Richard P. Smith, Marquette, Michigan based award winning outdoor writer and photographer has recently released a new DVD, "Walking with Whitetails."
The 90-minute video features footage Smith has taken over an eight year period of time in which he gained the trust of a whitetail doe that eventually led to him following and photographing this whitetail and her family.
Smith, also known as Michigan's big game expert for his work with bears, elk and deer says he learned a lot from this experience.
You'll learn more about food sources than you thought you knew. Watch does feed fawns and how they interact with other does.
Antler development and rubs are photographed. Why do some bucks thrash their racks in bushes? Are antlers the same size for every buck raised by the same doe? When do fawns lose their spots and do they ever return to their mothers at a later age?
You'll watch and listen as Smith narrates while filming many of these behaviors as well as others.
For more information read my column in this Sunday's Oakland Press.
To purchase "Walking with Whitetails," or any of Smith's books, visit www.richardpsmith.com. Facebook
Friday, October 5, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Kids same, country to country
HUDDERSFIELD, U.K.-Taking our daughter's yellow lab Bonnie for a walk the other day, I passed by a small park near their home.
Just like kids in the states play baseball, football, or shoot hoops, kids over here line up for a quick game of rugby; in some ways similar to our football, minus any padding.
Or they hit a park wearing soccer shorts, their team shirts, knee-high socks and soccer shoes. They begin kicking the ball-over here it's called football-at very young ages.
Think of American kids going around the neighborhood with a baseball bat over the shoulder, their glove hung on the bat, carrying a baseball.
Here they show up with a soccer ball, either carrying it but most often kicking and rolling it along, with unbelievable control at even a young age.
And like our little kids will pretend they are Justin Verlander or Miguel Cabrera, here they pretend they are soccer greats like David Beckham or Wayne Rooney, or rugby professional Danny Brough (pronounced Bruff).
Brough is the captain and kicker for the Huddersfield Giants. Rooney and Beckham both played for Manchester United. Beckham now plays in the U.S. for the L.A. Galaxy.
Despite the country, athletes in any country are looked up to by youngsters, trying to play the game and maybe hoping one day to make it as a professional.
In fact, Brough lives near the little park near my daughter's home and sometimes walks by with his young son.
If kids are playing in the park when he passes they stop and almost reverently say, "There's Danny Brough."
Being famous as an athlete seems to be looked up to matter where kids gather to play a game. Imagine tossing the baseball around a field in Waterford and have Prince Fielder walk by. Now that would be an attention getter for sure.
Just like kids in the states play baseball, football, or shoot hoops, kids over here line up for a quick game of rugby; in some ways similar to our football, minus any padding.
Or they hit a park wearing soccer shorts, their team shirts, knee-high socks and soccer shoes. They begin kicking the ball-over here it's called football-at very young ages.
Think of American kids going around the neighborhood with a baseball bat over the shoulder, their glove hung on the bat, carrying a baseball.
Here they show up with a soccer ball, either carrying it but most often kicking and rolling it along, with unbelievable control at even a young age.
And like our little kids will pretend they are Justin Verlander or Miguel Cabrera, here they pretend they are soccer greats like David Beckham or Wayne Rooney, or rugby professional Danny Brough (pronounced Bruff).
Brough is the captain and kicker for the Huddersfield Giants. Rooney and Beckham both played for Manchester United. Beckham now plays in the U.S. for the L.A. Galaxy.
Despite the country, athletes in any country are looked up to by youngsters, trying to play the game and maybe hoping one day to make it as a professional.
In fact, Brough lives near the little park near my daughter's home and sometimes walks by with his young son.
If kids are playing in the park when he passes they stop and almost reverently say, "There's Danny Brough."
Being famous as an athlete seems to be looked up to matter where kids gather to play a game. Imagine tossing the baseball around a field in Waterford and have Prince Fielder walk by. Now that would be an attention getter for sure.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Hunting Brit syle
I'm not sure what the style for hunting is in the U.K. Or for that matter, exactly what they hunt. I've heard there is some limited deer hunting.
I think fox hunting may still be around but not as popular as it once seemed to be. Fishing a river in the beautiful Dales country, really made famous by the stories of veterinarian, James Harriott, I saw more cock pheasants than I thought existed.
They sat on fence rails, waddled through the grass in barnyards, and generally put up a squawk wherever we walked on our way to the river.
Nearby Huddersfield, in Yorkshire, I hear shooting nearby and am told that it's all on a private hunting persevere.
Some have said it's shooting similar to our sporting clays or five stand. I'll try and get a closer look to see what all the shooting is about.
I think fox hunting may still be around but not as popular as it once seemed to be. Fishing a river in the beautiful Dales country, really made famous by the stories of veterinarian, James Harriott, I saw more cock pheasants than I thought existed.
They sat on fence rails, waddled through the grass in barnyards, and generally put up a squawk wherever we walked on our way to the river.
Nearby Huddersfield, in Yorkshire, I hear shooting nearby and am told that it's all on a private hunting persevere.
Some have said it's shooting similar to our sporting clays or five stand. I'll try and get a closer look to see what all the shooting is about.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Bow hunting out this year
The last year hasn't been the most kind to me. Late August of 2011, I had surgery for a torn rotator cuff that was hanging on by a couple of threads. The doc said after surgery he wasn't sure if it would be successful or not.
A few weeks later it developed an infection that required four more surgeries in an attempt to clean it out.
By now the damage was probably mostly done. What was left of the rotator cuff was gone as the infection had gotten down to the bone.
A new surgeon said we need to go in and clean scar tissue then manipulate the shoulder. Following that surgery, I had better range of motion and less daily pain. That lasted for about two weeks.
Months of physical therapy helped improve my range of motion but the pain is still there. The new doc suggests doing a reverse should replacement as the next step.
My suggestion is to stay away from surgery for as long as possible. In the meantime I've joined a gym and have really been giving it a good work out. The damage is done so it can't hurt to use it.
That brings me to the bow. For some reason, I cringe at the thought of drawing a bow back. So far I haven't shot one arrow.
No doubt that will change once I get some more confidence in what I can do. Right now, I can't play catch with my grandson which really bothers me.
I don't need another activity telling me I can't participate. In the meantime, I'll keep working at it and sooner or later, get out and try to hit that straw bale.
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A few weeks later it developed an infection that required four more surgeries in an attempt to clean it out.
By now the damage was probably mostly done. What was left of the rotator cuff was gone as the infection had gotten down to the bone.
A new surgeon said we need to go in and clean scar tissue then manipulate the shoulder. Following that surgery, I had better range of motion and less daily pain. That lasted for about two weeks.
Months of physical therapy helped improve my range of motion but the pain is still there. The new doc suggests doing a reverse should replacement as the next step.
My suggestion is to stay away from surgery for as long as possible. In the meantime I've joined a gym and have really been giving it a good work out. The damage is done so it can't hurt to use it.
That brings me to the bow. For some reason, I cringe at the thought of drawing a bow back. So far I haven't shot one arrow.
No doubt that will change once I get some more confidence in what I can do. Right now, I can't play catch with my grandson which really bothers me.
I don't need another activity telling me I can't participate. In the meantime, I'll keep working at it and sooner or later, get out and try to hit that straw bale.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Al Schofer-large in life
The big guy, the one that always had an opinion or jumped on either side of a disagreement passed away.
Davisburg resident and decorated retired Navy Master Chief Allen P. Schofer passed away following a illness.
Adults will know and remember him for his presence at just about all community events in he Hamlet of Davisburg.
The Davisburg Rotary, the place he ate his supper every Wednesday night-provided it was something this picky eater would eat-will remember him for all of his volunteering for anything that stood for Rotary or would be of help to someone.
A Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, Schofer also received a high honor for his efforts on behalf of Boy Scouts throughout the country.
Always a proponent of the local Davisburg Troop, 192, Schofer stuffed many a hotdog into buns along the way to helping fundraise for the Scouts.
What happened when the weekly Rotary meal was something Schofer didn't care for? The cook always made sure to have peanut butter and jelly on hand to appease his appetite.
Al Shofer will be missed not only by the kids-now young men-that he helped guide through their younger years, but the adults that counted on him to be there for the bake sale, garage sale, auction, or anything else that would help others.
The community will have an opportunity to honor Schofer October 27 at the 4-H Fairgrounds Youth Activity Building in Davisburg, late afternoon/evening of that day.
A church memorial service will be held October 13 at the First Presbyterian Church in Flint at 10a.m. Burial will follow Monday, October 15 at the Great Lakes Veterans Cemetery. The exact time in not known.
Davisburg resident and decorated retired Navy Master Chief Allen P. Schofer passed away following a illness.
Adults will know and remember him for his presence at just about all community events in he Hamlet of Davisburg.
The Davisburg Rotary, the place he ate his supper every Wednesday night-provided it was something this picky eater would eat-will remember him for all of his volunteering for anything that stood for Rotary or would be of help to someone.
A Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow, Schofer also received a high honor for his efforts on behalf of Boy Scouts throughout the country.
Always a proponent of the local Davisburg Troop, 192, Schofer stuffed many a hotdog into buns along the way to helping fundraise for the Scouts.
What happened when the weekly Rotary meal was something Schofer didn't care for? The cook always made sure to have peanut butter and jelly on hand to appease his appetite.
Al Shofer will be missed not only by the kids-now young men-that he helped guide through their younger years, but the adults that counted on him to be there for the bake sale, garage sale, auction, or anything else that would help others.
The community will have an opportunity to honor Schofer October 27 at the 4-H Fairgrounds Youth Activity Building in Davisburg, late afternoon/evening of that day.
A church memorial service will be held October 13 at the First Presbyterian Church in Flint at 10a.m. Burial will follow Monday, October 15 at the Great Lakes Veterans Cemetery. The exact time in not known.
Monday, September 24, 2012
A hospital bed-no place to hunt from
For some reason I tend to get infections from any sort of medical procedures. Without going into detail, I recently had what began as a routine exam then wound up having several biopsies taken.
A day or two later I noticed fly-like symptoms. My legs ached to the point I couldn't get comfortable, and I had very extreme chills.
Having had similar symptoms twice before off we went to the emergency room then on to the hospital where I now am. The source and type of the infection hasn't been determined but I am already on the mend and feeling much better due to all of the IV antibiotic they have been giving me.
So, instead of getting the hunting stuff ready-I'll miss bow for the umpteenth year-I should be home packing to visit our new granddaughter, Lily Grace in the UK.
That trip is a tad on hold due to these medical conditions that have cropped up. You never know how good you have it until you don't have it. And when you are in the hospital feeling sorry for your present condition, all you need to do is look around and you'll surely see someone hurting more than you.
It's a blessing to all of us to be able to do the things we do and have the wonderful support of family, friends and caring medical professionals.
A day or two later I noticed fly-like symptoms. My legs ached to the point I couldn't get comfortable, and I had very extreme chills.
Having had similar symptoms twice before off we went to the emergency room then on to the hospital where I now am. The source and type of the infection hasn't been determined but I am already on the mend and feeling much better due to all of the IV antibiotic they have been giving me.
So, instead of getting the hunting stuff ready-I'll miss bow for the umpteenth year-I should be home packing to visit our new granddaughter, Lily Grace in the UK.
That trip is a tad on hold due to these medical conditions that have cropped up. You never know how good you have it until you don't have it. And when you are in the hospital feeling sorry for your present condition, all you need to do is look around and you'll surely see someone hurting more than you.
It's a blessing to all of us to be able to do the things we do and have the wonderful support of family, friends and caring medical professionals.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Try these shears to cut fishing lines
If you've done any amount of fishing you know how much of a challenge it can be to cut through some of the newer lines in use today.
For a long time I still used the clippers that I cut nylon leaders for walleye harnesses and tippet on a fly line. Clippers hardly cut braid.
Often I would up closing the jaws of the nippers while trying to pull the braid apart. If it did give, it tore in a manner that left shreds of line dangling.
Now comes Berkley, the folks that have given us baits, rods, and many of those new lines that are seemingly impossible to cut, with new tool for that purpose.
The Berkley Superline Shears is one such tool. They'll cut through braid, mono and other lines that make traditional cutting tools obsolete. Made of stainless steel, they're corrosion resistant.
These shears should be the only cutting tool you'll need to cut through any line. Clip a pair to a zinger so they are handy and you're good to go, especially when a bait change is needed.
I used mine several times on a recent kayak fishing trip with absolutely no problems cutting braid whenever I needed to.
Pick a pair up and give them a try. They will be the only line cutting tool you'll need.
For a long time I still used the clippers that I cut nylon leaders for walleye harnesses and tippet on a fly line. Clippers hardly cut braid.
Often I would up closing the jaws of the nippers while trying to pull the braid apart. If it did give, it tore in a manner that left shreds of line dangling.
Now comes Berkley, the folks that have given us baits, rods, and many of those new lines that are seemingly impossible to cut, with new tool for that purpose.
The Berkley Superline Shears is one such tool. They'll cut through braid, mono and other lines that make traditional cutting tools obsolete. Made of stainless steel, they're corrosion resistant.
These shears should be the only cutting tool you'll need to cut through any line. Clip a pair to a zinger so they are handy and you're good to go, especially when a bait change is needed.
I used mine several times on a recent kayak fishing trip with absolutely no problems cutting braid whenever I needed to.
Pick a pair up and give them a try. They will be the only line cutting tool you'll need.
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