex, and polypropylene garments work nice in the cold. Always wear insulated underwear.Myth #3: Winter camping does not require much preparation. -- FALSE- Arctic conditions exist when the wind is blowing and the temperature drops below 20 de-grees F. There are only seven states in the U.S. that do not experience arctic weather. It is very important to prepare and even over prepare. I’ve never heard anyone complain about being too warm or having too many dry clothes on a winter campout.Myth #4: Mental attitude has little to do with winter camping. -- FALSE- A positive mental attitude is the most important ingredient in the success of cold weather camping trips. The demands of winter will drain your energy and you’ll have to rely on your-self to keep your spirits high.Myth #5: In cold weather, tasks can be done just as quickly as in warm weather. -- FALSE- Every effort in cold weather takes longer to complete. Be sure to bring some winter pa-tience with you when you camp in the cold.

CONSERVING BODY HEAT - THE PRIME OBJECTIVE

There are three ways to lose body heat. Keeping them in mind will help you be much more aware of what you are or could be doing to keep your body warm.

RADIATION - The emission of body, especially from the skin areas exposed to the ele-ments. A good set of gloves, hat, and scarf can help best in keeping bare skin to a mini-mum.

CONDUCTION - The absorption of cold by the body when sitting or laying on cold ground, or handling cold objects such as metal cooking utensils and metal canteens. This is why a decent sleeping pad is required for cold weather camping. The same goes for wearing gloves. A camp stool is a must on a winter camping trip. Try not to sit on the ground.

CONVECTION - The loss of body heat due to wind blowing across unprotected body parts. This situation can also be reduced by keeping bare skin covered with hats, scarves, and gloves. It is important to keep exposure to a minimum, ESPECIALLY in a windy situation. Convection heat loss can reduce body heat the fastest. Wet clothing will accelerate this process, making staying dry even more important.

OTHER CONCERNS

Tent Placement.Whenever possible, place your tent in a location that will catch the sunrise in the morning. This will aid in melting off any ice and evaporating any frost or dew that may have formed during the night. This will also warm your tent as you awaken in the morning.Cold air sinks. Try to place your campsite on slightly higher ground than the rest of your surroundings. Try to choose a protected site if it is snowing or the wind is blowing.Water Consumption In Cold Weather.Dehydration can seriously impair the body’s ability to produce heat. Drink fluids as often as possible during the day and keep a water bottle or canteen with you at night.Cooking In Cold Weather.Cooking in cold weather will take about twice as long as normal. Always use a lid on any pots that you are cooking in. This will help to hold in the heat and decrease the overall heating time. Make sure you start hot cleaning water before you start cooking. The pots and utensils must still be cleaned. Try to keep your menu to good one-pot meals. Things like stews, chili, and hot beans stick to your ribs, lessen the cleaning time, and provide good sources of energy and fuel for your internal furnace. A good high-calorie snack before bed-time will also keep you warm all night. Stay away from an overabundance of sugar, cheese is a good high-calorie bedtime snack.Sleeping Tip #1.Do not sleep with your mouth and nose in your sleeping bag. The moisture of your breath will condense in the bag, and cause it to become wet and ineffective as an insulator.Buddy System.Buddies can help each other pack for a trek, look after one another in the woods, and watch for symptoms of frostbite, hypothermia, and exhaustion.Checklist.Make a checklist of everything you need before you start to pack. Then check each item off as you pack it. This way you will not forget anything.

(Cont. on pg. 15)

So, you have decided to tent camp this deer season?

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Page 15

So, you have decided to tent camp this deer season? Cont. from pg.14

Keeping Warm

Keeping warm is the most important part of cold weather camping. Use the C-O-L-D method to assure staying warm.- C - CleanSince insulation is only effective when heat is trapped by dead air spaces, keep your insulating layers clean and fluffy. Dirt, grime, and perspiration can mat down those air spaces and reduce the warmth of a garment.- O - OverheatingAvoid overheating by adjusting the layers of your clothing to meet the outside tem-perature and the exertions of your activities. Excessive sweating can dampen your garments and cause chilling later on.- L - Loose LayersA steady flow of warm blood is essential to keep all parts of your body heated. Wear several loosely fitting layers of clothing and footgear that will allow maximum insulation without impeding your circulation.- D - DryDamp clothing and skin can cause your body to cool quickly, possibly leading to frostbite and hypothermia. Keep dry by avoiding cotton clothes that absorb moisture. Always brush away snow that is on your clothes before you enter a heated area. Keep the clothing around your neck loosened so that body heat and moisture can escape instead of soaking several layers of clothing.

Clothing.

- Footwear.As with other clothing, the layer system is also the answer for foot- wear. Start with a pair of silk, nylon, or thin wool socks next to your skin. Then layer on several pairs of heavier wool socks. When and if your feet become damp, change into another pair of dry socks at the first opportunity. Rubber overboots will protect the feet from water and will allow more comfortable shoes to be worn within. (Cont.on pg. ?????)

- Mittens and Gloves.Mittens allow your fingers to be in direct contact with each other. They will keep your hands warmer than regular gloves that cover each finger. Select mittens that are filled with foam insulation, or pull on wool gloves and cover them with a nylon overmitt. Long cuffs will keep wind and snow from getting in.- Headgear.The stocking hat is the warmest thing you can cover your head with in cold weather. Get one that is large enough to pull down over your ears. Also ski masks are great in the winter and can help in keeping your neck and face warm as well. Noses and ears can be very easily frostbitten, so a scarf can be an invaluable item to have.- Parka and/or Overcoat.Your coat or parka is the most important piece of your winter clothing. It needs to be large enough to fit over extra clothing without cutting off blood flow, and allowing ventilation to keep moisture away from your body. A large permanently attached hood will prevent heat loss around your head and neck.- Sleepwear.Never should you sleep in the same clothes that you have worn all day. They are damp and will cause you to chill. This could cause frostbite and hypothermia. It is advised that you bring a thick pair of sweats and thermal underwear to sleep in. Keep the thermals and sweats for sleeping in only. Do not wear them during the day, this will keep them the driest. Also be sure to have a couple of layers of wool or heavy thick cotton socks on as well. Always sleep with a stocking hat on your head. Your sleeping bag needs to be a winter rated bag. Typically rated down to 15 degrees and stuffed with 5 pounds of Holofil, Fiberfil, or other polyester ticking. It is also a very good idea to have some kind of sleeping mat to use in the winter. The mat can be a $90 Thermal Rest from or a piece of high density rubber foam at least one inch thick. In cold weather camping you never want to sleep on an air mattress or off the ground in a cot. The air under you will cool you off in no time and this would create a threatening situation. If you don’t have a sleeping mat, bring a spare wool or natural fiber blanket to use as a ground pad under your sleeping bag. The sleeping mat is worth it’s weight in gold.Have fun!

Every year, tens of thousands of hunters will go winter camping. Although the threat of danger is always present in a winter camp, planning and knowledge can overcome this. It is very important that you come prepared. If you feel that at this time winter camping is not for you, then you should not go.

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Sherman Drugs662-844-88808-6 Mon.-Fri. 9-3 Sat.670 Highway 178 Suite 1 • Sherman, Mississippi

Montgomery Drugs662-489-55558-6 Mon.-Fri. 8-4 Sat.349 Highway 15 North, Pontotoc, Mississippi

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Get your Mississippi Hillcountry Outdoors Magazine at one of these fine locations!

�e gathering place for hunters and friends!

Full Breakfast & Lunch

Tel. 662-534-78855 am-7 pm Mon. - Sat. /10 am-6 pm Sunday

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Ingredients 1/2 Pound Ground Venison cooked in favorite brand of Taco Seasoning15 Corn Tortillas1 Can Enchilada Sauce1 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar CheeseSour CreamCilantroFavorite SalsaAny Variety of Hot Sauce that graces your fridge DirectionsPreheat an oven to 350-degrees. Taquitos are often fried in vegetable or peanut oils on the stovetop, and that’s probably how God intended it; however, sin aside, I don’t always feel like cleaning up stovetops after pops and sizzles of the oil. The baked method is easier, healthier, and the difference in taste is negligible.

Add one can of enchilada sauce in with the 1/2 pound of cooked ground venison. You may think that the enchilada sauce may seem like Mexican Overkill after the deer has been cooked in taco seasoning, but trust me, it’s not. Add to this a half cup of the shredded cheese and mix well.

Meanwhile, you’ll need to cook the tortillas to make them pliable. Again, you could cook them 10-15 seconds a side in a skillet on the stove; to save time and energy, it’s far more efficient to wrap them in a paper towel and nuke in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Once everything is prepared, lightly grease a cookie sheet. To stuff the tortilla, place the venison mixture on the edge of the tortilla and roll tightly to the other end. Placing the meat in the middle and trying to fold it is a waste of messy time. Place seam-down on the greased sheet and finish your batch. Before tossing them in the oven, I like to give them a quick blast of spray butter.

Bake for 30 minutes and remove, covering the rows of taquitos with the remainder of the shredded cheese if you feel the need. I usually do - though not in the picture to the left. They will be piping hot and should be left to sit for a few minutes, and it’s now that you can whip up the accoutrements.

I’m a straight-up hot sauce and salsa guy. Some like sour cream. Chopped cilantro and lime juice are popular garnishes for taquitos. Guacamole, if you’re down with that.

Tel. 662-489-8251 or 662-587-9800

DEER Taquitos