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Modern Day Buckskinner: Some Ruminations of Days Gone By

ArdyJan 10, 2022Adventures,Current events,Hunting0 Comment

 

I’ve always believed that I am a man who was born in the wrong  era. I would have preferred to have been born in the 1870’s. Notice that I didn’t say the 1810’s, and there is a reason for that, actually there are two.

The first is the fact that the percussion cap was invented in 1807 by Scottish clergyman, Rev. Forsyth, who came to the conclusion that it was too hard to prepare for an emergency when one had to jack around with sharpened rocks and two different kinds of powder in order to get a gun to fire. I’m not by any means dependent on modern technology for survival; however, I do appreciate it very much. And the percussion cap was definitely a step up in the utilization of the firearm for advancement to the best of defensive weapons.

The second  reason I wouldn’t have wanted to been born prior to 1870 is that I would not have wanted to have gone through any part of the American Civil War, not even the reformation period immediately afterwards. The reason for this I think is obvious; it was a bloody and brutal time and it would have been hard to have lived in this era without having a heart full of hate because of all the meanness that was prevalent.

If you’re like me then you are likely a big fan of the 1972 film “Jeremiah Johnson”. This is a story of a mountain man named John Johnson who lived between 1824 – 1900. He was nicknamed “Liver Eating Johnson” because he was at war with the Crow Nation and whenever he killed a Crow Warrior, he would cut the man’s liver out and eat it. He used a pair of Hawken Rifles and a brace of pistols that shot black powder and used percussion caps. He also used tomahawk and bowie. This movie was a deciding factor in my boyhood when I decided I wanted to be a mountain man. I still hunt deer and other large game with a muzzleloading rifle; however, now I do it while wearing a blaze orange jacket pursuant to state law, and carrying a camouflage possibles bag.

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A Kind Word For the Ruger Mini-14

ArdyDec 13, 2021Adventures,Camping,Current events,Hunting,Military Surplus Blog Posts,Prepper,product reviews0 Comment

In a world that has somehow fallen in love with the AR platform of rifle, for everything from varmint shooting to deer hunting, many people forget that there were other platforms prior to VietNam and the M16.

According to several knowledgeable individuals, the absolute best platform for survival and combat was the M1 Garand, a .30-06 rifle that helped America settle the mess that Hitler and Hirohito started in WWII.  This rifle was great for distance as well as for CQB, (in a pinch). A friend of mine named Dale “Piper” Hickman was in the 5th wave at Omaha Beach on D-Day, and walked across Europe in the 1940’s a privileged guest of his Uncle Sam. Once, while pinned down in a French village by a German sniper, he successfully used his Army issued M1A1 Garand to  counter snipe the unlucky bastard after he observed his muzzleflash in the top of a church steeple. Piper claimed he got three rounds off as he ducked behind the corner of the building he was using for cover, and then flanked the church from an adjoining street and cleared the church with two other members of his platoon. There he found the sniper, deceased from one round that punched a hole in his throat, one in the center of his Nazi face, and one adorning his forehead like a ruby red jewel. Piper was very impressed with the rifle’s performance stating that was the only time during his entire tour that he was able to judge his own accuracy, because no one else had shot at the guy.

However, most soldiers found the M1A1 Garand to be too heavy, it’s ammo too cumbersome, and it’s length too much to try to maneuver. Therefore, the next rifle that went into service was the .308 M-14 rifle, which never saw a lot of combat use other than in the very early years of the VietNam war. There it was discovered that the ergonomics of the rifle were off for jungle combat, and the M16A1 was introduced into service.

However, many people saw the benefit of the M-14 design for sporting and utility purposes, specifically for ranchers. That is why, as the M-14 rifle lost it’s place to the M16 platform, companies like Sturm Ruger saw and opportunity in the design. Ruger therefore took the basic design and repaired the ergonomic flaws and produced the current Mini 14 rifle. This rifle had a very distinct cult following before the attention turned toward the AR platform which evolved from the M16. It was very popular in law enforcement and quasi military organizations like Border Patrol, Correctional Facilities and Fish and Wildlife. Sturm Ruger Co. offers excellent customer service for these rifles, and even offers armorer courses around the world to teach dis-assembly, modification, and upkeep.

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Survival 102: Making a Quiver of Survival Arrows, 3 Things You Should Know

ArdyDec 06, 2021Adventures,Current events,Earthquake Preparedness,Emergency Preparedness,Hunting,Prepper0 Comment

 

As a follow up to the need I addressed for a survival bow comes the need for a whole quiver full of arrows to make it more beneficial to you than a rustic cigarette lighter. There are several ways to make arrows and they can be as complex or simple as you have the time to bother with.

First off you want strong, straight shafts that are flexible. Some people make arrows out of various reeds because they are hollow inside. However, I and my acquaintances have made it a practice to predominantly use cedar shafts for arrows for several reasons. They are strong, straight, and superabundant. You can literally find some type of cedar tree everywhere in the continental United States and abroad. However, you are not limited to cedar for your arrows and ash, oak, or pine shafts will work as well.

Your points can be as simple as a sharpened end, (hardened in a fire), or intricate to the point of perfection with the making of knapped flint arrowheads, aluminum or steel arrowheads fashioned from soda or soup cans, or any other combination of mechanical or metallic devices that are literally limited in scope to your own imagination.

Pine pitch and sinew makes an excellent binder to hold both your point to the shaft, and the fletchings to the other end. Sinew or natural cordage are used to bind the arrow together tightly, and  remember; in a rustic situation, the main goal is to simply keep it together for one or two uses before any part of the arrow breaks off. They’re not likely to be used over and over again without repair of some sort. Here are three things that you must consider in the manufacture of your arrows if you are to use them successfully.

  1. The shaft should balance with the point. If the arrow is too tip heavy, the drop in velocity will be considerable and each and every arrow should be practiced with to get a feel for how it flies before being shot into game or enemies. If you find your tip to be too heavy, consider a denser or shaft or one with a bit more girth for distribution. A very big pile of dried grasses twisted together, (think of a bale of hay), makes for a nice impromptu target in the bush, as does a body of deep water that you can retrieve your arrows from after you’ve shot them.
  2. Fletching should correspond with the arrow notch to avoid stripping. If you examine the diagram, you will see that an arrow is set up with three veins of fletching to help it achieve maximum stabilization during flight. These veins must be set up and used in such a way so that there is a bare area of the shaft that is going to make contact with the side of the bow as the arrow is launched from it. Otherwise your bow will strip that fletching right off as it is launched and the shaft will go everywhere except for where you want it to.
  3. Notches should not be a “V”. Traditionally notches are thought to represent a V shape; however, that is not what you are wanting to produce in your survival arrows. The best type of notch is to think of one that looks more like a “U” than a “V”. The notch should cradle your bowstring rather than pinching it so that it doesn’t launch off center.
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Survival 102:Making a Survival Bow

ArdyNov 22, 2021Current events,Earthquake Preparedness,Emergency Preparedness,Uncategorized0 Comment

One of the best skills that you can have in regards to survival is the ability to create both tools and weapons that will give you the ability to survive indefinitely. One of these items is a survival bow. One thing you need to realize is that a survival bow can have more than one use. There are three uses I can think of right off the bat. You can of course hunt with it, you can use it to build fire, and you can use it to drill holes with in order to construct more permanent structures.

A survival bow on a base level is a pretty easy thing to build, and it can become as complicated and elaborate as you want it to; however, for a survival bow you’ll need to know just a few basic things to get started. Probably the most important factor to understand in the manufacture of your bow is the proper knots to fashion in your cordage. One of the easiest and most versatile knots is a variation of the hangman’s noose. This knot, when tied around a shaft with some length, will self tighten to the point that it is almost impossible to get loose. Also it will strengthen weak points on your bow, work as a handle, and affix fletching and arrowheads to your arrows.

Here are the important factors to consider when you are building your first survival bow:

  1. You have to use the right wood. My preference for anything survival is durable. The best wood I’ve ever used is Osage Orange, some people call it hedgeapple. It is extremely hard and yellow as the sun. Your stave should be slightly bowed, 3 to four feet long, and free from knots. It’s also best to get it a little green so there’s some flexibility to it.
  2. Follow it’s natural curve. Make sure that the bow already has a tendency to bow a certain direction. It will do you no good to try to produce a curve against the grain in any way.
  3. Trim consistently. The bow should remain thicker towards the center and gradually taper towards the ends consistently. It is up to you to shape your bow slowly using a knife of sharp rocks. And when you get the tips of the bow flat and somewhat pointed, make sure to notch the ends to hold the bow string.
  4. Prepare several strings for your bow. There is nothing more frustrating in the wilderness than not having the proper tool handy when you need it. Therefore, you should prepare three or more strings for hunting, (strings that will stretch tight from one end to the other, causing the bow to curve slightly to keep it taut. ) These hunting strings should be greased with animal fat to prevent rotting and should only be used when needed as they don’t usually last long. Once they are stretched out they can be used for bowdrill or for turning other spindles.
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Photography in National Parks: 3 Things You Must Know

ArdyOct 17, 2021Adventures,Camping,Camping, Adventures,Current events0 Comment

I recently cam across some footage of a woman with her cellphone out frolicking with three bears in Yellowstone National Park. She seemed to be having the time of her life, obviously living out her childhood fantasies of being Goldilocks and capturing the magical moment on her iPhone 12. It was magical, it seemed, until the 1500 pound bear charged her aggressively. She then beat a hasty retreat back to her car and seemed less enthralled with the local wildlife. She became even less so when she was charged criminally, given a hefty fine, and convicted of tampering with wildlife.

This brings up a good lesson that all photographers must learn before embarking on the foray of a lifetime trying to capture that stillshot that will make you NatGeo famous. Most of us who are interested in photography and wilderness exploration will remember Timothy Treadwell, the self proclaim bear enthusiast who, along with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard, was eaten by a bear that he underestimated. That being said, here are three things you should always do when documenting wildlife

  1. Learn the local laws regarding animal interaction. In Ohio, for instance, you are not permitted to spotlight deer at night. I once knew a police officer who was stopped and detained by a local game warden when he was observed using the spotlight on his patrol car, while on duty, to illuminate deer at night. He wasn’t shooting them or attempting to shoot them. He was merely looking at them. National parks have similar laws in place that are meant to protect the visitors and the local wildlife. Make sure you research these before you get the trouble associated with violating federally protected wildlife, it can be long reaching.
  2. Protect yourself while shooting. I can’t stress enough the importance of having the weaponry at your disposal that might be needed to save your life in a dangerous animal encounter. Remember the Timothy Treadwell incident. It went on for three minutes and involved two people. An adequate firearm could have saved the day for the unfortunate pair of conservationists. Even ber spray might have made a difference.
  3. Maintain your distance. No matter what, wild animals are all survivalists and they are dangerous. The best way to stay safe and be effective at the same time is to buy the proper equipment and stay as far away from them as possible. If you can’t afford a 600mm – 1000mm lens, consider renting one or investing in less expensive bridge camera options; some of which can easily reach 1200mm focal length and beyond.
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Hunting Idaho’s National Parks: 3 Thing You Must do to Prepare

ArdySep 28, 2021Adventures,Camping,Camping, Adventures,Current events,Emergency Preparedness0 Comment

It has recently been noted that the world class elk taken by city dwellers,  and would be preppers and survivalists, in Idaho’s national parks, are a thing of the past. Those campsites which used to house truck campers, hobo camps, and military surplus tent enthusiasts are laying empty, windswept, and weedy.

Those trophy bulls, writes Andrew McKean for Outdoor Life™, can now only be found in private properties with river bottom hayfields that will accommodate these majestic animals under the guns of these independent ranchers. The problem, writes McKean, is wolves.

Wolves have been protected, and to many notions, over protected, for the last several decades in national parks. And it is because of these protections that much of the game has been driven from the parks to adjoining areas where private livestock, and property owner rights, make it safer for a herd animals to migrate hither and yon for breeding and grazing purposes.

None of this really affects me as a wildlife photographer per se. I would rather hunt wolves any day as opposed to elk, bear, deer, or bison. What gathers my attention the most is the reference to those empty camp sites and abandoned stands.

A wildlife photographer’s best friend is said to be “down yonder”. In my experience, my favorite people are those found to be “Way Down Yonder”. I absolutely abhor company and love solitude. So it is definitely in my sphere of contemplation for the winter season, to haul my camper out to Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho’s Panhandle National Forest, up near Packsaddle Mountain, and see what kind of lupine footage I can find. Here, in retrospect, are three strategies for a successful hunt in Idaho.

  1. Consider your purpose and make adjustments as needed. Why do you hunt? That is a question I asked myself once while covered in doe blood, my hands greasy with winter fat from a deer I had just ended the existence of. Did I need the meat? No, we had a beef ranch at the time and had several fields full of angus to eat, money in the bank, plenty of food to be had from several different resources. I came to the conclusion that I enjoyed the competition of hunting. So I exchanged a gun for a camera.
  2. Make sure you are well prepared. When I go camping these days, I use a pull behind fiberglass trailer that runs heat and air conditioning from a dual fuel generator that will fire up from propane gas or electricity. Above and beyond that I have two solar generators that will mount on the roof of my camper to run heaters for emergency purposes. I also keep twenty plus gallons of potable water in the storage unit of my trailer.
  3. Be well armed. I cannot stress this enough. In this day and time you should not only want to be armed for dangerous animals, but for dangerous people as well. Generally my photography kit includes a Glock 17 with three 17 round magazines, (on my waist), a KelTec Sub2000, (fitted for Glock 17 mags and folded into a backpack with a bug-out bag holding five 17 round magazines), and a Smith and Wesson Model 629 Mountain gun holstered on my load bearing vest with molle straps.
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Winter Survival: 3 Things to Consider to Live Through Being Stranded

ArdyAug 02, 2021Adventures,Current events,Emergency Preparedness,Emergency Shelter,Uncategorized0 Comment

Recently a friend of mine was out delivering fertilizer to local farmers when he got caught in a flash flood in rural Indiana. It turned out ok, however he wasn’t sure, for a while, that it would. Luckily for my buddy, he couldn’t have died from exposure in this instance because it was summertime. What would he have done though if it had been winter and he had been trapped in his vehicle either by an avalanche or a blizzard?

There are several factors to consider here. First off the fact that in a vehicle you have a few things already established. You already have shelter from the environment to an extent, (most animals and wind, snow, etc…), and you also have a source of heat as long as you can keep the motor running.

However, one of the age old questions as far as survivalists go, is whether or not you’re better off staying in the car or getting out of it and making a survival shelter of some sort. Though I don’t want to get into any sort of debate on this, I do want to point out some key factors that support staying in your car as opposed to venturing away from it. Here are three factors to consider.

  1. You have an established, basically waterproof, structure. The only issue with the cab of a motor vehicle is the fact that there is so much dead air space that has to be heated rather than chilled in order for you to survive any length of time. Water isn’t a problem in  this scenario because you have snow to melt, (don’t eat the snow, melt it and drink it because the calories burned in converting something frozen to 98 degrees are necessary for your survival). Consider the use of snow, debris, seat cushions, etc… inside the cab of your vehicle to create less dead air space for your body heat to sustain.
  2. Your vehicle is like a flag. I used to be a deputy sheriff back in the day; and there is nothing that draws a cop’s, (or any other rescue worker’s), attention like an obviously stranded vehicle. Even if you’re not actively seeking rescue, if you get caught in a disaster and are snowed in, eventually somebody is going to come poking around to make sure you’re ok.
  3. Your vehicle has resources. I mentioned before the insulation capabilities from the seats etc…; however, there are other resources that can be used for survival that every vehicle has. A powerful battery for instance, as well as flammable fluids that can be used for creating fire, torches, better shelters, etc…
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Getting Back to Basics: 3 Things You Must Do in a Post Covid World

ArdyJul 02, 2021Adventures,Camping,Camping, Adventures,Current events0 Comment

Whether you’ve noticed or not, ever since this Covid pandemic, people haven’t been congregating to the level that they used to.  I, personally, am fine with that. I’ve never been a crowd loving kind of guy. And the fact of the matter is that it seems as if this level of isolation might very well become normative in our society.  As we reconnoiter from the effects of this first wave of Covid, it seems possible that we as a race might have to face many more variants of it or other viruses.

So, that being said, here are three things that you must do to get ready for the future, at least in regards to the entrainment industry.

  1. Go camping. While a well loved and basically traditional endeavor, camping also is a skill that can become centered around survival. One of the things I have done over the years is to slowly take some of t he modern conveniences out of my camping trip and substitute something rustic in it’s place.
  2. Go fishing. While an excellent form off relaxation, fishing also benefits from a survival standpoint. Good fishing skills can be replicated in a survival situation with nothing more than raw materials found in the wilderness. So go fishing at every opportunity and take your skills in fishing to the next level.
  3. Learn storytelling. In the old days, storytelling was the national pastime. Way before movies or books, humans were meeting around their campfires and keeping accounts  of their exploits in the form of the oral story.  It is just recently that the digital age has made storytelling obsolete. In this post pandemic world, s we get moved back into our clan mentality and away from the globalistic viewpoint, we will find the need to talk to each other again.  For me it will be a welcome change of pace.
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Fathers in Focus: 3 Reasons That You Must Take the Role Seriously

ArdyJun 21, 2021Current events,Fishing,Hunting0 Comment

As we move out of Father’s Day and into the coming summer, I want to write to you and stress the importance of that most sacred of roles that we all celebrated yesterday, that of being a dad.

If you are blessed enough to find yourself fulfilling this role in someone else’s life, you need to bear in mind that this honor is one which God has ordained to you and is so important to Him that it is actually a role that he claimed for himself first.

For you see, whatever Holy Book you read, (be it the Bible or the Torah), it doesn’t take a genius to see two things very clearly. They are that first: God planned a big family,  and second: that he wanted each person in it to be involved in it’s continuation. ( I can’t speak for any other writing due to lack of exposure to them). That being the case there are three main concepts about God’s relationship with mankind that I believe stick out and are vital to the place that we as men have in the lives of our sons and daughters.

  1. We are their protectors. Not all mammals are born utterly defenseless like humans are. Deer and horses for instance will be up and running in just a few hours from birth. Many in the animal kingdom are vulnerable for weeks and months; but very few if any are utterly defenseless for years at a time. I believe that is by design and that it serves to mold us as men for the better part of our lives.
  2. We are their providers. Though this aspect of fatherhood is very similar to the first, there is a distinct separation between the feeling of safeness and satiety. Both are different aspect of existence that we as fathers produce in our offspring and both are vital to growth and emotional maturity.
  3. We are their teachers. And with this we come full circle. Through protecting, providing, and teaching we create that great circle of life in conjunction with the God who created us to commune with Him. As fathers we represent our Father in Heaven who made us co-heirs  and advocates of His wonderful plans.
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Ernest Hemingway: 3 Reasons That You Must Watch This New Documentary

ArdyApr 10, 2021Camping,Camping, Adventures,Current events,Uncategorized0 Comment

If you are an outdoor enthusiast and sportsman, then there is a new documentary out there that you absolutely must see. This documentary is just released on Monday April 5, 2021 and is available at no cost through the PBS channel.

I have always been a huge fan of Ernest Hemingway. His minimalist style of writing and life experience were second to none.  He was definitely a man’s man, and and any serious look into his life will illustrate that. He was the epitome of a survivalist and made do in war torn Europe and Spain on many occasions; he thrived with little of nothing or with great affluence the same. One of my favorite stories of Hemingway involved his life in Paris as a starving writer trying to learn the craft:

His first child, Bumby, would accompany him on walks to the park where, with old bread purloined from the dumpster of the bakery near his flat, pigeons would be enticed to come to the baby’s stroller. Here, the illustrious old man would snatch and wring them and then  stuff the still warm and feathery body into the folds of the baby’s blanket until there were enough in hand, (or swaddle as the case may be), to proffer a full meal of squab for the family for the evening.   It can be surmised that it was said; at one time,  by the locals, that Hemingway was an learned and dedicated ornithologist of the first order… though his genus of regard lacked any form of particularity. 

It is for these following reasons that you must watch this most informed and inclusive of documentaries:

  1. Hemingway was a hunter and an avid outdoorsman. His hunting writing gets so in-depth that some people have learned how to wing shoot simply from reading his narrative on the technique involved.
  2. Hemingway was a warrior and a poet. And though this cliché is quite common in  todays literary world, this is exactly the case in regards to Ernest Hemingway.
  3. Hemingway was a purveyor and user of military surplus equipment. Whether he was fishing in Michigan, hunting in Idaho, or on safari in Africa, Ernest Hemingway was a prolific user of military surplus tools and equipment. He stayed in military surplus tents, slept in old army cots, and even hunted big game with military surplus weapons. This expose and documentary are both enlightening and conducive to having a fire lit in your belly regarding the understanding of the impact of the written word. The air of nostalgia that surrounded Hemingway is eloquently captured here. Ken Burns, along with Lynn Novick, were able to show you the man without telling you how to take or partake of him; and they did it in an Ernest way.
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