That being said, several of the other guys in my group did make the trek to Bemidji, Minnesota staying at the Finn-n-Feather Resort.   Here’s their weekend in pictures.   Enjoy!

(All photos courtesy of Todd Rost)

Perhaps now you better understand why missing the Minnesota Fishing Opener is not something I plan to do next year or any year thereafter.

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Last week was my chosen hunting period here in Minnesota for the spring wild turkey hunting season.   In Minnesota, we must draw a permit for a selected 5–day hunting period to hunt turkeys.   I’m going to be quite honest with you in saying the turkey hunting was largely unremarkable in terms of relating any success stories or having a great “what if” story.

Here, Elsie and her dad wait patiently for a big tom turkey to walk by the blind. Note the coordinating pink camo and Hello Kitty boots.

Yet, what will likely be the most precious memory in my mind was taking my almost 4–y/o daughter with me to the blind.   She begged me to go turkey hunting.   Moreover, when we finally had to leave the blind to go back home she cried because she wanted to stay longer.

Needless to say she is excited about the outdoors and starting to develop the passion just like her “old man.”   In fact, this week all she can talk about is heading “up north” on Friday for the Minnesota Fishing Opener which begins on Saturday.

I’m convinced we need to start these kids early to instill in them a love of the outdoors.   In an age where children are bombarded with fancy toys, high-definition television, fast-paced video games and the like…the outdoors is in a competition for young minds like no previous generation has ever experienced.

It certainly behooves those of us as outdoorsmen to do our part to ensure the next generation has the opportunity to experience all the wonders of nature.   To this day some of my fondest memories were those moments spent as a youth doing outdoor related activities.   Let’s not deprive our children of those same great memories by failing to involve them in the activities we so dearly cherish.

Todd Rost and Elsie pose for a picture outside the hunting blind.

I’ll be perfectly frank…taking a young child with a talkative, inquisitive personality to the turkey blind will likely not increase your chances for bagging game.   That’s not the point.   Unlike video games where a player can shoot a trophy animal every 5–10 minutes with some make-believe scenario…it’s important to show kids that REAL hunting is not all about killing.

Indeed, REAL hunting is about spending time (often with people you care deeply about) participating in an activity that should be as natural as anything else you could possibly do in life.   Like it or not, kids tend to learn and develop who they will one day become based on watching those adults who make an impression on their lives.   Again, I contend, if you leave a kid at home each time you go hunting or on a fishing trip…what sort of impression are you making?

If I don’t shoot another critter or catch another fish that would be perfectly fine so long as I am giving the kids in my life the opportunity to do the same.   When you start living the hunt through the eyes of a youngster, you’ll quickly regain some of that invigorated excitement you once had as a youth learning about the outdoors.

Long before my daughter, Elsie, starts growing interested in boys…I want her first love to be deer, turkeys, walleyes, ducks, crappies, pheasants…well, I think you get the picture.

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Quite honestly, two months ago when I place my mother into hospice, my brother and I both agreed by all accounts she wouldn’t last long.   She had simply reached a point in her life where she wanted things to be over.   Being nursing home bound and requiring staff to feed, bathe, and do all of the day-to-day life needs simply caused her to lose her will to thrive at the age of 85.

I must say the process of watching a loved one creep toward their last breath is not very easy.   At times it is downright heartbreaking, at other times it is emotionally and physically draining, yet, with everything going on it has also been a period where I have done some deep introspection about death.   Heck, for that matter…maybe it would be more appropriate to say about life.

Those of us who are sportsmen often deal with death.   We take the lives of the game or fish we pursue, we sometimes have to make the excruciating decision to put our canine partners down.   Hell, if you’ve made it to middle age you may have already said “goodbye” to several hunting and fishing partners who have passed on.

Death is not easy.   It is also not predictable.   Yet, watching my mother inch toward “better days ahead” in a spiritual sense has certainly given me a greater appreciation for my life.   During the process I’ve learned as much about myself as I have about her wonderful time spent on earth.

Over the course of the past several weeks I’ve taken my time to grieve.   We’ve said all the “goodbyes” and “I Love You’s” a person would expect to hear from a caring family.   I’ve tried to spend as much time at her bedside as is feasible, yet carrying on with the other important facets of life—like family and work.

Indeed, my mind lately has been distracted and distant much of the time.   As important as blogging is to me…other priorities had taken on greater importance to my life at this moment in time.   I know most of you understand.

However, with all of this said…I’m reaching a point where I need to regain control of my life and attempt to bring it back into balance.   So much of my life has been “on hold” during the past several months anticipating something that isn’t quite happening at the pace I once expected it would.   To some extent, it is time to move on with my life.

In ten days the 2012 Minnesota Fishing Opener kicks off and I had considered breaking tradition and not going this year on my normal 5–hour trek from home.   Not the case.   As I have done all previous years in this blog, I plan to go and write about my experiences on the water during this special annual fishing weekend.

My mother, well…she continues to get weaker and hardly eats or drinks.   She has many more bad days than she experiences any good days.   From hour to hour I don’t know what to expect from her as her health and mental state fluctuates quite unpredictably.

In closing, I want to thank all of you for expressing your concern and your prayers.   My family appreciates everything and is strengthened by such heartfelt generosity.   On a bright note, I’m here to tell you I’m attempting to get back into the swing of posting regular pieces to this blog.   I hope you’ll cut me some slack and understanding if it doesn’t happen…but that is my intent.

Be strong & courageous.  Do not be terrified or discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. -Josh. 1:9

Jim Braaten

I’ll admit my first was purely by accident.   I was mowing lawn one early spring day and trying to bring the mower up close to a tree in the yard so I didn’t have to trim.   Whoa!   What the heck is that!   There growing an inch or so from the base of a living maple tree was this curious little mushroom I believed I had heard and seen so much about.

I got off the mower and stopped the engine for a closer look.   I then ran into the house and started thumbing through my Peterson Field Guide To Mushrooms just to confirm that what I had discovered was, in fact, what I believed it to be.   You see, I was always told how the key to discovering morels was to look for them near dead elms with bark sloughing off the trunk.   Well, it doesn’t always work out that way.

I was hooked.   Problem is when you discover a morel mushroom by accident can you truly claim you found it?   I mean, that mushroom clearly found me as much as I can lay claims I found it.   Still, a morel in-hand is a beautiful sight.   And this admission is coming from someone who absolutely HATES to eat mushrooms.

Years later in my outdoors career I was working for the Minnesota DNR giving an interpretive nature hike at a nearby state park when I had another surprise encounter with morels.   This time I advised about a dozen hikers with me to stop where they were walking and not to move (fearing someone might step on the morel before it was detected).   It took at least five minutes of ground scrutiny before someone from the group finally discovered the little bugger.   I say this because there are times when finding morels can be rather easy…and then there are those times when they disappear like the proverbial “needle in the haystack.”

Recently my wife, the mushroom lover in the family, has been on my case to find her some morels.   What has particularly fueled the fire is learning that a neighbor only a few miles away has been finding THIS.   So, earlier this evening we set out to find our bounty…er, at least that was the goal.

My wife, Roberta, proudly displays our one and only morel mushroom found during our outing.

I’ll be the first to admit I am no expert when it comes to finding morels.   The spring time is always a fun time to be hiking the woods, so even on the few times I have claimed to be “looking for morels,” simply observing the spring wildflowers and watching the woods come back to life after a long winter is worth it–mushrooms or no mushrooms.

But on this particular evening my goal was to put a morel into my wife’s hands.   We looked and looked until it was almost dark, but then lo and behold this dandy ‘shroom caught our eye.   Yeah, we certainly did not hit a bounty on our little morel foraging tromp through the woods…but somehow I sense my wife has now caught the bug to do more “looking” in the coming days.

After all, discovering your first morel mushroom elevates you into a special club of outdoors folks.   And if you are a mushroom eating fiend like my wife, then finding your first morel has a very special significance in her life.   Indeed, she has now been bitten by the morel bug something bad.

For more information on morels, be sure to check out this podcast I did back in 2007 featuring Ron Spinosa from the Minnesota Mycological Society.

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Perhaps nothing better exemplifies my point than an experience I had about 15 years ago while working ambulance.   As I recall, we were dispatched to a residence of a person suffering severe panic attacks that were endangering her life.   In a nutshell, we discovered a 30–something year old woman who had been a sex slave to her neighbor for the past several years.   The woman, who had a teenage son, endured acts and behavior I simply cannot describe within this blog.  It was gut-wrenching…and tore my heart out more than you can imagine.

Why did she do it?   To protect her son from criminal prosecution.   Turns out the son had broken into the neighbor’s home and stole some items that were fairly petty in the whole scheme of things.   To prevent the neighbor from reporting the son and pressing criminal charges…the woman chose instead to endure a living hell, that, at times, even involved being locked in a closet for days on end.

So, why do I bring this up?   I want to give you some perspective.   When I speak of acts and words that I find utterly repulsive and beyond the bounds of our typical community standards, I know about what I speak.   I’ve experienced it first-hand.

Maybe it shouldn’t come as a complete shock that in recent weeks I’ve been feeling those same sickening sentiments about a series of comments that posters have tried to make to this blog.   You see, some folks allegedly from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have viciously attacked my good friend, Michele Leqve, whom I first wrote about in the blog back almost six years ago.   Michele is credited as being the first woman to ever shoot a polar bear with a bow.   And because I defended her in my previous blog post…I also became subject to their relentless attacks.

Check out a small sampling of excerpts from the comments these people have tried to make (but were not approved for complete publication) on this blog:

“…disgusting pervertion of womanhood … i hope someone shoots her with a bow and arrow just after she’s been run to exhaustion….”

and this one:

“I’ll be impressed when the Bitch can shoot all you FUCKTARDS making you extinct.”

and

“… I hope you all have the experience of being hunted down and shot one day.”

Indeed, dozens of PETA-supporting folks tried to comment, but almost without exception their words were crude, repulsive and totally devoid of decency in attempting to make an argument debating their point of view.   Instead, these folks chose to use vulgar language and prove to me once and for all how they represent the pure hypocrisy of what they profess to be.

After all, how can a person ever truly believe in the ethical treatment of animals when they can’t even display common courtesy to their own kind.   Seriously, I can accept and tolerate the fact not everyone views hunting the exact same way as I do.   Yet, it appears the typical PETA member can show no tolerance in return.   I can even appreciate they might feel strongly the way they do…but when they cross the line and attempt to post such absolute garbage on my blog site they have just wasted those few minutes of their life and exposed a big flaw in their human character.

My friend, Michele, has been harassed to the point she had to change her e-mail and her cell phone number to avoid all the vicious threats.   I might point out that back in 2006 when Michele killed her polar bear she was on a legal hunt and the meat from the animal was taken and used by her Nunavut Eskimo guides.  Today, her trophy mount remains on display at a major sporting goods store in Canada for thousands to see.

I began this blog post describing how the perceived threats of one person can be so powerful it ultimately devastated the life of another person who was susceptible to such behavior.   In reality, I personally find it difficult to draw a distinction in my mind between the low-life person who would make threats to achieve any desired result—whether it be in an attempt to stop hunting by intimidation or to bargain for silence on filing a criminal report in exchange for perverse sexual pleasures.

Sometimes people are just downright mean and impossible to understand.  That pretty much describes my sentiments towards many who supposedly embrace the actions and behaviors behind the PETA organization.

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

What is our ultimate goal (or what should it be)?   Seriously, as a group of outdoor users what should we all be striving towards to accomplish in our outdoor pursuits?   Mind you, I’m not talking personal goals here…I’m talking identifiable benchmarks we can collectively use to determine we’re achieving something good and proper for each of our various outdoor activities.

Only by sharing a common goal for how we should be enjoying the outdoors can we expect to achieve success and harmony in all of our outdoor pursuits.

Let me provide an example.   Yesterday I read on Facebook where someone posed the question should crossbows be used during the regular archery deer hunting season.   In many states, and my home state of Minnesota being one of them, crossbow users are greatly restricted to use only during select times and/or by persons showing a doctor diagnosed disability.

Now, on one hand those individuals suggesting “yes” point to the fact that as a hunter ages it gets increasingly difficult to pull back on a bow, even today’s modern compounds incorporating marvelous engineering designs can still be too much for muscles enduring atrophy.   Yet, traditional archers understandably have reason to limit an expansion of deer hunter opportunities leading to increased competition on a limited commodity.

So, we have a standoff between two factions of sportsmen each with a personal vested interest in rules being construed to their recreational advantage.   Emotions over the issue build, eventually one side or the other starts to undermine the other’s stance with negativity, and suddenly sportsmen are at odds over a matter that should not even be occurring.   Why?   Because inherently we let selfish desires sway our thinking (and acting) due to the fact we’re all not operating toward an established outdoors goal.

Here’s another example.   In Minnesota, like a growing number of states, we’ve been experimenting with various deer management principles involving antler point restrictions (or APR’s).   The thought being if hunters are required to count a certain number of points on a buck to make it legal, this will help shift the buck population to one that is more mature, hence more trophies.

The problem is not everyone wants to deer hunt with those added restrictions.   Indeed, one faction of hunters wants the DNR to mandate certain criteria to theoretically increase the number of trophy deer bounding through the woods.   On the flip side are deer hunters who prefer doing things the traditional way allowing every hunter to determine what they consider to be a trophy.   Bottom line…selfish personal desires place otherwise regular, agreeable sportsmen at great odds.

Okay, enough talk about a goal.   Let’s establish a common goal among all sportsmen that should be widely understood as well as embraced.   The goal needs to take “what’s best for me” out of the equation.   The goal needs to be so ridiculously simple that everyone understands it.   The goal needs to resonate and become woven into the fabric of everything we do, henceforth, when it comes to hunting, fishing, trapping, etc.

The goal needs to rejoice in the fact that although many of us choose to enjoy the outdoors in slightly different ways, our differences should never become kindling used for torching fellow sportsmen.   Indeed, the goal might need to re-focus our thinking for the greater good of our beloved outdoor pursuits, but that’s okay and a healthy step in the right direction.

THE GOAL:  All laws, rules and regulations should be developed and construed allowing the MAXIMUM number of people to participate and to enjoy the outdoors.   There you have it!   Notice I didn’t say to enjoy the outdoors a certain way at the expense of how others might enjoy it.   Of course, the underlying caveat to this goal must always consider what is good for the natural resources first and foremost.

Honestly, folks, I’ve really growing tired of the divisiveness prevalent within our ranks seemingly motivated by pure selfish thinking.   It’s a cancer and needs to be dealt with before it spreads out of control.   As a group, we can’t afford to alienate other sportsmen (or future sportsmen) because we strive to push for personal agendas losing sight of what should be the greater goal.   Then, of course, if we all choose to continue operating without a common goal for our beloved outdoor activities we simply continue on a destiny of eventual doom.

Your thoughts?

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

A few of you have contacted me and I’m sure many others of you have wondered about my absence over the past many weeks. Truth is I have some heavy things going on in my life right now and I no longer have the motivation to be actively blogging, tweeting or even Facebooking on a regular basis.

Over the past many weeks I have found myself dealing with the end-of-life issues associated with an older parent. In this case, I have been busy caring for and attending to the needs of a beloved mother on her deathbed.

The process is emotionally draining, mentally distracting, and I’ll admit quite demanding of what precious spare time I currently have in my life.

It certainly isn’t that I’ve given up on blogging or my social media activities…but under the circumstances I’ve felt it best to redirect my time and energy toward this difficult process.

Today, we just placed her into hospice care to ensure her remaining days are comfortable and the best they can be. As most of you know, death is a process–both for the dying and for the living. It’s heart wrenching, often overwhelming, but nonetheless something very natural we all must someday experience with loved ones.

During this difficult time in my life I don’t ask for your sympathy, but rather your understanding and, if so inclined, your prayers.

I’ll get back to blogging soon when my mind can once again focus on outdoors matters. In the meantime, thanks to everyone for the concern they have expressed during my sudden absence from the blogosphere.

Respectfully,
Jim Braaten

BUT THE TIME TO ACT IS RIGHT NOW!

That’s right.   Applications are currently being taken by the Minnesota DNR, but the deadline is less than a week away (application must be received by 2/13/12).   To download the application and review the complete details, please link HERE.

This is the 10th consecutive year the Minnesota DNR has teamed up with the National Wild Turkey Federation to provide mentors for qualified youth who desire to experience this unique outdoor challenge.   Over the years, more than 1,500 new wild turkey hunters have been successfully introduced to the outdoors thanks to volunteer adults who show the youth a safe, responsible experience out-of-doors.

A mentored youth turkey hunt is often the best way for first-time hunters to discover how to tag a tom.

To be eligible, a youth hunter must be the proper age on or before April 21; have a valid firearms safety certificate; and be accompanied by a parent or guardian.   Please note the program is for first-time turkey hunters only.   Any youth who has previously purchased or been selected by lottery for a Minnesota turkey license of any type is not eligible.

Most hunts will occur April 21-22, which is the first weekend of the regular wild turkey season.   Nearly all youth will hunt on private land thanks to the generosity of private landowners and the NWTF volunteers who obtained permission.

Participants will be selected through a random lottery.   Applications, maps and general information for the special youth wild turkey hunt are available online HERE.

Now for the important part.   I have it on good authority that so far this year applications for this special hunt are way down—as much as 40 percent compared to last year, for various reasons.   That means there’s a lot of willing, qualified mentors who could be missing an opportunity to make this program work unless we all take time to act now by encouraging a youth to get involved and to apply.

It’s worth noting that the average success rate for the mentored youth hunt in Minnesota is approximately 42 percent.   That’s a full 10 percent higher than the regular hunter success rate.   Why?   Because these youth get paired up with some experienced, skilled hunters who typically do extensive scouting before the actual hunt.   These volunteer adults know the importance of providing a positive experience, so not only do they dedicate their time, but often their best locations for the hunt, as well.

If you have additional questions about this great opportunity either post your question in the comments section below or contact Mike “Cold Front” Kurre at the DNR.   Michael.Kurre@state.mn.us

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Well, it appears so.

With a $750 price tag, the Shimano Stella Spinning Reel will not be found in the arsenal of every angler.

Now, keep in mind you’re reading this from a guy who once spent $129.99 for a spinning reel that was on sale and I thought that was an extreme extravagance.   I remember walking from the store feeling a bit guilty and second-guessing the purchase.   Even at that price I sure as heck did not tell my wife how much I just spent.

And apparently I’m not alone.   In reading over the few comments shown on the Shimano Stella reel, I noticed 3 out of 5 purchasers commenting made mention of their wife.  One had to have his wife revive him with smelling salts, another acknowledged not telling his wife the actual cost and a final person stated his wife eventually saw the price at the Cabela’s reel counter, so he finally got busted.

In fact, I found it somewhat amusing how this last guy not only disclosed the price to his wife by accident…but somehow found a way to purchase three more for a total of four luxury reels.   Yes, four spinning reels each costing more than all the fishing reels I’ve purchased combined.

Agreed, maybe I’m just out of touch.   Heck, shooters have their fine shotguns sold at ridiculous prices.   Bowhunters have their high-priced bows.   So, why not anglers with some state-of-the-art high-tech equipment with a price tag to reflect it?

I’d like to hear what you think.   Would you ever purchase a spinning reel costing $750?   If not, just what is the upper limit on how much would you spend on a reel to enhance your angling experience?   Does it take this sort of high-buck equipment to bring out the best angler you can be?   Please comment below.

©2012 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved. No Reproduction without Prior Permission.