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 tents and all went well other than some of the girls brought sleeping bags that were too long, and/or too big for them. Thus they had a bit of a chill. A couple had also purchased rather thin sleeping pads at Walmart. For two of the girls this was their first time in the bush. All of the lads that attended were scouts so they did well. Due to the size of the group, 8 students and three guides I had my tobagan loaded to the max. I have a new respect for the arctic and antarctic explores that pull a sled for hundreds of miles. Next trip is next week for some winter air and hunting.
Winter Camp
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Excellent stuff Tim, it's great to hear that the youth are getting out and experiencing the great outdoors, I used to love getting out when I lived in Canada, cold weather is a great experience (well, as long as youre prepared!)
Thanks for sharing that with us :You_Rock_
Thanks for sharing that with us :You_Rock_
Tim Cruff said:
Nice one Tim. Young people need adventure. Would be good to get more details of your trip.
What activities did you get up?
Least you have snow for Christmas.
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 wood to use the inside (dry wood) We ate a lot. I showed them how to make bannock, we had cherry and blueberry pies for breakfast. I discovered that pie filling does not freeze (very cool). I treated them to venison steak with large boiled shrimp for supper. I believe in eating well in the bush! We touched the stars at night they were so close. We hiked talked and shared dreams at the fire. I wish all teachers could have times like that with their students. Now I have parents that want to try snow camping, as well as some of our faculty.
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.
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 are going up.
Winter camping is great. The snow helps muffle noise and not many folks are out in any case. No biting insects!
Our Troop was camping a couple of weekends ago. We feared a thaw, but fortunately it stayed below freezing but above -8C the entire weekend. I discovered that a Bark River golok is great for batoning wood.
I have read that the wolves helped control the coyote population = food and reduction of competition. When the wolves were hunted out, the coyote population exploded, leading to massive programs to poison coyotes.
We certainly have lots of coyotes here in NE Ohio. We heard them calling on the campout I described and enjoyed a regular coyote songfest when we camped the last weekend in October.
Our Troop was camping a couple of weekends ago. We feared a thaw, but fortunately it stayed below freezing but above -8C the entire weekend. I discovered that a Bark River golok is great for batoning wood.
I have read that the wolves helped control the coyote population = food and reduction of competition. When the wolves were hunted out, the coyote population exploded, leading to massive programs to poison coyotes.
We certainly have lots of coyotes here in NE Ohio. We heard them calling on the campout I described and enjoyed a regular coyote songfest when we camped the last weekend in October.
Not that I've ever been there ( I WISH!) but I read a really interesting article about Moose and Wolf populations in the US. Since the wolves have been re-introduced into Yellowstone National Park it appears that many plant life species have exploded in population. This is due to the fact that the moose population is more wary due to being hunted, particularly near rivers and streams....so, hundreds of years of hunting wolves has suddenly been reversed, and the natural wolf/moose polulation is becoming more normal...shows just how long man has been around and how quickly we can screw up the environment!
Check out National Geographical for the article....no idea which one, but fascinating!!!
Have a good Yewl-tide season all, and burn one for me!!!
Check out National Geographical for the article....no idea which one, but fascinating!!!
Have a good Yewl-tide season all, and burn one for me!!!
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 area we have been camping. Moose have been a problem on my parents farm. When a moose answers the call of mother nature in your front yard; get a large shovel.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Tim
Moose are becomming common here, though I have not seen any in the area we have been camping. Moose have been a problem on my parents farm. When a moose answers the call of mother nature in your front yard; get a large shovel.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Tim
Adamscott2 said:
Yes I have. Tim Treedwell. Killed and partially eaten by a bear two years ago or so. Terminal case of confusing wild animals with domesticated animals. Unfortunately, he took his significant other with him in the process.
Tawhawk,
Far be it from me to judge what another guy did, i can tell you what i would do: if an animal is about 3 times bigger than me and in a fight if i could not beat them then i'd find a way to :twak: , Tm did alot for grizzlies with opening a foundation and everything. Suppose its the same lesson for mother nature again " respect"
Sorry for hijacking the thread
Cheers
De scóite
Far be it from me to judge what another guy did, i can tell you what i would do: if an animal is about 3 times bigger than me and in a fight if i could not beat them then i'd find a way to :twak: , Tm did alot for grizzlies with opening a foundation and everything. Suppose its the same lesson for mother nature again " respect"
Sorry for hijacking the thread
Cheers
De scóite
I think I read somewhere that he liked bears so much that he said that if he one day gets killed by a bear that would be ok for him, and that he doesnt want that the bear gets killed.
Our mind can often play tricks on us, we identify with an image, philosophy, nationalism etc but when it comes kissing reality the curtion of our thinking is blown away and we dont die with a smile. I too could think and talk saying: Its better to die out there in the bush than getting old, getting sick and die in one stupid hospital.
But how will I think when the time comes? Dont be fooled by the illusions of your mind it could only be big talk.
The recordings of his dead where on the video camera, he went out to push a grizzly out of his camp. No weapon, no spray nothing. The bear attacked him and he started to fight the bear, screaming for help from his girlfriend. She too got killed.
I dont know but I want to be carefull and survive rather following a cozy dream.
Take bears spray with you, take a shotgun with you too just in case.
Learn as much as you can about bear behaviour.
I like to follow people who survive, his live was his live but I believe he followed a dream not reality.
I am sorry for him but more so for his girlfriend, I dont know if she even had the same believe or if she only was stumbling behind her boyfriend.
Stupid way to die so young.
cheers
Abbe
Our mind can often play tricks on us, we identify with an image, philosophy, nationalism etc but when it comes kissing reality the curtion of our thinking is blown away and we dont die with a smile. I too could think and talk saying: Its better to die out there in the bush than getting old, getting sick and die in one stupid hospital.
But how will I think when the time comes? Dont be fooled by the illusions of your mind it could only be big talk.
The recordings of his dead where on the video camera, he went out to push a grizzly out of his camp. No weapon, no spray nothing. The bear attacked him and he started to fight the bear, screaming for help from his girlfriend. She too got killed.
I dont know but I want to be carefull and survive rather following a cozy dream.
Take bears spray with you, take a shotgun with you too just in case.
Learn as much as you can about bear behaviour.
I like to follow people who survive, his live was his live but I believe he followed a dream not reality.
I am sorry for him but more so for his girlfriend, I dont know if she even had the same believe or if she only was stumbling behind her boyfriend.
Stupid way to die so young.
cheers
Abbe
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 walked next to it's hole. My budd was packing in off-duty weapon thank goodness. The last was a skunk (VERY LARGE SKUNK) that went after my Dad. There wasn't any odor went I finished that skunk so there was a good chance he was rabid.
Sometimes we all must remember that all wild animals are wild. They are great to watch, but not to trust.
I have had to go through the rabies treatment. The shots themselves are not bad any more, but those gamma goblin shots they give to go along with the treatment are a real pain in the butt!!!!!!
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 walked next to it's hole. My budd was packing in off-duty weapon thank goodness. The last was a skunk (VERY LARGE SKUNK) that went after my Dad. There wasn't any odor went I finished that skunk so there was a good chance he was rabid.
Sometimes we all must remember that all wild animals are wild. They are great to watch, but not to trust.
I have had to go through the rabies treatment. The shots themselves are not bad any more, but those gamma goblin shots they give to go along with the treatment are a real pain in the butt!!!!!!
Adamscott2 said:
Wolves and coyotes are not a concern. Cougar (mountain lion) however are. We've had quite a number here too (NE Minnesota) and I've seen three in the last year, a small tan, a large tan, and a large black. My job requires me to be armed, but they are so fast, I'm not sure it would help you if one attacked.
PG
Tim Cruff said:
? I don't think there's been any change. We've always had plenty wolf. We still have plenty wolf. When they did the original count - before the ban on hunting - the gov't seriously underestimated the numbers to bolster their case for threatened species classification.
I think the ban was a good thing. Lot of people said the wolves were taking too many deer. The ban went on, and the deer population in the state is at least double what it was when the ban went on. Weather kills many more deer than wolves. Wolves cull the weak and strengthen the herd.
PG
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