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Backwoods Bound Bullet Volume 13 - Issue 3

  Welcome to the March 2012 issue of The Bullet. I won’t bore you this month with some knee-jerk editorial (are those cheers I hear?) instead I’ll just leave you with this little ditty. Where ever you go, there you are. In other words, enjoy the moment with whoever you’re with or where ever you are. Life is great so live it to the fullest.

We’ve got another jammed packed issue this month so let’s get to it. Enjoy issue one hundred and thirty eight of The Backwoods Bound Bullet. Until next month, J. E. Burns, Editor-in-chief.

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In this issue:

~ Backwoods Trivia
~ Recipe: Baked Lemon Drum
~ Article: Harvest Numbers Mixed Around The Midwest
~ Recipe: Cathy's Grilled Pheasant
~ Article: My Series Of Unfortunate Hunts: The 2011 Season Rolls On
~ What's New
~ Recipe: Roast Beast
~ Last Minute Stuff

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BACKWOODS TRIVIA:   See if you know this one sent in by Tracy Achmidt

"The month of March is named for whom?"

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter. Send your trivia questions to mail@backwoodsbound.com.

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RECIPE: BAKED LEMON DRUM

~ 6 white drum fillets
~ 6 tbsp butter
~ 3 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning
~ salt and pepper
~ 1/2 cup lemon juice
~ 1 lemon, cut into thin slices

* Grease a baking dish with butter then add the fillets.

* Spread 1 tbsp butter over each fillet.

* Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp. lemon pepper seasoning on each fillet. Then salt and pepper each to taste.

* Drizzle the lemon juice over the fillets. Place lemon slices on top.

* Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

* Serve with steamed veggies and rice.

* Enjoy.

Thanks to Nick Eads for sending in this recipe. To see more fish recipes visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zfish.html.

Send in your favorite recipe to mail@backwoodsbound.com and we'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

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** KAREN'S KREATIONS **

Save 20% off ANY Order thru March 31 and be registered to win a set of 4 wine or water bottle charms in any design you choose!!!!

Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings or "just because"! Any theme you can think of we can "kreate" as a wine charm, water bottle charm, earrings, bookmarks, zipper pulls or pins! All for 20% off thru March 31, 2012.

As an added bonus this month, Save 30% on Leprechaun Earrings! Order by March 10th for St. Patrick’s Day delivery! Regularly priced at $5.98, Now just $4.19 pair!

Sale prices end March 31, 2012 so place your order now! Visit our site at: www.karensglabels.com or e-mail us at Karen@karensglabels.com with your questions or comments.

"Because no wine glass should ever be naked!"

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ARTICLE:   HARVEST NUMBERS MIXED AROUND THE MIDWEST

  Iowa Deer Numbers Down For 6th Straight Year

  Iowa deer hunters reported 121,407 deer harvested during their 2011-12 season down from 127,094 deer in the 2010-11 season. That relates to a 4.5 percent drop in harvest. For the seventh straight year, does made up the majority of the harvest with 52 percent of the deer taken. The amount of deer licenses issued were also down from 394,298 for the 2010-11 season to 392,930 this season.

  Iowa’s deer population is down from its peak in 2006 by roughly 30 percent and it is still declining.

  “Deer numbers in many areas are near or below the department’s objective,” said Dale Garner, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Bureau. “We are hearing complaints from hunters that they are not seeing the number of deer that they had in the past and some are voicing their concerns that the herd reduction may have gone too far.”

  This spring the DNR will review the harvest data and population surveys and then make proposals to stabilize deer numbers by reducing the harvest where necessary and increasing it in other areas. Current data indicates that it will be necessary to adjust the antlerless quota and season structure to stabilize declining deer numbers.

  Source: Iowa Department of Natural Resources – http://www.iowadnr.gov/

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  Missouri Harvest Is Mixed

  Missouri hunters reported a total of 291,592 deer taken during the 2011-12 archery and firearm seasons. That is a 6 percent increase over the previous season. Firearm and archery turkey hunters saw a 3.8 percent decrease in the 2011-12 harvest with 52,226 birds reported taken.

  All of the top counties for archery deer and turkey harvest were in or near metropolitan areas.

  The top counties for archery deer hunters were Jefferson with 1,092, Franklin with 1,088 and Jackson with 1,040. The top counties for archery turkey hunters were Callaway with 76, Franklin with 67 and Jefferson with 58.

  The Missouri Department of Conservation recorded eight firearms-related deer hunting accidents during the 2011-12 hunting season. Only one was fatal.

  Source: Missouri Department of Conservation - http://mdc.mo.gov/

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  2011 Tennessee Black Bear Harvest Establishes Record

  NASHVILLE --- A record black bear harvest was established in the 2011 hunting seasons, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency reports. The new mark surpasses the previous mark of 573 that was set in 2009.

  Hunters harvested a total of 581 bears. The third all-time high for a year was 446 in 2008.

  This year’s record harvest is up from the 301 bears harvested in 2010. Hunters have harvested at least 300 bears in the state for the past seven years.

  Black bears were harvested in 12 East Tennessee counties in 2011. Sevier County was again the top county for harvest with 126, after having 41 harvested in 2010. Monroe County was second with 90, followed by Cocke 87, Polk 58, Carter 49, Sullivan 26, Johnson 24, Greene 21, Unicoi 20, Washington 16, and Jefferson 1.

  Tennessee black bear harvest reports started in 1951. That year, there were a total of 29 bears harvested.

  Tennessee’s black bear population has been steadily increasing over the past 40 years due to several management practices put in place by TWRA. These practices include establishment of a series of bear reserves throughout the bear habitat, protection of females and cubs, and setting the majority of the bear hunting season later in the year when most females have gone to the den.

  Source: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - http://www.state.tn.us/twra/

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  Minnesota Deer Harvest Declines 7 Percent In 2011

  Lower deer populations and a windy first weekend of the firearms season resulted in Minnesota’s deer harvest dropping 7 percent in 2011, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

  Minnesota hunters harvested 192,300 deer during the 2011 season, a drop of 15,000 from the 207,000 deer harvested in 2010.

  In 2011, firearms hunters harvested 164,800 deer, while archery and muzzleloader hunters harvested 20,200 and 7,300 deer, respectively. Overall, the statewide archery and firearm harvest was down 6 percent for both seasons and the muzzleloader harvest declined 19 percent from last year.

  “Upwards of 50 percent of the annual deer harvest occurs during opening weekend,” said Lou Cornicelli, DNR wildlife research manager. “The high winds hunters experienced opening weekend hindered deer activity and the associated harvest.”

  Deer densities were lower in many areas because of hunting regulations designed to bring populations to goal levels, and because of a harsh winter in 2010.

  Now that many areas are at the established goal levels, there is a general dissatisfaction among hunters with the current deer population. As a result, the DNR will develop a process in the near future to reassess deer population goals. Although that process may not be complete for several months, DNR staff will examine population densities and trends in all permit areas and begin making adjustments in time for the 2012 season.

  Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/index.html

 

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FUN FACTS:   The planet Mars is about half the diameter of the Earth. Its average temperature is minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit (-63 C). A Martian year is equal to 686.98 earth days.

 Correction: In last month’s Fun Fact we stated that the Grand Canyon is 20 feet wide at its narrowest. It is 520 feet at its narrowest. Sorry for the confusion.

Send your Fun Facts to mail@backwoodsbound.com. For more Fun Facts visit www.backwoodsbound.com/funfacts.html.

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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.
 
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FISHIN' TIP:   "Raw chicken quarters or halves with the skin and feathers left intact is a highly effective and proven bait for catching gators." – Bill Haywood

Send your tips to: mail@backwoodsbound.com and we’ll post them on the site or use them in a future issue of The Bullet.

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INTERESTING QUOTE: "I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." – Former Vice President Dan Quayle

If you’ve seen or heard an interesting or humorous quote send it in and we'll post it next month. Send them to: mail@backwoodsbound.com.

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** AFTER THE SHOT TROPHY PLAQUES **

Our handcrafted plaques are made from solid oak not plywood or particle board giving your trophy a solid base to anchor to. Each plaque comes with a wall hanger(s) installed and the Picture Plaques come with glass and picture backing for your 4" x 6" photo.

No matter what type of trophy you want to display, Backwoods Bound has a plaque to fill your need. We can design and make special shapes to fill your trophy needs. Just contact us with your ideas.

Don’t settle for an ordinary looking plaque! Go one better and order your AFTER THE SHOT Trophy Plaque today. Prices start at $26.95. Don’t wait, order today!

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

Visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/ats.html for photos and information on how to order your plaque. Order with our secure on-line ordering system and pay with confidence using Paypal.

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RECIPE: CATHY’S GRILLED PHEASANT

~ 2 pheasants, split lengthwise and washed thoroughly
~ 2 packages Wishbone dry Italian dressing mix
~ 1 package onion soup mix
~ gallon size zip lock bags

* Mix the dressing mix and soup mix together.

* Wash the birds and pat dry with paper towels.

* Place each half a bird in a gallon size zip lock bag.

* Add equal amounts of the dry ingredients to each bag.

* Shake and turn to coat evenly.

* Place in refrigerator overnight. Turn occasionally.

* Heat your grill to medium hot using gas or charcoal.

* While the fire is getting ready, remove the birds from their bags and place on a cookie sheet in refrigerator until a slight glaze appears.

* Place the birds on the prepared grill cavity side down.

* Cook about 20 minutes or until lightly charbroiled. Flip and cook until browned to your preference turning at least twice in 40 to 45 minutes.

* Serve with long grain and wild rice pilaf with mushrooms.

* Enjoy with a glass or two of wine.

Thanks to Craig Bentley for sharing this recipe. For more delicious pheasant recipes to try visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zpheas.html.

Remember to send your favorite recipe to mail@backwoodsbound.com. We'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

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PROFILING THE STATES

      This month is our third installment of our new feature, Profiling the States. This month we go to…..

  NEW MEXICO

  Nickname: Land Of Enchantment
  Size: 121,364 square miles, ranked 5th in size.
  Admitted to the Union: 1912, 47th state.

  State Fishing Records;
  Bluegill: 3 lb. - 1.5 oz.
  Crappie: 4 lb. – 9 oz.
  Largemouth Bass: 15 lb. - 13 oz.
  Smallmouth Bass: 6 lb. - 14.4 oz.
  Striped Bass: 54 lb. - 8 oz.
  Brook Trout: 5 lb. - 0 oz.
  Rainbow Trout: 31 lb. - 12.5 oz.
  Brown Trout: 20 lb. – 4 oz.
  Cutthroat Trout: 10 lb. - 2 oz.
  Longnose Gar: 12 lb. - 8 oz.
  Blue Catfish: 52 lb. – 1/4 oz.
  Flathead Catfish: 78 lb. - 0 oz.
  Channel Catfish: 36 lb. – 8 oz.
  Walleye: 16 lb. – 9 oz.
  Northern Pike: 36 lb. – 0 oz.

  State Game Records – According to Boone & Crockett Club, (www.booneandcrockettclub.com);
  Desert Bighorn Sheep: 188 4/8 inches. Taken in 1992 & 2000.
  Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep: 198 4/8 inches. Taken in 2005.
  American Elk – Typical: 402 2/8 inches. Taken in 1997.
  American Elk – Non-typical: 434 3/8 inches. Taken in 1962.
  Mule Deer – Typical: 213 4/8 inches. Taken in 2004.
  Mule Deer – Non-typical: 306 2/8 inches. Taken in 1963.
  Coues Deer – Typical: 134 4/8 inches. Taken in 1981.
  Coues Deer – Non-typical: 186 1/8 inches. Taken in 1941.
  Pronghorn Antelope: 92 6/8 inches. Taken in 1999.
  Whitetail Deer – Typical: 167 3/8 inches. Taken in 2004.
  Black Bear: 21 15/16 inches. Taken in 2007.
  Cougar: 15 9/16 inches. Taken in 1995.

  Quick Facts:
  1540-42 – Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado explores area from Gulf of California to present day Kansas. Along the way he discovers the Grand Canyon.
  1626 – Spanish Inquisition established in New Mexico.
  1821 – Santa Fe Trail established.
  1848 – The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American war, cedes the American Southwest and California to the United States.
  1863 – The New Mexico territory is cut in half creating the Territory of Arizona.
  1881 – Billy the Kid shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett at Old Fort Sumner.
  1886 – Geronimo surrenders; Indian hostilities cease in the Southwest.
  1916 – Pancho Villa raids Columbus, New Mexico.
  1943 – The U. S. government builds the Los Alamos Research Center to develop atomic bomb.
  1945 – First atomic bomb detonated at Trinity site at White Sands Proving Grounds.
  1948 – Native Americans win the right to vote in state elections.

 

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HUNTIN' TIP:   "Applying a thin coat of Vaseline to your broadheads and field points during storage will keep them from rusting. Exercise caution while applying!" – George Ross

Send your tips to: mail@backwoodsbound.com and we’ll post them on the site or use them in a future issue of The Bullet.

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** CHILI TIME IS NOW **

The cold months of winter are here and that means it’s chili time! With its unique blend of herbs and spices, Backwoods Bound Chili Seasoning Mix makes a great tasting pot of chili the whole family will love without any fillers or MSG!

Backwoods Bound Chili Seasoning Mix also makes great dishes like tostadas, enchiladas, stuffed peppers, manicotti, Mexican lasagna and a killer jambalaya. All of which will surely impress your family and friends! To see our complete collection of great recipes go to: www.backwoodsbound.com/zchili.html.

To order your supply, go to: www.backwoodsbound.com/chili.html.

And remember our slogan,

"Not to mild.... Not to hot.... Treat yourself and make a pot!"

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ARTICLE:   MY SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE HUNTS: THE 2011 SEASON ROLLS ON

  In case you missed the last chapter of my ongoing saga, here’s a summary of how my 2011 deer hunting season had went so far.

  During my annual deer hunting to Oklahoma in October I took three deer during that trip, two does, 98 pounds and 84 pounds respectively and a six point buck that weighed 142 pounds. It had been a couple of years since I had scored down there and I came back with a vengeance that trip.

  How could I possibly top that? I wasn’t sure but I was determined to do my best to take a deer during the Illinois gun season or at least get a good story of grief and woe out of it.

  Preparations for the upcoming gun season were looking good until we made our usual trip two weeks before the season opener to check our stands and blinds, and to check our shotguns and scopes.

  The stands all checked out but my weapon didn’t it. The scope wouldn’t hold zero for nothing. It surprised me that it was off to begin with but that is why you should always check your equipment. Every time I thought I had a good group to work with the next shot was four or five inches the other direction. I came to the conclusion the scope had crapped out and I needed to buy a new one.

  I liked the scope I had mounted on my new CVA Accura V-2 muzzleloader I purchased last summer, a Nikon Omega 3x9-40, that I bought basically the same scope a Nikon Slughunter 3x9-40, for my Remington 12 gauge slug gun. They are great scopes and I recommend them highly. It took me less than ten shots of Remington Copper Solid slugs to get it hitting bulls-eyes at fifty yards. Thank goodness too. At $16.00 a box I had wasted a lot of shots trying to get the old scope reset. I didn’t want to waste any more than necessary shooting at paper. I wanted to use them shooting at something big, brown and fuzzy with stuff sticking out of its head.

  I was ready to go!

  For one reason or another we’re always running late on opening morning but this time everyone was up and ready to go on time so I made it to my stand on time.

  The sky was just starting to turn light and it took some focus to watch a three point buck walk by my stand to my right and on across the field. That was a good sign.

  The morning went on as I listened to shots being fired near and far. More far than near. Then around 8:40 I heard my son Josh shoot. His stand is several hundred yards away from mine up on a ridge. The battery on my radio was dead even though I had just taken it off the charger on my way out the door earlier so I grabbed my phone and texted him for details.

  He answered back that it was a big buck and that he had dropped him. He had dropped him but not killed him as I found out ten to fifteen minutes later as I heard him shoot again. And then again a little while after that. He was worried the buck would bolt if he had gotten down out of his stand and went over to him so he kept trying to put him down from the stand.

  About ten minutes after nine while contemplating whether to go help him out or not I heard some movement across the fence and out to my left. It was some deer coming through the brush. I watched them pass through the brush and when they passed behind a big Sycamore tree on their way out into the open I dropped to my knees and took a good rest on the side of my stand.

  The first one out was a big doe. Bigger than the next two and I couldn’t tell about the fourth one. Deciding the first was the biggest of the bunch I put the scope on her and pulled the trigger.

  It’s funny how you remember so much information in a split second. The doe was standing in the field about twenty five yards away and I remember in that split second of pulling the trigger she started to take a step forward and the slug hit her too far back.

  She bucked and went down then immediately got up and took off the way she had been heading up a hill where she turned to the right, jumped the fence and stopped straight out from me about fifty yards away in a finger of trees bordering a field.

  She stood there for a moment then fell down. Then immediately stood back up. I knew from that reaction and the way she had reacted to my shot that I had hit her too far back and looking through my scope at her my suspicions were confirmed.

  As I was watching her run up the hill and jump the fence I glanced back to see what the others were doing. They stood there watching her. She must have been the leader because once she stopped they started off toward her following the exact same trek. Two of them even jumped the fence and went over by her. The fourth stood at the fence accessing the situation.

  Turning my attention back to the doe I had hit I concentrated on putting her down. She wouldn’t present me with a broadside shot preferring to face my direction. So I put the crosshairs on her neck and pulled the trigger. She went down like a sack of bricks, twitched once or twice and that was it. The other deer decided that was their cue to leave and exited stage left.

  After saying a pray of thanks I sat back to absorb the details of what had just transpired and enjoyed a quick snack. Knowing she was down I wasn’t in too much of a hurry to go to her so I grabbed my phone and texted Josh to "Scratch one slick head!".

  As I sat there thinking of the tasks ahead I saw the other does crossing through the trees and brush far out to the left and heading toward Josh’s backside. I grabbed the phone and texted him to watch his back as three does were coming up behind him. A minute or so passed and I was wondering if he had got the message when I heard him shoot.

  He confirmed that the does had come up behind him and caught him by surprise. He took a shot at the lead one but wasn’t sure if he had hit it or not. But the buck was still there!

  After field-dressing the doe I dragged her back under my stand and then texted Josh if he needed some help dressing out the buck and searching for the doe. He said to come on up so I took off on the four-wheeler in his direction.

  The buck was down so we started a search to see if he had hit one of the does. After searching for thirty minutes or so we concluded that he had missed so we turned our efforts to the buck.

  It was getting close to lunch by the time we finished so we headed down to the truck to check the score with Kenny and Timbo. Luckily I had brought my pack with my lunch in it instead of leaving it in the stand.

  Opening weekend was pretty good. Kenny had an 82 pound doe. Mine went 80 pounds and Josh’s ten point buck weighed 144 pounds. Timbo didn’t get one opening morning but took a doe that evening. She tipped the scale at 90 pounds. Tommy scored the next day. Chris would have to wait until the second weekend to score. He took a spike buck.

  Two weeks later I was back to try and fill my either-sex tag and since it was the start of muzzleloader season, my muzzleloader tag.

  I was hoping that the second season was going to be as good as the first. Thursday evening I saw a buck I had captured on my trail cam. He’s at least a six pointer but with a weird rack. His right side looks like a typical antler but on his left side there are three tall tines all coming out of the base.

  He showed up with about ten minutes of shooting time remaining across the fence and on the far side of the field to my left. In the waning light I just couldn’t get a good shot on him and didn’t want to try some stupid shot and miss. Besides it was opening day and I still had a couple more days to try and get him. He never showed himself again and I never saw another deer the whole weekend. I spent a lot of hours sitting in the stand, watching and listening.

  Kenny managed to take another doe and like I mentioned previously, Chris took a spike buck. I had one more chance to fill another tag, the next weekend, the final weekend of muzzleloader season.

  The next Friday I was back in the stand before first light hoping that something would come to the food plot and I could get a clean shot.

  Hours rolled by with no deer in sight. Just squirrels, chipmunks and lots of birds. I headed in knowing that Saturday was going to be my last day to hunt. My sister was hosting her annual Christmas party that evening I knew I wouldn’t feel like getting up early Sunday after staying up late on Saturday.

  Like many a hunter who has sat in their stand for days without seeing a deer it would have been real easy for me to turn off the alarm, roll over and go back to sleep. I already had taken four deer so I had to psych myself up and with dogged determination headed off to the stand.

  I wasn’t out too long.

  At six forty a three point buck came down the hill from the right across the fence. Making a quick decision I got a good rest on the side of the blind and waited for him to cross unobstructed in front of me. I stopped him with a whistle and shot him broadside around ten yards away.

  He did that kick a deer does when you know you’ve hit them good and took off the direction he was headed. I could clearly see where I had hit him and knew it was only going to be a short distance before he crashed.

  I watched him run through the brush and up a grown over path we had used to get to the power line clearing and the other side of it where Timbo was supposed to have hunted but didn’t. He made it almost to top and balled up.

  I had to curse Timbo for not hunting his old spot because if he had the path would have been cleared of briars and thorns and I wouldn’t have gotten scratched and gouged. But I guess dragging the buck back through all of that was a good problem.

  After looking the buck over I think it was the same one I had seen weeks before in the early light walking by my stand on opening morning. Kind of weird that the first deer I had seen would be the last deer I would see.

  What a season I had experienced. It had taken a lot of hours and preparation but it was worth it. That’s the way deer hunting goes. You put yourself in the best position that you can and hope it all turns out okay. You can sit there for days and not see a deer and then, bam! There they are! And then, just as quickly it’s all over in the matter of a minute or two. But there’s no better feeling when it all comes together.

  What will next fall bring? I am overdue for a real crappy season. Will next fall be the one? I guess we won’t know until I live it. Until the next chapter of My Series of Unfortunate Hunts stay safe and happy. – Jim Bob

 

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** ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE HERE! **

Nearly 3800 potential customers could be reading YOUR ad right now instead of ours!

Place your ad here for $8.00 a month! Discount rates for multiple issues.

For more details, visit our site at: www.backwoodsbound.com/advertise.html. Or e-mail us at: editor@backwoodsbound.com.

Deer season is fast approaching so place your ad now!


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** AFTER THE SHOT TROPHY TAGS **

Now you can add all the information about your trophy with our NEW metal placards! Made from brass with black lettering, they will add that final touch to your After The Shot Trophy Plaque.

Offered in two sizes; 1 1/4" x 3 1/4" with three lines of text or 1" x 3" with two lines of text. They are easy to install. No holes to drill or nails to drive, they just stick on!

Go to www.backwoodsbound.com/ats.html for ordering information.

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WHAT'S NEW

We’ve taken advantage of the late winter slow-down to catch up on a lot of stuff around here. Making changes to the site mainly. We’ve been adding new links, fixing or deleting bad links, adding new recipes. The list goes on. Quite frankly we’re going a little stir crazy around here and can’t wait to get out this month and enjoy ourselves

We’ve gotten a lot of new recipes lately so look for new ones on the site soon. We still want to expand the wild hog, fish/seafood, moose, elk and exotic recipe sections so send any you have. We also want to start recipe sections for antelope and buffalo so send those in too. Send them to mail@backwoodsbound.com and check out the recipe section at www.backwoodsbound.com/recipe.html.

Keep your Trail Camera photos coming in too! We need to stockpile a few more to get us through the summer months so don’t be shy, send yours in! We don’t care what they’re of just send them our way.

We still need your hunting and fishing stories for upcoming issues of The Bullet so send them to us. We have a couple but could use more. They don’t have to be long or professionally written. Just tell it in your own words and send it in. Send them to mail@backwoodsbound.com.

Send your questions, comments, tips, photos, recipes, stories to mail@backwoodsbound.com. Thank you! We couldn’t do this without your help!

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RECIPE: ROAST BEAST

~ 1 medium raccoon, cleaned with all of the fat and musk glands removed
~ 2 – 3 potatoes, coarsely chopped
~ 1 medium onion, chopped
~ 2 -3 carrots, chopped or a couple handfuls of baby carrots
~ Your favorite veggies you normally put in pot roast, optional
~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup
~ 1 can Rotel tomatoes
~ 1 tsp garlic powder
~ salt and pepper to taste

* Mix the veggies, soups and seasonings together.

* Place the raccoon in a roasting pan or crock pot.

* Pour the veggie/soup mixture on and around it.

* Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour or until the legs move easily and juices run clear or place everything in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours.

* Remove the roast and carve.

* Serve with the veggies and enjoy.

Our thanks to Tabatha for sharing this recipe. To see more raccoon recipes visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zracoon.html.

Send your favorite recipe to mail@backwoodsbound.com and we'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

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ANSWER TO BACKWOODS TRIVIA:   The month of March is named for the Roman god of war, Mars. The Romans used March as the start of the New Year and as such the start of the military campaign season.

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LAST MINUTE STUFF

Here’s something that happened to me a couple of weeks ago and I just had to share it with everyone.

I stopped by my local Ace Hardware store to pick up some drain cleaner to clear our bathroom sink at home. At the check-out counter I was told they needed to see my driver’s license so they could record it on a sheet so the local police department can keep tabs on who is buying “hazardous” materials. When I asked why they needed such personal information from me for the purchase of a product I’ve bought for the last thirty years or so I was told that just like cold/allergy medications, drain cleaner is somehow used the making of methamphetamine. Are you kidding me? Drain cleaner?

My first thought was, why would someone want to put a drug made from drain cleaner in their bodies? No wonder meth addicts are so screwed up physically and mentally. The drain cleaner has cleaned them of the lives and souls.

After I got home I thought some more about this whole thing. Is this a national thing or is it just the state of Illinois? How many other states have similar laws and on what products? Either way it looks like another attempt by the government to regulate a substance in their “war on drugs”. Sure drain cleaner is hazardous but then so are most things that come in a spray can. If they think they’re going to stop the manufacture of meth by keeping track of who uses what ‘legal’ products then they’re wrong. The making or sale of illegal drugs hasn’t slow with restrictions on the purchase of over-the-counter medications. Crime always finds a way. Don’t get me wrong, I think drugs like meth, coke, crack, etc. are bad and should be eradicated. They ruin lives, families and cost us all a lot of money. But once again the actions of a few have put the screws to the rest of us. Anyone remember the “shoe” bomber?

And lastly, who is keeping and safe guarding my personal information? After the clerk took my info (address, driver’s license number, etc.) and I signed on the dotted line, she stuck the sheet back into a folder and placed the folder on the counter next to the register. Okay, now what will happen to it? Do they keep it? Turn it over to local law enforcement? What will the police do with it? File it away and for how long? Who is the keeper and who’s watching the keeper? Will I get in trouble if I buy more than my allotted amount of drain cleaner? How big is my allotment?

In all it looks like another way for “big brother” to keep their eye on law-biding citizens. Aren’t we regulated enough? What’s next, keeping track of people who buy paint, gasoline, Mr. Clean, (insert your idea), etc.? Aren’t they hazardous too? Time will tell. Of course all of this is just my opinion I could be wrong. – James Burns

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