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BACKWOODS BOUND BULLET Vol. 2, Iss. 5
Greetings from the team at BACKWOODS BOUND and welcome to May's issue of the "Backwoods Bound Bullet".
Highlights this issue include:
~Backwoods Boredom Busters ~Article: "Leaves of Three, Let It Be!" ~Recipe: Stuffed Venison Round Steak ~Article: "Safe Boating" ~"Kenny's Corner"
We suggest you review this issue and check out the links, then print it to read the lengthy articles at your leisure. Pass the copy on to a friend when you're through or leave it in the employee lunchroom. The more Backwoods Buddies we have contributing their stories & ideas, the more exciting this site becomes! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Introducing...Backwoods Boredom Busters! (Previously presented as Susie's Kids Corner) Each month Susie shares one of her favorite activities.All are kid-tested and Susie-approved! This month's activity:
Police Patrol The next time you go camping and you want to find a way to keep the kids busy, try this game. It not only keeps them occupied, it’s a way to teach them to respect nature while having fun. It’s a variation of a scavenger hunt. The children (adults can join in too) are divided into teams of two. (If adults are playing team up one with each child to make it fair.) The object of the game is to find the most trash in the area. The following is a suggested list of point values for each item. The winning team can be awarded something as simple as being relieved of dish duty for the next meal!
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Plastic food wrap +5 points Glass (adults only) +10 points Aluminum beverage cans +10 points Aluminum foil +5 points Food cans +7 points Styrofoam +10 points Chip bag +5 points Gum wrapper +5 points Other paper trash +3 points Plastic ring beverage holder +15 points Cigarette butts +5 points
I suggest wearing gloves….I buy the inexpensive plastic ones from the Dollar Store. And glass is off-limits to the children, adults should pick this up. Each team gets one recycled plastic grocery bag. Set a time limit. Happy Hunting!!
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If you have a unique hunting or fishing experience and are willing to share your adventures, please drop us a line. We'd love to hear your story and share it in the Backwoods Bound 'Bullet' for all our friends!
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Click Here to see Crazy Captions! |
If you haven't visited our "Crazy Caption" page, stop by now! The captions are adding up and are hilarious. I'm sure there's at least one that will give you a chuckle. Send us one of your own while you're there!
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BACKWOODS BOUND CONTEST:
April's winner was Darrell McCaig of Alberta, Canada. Darrell sent in several great entries, but won with his photo of the newborn twin bull moose calves combined with his suggestion to open a new category of photos. This category will be for other types of outdoor photos, i.e., landscapes, animals in their natural habitat, etc. We've named this section "Backwoods Beauty". Stop by this newest feature at http://www.backwoodsbound.com/bbphotos.html. Then send in your favorite photos to share with all your 'backwoods buddies'. Darrell won a FREE Folding Camo Chair from Cheaper Than Dirt! Congratulations Darrell!
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The May contest is already in full swing! The FREE prize this month is a Bass Pro Shops Daybreaker Cordless Spotlight. "This rugged hand-held spotlight pushes the night aside with 500,000 CP of focused-beam lighting. Bright halogen bulb provides up to 1/2-mile reach. Rechargeable from 110V AC or 12V DC sources; adapter included. $19.99 Value!" To see May's prize & how to win, Click on the Photo to the right!
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Click Here to see how to Win! |
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ARTICLE: "Leaves Of Three, Let It Be!"
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Poison Ivy and Oak pose a threat to one out of every two people and is considered to produce the most common allergy in North America. Although one or both types of these plants are prevalent in your nearest North American "backwoods", they can also easily infiltrate your yard, garden, or flowerbed. Arm yourself with knowledge! Learn how to recognize these pesty plants, pick up tips on avoiding a post-exposure allergic reaction, and find out how to care for yourself if you do manage to pick up a case of this irritating dermatitis!
Poison ivy grows in the form of climbing vines, shrubs that trail on the ground, and shrubbery that grows upright without any support. The vine clings to stone and brick houses and climbs trees and poles. It flourishes abundantly along fences, paths, and roadways, and is often partly hidden by other foliage. The leaves always grow in clusters of three, one at the end of the stalk, the other two opposite one another. The individual leaflets are only slightly lobed and the grey fruits are not hairy.
Poison oak is usually a low-growing shrub and seldom a climbing vine. It has three leaves, like poison ivy, but they are lobed and bear a slight resemblance to small oak leaves. The fruits are hairy. Click on the picture to see an enlarged view.
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The toxin these plants produce, urushiol (u-roo'she-ol), is "one of the most potent external toxins we know," according to William L. Epstein, M.D. He also claims that "five hundred people could itch from the amount covering the head of a pin." Urushiol is an oily substance found on all parts of the plant including the roots. Contact dermatitis can occur through direct exposure (actually touching the plant), and indirect exposure (touching objects or pets that have had direct contact, breathing the smoke of burning plants, etc.). Urushiol can remain active for as long as a year on objects such as clothing, garden tools, camping gear, etc. Even death of the plant doesn't decrease its toxicity since specimens of Poison Ivy several centuries old have still caused dermatitis in sensitive people.
So what do you do? How can you enjoy the outdoors knowing that you may unknowingly come in contact with poison ivy? There are now pre-exposure products available (ie. Stoko Gard) that may help prevent a rash if used appropriately. There is also some data that suggests that organoclay and aluminum chlorohydrate (found in anti-perspirants) are highly effective at neutralizing urushiol. Try spraying your favorite anit-perspirant on your arms, legs, clothes, and pets before your next "backwoods" adventure.
What can you do post-exposure? Wash yourself as soon as possible! Remember, urushiol is oil based, so you'll want to wash better than usual. The best wash would start with rubbing alcohol then follow with running water. Organic solvents like ammonia, paint thinner, and acetone are also good at getting the urushiol oil out of your skin before the rash occurs. Soap and water all you have? Lather, rinse, and repeat several times. Never use a washrag for your post-exposure wash, this is said to spread the oil. No soap available? You can lesson the degree of your reaction by dousing yourself immediately with water from your canteen or the next stream. Beware of using a solvent before you're done being exposed. Solvents remove the natural oil from your skin and could increase the degree of further exposure.
Make sure you also wash all articles that may have come in contact with the plants. This cleaning may take a couple hours, but when you compare it to a maddening 28-day itch, it's well worth the effort.
If you are exposed and are allergic to urushiol, you will develop a reaction in approximately 4-48 hours. The reaction is characterized by a skin rash which is red and itchy. Small blisters form which later becme larger and eventually exude a watery fluid. The skin then becomes crusty and dry. In 10 - 28 days all symptoms spontaneously disappear. If the rash is severe or involves the eyes, face, genitalia, or involves the respiratory tract from inhaling burned plant smoke, contact your physician for treatment. The doctor may need to prescribe a steroid cream and/or oral steroids such as prednisone or methylprednisolone.
Once the skin is thoroughly washed, the rash is not spread by skin-to-skin contact. Oozing from blisters will not spread the rash either. Neither will bathing or showering. To minimize the risk of infection, avoid scratching the blisters.
There are many ways to care for your poison ivy or oak rash and a huge selection of over the counter creams, lotions, and ointments. My favorite course of treatment for myself and my family include topical calamine lotion and oral antihistamines. Calamine lotion produces cooling and distracts the skin from itching. It also leaves a powdery residue that absorbs the oozing, develops a crust, and keeps the skin from sticking to your clothes. To use: Wash the affected area with soap and water, pat dry, and apply calamine lotion 3-4 times per day. Oral antihistamines help reduce the extent of the body's reaction. (i.e., chlorpheniramine maleate (Chlor-Trimeton) or diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Benadryl) as directed.)
Now that you're "armed with knowledge", may your next "backwoods" adventure be poison ivy/oak rash free!
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HUNTIN' TIP: Never wear red, blue, or white clothing when hunting for turkeys. This includes white socks that might become visible beneath your pants leg when you sit down. These colors are the same as a gobblers head and could make another hunter think he is seeing a turkey. See more huntin' tips at www.backwoodsbound.com/tipshunting.html
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BACKWOODS BOUND VISITOR SURVEY:
Results of May's survey questions are in..................! **58% of our participants are their own "Skipper" when they go fishing in a boat. 34% are "Gilligans" (I know a few of those). And 8% are "Howells" and hire a boat. **43% of our participants prefer a 12 ga slug as their favorite big game caliber. **71% of our participants are fortunate enough to enjoy 6-8 different varieties of fish and game in a year! We are temporarily suspending the survey questions.Many thanks to all our loyal participants!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ra20190.rate
AOL Users Click Here! High rating = higher list rank = more new Backwoods Buddies = more ideas and fun features!
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FISHIN' TIP - When breaking off your line from a snag, turn your head away. It is far better to take a piece of lead, bobber, or hook to the back of the head than the eye. See more fishin' tips at www.backwoodsbound. com/tipsfishing.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The lawn looks great, the flowers are blooming, and the birds are splashing in the birdbath! Now the finishing touch...a unique, hand-crafted squirrel feeder!See "A Table For Two", Backwoods Bound's answer to a multi-squirrel yard, at http://www.backwoodsbound.com/squrfeedr01.html A great decoration for every yard! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FUN FACT: Hundreds of years ago, European princes were raised with commoners of the same age. Since princes couldn't be disciplined like ordinary kids, the commoner would be beaten whenever the prince did something wrong. The commoner was called the prince's "whipping boy." See more fun facts at www.backwoodsbound.com /funfacts.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RECIPE OF THE MONTH: Many thanks to Katy Henke from Weimar, Texas for this month's featured recipe. This one's fancy enough for guests, but with these classic ingredients, satisfying for the whole family.
Stuffed Venison Round Steak: ~ 1 lb venison round steak ~ salt and pepper ~ 10 slices bacon (good thick bacon) ~ 4 peeled & grated carrots ~ 2 stalks of celery, chopped ~ 1 onion, chopped ~ 1 cup chopped parsley
Heat oven to 325. Pound steak with tenderizer on both sides, salt and pepper. Place in a baking pan. Chop 4 bacon slices and place in large bowl, add carrot, celery, onion, and parsley. Stir well. Spoon a generous amount of stuffing on top of steak and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Place remaining bacon over top of steak rolls. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. Enjoy!
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ARTICLE: "SAFE BOATING MEANS WEARING A LIFE JACKET, BEING ALERT TO OTHERS ON THE WATER"
Press Release from IL Dept of Natural Res: http://dnr.state.il.us.
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. -- Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Brent Manning is reminding boat operators and passengers to be safe on the water this boating season by wearing life jackets, being alert to others on the water and by staying sober.
"Careless and reckless operation, as well as boat operator inattention and inexperience, were among the primary causes of boating accidents in Illinois last year," Manning said. "It is a fact that wearing an approved life jacket while boating can save your life, and there is no question that boaters who are sober, alert and paying attention to what they're doing can avoid mishaps on the water."
Statistics compiled by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Law Enforcement include14 fatalities and 76 injuries as a result of boating accidents in Illinois in 2000. Those compare with 13 deaths and 75 injuries in boating accidents in the state in 1999.
Illinois law requires that life jackets, also known as personal floatation devices (PFDs), be available for each person aboard a boat or other watercraft. State law also requires anyone operating a personal watercraft to wear a life jacket, and anyone under the age of 13 must wear a life jacket while aboard any watercraft under 26 feet in length at all times the boat is underway, unless they are below deck in an enclosed cabin.
Wakolbinger said the IDNR offers free boating safety courses to review boating laws and provide instruction on safe and attentive operation of watercraft. Course schedules are available by contacting the IDNR Safety Education Office at 800/832-2599, Ameritech Relay 800/526-0844, TDD 217/782-9175, or by checking the IDNR web site at http://dnr.state.il.us.
"Last year, 83 of the 155 boating accidents on Illinois waters involved collisions with other vessels or objects in the water, resulting in 32 injuries and three deaths," Wakolbinger said. "That's why taking the safety course is so important. It is open to anyone age 10 or older, and the course is required for 12- to 18-year olds who want to operate a boat or personal watercraft without adult supervision."
In 2000, approximately 75 percent of boat operators involved in accidents in Illinois had not participated in a boating safety course
More boating accident injuries occurred to operators and passengers of jet skis and other personal watercraft than any other type of boat last year in Illinois. There were 27 injuries in accidents involving personal watercraft, compared with 21 injuries involving open motorboats, 15 involving cabin motorboats, eight involving houseboats, and four involving pontoons.
National Safe Boating Week is observed annually during the week preceding the Memorial Day holiday weekend. This year's National Safe Boating Week observance is May 19-25.
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PRODUCT: Trail Timer - Single Event Timer
The single event digital TT-100 unit was the first of many products for TrailTimer Co. Most hunters’ use this low cost, single event unit for checking out those newly found trails, special hot spots or new baits. It’s great for determining peak movement times and direction of travel. Once a hot area or active bait is located and timed, you can upgrade to an infrared unit or camera system. Features: Replaceable battery, Indicates time/am-pm and date, Direction of game movement, Self-contained tie cord, Thread on spool, Pocket size-easy to use, and Affordable for everyone.
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KENNY'S CORNER: An editorial view of the Backwoods Bound experience!
First Experiences
The last few months I’ve had things happen for the first time. In October, I got my first deer with a bow; 3 weeks ago I shot my first turkey. Last month, I got to see my daughter Nicole in her first high school play. These were all great things that happened and it made me start thinking about the first time something happens to you or for you.
First time experiences are very memorable. Do you remember the first time you did something that you had never done before? I’ll bet you do, because the list is endless. A few examples are: the first day of school, the first time you drove a car, the first time you flew on a plane, etc. As you can see, life is full of first time experiences. Now of course, not all first time things are good. What about the first time you were fired from a job? (By the way, my partners at Backwoods Bound tell me that if my articles don’t start inspiring you to buy something, that may happen to me!) What about the first deer you missed when hunting? Or the first fish that broke your line?
While thinking of the first time experiences that have happened to me, I stumbled upon a very revealing thought. Folks, maybe this is what life is about. This is how you strive to get the full human experiences. It’s all up to you; you can sit back, watch TV and let the world pass you by, or you can try new things. You can experience life and enjoy yourself. Every time you try something new, whether you succeed or fail, it strengthens your spirit and you learn something from it.
I want all of you to do me a favor. Take a couple of minutes and think of all the first experiences you’ve had. I bet it will put a smile on your face. Now that you’ve done that, the next time you’re at a restaurant, try a new dish! The next time you’re in your deer stand, go ahead and use the grunt call that you bought and haven’t used yet! You get the idea.
Just the other day my seven-month-old daughter Lucy started saying her first word; it’s Da! Da! Now that is one of the coolest first time experiences of all time!
I’m Kenny, and I hope I have all of you in my corner; and some of you in my corner for the first time.
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Visit us today! Select a dove or squirrel recipe to make for dinner, make up a new caption for our "Crazy Caption" photo, review the fishin' tips, shop at our affiliates to restock your boat and tackle box, stop by the Fish and Game Agency to order your fishing license on-line, post an announcement for that local fishin' tournament or share information on our bulletin board, check the weather, browse through our guides section to start planning your dream alligator hunt, visit yourself or your Backwoods Buddies in the photo gallery, check out the most recent photos in the "Backwoods Beauty" section, and don't forget to pick up a Minnesota antler plaque to finally mount those great antlers from that buck you picked up in Minnesota last year. Wow!!! As you can see, you've helped us come a long way from when we started this site! Thanks alot!
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** To all our Backwoods Bound Buddies: We sincerely appreciate all your support! We hope you'll continue to help by forwarding this newsletter to all the people in your address book. Give them the opportunity to participate in our site! In addition, if you know of someone that shares our interests, why not sign them up for our newsletter? They are always free to cancel. But, hopefully, they'll be glad you signed them up. We'll do our best to meet their interests
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