Sunday, June 07, 2015
An Act Of Kindness
Jacqueline a farmer and beekeeper of a tiny village of Washington state said that on this particular morning they went up to check on the newborn calf. Mama was waiting by the fence for us and she immediately walked off mooing. Normally that would make the calf stick his head up from the hiding place she'd left him in but no head appeared. So Joseph, our friend Rick and I all started walking the grid. The guys did inside the fence, I went outside into the hay field. A calf lies flat to the ground and you could be six feet away and easily miss seeing him nestled behind some tufts of grass. Really. Yes, we did find him and reunited mama and baby boy. Listen to the incredibly grateful thank-you moo she gives us once they're back together.
Published on June 17, 2013
Saturday, June 06, 2015
MS Black Bear Caught On Cam
A trail camera set up in Simpson County by Justin Morgan took photos of the bear at about 1:25 a.m. on May 24 and again at 11:30 p.m. last Sunday.
State wildlife officials said it's unusual to see black bears in this area of the state, and encouraged the resident to continue to keep an eye out for it.
Mississippi is home to the American black bear, which the state lists as endangered, and the Louisiana black bear, which is listed federally as an endangered species.
There are about 100 black bears in Mississippi, according to state wildlife officials.
Friday, June 05, 2015
Trip To Southern Heritage Air Museum
After we left Poverty Point in Epps, Louisiana we stopped and had lunch and made our way over to the Vicksburg-Regional Airport in Mound, Louisiana.
The Southern Heritage Air Museum is known for hosting, "The Biggest Little Air Show". We were graciously met by, Patty Mekus, President of the Southern Heritage Air Foundation. She gave us a very informative tour of the history of aviation and the many veteran hero's of past wars. It was very interesting hearing all the war stories from the men in uniform and grateful for their service in serving our country and preserving our freedom. If you go, check out the gift shop and the many events that are held with air shows and plane rides. Follow them on Facebook.
The Southern Heritage Air Museum is known for hosting, "The Biggest Little Air Show". We were graciously met by, Patty Mekus, President of the Southern Heritage Air Foundation. She gave us a very informative tour of the history of aviation and the many veteran hero's of past wars. It was very interesting hearing all the war stories from the men in uniform and grateful for their service in serving our country and preserving our freedom. If you go, check out the gift shop and the many events that are held with air shows and plane rides. Follow them on Facebook.
A cute wind airplane met us at the front entrance of the Vicksburg-Regional Airport.
Nice Moose!
Looking out of the hanger.
A wall full of memorabilia and mounted wildlife.
Ready to go for a ride.
Close-up of inscription on propeller.
A wooden propeller on this plane.
N.A.S. GLENVIEW
Large hangar fan.
Flag in the hanger that had flown over the old Hwy 80 bridge at Vicksburg, MS.
Lion shot by Governor Kirk Fordice.
Lion
Gov. Kirk Fordice
Tanzania 1994
Marilyn Curtis took this picture of me by this beautiful mounted lion.
Lion looks like he's on the attack!
Unidentified lady, Mary Louise Nosser, Leigh White, Merit Health Senior Circle Advisor and Marilyn Curtis.
North American
P-51
Mustangs
Mary Louise Nosser, Marilyn Curtis, Geni Nussbaum and Patty Mekus.
A group picture taken by Patty Mekus. Myself, Mary Louise Nosser, Leigh White, Marilyn Curtis and unidentified lady. Absent was Geni Nussbaum and another lady that came but decided to stay in the van.
Thursday, June 04, 2015
Trip To Poverty Point
Poverty Point is a huge complex of 6 mounds, 6 semicircular ridges, and a plaza. The largest mound is about 70 feet tall and more than 700 by 640 feet at is base. Some archaeologist believe it is an effigy mound, built in the shape of a bird. The function of the mounds is unknown, but they were not used for burials. The people of Poverty Point did not practice agriculture; they were fisher-hunter-gatherers. The outermost ridge is .75 mile in diameter, and all of the ridges laid end-to-end would stretch 7.5 miles. The ridges served as living surfaces; archaeologist have found post holes, pits, hearths, earth ovens, and domestic debris in and on them. Construction of all the earthen mounds and ridges required about 981,000 cubic yards of dirt. Builders filled in low areas and gullies to create the level 35-acre plaza, but how much dirt was required is unknown.
Dated between 1700 and 1100 B.C., this site of more than 400 acres is unique among archaeological sites on this continent. In 1962, Poverty Point was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The site also became a Smithsonian Affiliate in 2010. Check out Poverty Point's Facebook page.
Animal pelts
Figurines
Miscellaneous Chert
Spear Points
Native Drums
Ancient American hunter-gatherers who lived in a sophisticated community.
Trading Network
Head mound of the giant bird.
Wildlife Sanctuary
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
Tuesday, June 02, 2015
Monday, June 01, 2015
How To Choose The Perfect Hunting Monocular
As a hunter, a good monocular can be an excellent tool for scouting terrain and finding animals or their resting places. It’s important, though, that you pick out a model that is suitable for your needs, especially as a hunter. Not all monoculars are created equally, and there are a few things you want to be sure of before you plop down your hard-earned money.
The first thing you should look at is how much magnification the monocular provides. I know what you’re thinking... "As powerful as I can find!" That’s not such a great mindset to have, though, because of how you will use the monocular. It might sound nice to have a 10X monocular, but you need to remember that you’re going to be holding the thing in your bare hands, and probably one-handed at that. No matter how good the manufacturer is or how steady your hands are, a 10X monocular is going to be hard to hold still.
If you want something compact, you should stick with a 6X or 8X monocular. That will provide you with plenty of magnification, but it won’t be so powerful as to be difficult to use because of shakiness. While you can find more powerful monoculars that have a tripod mount (and sometimes even come with the tripod), remember that you need to carry it with you into the bush. A monocular is easy enough to carry in its pouch on your belt or in your backpack, but where are you going to stow a tripod?
Once you have narrowed down a few models you like based on magnification, you should look into what kind of optics the monocular uses. To get the best view of the terrain and critters, you want the monocular to give you a crisp, clear, and bright view even at maximum magnification. To get this, make sure the monocular uses the best possible prism glass, BaK–4 glass, and that the optics are fully multi-coated. That means that all air-to-glass surfaces of the optics are treated with an antireflective coating, maximizing the monocular’s ability to transmit light and give you a bright picture. A good place to start is the best monoculars section over at HuntingOptics.net, where you can compare the top 5 or 6 modeles as far as optics go.
You also will probably want to make sure the monocular uses a roof prism layout instead of porro prisms. If the eyepiece is not at a straight line with the objective lens, you’ve got a porro prism design and should probably avoid that model for hunting purposes. Porro prisms tend to become pretty blurry after the slight (or not so slight) bumps that come along with carrying the monocular through uneven terrain.
Next, check out the field of view of the monocular. Sometimes, the field of view on a monocular is so narrow that the optics are impossible to use without mounting the glass on a tripod. A healthy field of view will be at least 315 feet at 1,000 yards.
Finally, read up on how easy the focus ring is to use. You want the ring to move easily enough to make quick adjustments when you’re tracking an animal on the move, but not so easily that you are constantly bumping your image out of focus. It’s a fine line, but some monoculars hit the sweet spot of being smooth but still stiff.
Now, of course, you want to look at durability. When we’re out hunting, the weather often doesn’t stay perfect. It gets cold, stray rain showers pop up, and of course there’s always the possibility of dropping your prized glass from your tree stand. For hunting, you want to make sure the monocular is rubber-armored and offers some shock resistance. This is why I recommend rubber armor, because a plain plastic housing won’t stand up to the bumps and falls that can happen in the wilderness.
To protect your investment from the likelihood that it’s going to get wet, make sure the monocular is waterproof. O-ring seals on the optics don’t add that much to the manufacturing cost of the monocular, and it is pretty commonplace for monocs to be waterproof.
Finally, ensure the optics chamber is nitrogen-purged. Glass manufacturers fill the interior optics chamber with nitrogen, purging out all of the oxygen and other gases, to make sure the monoculars are fogproof. This way, rapid temperature changes from hot to cold or vice versa, as well as just the humidity in the air or extreme temperatures, can’t cause the glass to fog up.
Finally, take a look at what you get for the money. When you aren’t using it, a monocular needs to have a place to live, so you want to make sure it comes with at least a carrying case. If the carrying case has a belt loop, that’s a real winner, since you can strap the bag to you for transporting your monocular from the truck to your favorite hunting spot.
It’s also crucial to get a neck strap, hand strap, or both. This helps keep the monocular close by when you’re ready to use it, and the hand strap can make all the difference between keeping a firm grip on your glass and accidentally dropping your monoc out of your deer stand. Finally, a nice lens cleaning cloth is a great bonus, but certainly not a “must have.”
Buying a good monocular for hunting purposes doesn’t have to take hours of research, but it certainly can. Keep all of these factors in mind when you’re looking for the perfect monocular, though, and you will be sure to find something that suits your needs and beefs up your hunting action.
How Powerful Is the Monocular?
The first thing you should look at is how much magnification the monocular provides. I know what you’re thinking... "As powerful as I can find!" That’s not such a great mindset to have, though, because of how you will use the monocular. It might sound nice to have a 10X monocular, but you need to remember that you’re going to be holding the thing in your bare hands, and probably one-handed at that. No matter how good the manufacturer is or how steady your hands are, a 10X monocular is going to be hard to hold still.
If you want something compact, you should stick with a 6X or 8X monocular. That will provide you with plenty of magnification, but it won’t be so powerful as to be difficult to use because of shakiness. While you can find more powerful monoculars that have a tripod mount (and sometimes even come with the tripod), remember that you need to carry it with you into the bush. A monocular is easy enough to carry in its pouch on your belt or in your backpack, but where are you going to stow a tripod?
What Kind of Optics Does It Have?
Once you have narrowed down a few models you like based on magnification, you should look into what kind of optics the monocular uses. To get the best view of the terrain and critters, you want the monocular to give you a crisp, clear, and bright view even at maximum magnification. To get this, make sure the monocular uses the best possible prism glass, BaK–4 glass, and that the optics are fully multi-coated. That means that all air-to-glass surfaces of the optics are treated with an antireflective coating, maximizing the monocular’s ability to transmit light and give you a bright picture. A good place to start is the best monoculars section over at HuntingOptics.net, where you can compare the top 5 or 6 modeles as far as optics go.
You also will probably want to make sure the monocular uses a roof prism layout instead of porro prisms. If the eyepiece is not at a straight line with the objective lens, you’ve got a porro prism design and should probably avoid that model for hunting purposes. Porro prisms tend to become pretty blurry after the slight (or not so slight) bumps that come along with carrying the monocular through uneven terrain.
Next, check out the field of view of the monocular. Sometimes, the field of view on a monocular is so narrow that the optics are impossible to use without mounting the glass on a tripod. A healthy field of view will be at least 315 feet at 1,000 yards.
Finally, read up on how easy the focus ring is to use. You want the ring to move easily enough to make quick adjustments when you’re tracking an animal on the move, but not so easily that you are constantly bumping your image out of focus. It’s a fine line, but some monoculars hit the sweet spot of being smooth but still stiff.
Is the Monocular Durable Enough?
Now, of course, you want to look at durability. When we’re out hunting, the weather often doesn’t stay perfect. It gets cold, stray rain showers pop up, and of course there’s always the possibility of dropping your prized glass from your tree stand. For hunting, you want to make sure the monocular is rubber-armored and offers some shock resistance. This is why I recommend rubber armor, because a plain plastic housing won’t stand up to the bumps and falls that can happen in the wilderness.
To protect your investment from the likelihood that it’s going to get wet, make sure the monocular is waterproof. O-ring seals on the optics don’t add that much to the manufacturing cost of the monocular, and it is pretty commonplace for monocs to be waterproof.
Finally, ensure the optics chamber is nitrogen-purged. Glass manufacturers fill the interior optics chamber with nitrogen, purging out all of the oxygen and other gases, to make sure the monoculars are fogproof. This way, rapid temperature changes from hot to cold or vice versa, as well as just the humidity in the air or extreme temperatures, can’t cause the glass to fog up.
What Comes In the Box?
Finally, take a look at what you get for the money. When you aren’t using it, a monocular needs to have a place to live, so you want to make sure it comes with at least a carrying case. If the carrying case has a belt loop, that’s a real winner, since you can strap the bag to you for transporting your monocular from the truck to your favorite hunting spot.
It’s also crucial to get a neck strap, hand strap, or both. This helps keep the monocular close by when you’re ready to use it, and the hand strap can make all the difference between keeping a firm grip on your glass and accidentally dropping your monoc out of your deer stand. Finally, a nice lens cleaning cloth is a great bonus, but certainly not a “must have.”
Summary
Buying a good monocular for hunting purposes doesn’t have to take hours of research, but it certainly can. Keep all of these factors in mind when you’re looking for the perfect monocular, though, and you will be sure to find something that suits your needs and beefs up your hunting action.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Brittany's Beautiful Turkey
Brittany Boddington, a hunter, journalist and adventurer showing off a beautiful ocellated turkey. Brittany is also a host of The Boddington Experience TV Show and Petersen's Hunting TV as well as a writer for Wild Deer Magazine and California Sportsman's Magazine. Check out her story above in the June issue of California Sportsman Magazine with Tankab Outfitters in our great wild outdoors.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
June Bug (Doe) Had Six Fawns
"Dwight and Debbie Knight of Knight Farm in Old Town, Florida are pleased to share this amazing miracle. On May 20, 2015 around 2:00 PM, our bottle-raised 7-year-old doe named "June Bug" gave birth to 6 fawns (4 bucks and 2 does). Their weights ranged from 3 to 6 pounds each. She has been consistently giving birth to twins, so this was a BIG surprise!"
Dwight Knight
Knight Farm LLC.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Memorial Day Snapshots
Vicksburg National Cemetery is the largest internment of Civil War dead in the nation. It is the burial place for nearly 17,00 Union soldiers. As I drove past the graves I took some pictures that I wanted to share with you today.
Memorial Day ~ May 25, 2015
Vicksburg National Military Park
Vicksburg, MS
Monday, May 25, 2015
The American Flag is Folded 13 Times
The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life
.
The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for his divine guidance.
The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."
The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of American, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother's Day.
The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood, for it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.
The tenth fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.
With the final fold the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our nation's motto, "In God We Trust."
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