Fins and Feathers, Vol 5

Volume 5

Fins and Feathers

Kids and the Outdoors

Letter from the Editors

Please enjoy volume five of Fins and Feathers, it is hard to believe this is the fifth week of being away from school.   With the weather beginning to warm up be sure to enjoy some time outside.  If you would like to contribute an article, pictures or recipe please let us know, our deadline is 12:00 Friday.  Enjoy this week's articles and let us know if there is something you would like to read about in a future issue.

My big carp

By Wesley

    I went fishing at Windsor  lake.  I caught a big carp.  It was Bigger than my  arm. it was so fat. I went in the morning. with my brother and my dad. in my dad's drift boat it was fighting so hard. I can't believe I caught that fish. It was  Giant.  because   my dad pinched its mouth to hold it. In the  picture it is the biggest fish I ever caught.

A Good Nap

By Garner Agone

There is nothing more enjoyable than spending time outside, whether sitting in a blind, walking a field or being on the water.  The sun always seems to shine brighter on a day when you are outside enjoying your favorite activity.  Time outside always seems to allow for reflection and thought about life's journeys.  In turn, I sometimes find my thoughts drifting during a work meeting about the activities I enjoy outside.   

Outdoor pursuits as a family take a great deal of planning and preparation which can be mentally and physically straining.  Leaving after work on a Friday and getting to your destination late only to wake up before daylight can drain the tank of even the most enthusiastic person.  On the five hour drive from our home in Windsor to what we call the “hunting house” in Logan, KS I usually find myself driving in the dark looking for deer while everyone else sleeps.  

As I have aged I have found a deep appreciation for a nap during outdoor pursuits.  I am not sure if I gained this appreciation from my dad, who has a knack for dozing off for a few minutes mid day, or the years spent with kids who seem to be able to fall asleep after a long day outside.  There is nothing more satisfying than a quick nap to reenergize yourself or just catch up on some needed sleep from the fast pace of life.  Here is a list of some of my favorite places to take a quick nap outdoors: in a turkey blind, in the back seat of a boat, on a ski lift, in the saddle riding horseback, on the ice, a truck bed at lunch, on a river bank, against a tree trunk with the sun in your face, on a dock.

 

Wyoming river bank nap                     Post turkey hunt nap

Grandpas are the best nap role models 

The Green River

By: Annie Agone 

Me and my family do a great river rafting trip with friends and family.  This takes place in summer. Summer is probably the best time of year to go and raft.  I think this is a great trip to take because there are so many awesome things to do. Including cliff jumping into the river, fly fishing, paddle boarding, etc.  When you go you have to camp. Camping is a lot of fun. Sleeping outside not really under the stars but above the ceiling of your tent or camper there are stars. The Green River is located in Browns Park, Utah. Utah is a dry place but the river makes it a wet place because once you're on your boat of any kind the water surrounds you with moist nature.  The water is nice but the sun is HOT so you better pack sunscreen. When we cliff jump we go to a cliff in the canyon and there are three stages the first one is low to the river the second one is not as low but a couple feet higher and the third one is the highest and the funnest but scariest cliff to jump off of.  There are not very many rapids besides one going into the canyon. It is always fun challenging myself to go standing up on the paddle board through them. The Green is the first river we ever took the new drift boat on. It was just a couple weeks before the trip when my dad drove to Denver to pick up the new Hyde drift boat. We have a sticker collection of 19 stickers on the inside of the drift boat in front of the person rowing. We fly fish off the drift boat. My dad has gotten a trolling motor and he and my brothers have gone on Wednesday night and Thursday morning to fish off of it.  The Green river is a great place and if you raft or fish or do anything else at the river I hope you have awesome fun! 

Hike,Find,Decoration 

By Grady

When hunting you come across some antlers or skulls. Well  me and my brother did when we were pheasant hunting this past year. The previous days of hunting I found some whitetail deer antlers. The next day we were hunting a crp pasture coming towards the end of the field. I spotted something sticking up through the grass I walked over to see what it was. It was a deer skull, a whitetail deer skull it still had the spine still attached to it. So my friend Logan from Kansas helped yank it off. After the day of hunting we got back to the hunting house. The next day we had a good day of pheasant hunting and we got a couple Birds. Then it was Monday time to head home good afternoonShut off all the meat in hair and grime off of the skulls. We got home that night and we had big plans to do the skulls. To make European deer skulls mount on Barnwood for our bedrooms. We didn't get to it as soon as we expected but they were sitting in our storage ready to do it. As Coronavirus came around we went into remote learning.  My middle school is doing a thing where you do a passion project as part of your school work. Being able to choose what you want to do I chose to do my passion project to do my european deer skull mount. It was a big process of boiling the sull pressure washing scraping getting all the grime off. The first step to this process is getting a propane tank with a big pot of water able to fit the skull. We used an old Coleman stove to boil the water. You want to simmer the water and you don't want it to boil. It will cause the skull to get soft and mushy and the skull will break. Second step is to simmer the skull for about 30 minutes until it kind of looks greasy and stuff can get off. Then take a knife chisel or plyers and yank and cut the most of the stuff. Get as much of the stuff off as possible then put it back in the water for 10 minutes. Get a pressure washer out. After the skull the ten minutes is up. Then start pressure washing the skull. Be careful when spraying some parts of the skull could break off. It helps get all the brain captivity out. The brain captivity stuff shoots out be careful. Repeat those few phases pressure washing, simmering and scraping. At the very end when the skull is superclean decide what you want to do with it. If you want to bleach it and make it white or spray-painted. My dad had already made a European deer skull mount. It was a cool color of this metal looking spray paint that was Brown. I thought I wanted gray but not like a plan gray like a metal looking. So we went to Lowe's and got the spray paint that's like shiny but it's gray. When painting the skull tape the antlers at the bottom part to avoid getting spray paint on them. After you have spray painted the skull do some touch-up spots of where you missed. If you want to do a plain mount on your wall. Or if you want it on a piece of Barnwood. I chose to do Barn wood. I found some barn wood from the side of our house that fits the skull. Then after cutting the wood to the length you want screw the skull down from the back of the head. A brand is optional I came up with my own brand. It is G with  a T at the bend of the G so it looks like GT my initials. As every antler find can go from hike, find, decoration.    

 

Homemade Breakfast Sausage

This homemade breakfast sausage is easy to make  and tastes much better than store bought sausage.  If you have a kitchen aid blender you can get a grinder attachment if you do not have a meat grinder, or find a friend with a grinder.

-5lbs Pork Butt (Pork Butt is about 20% fat which is perfect, if using game meat use 25% pork fat and trim as much fat from the game meat as possible)

-2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes (this can be eliminated or decreased depending on spice preference)

-3 tbsp kosher salt

-1 tbsp rubbed sage

-3 tbsp ground black pepper

-1 tbsp garlic powder

-1 cup ice water

-1 tbsp marjoram, thyme, maple syrup can be added for additional flavor 

1. Grind pork butt using a medium plate
2. Combine spices with ice water
3. Pour mixture over pork and mix thoroughly with your hands
4. Wrap one pound amounts in plastic wrap then butcher paper
5. Freeze and enjoy later in patties or any recipe that uses ground pork

Fins and Feathers, Vol 4

Volume 4

Fins and Feathers

Kids and the Outdoors

Letter from the Editors

Please enjoy volume four of Fins and Feathers and thank you for your responses on volume three.  If you would like to contribute an article, pictures or recipe please let us know, our deadline is 12:00 Friday.  Enjoy this week's articles and let us know if there is something you would like to read about in a future issue.

MINNESOTA

By: Annie Agone

Minnesota is the place we go for ¼ of our summer. It is a great state. The state of Paul Bunyan. It is a place to fish, tubing, and have fun. My grandparents have a cabin in Minnesota and it is full of great fun. There are usually 13 to 14 people at the cabin which is a lot but it is still fantastic. We go fishing in the river that goes to the lake on the other side. I have caught a nice small mouth bass on the way to the way to the other lake. It was my first cast and I had no idea that I would catch a fish that day and when it happened I was very happy. We were in the canoe and my mom was on the paddle board behind us. Me and Wesley were in the middle fishing while Grady and my dad were on the end and front. Also at the cabin we go tubing. My dad got an awesome blue gray and white tube that is pulled behind my Papa’s speed boat. We have gone so fast on that thing. It darts through the water like a bullet being shot out of a gun. We do loops around the lake (Mitchel Lake). I like sharp turns and fast straight loops. Driving the boat is fun as well but it is sometimes hard to memorize all the buttons you can and cannot push. One of my most favorite things to do is fish on the dock for small sunfish. They swim under the parked boat. The small fish and sometimes a good size fish are very fun to catch. My little brother Wesley, once brought a fish all the way up the 50 stairs into the cabin living room! It was so funny. My brother caught a good bass on the way to the other lake as well. Another reason I like to go to Minnesota is all the trees. The trees in Minnesota smell great so when you're swimming, fishing, and even tubing you can smell them. Their smell is very strong but a good strong smell. Those are the things I like to do in Minnesota when we go. 

Elk Hunting

By:Grady

I first started elk hunting last year with Grandpa and Dad. They had a late season cow tag in unit 371. Me and my dad drove up to my grandpa's house on Friday night. The next morning we went out to our spot down the road from my grandpa's house. There was solid 2 feet of snow on the ground. We hiked up a trail that connects to a road that hiked. When we got ways up the road we split up and my grandpa went one way and my dad went the other way. When we got to the top of the hill we found a spot to sit down and glass. We spotted some deer a ways off but no elk. For next elk season I put in an elk tag for up at grandpa's house. I have been practicing shooting for next elk season.       

 

Late Season Elk Hunting                           No Elk but a nice Christmas Tree

 

The Extra Mile ~ for ticks

Story by Grandpa Tom

Every now and then my brain’s memory bank will kick in. This time it was stimulated by a few old photos and particularly, because of reading Fins & Feathers Magazine, written by my son & his family.

The picture of me was taken near the mouth of West Elk Creek which flows into Blue Mesa Reservoir about 15 miles west of Gunnison, CO.  I’m guessing about 47 years have passed since then, and that picture reminded me of a special fishing trip.  

Well, not just a fishing trip, but an adventure of sorts, especially for 10 year old Garner.  Probably 16 years had passed since that picture of me and I’d only been back down that canyon once or twice since.  One of the reasons being that it was such a long hard hike or horseback ride and an extremely steep trail.  The 15 hundred foot drop from the canyons rim turns into well over a mile of a switch back trail adorned with rock spires formed from thousands of years of water flowing from the West Elk Mountains.  On that particular summer day, Garner, myself and old Jim More made the trip.  Three horses, several dogs, fishing gear, lunches, saddles and tack were all loaded in my old Dodge pick-up and a 5’ wide WW horse trailer.  In other words a lot was going on!  

We picked up our friend Jim, who was about 70 years old, at his cabin on a neighboring ranch.  Jim was a fixture there and a colorful character, to say the least.  He also liked to fish and like Garner and me, enjoyed being outdoors on horseback. 

Twenty five miles later, we turned off Highway 50 onto Red Creek Road and about five miles of rough gravel later, reached Lion’s Gulch.  Unloading, saddling and trying not to forget anything, we were finally off!  Two miles or so later, we reached the end of Lion Gulch and were at the rim of West Elk Creek Canyon.  What a spectacular vista! (See picture). Now, down to the bottom where the fish are…. Our horses were in shape and good on the trail, but you still had to pay attention on the steep switchbacks.  One slip and it would be a bad day!

Finally at the bottom, we fished, had lunch and enjoyed the feeling of being “out there”.  The sound of the creek, helping to put you into that other world, that can only be found in nature.  Seeing a few mountain lion tracks kept us awake though and after two or three hours of fishing, with some brook trout wrapped in grass and stuffed in our saddle bags, we headed back up the trail.  

I don’t remember how many fish we caught but what I do remember was about halfway to the top of the canyon, I noticed a tick crawling on my chaps.  I brushed it off, but soon found another.  By the time we got to the top Garner had some tick issues too.  At the horse trailer we unsaddled and when brushing the horses found them crawling with ticks, dozens of them!  Garner and I had tied our horses to some pines and there must have been a nest in the needles.  We picked ticks off those horses for a good twenty minutes.

So when we got back home the day's story wasn’t about how many fish we caught or the lion tracks or the elk shed we found, it was about ticks!  We were tired, hungry and knew we had gone the extra mile - for our limit of ticks.

From the top of the canyon trail ~ 1989

The author, with brook trout,  on his first trip into West Elk Creek, circa 1973.

A Spring Hunting Season

By Garner Agone

Many times we associate hunting to be a fall activity but there is a great hunting opportunity that takes place every spring. Shed hunting is an increasingly popular activity and a great way to get outside as the weather warms and the snow melts.  Each year male deer, elk and moose shed their antlers at various times during the spring after enduring the long winter.  The cycle of antler growth then begins to repeat itself with antlers grown through pedicles on the skull.  Here is a detailed article on the process for bull elk,   https://www.elk101.com/2011/04/the-miracle-of-antler-growth/ 

With one of the top elk, deer and moose populations in North America, Colorado is a prime location to find antler sheds in the spring.  Over the years I have been able to find sheds at any time during the year, with the best ones being freshly dropped in early spring.  FInding a shed is always a fun experience and leaves you with an appreciation for the amazing aspects of nature.  Antler sheds can have a number of uses from decorations to an interesting conversation piece when brought home from the woods.  Many shed hunters can recollect the exact spot and time of year they found a specific shed. 

Unfortunately the popularity of antler sheds and shed hunting has led many states, including Colorado, to place specific regulations and dates on the activity.  Commercial demand and profit have increased, with quality shed antlers bringing in $15 a pound.  States have also seen an increase in the number of outdoor recreationalist that often interfere with wild animals who have endured six to eight months of winter.   Most states now have specific regulations on when it is legal to pick up shed antlers, Colorado has an established date of May 1st. 

Shed hunting is an enjoyable way to get outside, find new places, and learn more about big game animals.  Be sure to bring a backpack, scan for off color or out of place objects, and hillsides free of snow on your next hike.  I would encourage anyone to venture off the path a little on their next outdoor adventure, you might find a shed. 

                           

       A matched pair of Mule Deer sheds                    Wesley and Grandpa Tom with an Elk shed

Fly tying

By wesley                     

I like to tie streamers. Because they are fun to tie. You can catch Big fish with them. The pike and trout can Fight sometimes. You can pick your color. Of bunny hair when tying flies.  in the mountains my grandpa catches big fish using streamers.  in the mountains there are trout and pike when fishing in lakes and rivers.  I like to tie flies with my dad, sister and brother.  

 

My Flies                      My Dad’s Flies

Fins and Feathers, Vol 3

Volume 3

Fins and Feathers

Kids and the Outdoors

Letter from the Editors

Please enjoy volume three of Fins and Feathers and thank you for your responses on volume two.  This week’s articles have a wide range of topics on outdoor activities. We will try to write a recipe article for readers to try at home each week.

Pheasant hunting

Wesley agone

When you go pheasant hunting you will need to walk in the tall grass. Sometimes in the grass you will cut your finger.  You will need to walk a long ways. Sometimes you need to be quiet. 

I like to go pheasant hunting because I like to name the pheasants and the quail. When you go pheasant hunting you will need to wear orange and dress warm. I like to clean the birds at the end of the day.

 

Sweet And Sour Pheasant

by: Annie Agone

This is a good recipe to use up all the pheasant in your freezer. This is one of my favorite recipes for this time of year and earlier in the year. We sometimes make ours with egg rolls. This is a recipe that me and my family really enjoy and I hope if you try it you will enjoy it too! 

Ingredients:

4 pheasant breasts cut into ½ x 1 inch cubes

Oil and skillet for frying

Batter

½ cup flour

¼ cup corn starch

½ tsp baking powder

1 egg beaten

½ cup water

1 tsp oil

1 jar of sweet and sour sauce

Optional: pineapple slices, peppers, onions

Directions

Mix ingredients in a large bowl to make the batter

Dip the pheasant pieces into the batter

Fry pieces in 350-375 degree oil until golden brown

Coat fried pieces in sweet and sour sauce and serve

We have ours on top of prepared or cooked white rice with pineapples. Also you can add hot sauce.  

       

Target Shooting

By: Grady

Ever since I was introduced to target shooting I have loved it. Target shooting is not only fun but it helps you in the field when hunting. Target shooting has improved my shot in the field and helped me to be more accurate. One of my favorite shooting activities is five stand at Great Guns Sporting in Nunn,CO. When shooting five stand there are five stations and at each stand there are five numbers on a small sign. The single number by itself means you shoot one clay and the double numbers mean you shoot two clays, one after another. You can keep score for five stand but I just like doing it for fun. Five stand has different types of shots because each thrower is different which helps for pheasant hunting. My other favorite type of shooting is going out to Pawnee Grasslands to shoot rifles. I like shooting a 270 caliber rifle at a 6 inch steel target at 100-200 yards. Also, shooting 22 caliber rifles at a small plastic prairie dog target we have is fun. My favorite 22’s to shoot is my bolt action rifle with a scope and the silver boy henry my Mom has. Target shooting is something that  I will always enjoy.            

   

Shooting 5 stand                                          Me with a mallard duck

Part of the Family

By Garner Agone

It’s 6:00am and the thermometer reads 9 degrees, nothing sounds more inviting than a good fire, something warm to drink and a hot breakfast.  Being April all of the upland bird seasons are long gone and it is months until they begin again. Upland birds can be hunted for nearly six months out of the year in most states, if it was up to your hunting partners the seasons would be all year long.  This is why I am up early, getting dog collars on and loading the truck for a training and exercise session.  

When hunting with people who do not own a hunting dog, or bird dogs as our family likes to refer to them, they love seeing the dogs hunt.  What they do not see is the time, effort, and energy it takes to have a successful day in the field with bird dogs. Having a bird dog is a year round, every day, rain or shine commitment and is in no way the same as having a common pet.  Bird dogs need constant training, exercise and stimulation to not only be good at what they do but also a good pet. Here are a few training and exercise tips that I have learned over the course of my life with bird dogs.

Commands

I use the term commands with the idea that you speak to your bird dog like you would a first grader who hasn’t brushed their teeth.  Commands should be firm and fair with a consistent tone that says “I mean what I ask and I am only going to ask it once”. The commands that I feel are essential for a bird dog to understand and hear every day are come, heel and whoa.  From the start of the relationship with a bird dog it is important to build a trusting bond so that what you say to them is heard and understood. Do not expect a bird dog to follow a command without learning what it means first, and try to avoid giving commands with excessive emotion in your voice.

Exercise

Daily exercise for bird dogs is essential, not only for the dog but for the hunter as well.  When you walk one mile during the season your dog most likely runs five, through thick grass, over logs and thickets.  Exercise throughout the year is critical so that dogs' bodies are conditioned for the elements upland cover presents. Do not expect to take a dog out a few weeks before the season and expect them to perform well, they will most likely be in the kennel by noon with sore paws and panting. 

Train Yourself

Training and working with bird dogs is learned through interactions, research and experiences.  It is important to understand that you need to train yourself physically and mentally as much as you do your dog.  If you are expecting your dog to do something that you have not taught them or they understand you will both become frustrated.  By setting fair and consistent expectations with your commands you can embrace a team mentality with your bird dog. Physically a hunter has to have enough conditioning to walk miles with their dog to find birds, many times walking that extra half mile at the end of the day has paid off.   

Fun

Each dog has their own personality and strengths, which is something that should be embraced and encouraged.  We see their personalities best in the field when they are doing what they were born to do, find birds. Working with your bird dogs should be fun and something everyone in the family enjoys.  This is something we have to remind ourselves of when your bird dog eats a dead fish, eats a batch of freshly baked cookies or disappears for five minutes and returns with a bobcat in their mouth.  Personally, I would not enjoy upland hunting near as much as I do if it wasn’t for the dogs.

 

An early April morning run                 Whoa means stop, no matter what 

         

Gady(age 8) and Tug (age 11) with their first pheasant together                Part of the family