The Blame Game

The Blame Game-

Recently the Minnesota DNR released their forecast for the 2014 Deer Hunting season.  The report told hunters to expect a “CONSERVATIVE” harvest.  Quite quickly the press release got passed around on social media, and the BLAME GAME began.   From what I saw, there were quite a few who were upset with the DNR and accused them of mismanaging the resource, thus creating a lower population and the need for the reduced number.

I’d like to suggest that perhaps we as outdoor enthusiasts should maybe spend less time pointing our fingers at everyone else and take a good hard look in the mirror.  According to MN DNR reports, we harvested over 290,000 deer during the 2003 season.  During the 10-year period from 2002-2011, over 2,375,000 deer were registered.   That’s an average of roughly 235,000 per year.  Did we NEED to harvest that many? Or did we do it because we could.  Did we NEED to fill two, three, or four tags?  I know there are plenty of people that live on venison.  I know that some families wouldn’t make it through the winter without a couple of deer in the freezer.  However, is that the norm, or an exception?

Walleyes aren’t biting on Mille Lacs? Must be the Indians fault.  Deer heard is too thin? Stupid DNR messed it up? Or maybe it’s the wolves?  Or maybe, just maybe, we the sportsman & sportswomen are partly to blame.

Speaking of Mille Lacs, in the late 90’s and early 2000’s the Safe Harvest Levels on Mille Lacs for walleyes was nearly 400,000 pounds, this year it was at 60,000 pounds.  So whose fault is that? Is it possible some of the blame should rest on the section of the population that took 75% of the quota out of the lake?

I realize there are multiple factors at play in both the deer population and the Mille Lacs walleye population, and a solution cannot be formulated in a single blog post.  I’m also not trying to defend the DNR or endorse their management tactics.  What I am suggesting is that each and every angler and hunter take personal responsibility for the future of the resources available to us.  Do we really need another limit of fish? Do we really need two deer?  The beautiful thing about accepting the blame, is we now empower ourselves to create a solution.  If we blame externals, which we have no real control over, for the current set of circumstances then we have rendered ourselves powerless.  The power lies with each and every one of us, the decisions we make in the deer stand, duck blind or boat are the only things we can control.  Let’s make sure we are doing all we can as individuals before we start blaming others.

Consider for a moment the definition of the word “CONSERVE”.

CONSERVE: to use (something) in order to prevent loss or waste

                        to keep (something) safe from being damaged or destroyed

I for one believe we should all expect a CONSERVATIVE season, no matter the circumstances. 

My First Time Guiding

Saturday marked the 31^st Annual Nick Adams Memorial Fishing Classic for Confidence Learning Center.  It also marked my first ever time acting as an official fishing guide.

Camp Classic Ambassador, and Due North TV host Bill Sherck asked for anyone with a boat to volunteer to be a guide.  I reluctantly offered to help.  Bill & fellow ambassador Jamie Dietman said they’d show me a couple “fishy” spots & reassured me that it would be ok.  I on the other hand, had been second-guessing the decision ever since.

I’d been so busy leading up to the tournament; I hadn’t made time to get properly geared up.  I was running off 4 hours sleep when I showed up at the boat landing.  No minnows, no crawlers & no leeches, just a bunch crank baits & some plastics.  Since it was raining, I thought maybe the people I was supposed to guide wouldn’t show up, and then I’d be off the hook guilt free.  I got registered & waited for my fishing partners to arrive.  And they did.

 Two complete strangers walked up to me & introduced themselves, “I’m Bill & this is my brother Cal”.   They were from Bemidji, MN and looked like they knew a thing or two about fishing, there’d be no fooling these guys.  The first question they asked was; “How long have you been a fishing guide?”  BUSTED! I had to come clean.  “Well, this is actually my first time guiding. “  I tried to reassure them but could see the disappointment on their faces.  Then they asked if I’d be willing to make a side bet with their buddies who were fishing in a different boat.  How could I say no?  I needed to at least give the illusion of confidence.  We loaded up their gear & headed out.  There were 74 other boats entered in the tournament, and I was VERY intimidated.  Even though this was all for a good cause, we were competing against some true legends of the lakes: Tony Roach, Perry Good, and Walleye Dan just to name a few.  To make matters worse, turns out the buddies we had a side bet with were fishing with Perry Good!  Perry Good is one of the ALL TIME money winners in professional walleye fishing, he’s forgotten more about fishing than I’ll ever know.   Go ahead, Google him.

“How often do you fish Gull Lake?” Bill asked.  Once again, BUSTED!  “To be honest,” I said, “this will be my first time.   But don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”  And I did, we were going to head to one of the spots Jamie shared with me and work the weeds.  In this tournament, you can weigh Bass, Northern Pike & Walleye.  Bill & Cal took the situation in stride & agreed on the strategy.

We got set up in our first spot, an underwater point that topped out at 8 feet deep.  I gave Cal & Bill a ¼ ounce jig with a 4-inch grub plastic on it & I proceeded to cast a Rippin Rap.  On about the 5^th cast, it happened.  I got BIT! I didn’t land the fish, but at least I knew we were in “FISHY” waters.  Two more casts and I had one.  It was a small Northern.  Bill & Cal didn’t want to keep it, but there was NO WAY I was coming in empty handed.  “It’s better than the one we don’t have.” I said, and I put it in the live well.  A few casts later, BOOM! This one was a decent bass.  It jumped and shook loose.  I was disappointed but encouraged; we were definitely on some fish.  I set Bill up with a lure similar to mine and we caught some more fish.  Eventually we had two small northerns & a bass in the livewell.  The not so good news is Bill got spooled by a big fish because I hadn’t put enough line on the reel.  Bill took it very well.  When I went to respool, the depth of just how unprepared I was became glaringly clear.  The only line I had in the boat was some 6-pound panfish line.  I didn’t tell Bill & Cal, I just re-spooled & re-rigged his set up. I decided we should change tactics & start pulling cranks.  And it paid off. 

We were able to upgrade a northern & our bass, & then things got REAL interesting.  Bill said “Fish ON!” and it was a good one.  It was staying down and giving head shakes like a big walleye, then it started to run.  By now all three of us were standing up, our pulses were accelerated.  “Take it easy” Cal told Bill.  “I’m trying!” was Bill’s response.  Then the fish took its first run. Bill was feeding it line.  I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was using panfish line and I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if we lost this fish too.  Bill did a great job fighting the fish, it took a few runs, went under the boat & eventually we saw it.  It was a BIG HUGE PIKE! It’s back crested the water like a shark.  The fish was tired & it was time to  net it.  Bill pulled ever so carefully.  The fish was on the surface, very still, heading towards the boat.  I had the net in the water and my heart was racing! Closer, closer, closer & then… GOTCHYA!  We had an 11-pound northern in the boat.

High fives ensued; Bill & I were shaking.  Cal was grinning ear to ear & the scope of the day had turned.  We were now “in the running.” The adrenaline kept us going for quite some time and the pressure to produce was now off.  But now I wanted to win.  We agreed to go cast some docks to try to upgrade our bass & that worked too! Cal caught a nice 2 and half pounder on a floating Rapala & Bill followed up with a 2 pounder.  We had 6 fish in the livewell & only needed to catch one walleye to have a chance at winning the Mixed Bag award.  Over the next 2 and a half hours, we tried everything we could.  But no walleyes were to be had.  But it didn’t matter.

We headed back to the weigh-in with our heads held high.  We needed an extra bag because of the all the fish we had.   We even got some oohs & aahs as we worked our way through the weigh-in.  

We ended up finishing fourth in the Northern Pike division, and we missed out on the biggest fish by less than 2 pounds.  But none of that mattered.  What mattered was that Bill & Cal and I had a BLAST! We laughed, we told jokes, we shared stories and we created memories that will make us smile every time we recall them.  Not to mention we helped a good cause, saw some old friends & made new ones.  Not bad for a rainy Saturday.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can help Camp Confidence or to be a part of next years event on June 20, 2015 visit www.campconfidence.com

As for the side bet, well let’s just say the first beverage was on the boys who fished with Perry Good.  Remember, it’s not about having time, it’s about making time.

Ode To The Small Business Owner-

You wake up early,
to open your store.
You run your own business,
but do so much more.

You shovel the sidewalk,
and lay down some salt.
Or pay someone else to do it.
That's what commerce is about.

You buy Girl Scout Cookies,
raffle tickets and ads.
You coach little league & hockey.
Or help pay for the pads.

You don't do it for fortune.
You don't do it for fame.
You're just doing your job.
And hope we do the same.

Thank you small business owner,
for keeping Main Street alive.
We wish you the best.
And may your business thrive.

Become a Brand Advocate for The Outdoor Report!

 Invite Your Friends to Like The Outdoor Report's Facebook Page!

After you log in to your personal Facebook account, then simply search for the The Outdoor Report Facebook Page using the search bar at the top of the page or click this link: https://www.facebook.com/theoutdoorreport

Once you are on the facebook page click on "see all" in the box titled “Friends” (This will look similar to the screen shot below)

A screen listing all your friends will pop up. First, be sure "Search All Friends" is selected in the top left corner. Simply click invite next to the friends you would like to invite to like the page. See the screen shot below:

After you have invited your friends, click on the close button and BOOM! All your friends have been invited.

Write a Google review in 3 EASY steps!

Log in to your Google account. Sign in to Google with your email and password or Sign up for an account.

Visit The Outdoor Report Google+ page. After you have signed into Google, search for the Outdoor Report's Google+ page and click on the "About" tab, or simply click the link below:

https://plus.google.com/102402790303898447040/about

Write a Review. After you have clicked on “write a review”, you will be directed to the tab where you can rate your experience. When you are finished click the “publish” tab. Congratulations you have written a review!

 

It Ain't All Duckies and Bunnies

So you say you want to start your own business? You've heard people talk about how great it is, how liberating it can be, how you really start to live the life you always wanted. Having taken the leap of faith myself, I can assure you that all those things are true. However, as with all decisions, there are tradeoffs. I point this out not to discourage or to whine, but rather... to prepare.

In his book The War Of Art, Steven Pressfield quotes 5th century mercenary Telamon of Arcadia to preface his chapter on TURNING PRO... "It is one thing to study war and another to live the warrior's life." To put in another way, knowing the path & walking the path are two different things. Pressfield goes on to say; "The artist committing himself to his calling has volunteered for hell, whether he knows it or not. He will be dining for the duration on a diet of isolation, rejection, self-doubt, despair, ridicule, contempt and humiliation."

Yup... two months into my TURNING PRO & I can attest to all of the above. In addition, when I had a day job, my company (Whiskey Creek Media, LLC) could just save & save & save. That's one of the ways I got to where I am. Save, save, save... But now, without a paycheck coming in from the insurance gig, I find myself having to spend & spend & spend. Kinda scary. Here's the thing though, here's what makes all the despair worth it, I no longer spend energy worrying about what I should do. Now I just focus on DOING IT.

So if you suit up to fight the good fight & chase your dream, don't forget to pack a lunch, cuz it's gonna be a long haul. But it's gonna be worth it!

It's Not About Having Time, It's About Making Time

That's one of our mottos here at The Outdoor Report. One reason we use that motto is to encourage people to MAKE TIME to go fishing, or hunting, or camping or hiking. Whatever way you connect with the great outdoors, we hope you are able to make it a priority in your life. Furthermore, we believe if we wait for there to be ENOUGH time, we will miss out.

Another reason I chose that as a motto is to remind myself of my own journey. Whenever I catch myself whining about not having enough time to do the things I NEED to do, or WANT to do, I remind myself; "IT'S NOT ABOUT HAVING TIME, IT'S ABOUT MAKING TIME." Or as Fred Smith put it; "Great men never complain about the lack of time. Alexander the Great & John Wesley accomplished everything they did in twenty-four-hour days." That's it, every single day is exactly 24 hours long, and it is the same for every single person. On top of that, we don't know how many days we get! I for one, believe life is way too short, & precious, to be wasted... waiting... stuck in "The Waiting Place" as Dr. Seuss describes in the book Oh, the Places You'll Go!, waiting for something to change.

We tend to prioritize our TO-DO list according to importance. For me, simply trading hours for dollars didn't seem that important. Don't get me wrong, I like money, A LOT! And having worked in the financial services industry for nearly a decade (and what a decade it is was), I understand the importance of money. I too have bills to pay & mouths to feed, but there has to be more... doesn't there? After all, this crazy thing called life isn't a dress rehearsal. I also came to the conclusion that if I was pursuing my passion, I just might end up with more money than if I kept working jobs I didn't enjoy.

Keep in mind, it's not as if I just came home one day & told my wife I quite my day job. Years of preparation & sacrifice went into this transformation. Like any business venture, it started as ideas. I've always believed there is no such thing as million dollar ideas, there are only million dollar actions, so I went to work. I put pen to paper, literally. I wrote my ideas down, set goals, created timelines, wrote a crappy business plan, talked with people who were smarter than me, asked for advice, spent little, saved lots, payed down debt, drove crappy cars, changed my timeline, acquired equipment, booked gigs, worked hard, acquired more equipment, worked harder, hired a business coach, wrote a better business plan, booked more gigs & then, finally, I made THE DECISION. I decided I did not want to be on my death bed & look back on life & say "I wish I had."

"Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that's the stuff Life is made of."- Benjamin Franklin

or as we like to say here at The Outdoor Report; "It's not about having time, it's about making time."

What do you want to be when you grow up?

In his book THE WAR OF ART, Steven Pressfield writes; "Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us." The Outdoor Report is my way of making sure when my time is up, I don't look back and wonder what could have been. This venture is my way of living my unlived life.

"One night I was layin' down,
I heard Papa talkin' to Mama.
I heard Papa say, to let that boy boogie-woogie.
'Cause it's in him and it's got to come out."
- John Lee Hooker, "Boogie Chillen

I grew up on a small lake near Upsala, MN. My dad and I would fish for largemouth bass by casting live frogs on a #5 gold hook & split shot along the drop off. Dad said I had to count to 10 before setting the hook after a bite. Not being very patient, I would rattle the numbers off as fast as I could; "onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten!" That is where my love affair with fishing began. Sitting in the bow of a 14 foot aluminum boat with bench seats. Bill Dance & Roland Martin were my heroes. When ever I caught a big one, I would steal Roland's signature line; "OH SON"! It was there that I began to dream about hosting a fishing show. I always thought of that as the DREAM JOB.

I've been close a couple times. I graduated from college in 1999, and after a year of "volunteering" in the FOX9 sports department, I got my first job as a TV sports anchor. My BIT was the outdoors. I started an outdoor segment at NewsCenter1 in Rapid City, SD called "KNBN Outdoors", did the same at WCMN in St. Could, and continued a long running series (Up North) at WDIO in Duluth. I had found my element. Working until 2 or 3:00 am the night before the segment aired to get it as close to perfect as I could. But it never really felt like work, & that is what I had heard we were supposed to be looking for in a career. There was a small problem though, MONEY. Being a weekend TV sports anchor doesn't pay very well. At my first gig in Rapid City, I was making $16,000 a year. Barely enough to pay the rent. At WCMN it was $18,000 per year. When I was negotiating with WDIO in Duluth, they were offering $19,000 for year one & $21,000 for year two. I asked to go $20,000 & $20,000 just so I could get out of the teens.

Then, one day after my 10:00pm sportscast, my wife Jena met me at the door, crying... she was pregnant. I hadn't been to a Christmas celebration in 4 years, I had missed all the Thanksgivings as well. Sports happened at night, on weekends and on holidays. That was fine when it was just the two of us, but having a kid changed all that. I decided it was time to GROW UP & get a real job. An acquaintance of mine suggested I check in with Edward Jones Investments. I had a couple connections there & they were always looking for people in Duluth. I had reached a fork in the road, and as Yogi Berra said; "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." So it can to be, that in the SUMMER OF 2004, I left THE DREAM to make some money. Not many people questioned my decision, in fact, many applauded it. There was one person who asked me why I was doing this, my uncle Geoff. "You can't do it just for the money" he said, that always stuck with me.

The adventure had just begun. Stay tuned....