left field

Does anyone have a preferred reader? Thanks.

Outdoor Channel had dropped him. No doubt due to my strongly worded letter. If you believe he needs further punishment, hit him in the bottom line: boycott his companies, or better yet, any companies that he does business with. And hit him via social media. Do nothing and another rich arrogant ass gets to do what he wants with our common resource.

Their show is self-produced to promote their business and my guess is that it's given to the Outdoor Channel. If you really want to do something, write the broadcaster and express your displeasure. http://outdoorchannel.com/showfeedback.aspx

Honestly, you have to be pretty naive to believe anything you see on a reality show. This is my business and while I've only seen snippets of the show I can assure you that there is nothing "real" about these self-promoting baboons. It's a common problem in outdoor shows with Bear Grylls being a good example. The guys behind Montana Wild were also busted last year for targetting and poaching bull trout. In one case, they released a protected bull trout with the hook still in its mouth so they could get the reeling in and netting shot again. Because these guys were doing for commercial purposes, the fines should have been much greater and the hunting ban more severe. Where there's an audience for watching the biggest buck/trout/turkey stalked/caught/shot, you're going to have producers and talent breaking the rules and the law to get the shot.

I lived in Singapore for a number of years and learned to keep my nose clean. The day I tried to fly in with a .44 round cigar cutter in my attache case was not a happy day.

Canadians have held a number of sniper records over the years. Before I get too nostalgic for poutine and Robertson screwdrivers, here's a Belgium kid offering a salute to some Canadian forces at a memorial. They honoUr him right back.

There can be a wide chasm between legal and sporting. I won't deliberately fish for stocked fish as I'm not really sure what the challenge is. There was a book made into a movie from the early '70s called Bless the Beasts and the Children that dealt with the idea of canned hunts, in this case of Bison, and the effect on a group of teenage misfits at camp. It deals with a lot of '60s liberal themes so some of the more "damn hippies" members may not dig it. But in 1971, this longhair sure did.

Yep. I've been a brony, like forever.

I have to think that this is the favourite show of the guys who like to blow things up.

Had a Kestrel eating a moth on the window ledge of my NYC apt. That was cool. Still waiting for a Golden Eagle sighting in the Catskills.

Thanks. That may be it. I don't see any colour on the shoulders or upper body. I was a little surprised by the prey. I had a large woodpile that he used to sit above and pick off mice, but I moved it so maybe he's now hunting the ponds. Kind of cool watching him tear a snake apart in a tree.

Curmudgeon, are you well versed in raptors? I have a med sized grey/brown hawk that hangs around my property. Heavy woods. I think he's too small to be a Goshawk -- though I do have a lot of gos around -- and he primarily eats small rodents, snakes, toads. I have seen him for two years (assuming it's the same bird) and he hasn't coloured up, so I don't think he's a juvenile red-tailed. Broad-winged?

Being overly muscled doesn't help you climb. If anything, it's a detriment. It's why women and kids can be great climbers

It's always something stupid that gets you. When I was climbing there was a well-known woman who was maybe one the best free climbers out there. She top roped an easy climb then leant back into her harness to have her partner belay her down. She forgot to secure the rope to her harness. Fell back to her death. There were a few guys climbing beside me and one had just started his climb when he decided to restart and jumped the five feet to the ground. He slipped and hit his head on a rock. Airlifted out.

The best part of all this is how matter-of-fact the climber is. One humble interview then off to do a workout. Compare that to a football player who scores a touchdown.

Doesn't permethrin repel first rather than kill ticks outright? In which case wouldn't the treated dryer lint simply make the ticks seek out a new host?

Agree with the above post. As a fly angler, it always drives me crazy to see guys who baby release a trout only to toss a chub into the air when they catch one.

Messner was a machine. Hell of an accomplishment. And no Vulcan to break his fall.

Just started a 14 day round of doxycycline. My place is in the deep woods and I was planning on reworking a few acres of trees. Am now reconsidering that. Permethrin aside, I have no idea how to beat these little bastards.

From the article: For the life of me, I don't understand what compels someone to deliberately run over an animal.

Damn ticks. Thanks.

My understanding is that the test is somewhat unreliable. Isn't there a course of antibiotics that can be taken as a precaution or is that overkill? That's what I get for cutting a new trail through bramble and ferns.

After a weekend working at my camp - where I'm pretty good about spraying myself down - I noticed a red splotch on my elbow yesterday. Dime sized, mostly oval, with a small crusty point in the centre. I guess I scratched it at some point, though it's not itchy at all. I drew a circle around it and today it has receded in size and colour. Tick bite?

Thanks. It's long gone now, but I'll keep an eye open.