Indoors But Thinking Of The Outdoors? Click Away

This blog post is dedicated to those times when you must work indoors, but you find yourself daydreaming about the outdoors world.   Perhaps you’re at work struggling to meet a project deadline that just has you mentally wore down.   Maybe you’re anxious about the upcoming weekend and you can’t wait to see how the weather actually appears “up north.”   Or, maybe you’re like many 21st Century employees with computer/Internet access at your desk and you find yourself occasionally…shall we say, surfin’ on the employer’s dime.

Whatever the case may be, it probably doesn’t surprise you to know that visiting Minnesota’s outdoors is just a few clicks away on your computer.   Indeed, you could be in the heart of the city surrounded by concrete…but the computer can take you away to almost any area in Minnesota you’d rather be.

One of my favorite web cams happens to be up on Mille Lacs Lake located on the SE side showing a view of Hawkbill Point.   www.MNLakeCams.com   I spoke to owner, Brad Taylor, who explained they actually have 100’ of buried cable so the camera can be positioned right near the lakeshore.   The camera refreshes about every 12 seconds so the images stay very current.   I especially like the time-lapse feature at the bottom of their web page which shows a compilation of the captured images in sort of “a day in the life of Mille Lacs Lake.”   Obviously, the folks over at Rapala were so impressed with this camera’s images they even used captured photos as part of their 2009 Minnesota Fishing Opener marketing promotions.   Check out the video HERE.

Of course, Mille Lacs Lake has another popular web cam called the BobberCam (located at Hunter’s Point Resort).   In fact, many Minnesota resorts are discovering just how a live web cam displaying their most prominent tourist feature (i.e. the lake) can become an effective marketing tool.

So, are you ready to take a virtual tour around Minnesota’s outdoors world with me?   Why not take a moment to check out these fun, randomly selected outdoor web cams to see what’s happening:

Oh, just as a disclaimer…if you’re supposed to be working, but instead find yourself reading this blog post, be sure to get your boss or supervisor’s permission before clicking on any of the links.   We both know it’s the proper thing to do. <wink, wink>

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

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My Top 10 Minnesota Towns For Sportsmen To Live

The June/July 2009 issue of Outdoor Life magazine featured a story on the 200 best towns in the U.S. for a sportsman to live.   This ranking was based on several different factors including: affordable housing, low unemployment, decent schools, as well as close proximity to great hunting and fishing opportunities.  There were only four states (Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Florida) that had more towns making the list than Minnesota.   Only Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Massachusetts and West Virginia failed to make a showing with even a single mention on the list.

Here’s the breakdown of which Minnesota cities made the 2009 OL list (with the respective ranking out of 200 shown in parenthesis):

  • Rochester (9th)
  • Roseau (tied for 20th)
  • Bemidji (31st)
  • Red Wing (79th)
  • Duluth (92nd)
  • Alexandria (107th)
  • Marshall (167th)

Granted, these seven Minnesota cities listed above are great sportsman locations and I certainly do not dispute the honor deservingly bestowed on each by the outdoor magazine.   Still, this article made me ponder just how I might pick a personal top 10 list of great Minnesota sportsman towns.   Keep in mind I’m not basing this list on the same objective criteria as the OL list above, instead, I’m basing my list entirely on what I perceive to be a great Minnesota location for the hunter/fisherman to call home.   Here’s my list:

  1. Walker
  2. Detroit Lakes
  3. Grand Rapids
  4. Ely
  5. Worthington
  6. Battle Lake
  7. Forest Lake
  8. Nicollet
  9. International Falls
  10. Lanesboro

So, there you have it…both Outdoor Life’s top picks as well as my personal picks for the best sportsman cities found in Minnesota.   Now it’s your turn.   Tell us what town hasn’t been mentioned that you feel deserves some special recognition.   Or, give us your own top 10 listing of Minnesota towns where you feel it would be ideal to reside as a Minnesota sportsman.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

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Ammunition Just Gets Harder To Find

A few days ago I was discussing with a friend the current state of our retail ammunition supply and the perceived “shortage” many of us are experiencing around the country.   My friend, who happens to work in the retail gun industry, was quick to snap back “there is NO damn shortage!   People are hoarding ammunition so badly that the normal ammunition supply just can’t keep up.   There just happens to be an overabundance of stocked ammo now being held in private reserves.”

Indeed, my friend is correct in his observation.   His response was quickly evident that a certain frustration also exists among retailers who are trying their damnedest to keep shelves full of all calibers of ammunition.   Yet, the buying frenzy continues.   Ammunition manufacturers, retailers and consumers, alike, have grown frustrated by this current situation.   One day shelves will seem well stocked, a few days later everything is empty again with replacement product still weeks away on backorder.

I’ve heard stories of individuals driving several hours just to purchase a couple boxes of desired ammo in stock.   I’ve also heard rumors that people are paying outrageous prices for ammo they know in their heart is not worth that much, but for some reason they must have it now.   So, this craziness lingers on and perhaps seems to be building with the passage of time.

So what’s causing the shortage?   Well, quite honestly there is no simple or definitive answer.   Surely it’s a combination of factors.   No doubt the election of Obama, a perceived gun-control advocate, has a lot to do with this.   Prior to last fall ammunition supplies were rather stable, albeit the prices were creeping higher thanks to the volatile metals market, but out-of-stock situations on ammo were not nearly as troublesome as they are today.

Oh, sure, I’ve even heard some of this blamed on the fact we have been at war now for several years.   Well, I guess this would explain the shortages of 9mm, .45ACP, .223 and 5.56mm…but since when did our armed forces start using .380Auto in large quantities?   It’s widely believed this caliber is one of the most difficult rounds to purchase these days.   Even .22LR has been flying off the shelves — that’s definitely not a popular military round.

Some even explain that our law enforcement agencies are stocking up for their practice reserves and this is diverting supply from the normal retail shelf.   I suppose this is possible, to some extent.

Of course, we are living in some extraordinary times these days.   Whenever economic strife hits our population there grows a general uneasiness about the future.   Remember that “clinging to their guns” comment made during the election campaign last year?   Guns without an adequate ammunition supply happen to be worthless.

Speaking of guns, did you know that some gun industry experts believe that roughly 30% of all guns being sold today are to “first time” gun buyers.   That’s amazing.   Of course, these individuals will need ammo.   New consumers of a product will certainly further stress the supply side of things.

Yet, another facet of the current political climate threatens us with outrageously high taxation on ammo.   How long do you have to listen to the political rhetoric proposing 500% tax hikes on ammunition before it has a negative effect?   Or even more ridiculous, serialization of our bullets so that every bullet is registered to a particular individual.   Oh sure, this sounds great in theory…but practically speaking this bullet identity measure would be the final nail in the coffin for the firearms industry.

Honestly, I’m not really sure anybody has a good handle on why certain kinds of handgun and rifle ammunition are now being found in short supply.   Certainly there are many factors at play here.   I suppose that one could even conclude that investing in ammunition has proven more worthwhile than the stock markets as of late.   Indeed, I’ve heard stories of individuals buying certain calibers of ammo when they don’t even own a gun now that shoots it.   You just wouldn’t have witnessed bizarre behavior like that pertaining to ammunition back a decade or so ago.

I guess what matters isn’t so much analyzing why ammunition in certain calibers happens to be difficult to buy.   No, what matters more is simply being able to purchase the ammunition one truly needs.   Problem is, when you wait weeks to finally locate the ammo you seek and then pay a much higher price at the cash register…how likely are you to go home and actually shoot it?   Honestly, when the commodity you’ve finally attained has such a high perceived valuable…does it somehow diminish your enjoyment for actually shooting it?

As my friend originally said, this may not be an ammo “shortage,” but whatever you want to call it, its a stinker of a situation we must now somehow deal with for at least the short term.

© 2009 Jim Braaten. All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.