Gravity vs. Bullets: Which Is The Hunter’s Worse Enemy?

September 6, 2006
General Outdoor Topics Hunting Outdoor Techniques
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During my years working as an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) on an Advanced Life Support ambulance service I responded to over 6,000 documented emergency runs. As you can imagine…I certainly witnessed my fair share of bad accidents, heart attacks, suicide attempts and the like. But occasionally the one type of 911 call I would go on that bothered me the most was out in the woods…responding to a call for an injured hunter.

Fortunately, I can count on one hand how many hunter-related emergency calls I actually responded to over the years, but they each had their effect on me. More often than not the injury was not as a result of the hunter getting shot. Nope, it was usually the hunter sustaining a fall from a tree. Sometimes it was slipping and falling while climbing the tree. Other times it was slipping on the tree stand itself or falling off when the hunter momentarily dozed off. Yet, other times it was the hunter who climbed a permanent stand and didn’t realize that repairs were really needed before the season to make it safer.

In each case…the hunters learned the hard (and might I also say the painful) way. Some of the hunters were downright embarrassed to have caused all the commotion. Other hunters were touched by the thought of dying…and the relief of seeing our faces finally brought back a slight bit of hope for survival. Truth is, whenever I had to cut open the hunter’s clothing to expose the injury I could often imagine myself laying there in the same situation.

Not sure why…but I could go on car accident after car accident and I would not usually relate to the victim (even though I drive a car) quite like I could relate to hunters who prematurely ended the day’s hunt with a body-injuring fall.

Accidents happen…and sometimes no matter how cautious you are in the woods it doesn’t seem to matter. If you subscribe to the theory that accidents always happen to the other guy then I could almost assure you that you stand a better than average chance at being the next victim. Seasoned hunters, as well as novice hunters, are just as likely to get injured while out in the woods, especially when using an elevated stand. Treestand

There are many problems associated with deer stands. First, just a few decades ago it was common to be a mere 10’ or so off the ground. These days some hunters will climb much higher seemingly to gain an advantage. And that’s fine, but with each increment higher a person travels the more damaging or deadly the potential fall becomes. As hunters we need to ask ourselves…is the risk of going higher in the tree really worth the slight advantage it might give you in bagging a deer? Or the other question could be…is a deer really worth taking any health risks at all by even climbing, especially as we grow older and hopefully more wiser.

Yesterday the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released its annual tree stand safety reminder that you can read here. It’s chocked full of helpful advice on what precautions to take and how to stay safe in the woods. I’m not going to get preachy here and dwell on those tips…because quite frankly, most of us know them anyway. At least, those of us who function in our lives using common sense have a pretty good idea what strategy to follow to be safe.

Still, that doesn’t mean that every now and then we shouldn’t review the guidelines and determine if our behavior is leaving us susceptible to injury. If I didn’t learn anything else while working in the ambulance business I learned one thing — LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLES’ MISTAKES. That’s right. When you see a hunter laying there beneath his deer stand you can’t help but feel a bit of empathy for the poor fella. You count your blessing that this time it was not you…but you still realize that what just occurred can honestly happen to anybody…anywhere…at almost any time.

This fall as we enter the upcoming hunting seasons I hope each of you are inspired to play it safe while in the woods. Believe me…I would much rather carry a dead deer out of the woods than a 220 pound guy laying on a backboard with another 30 pounds of gear being used to stabilize their injuries. It’s just not a whole lot of fun for either the victim or for the rescuers. As a matter of fact, it’s damn hard work!

Indeed, the big perception by the non-hunting public is hunting is such a dangerous sport. And I won’t initially discount the validity of that statement. Problem is, most people perceive that getting shot is the big safety fear for most hunters while enjoying their time in the woods. The simple truth is you are more likely to suffer from injuries caused by a fall (gravity) than you will from a gun (bullet).

Stop for a moment to consider all the close calls you’ve had either climbing or sitting in a tree stand. I once fell while climbing down from a stand when my pant cuff caught the tree step and I lost my balance. What was most painful wasn’t the fact I didn’t clear all the thorn bushes away from the base of the tree where I landed. Nope, instead what caused lingering pain was the pulled groin I suffered when my legs suddenly got stretched in some wild, unsuspecting manner.

Let’s face it accidents happen quickly…and they happen to everyone…I can assure you that nobody is immune unless they stay out of the woods and choose not to hunt. But you can reduce some of the problem by preparing for the unthinkable and learning what steps need to be taken to play it safe. I can assure you the wrong time to be thinking about all of this is when you are laying in a heap of excruciating pain beneath your tree stand. By then, my friend, it is far too late to do much about your situation.

Considering Scent Blocking Clothing? Use Common Sense

Last Friday I was at my local outdoor store standing in line at the cash register counter. The person ahead of me was causing all sorts of problems for the check-out gal which meant D-E-L-A-Y…gosh, I hate when that happens but the option of choosing a different line wasn’t much more promising. So, I stuck it out and tried my best to maintain a patient state of mind.

During this time it gave me ample opportunity to eavesdrop on the customer’s conversation behind me. It was a husband and wife, both somewhere in their 50’s I suspect, weighing the benefits of some new camouflage clothing. The guy — he wanted to purchase a new “scent blocker” suit of some kind made from some sort of activated charcoal purported to do its disguising magic on the olfactory senses of game animals. The wife—she wanted the husband to own some nice-looking camouflage clothing, but not the specialized “scent blocker” type stuff. She wanted her hubby to purchase clothing that he could wear out and about in the neighborhood. Clothing that, shall we say, was multi-functional by being able to be worn during hunting season but also during the other seasons when a coat might ordinarily be appropriate.

Soon, their bantering captured my attention and I couldn’t help but turn around to take a peek at the participants. You could see it written all over the guy’s face that he really wanted to try this new specialized clothing that many of the so-called experts are bragging about. That’s when she sternly said it…the coup de grâce statement that seemingly ended this particular sportsman’s quest for some new high-tech, scent management duds. “You’re not going to buy some specialized clothing that you only wear a few days out hunting each year. Get a nice camo coat that you can wear beyond just the hunting season.”

Scentblockfleece06 I watched as his next action was to hang the camo suit back on the rack without uttering even a hint of a rebuttal. Truth is, even if this lady was my own wife in this situation I would have had a hard time arguing with that logic. I’d like to think I wouldn’t give up quite so easy…but the point is certain specialized function clothing just doesn’t automatically make sense for every hunter.

The growing craze in the hunting world promoting various forms of scent management technology might on the surface have some merit in the science world. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have a PhD behind my name to add much credible evidence to the contrary. Still, common sense tells me that for centuries man has been able to successfully hunt without using a suit made out of charcoal material. As far as I’m concerned, and you can call me old fashioned here, but owning such clothing is probably not going to make or break you as a hunter.

In a nutshell, the theory behind most scent management clothing is to use activated carbon materials to attract and hold gases released naturally by the body producing detectable odor. Think of it this way…theoretically, the next time you go out on a date you would not have to shower before leaving home IF you are wearing the right type of scent-grabbing clothes. That’s right…any odors your stinky, bacteria-laden body might be giving off would be intercepted by the clothing you are wearing and your date would not be any the wiser. Actually, she shouldn’t notice your underlying stench until later…when some of the clothing might come off…but we won’t take it any further than that now will we?

Now, of course, wearing scent blocking clothing is not an adequate substitute for good hygiene habits. Even if you wear one of those expense suits you’re still expected to be clean and cologne/deodorant free. The makers of the various suits and odor management systems only recommend their clothing be used as part of an overall scent management plan where the suit becomes an additional tool further giving the hunter the tactical edge with cautious game animals.

When it comes to scent control clothing the options are many and the pricing is…well, for some products almost out of control. If you were to get outfitted head to toe with all the gear necessary to totally eliminate any threat of being exposed in the woods it would likely cost as much money as that fancy gun or bow you now tote. In fact, depending on the system being purchased, a good jacket alone could cost $200 to $300 or more. Not to mention the pants, the shoes, the underwear, the gloves, the head-wear and other accessories you would obviously need to purchase to complete the system.

Let’s not forget that being successful as a hunter requires attention to detail…and certainly odor management is a key aspect when the game animals being hunted can sniff you out. Even so, keep in mind that the choice of clothing you make has limitations and even the best hunting clothing money can buy will not solve underlying body odor issues or off-set poor hunting technique. This fall you can sport the most high-tech gear possible but it won’t make up for any deficiencies you might have in bringing you closer to the game you want to kill.

Admittedly, I do not currently own any scent control clothing nor do I have any deep desire to purchase any such garments in the near future. To me the concept is nothing but a novelty used to get sportsmen to buy more unnecessary gear to fill the closet. Call me naive, call me old-fashioned, if you will…but the concept just seems to me to be a way to ring up the totals on the store cash register. It also kind of reminds me of the guy who bought those once-popular deer whistles and mounted them on the truck bumper to ward off highway-crossing deer. Oh sure, they worked…but not for the reasons you might expect. Once mounted on the truck most drivers actually paid greater attention to the ditches because they wanted to see their $20 investment working with the deer running back into the woods.

Same holds true for this specialized clothing. Does the investment actually work because the science behind it is so fool-proof…or, does it work because the hunter who just heavily invested in it now takes the extra precautions necessary to ensure his investment succeeds, much like the old deer whistle did?

Nope, I have to give that wife in the store some credit. She wasn’t opposed to her husband purchasing some new camo clothing for hunting this season. Nope, instead she wanted to make sure that what he was buying made complete sense for his hunting lifestyle. She clearly understood the impracticality of spending hundreds of dollars on some unique clothing system that was highly specialized for a certain purpose. It just took a blunt statement directed at her husband to help him realize that he didn’t need it, either.

So, if you think you need scent control clothing to make you a better, more successful hunter…give it some further thought before making the investment. If you read the glamorous product reviews and listen to the famous spokes-people you will come away thinking that hunting without the aid of such clothing is being foolhardy in this 21st Century.

Well, my friend, I’m here to tell you that for my money I plan to invest in other types of hunting gear to increase my overall enjoyment of the hunting experience this fall. In so doing, I’m not dissing the manufacturers of scent control wearables…they’ve just failed to convince me that I can only be a successful hunter by using their particular clothing this fall. Truth is, big game hunting just isn’t that simple or it wouldn’t be any fun. And my hunch is that time will eventually prove that activated carbon clothing is only a fad that will fail to achieve the objective of revolutionizing the manner in which we all hunt.

My suggestion…save your money and find some other “essential” hunting equipment to purchase for the coming fall hunting season.

Gasoline…It’s Just Not What It Used To Be

September 3, 2006
Boating Gear
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Let me preface this post by stating I’m certainly no expert when it comes to motors and the science of understanding the workings of a combustible engine. This statement holds even more truth when the engine happens to be a marine motor. In fact, until recently the extent of my functional knowledge of such things evolved around these few principles: Use fresh, clean gas…service the motor at regular intervals…and when something doesn’t seem to be working quite right get it into the repair shop for immediate attention.

Gascan Today, however, if you’re a boat owner following those rules is simply not enough. Unless you want to deal with major headaches and expense down the road…you damn well better know what kind of fuel you are putting through that boat motor. Chances are good that the fuel you were putting into that boat five years ago when you bought it are vastly different than the fuels commonly available today. Not only is petroleum science very confusing, but the fuel additives that partially make up the gas you fill in your tank are constantly in a state of flux as EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations must be closely followed with all the new fuel blends.

Here’s the main problem, as I understand it. The petroleum industry has one main constituent—the automotive and truck driver who uses unleaded fuel in their cars, pickups and SUVs. Oh, sure, they realize that when a station fills up its big holding tanks that a small pittance of that amount of fuel will be sold for lawn mowers, for ATVs, for weed whackers and similar small engines. But in a one-product-fits-all world you don’t concern yourself with the small product consumers…you worry most about serving the folks who allow you to sell volume. That’s where you make money, after all.

On top of all that, those EPA regulations no longer allow some of the more popular additives to make for a cleaner burning fuel. Additives like MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether) can currently still be used, but refiners who do so are not immune from lawsuits alleging water pollution. In fact, in certain areas the only way to meet the emission requirements is to sell a blend of fuel requiring ethanol, a corn-based product. Blends of 10% ethanol are now common in many gasoline station options which are said to allow for a cleaner, healthier emission standard.

Problem is most boat motors just don’t thrive with ethanol or similar forms of oxygenated fuel. Despite many of the claims from the petroleum industry that all fuel is perfectly safe to use in all motors…in reality this just doesn’t always turn out to be true.

This weekend there’s a good article in the Wall Street Journal describing this very dilemma. Of course, on one hand most outdoorsmen are all for taking those steps necessary for a cleaner environment. I can’t think of any sportsman I know who willfully puts impurities into the lake water that someday will end up contaminating the very fish they intend to eat. Yet, the problem of ruining expensive equipment or having major problems keeping the boat motor running effectively can be quite aggravating. Just check out this boating forum for some additional information on the growing problem.

Personally, I had to take my Yamaha four-stroke in for repairs about three years ago for a clogged needle valve of some sort, as the repair technician described it. At the time the technician kept preaching to me that it’s a gas problem. Use stabilizer…use fresh gas…burn all the gas out of the motor before storing for long periods to avoid it varnishing up. All the usual advice. This spring now Yamaha issued a press release with additional suggestions for boat motor owners—good advice no matter what motor brand your sticker shows.

The point of all this is gas is not what it used to be…the quicker you accept this fact the better off you’ll likely be. Moreover, chances are good that in a few years it might even be quite different, yet again. Technology is constantly changing and so, too, must the motor owner be prepared to deal with those changes. If you carry on your fueling habits in some status quo fashion as in the past then you might be setting yourself up for big surprises and/or expenses down the road.

I’ve noticed when you travel to northern Minnesota—in areas typically more popular for boating—you stand a much better chance of finding a station selling non-oxygenated fuel. Here’s a tip…check with your local or state street rod association as many of them compile lists of gas stations that still cater to fuels more suitable in marine and older vehicle engines. In Minnesota, for instance, the Minnesota Street Rod Association has a list of stations that can be printed out and later used as a handy reference as to where best to fuel up the next time you plan to go boating.

It’s also a good idea to check with your local marine dealer to see what they recommend. Many might tell you not to worry as today’s ethanol products should work just fine in the newer motors. Others might tell you to be sure to use products such as SeaFoam or other consumer-based fuel additives. By all means be sure to check your owner’s manual to make sure none of your motor maintenance actions jeopardize the manufacturer’s warranty.

As for me, I will gladly pay a little bit more money for the premium fuels and get in the habit of taking a few new precautions in my fueling routine to prevent motor problems down the road. Yet, it is a bit frustrating, to say the least. We now pay twice as much money for gas here in recent years but the quality, at least for some of our sportsman purposes, is arguably not to the same high standard it used to be.

So what special boat motor fueling procedures, if any, do you use? Is it hard to find non-oxygenated fuels around where you live like it can be here in Minnesota? Please leave me your comments so we can all learn a bit more about this essential topic.