My Scouting Resume'

I think more than any other event or occurrence, my Boy Scout experiences had the greatest influence upon me. Therefore, I see it important to include what significance it had upon my life.

Now at age 54, as I begin to enter into this program again, I wish to share my history in the Boy Scouts of America program. I'll try to include as much detail as possible.

Please bear with me as I write and update this journal entry, as it may take a while...

The Sub-Cub Era

Cub Scouting

Scouting

My Eagle Scout Project
I refurbished and repainted the house which held our local Scout Round Table meetings with the help of a dozen volunteers. I couldn't have done this without the support of my parents.

David, Chuck and I
David Sturdivant and Chuck Jaecks were in my Troop 326 and were my best friends.  David passed away about 2015.

My Philmont Experiences

As a Cub Scout

Trek 1

Trek 2

My Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Experience

My Trip to the Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base

My World Jamboree Experience in Oslo, Norway
Primary Source: Wikipedia

After being selected for the World Jamboree, I became a member of Troop 32, representing Texas. I was one of about 30 scouts.

The 14th World Scout Jamboree was held July 29 to August 7, 1975, and was hosted by Norway at Lillehammer, on the shore of Lake Mjøsa.

King Olav V and Harald V of Norway, who then was crown prince, opened "Nordjamb '75", as it became popularly known, in the presence of 17,259 Scouts from 94 countries. The slogan was Five Fingers, One Hand, an example of international cooperation on the part of the five Nordic countries responsible for its organization.

This slogan stood symbolically for:

Five fingers separately are small and weak, but together form an efficient and strong unit

• Scouts from all five continents meet at the World Jamboree
• The five Nordic countries jointly host a world event
• The slogan for the Jamboree was represented in a number of ways, including one event that brought all of the Jamboree participants together into the central arena, where they formed a giant hand that was photographed from aircraft flying overhead.

The British contingent, led by Robert Baden-Powell, 3rd Baron Baden-Powell, included Scouts from Branches in Bermuda, Hong Kong and Rhodesia.

The program of this Jamboree included excursions in the mountains by international patrols, activity areas, Nordic trail, choir, visit to Maihaugen cultural museum, and the Jamboree Country Fair. The relationships that developed were in large measure due to the warm hospitality given to almost every visiting Scout in the homes of the hosts. This Jamboree included in the program several activities involving modern technology, as well as traditional pursuits such as hiking, orienteering and camping.


The Jamboree was also visited by Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and Crown Prince Mohammed VI of Morocco.

Order of the Arrow

My Tapout

My Ordeal - I remember this event well, but the only parts I can recall is being very sleep deprived and sleeping on the ground under my pancho in the rain.  I highly recall the feeling of brotherhood and belonging I felt. After my Ordeal was complete, I was a member of the lodge Nishkin Halupa A Pe Lachi, Lodge # 489.  The lodge was since reorganized, and is now Netopalis Sipo Schipinachk, Lodge # 209, Warriors of the Rivers with Outstretched Arm.

I later became a Brotherhood Member. This was about 1973.

My Parent's Service
My Mom and Dad, Karl L. and Irene J. Koerner were long time leaders in the Scouting program. My Dad receive his Silver Beaver and my Mom her Silver Fawn.

Experiences With Different Troop Sponsors

A Favorite Book For Any Outdoorsman, The Witchery of Archery

The Witchery of Archery, by Maurice Thompson, was originally published in 1878 and is considered America's classic treatise on the subject of archery. It can be compared to Izaak Walton's legendary fishing treatise, The Compleat Angler. (Amazon). This book would have appeal to the more ecologically minded "pre-hunter" stage of outdoorsman and traditional archer.

ISBN-13: 978-0996799119

Reviews: "The entire book is charming, and we cordially recommend it to readers generally, whether they are interested in archery or not, certain that they will find an enjoyable freshness about it that would have been a severe loss to have missed." - Peoria Call

"Mr. Thompson is an enthusiast in his pastime, but he is not less a lover of nature and an accurate observer in natural history, especially of birds; and the reader will be delighted with his experiences as a hunter and a roamer of the woods. The book is full of the flavor of nature, like those of Thoreau and John Burroughs." - Hartford Courant

This book, although fascinating from an archery standpoint my primary love is Thompson's vivid description of traveling through old Florida and his exploration adventures. - Gus Koerner

Make Your Own Dad-Gum Sports Drink

Recently in my work and frequency outdoors in this unbearably hot Florida summer, I've come to crave Gatorade in the afternoon. After an exhausting day in the heat and humidity I can come in and literally drink a quart in a single five minute break. This past week we had 98 degree days and 95% humidity. The cost of that refreshment and electrolyte replacement is usually $1.50 or more (per quart) cold from a convenience store or $1.00 if you have the forethought to keep some in the fridge you were able to buy on sale.

With some online searching, comparing and modifying others research I developed my own recipe. It is virtually the same as Gatorade Recipe by fungus amungus on Instructables, but this one is sugar free to be diabetic friendly because it uses Stevia instead of sucrose. You really need to read the article Gatorade Recipe because Mr. Fungus Amungus does a great job explaining the sodium, potassium and sugar ratios and cost breakdown.

After creating the recipe and putting it all together, I had an original bottle of Glacier Ice Gatorade. Using powdered Kool-Aid as my flavoring, a similar flavor is their Blue Raspberry Lemonade. I then used my best scientific skills to put together a taste test for my wife to compare.  I call it double-blind, because I didn't know what I was doing and she didn't know what it should taste like. The results were that she liked my recipe better than the original. Hooray!

Here is my recipe for a 2 quart batch which cost about $0.65 (65 cents) a quart.  Using table sugar would cut that price down significantly, but would raise the carbohydrates. My recipe has about 2 grams of carbohydrates per 1 cup serving, using sugar raises that to about 15 grams per cup.

Gus and Sandy's Gatorade

Ingredients
64 fluid ounces of water
1 packet of Kool-Aid of your favorite flavor *
8 single serve packets of Stevia **
1/4 teaspoon table salt OR Sea Salt OR Pink Himalayan Sea Salt (sodium)
1/8 teaspoon Morton Lite Salt (potassium)

Directions
In a juice pitcher add 1/2 the water.  Add all the ingredients and stir.  Add the rest of the water, stir again, refrigerate and serve.

* 1 cup of 100% fruit juice can be used as a substitute for flavor.
** sugar or honey can be used as a sweetener substitute depending on your dietary restrictions and taste.

Special acknowledgement - To my sweet wife Sandy for being a good sport, so she gets her name on the recipe too! Thank you Honey.

End Note: I just realized now that my special recipe is just sugar free Kool-Aid with a pinch of salt. LOL.  I'm such a nerd, but it's special to me!

This Week's Limericks

My Friday Note to Sandy

Today is Friday!
Wa Hoo! It's my day! (and yours)
May it be blessed,
Free of stress.
And your greatest challenge be child's play.

gk
3/18/2016


Outdoors Geometry
(Oh, the Wonderful Wedge)

Useful is the polyhedron,
Made of steel, preferred in Sweden.
Most call it a wedge,
Used with a sledge.
By lumberjacks before winter season.


Mathematically, its plane geometry.
Working equally on pine, oak and mahogany.
Splitting wood fine or coarse,
It works like a horse.
The finest of low technology.

gk
3/16/2016

A Tribute to Wimpy

I'd gladly pay you Tuesday, for a Hamburger today!
No, I'm not Wimpy, or the Galloping Gourmet.
A hamburger for lunch is,
The climactic ever-best is,
A sandwich, a bun, some cheese and mayonnaise.

gk
3/14/2016

On My Honor

When I was 11 years old the only thing I knew of or cared about God was the word itself.  I knew He was important, “God” was a big deal, but had no inkling of more.  I was 11!  In Boy Scouts we sang a song that would later have a profound effect on my life.  I can still sing it to this day – verbatim.

Back Row: Karl and Gus Koerner
Front Row: Charles Buck and David Sturdivant
about 1975

My life priorities in 1970 were 1) being acceptably popular, staying unnoticed at age 11 is a good thing.  2) girls – especially Lisa  from a distance, 3) football, and 4) Boy Scouts.  I loved Scouts.  We did cool things, and I had a Dad that participated with me (a little too much in my opinion).  To his credit I think he tried to keep a distance and tried to let me have a parent-less experience.  We camped, went on canoe trips, hiked in the woods, caught snakes, started fires and shot guns.  What more could a kid want?

In Scouting at the time, they weren't ashamed to say the word God.  After all, it’s still part of our nation isn't it? - In God We Trust and all.  It was the 1970’s and things were different then.  Mentioning God was acceptable in public.

At the weekend campfires which I either participated in or lead we always sang this song at closing, which I would now call a hymn.  It’s called On my Honor, and here it is…

On My Honor
by Harry Bartelt 
On my honor, I'll do my best, to do my duty to God.
On my honor, I'll do my best, to serve my country as I may.
On my honor, I'll do my best, to do my good turn each day,
To keep my body strengthened and keep my mind awakened.
To follow paths of righteousness.
On my honor, I'll do my best.

When I now think of the song I can see plainly it contains the principles of Commitment, Discipleship, Patriotism, Service to Humanity, Personal Physical and Mental Health responsibility.  I’m sure a person could also attach other attributes, but I won’t here.  These are enough.  To this day, even though I may not live this song to its fullest, I certainly know and own the values of the song and do my best to uphold them.  I hope it is continuing in the Boy Scout program.

Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. Proverbs 22:6

The photo above is when we went as a troop to Charles L. Sommers Wilderness Canoe Base for three weeks.  I'm not quite 11 years old there, but we were still singing the Scout Hymn, "On My Honor".  I'd like to give a special tribute to David Sturdivant who was my best friend and passed away a few years ago.

I hope you'll share this with a friend.

-gus

A Word on Grace and Nature

I've been thinking about this story for quite some time, but something came together the other night out on post at the prison that forced me to put my thoughts down on paper.

It wasn't until I was 41 years old that I knew, or at least begin to understand the meaning of the word Grace, in a religious or spiritual context.  At the time I had been attending a local Catholic church and noticed that the word was being used frequently.  So one day I asked a friend specifically what Grace means, and I’ll never forget her words and simple definition.  She said, “Grace is everything good that comes from God!”

Fourteen years later I frequently still think about that simple, yet profound definition.  I've realized and learned though, that with grace comes responsibility.  For example, God blessed me with beautiful children, but I have a great responsibility to care for them.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book The Cost of Discipleship beautifully describes grace and refers to “cheap grace” and “costly grace”.  Simply put, when we abuse grace of any kind, we demean its value to us.  When we knowing and willingly "sin" like there’s no tomorrow, we devalue grace in our lives (cheap grace).  When we acknowledge and appreciate grace in our lives, take it seriously with gratitude and share it with others we heighten or raise its value toward what God meant it to be, acknowledging "costly" grace.

The other night while out on post duty at the prison (patrolling the perimeter) I came within two feet of an Armadillo rooting in the grass for grubs.  I just watched it for a while, appreciating how its armor can protect it. I saw a Raccoon scavenge for food and climbed a tree when I approached.  I was able to witness for some time a deer family feed.  The Papa was so close I could count his four young antler points in the darkness, and on the fawn I could see it’s faint spots on its hind leg.  Mama was there too.

“This is grace!”, I thought, and suddenly realized the “cost of grace” in this situation.  If we take our environment for granted, we lessen its value.  If we appreciate nature and practice sound conservation, we will be able to share this “grace” with our children and future generations.  This is what stewardship is all about, taking care of the little bits and pieces of grace we encounter daily, and share them with others.  In this way we show our gratitude to God, and bless our own lives and others.

So the next time you see a child, a squirrel, butterfly, sunset or other beautiful thing take the time to appreciate it and thank God who provided it, then say, "Hey Look!"

See my related story All Things Good, (21 Aug 14).  If you like this, share it with a friend. - gus

A Cliche Saved My Life

Most people dislike cliches because of their nature; trite, over used words and phrases. But one for me stands out, which is “go with the flow”. Stay with me, because that phrase literally and figuratively have saved my life. Throughout my career employers have used this phrase or its related forms, such as “adapt”, “embrace the change” and “this is the new normal” to express major changes in an organization, usually due to management turnover or budget cuts.

I gotta tell you a story about how this “adaptation” literally saved my life. My buddy Jim (pictured right) taught me how to fly fish. So once I felt pretty confident in my gear and skills, I took off to a part of the Little Bear River in southern Idaho to catch some fish. I think it was late June, when the water is still frigid cold, but the mountain run off has slowed down enough to see the rocks in the shallow places and near shore.

I got my gear together the night before, tackle, waders, cooler, etc. and the next morning I stopped by Burger King and picked up two 99 cent whoppers, one for lunch and one for on the way home and tucked them under the seat of my car. I arrived at the rivers edge about 11am and the call of the river beckoned me to hurry, yet I was enjoying the view of the mountains and greenery of my surroundings.

As usual, one hardly ever gets a bite on their first cast so I tried and tried, moving up and down the shoreline, moving out into the deeper water current as I went. Then suddenly I took one step too far into a drop-off that went over my head. My waders instantly filled with ice cold water and I found myself being sucked in deeper and faster! It was at that instant that I thought “go with the flow”. Thinking back, I consider it now one of those “God moments” when panic left me and was replaced by peace and rational thought. So instead of fighting the ice cold current, I raised my rod over my head and let the river push me downstream which naturally led me to a shallow bend where I was able to walk out and compose myself.

If I had fought the current and tried to immediately get to high ground I might have perished. But, instead I was willing to go a bit out of my way following the flow for a hundred feet or so and come out just fine.

So what’s the moral of the story? #1, don’t fish alone in the wilderness where nobody knows your whereabouts, and #2, the longer way, or new, different way than you insist upon may be a better way for you to go. Counsel with family, friends, those wiser, and especially God before we make up our mind on how things have to be, “God’s ways are not our ways…” and situations may turn out better than we expected.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.  - Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

Enjoying the urban wilderness.

Working now in Orlando for the prison system puts me in the woods far less than my previous job as a 4-H Agent involved with youth shooting sports, but I'm hanging in there.  Do you know the saying, "You can take the boy out of the woods, but not the woods out of the boy."?  Well that's me, even if that saying goes completely different.

I started enjoying nature as a six year kid in old Fort Worth, Texas catching craw-dads in Mary's Creek by my house.  As a teen I worked and went to Scout camp for six summers in a row, and as a young man attended the BYU 30 day outdoor survival class now owned by B.O.S.S.  The woods, everything about the outdoors, and even the color camo brings me peace and comfort.  Can anyone who reads this relate?

Every day I look forward to going to work, not only for the challenges with my students but for the ride alone.  Driving to and from work along the Beachline Expressway, down four lanes of concrete I constantly spot wildlife and it makes my day.  Yesterday a raccoon blocked my walk way as I left the compound, driving home I spotted about 30 turkey, with one tough young Jake (young wild turkey) strutting his stuff, five miles later I saw a mama eagle sharing a fish with her two babies along the Saint John's River.  What a day!

I hope you have opportunity to enjoy nature and "the woods" in your area where ever you live, and if you're lucky enough to live in the country, count your luck stars and know that your envied by some, but have some kindred spirits among the rest of us.

Got a story to tell?  I'd love to hear them and see your pictures!  Comment below or send them to Mr. Gus via this email roundball@ymail.com.  I'll post them below in the comment section.

A day on the water celebrating family and freedom.

I think yesterday was one of the most enjoyable 4th of July holidays I've ever had!

Prepping the Hobie Wave
on the shores of the Indian River.

We got to spend a day on the water with our kids, with the excitement of an afternoon thunderstorm, followed by the opportunity to see my daughter and granddaughter Maddie who's been in China for the last year, and ending the evening with the Titusville hometown fireworks show with our good friends Jeff and Julie Holton.

After having the boat sit in the yard since 2009, it took a little bit of work, but we finally got our Hobie Wave up and running. We worked all the previous weekend getting it ready, and Tuesday after work got it out onto the water for a test sail. We had a little trouble getting into the groove of putting up the 20 foot mast, but we did it. We made it to the banks of the Indian River (Intercoastal Waterway) in Titusville about 7:30pm, and managed to sail around a nearby island and get back right as it was getting dark. The temperature was in the 80's I think, and winds were about 7 mph.

Sailing is such a wonderful sport and skill to learn. When ever I go out, I always think of the early explorers who navigated the seas and tamed the elements to survive and discover new lands, being away from home for years at a time. My Dad taught me to sail before the age of ten on an El Toro dingy, and with a little practice I was able to master the skill enough to go out by myself by the age of 14 or so. I've loved it ever since, and it has prompted me to learn other associated skills such as knot tying, the mechanics of ropes and pulleys, navigation, and reading the weather. Similar to the other sport of archery that I love, a complete novice can have a lot of fun but to master the sport can take a lifetime of learning the different aspects.

On the morning of the 4th after sleeping in a bit and getting our gear, food and drinks ready Sandy and I headed out to the river again with the boat and found a good spot to launch. One of the great things about any Hobie Cat, is that you don't need to put in at a boat ramp. In fact, it it much easier to leave the rest of the boating crowd, set up and launch from any sandy shoreline. This time the winds had to be only about 3-5 miles per hour, and the sailing was pretty slow. Sitting still on any sailboat can tax your patience, so that's when good company is nice to have. An up-side of the slow moving is that we were able to see Indian River Redfish tailing, dolphins porpoising, and alligators watching all the action. We were supposed to meet our kids on another one of the barrier islands. After about an hour of moving slow as a turtle, we called our kids and had them come tow us with their motor boat. That was a little jarring to my Sailor's ego, but it was fun.

Headed out after lunch.

Right when we got to the island a storm started coming in with lightning bolts in the distance. That's when we decided we were going to be there for a while, so we tied everything down real good and enjoyed a good lunch with all the kids, while the grandkids looked for shells, snakes and bears on the tiny island. They only found shells, and the snakes and bears just turned out to be rumors.

The storm finally passed, and we were able to catch a few good breezes on the Wave again for a little while and then we headed in for good. That's when my daughter Melissa stopped by with her daughter Maddie, fresh from the airport, home from Shenzhen China for a visit. Melissa is a teacher there.

The Finale of the day was enjoying the small-town fireworks show with patriotic music in the background with our friends the Holtons, their friend Rusty and his hound pup Duke. They too have a son in the Marine Corps, so of course we talked about our boys, and all the kids, just enjoyed each others company and the spectacular fireworks show.

4-H Summer Camp 2012, Final Comments

A knot bracelet Eli made.

I am so glad to be home, and I think the kids are too. I took an informal poll from about a dozen kids, and they were very glad they came to Camp Cloverleaf this summer, but they were ready to go home. Some of the comments about their favorite activities were, "kayaking - I made it tip over", "having fun with my cabin friends" and "shaving cream wars". Some of the less-than-favorite activities included, "going last in the lunch line" and "getting homesick". I can understand that, I got a little homesick too.

Rhianna after telling her I was going
to sleep on the way home.

Before we left camp, we all completed an evaluation, cleaned up EVERYTHING, and said our goodbyes. Camp is more than just a leisure activity for youth. Statewide evaluations conducted by 4-H staff across Florida show that camp develops essential life skills in youth. In these studies, the specific life skills evaluated are teamwork, self-responsibility, learning by doing and social skills. Parents and youth agree that 4-H camp is a valuable educational experience.

Hanging out for the last time.

Summer camp is one of the most valuable learning experiences a child can have!  Young people need strong relationships and emotional skills to meet today's challenges.  Through camping, young people learn independence, responsibility, how to get along with others, and how to make the right decisions.  Camp promotes cooperation, teamwork, and respect for other people and our natural environment.  There are still more state sponsored camps this summer, and I hope you will consider it for yourself or your child.

4-H Summer Camp 2012, day 4

What a day? Is it almost over yet?

Camp has been so much fun this week, not just for me but I think the kids had a great time too! We only had one child go home early due to homesickness I think. No one went home due to behavioral issues, as sometimes happens. In my 7 years as a 4-H Agent, including about 15 summer camps, about 10 kids have had to have their parent pick them up early. Not a bad average, but 1 is too many.

At 4-H camp we hold very high standards for respect to others. When children have to go home due to disrespect, they've had multiple chances to correct their attitude. Enough of that!

Geocaching Class

Finding a geocache!

The day started out again early with a few kids out and about about 6:45. At 8:00 am everyone is at the flag pole for Colors and by 8:30 we're eating and at 9:30 we've all begun on fun activities for the day. Today we had the same general activities as I mentioned earlier, but with the addition of geocaching, and a muzzle loading rifle demonstration after dinner. The kids who got to try it include Josh B., Ethan L., Janoah, Eli and parent volunteer Ms. Sheryl. Sheryl's son Fabian didn't get to shoot because he was too young. We all felt bad. Mr. Cooper the Camp Director was there, as well as Joe Menendez one of the camp staff. Poor Joe didn't get to shoot, because he had to go, but Joe and his brother Jake went to the National 4-H Invitational with me a few years ago.

ALL THE KIDS HAD TO LEAVE at 6:45 pm sharp, because we had a dance tonight. Camp smelled soooo good, and the kids all cleaned up very nice! Left is Josh shooting a Missouri Trade Rifle, a 50 caliber black powder gun at the camp gun range.

4-H Summer Camp 2012, day 3

7:00 am. Last night the kids were so much better, in spite of doing the old cabin switch-a-roo again with some of them. The County Agents are in charge of the cabin assignments. We do so based primarily on age, but also on group size and personality mix. I think we've got it this time. Sometimes it can take a day or two.

9:30 pm.  What a blast we had today! We were anticipating bad weather, but it only sprinkled.   We had swimming, kayaking, geocaching, archery, fishing, Mr. and Ms. Outrageous, knot tying, line dancing and the most fun was shaving cream wars!  Some of us even had time for a service project!  Below are a couple of pics that show some of the fun.

4-H Summer Camp 2012, day 2

7:30 am. Camp is starting to hum with a little bit of activity. I'm outside my cabin reading a thought for the day, enjoying the birds make their different sounds. Some of the kids are up and about. I see two or three just moseying about, three shooting hoops and another small group on the soccer field.

9:00 pm. What a great day we had! I am so glad programs such as 4-H still teach patriotism and respect for our country and leaders. Cabin 11 started us out with our flag ceremony including the Pledge of Allegiance and the 4-H pledge.

After breakfast we cleaned up and then went to our classes. We have two classes in the morning before lunch. After lunch we have one more class, free swim, canteen and an hour rest time. It was a beautiful day, not too hot with a gentle breeze most of the time. Too breezy and it will make our kayakers blow away, and we don't want that!

For dinner tonight we had hamburgers. After dinner more group games and as I am writing this the kids are at the campfire ring making smores. I think they'll sleep better tonight.

4-H Summer Camp 2012, day 1

What a wonderful opportunity I have this week to accompany the kids of Brevard County to 4-H Camp Cloverleaf!

We arrived at camp safe and sound right at 10:30am and the highlight of the trip over was spotting a little bitty Armadillo around Yeehaw Junction. After arriving at camp, we checked in, got to our cabins, unpacked and had a lunch of chicken tenders and french fries. It is so much fun to meet new people! All of the kids are happy and making new friends of their fellow campers and the staff.

The afternoon was filled with swim tests, recreation time and canteen. For dinner we had spagetti, garlic bread, salad and a brownie with whipped cream. This evening we're playing "get to know you games", have our flag lowering and and we can't wait for the campfire with "magic dust"!

The magic dust was really cool. Each person got to throw it into the fire after making a wish, then watch the fire flare up.

It's about 10:30pm now, and I'm making sure all are going to sleep, while sitting at a table out of view to the campers. Tonight is an exciting night and they usually sleep better tomorrow. Goodnight.

11:30. A young man threw up a little while ago (not from my county). Said he was homesick. Think it was chicken nuggets. A thousand of them.

A young lady's bed fell apart (also not Brevard County). Fixed. Goodnight again.

Outdoors Essay Contest sponsored by Coleman

You know, I don't normally promote commercial groups on this site, being a government employee and all - but this is different!

I found this on the Outdoor Bloggers Network, and Coleman the outdoor equipment company is sponsoring an essay contest.  The winner gets a fabulous package of camping gear.  Here is the link to the contest.  If any of you submit an essay, send a copy to me as well and I might just post it here.  My email address is guskoerner@gmail.com or gkoerner@ufl.edu.  The deadline for this contest is midnight. May 28, Mountain Standard Time.

If I hear of another outdoor writing contest sponsored by anyone, I'll be sure and post it here.  Parents and teachers, be sure to notify kids and students you know to submit an entry.

5 of the Top 10 US Beaches are in Florida

You know, I have to venture away from my shooting, fishing, hiking stories for this one!


Trip Adviser just named five of the top ten beaches in the United States right here in my home state of Florida.  Of the top ten, they named: St. Pete #1, Miami Beach #2, Daytona Beach #6, Fort Lauderdale #7 and Key West #10.  Personally my favorite is Playalinda Beach which is part of the Canaveral National Sea Shore, just 30 minutes south of Daytona in Brevard County.  I'm sure it was just too small (or not commercial enough) to name.


So, next time you need to relax on the sand with the waves lapping the shore, practice your surfing or throwing in a fishing line consider coming to visit us in Florida.  For the full article on Trip Advisor, click here.

New UF article on catching that pesky Armadillo.

You know the scientists at the University of Florida / Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) do the best job at studying and reporting on issues that concern us all.  When I was a young man we used to trap and BBQ these critters, and now as a Florida home owner they're continually digging in my yard, driving the dog into a barking frenzy!  Here is a good article I'd like to share that was just announced.

Baiting the Nine-banded Armadillo - What is the tastiest treat to tempt an armadillo? Armadillos are one of the most significant nuisance pests in Florida and much of the Southeast. There are no repellents, toxicants, or fumigants registered for use with them. They are good at both burrowing beneath and climbing over fences. There are also no effective methods for baiting them into traps. So the authors of this 3-page fact sheet set up a test to determine which materials have the greatest potential to serve as bait. Written by Holly K. Ober, Lucas W. DeGroote, and Russell F. Mizell III, and published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, December 2011.


An excerpt, Armadillo feeding activity causes damage in a wide range of locations such as lawns, flower and vegetable gardens, golf courses, sports fields, cemeteries, nurseries, and orange groves. Armadillos have been blamed for reducing bobwhite quail and sea turtle numbers because of their fondness for quail and turtle eggs. Armadillos are also blamed for causing structural instabilities when they dig burrows around and under buildings. In sum, they are one of the most significant nuisance pests in Florida and much of the Southeast.  For the entire article click here.


Soon I'll post some recipes for your enjoyment.

How familiar are you with the Bobwhite Quail?

In my Florida Hunter Safety class we talk about the Northern Bobwhite Quail all the time, but usually only in the context of it being Florida's one of two resident game birds. Florida Wild Turkey being the only other. When I was a kid growing up on the outskirts of Fort Worth, Texas we would routinely hunt this cute little critter, and they were in great abundance. One of my buddies had a dog and after school we would grab our shotguns and head for the rolling grasslands out past Chapin Road until it got dark. Most days we didn't shoot anything, but just being out in the field letting the dogs find and point these beautiful birds was worth it. Those were the days.

Photo Credit: Dave Baker: From the album Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources.

The Northern bobwhite is a medium-sized, round-bodied bird with a short tail and neck. Plumage is reddish brown with streaking on the sides. Males have a black-and-white face pattern; in females it is black-and-buff.

They occur throughout Florida in appropriate habitat. In addition to mature upland forests, the best habitats include fallow agricultural fields dominated by such species as ragweed, and the edges of cultivated grain fields.  More about the Northern Bobwhite Quail in Florida.

Now let's fast forward the clock from 1970's to present.  Central Florida, like so many other parts of the country have seen a steady decline in quail populations.  The primary cause is loss of habitat, with other secondary factors being increased number of predators such as feral cats and raccoons which raid nesting sites.

The status and future of quail in Florida is not completely bleak.  Wildlife biologists are working with the agriculture industry to set aside habitat for this wonderful bird, and keep open some areas for managed hunts.  Thanks to industry groups such as the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative who works with the various game commissions, we will hopefully see increased numbers down the road.

Organizational Spotlight - The Outdoor Foundation

I hope my readers will take advantage of some of the links I have here.  As a member of the Outdoor Bloggers Network, I have access to some of the best outdoor writers in the country.

I read one of the posted stories there, and it lead me to the Outdoor Foundation.  The Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Through ground-breaking research, action-oriented convening and outreach and education programs, the Foundation is working with partners to mobilize a major cultural shift that leads all Americans to the great outdoors. 

Recently they did a study with Coleman and KOA (Kampgrounds of America) called Special Report on Camping that highlights enduring popularity of camping and in-depth look at profiles and segments of the industry [activity].  In the study they found for example that "that introducing children to camping at a young age is vital to their participation as adults. Half of all current campers ages 18 and over experienced their first camping trip before they reached the age of seven." Which tells me we're doing just the right thing if we're associated with youth outdoor programs.  They also confirmed that most campers between the ages of 35 and 54 consider it a valuable and rewarding activity for the family.  For a complete summary of the report click here.

Keeping the kids busy with fun outdoor activities over the holiday.

If you're anything like me, you'll have children at home or at least visiting for the holidays. Just prior to Christmas the family is still making preparations, and in the evenings going to holiday parties or community events. Sometimes the children are invited, sometimes not, but either way the kids have a lot of spare time on their hands. I remember the line from the Christmas carol, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas that goes, "Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again!"

Well instead of having kids just sit around the house getting into trouble or being bored; why not break out the camping gear? It may be tough the more north you go, but central Florida this holiday season will be in the low 60's to mid-70's which is perfect camping weather, especially for a backyard adventure. Most of the mosquitoes are gone now so the outdoor environment won't be so objectionable.

As a kid I loved camping in the backyard. It gave me a sense of independence and when you're inside a tent. It’s easy to imagine that you’re not just in the backyard but anywhere in the world. Plus when you're 10, neighborhood noises can be just as scary as those in the wilderness! As a Dad of kids who wanted to sleep in the backyard, I knew that not only were they safe, but come springtime which is a real camping season for a lot of families, I knew that the kids would be pros at setting up the tent having had some practice. Consider this a dry-run for the real thing. If you really want to help in the family camping preparations, instead of having breakfast in the house break out the camp stove that only gets used once a year and show the kids how to use it. These type of activities will create fond family memories for a lifetime, reinforce useful skills and help give the children a sense of independence and accomplishment.

Sometimes you want to be out in the woods, but just can't! Some other outdoorish activities I plan to do with my kids and grand kids this season include indoor archery at a local proshop, fishing, going to the gun range, tying decorative knots in the evening and helping the kids with an online hunter or boating safety course.