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“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
in reply to: "The Good Hunt" film update #12425This morning I had a long Skype conference with the filmmaker in Belgium, Christopher. We have agreed to do two separate versions: one to satisfy his hope of placing in some of the better art-documentary film festivals in Europe and to address a nearly totally urban European population to whom hunting is wholly unknown. In this “kinder and gentler” version he is leaving what I feel is too much to the assumed ability of viewers to fill in the blanks, to the point I really don’t see a story line; all too open-ended. The second version, for U.S. release, I am far more active in and concerned with it “making a statement.” Less artsy, more conversation about what and why and how, etc. This version will be longer, plus out-take extras. It’s possible that contributors who are owed a DVD will get both versions. Anyhow, I’m feeling much better about it now. I absolutely would never have gotten into this had I known the full ramifications of “crowd funding,” which brought in a lot of really good people, a lot of you, who rightly assume the end result will be worth it and not too dissimilar to what and how I write about hunting. So suddenly I feel responsible for “delivering on that promise” and personally at fault it if isn’t up to expectations. If Christopher had been able to fund it all on his own, with no public or group help (both TU and BHA are significant contributors), I wouldn’t have these worries. But neither of us wanted any corporate or other big money investors, so here we are.
So that’s it for now: We are talking, cooperating, and moving ahead as fast as possible on two versions. Thanks for your ongoing patience and get the family outdoors for Memorial Day. Dave
in reply to: Desert Monkeys and Jags #620751shot — are those from the jaguar photos taken by researchers south of Tucson a few years ago? Jaguar sightings north of the border are a very big deal. If these are a hunter’s cam photos, I presume he alerted the wildlife dept.?
In my few years hunting down there I never once saw a coatamundi, darn.
in reply to: Epoxy and glue #61297Kirkil, you can buy all-temp hotmelt archery glue that doesn’t go brittle in deep cold. In my experience, with all shaft materials, more important to a reliable bond than the type of glue is absolute cleanliness of all contact surfaces (acetone is best and rub alcohol also works). If they’re oily, no glue will be reliable.
in reply to: What ya got goin? #61292Mike, your black coyote encounter reminds me that after numerous occasions when I had to say to myself, “I’d trade my bow for a camera right now,” I finally started carrying one in my right-hand shirt pocket (the left pocket is for binocs). I’d trade every dead turkey in the universe for a close sighting and good photo of a black coyote. It’s the unusual in nature, as with people, that has always intrigued me most. We had a black “red” fox here some years ago, but I’ve never even heard of a black coyote. Depending on species, melano animals can be even more rare than albinos. Thought I saw a black spike bull elk once, but on closer inspection he was fresh from a mud wallow.
in reply to: Quality Deer Management #59885Ralph, to update your good research, baiting is no longer allowed for deer in AZ. I and other BHA members were active in campaigning to have it outlawed, as it had utterly destroyed bowhunting for Coues, which is largely done over scarce waterholes. Water in the desert is sufficient bait, which is largely balanced by countless thousands of years of deer being ambushed by cats at waterholes, having evolved in them the most unbelievable caution and quick responses I’ve ever seen in an animal. The baiters had taken over every waterhole they could access by ATV, placing alfalfa, salt, “sweet grains,” trail cams and tree stands all around. I quit hunting AZ because of it. I believe that on public lands there’s a higher necessity to keep the playing field equal, with no baits and no motorized vehicles beyond designated roadways. Otherwise the actions of a pushy minority ruin it all for the majority, not to mention spitting in the face of fair chase. All such considerations become more complex and arguable on private land, as in Texas. It also has to do with whether we view the wild animals we hunt as a commodity or symbols of wildness and majesty.
in reply to: Quality Deer Management #59085Another great discussion that could happen no place else I’m aware of. Here, there are no bullies; all opinions sink or swim on their own merit … which is the only true way toward comprehending not only the big picture but all of it’s nano nuances. And thanks for the clarification, Robin.
in reply to: Quality Deer Management #56436Mom, why does it matter? I doubt TBM will be wanting to run their ads, so what’s there to lose? We should be proud of being a thoughtful and critical discussion group, as there sure aren’t any such anywhere else. IMO
in reply to: Noteable Quotes! #55771Sinawalli — I love that quote! It’s downright uplifting. Who is the author?
Going way back, to David’s (dwcphoto) link to the John Prine-iris Dement video for “In Spite of Ourselves,” … I can’t help but to suggest that if a majority of Americans embraced the raw truths of Iris Dements’ “Living in the Wasteland of the Free,” we could recapture the American dream. But we won’t, as our individual and collective vision is far too narrow, tunneled-in.
I’m loving this thread on revisit, thank you all.
in reply to: Quality Deer Management #55766Brennan– I love your Ruud end quote! It succinctly summarizes the major quandary of existence for thinking people, the yin and yang of life, which mandates death. I’ve read that book five times now and still find myself going there when I’m in desperate need of clawing outside of my own self-importance in the big picture.
David, yes, my take on QDM, with a lot of input from Valerius Geist, is in Heartsblood, in the “The Bambi Syndrome Dismembered” chapter. I rarely go back and read books or articles once I’ve published them (I’d rather read others in order to keep my questioning and thinking moving forward), so thanks for the reminder. It’s now dated, and as with most wildlife management concepts, “set and setting,” that is, local habitat and human pressure distinctions, make any single “solution” imperfect for general application. But there are moral as well as biological considerations at play here, and it’s my story and I’ll stick by it. Basically: “Provide abundant rich wildlife habitat, manage for ecosystem health first, not for any single species, and take for ourselves only the excess.” Anything less I view as being untrue to what I’ll simplify for here and now as “life.”
in reply to: What ya got goin? #50192Hammer, tell us about the Indian nickel bow. If you already have, sorry but I missed it.
Mike, who is Russell Kirk? I’ve heard of Kirk Russell … or maybe it was Kurt. Guy who made that great ’50s film “Lonely Are the Brave,” based closely on Abbey’s great novel “The Brave Cowboy.”
in reply to: For the amateur naturalists amongst us #49076Who you calling an amateur? 😆 Anyone who has read the recently late Peter Matthiessen’s classic “The Snow Leopard” (not for the intellectually or spiritually sedentary) understands the magical qualities of this rare and elusive illusive allusive creature in the wild, and thus how wrong it is to keep such in prison for public viewing by mostly clueless and undeserving people.
in reply to: What ya got goin? #49070Jim — your end quote, Yes! 😀 And politics doesn’t qualify, unless it’s necessary in service to what’s truly important, like conservation. Check Hammer’s end quote, Leopold, for something that’s truly important.
in reply to: EFOC high wind video #48019I was only going to ask Jason if he’s considered going to a more streamlined broadhead? Seems a shame to come so far with Ed’s advice and see it’s positive results, yet skip over broadhead MA … but then here comes a hen turkey to the bird feeder. Here’s a pic and she’s still there … with two bird dogs napping just on the other side of the little office shed. I need another beer so the turkey best feed fast.
in reply to: TAPERED SHAFTS…historically speaking #48010Thanks, Ed. Will do.
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