This month's topic: First Aid Kits!

"Planning First Aid For Your Outdoor Adventure"

January is a great time to refresh or create your own "outdoor adventure" first aid kit. The holidays are over and hunting/fishing seasons are few, so you can really concentrate on creating a well-stocked, appropriately-sized kit that can be ready any time you need it.

Although rarely considered "the" top priority when planning an outdoor adventure, first aid should rate at least as high on the list as repellent and sunblock. The items we believe as necessary for first aid will vary as greatly as the experiences we've lived through and the professions we practice. A teenager may not not be compelled to pack the number of items thought of as "essential" by a mother of three, just as an office worker may pack less than someone who works as an ambulance crew member.

As you start this project you must consider the amount of "space" you have available. A hiker will undoubtedly have less space than a person with a well-packed travel trailer. Although it's necessary to be practical when deciding what supplies you'll carry for an emergency, with a little planning, you can be prepared for quite a few misadventures!

Why not just buy a first aid kit? I have. They look impressive with their white and red colors and medical insignias. They are expensive, but they're big and the label says they contain 150 different pieces, so they must have everything you need! In fact, they fill you with such confidence that, when there is an emergency, you pull it out exclaiming loudly, "I have a first aid kit!" That's when you find most of the contents are small assorted bandages you could have paid a lot less for, the medicine packs have leaked all over the first aid guide so it's stuck to the bottom, and there is no bandage large enough to cover the wound you wanted to provide first aid for.

A good first aid kit is not a "get it and forget it" deal. It should be stocked with the medical items you know you'll need and some basic essentials you just might have to have at some time. You may want several different sizes if you enjoy a variety of outdoor adventures. A small first aid kit using a plastic 35mm film container might hang around your neck for a long bike ride or perhaps a belly bag first aid kit might be needed if you are hiking with a group of children. Your main travel first aid kit might even contain spaces to hold your smaller kits so you can keep them in one place. Think about your needs and decide the types of kits you might need.

Next, consider how many people your kit must accommodate and for what general length of trip. That helps you decide the amount of each supply you'll pack. A single hunter's needs on a weekend hunt will vary considerably from a family's needs on a week-long camping trip. You don't have to assume everyone in your group will require extensive first aid, but you do want to avoid a trip into town if possible.

Basic First Aid Supplies:

~ Triple antibiotic ointment: This works great on any superficial breaks in the skin like insect bites, scrapes, and cuts. The brand name is Neosporin, but you can buy the generic and get the same effect at a greatly reduced cost. Besides its germ-killing ability, it keeps bandages from sticking to the wound and promotes healing.

~ Assorted bandages/dressings: Bandaids are great for small wounds like insect bites, blisters, and cuts. If you have room, a roll of gauze and some 4 x 4 gauze pads can be well adapted for any size wound.

~ Adhesive tape: Besides securing larger bandages, adhesive tape works great for holding the edges of deep cuts together. After you've slowed the bleeding with pressure, apply a few small pieces of adhesive tape in the right spots to help pull the cut together so it can stop bleeding and start healing. Don't cover the whole wound, just use the tape to pull one side of the wound over to the other. Then apply ointment and a bandage.

~ Small scissors/pocket knife: These are essential if carrying rolls of gauze and adhesive tape.

Basic First Aid Medication:

~ Any medication you rely upon for good health.

~ Benadryl or the generic, Diphenhydramine. This medication helps reduce inflammation from severe allergic reactions and the itch that accompanies insect bites, poison ivy, etc. It can also help reduce sneezing and runny noses from allergies. It can make you drowsy, so be cautious when using it.

~ Tylenol or the generic, Acetaminophen. This medication helps block the transmission of stimuli to the brain. It doesn't take away pain, it just helps keep you from feeling it. This is also a fever reducer if you happen to pick up a cold.

~ Motrin or the generic, Ibuprophen. This medication helps reduce inflammation and thus the pain caused by the inflammation. This medication also reduces fevers.

These are basics. You may decide to add more supplies like elastic bandages for sprains, tweezers for splinter removals, disposable cold packs, etc. There are also more medicines that are nice to have around like antacids, anti-diarrheals, and sinus medications.

I purposely didn't include an antiseptic for the skin. Alcohol and Betadine work well to remove germs prior to entering the skin like before shots and surgeries, but can be quite harsh on freshly injured tissue. Soap and water are mild and work great to help remove the germs and dead cells that collect in freshly injured and healing wounds.

Now all you need is a container. I like the variety provided by fishing tackle boxes. They come with and without handles in all sizes with all sorts of different size compartments. In addition, they can be quite inexpensive.

With a little consideration and planning, you can have a first rate traveling first aid kit for much less than those over-rated pre-packaged kits. In addition, your kit will be tailored to your needs and will fit in the space you have available. Until next time...Maggie.

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving and our American heritage than to be a part of giving back to the wild turkey population in America.

The National Wild Turkey Federation, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Virginia Division of Forestry and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources released wild turkeys last week at the Conway Robinson Memorial State Forest near Gainesville, Va., and the Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center near Mansfield, Ga. The releases were held as part of an educational and patriotic celebration of our American heritage.

The wild turkeys were trapped at various locations in Georgia and Virginia earlier in the week, then released at their new homes in Virginia on Thursday, November 15, and in Georgia on Friday, November 16. In all, 10 Birds were released in Virginia, and 6 were released in Georgia. All the trapped birds were healthy and in good condition when released.

"The NWTF and its partners are proud to hold these event signaling the beginning of the Thanksgiving holiday and the successful restoration of turkey populations in Virginia and Georgia," said Dr. James Earl Kennamer, NWTF Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs. "We’re really grateful to our agency partners and our volunteers for helping to make the releases a huge success.”

Employees from both states, local students, NWTF volunteers and the media attended both releases. Many of the students, volunteers and media representatives who attended were given the opportunity to hold and release a wild turkey themselves.

Several of the wild turkeys released at both locations were outfitted with radio transmitters and will be part of a scientific and educational study of wild turkeys conducted by area students.

Contact James Powell at 800-THE-NWTF for more information about the NWTF and wild turkey restoration efforts, or check out the NWTF web site at www.nwtf.org.

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Deer Hunting: The Right Way and The Wrong Way

I recently took part in a managed deer hunt. I will not name the state or the park in which it took place, as it has no bearing on this article. The hunt was muzzleloaders only for 100 hunters who could harvest up to 3 doe each. A friend and I had put in for this hunt 4 years in a row and were very excited after being notified that our names had been drawn to partake in the event. I had visions of 100 hunters doing their scouting and placing their tree stands, after all, the park was huge, full of deer, and could easily handle 100 hunters. Boy, was I wrong!

What actually took place was the absolute worst experience of my life. No matter where I tried to set up all I ran into was hunter orange. These guys were not there to hunt deer; they were here to kill deer. Walking the roads, walking the woods, you name it they were doing it. I saw three hunters sitting in lawn chairs drinking soda and waiting for a deer to step out into a baseball field.

The one incident that really got to me was while driving down a paved park road, a hunter's gun went off on my left very close. I hit my brakes in time to see a wounded fawn, no bigger than my husky mix dog, cross right in front of my truck; when she got to the other side.boom.another hunter shot her five feet off the road. Not much gun safety going on there!

Now in all fairness, I do not want to point a broad brush and say that all of the hunters who participated in this event were acting foolish. Nor do I want to blame the state park people. After all, they set a quota of animals to be harvested so as to minimize damage being done by deer eating up the park. They also set up this lottery system to allow hunting opportunities for the public. Unfortunately, what they could not do in this age of political correctness is give an I.Q. test to the 100 hunters who were drawn.

I was sitting in the duck blind telling my story to a friend and he said something that really got me thinking. He said, "Kenny, they were probably never taught how to deer hunt and don't know any better." Wow! I think he nailed it right on the head. I started thinking about deer hunters that I have spoken with over the years. I started remembering that whenever I speak to successful deer hunters, the conversations are about scouting, stand placement, sighting in guns, etc. On the other end of the spectrum however, when I speak to unsuccessful deer hunters, the conversations are about drinking beer, doing deer drives, walking through the woods to kick one up, shooting at running deer, etc.

So it seems to me that the answer is simple. I think it is incumbent upon all hunters who do it right to teach the guys who do it wrong. Now obviously you can't, nor should you, force another human being to do something, but you can share your stories of success and hope that it rubs off on a few people.

As a side note, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate my nephew, Josh Burns. I am very proud of him. The past few years he has spent time learning about deer sign and behavior. He has helped place stands and learned why a certain spot would be a good place to hunt. Last year, he sat in a ground blind with his father to see how deer approach an area and how they act. This year, he got to hunt in a ladder stand all by himself.

With his 20 gauge that has open sights, all of his learning and shooting practice paid off. On this, his very first deer hunt, he took a nice doe. The lessons of his grandfather, Bob Burns, his father, James Burns, and in some small way me, his Uncle Kenny have started him off on what I think will be a very successful and safe journey. You see my friends, I can say with complete confidence that Josh has been taught to deer hunt the right way.

I'm Kenny, and I hope I have all of you in my corner.

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