Recent content by namerchanger

I think there is a movie that has just been released about the bear guy. I have seen 3 animal attacks in my life, all unprovoked. In each case the animals lost. A fox attacked me while deer hunting and I had to shoot it just before it hit me. A badger went after a buddy of mine when we...

My wife gave me the GB mini hatchet as an early gift. Here again the GB was the best hatchet I had ever used. Cut wood amazingly well for such a small hatchet. It also does a nice job cutting meat in camp. It is small enough to use like an Eskimo ulu. Tim

The Northern half of Minnesota appears to be developing a good wolf population again according to a friend of mine that lives over there. Other than an occasional sighting here in SE North Dakota they are not too common yet. Moose are becomming common here, though I have not seen any in the...

My wife was not happy that I did not take a weapon on the last trip since lions had been seen in the area. But with the students I thought it would be best. The next trip will be a combination of camping & hunting. The coyote populations are going nutsso they need to be thinned and fur prices...

Anyone that wants to try North Dakota or Minnesota camping is welcome. It is even more exciting now that the wolf populations are up in Minnesota. The coyote populations are up everywhere, and we have mountain lion back in the area. I saw my first mountain lion earlier this month.

Fire starting was an issue for my scouts. Due to the terrible ice storm previous to the trip everything was covered in ice. The lads attempted to use the smallest kindling they could, but too much moisture and not enough BTUs available to get their fire going. I showed them how to quarter the...

We just completed our first winter camp for the year with a group of my students here in North Dakota. We got the snow we asked for along with about 5 cm of ice. Schools were closed for two days due to a blizzard just a few days before we left. Our coldest temps were about -18 C. We used...

How far did you put the knife into the tree? I love my Helles but have always wondered how well the handles would hold up to serious pressure. I did use my Odel on some whitetail bucks and a doe last weekend and I could not believe how well the edge held up. Tim

Better be careful!! North Dakota is the only state in the nation with a decreasing population. Anyone new comes and we try to keep them. If someone likes hunting, fishing, or hiking; this place is great. If you like trees, mountains and warm weather, we don't have them most of the year. Our...

After years of using water purification tablets (iodine & halzone), with which it is impossible to make a good cup of tea, I switched to the First Need water filter system. It is issued by the World Health Organization to their people. It will remove chemicals which now that I am back in North...

I have used the gerber hatchets for a couple of years now and they work very well but the hatchet is still a bit heavy to pack, and I need to drop as much weight as I can in my kit. I keep seeing the gransfors bruks mentioned. How do they compare to the gerbers? I am looking at the Gransfor...

I gave my daughter the small gerber and she loves it. She carries it in her hunting pack, or when she is camping at desolate scuba sites. I have the 14 inch fiskars model with the strange but effective plastic cover. I was not sure that they would function in the extreme cold here in North...

Hi, I just recently found this site and have enjoyed the reading. We are starting to freeze at night, so my outdoor season is starting. Cold weather is the only way to go; no bugs, no snakes. I had my fill of both as a Marine. I hope to pick up some new ideas and techniques from many...

I must agree with the others; to practice closer to home. I do not know if bugs are a problem for you in that part of the world, but I have found that insects may be a problem in aquatic environments unless the temperature drops below freezing for a few nights. If you are a rookie with the...