Outdoors – Page 6 – The Outdoors Guy

March 17, 2011

Texas to allow concealed handguns on campus

The state of Texas is ever-so-close to passing a Bill which would allow both students and faculty to carry concealed handguns on campus.

Sound hard to believe? Well, its true!

If the Bill passes, Texas would actually become the second US state – after Utah – to allow guns on University Campuses.

Colorado currently gives Colleges and Universities the option to carry concealed handguns, and several have chosen to do just that.

In 1995’s landmark decision, Texas made it legal for residents over 21 to carry concealed handguns, and the State now has nearly 1/2 million registered handgun owners, according to the Department of Public Safety.

According to author of House Bill 750 – Republican Joe Rider:

“The issue applies mostly to faculty, staff and parents because most students would be too young to qualify for a license. In 2010, only 7 percent of license holders in 2010 were between the ages of 21 and 25, Driver said.

We’re not talking about every student getting a gun,” Driver said. “I did not file this bill so (license holders) could be heroes in mass-shooting situations. I filed this bill to allow (them) to be able to protect themselves.”

Is it just me, or do these American-style ‘‘conceal and carry” laws seem way out in left field?

Can you imagine – if carrying a handgun was actually legal in Canada – what activist groups would think of Republican Bill 750?

And to think we hunters and concervationists here in the Great White North have been battling for years, with difficulty, just to ‘shoot down’ a needless little gun registry system.

Gun laws, in my opinion, are the single biggest cultural and societal difference between the US and Canada, but the question still remains…

Who’s approach is better?

Outdoorsguy

February 15, 2011

Ottawa Sportsmen's Show more than just boats

As the Ottawa, Boat & Sportsmen’s Show hits Landsdowne Park next Thursday; outdoor enthusiasts are being reminded that it’s not all about the acres of water craft.

For the 24, 000 outdoors enthusiasts who stop-by, the annual Sportsmen’s Show is more about the passion and love for the great outdoors, than it is the 40-foot yachts.

Each year, hoards of people tramp through Lansdowne to gaze at the boats, kick a few tires and perhaps inquire about the available financing options – and there is nothing wrong with that, you know, whatever floats your boat as they say.

But for other visitors, the Show is more about the little things near and dear the average sportsmen’s heart. It’s about getting tips with professionals like JP Ostiguy, Blake Rankie, Paul Shibata, Dave Chong or Grant McAllister, trying your luck at the Minto casting pond, or filling your bag with as many brochures as you can stuff-in.

With over 200 exhibitors on-site, the Sportsmen’s Show gives me a chance to see old friends like Big Jim McLaughlin or Jamie Pastilli of the new Big City Fishing television show. It’s an opportunity to walk the floor; visiting with folks you may see but once a year, and exchange hunting and fishing stories.

(Big Jim McLaughlin)

It is the people and the exhibitors, you see, that make the Sportsmen’s Show a real success – a diverse and dedicated bunch of outdoor nuts just like myself, which is the true appeal of such a show.

(Jamie Pastilli of Big City Fishing)

Hey, if you think about it, the Sportsmen’s Show is really just a huge support group for hunters and fishermen.

A place where you will find folks like master knife maker Murray St. Amour – enjoy nothing more than sharing their craft with visitors to his booth. His knives are his pride and joy; all custom handcrafted from the steel to the leather casement, and he is tickled if visitors stop-by to check out some of his and other master knife makers’ work. Murray‘s passion helped fuel the Canadian Knifemakers Guild, of which, he was founder.

Visit the world’s first Blind Fishing Boat developed by legally-blind inventor, Lawrence Euteneier; his boat incorporates mainstream and assistive technologies that allow him to navigate his12-foot fishing boat across lakes on his own! Come meet Lawrence and his dog Maestro to discover the man with a passion for fishing which led to innovating boating. (I have featured Lawrence many times in my SUN Outdoors Column)

(Lawrence Euteneier)

Hey, and if you’re interested in wild turkey hunting, the OFAH will be on-site to provide information on the Ontario turkey seminar. The Ministry of Natural Resources will also be there; gladly answering any hunting and fishing regulation questions you may have.

The Show also offers ‘one stop shopping’ for the latest gear and information on where to go and what to do to make this your best year ever in the Great Outdoors.

The heart of soul of the Sportsmen’s Show, in my opinion, is the passion of its visitors and exhibitors, and to be completely honest, I could care less if I saw another boat but that’s just me.

The Ottawa, Boat & Sportsmen’s Show runs from Thursday February 24 at 11:00 AM to Sunday at 5:00 PM.

Perhaps I will see you there!

Outdoorsguy

December 21, 2010

Merry Christmas to all Hunters and Fishermen

I would like to wish all the avid sportsmen and women out there a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Thanks to everyone who made the Outdoors Guy a fun place to visit and share your thoughts on hunting, fishing, conservation and whole load of other topics we’ve beaten into submission with a large stick over the past 12 month.(Over 35, 000 comments in the past year)

Without all you readers and contributors out there, this Blog’s first year would not be nearly the success it has been.

From what I have seen (& heard) the Ottawa SUN Outdoors Guy is one of the most popular Blogs in the entire region. (Well, when there’s no hockey on)

Hey, who says hunters and fishermen aren’t being heard?! Sure, we may ruffle a few feathers along the way and some folks may not agree with everything said, but you certainly can’t say it’s been dull.

For the greatest site I know to kill(sorry, I mean harvest) time during the day – chatting about the Great Outdoors – I would like to thank the Ottawa SUN for making it all possible.

I know this Blog would never have been a reality anywhere but here at the SUN..and hey, have you seen the front page of the paper recently? Readership is up considerably, and I would like to think we all played a role in that!

Merry Christmas one and all, and if you have not stopped by for a visit, we look forward to seeing you in 2011 for outdoor news, information, rumours, opinions and a whole lot more covering the greatest recreational activities known to man.

All the best to each and every one of your families in health and happiness..(Note to self: next year got photo of myself wearing a fur coat)

Yours in the Outdoors,

Jeff Morrison – The Outdoors Guy

December 10, 2010

Bounder Magazine Fall Issue

Hey, if you have not yet picked up the Fall issue of Bounder Men’s Magazine, I suggest you get moving!

I know one may perceive a ‘Men’s magazine’ as biased but trust me Bounder is one quality publication; covering just about every aspect of life here in Ottawa – geared towards (but not limited to) those who pee standing up.

Yes, Bounder is marketed as a Men’s Magazine, but its appeal really does transcend all gender lines. Whether you’re a ‘sitter’ or a ‘pointer’ who enjoys a good read, you will discover something of interest within the thick, high quality pages of this publication.

Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Publisher Brian Warren, Bounder is now being found ‘scattered like a shotgun blast’ throughout the Ottawa valley and across town, in a number of different outlets.

You wont have to look far to find one.

Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s free? Who would have thunk in today’s day and age you could get all this for nothing, but it’s true.

I would like to thank Brian and his team for inviting me to be part of this Ottawa success story. For features on classic cars, dogs, men’s health, music, comedy, local entertainment, and regular columns by such folks as the ‘king of duct-tape’ Red Green, CHEZ 106’s Randall Moore, Delmer & Cecil and many more.

And the Cooper Brothers too, remember them? They have a new album out and you can read all about it…

Or if you just can’t get enough hunting and conservation info. and have a hankering for more Outdoors Guy, go check it out!

Outdoorsguy

October 20, 2010

Wildlife activity heats up with cooler weather

Over the past week or so the wildlife activity has really started to heat-up!

This proud little yearly buck put on quite the show in my backyard yesterday afternoon. He wandered around the property for 10 -15 minutes eating and scratching, while my daughter and I watched with binoculars.

At one point he even stood on his hind legs to snatch some leaves from our Siberian Pea tree.

This bad boy is a buck I call ‘Weird Rack’…for obvious reasons as you’ll see. I would estimate Weird Rack to be between 2.5 – 4.5 years old with a set of antlers I have never seen before.

I’m comparing photos from last winter of a deer I called ‘War Vet’ who, if you recall, had his antlers broken off at the base. There is a chance this could be War Vet, but I’ll continue to call him Weird Rack until I can prove otherwise.

In this nightime photo you can see his strange antler configuration. On his left side, there’s a long, skinny point that looks much like a browtine but is, in fact, a completely seperate mainbeam.

In this photo you can get a better apprecation for what’s going on with Weird Rack. It’s almost as if he started out producing a typical 4X4 and then sprouted a secondary spike rack in front of it.

He is a very skittish buck too; only showing up for 2-3 minutes at a time, but he has been like clockwork arriving at 6 PM each evening and then returning again after dark.

This ironic visitor showed his face early yesterday morning travelling the same trail as the deer. I say ironic as he is the only one, besides the racoons, to eat any of the apples I put out. The deer had no interest in them at all.

I guess the cooler weather is really bringing them out of the woodwork which is nice to see, well, all except for the last visitor!

Outdoorsguy

October 12, 2010

Hunting for Butterflies at Carleton University

This weekend I took a break from closing the trailer and cleaning-up my properly at home, to go butterfly hunting at Carleton University.

Of course, I left my rifle at home.

Since Carleton University happens to be my old alma mater, I always take advantage of an opportunity to head back to the campus for a visit, although attending school there feels like a lifetime ago.

This past weekend it was the Carleton Biology Butterfly Show put on by butterfly enthusiast Ed Bruggink, with the help of Moth expert Jim Des Rivieres.

Ed – believe it or not – hatches every last butterfly himself from chrysalis, in an adjacent nursery and then releases them in the Nesbitt Building Green house for a brief 10-day period the beautiful creatures remain alive.

I know it may not sound extremely masculine, but I have to admit that seeing hundreds of beautifully-coloured butterfly species from around the world as they flutter around you, is a very special feeling indeed.

I watched several photographers as they steadied for a shot, and the kids who held orange slices out for the butterflies would land on. And if you remained still, they would land on your shoulder, head or any other peaceful resting place they could find.

With two daughters into the outdoors including an 8-year old who is a buddy entomologist, the decision to visit the butterfly show was an easy one, and I look forward to next year’s show already.

My daughter Grace and her new friend:

If you didn’t get to see the show, do yourself a favour and mark it on your calendar for next year. There is no admission, but Ed does accept donations to help pay for crysallis he has shipped from California.

Thanks to Ed and Jim for putting on one of the neatest exhibits I’ve ever seen!

For more information on Jim Des Rivieres’ moth exhibit which runs till January 9^th at the Canadian Museum of Nature, check it out online: http://www.moths.ca/

Outdoorsguy

August 17, 2010

Antlerless deer tag results are in

(This yearling and 2-year old buck stopped by for a visit this past weekend..wondering why there’s no food out yet)

Well, according to Blog reader Ian, the doe tag draw results are out, and his camp received but one tag out of six. Ian’s camp had enjoyed 100% tag draw success over the last ten years.

His neighbouring camp also received one out of six this year, so at least its consistent.

It seems the tag cutback plan has come to fruition, has anyone else received their antlerless tag yet??

Outdoorsguy

August 12, 2010

Outdoors Guy new book projects

Ahh, there’s nothing like the smell and taste of cooking your own wild fish and game!!

Here is a photo of my hunting buddy Jim Bindon – taken at our camp back in the 1980’s – as he watches over some juicy moose steaks on the fire.

If I recall, it was too wet for a campfire that day, so we chose to sear the steaks over the open woodstove instead.

Well, now with Weird Facts about Fishing under my belt and a bit of spare time left, I am moving on to my next book writing project!

I’m pleased to report that I have just signed a deal with Lone Pine Publishing (of Edmonton & Auburn Washington) to write three (3) Wild Game and Wild Fish cookbooks between now and next spring. Its going to be busy, but I’m sure I can pull it off!

Here’s an example of one of the many fine Lone Pine publications:

These wild game and fish cookbooks will be a new and exciting adventure that I look forward to greatly!

It is at this point that I invite all Outdoors Guy Blog readers to submit their favourite wild game or wild fish recipe. I’m sure you’ve all got some good ones and hey, who better to write my books for me that you folks….

I know some of you had your fishing stories included in my Weird Facts book, and I’m really hoping to include as many great wild game and fish recipes as humanly possible.

These books will, of course, cover other important aspects such as meat storage and preparation as well as outdoor cooking mishaps, hunting & fishing trip culinary skills, and hunt camp cooking tricks and tips…hey, just like my buddy Jim in the photo!

Regards,

Outdoorsguy

July 4, 2010

God save the bears

PETA protestors dressed in bear suits showed their disapproval of the foot guard’s hats made of bear skin during the Queen’s visit this week.

I dont believe this one requires any comment.

Outdoorsguy

June 16, 2010

Addicted Gatineau black bear drawn to Casino

(Photo NOT of the Gatineau black bear..this one is beige)

Ok, wildlife encounters and shootings have gone from the ridiculous to the sublime, but I have a theory!

This morning in Gatineau, police responded to a black bear spotted roaming around Blvd St. Raymond, not far from the Casino d’Hull!

At the time, police were given the authority to shoot the bear by the Quebec Ministry. Several shots were fired and apparently the bear escaped with some injury.

You know, I believe I may have discovered the underlying problem here, and it has to do with gambling and gambling addiction.

Yes, that’s right, gambling addiction! You recall the moose that swam onto the east-end of Montreal yesterday, very close to the Montreal Casino.

I can see a pattern emerging now of big-game being afflicted with serious gambling addictions. The bear in Gatineau was perhaps drawn to the slots or craps table by the allure of a big pay out. Sure, its probably quite rare, but it could happen.

Perhaps my new theory is something the City should consider when finalizing their wildlife plan.

Gatineau police have already responded to 10 complaints about bears showing-up in the area of St Raymond in recent days.

It’s the casino I tell you, shut them all down and the wildlife will quietly return to the woods…

Outdoorsguy