Is It Really Safe Out There For Kids Anymore?

As a farm boy you quickly learned to appreciate and respect the outdoor lifestyle.   In most cases, growing up on the farm gave you few choices to do otherwise.   I can fondly remember at the ripe old age of 8 or 9 coming home…getting off the school bus…changing into my “work clothes”…and heading off to the woods.   Back then it was one of my nightly chores that dad had carefully laid out for me.   He milked cows…and it was MY RESPONSIBILITY to have the cows home for the evening milking session or else I would jeopardize my weekly allowance.

Now stop and think about it.   Here’s a young child trusted with his three dogs to go round up and chase home an entire herd of cattle, each of which weighed at least 10 times as much as I did at the time.   Obviously my dad trusted the docile nature of his cows…but he also trusted his young boy not to provoke the stock into doing something out of their character.

In most cases the journey back into the pasture would last no more than 1/2 mile or so…but it gave me an excuse to explore the outdoors as well as earn my first real income.   Most evenings it was pretty uneventful…in fact, in time the cows knew the routine so well that it was downright boring.   When the cows saw me and the dogs…they knew it was time to head back from the lush pasture where they had been grazing.

On one particular afternoon things suddenly changed in my world.   The boredom usually experienced walking the narrow cow-paths back home was quickly shattered when I came face to face with a red fox.   We starred at each other for what seemed like an eternity…but I’m sure in reality it was only a split second.   The fox darted in one direction and I remember darting in another direction.   Heck, at the time I thought it was a hungry wolf…and a kid my age had no right becoming the canine’s next meal.   I ran home only to exclaim to my father that I should no longer be chasing the cows home if there are hungry wolves out in the pasture.   Of course, this was his opportunity to explain to me that what I had seen was not a wolf…but merely a red fox.   He reassured me there were no wild animals on the farm looking to cause me any harm.

Okay, let’s fast forward life by over thirty years until today.   I still live on the same farm.   I no longer have to chase cattle for my father…those days ended quite some time ago.   Yet, in most regards it is the very same farm with the same pastures as it has always contained.   But indeed something is different today.

I now have a 9–year old stepson and lately I’ve been struggling with the question of should I let him go out in the pastures and woods alone as I did through most of my growing years.   Granted, I grew up on the farm and was probably a bit more savvy about the outdoors having been raised since birth in that environment…but that’s not what this concern is about.   At least not completely.

Yesterday, I took my stepson to one of my favorite hills way out yonder and helped him learn how to snow board.   As we were walking home he asked me if he could come out here alone sometime.   I said, “sure…I used to go all over this farm when I was your age.   Not a problem.”

So, today he went back to that hill alone while I worked in the office.   Chalk it up to being a concerned parent, I guess…but while he was gone I started to have second thoughts about letting this 80 pound child out in the woods alone with no dogs for distraction.   Was it wise for me to encourage him to do something I simply took for granted during my growing years?   Well, I’m still struggling a bit with that decision.

Here’s my main concern.   COYOTES!   Back in the days when I was a youngster there virtually were no wildlife dangers present on a farm in southern Minnesota.   I can’t exactly make that same claim today.   In fact, when I go outside nights right now I can sometimes hear packs of coyotes that must number well in excess of a dozen critters.   Truth is…these coyotes are killing young calves and small deer when the opportunity presents itself…so why not a young boy simply enjoying the snow with his new snow board?

The explosion of the coyote population is quite an interesting phenomenon.   Back when I was a young trapper cutting my teeth on learning how to make dirt hole sets…the thought of possibly catching a coyote (as opposed to a desired red fox) was simply not existent.   Today, that same trap-set would more likely render a coyote than Mr. Red.   Oh, how things have changed!

And, unfortunately, so has my attitude in allowing my young stepchild to go back in the woods alone.   As much as I would like him to have the same experience of living fearless on the farm…it’s a chance I just can’t take today.   Maybe I’m being overly cautious…certainly I’ve not heard of a widespread problem of coyotes attacking young children…but it will happen.   Sooner or later there will be a report of a coyote attack in this area.   That’s my prediction…as these vermin are getting more and more bold in their activities around people.   I certainly know it has happened in other parts of the country…so why not here?

Part of being a responsible outdoorsman and parent is anticipating and appreciating the potential dangers for a young child…and then taking steps necessary to avoid any potential problem.   My better judgment tells me that what I largely took for granted over 30 years ago cannot be viewed in the same light today.   The outdoors, in particular the critters that inhabit it, has changed…even though the farm where we still reside has much the same physical appearance as it has throughout my entire life.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

2006 SHOT Show Product Review — Part Two

Many vendors at the SHOT Show seem bent on a philosophy of building a “better mouse trap.”   Call it marketing…call it entrepreneurship…call it whatever you want.   If you’re not one of the big players at the SHOT, such as a Remington, a Leupold, or a Mossy Oak…you have to fight for attention and ultimately acceptance of your hunting products by the buying public.   Indeed, many of the products shown to the dealers by the “little guys” will never survive beyond a few years of sales…and that’s okay.   Over the years there have been many products in the outdoor world that have come and gone without much fanfare…and that is to be expected in a highly competitive sales world.

In this blog feature it is important for you to understand that I am not necessarily endorsing the few products I’ve selected.   Instead, I’ve randomly picked them out as representative of what is new and soon to be available for the sportsman during 2006.   Time will tell if the products ever become a sales success or exactly what fate will eventually come their way.

Lodge Cookware

Alright, I’ll be the first to admit that mentioning cast iron cookware is not exactly a new product to most sportsmen.   In fact, it may be one of the older products that could even be featured at such a new product show.   Still, this cooking utensil deserves another look by sportsmen for some of the enduring qualities that HAVE definitely stood the test of time.   Quite honestly, if you’re a sportsman and cooking with anything other than cast iron in camp there’s a certain sacrilegiousness attributed to that act.

Fortunately, Lodge Manufacturing has taken some of the tedious care aspects of cooking with cast out of the equation.   About two years ago Lodge came out with their new factory seasoned cookware that means each pot or skillet is ready to use immediately when you bring it home from the store.   No more hassles with seasoning the raw cast cookware to get the perfect finish before use…it’s already been done at the factory.   That doesn’t mean the cookware owner can be careless…you still need to understand how to properly clean cast after each use…but with the pre-seasoned cookware this once initial chore of new cast ownership has been eliminated.   Give this line of outdoor cooking products another look if you haven’t done so for a few years.

Trail StarzTrailstar

Remember back a few years ago when marking the trail to your deer stand meant using plastic flagging tape?   Who could miss the brightly colored, plastic ribbon-like material that alerted everyone to your stand placement.   Then about 20 years ago some ingenious entrepreneurs came out with the little reflective thumbtacks and bread (twist) ties and suddenly the woodland trail was still marked for those early morning treks…but a flashlight was now needed to decipher the true path in the darkness of the pre-dawn hours.

But us sportsmen now live in a high-tech world where it simply is not in vogue to use ribbon or reflective material anymore to mark a trail.   If you still do, shame, shame for being so old-fashioned!!!   Nope, today’s deer hunter needs the woods to be as high-tech as most other aspects of his life.   Introducing the L.E.D. trail marker that can be used in a number of different ways.   Leave them strategically placed as you leave the woods in the previous evening to find the same location the next morning.   Or use them as an aid in recovering downed game after sun-down.   The bottom line is these are little marker lights that shine bright and will serve as a beacon to get you back to where you want to be.   Downside…well, they take three little button cell batteries and only last about 60 hours.   That’s not bad…but check out your replacement battery costs before investing too heavily in this little device.

Cough Mufflers

Yea, you’ve probably heard about this product before.   I remember something similar to it out on the market about five years or so ago.   Still, you have to hand it to anyone who thinks they can sell a product to reduce or minimize the negative effects of a common body function.   I suppose if you are prone to coughing a lot while in the deer stand…then this isn’t such a bad idea.   But c’mon…there’s got to be a limit to what a hunter will drag out in the woods with them…and I think bringing a muffler to suppress a cough might just have surpassed that limit.   Still, you be the judge.

Come to think of it, the sample of the last cough muffler I had (from a different company) I gave to a friend with some special instructions.   Seems to me I told him that he needed it not to suppress his coughing…but to “stick it” in some other orifice to see if it might perform double duty. 

Little Sure Shot Gun Rest

Here’s an ingenious little product that is probably not completely original, either…but one can quickly see the practical nature of making your own gun rest out of materials found in the field.   Just find a suitable stick and you’re in business…you have a sturdy gun rest that will enable you to make a better shot when the moment of truth finally arrives.   I can envision this product being useful for anything from shooting prairie dogs to elk.   Best of all, the device is compact and light-weight enough to reasonably pack into the field on most hunting trips.

HuntinhoistHuntin Hoist

Last but not least is another product this is not exactly original…but nevertheless is a good idea not only for safety’s sake but also for convenience for the stand hunter.   It’s a little device that attaches to your deer stand and allows you to transport all your gear from the ground into your stand once you are safely positioned and ready to accept it.   Think of it somewhat like one of those retractable dog leashes you can purchase at the pet supply store.   Come to think of it…at about half the price…maybe the dog leash would be a suitable alternative to this little device…albeit not with all the same bells and whistles.

Oh, there were lots more products that probably deserve my mention from this year’s 28th annual get-together at the SHOT Show…but I hope this gives you some of the flavor of what walking the show was like.   Most of the booths were filled with high hopes and optimism that this was the year their products were going to become big market sellers.   And who knows…as things turn out some of them might just be right in that thinking.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

2006 SHOT Show Product Review — Part One

Okay, if you’ve come here looking for information on the newest, latest, greatest gun from Remington or perhaps a product review on Winchester’s new Supreme Elite Rifle Ammunition, you’re going to be disappointed.   It’s not that I didn’t traipse through 13 miles of SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show isles looking at all the new products offered by 1,800+ vendors…I just wasn’t inspired by many of their offerings to report it here.   In fact, in the weeks and months to come you will surely hear about many of the new products showcased in other reporting, but today I’m writing about the products that caught my eye at the show…and some of them might not even be brand new to the industry.

I’ll be honest.   When I attend the SHOT Show and I walk from booth to booth I’m a big skeptic.   Will this new camouflage pattern really allow me to hide more successfully to call in more ducks?   Will this new deer stand design really allow me to be more comfortable sitting 15’ up in a tree so I stay in the woods longer before getting antsy to move?   Will this new gun sling really make my rifle feel two pounds lighter?

In most cases, I stop…look at the offerings at most vendor booths…and then I move on.   If the new product doesn’t have some practical function in my sporting lifestyle it probably doesn’t matter how wonderful the product will be to other sportsmen.   I need to see some immediate value…and not always by enabling my outdoor experience to be more of a success…but to add more enjoyment to the time I spend outdoors celebrating that lifestyle…that’s the bottom line.

 WetFire™ Tinder

WetFireHere’s an incredible little product that every sportsman should own.   I was sucked into this booth by the president of the company who gave a captivating demonstration on how to start a survival fire under any circumstance or climate condition.   The product he was really pushing was the new Blastmatch Fire Starter…but the product that stole the show for me was the tinder material used during the demonstration.   The WetFire Tinder was a small marshmallow-like material that can be shaved off in little flakes…or it can be left whole.   Doesn’t matter.   All this stuff knows how to do is burn.   In fact, the demonstrator scraped a bunch of tiny flakes into a pan of water…struck a flint and steel to make some sparks…and it ignited and burned while floating on water.   They claim water even makes it burn better.   Each little piece will burn for about 1/2 hour making floating candle or burning however you need it.

Seems to me that this little tinder material should be carried in every sportsman’s pack, tackle box, or even vehicle glove box where someday it could be useful for a wide array of survival situations.   Check it out further by reading here.

The Rifle Cam™

The Rifle Cam is an interesting product that actually is the mount for attaching your own small video camera directly to your rifle.   It works in tandem with your rifle’s scope allowing the user to actually film the suspense leading up to the kill.   Awesome product for the tree stand hunter who has longed for taking the video camera out in the woods.   The big downside, most rifle hunting is not done at less than 50 yards which can mean the video camera may not be taking closeup shots of the game being hunted.   In any case, the mount allows a unique perspective to capture the action while not significantly interfering with the action leading up to the kill.   For more information or to purchase this product, contact our sponsor Sportsman’s Specialties for additional details (see right side-bar).

Gerber’s Carnivore™ Blood Tracking Light

Gerber Knives has expanded it’s offering of L.E.D. lights to include one that is specifically designed for detecting a blood trail in low or no light conditions.   It includes a careful calibration of red and blue L.E.D.s promoted to make after dark blood tracking substantially easier.   Not sure how well this product might work…but if you’re not opposed to doing some blood trailing after shooting hours…this just might be the type of light you would want to carry in your bag of equipment.   Watch for this light and other products using similar technology to arrive at the stores soon.

BuckEye Cam™

Okay, I’ve been considering the purchase of one or more trail cameras for the past few years now…but this might be the ultimate system.   In fact, I’m quite sure it is way out of my price league…nevertheless, I find the concept quite interesting.   Imagine a wildlife trail camera that can be observed remotely…from up to 5 miles away on your computer.   That’s precisely what the folks at BuckEye Cam are offering.   Check them out for additional details.

Hitch™ CrittersHitchCritter

Alright, yes…sometimes I am a sucker for gimmicks and novelties.   But when you see these little guys in action it can’t help but put a smile on your face.   If you like to have some fun…and you also need to have your hitch ball covered to protect it from the elements…you just might want to consider a Hitch Critter to do the job.   As cute as they are…I’m just not sure how practical and theft-proof they would be sitting attached to your unattended vehicle.   Still, they are almost guaranteed to make the folks traveling behind you laugh at the next stoplight.

Stay tuned for more products to be reviewed in the days to come….

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.