Backwoods Bound Bullet

ARTICLE: NWTF TAKES PART IN HISTORIC TURKEY RELEASE

  ARIZONA - The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the USDA Forest Service and the Coronado National Forest recently made history by transferring 69 Gould's wild turkeys, the largest number of Gould's wild turkeys ever transferred within the state, to southeastern Arizona's Pinaleo Mountains and Galiuro Wilderness Area.

  Forty-nine of the turkeys were released into the Galiuro Wilderness Area and 20 were trapped in the Chiricahua Mountains and released in the Pinaleo Mountains.

  "The dedication and hard work of the Arizona Game and Fish Department and partnerships with USDA Forest Service, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Coronado National Forest have made this release and the comeback of the Gould's wild turkey in Arizona possible," said James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., the NWTF's chief conservation officer. "The NWTF's dedicated volunteers and staff are proud to work with these great agencies to help restore wild turkey populations, improve habitat and preserve our hunting traditions."

  The Gould's is the least known and least populated of the wild turkey sub-species in the United States and is found in the mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico. It is more common in northwestern portions of Mexico. Efforts to restore the Gould's wild turkey population in Arizona have been ongoing for 25 years, and this project carried on those efforts.

  "The interagency cooperation shown in our project to restore Gould's wild turkeys in Arizona should serve as a model of how agencies and sportsmen can work together to improve habitat and ensure the future for all wildlife," said Jim Heffelfinger, regional game specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, who oversaw the Gould's release.

  Scott P. Lerich, NWTF regional biologist for Arizona, said earlier attempts to establish a Gould's wild turkey population in the Galiuro Wilderness Area ultimately failed because the birds were released near an access road and had difficulty finding their way to prime turkey habitat on top of the mountain. The wilderness area presented a challenge because there were no roads near the best wild turkey habitat. This first ever use of a helicopter to move wild turkeys helped the project partners place the birds directly into the correct habitat.

  "The transplant within the Galiuro Wilderness Area was a technically complex operation that required special authorizations, hard work and cooperation," said Jeanine Derby, forest supervisor for the Coronado National Forest. "However, the outcome was well worth the extra effort. Besides restoring ecological diversity within these mountain islands, the successful transplant of these birds will complement the future wilderness experience for visitors."

  A national nonprofit conservation organization that was founded in 1973, the NWTF has worked with wildlife agencies to restore wild turkey populations from 1.3 million wild turkeys in 1973 to nearly 7 million today. Now, NWTF volunteers raise funds and work daily to improve critical wildlife habitat, increase access to public hunting land and introduce new people to the outdoors and hunting. To date, the NWTF and its partners have spent more than $286 million upholding hunting traditions and conserving nearly 14 million acres of wildlife habitat.

  Since the 1950s, state and provincial wildlife agencies have moved more than 195,000 wild turkeys to suitable habitat across North America. The NWTF, its volunteers and partners joined the fight to help restore turkey populations in North America in the late 1980s, which greatly accelerated these efforts.

  When the NWTF was founded in 1973, there were only an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys in the country. Thanks to the work of many, there are now more than 7 million wild turkeys and nearly 3 million turkey hunters.

  Visit the National Wild Turkey Federation's web site at www.nwtf.org.

- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARTICLE: MEMORIES TO REMEMBER by Ron Pacurar

  I only have two memories of fishing as a young child. The first memory, I must have been about seven or eight years old and I had gone fishing with my cousin Babe in Meander Creek, before it flows into Meander Reservoir. He was seven years older than me and living right next door to me more like a brother than a cousin. I still enjoy fishing with Babe to this day in spite of the events of that morning. I don't remember actually fishing that day or even wanting to for that matter. But I do remember walking along the narrow path that ran along the creek, examining everything that looked interesting, which was pretty much everything. I was 'exploring'. I did that often as a child.

  I came across this 'rope' that ran from under a small bush, across the path and disappeared into the water. I was sure that there just had to be something valuable tied to the end of that rope. So, I reached down and grabbed it to pull it in and claim my treasure. The rope slithered thru my hands. It was a water snake. "AAWWWWWKKKKK!"

  It was my first encounter with a snake of any kind, and it was huge. It was the largest snake I have ever seen even to this day. Heck, as I recall, it had to be forty or fifty feet long and I think it had horns. I'm pretty sure it had flames coming from its nostrils too. It could have easily swallowed a cow whole much less a small child like me. I ran screaming, terrified back to where Babe was fishing. I don't know if I told him what had happened. I don't know if he even asked. To say I was traumatized would be an understatement. I can't stand snakes to this day. I avoid them like the plague. I won't even own a 'plumbers snake' because of that incident.

  The second memory I have was pretty memorable, too. I had to be about nine or ten years old. My Uncle Gus took me fishing at McKelvey Lake in Youngstown, Ohio. McKelvey Lake is in the McGuffey and Jacobs Road area of Youngstown. Back then, it was a pretty nice little lake and a nice area to live. These days when you occasionally see an article in the Youngstown Vindicator mentioning McKelvey Lake, it most likely won't be a fishing article. Odds are it will be about pulling a body or a stolen car or a stolen car containing a body from the water. Times have changed.

  Anyway, my Uncle Gus was quite the fisherman. He would rather be fishing than just about anything else in life. I don't know if you could say he taught me how to fish but I'm sure he taught me something that day. He even had his own personal worm pit in his backyard. I remember the evening before we went fishing we filled a coffee can with the biggest, fattest, juiciest nightcrawlers you'd ever seen in your life. I helped dig them with an old rusty pitch fork that stayed in the worm pit for that purpose.

  I can remember many summer nights walking the lawn in the dark with my Aunt Olga after a good rain, flashlight in hand picking nightcrawlers to put in that worm pit.

  She had a secret recipe for getting those worms, too. This wasn't her first rodeo. She mix dry mustard powder with warm water and applied it to the wet ground with an old sprinkling can, sometimes pouring it directly into the worm holes to get the ones that escaped her grasp and slipped into the safety of their underground bunkers. It wouldn't take more than a minute before that old worm would be squiggling and wiggling up out of that hole. I'm sure his skin was on fire. Man that was big fun! I loved being on their 'farm'.

  You see, I got to spend four or five weeks at their 'farm' every summer. My grandparents, who were raising me, called it my 'summer vacation'. In hindsight, I suspect it was more of a vacation for them than for me. But I loved it and I looked forward to it every summer. I remember once telling the father of one of my friends about my upcoming 'vacation' on the farm. He asked how big the farm was and I told him I wasn't exactly sure but I described it as being hundreds of acres. Well looking back now, I realize it was probably all of 3/4 of an acre or less. But heck, it had a garden that was bigger than the city lot I grew up on. It seemed enormous to me! And, they had peach trees, plum trees, cherry trees, a pear tree, raspberry bushes and grape arbors. In their garden they grew everything imaginable. They canned everything for winter use. In the evenings my Uncle Gus would take me for long walks in some nearby woods and we'd pick apples and blackberries. The next day my Aunt Olga would bake pies and serve it up with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream that evening as we watched TV. It was great. I loved going there. I always thought they were farmers.

  I found out years later that they weren't farmers they were just poor. Once a month they got something from the Government they called monkey meat. It resembled Spam and came in a five pound loaf. They got the 'Government cheese', too. My grandparents had that same cheese but they bought theirs at the store and it was called Velveeta. We ate plenty of Government cheese and fried monkey meat sandwiches at the farm.

  We ate lots of other good stuff, too. We ate my Aunt Olga's canned peaches, pears, cherries, rhubarb, apples and she baked pies of all kinds. I had raspberries in real cream for breakfast in the morning and fresh picked cherries and ice cream at night. I don't ever remember being hungry and I was never ready to go home when my vacation was over. I never knew they were poor. Truthfully, I don't think they knew they were poor, either. Looking back, they may have been the richest people I have ever known.

  Anyway, the next day we go fishing at Liberty Lake. Now, I don't know if I received any lessons on putting worms on the hook that day or on casting that worm, hook, and softball size bobber into the water. I certainly don't remember any. I don't remember catching any fish, either. What I do remember however, is my Uncle Gus staring down in utter disbelief several times at my tiny little hands wrapped around that cork handled rod and muttering angrily under his breath about a $#@#^@!& birds nest! And there was that black fishing line that resembled sewing thread and it was everywhere. I remember looking around for that birds nest that he was obviously really mad about, but I didn't see one.

  I guess a baitcasting reel is not a good starter kit for a ten year old trying to learn how to cast. I don't remember my Uncle Gus ever taking me fishing again after that day. In fact, I don't recall ever going fishing again until well after returning from Viet Nam as a young man. Like I said earlier, I don't know if you could say he taught me how to fish but I'm sure he taught me something that day. I won't own a baitcasting reel to this day!

  Somewhere on my journey to being the hap hazard fisherman I am today I acquired most of the knowledge that I am more than happy to share with others. The rest I looked up or made up as I went along! Most of this information is timeless. That means that there will probably never be a time when you find it useful, but, for what it's worth, there it is.

  So that's some of my memories from my childhood. I pretty much learned to fish the same way I learned to hunt, which explains a lot if you've ever heard any of my hunting stories. You might want to check out "My 2005 Spring Turkey Hunt" in that regard. Check it out in the Backwoods Bound Bullet Archives, Volume 7 - Issue 4, April 2006.

- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ARTICLE: ITS LIGHTS OUT FOR SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON

  Sea turtle nesting season has begun on Florida's beaches, which means beach residents and visitors need to follow a few precautions to ensure a successful season.

  Lights along the beach should be managed to prevent disorienting a female that comes ashore at night, according to biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). To do this, lights that are needed for human safety should be shielded so they are not visible from the beach or turned off when not needed. The instincts of the ancient sea creature tell her to proceed toward the brighter horizon over the ocean. Bright lights on the landward side of the beach can confuse the nesting sea turtle and the hatchlings that emerge from the nest. Lights on the beach can lead them away from the ocean.

  "Just one light can kill thousands of turtles over several years," said Dr. Robbin Trindell, a biologist with the FWC. "Many lights burn all night without contributing to human safety."

  Five species of sea turtles nest on Florida beaches, with the loggerhead showing up in the largest numbers. Green and leatherback sea turtles also nest in the Sunshine State. Two other species, Kemp's Ridley and hawksbill sea turtles, nest infrequently in Florida but inhabit Florida waters. The FWC lists the loggerhead as a threatened species; the other four are listed as endangered.

  Nearly 90 percent of the loggerhead population that nests in the southeastern United States does so on Florida's beaches. This population is one of only two large loggerhead nesting populations worldwide. Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles well-suited for sea life with a hydrodynamic-shaped shell and large, powerful front flippers. These physical characteristics enable them to dive deep into the ocean and to swim long distances.

  Female loggerhead turtles begin coming ashore in the spring, with peak months for laying eggs in June and July. The nesting female digs a hole with her hind flippers and then lays approximately 115 eggs. After covering the nest with sand, the massive creature, weighing from 150 to 300 pounds, makes her way back to the ocean. A female might come ashore two to five times during the nesting season. Amazingly, females come back to the same beach where they hatched decades earlier. The males, once they make the long crawl after hatching out of the egg, never return to land.

  Late in the summer, after an incubation of 55 to 70 days, the hatchlings begin breaking out of their shells. Up to 100 hatchlings wait below the sand surface until darkness, when they emerge together and crawl out of the nest. Instinct tells the 1- to 2-inch hatchling to head toward the brightest horizon and away from dark silhouettes. In days long gone in Florida, the brightest horizon shone over the ocean, and the hatchlings would move away from the shadows on the dunes and begin the crawl to the sea.

  In modern-day Florida, hatchlings must crawl through a battlefield of debris left by humans. Furniture discarded by lazy beachgoers can obstruct a nesting female turtle or become a trap for the hatchlings. Avoiding firework leftovers strewn along the hatchling's path can cause exhaustion and delay in getting to the water. If a hatchling is stranded on the beach when the sun rises, its chance for survival diminishes, and dehydration and sun exposure become hazards.

  "We can all help sea turtles survive," Trindell said. "If we just take personal responsibility, we can go a long way to ensure the sea turtle co-exists with us for many more years to come."

  For wildlife-friendly lighting options, go to www.MyFWC.com/Conservation, and click on "Conservation & You."

  For more information about this article contact Patricia Behnke at 850-251-2130. Visit www.myfwc.com for all the info on the great fishing and hunting opportunities in Florida.

- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this issue:

BACKWOODS TRIVIA: - This month's question comes from Kimberly Stevens. See if you know it.

"There were three major soft drinks/sodas invented in 1886 that are still around today. Which ones are they?"

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter. Send your trivia questions to [email protected].

RECIPE: CAJUN FRIED CATFISH

* In a shallow dish, place the catfish. Pour 1/2 cup milk over the fillets and set for at least 15 minutes.

* In a bowl, beat the egg until smooth. Add the beer, mustard, 1/2 cup of milk and Tabasco sauce to taste. Set aside.

* In another bowl, mix the corn meal, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to your taste (remember, the hotter the better).

* Remove the fillets from the milk and dip in the egg/beer mixture. Immediately toss with the dry mix and fry in hot grease until golden brown.

* Drain on paper towels.

* Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Our thanks to April Barkulis for sharing this recipe with us. For more great tasting fish recipes to try this spring, go to www.backwoodsbound.com/zfish.html.

Send your favorite recipe to [email protected] and we'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

** KANSAS RACKS & QUACKS **

Your chance to shoot a Trophy Kansas Whitetail Buck is just one hunting excursion away! Kansas Racks & Quacks LLC has over 6000 coveted acres in South Central Kansas for some of the best deer, turkey, waterfowl, pheasant, and quail hunting. Our 5 day deer hunts and 3 day turkey hunts are limited to four hunters per session. With experienced and knowledgeable guides you can expect an action packed and enjoyable hunting trip in Kansas.

Check us out on the Outdoor Channel June 3, 2009 at 7:00pm central with the guys from Inside Outdoors TV as they harvest a mature Kansas buck with Kansas Racks & Quacks.

Deadline for Kansas Deer tags is June 1, 2009 so apply now! Last year those who applied for our unit, # 13, were 100% successful on the draw.

Visit Kansas Racks & Quacks at www.huntingks.com for more information.

FUN FACT: "Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue." - Anjana

"Georgia is the only state that begins with a G." - Tiffanni Renea Levine

"Armadillos spend 80 percent of their life sleeping." - Garrett

Send your Fun Facts to [email protected]. For more Fun Facts visit www.backwoodsbound.com/funfacts.html.

RECOMMEND AND VOTE FOR THE BULLET

Tell a friend about The Bullet. Just go to: www.ezinefinder.com/rec.html?ez=backwo and follow the instructions. It's free and easy!

To vote for The Bullet follow this link: www.ezinefinder.com/backwo-vote.html.html.

Thanks for your help.

** KAREN'S KREATIONS **

Save 20-25% on your order this month! Graduation and career theme charms - regular priced at $2.99 each - now $2.24 each! That's 25% off! Save 20% on all other theme charms including water bottle charms and earrings!

We do special charms for weddings and graduations and any occasion you can come up with- give us a call for more information! From pets to lawyers, grilling fun to tennis we can do any theme you can imagine!

Our products are all handmade from polystyrene plastic to your specifications- so any theme or mix of themes is a possibility!

Visit our web site for ideas as to how creative we can be! www.karensglabels.com or e-mail us at [email protected]. Sale ends May 31, 2009!

"If you can think it, we can shrink it!"

FISHIN' TIP: - A few tips from Henry Gregory about line care. Check your line frequently while fishing for nicks and rough spots. Clip it off and retie your lure or hook if you find any bad spots. Your knot can get week so retie your lure or hook frequently especially when fishing in heavy cover. And lastly, store your line in a dark place and don't expose it to harsh chemicals.

Send your tips to: [email protected] and we'lll post them on the site or use them in a future issue of The Bullet

INTERESTING QUOTE: "My wife ran off with my best friend. Now I don't have a dog anymore." to Rodney Dangerfield, comedian.

If you'vee seen or heard an interesting or humorous quote send it in and we'll post it next month. Send them to: [email protected].

RECIPE: ROMANS DELICIOUS PHEASANT

* In a large pot, boil the breasts until tender and they fall off the bone. Remove and cool.

* When meat has cooled, remove meat from the bones and cut into 1" cubes.

* In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and lightly saut.

* Add the pheasant and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Cajun seasoning.

* Cook until the meat is lightly browned.

* Pour the meat mixture into a baking dish.

* Mix the soup, wine, broth and mushrooms together in a bowl. Pour over the meat.

* Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

* Serve with mashed potatoes and enjoy.

Thanks to Pat Roman for sending in this recipe. For more pheasant recipes visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zpheas.html.

HUNTIN' TIP: - "Want a good bait for black bears? Use beef fattener! A large bag of beef fattener will cost around $13.00 and has a wide variety of grains and oats mixed with molasses. I take a shopping bag of this to my bait site twice a week. They will take the beef fattener over anything else I put out. By only putting out small amounts on specific days you almost train them to be there on the days you want them there. It has successfully worked for me the last 2 years." - Frank Marks

Send your tips to: [email protected] and we'lll post them on the site or use them in a future issue of The Bullet.

WHAT'S NEW

• Not much news to report this month. We continue to receive new recipes and we continue to lag behind in posting them on the site. We would like recipes for elk and buffalo so we can create new sections for them. If you or anyone you know have any, send them in to us. As for now you can find our Recipe Home Page at: www.backwoodsbound.com/recipe.html .

Our plaque sales have slowed down as is normal this time of year but we continue to keep the saw hot and the blade worn in the shop. For details on our complete line of State Shaped Trophy Plaques visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/antlrplaq01.html

And lastly we keep adding new businesses to our Fishin' Guides and Charter Services page and you guys keep putting on the hits. Check the page every couple of weeks or so for new ideas for your spring and summer fishing adventures. Find the page at: www.backwoodsbound.com/guidesfish.html.

• ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** ART OF NATURE COLLECTIBLES **

Art of Nature Collectibles by Rustic Originals has fast become the source for custom rustic picture frames. Browse through our Spirit Series, One-of-a-Kind, Rustic Collection and Special Edition Collections of unique, hand-crafted, real wood rustic frames. Each one is a collectible!

Each frame comes complete with glass, hanging hardware and a Rustic Originals Wildlife photo for your enjoyment or add your own special photo to the frame for years of admiration. We have frames to fit most sizes of photos.

Hurry to our site at www.rustic-nature.com or www.rusticoriginals.net for the best selection!

RECIPE: WOODY'S SMELL UP THE PLACE DEER & ONIONS

* Slice the meat as thin as you can get it. Best done while still partially frozen.

* Slice the onions into thin slices and then in half.

* Melt the butter in an iron skillet. Turn on the exhaust fan!

* Place 1 - 2 inches of onions in the hot butter. Place the meat on top of the onions. Do not mix together.

* Season to taste with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.

* Cook over medium to medium-low heat until the meat starts to change color.

* Flip the meat only and season again with the seasonings.

* Cook until the meat changes colors again and then mix the meat and onions together.

* Serve with hunks of bread and your favorite sides.

Our many thanks go to Steve 'Woody' Woodward for sending this recipe to us. Visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zdeer.html for more tasty deer recipes.

Send your favorite recipe to [email protected] and we'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

LAST MINUTE STUFF: - DANDELION WINE

Ever wonder what to do with all of those dandelion flowers in your yard? Here's a good way to make use of them thanks to Gary Fitzgerald who got this from a buddy of his. We haven't made any of this yet so we have no idea how it will taste. In other words, good luck.

* In a large pot, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat and boil for 30 minutes.

* Carefully remove any scum.

* Add the rinds and juices. Stir together.

* Allow to cool to lukewarm.

* Mix the yeast with the warm water in a cup or bowl.

* Add the yeast mixture and dandelion blossoms to the pot. Stir together.

* Let ferment for 12 hours.

* After 12 hours strain into a keg/jug.

* Let stand 4 weeks then bottle for use.

** BACKWOODS BOUND SHOULDER TROPHY PLAQUES **

We have a complete line of State Shaped Trophy Plaques for all of your trophies! We offer sizes for mounting your antlers, trophy fish, full shoulder mounts, plaques for your memorable photos and New sizes for European Skull Mounts!

All of our plaques are handcrafted from solid oak not plywood or particle board. They all come with hangers installed and the Picture Plaques come with glass and picture backing for your 4" x 6" photo.

Don't settle for an ordinary looking plaque hanging on your wall! Go one better and order your Backwoods Bound State Shaped Trophy Plaque today. Prices start at $24.95. Don't wait, order today!

Visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/antlrplaq01.html for photos and information on how to order your plaque.

And remember, "It only takes a little more to go first class."