I first studied non-verbal communication in college when I took a senior-level class called the “dynamics of face to face communication.”   It was in that class I discovered that during most job interviews it was not what you said that often times landed you the job.   Nope, it was the behavior and actions that most often accompanied the spoken words that made or broke the performance.

As my failing memory recalls, it usually takes a job candidate the entire interview (or longer) to convince the personnel director they are worthy of employment.   Yet, it often takes less than 90 seconds for most hopeful interviewees to fail miserably by a less than favorable combination of their dress, posture, attentiveness, and other observable characteristics of body language.

Okay, so you ask me what does any of this have to do with gun safety?   Well, my friend…let me draw some parallels for you with the job candidate and the new hunting partner.

Let’s take a scenario where a bunch of guys are going out on a pheasant hunt.   Maybe I’ve hunted with Pete, Charlie and Sam before.   But on this particular day there are two new hunters with our group.   I suppose I should qualify this statement just a bit.   John and Adam are not necessarily new hunters lacking experience, but they are new in terms of I have never hunted with them before.

In this situation both John and Adam do not realize it but they are under careful scrutiny by me.   To some extent it is no different than the personnel director observing for qualities in the right job candidate.   John and Adam must prove to me they are adept at carrying a firearm and by actions are safe at what they do.   In other words, when you hunt with new people it is imperative to conduct your due diligence and observe for possible safety issues.

Of course, now that doesn’t mean that Pete, Charlie and Sam automatically get a free pass here.   Each of them must also prove to me they have no mental lapses and continue to practice safe gun handling at all times.   Why?   Because my life and those whom I care about depend on such safe gun handling behavior.

All right, enough with the pheasant scenario.   Let’s assume you are hunting with someone and they inadvertently point their gun’s muzzle at you or another person.   Do you speak up?   Do you blow it off as a one-time occurrence that probably won’t happen again?   Do you want to say something but for some reason lack the courage to disrupt the fun?

Let me tell you…I don’t care if a hunter is 20 years my senior and they somehow violate any of the cardinal rules of safe gun handling…they will be quickly corrected in their actions in a polite, yet firm manner.   I have absolutely zero tolerance (as well as respect) for those who take their gun handling skills lightly.   I figure my life is way too important to be around such a person.

It was the firearms gun season here in Minnesota back during 2007 and I had just shot a small buck.   A couple of hunting partners heard the commotion and eventually wandered over to check out the action.   I was kneeling on the ground preparing to eviscerate the deer…when I happened to look up at a 20 year old hunter walking towards me pointing his gun directly at my body.   The gun was still loaded which made matters even worse.   That was the most blatant and careless gun maneuver I had ever witnessed in the field…I was quite upset.   Suffice it to say, the careless hunter will never step foot on my farm carrying a firearm ever again.

Was I too harsh?   You would have a tough time convincing me otherwise.   The way I see it such a safety indiscretion carries with it a heavy price if you’re going to hunt around me.   The problem is if fellow hunters don’t make a statement by taking a stand against unacceptable gun handling behavior, the problem only continues to fester until something terrible eventually happens.

I realize talking about gun safety is not a very sexy topic.   I also realize correcting the behavior of a hunting partner is not something easy or fun to do.   But as you enter this upcoming hunting season it is important to give this topic the careful consideration it deserves.   After all, if you pride yourself on being a respected sportsman then helping to police our ranks for safety violators is a pledge you ought to make.

The problem is if you overlook any safety violations that occur by your hunting partners it only shows how complacency could well be creeping in to how you practice safe firearm handling techniques.   Don’t allow that to happen.

Remember, a person seeking a job can have a miserable interview and consequently lose out on the opportunity less than a minute into the performance.   A hunter, on the other hand, can lose a life in a split-second if those same non-verbal communications are not properly observed (and corrected from re-occurrence).

This fall be sure to watch those with whom you hunt and, if necessary, elevate the level of acceptable gun safety performance by everyone.   Granted, it might not be easy to do…but you can take pride in the fact it is the right thing we all should be doing for the positive future of our shooting sport.

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Now, fast-forward to this year.   Of course, this situation will vary slightly depending on where you go…but for a large section of the upper Midwest, 2010 has been a dream year for crop farmers.   No kidding — an early spring, a hot summer, with very timely rain showers has turned this year into what most agronomists would call “ideal.”   Just go to small town America and you’ll see the smiles on the farmers, their bankers and anyone associated with the crop production industry.

I’ve been speaking to a few farmers around my area in S.E. Minnesota and things are shaping up to be an exceptional year.   Most of my neighbors have corn fields that are within 7 to 10 days of reaching full maturity.   A few fields to the north of my location (with notably sandier, drier soil) already shows the corn crop foliage substantially turning a golden brown.

The bottom line is its fairly reasonable to say most crop production activities are at a minimum of two weeks ahead of what you could expect during an average year.

Now, compare this to the fall of 2009 and the contrast between the two seasons is bound to be quite striking.   Consider this…in Minnesota we are now less than three weeks away from the opener for archery deer.   If things continue at the pace they are on for many farmers you could see corn being combined in the fields BEFORE the opening of the archery season.   Let me tell you folks, that would be a highly unusual situation no matter how you look at it.

In fact, several agronomists are reporting that in southern Minnesota the corn is already drying down to a moisture content in the low 20s.   That’s only a few points higher than the ideal harvest moisture ranging in the 15 to 20% target range.   Once the corn crop hits this point farmers get anxious to start harvesting in hopes to prevent stalk damage (mostly due to wind or excess moisture).   When farmers consider there is nothing further to gain (by leaving the crop in the field longer)—and let’s face it that point may be only days away—the harvest officially begins in earnest.

An acquaintance of mine on Twitter, Chad Smith (@AgriCaster), who is the Farm Broadcaster for KLGR Radio out of Redwood Falls, Minnesota told me that several area farmers in his region expect to be harvesting corn BEFORE their soybeans this year.   Of course, that is totally backwards compared to the norm for how the harvest season generally flows.

So, what does all this mean for hunters this coming fall?   Potentially, some good news I would say.   But no matter how you look at it the fall of 2010 is going to be vastly different than last year for those of us in this region.   Early season archers might see the corn disappear a bit quicker than usual.   Pheasant hunters will surely have far less corn to deal with come opening day.   And late season firearms deer hunters will undoubtedly be dealing with a herd more confined to wooded acres as opposed to hiding in remaining standing corn fields.

How odd it is we are talking about the fall crop harvest when Labor Day has yet to arrive on the calendar.   I guess, if sportsmen in the upper Midwest are looking for a positive sign as to how the upcoming hunting seasons are likely to go…one only has to look in the agricultural zone to observe all the smiling faces.   It’s taking shape to be a good year for everyone!

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

And that’s okay.   I think it’s important to evaluate your physical condition each fall before the hunting seasons begin.   If you’re not in shape…well, time is quickly ticking down to the openers…so get at it!   Maybe you’ve been feeling run-down lately for no particular reason.   Yeah, I hate to admit it, but guys, in particular, need to do a better job listening to our bodies.   If you’re noticing any physical change, such as lack of sleep, that might be a condition worth discussing with your doctor.   After all, most field casualty reports show a hunter is more likely to experience a medical emergency in the woods rather than enduring a traumatic event, such as a gunshot injury.

If it’s been too many years since your last doctor’s physical…it’s time to quit procrastinating.   Enough said on that topic.

I guess when I think about this subject I have James Rummel to blame for planting the seed in my head about feeling old.   Oh, he didn’t do that on purpose…yet he left quite an impression with me after the first time I met him.

James and I met last May at the Blackhawk Blogger’s Summit out in Virginia where we were killing some time at the hotel before the conference got underway.   Over lunch the topic of personal protection was discussed at length and James suggested to me that I consider carrying a walking cane when I can’t be protected by a concealed gun.   Using a cane was made even more intriguing when James suggested to me that for self-defense you can do a lot to protect yourself by choosing the correct cane.   After all, have you ever seen an airline stewardess, a bus driver or anyone else, for that matter, take a cane away from a handicapped person because they were fearful it might be used as a weapon?   Just doesn’t happen…at least not very often.

So, I told James okay this is all fine and dandy, but I could never fool people into thinking I need a cane.   Heck, I’m too young for such a walking aid such as that.   Boy, was I wrong…the next time I seen James he brought his cane and showed me just how easy it is to walk in such a way that shows the aid of a cane is necessary just to ambulate the body.

I was convinced.   A walking cane can be one of your best tools for self-defense when other methods are simply not available.   But to use a cane surely there’s another important component beyond feigning a handicapped gait.   One most also look the part and that requires a particular level of maturity that comes with qualifying for certain life benefits—like AARP membership, senior citizen dining privileges, etc.

In my mind I was convinced James could pull it off because he not only acted the part very nicely by walking with a cane, but his advanced age, compared to me, also gave him the mature look I just described.   Wow, was I in for a shocker!!

Thanks to Facebook, I was able to learn that my new blogging summit acquaintance was 16 months younger than me.   Talk about reality check.   I started to look more closely in the mirror and I soon began accepting the fact I’m not the young man I used to be.

It’s been several months now since the blogging summit, but I still think about that discussion James and I had about using a walking cane.  I think about it not so much for the self-defense purpose which was the real intent, but rather for the fact I’ve now reached an age where I could conceivably use a walking cane if my health dictated I needed one.

Along those lines, I started thinking about how accepting the notion I’m not as young as I used to be should influence my behavior in the field this fall.   A mere 20 years ago I used to trudge through the sloughs and set-aside acres looking for pheasants as if pushed by a mean drill sergeant.   Back then my body ran on adrenalin and I could more easily push it to more extreme limits.   Today, acting in such a manner would be utterly foolhardy, at best.   Not only would hunting pheasants that way not be fun anymore, but such a critical demand on my body simply could be asking for health troubles.

No, I really hate to admit that I’m getting older, but that admission to myself in no way detracts from my overall enjoyment of the outdoors.   Still, a person needs to be honest with themselves by appreciating what physical limitations they might now have.   If you get winded…take a rest.   If the aches or pains start creeping into the fun…be prepared with ibuprofen.   The bottom line is we all need to act our age and to better understand our ability when enjoying the fall hunts.   And part of that might be first accepting the fact how few of us are still as young as we’d still like to think we are.

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Well, I may have finally stumbled upon a product that finally crosses the line for me.   Seriously, a lot of products I’ve seen leave me shaking my head, but the concept behind this one sort of strikes a nerve.   Not that it’s anything outrageously bad, mind you, rather I just find this use of technology to be slightly disturbing.

When I first grew to appreciate the outdoors I did so as a trapper.   Now, let’s face it…what outdoor sport has more heritage and participants practicing an ancient wildlife activity than trapping?   I dare say even though traps have evolved in design over the past century, much of it has been rather cosmetic in nature.   Essentially traps used by my grandfather are pretty much the same ones as in use by me today.

That is until this new trapping gadget came along.

Imagine you set a trap for a wild critter and you no longer need to check it.   That’s right…basically you set it and forget it, until…<RING, RING> you get a call on your cell phone informing you that an animal has likely been captured by your trap.   A new device has been developed by Wildlife Control Supplies called the Tele-Trap Notifier incorporating wireless cell phone technology into its design.   Once an animal is trapped the unit will dial any number you program…it will even perform a follow-up call five minutes later just to make sure the user is paying attention.

As part of the alert it will tell you where the trap is located as well as a name.   I would have hoped it would also take a picture and include that information as part of the message, but apparently that feature has not yet been developed, but believe me it will be coming.

We first discovered these remote notifying devices a few years ago with the popular BuckEye Cam which would send trail cam pictures directly to a computer.   It seems only logical how cell phone technology can be incorporated into existing products in so many ways — some perhaps good, others…well, you decide.

Now let’s be fair about this.   The Tele-Notifier is a device developed in conjunction with the University of Nebraska and intended for use by professional wildlife control personnel.   At $350 per unit you won’t find these out on the traditional trapline.   Nope, instead, look for these to be put in use by companies that do private wildlife control in urban areas where knowing an animal has been captured can save time, money and perhaps even further justify the homeowner’s expense for the services.

Believe me, I’m not knocking the device as I think the concept behind it is interesting.   Still, I have to pause and wonder just a bit where such technological use could potentially take us.   Right now most states require trappers to tend their traps regularly as prescribed by law.   Could the day come when a recreational trapper simply sets his/her trapline and then chooses to sit at home in the easy chair waiting for success to call?

There comes a time in our outdoor sporting life when we all must ask ourselves where does the technological line get drawn.   Simply because a device or gadget is developed doesn’t make it necessarily right for our general use in the outdoors.   The further we gravitate toward technology the more we lose touch with each of the instinctive and deeply human pleasures associated with appreciating the outdoors.

Personally, I don’t need a phone call to announce my success as a trapper.   After all, I can’t imagine it to be anywhere near as exciting as walking up to a trap and discovering it first-hand with one’s own eyes, incidentally the same way trappers have been doing it for well over three centuries.

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Meet Fishing 411’s Mark Romanack and “Spin to Win” During Sportsman Day at  Minnesota State Fair!

Fair Attendees Will Have Chance to Win Prizes from Sportsman Channel and Comcast

New Berlin, WI – August 25, 2010 – Share your best fishing tall tale at the Minnesota State Fair with Mark Romanack, host of the hit fishing show, Fishing 411 with Mark Romanack, during Sportsman Day hosted by Comcast and Sportsman Channel on August 28 from 11 am to 7 pm. Fair attendees will also have the opportunity to “Spin to Win” on Sportsman Channel’s spinning prize wheel for t-shirts, hats, mugs, coolers and a signed copy of Romanack’s book, Precision Trolling.

Sportsman Channel and Comcast’s booth is located at the corner of Randall Ave and Cooper Street on the State Fair grounds. “Spin to Win” starts at 1 pm and ends at 3 pm. or until all prizes are given away.

Romanack has 30 plus years of fishing experience he showcases in each episode of Fishing 411, which airs exclusively on Sportsman Channel.

Watch Sportsman Channel on Comcast channel 738 in Minneapolis and channel 278 in St. Paul.

About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel is the only television and digital media company fully devoted to the more than 82 million sportsmen in the United States, delivering entertaining and educational programming focused exclusively on hunting, shooting and fishing activities. Sportsman Channel is now available in HD, check with your local cable or satellite provider. Acquired by InterMedia Outdoors Holdings in 2006, Sportsman Channel reaches 27 million U.S. television households and is a part of the nation’s largest multimedia company targeted exclusively to serving the information and entertainment needs of outdoors enthusiasts. Visit www.thesportsmanchannel.com, follow on Twitter, @SPORTSMANchnl (www.twitter.com/SPORTSMANchnl), become a Fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sportsmanchannel and download Sportsman App at www.itunes.com/appstore

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

1. To have a columnist gig writing copy for either a local or regional newspaper; or
2. To be a free-lancer or staff writer for some monthly print magazine; or
3. Perhaps become a radio/TV show host; or
4. Even a published book author.

Oh sure, there were other possibilities that existed to make a name for yourself as an outdoors communicator, but to be honest what I have just listed comprised at least 80% of the outdoor communicating opportunities existing a mere decade ago.   To become established in this field you worked your tail off perfecting one or more of the communication mediums I outlined above.  In fact, not much had changed about the communicating profession during most of the 20th Century.

So, maybe the thought of entering a new Millennium began to change people’s mindsets.   Even six years ago when I began blogging few people took the effort seriously.   At that time the Outdoor Writer’s Association of America had not yet taken bloggers, or for that matter, most other online publishing content very seriously.   And the Professional Outdoor Media Association was just forming so this group was in a perfect position to grasp all the crucial changes taking place.

The point I’m trying to emphasize here is we are living in a fast-changing, and I dare say a very exciting time to be a communicator.   Before the Internet a person could work their entire career and not be known outside a 25–mile radius.   Today, such a statement would be almost impossible to make.   Even small town newspapers post content to the Internet for potential worldwide search access.

Let me demonstrate the power of the Internet, and more specifically Social Media (SM) Marketing.   Back in January of 2006 I wrote a blog piece about Diamond Dog Food as the company was embroiled, at the time, in a controversy regarding some of its products.   In fact, due to a suspected aflatoxin fungus found in certain dog food, 100s of dogs allegedly became sick and died.   I chastised the company in my blog for this carelessness and days later was contacted by none other than the president of the company to explain their position and how they were trying to make things right with the consumers.

Over the course of several weeks I received dozens upon dozens of e-mails from readers ranging from those who were just highly concerned, as well as individuals who suffered the heartbreak of losing their dogs.   Suddenly, a light bulb went off in my head realizing these occurrences could not have been made possible before the Internet.

Hardly a day goes by and my blog does not generate e-mails of some kind.   It ranges from people wanting to buy fillet knives I’ve discussed to others seeking advice on how best to market their father’s estate with all his outdoor gear.   It’s part of what makes this blogging effort exciting—in fact, I consider it the fuel that keeps me wanting to further develop the blog.

Alright, but you say what does any of this have to do with Social Media Marketing.   Well, I consider blogging to be sort of the original hybrid of SM marketing.   Still, most experts would agree that sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are evolving so quickly that marketing and public relations professionals simply cannot ignore the developing trend.

Here’s another example.   Did you see my blog post yesterday on the return of Shakey’s Pizza coming back to Minnesota in 2011?   Yeah, I know…it didn’t really relate to what I typically do with this blog site talking about the outdoors…but it was something personally fun for me.   That restaurant chain has some awesome childhood memories for me and my mouth is already salivating as I remember the great pizza it once sold.

Why did I post the news release?   Simple.   I made a comment last Friday on Twitter “re-tweeting” this exciting local news of Shakey’s return.   It turns out some public relations firm read my tweet, investigated a bit more as to who I was, and then made contact with me.   They e-mailed me not only the press release I posted, but they also offered interviews with folks at the pizza joint’s corporate office.   In other words, Shakey’s Pizza has such a pro-active PR agency they were out hustling the news to gain maximum exposure.  (as a side note, I have every reason to believe this blog post will likewise catch their eye…that’s how all of this works)

Here’s another example of the power of Twitter.   Last year my stepson was at the Minnesota State Fair and stayed in the encampment with all the other youths from around the state.   To make a long story short…last August he ended up contracting one of the first widespread outbreaks of H1N1 flu here in Minnesota.   I made a simple statement on Twitter how my stepson was a 4–Her at the fair and is not home sick with the “swine flu.”   Within minutes various news agencies were sending me messages wanting to interview me on the topic!   WOW!

The point is whether I post something in this blog or talk about it on my Facebook page or Twitter, I can give you numerous examples as to how the world is reading it.   The mere mention of a product name — good or bad — is going to get you noticed these days.   The savvy companies have marketing firms monitoring this “chatter” and often times contact is made with the party who makes the comment.   In fact, what better way to minimize bad publicity than to locate it, mitigate it, and turn a once upset person into a happy person again.

Just a few days ago I received an e-mail from an executive of the National Shooting Sports Foundation asking my opinion on SM marketing as it relates to outdoors writers.   Turns out he was soliciting my thoughts in preparation for an upcoming talk on the subject.   I shared lots of information with him, but essentially I told him to drive home these few points.

Make sure outdoors writers don’t continue living in the past thinking SM marketing is just some passing fad.   Instead, tell outdoors communicators to embrace SM marketing, strive to understand it, and attempt to overcome any natural objections so that it may be used to its fullest potential.   The sooner those of us in the outdoors industry (both communicators and companies) grasp the potential of what the Internet has to offer, the quicker those same folks will achieve 21^st Century success.   The times…more than ever before, they are a changing!

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

SHAKEY’S PIZZA REACHES FOR THE STARS IN MINNESOTA
Iconic Restaurant Chain Experiences Continued Growth In A Triumphant Return To The North Star State

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN (August 23, 2010) — Once a household name in Minnesota with sixteen locations throughout the state, Shakey’s® Pizza, is returning to the North Star State with five new restaurants scheduled to open in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, the first of which is slated for Summer 2011. After a nearly decade-long absence, the new Shakey’s restaurants will serve up a welcome trip down memory lane for Minnesotans.

Shakey’s has been absent from Minnesota since the Rochester franchise closed its doors in August 2002. Over the past few years, Shakey’s fans from the region have used Facebook to urge the nostalgic favorite to come back home. ”I wish Shakey’s would come back to Minnesota! I used to go there for my birthday every year…Good food and fun…” posted by Shakey’s Facebook fan Leslie Lynch.

The brand’s triumphant return to Minnesota reflects Shakey’s ongoing resurgence. The iconic pizza parlor has reemerged from a cheerful memory to a successful restaurant chain experiencing exponential growth – even during the economic downturn. With its revitalized model of family-friendly restaurants and enhanced menu options, Shakey’s has become a leader in the fast-casual dining market and continues to expand rapidly.

 “People have never stopped loving Shakey’s Pizza and that’s why we’re experiencing such a remarkable resurgence in popularity,” said Shakey’s Pizza CEO Joe Remsa. “Everybody has a story, a memory or a special feeling about Shakey’s. In re-envisioning the restaurant, we wanted to preserve a bit of that heritage and invite a new generation of customers to make memories of their own.”

 Shakey’s first Minnesota restaurant, which opened in Columbia Heights in 1966, followed Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson’s original model: a destination where friends and families could gather for hot pizza, cold beer and sing-along ragtime music. The new Minneapolis-St. Paul restaurants will embrace the original concept with a modern spin – including arcade games, big screen TV’s, classic American music and familiar pop-culture memorabilia. The restaurant design will feature Shakey’s traditional long tables to accommodate larger parties and community dining as well as intimate booths for smaller groups and families.

The menu will highlight Shakey’s original thin-crust pizza featuring hand-tossed dough made fresh daily, crispy fried chicken and famous Mojo® potatoes. To complement the classic favorites, Shakey’s will also feature a variety of gourmet pizzas as well as dipping wings with savory sauces, which are sure to become top picks among a new generation of Minnesotans.

Many Minnesota residents remember Shakey’s as the gathering place to celebrate any number of life’s milestones. The new Twin Cities locations will once again serve as a destination for guests to recount their favorite Shakey’s stories, while creating new memories to last a lifetime.

ABOUT SHAKEY’S USA

Sherwood “Shakey” Johnson opened the first Shakey’s Pizza Parlor® in a remodeled grocery store on 57th and J Street in Sacramento, California in 1954. Originally established as “ye public house” for pizza & beer, Johnson indulged his passion for Dixieland jazz and added live ragtime music to mix, featuring banjos and player pianos throughout his rapidly expanding franchise. As the concept caught on, the Shakey’s name became synonymous with The World’s Greatest Pizza® along with light-hearted slogans such as “You’ll have fun at Shakey’s, also pizza,” and “You can feed your face at any old place, but you can warm your heart at Shakey’s.” Since that time, Shakey’s has been a pop-culture staple referenced in countless television shows, films and even by Bob Hope during an Academy Awards broadcast. And its most famous employee, actor Billy Bob Thornton, continues to share his Shakey’s memories in every interview he gives. Shakey’s USA, Inc is headquartered in Alhambra, CA.  For more information and locations, visit http://www.shakeys.com  

There you have it…the good news.   My favorite childhood pizza joint is coming back to Minnesota.   Long live the banjo player and the player piano.

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

“First we swim around them a few times with just the tip of our fins showing.”  And they did.

“Well done, son!  Now we swim around them a few times with all of our fins showing.” And they did.

“Now we eat everybody.” And they did.

When they were both gorged, the son asked, “Dad, why didn’t we just eat them all at first?  Why did we swim around and around them?”

His wise father replied, “Because they taste better without the shit inside!”

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

As you can imagine any child of mine is going to grow up with a heavy influence of the outdoors pervading their life, and Elsie has certainly been no exception.   When given the opportunity I spend time teaching her to identify animals such as — deer, bear, raccoons, pheasants, moose, etc.   But when the topic involves fish, well…that can be a whole different ball game.   To many kids her age I would think a fish is just a fish.   Boy, did I learn a big lesson and that is DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE ABILITY OF A CHILD TO LEARN.   No matter what age they happen to be.

My wife and I agree that one of the big reasons Elsie appears to be advanced on her developmental charts is because from day one we talked to her like a regular person — “baby talk,” so to speak, was not allowed.   She can recite most of her alphabet with minimal assistance, she can occasionally count to ten, she knows all of her colors in a box of Crayola 24s…and I could go on like any proud father would.

But this summer she truly amazed me after a certain family fishing experience in Northern Minnesota.   Her attention span for fishing was so short (about 30 seconds) we really didn’t do anything to the extent where she reeled in her first fish.   Oh, that day is still coming someday soon.   But she did “help” other family members as we brought an occasional walleye into the boat.   She quickly developed her version of “walleye fever” as she patiently sat near the livewell watching the fish swim and swim.

She was “hooked,” figuratively speaking.   During the rest of our vacation she became so fixated on walleye.   We didn’t just go fishing…nope, we were fishing for walleye.

Okay, this is all fine and dandy, but as I was paying the bill at the resort office Elsie was tugging on my leg so I looked down.   Lo and behold was a poster showing the Fishes of Minnesota produced my the Minnesota DNR.   It was taped under the office counter and directly at Elsie’s eye level.

Elsie was trying to get my attention because she had picked out on the poster (I’ve circled in red) the fish species that happens to be a walleye.   To my amazement was this barely two-year old girl correctly identifying a fish species on a poster containing over 50 uniquely different fish.

At first I disregarded it as a lucky guess on her part.   But several weeks have passed since this incident and it still amazes me how out of all those fish she was pointing at the correct one for what she was telling me.   I would have just assumed that a child her age would call any one of those fish a walleye…or a bass, etc.

I guess the point I want to most emphasize by all of this is not that my child is developing into an amazing intellect.   That’s not it at all.   Instead, I point this out because her father (me) has learned some important lessons from the outdoor teaching experience, namely:

1. Never underestimate the ability of a child to comprehend what you have to teach them about the outdoors.
2. Be persistent in your teaching (if I’m looking at a magazine with a fish or game animal I ask her to identify it for me—she thinks it’s a fun game and it affords me a never-ending teaching opportunity).
3. Start early developing the child’s interest in the outdoors.
4. Be patient and allow them to learn at their own speed.  Don’t try to push or force their progress.
5. Shower them with kudos when they get things correct.  It fosters a deeper desire to continue learning.

You know with all the success I’ve had with young Elsie this summer…next year I’ve been thinking of introducing her to musky fishing, but my wife thinks this might be a bit premature for a 3–year old.   Perhaps my wife is right, I’m just not so sure her Barbie Doll fishing pole could withstand the rigors of landing such a sharp-toothed giant, anyway.   We’ll see.

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Ted Nugent has been fined $1,750 in a California court for baiting deer for his hunting show “Spirit of the Wild”. Nugent entered a no contest plea to that charge and not having his deer tag countersigned at the closest possible location. It could have been worse, Nugent also illegally shot a spike buck on the show but was not charged -that one was dropped after negotiations between his attorney and the Yuba County District Attorney’s office.

In what has become a too-frequent situation with TV hunting shows, Nugent essentially provided the proof of the crime on his TV show. According to California media reports, a Fish and Game warden was watching Nugent’s show on Outdoor Channel and “about fell out of his chair” when he saw Nugent with the spike. After a subsequent investigation, charges were filed.

Nugent’s cameraman, Mitchell Neil Moore and property owner Ross Albert Patterson were both charged with violations and paid fines for illegally possessing an animal and taking an animal with bait, respectively.

To the Fish and Game Department’s credit, they treated Nugent as they would any other violator and did not issue a press release when the charges were filed on August 6.

In this instance, there’s been no comment from Nugent. I won’t defend him, but it’s not the first time that time pressures from tight television production deadlines have caused problems. As expected, Nugent neither denied or dodged the charges, with officials saying he was “very cooperative” in the entire matter.

In what appears to be a matter of poor judgment, “The Nuge” becomes the latest high-profile sportsman to join the wall of shame as a game law violator.   While there have been many other celebs who share this unenviable distinction, in this blog we have discussed two others that come to mind: Troy Gentry and Babe Winkelman.  In fact, as an aside, the post about Babe Winkelman back in 2004 was the second blog entry I ever made on this site.

One of the great advantages conservation officers (or game wardens) have in performing their law enforcement duties is the fact it’s human nature for folks to brag about their exploits in the outdoors.   Whether this is done in front of a TV camera (as in Nugent’s case) or even described in a blog, the fact remains “bragging” often can lead to a citation.

So, how do you feel about these personalities who get so-called “pinched?”   Do you think less of them in terms of respect, or do you cut them some slack realizing the violations happen all the time whether to friends or associates?

Personally, I am a stickler for adhering to the game and fish laws.   I consider it to be the sportsman’s responsibility to be aware of such things no matter how complicated they sometimes become.   And when I read about a high-profile personality, like a Ted Nugent, running afoul of “the rules” it makes me cringe.

To me, at issue isn’t the fact Ted Nugent got busted.   Nope!   Instead, I worry about the message this sends to the non-hunting public when one of our leading, outspoken personalities is shown that he doesn’t necessarily play by the rules.   Indirectly, his actions give us all a bad image…and that bothers me.

©2010 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.  No Reproduction without Prior Permission.