8 Ways To Rekindle Your Flame For The Outdoors

Photo: Chris Carson

This morning while I was working on tuning my bow, I had a few random thoughts that are worth exploring. I'm sure I have touched on this subject before, but as I continue to age and consider these things, I find different perspectives.  

To me, hunting and fishing is a passion. I love the outdoors and have enjoyed horseback riding, canoeing, hiking, swimming, camping, even flying, and just about anything else you can imagine doing in the outdoors.  Since the days when I was a kid and we would roam the neighborhoods, alleys, and fields that were close by, I have always enjoyed the adventure. Hunting and fishing though, seem to be the activities I enjoy most.  

Photo: Cole Carson

Early on, it was anywhere I went with my brother.  Fishing or hunting, it didn't matter!  I believe this shaped my desire to hunt and fish.  In high school, my buddy James and I did alot of fishing... So much so, that I almost didn't graduate.  Once I did graduate, it was off to school in Breham, TX where we spent more time hunting and fishing with our new found freedom away at college. 

Since then I began hunting with another buddy from high school. We paid for leases, put in lots of work, traveled to and from together.  One of those leases was in East Texas.  A 5 hour drive from home and we had some adventures along the way. Now I'm on the lease with both of those guys and it's a stroke of luck to be able to hunt together. Usually the times that we do ride together are spent discussing business or racing there and back because we all have other commitments. A little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of hog hunting with a buddy that just moved down from Iowa and killed his first hog.  The experience was a refreshing change from the normal grind that has become my hunting experience. 

Photo: James Plant

Getting to the point here, I've caught many fish over the years, killed my share of varmints, deer,
quail, hogs, dove, javalina, etc. and it's always the pursuit that is memorable.  I remember more details of hunts where I was not successful than I do of hunts where I tagged an animal.  This is not to say that the enjoyment of success is not memorable either.  But, sometimes I think the success of the hunt clouds the work it took to pull it off. 

The last several years I have found myself hunting and fishing by myself or quick little afternoon hunts with a few friends at the lease.  This seems more methodical in nature, more like I'm just putting meat on the table and nothing more.  The fact that I don't have anyone there with me to share success and failure with seems to take the fun out of these endeavors.  Over the years, I have heard oldtimers tell me that they don't hunt anymore.  On the occasions I have asked why, invariably they tell me "I'm just not that mad at them anymore." and laugh it off.  

Photo: Chuck Crowsey

To me, it has never been about the animal, as much as adventure.  All the little things that go wrong along the way that must be overcome to be successful are what makes the trip an adventure. I think what these oldtimers are really saying is that they find no adventure in it anymore.  

Drilling down further, the question becomes how do we turn monotony into adventure?  Off the top of my head, here are a few suggestions:

• Go with people you don't usually go with.
• Pursue a new species.
• Try a different means of hunting (i.e bowhunting) or fishing (fly fishing).
• Try a different method like spot and stalk or sight fishing.
• Switch up your hunting areas or find a new honey hole.
• Lease a new property to hunt or start fishing rivers instead of lakes, or deep pot holes instead of flats or mangroves.
• Hunt Public Lands, Plan a trip to fish new lakes you have never fished.
• Hunt or fish out of state.  Make a vacation of it.

Photo Chuck Crowsey

I don't think I've ever been "mad" at an animal or fish.  I know that response is a humorous way to shrug off the real answer.  Maybe the answer is different for different people, but I have been struggling with balancing work, family, and hobbies.  It takes a toll on my outdoor activities and I have recently been thinking "Maybe I'm just not mad at them anymore!" LOL!

The good news, is I have 3 kiddos that have never shot any animal with any means. So, here is hoping that one or all of them will be my new outdoor adventure buddy! Maybe each in different ways!

By the way, in case you were wondering, the old Bear Crux is doing great!  On the other hand I may need glasses.

 

46 Outdoors Adventure Files: Sunday Funday

Photo: Chris Carson

The Malibu Kayaks are finally in at Twisted Oak.  They arrived in mid August right before school started.  As you may or may not remember, we gave Cole his very own Mini-X from Malibu Kayaks for his birthday back in June. He has been waiting patiently all summer for it to arrive.

As they were expected to arrive the week prior to heading back to school, he had a plan to spend the last day of summer kayaking with the family on Canyon Lake.  The poor guy's hopes and dreams were dashed again by mother nature.  That weekend, we had along steady tropical type of rain that had the Guadalupe River running high and fast.  Since it was raining, I spent the whole weekend at the Unfair Lures booth at the San Antonio Texas Trophy Hunters Extravaganza with Paul and the crew.

Photo: Chris Carson

Baseball, football, and a little hog hunting warm up for deer season have stolen every weekend since then, so yesterday was the first opportunity we had to get the yaks wet.  All three kids had a blast, but I'm sure if you ask the teenager, she will tell you how grueling our paddle was and how Cole doesn't know how to paddle a kayak and how adorable Cody is, but her smiles paint the real picture! I have faith that she will soon let go of the sibling rivalry and accept things for what they are and learn to enjoy life as it comes. Until then, I will continue to exercise my patience and she will continue to test their limits!

Practicing his Taekwando.           Photo: Chris Carson

Cole and Cody on the other hand were quite happy with the experience.  We launched at Boat Ramp 11 (Rebecca Creek) and paddled upstream on Rebecca Creek for about a half mile or so.  Cody decided he wanted to go swimming, so he "fell" into the water while I was messing with my fishing rods. So, I told the kids they could take a swim.  They abandoned their yaks under the tree they were sitting under and headed for the middle of the creek to splash and play. Cody swam over to them as well and all three kids had a blast floating around in their PFD's.  Ater about 20 minutes or so of that, we headed back toward the boat ramp doing a little fishing along the way.  "Little" being the key word.

Malibu Mini-X serves as a cannonball platform.
Photo: Chris Carson

Cody lost yet another fishing rod to the murky depths of Rebecca Creek.  In my younger days, I
probably would have gone in after it, but you know what the song says... I'm not as good as I once was!  We paddled back and past the boat ramp, and headed to the Guadalupe River.  Then headed upstream for about 20 minutes.  It was during this paddle that our ears were assaulted with the soud of my daughter hurling every insult she could think of at her brother who probably could have out-paddled me.  Did I mention that she had the fastest boat and the paddle that moved the most water?

After awhile, we stopped at a bend in the river where the kids enjoyed more shenanigans.
 Flips, belly flops, and cannon balls were all in order from the Malibu Kayaks Mini-X.  This boat has some pretty exceptional stability as does my Stealth 14.  All in all, we all had a great time.  It was an absolutely wonderful way to enjoy creation, spend a little family time together and thank God for our blessings on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Cole on his Mini-X
Photo: Chris Carson

Brothers
Photo: Chris Carson

Cody's attempt at a cannonball
Photo: Chris Carson

A little after 6 PM, I decided it was time to start back.  Cole who had what I thought was the lightest paddle with the least surface area and no scoop, traded me for the heaviest paddle.  Which I then traded to Caitlyn,(so, they effectively traded paddles) to give her (what I thought was) the lighter paddle that Cole was using (turns out that hers was pretty light too) and low and behold, you would have thought I put a motor on her boat.  She beat us both back.  I don't know if it was the psychology of having what she was convinced was the better paddle (that her brother had been hogging the whole trip) or if having a paddle that displaced less water actually helped the situation.  I will probably never know.

We were very pleased with our Malibu Kayaks.  My Spider Angler seat from Crack Of Dawn Paddlesports was comfortable for a 4 1/2 hour trip and I could have gone longer.  Stability was great on both boats.  I'm a stealthy 265 lbs, and I can swing both legs to one side of the boat to look in my crate or reach the cooler.  I will have a more in depth review coming after I spend more time in it and actually get to fish rather than babysit, but for now, come check them out at Twisted Oak Hunting & Outfitter Supply.  You won't be disappointed!

46 Outdoors Mission: Put Down The Electronics... Get Outdoors

What is 46 Outdoors all about?  Short and simple,our mission is to get kids outdoors.  

I grew up roaming my neighborhood in San Antonio, TX which had some open fields and a creek nearby.  My buddies and I caught crawdads and played in the creeks and ditches and got in a ton of trouble.  

We had these clunky electronic devices that you could play football or baseball on... sort of.  They were basically a series of LCD dots and lines that represented players.  Very rudimentary.  But, this was a step up from molded plastic player dancing around a loud vibrating piece of sheet metal that was painted like a football field. Electronic games and devices were in their infancy.

The older I got, the more I roamed.  The alleys behind our home were a battlefield of sorts where we built clubhouses and forts against the neighbor's fences with whatever we could find.  When someone trimmed their trees, we lived in the brush piles for a week or two before they got hauled away.  

My 11 year old son loves to hear these stories.  It's no wonder that he seems to be enamored with these events.  Now, we live in a subdivision on a cul-de-sac probably a 1/4 mile from a major highway.  We never let them play outside on their own until they were about 8-10 years old.  There were very few kids living in the neighborhood at the time either.  Like many other parents during this day and age, we were weary of allowing our kids to roam the neighborhood.  There is a small greenbelt  next to our neighborhood that I know for a fact is inhabited by homeless people.  We have heard of strange cars parking near the ditches and older kids heading back there for what I'm sure amounts to nefarious reasons at best.

Recently, we have had an influx of kids their age move into the neighborhood and they have started doing some of the things that I did as a kid (probably to the dismay of the neighbors).  It was very difficult to resist the temptation of putting them in front of the TV or getting them computers or iPads or iPods or any number of other devices.  We finally broke down and bought a Wii a few years ago, but for the most part, our kids have grown up outdoors.  Whether it was playing at the park, team sports, hunting, fishing, boating, or riding our bikes; I made it a point to get them outside and move.  Even in inclement weather they have fun outdoors!

The other day, I overheard a conversation at football practice about kids not wanting to get outside or put down the electronics. This is what 46 Outdoors is about at it's core. Even my kids, who weren't involved in all that, but now have phones and tablets and need to use computers to do homework find it hard to put them down at times.


I went to Camp Stewart on the Guadalupe River headwaters where I rode horses, climbed the NRA Riflery rankings, learned to canoe, shot my bow, hiked, camped out, swam and a host of other activities including team sports clinics.  I loved it!  If memory serves, the camp session was 34 days... 34 days of all those activities and more...  I was in heaven!  It was tough being away from my parents for that long, but it was well worth it.  I wouldn't change a minute of it.  

I would love to send my kids to that camp or one like it, but truth be told, we can't afford it especially for three kids.   In fact, my parents had help in sending me.  But, I know the boys would love it, and probably benefit and grow a little independence.  So, with that being out of the realm of possibility, we are left with the task of teaching these lessons and giving them this experience on our own.

In the process of doing this, I realized that there are those out there that for whatever the reason or circumstance, don't know how or are in some way unable to impart these experiences.  So, I do my best to live a life steeped in the outdoors and fan the flames of this passion among my own kids and their friends.  The purpose of 46 Outdoors is to encourage others to provide their families with the same sort of experiences by opening a window into our experience and providing tips and advice.

Please comment below or contact us on Facebook if I can help you and/or your family get connected outdoors.

Adventure Files: Learning to Fish From A Kayak

Recently, I celebrated a birthday... I turned a whopping 46 years old.  The kayak fishing adventure has just begun for me.  I have no earthly idea why it has taken me so long to see a kayak as an acceptable vessel for fishing.  I fished from canoes as a kid.  Banging around all over the place, we tied it off to trees, trolled, drifted along fishing Rat L Traps and creating great memories.  One would think that fishing from a kayak would be the next logical step. Fortunately, I came to my senses, so, I embarked on another kayak journey with Cole in celebration of my 46 years on this earth.

I was looking forward to doing some fishing, but I knew that still only having one kayak, that was not going to be a real possibility.  I really wanted Cole to experience the kayak as well. I took him along knowing that he would monopolize the time in the kayak, and leaving him to fish by himself on shore while I tooled around the cove fishing was a monumentally bad idea for a multitude of reasons, though it did cross my mind. Fortunately for both of us, I'm slightly more intelligent than that!

The planning for this little adventure being what it was found me at Wal Mart at 11 PM on my birthday eve purchasing a new paddle because of our paddle fail chronicled in Adventure Files: Kayak Fail (not so much) Part 2.  I found a small Propel paddle for just the right price at $23.87.  This will make a great stow away paddle when my new kayak and paddle arrive at Twisted Oak.

A boy and a borrowed kayak
Photo Chris Carson

The next morning, Cole and I headed back to Canyon Lake again.  The water was back to a more normal level.  Boat ramps were open again and most of the picnic tables were out of the water.  The water had receded about 60 yards or so since the last time we were there.  The wind was blowing out of the South at about 15-20 mph. The water was a little choppy in the cove we were in, but we handled it well.  I was a bit nervous about getting broadside to the wind, but the Aquaterra proved to be pretty stable given how narrow it is.

I must admit, I am beginning to like the Aquaterra more and more.  I still can't wait for my Malibu Stealth 14 to come in, alas, I must have patience.  In the meantime, I will enjoy this kayak and milk it for whatever lessons I can gain and use it to teach Cole water safety and how to position the boat for a multitude of scenarios.

The first thing I realized today is the importance of an anchoring system.  On our previous trip, the wind was calm and we could have easily positioned the yak.  Today, I showed him how to read the current to set up a drift since we had no anchor.  Without a drift anchor this also proved to be difficult as we were moving way to fast to be effective (especially in the summer when fishing deep and slow is usually the key).

The Anchor Rock   Photo: Chris Carson

After a bit of frustration, I fashioned an anchor from some parachute cord and rock.  I was inspired by a post on Facebook by Eugene Mora.  It wasn't pretty, but it was effective.  Notice above that I said an "anchoring system".  "System" is a key word here as without an anchor trolley to move the anchor to the back or front of the boat depending on how I wanted to position the boat, I spent most of my time broadside to the wind.

I also quickly realized that dumping a 15 lb. rock overboard with no anchor line management system was a good way for Cole to lose a finger.  Loose rope laying around with a heavy object tied to it is not a safe practice.  

 

Kayak Crate   Photo: Chris Carson

In other news, the kayak crate that I made awhile back worked well.  Although the Aquaterra is lacking in places to stow such an item, we strapped it down with bungees and made the best of it. Cole accidentally flipped it once trying to get out of it in deeper than he thought water. But, the crate stayed in place, one of the rods actually never left the rod holder.  All other contents floated long enough to recover easily, none the worse for wear.

Anchor line management is a different animal altogether though... I'm open for ideas, so comment below or on Facebook and give me your thoughts.

This trip was an exercise in getting a feel for fishing from a kayak.  Figuring out what works and what doesn't was the goal. There are many nuances such as casting angles and gear management that must be re-learned and mastered from a kayak.  For instance learning to flip a jig while sitting at water level will be interesting I'm sure! It's all part of the journey and I look forward to it! 

There were no fish injured or otherwise harmed in this excursion.

Grumpy Old Men: Retirement or Bucket List

When I was a kid, I would wait with excitement for Christmas break to come.  I'm sure my anticipation to get away from school was mostly for that... getting away from school and the presents of course.  However, this also usually brought to town a different cast of characters in my life.  My brother's return from college for a few weeks was always exciting.  Just the fact that he was around was excitement enough, but he would also take me hunting.  These were my first experiences hunting when I was about 12 years old.

Another usual arrival about the time I got out of school, was my aunt and uncle who would come in from places like Alaska and Minnesota.  My uncle usually had quite a few tales to tell, none of which I can really remember at this point other than fragments of stories that usually had to do with planes or bears or both!  As a descendant of the likes of Kit Carson and Daniel Boone, and other men not as well known but every bit as adventurous, sometimes I feel a little like a droopy branch on our family tree.

Lately, I have been watching Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men when I need something to watch while falling asleep.  I really can't pick a favorite among them, but something inside me seems to connect with the ruggedness of the setting.  As I'm sitting here thinking about this now, I also recall watching Northern Exposure episodes a few years ago when they were in reruns and dreaming of an Alaskan vacation.  I'm not sure why, but the north woods seem to be calling my name.

Last year, I watched an episode of Scott Martin Challenge on YouTube.  He was fishing Rainy Lake near International Falls, Minnesota.  Even more interesting to me, was the fact that they were towing their bass boats behind rented house boats.  That got me to thinking, "Why would you tow your bass boat around the lake?"  So, I Googled Rainy Lake.  I got several results from lodges and other places to stay and a Wikipedia result that basically outlined it as a large lake, used for hydroelectricty to power International Falls, MN and Fort Frances, Ontario.  All great information, but until I looked at it on Google Earth, I had no appreciation for the size of this lake. The lake is sort of "L" shaped, but is basically the size of Houston Metro area.  In fact I'd be willing to bet that Houston has as much road surface area as Rainy Lake has water surface area.

While a bass boat can easily blast back and forth across the lake much like we drive our cars across town.  It's much easier to have a "home base" that can move.  This way you can spend a few days in certain areas and a few days in others, allowing you to spend more time fishing without ever having to come off the water.  Then I thought "What about a kayak?".  That would be a great way to fish that lake by kayak for a week.  What an adventure that would be!

So, it has been added to my bucket list, along with fishing the Chandeleur Islands, Tarpon fishing in Florida, hunting Elk, Moose, Bear, and so many other species.  Then I thought "What about retirement in Minnesota?"  We could retire there and fish all summer in more temperate weather and head south to hunt and fish Texas, Florida, & Louisiana when it gets too cold.

The fact that these things keep getting added to a "bucket list", has opened my eyes to the fact that a bucket list really just amounts to a list of things you can't afford to do or don't have time to do.  But isn't it always that way?  I don't know how many times I have uttered the phrase "If I have the money, I don't have the time; and if I have the time, I don't have the money."  It gets frustrating!

This also led to this thought and the whole reason for this post... It occurs to me that adventure is what you make it.  It seems these days, that you can have just about any adventure you want to pay for: bungee jumping, sky diving, hunting, fishing, cliff diving, scuba diving, some are extreme, some are not.  We live in a society where most of the time, we have to go looking for adventure.  This isn't the wild west.  You don't step out the door and adventure awaits, or make a living by blazing trails from one side of the country to the other across mountains and deserts, or flying the mail or supplies in and out of hostile environments in planes that barely fly to begin with.

Our ancestors (not all that long ago) lived an adventure everyday.  They heard drum beats and worried about Indians, we wonder which car at the light has the sound system.  When we go hunting or fishing, we are looking for an adventure.  They were looking for dinner.  Sure, there are places in this world that are still wild, and still so remote that supplies must be flown in or dropped.  Would I enjoy that life?  I don't know.  Probably not, because I am accustomed to my way of life. But, I can see a part of me wanting to give up these things for a simpler life, on an island perhaps, fending for myself and my family. But then again, that wouldn't be an adventure now would it?  It would just be life again in a less hospitable environment.

But then I sit here and tell my son the stories of my youth: catching crawdads in the creek,  hunting and fishing in the creeks near our house, the Great Pecan Wars of 1979, running the alleys and ditches; and as we got older, 4 wheeling in those creeks and ditches. All I can think about is how I would be put in jail for allowing my kids to do these sorts of things now.  Or sued because little Tommy down the street fell out of a tree or got multiple contusions from being pummeled by pecans.

My childhood was pretty adventurous, but my adulthood seems to be more monotonous, which I suppose makes me a somewhat responsible adult, but it makes me sad for our kids and sad for future generations which will be even
more restricted.  Where does it stop?  We need a little adventure in our lives!  What on your Bucket List? Dream Hunt? Fishing trip of a lifetime?  Let us know in the comments below of on Facebook.

Adventure Files: Kayak Fail (not so much) Part 2

The adventures have been few and far between for awhile now as I have had to make time in my schedule for coaching my boys' baseball teams.  Although we are in the thick of Little League All-Stars, we finally had a day off on Tuesday, so we got in a little adventure!

Quick Disclaimer: although "failure" is involved in this installment of Adventure Files, the title is more of a continuation of the original story (another chapter if you will), than a failure.

Mini X by Malibu Kayaks

We (at Twisted Oak Hunting & Outfitter Supply) have finally been able to get kayaks into the store. The nice folks at Malibu Kayaks have approved us as a dealer and we are currently awaiting shipment of our first order.

My son, Cole, just turned 11 and we ordered him a Malibu Kayaks Mini-X.  It's a 9' kayak complete with adjustable foot pegs, 4 flush mount rod holders, front storage hatch, another storage hatch between his feet, and standing platform, a rear storage area with a bungee, and the all important cup holder. We also got him a Jr. Explorer seat and paddle to complete the initial package.

Cole's care package from Malibu Kayaks

The only problem with all of this is that we weren't able to close the deal on this purchase before his birthday.  So, I called my contact there at Malibu and asked if they could send me a sticker or something to let him know he was getting a kayak for his birthday. They were happy to make that happen and went above and beyond by sending him an entire care package complete with stickers, a cap, some magnets, a certificate naming him the owner
of a Mini-X in Desert Camo, and

best of all (according to Cole)... A Backwater Assault Paddle.  I must confess, I want one too!


Cole had been driving me crazy (and still is) with questions like "Dad, where is the first place you want to go when you get your kayak?" Of course, I ordered myself one. It is a Stealth 14 from Malibu Kayaks along with an X-Tank, and a Spider Angler seat from Crack of Dawn Paddlesports. So I decided to take him to Canyon Lake and learn some things using the kayak from my original Kayak Fail.

This kayak and I had a brief, but sorted history.  However, I wasn't going to let that deter me from letting Cole have some fun learning to kayak.  We loaded up and headed to Canyon Lake for an afternoon of fun.  We arrived at the lake and chose a spot that was easy to access.  We unloaded and headed down to the water.

The lake was up from the recent flooding, picnic tables were in the water and boat ramps were closed, but we drug the old Aquaterra about 100 yds. down a hill and across the grass to the water and I let Cole have the first run... He paddled around and had a blast.  After a few minutes, he wanted me to try.

My original experience with this kayak was less than successful, so I was a bit apprehensive to attempt to mount this thing for the fear of looking like an idiot in front of my son and a few other on-lookers. Getting in was a bit of a chore, as it was the first time, but without the fear of a cold water kayak baptism, I was able to get in and began paddling around.  I noticed a "No Wake Zone " buoy about 200 yards out and made it my goal to reach the buoy.

This is where things begin to get sketchy.  As I paddled out, (at about the half way point) I noticed a difference in my right and left paddle stroke.  I looked down and the top rivet that secured the blade of the paddle to the handle had come loose. Being attached only at the bottom presented a bit of a challenge.  However, I was determined to reach the buoy.  I used my right "traffic" finger (aka: the bird) to secure the blade to the handle.  I'm still pretty sure I looked like an idiot with my right hand all the way down to one side of the paddle and 3 feet of handle sticking of the left side, but it worked.  I got the the buoy, turned around and came back.  Cole was disappointed that I did not touch the buoy, but I considered the affair a "WIN".

When I returned, I got out and Cole embarked on another voyage.  He began tooling around and the paddle broke.  With only a one sided, long, unwieldy paddle at our disposal, I decided to have Cole practice re-entry and flipping the kayak in order to make Mom a little more comfortable in the notion of getting him a kayak for his birthday. He did a great job.

The video to the right shows him in water too deep to stand.  This time was the only time he didn't get in on the first attempt, which worked out because he was able to demonstrate both ways he learned to flip the kayak.  We probably did it at least 10 times.

After about 30 minutes or so of that, I remembered that there was a two piece paddle stowed in the hull.  Cole got it out and paddled around a bit more, the I decided to take another trip to the buoy.  I didn't get too far before that paddle broke too!  Upon further inspection, it had a flat spot (like it had been run over by a car) near the blade of the paddle.

So, this was actually more of a paddle fail than a kayak fail, but all in all, it was a great time. Cole got to test out his Backwater Assault Paddle, which by the way is AWESOME as Cole says, and we got to spend some time on the water.  No fishing, nothing extravagant... Just good, quality, fun in the sun!
Can't wait for my Malibu Kayak!!!

Why do I hunt and Fish? It's A Way of Life

A day's work in the Lower Laguna Madre
Photo: Cole Carson

The other day, I had someone ask me why I hunt.  It kind of took me by surprise.  This person is more of an acquaintance than anything.  Just someone I see picking up the kids at school or at the park.  I guess living in Texas with very little resistance to my lifestyle, I have become complaisant in not having to defend my choices when it comes to hunting and fishing the way many people do in other states.

My answer was basically "because I want to" with a dose "how dare you question my way of life" attitude.  Then, it dawned on me that this person was trying to have an intelligent conversation as to why I like to hunt.  I could tell by this time that this person felt like she crossed a line by asking the question.  I tried to circle back to the conversation, but she didn't want to talk about it.  By the time that awkward conversation or lack thereof was over, I was disappointed in myself for not articulating myself in an intelligent manner.  In retrospect, I was truly surprised by the question, but my inability to give a thoughtful, accurate, and detailed response probably served to strengthen even the tiniest amount of contempt for my way of life.

My way of life... Let's think about that for a minute.  I live in the city, there is a grocery store 5 minutes from my house.  My daily routine involves shuttling kids around, baseball practices, games, tournaments, grocery shopping, work, etc., all the usual stuff most of us do.  As I write this, I can hear the traffic on a major highway.  So, how can hunting and fishing be a way of life?  Well, I guess when you compare that to life in rural Alaska or living off the land where your survival is at stake, it can be a tough case to make.

A rare moment of peace between brother and
sister brought to you by a peaceful setting
Photo: Chris Carson

Consider for a moment though, the things you find in your food.  If you eat meat from a grocery
store, the growth hormones and other toxic trash you are putting in your body is mind blowing.  The apple you had for a snack was likely sprayed with pesticide, and genetically engineered to taste a certain way or have a certain color or be a certain size, or more accurately produce a certain amount of money. I seriously doubt that the health benefits are anywhere near what they once were.  But to me this begs the question... If we can genetically engineer these things, why can't we engineer healthier, better tasting foods?

The answer I came up with is this: We can't beat nature. Nature produces the things we need to fuel our bodies.

There is also something uniquely satisfying about bringing home dinner.  I have always been a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but when you harvest your meat, gut and skin the animal yourself, cut your dinner off the bone, grind it or tenderize it, season it and cook it yourself... To quote Kenyon Bankston of Southern Boyz Outdoors; "It just don't get no better than this!"

In Genesis 1:26 God gave man dominion. He intended for us to live and thrive upon what He created. Some will bring up Matthew 5:5 in response to this and say "The meek shall inherit the earth". Let's take a look at that word "meek".  Notice it does not say "weak".  Some synonyms for the word "meek" are: mild, humble, and modest. I call this "quiet confidence" with my baseball players.  With confidence comes strength and tenacity. An antonym is pride.

A nice typical 8pt. buck near Hondo, TX
Photo: James Plant

Then there is the argument for conservation.  Without hunters hunting these animals, overpopulation would be detrimental; not only to the animal, but it's food and water sources as well.  The natural ecology would be thrown out balance.  Disease and hardship for these animals, especially in years of drought, would be devastating to their numbers and the plants, insects, and other food sources along with other animals that use the same food and water sources.  The damage to the eco-system would be exponential.  One of their natural predators is humans. Take hunters out of the mix and you will have a problem of gigantic proportions.

To those that would argue that "Shooting a deer at 100 yards is too easy." I would say this: one of the greatest advantages we were born with is the ability for critical thinking, problem solving, and an opposable thumb. Many animals are blessed with speed or strength and carry their own weapons as body parts.  Hunters were blessed with the ability to outwit their prey as well as design and build their weapons.

Sunset from a ground blind near Hondo, TX
Photo: Chris Carson

Then there are the things I get to see that most people either don't have the opportunity to see or don't appreciate.  Last August during my fishing trip to Port Mansfield, we saw a sea turtle that was about as big as the hood of my truck!  I have also seen an otter in Rebecca Creek.  I thought it was an otter, but had to look it up online.  I had no idea that there were otters in Texas.  I have also seen strutting turkeys, bobcats, foxes, a mountain lion, and a badger.  All of them just doing what they do in their natural habitat.  Then there are always the fiery sunsets, sunrises, the sounds or even the quiet time nature provides.  I feel blessed to be able to experience all these things.  Of course it is not required to have a weapon in my hands when I see these things, but hunting and fishing trips provide the convenient opportunity to appreciate these things.

In short, I am an apex predator.  I take my place on top of the food chain as it should be; as it were meant to be.  Weather it's by rod and reel, bow, rifle, or any other (legal) means, I will do what I was designed to do by my Creator: hunt, fish, and provide for my family by outwitting my prey. To me, that is my way of life!

Adventure Files: Family Canoe Trip Gone Wrong Part 2

Guadalupe River
Photo: Bryan Taylor

Our trip down the Guadalupe continues.  If you haven't read Part 1, please take a look. We are about 3/4 of the way through our trip and there is more drama to come.

After we thanked the couple for helping us get as much of our things together as possible, we headed off again.  Not too far downstream, we encountered another rapid that had a small drop.  There was a small gravel bar with maybe an inch of water running over it to the left side of the river. I motioned to Laura to head over there with me and she did.  We got out of the canoes and the kids played in a small eddy out of the current while I tried to figure out the best line to get through these rapids.  At some point, I became aware that this was the rapid the man spoke about where there was a chute off to the right side.  I watched as some tubers went through the rapids and some went around through the chute. I guess he had given up on waiting for us. 

I thought about the options and although I saw tubers go in and tubers come out, the safety of my family squashed and notion of adventure here.  The kids were having fun playing and Laura really wanted to keep going.  I didn’t want to put my family through that again, so I decided I would walk the canoes through the rapids myself, which I did.

Once I reached the other side, We set sail again for Bigfoot Canoes with the hope that we had just crossed our last rapid.  There was a short peaceful paddle to the FM 311 bridge (also known as Esser’s Crossing) where we encountered another rapid.

Brother and sister at Nichols Landing
Photo: Chris Carson

This one seemed to be pretty tame in comparison to the last two. No drop in elevation, just about 500 feet

of fast running water over a rock garden.  We began to encounter trouble again when we bottomed out. Laura hit a larger boulder that tossed Caitlyn out like a ragdoll.  Caitlyn actually seemed to be having fun. To hear her tell the story, she just bailed out.  As she bailed out, Laura fell to that side and began taking on water. She rolled out held on to the canoe for what seemed like an eternity.  I kept telling her to let go and she just kept looking at me. It was a tremendously amazing feat of strength I was watching as she held on to that canoe in fast moving water while it was filling up with rushing water.

I was stuck, bottomed out in my canoe.  If I stood up, and helped her, it would have floated off with Cole and Cody in the rapids.  I was not in a position to help her without putting my two son’s in danger.  Finally, after pleading with her to let go, she asked “Where is Caitlyn?”  She didn’t see that Caitlyn swam to shore just like I told her to do before we ever left home. She finally let go.  I found out later that she never saw Caitlyn swim away, and couldn't see her over the canoe. She thought Caitlyn was trapped or on the other side of the canoe and was afraid that she would get run over by the canoe if she let go. 

About the time she did finally let go, a woman who had been there with some other folks came out to help.  I stood up and pushed my canoe with the kids in it across about 30 feet of VERY fast moving water about 4 inches deep or so.  I literally had to push this canoe running behind it as fast as I could to get it to shore. It reminded me of many football workouts 30 years ago pushing the sled.

Guadalupe River
Photo: Brian Taylor

With the drift I encountered, I was about 25 yards downstream from where Laura was when I finally got it beached. I went back for her. The woman grabbed the canoe and was in some deeper, slower water where she could anchor it.  Laura was sitting in the rapids where she turned over still catching her breath.  I knew she was safe there and was not ready to stand up and make her way across the rushing water, so I grabbed the canoe and this nice woman helped me with getting the canoe (full of water) across the fast moving water and beached again now about 30 yards downstream. I went back again for Laura as she made her way to the canoes. 

The woman, who came to help, assisted me in flipping the canoe to get the water out. About this time, a man who seemed drunk came to help Laura who was sitting in the water near the canoes still catching her breath.  As he was trying to help her up or something, he dropped the woman’s dog in the water. She quickly snatched up the dog and gave him an earful as they left. It was a very awkward situation.  Later, Laura asked me “What was that guy doing?” Truthfully, I was baffled.

We got back in the canoes and paddled downstream again hoping we had seen our last rapids before the take out at Bigfoot.  Low and behold, the next turn in the river was the take out. Laura and I were glad to see it.  The kids still wanted to play.  I called the office at Bigfoot and told them we were at the take out.  The man told me that the driver would be back soon.

We let the kids play in the river while we waited. Another group of tubers showed up, picked up their tubes and headed up the hill for their cars.  Another group with some tubes and canoes showed up.  It had been 30 minutes or so since I called.  They were going to leave their rented canoes there and just head back to their cars.  I wasn’t about to haul our borrowed canoe uphill a half a mile to the truck, but I considered going to get the truck.  About the time I prepared to hike to the truck, the old beat up Scout II that took us to Nichol’s Landing showed up.  We loaded our things and headed back to the truck.  

The golf ball sized lump on Laura’s arm was holding steady.  She had good mobility and we were all hungry, so we decided to stop at Beefy’s Backyard in Spring Branch to eat some dinner, lick our wounds and decompress a little before we headed home. On the way into the restaurant, we ran into some baseball friends coming back from a tournament. Even telling them the ordeal then didn’t seem to do it justice.

Guadalupe River
Photo Bryan Taylor

I was just thinking about starting this blog back then and it took me quite some time to write about this

experience.  Some of the details are a little fuzzy at this point, but I know some things for certain.  Caitlyn and Cole were tested that day and they proved to be smart and good listeners even though there was some pretty dangerous situations.  They handled it well. I guess we didn’t do a very good job of preparing Cody for this adventure. He had no idea what to expect. I believe this is why he was so scared to start off the trip.

In the future, I will always inspect the craft in which we travel. As I’m thinking about it now, I don’t ever remember more than a basic once over in looking at either canoe.  Don’t ever take for granted that things are in good condition.

I will also have back up plans for these kinds of trips.  Where can we take out along the way if something were to happen?  How will we get back to where we need to be? etc.

We have not let this dampen our adventurous spirit. Laura and I have discussed it with the kids and pointed out things we could have done better or been better prepared for. 

I should have known that a canoe trip with two adults and three kids (one of which was 4) with experience being little to none was not a good idea. A trip to a lake in a protected cove out of the wind would have been a much better idea. I might have even been able to fish a little with that kind of trip!

Most of all, I thank God for watching over us and putting those helpful souls in our path. Without the help of these people, we would have probably lost a canoe and many other things at the very least. Laura is still upset about her ring to this day, but I am thankful it was only the ring that was lost when you consider other alternatives like our lives or our kids.

Adventure Files: Family Canoe Trip Gone Wrong Part 1

Brother and sister in the most peaceful setting
they have ever known.
Photo: Chris Carson

When I was about 10-12, years old, I spent half of my summers at Camp Stewart on the Guadalupe.  I participated in sports like tennis and golf among other things.  We were trained in outdoors actvities as well, such as: archery, horseback riding, riflery, hiking, camping, and of course canoeing.  We learned a lot of techniques including how to flip and re-enter a canoe, the J-stroke, and how to work together in a tandem canoe. None of these things were helpful during the events that were about to occur.

Last July (2015), I took a Guadalupe River canoe trip with my family.  I thought it was a fun idea.  I had been trying to take my son Cole (who had just turned 10) on this trip to do some fishing the summer before and didn’t get a chance to do so.  This time, Cole wanted his 11 year old sister to go with us. 

I don’t generally like to be outnumbered with these two, so I spoke with my wife and agreed that we would drop the fishing portion of the expedition and just take an easy going, serene canoe trip with the entire family including Cody (the 4 year old). 

Before we left, I had a safety talk with the two older kids.  In this talk, I covered all the basics. I told them that we were going to the river and that it could be a dangerous place and that no matter what happened, if there was an emergency they were to swim to shore.  I told them they would keep their life vests on at all times and listen and do exactly what we say when we say. As it usually goes with talks like this; it began to get out of control with their descriptions of what they would do if something happened.  I brought them back to reality by telling them to listen and that these could possibly be life or death situations.

Guadalupe River
Photo: Bryan Taylor

We borrowed a canoe from a friend and went to Big Foot Canoes on the Upper Guadalupe, where we rented a second canoe. This is a beautiful working cattle ranch on the Guadalupe that also rents Canoes.  I went there years ago when they used to let you camp there and fish all night. Once everything was paid for, we were transported to Nichol’s Landing upriver where Spring Branch road crosses the Guadalupe. 

After getting our gear situated we thanked the driver and the gentleman that rode with us for helping us get everything down the trail to the water.  They had been talking about a particular chute that went around a rapid toward the end of the trip and weather it was blocked by debris.  He said it might be fun for the family and would wait and let us know if it was blocked or not. We shook hands and I said that would be great.

I drug the canoes half way or more into the water and got everyone situated.  My daughter Caitlyn and my wife Laura were in the canoe we rented from Bigfoot and I was in the longer one we borrowed from our friends.  I shoved the girls out into the water first, and they got off to a great start.

Immediately upon pushing our own canoe into the water and entering myself, Cody began freaking out.  We had him down in the bottom of the canoe sitting on a folding seat designed to fit a canoe with a PFD (Personal Floatation Device) on top of it.  He also had one of the struts of the canoe in front of him that he could hold onto. Of coarse all of the kids were wearing their PFD’s as well. But, all of this was no comfort to Cody.  The smallest rocking or weight shift had him screaming.

 

I kept talking to him in an attempt to soothe him.  I paddled up next to Mom hoping that would make him feel better, but no luck.  About 5 minutes into this trip I realized that this was a huge mistake.  Not only was I in a canoe with a screaming, frightened, unconsolable kid, there was no return at this point and we were signed up for about a 2 hour trip!

We hit a few small rapids, which actually helped somewhat, because Cody was a little less nervous

about the calm water now. About 30 minutes in, with a few rapids under our belt, I could see Cody still had a death grip on the strut in front of him, so I pulled over into a small area of the river where there was a gravel bar in about 2 feet of water. 

I let the big kids get out and play.  We had some snacks and drank some water.  I eased Cody into the river, which he did not like one bit, but we played and I showed him how his life vest keeps him floating and he began to enjoy himself.

Guadalupe River
Photo: Bryan Taylor

Caitlyn & Cole had fun floating in the current and making their way back upstream. They skipped rocks and played their games.  Eventually, I started floating Cody a few feet from me to Cole and Caitlyn.  He was having a blast.

As we were packing up our canoes, I noticed that one of the four rivets (back right) that held Caitlyn’s seat fastened to the canoe was broken.  This would come into play later. We packed ourselves back into the canoe, and pressed on.  The kids wanted to stop at every rope swing we saw, but I had to explain to them that they were on private property and had No Trespassing signs next to them; a point that did not go over well.

We saw a lot of pretty cool sights along the way.  I dropped a few pins on my iPhone for places I wanted to fish in the future. With every turn or narrow in the river, we faced more rapids and Cody was cool as a cucumber now.  That little stop we made did the trick.  He was no longer white knuckled and was beginning to enjoy the trip!

When we got to the 281 bridge, things took a turn for the worse.  For most of the rapids Laura went first, but at this one, somehow I ended up in the lead heading into the rapids.  I picked out what seemed to be a smooth line only to figure out that there was a drop in this area of the rapids.  I quickly shouted commands to Cole to re-route us through a safer passage and began frantically signaling Laura to follow.  We barely made it into the chute I was directing us to. As we did, we hit a large boulder which threw Cole half way out of the boat.  Thank God for his athleticism and strength; he was able to stay in the boat. Cody was still sitting in his little roller coaster like set up not phased one little bit. Fortunately, he was facing away from what was happening next. 

Creek falls into Guadalupe River
Photo: Bryan Taylor

We bottomed out in the rapids. Fortunately, the canoe was not quartered or broadside or we would have taken on water.  That would have been precarious to begin with, but with a 4 year old in the boat it could have been horrific in a multitude of ways. As I was trying to push us off the rocks with my oar, I looked over to see Caitlyn fly out of the boat.  Their boat turned broadside and Laura went in too as the canoe rolled over. It never dawned on me until just now,  but I wonder if she went in after my daughter or actually rolled... I will have to ask.

I immediately stood up and pushed the canoe ashore with Cole and Cody still in it.  There was a couple nearby that came to help. She and Cole helped drag my canoe up on an island that was about 6 feet away, while the man went after the other canoe.  I told Cole to stay with Cody, which he couldn’t do as his mother and sister were in trouble and he couldn’t have that. Caitlyn had scampered ashore rather quickly.  When I turned around, Laura screamed “Chris the cooler”.  I dove into the rapids just in time to rescue our wallets, phones, dry clothes, and the keys to my truck.

We lost a few other things, but I was more concerned about the fact that Laura was just sitting in the river with the water crashing around her. Caitlyn was trying to get to Laura and we were both yelling at her to get back to shore. Cole rescued a couple more items out of her canoe. I finally got him back to shore with Cody and the kind lady who was keeping the canoe and Cody safe. Laura sat in the rapids trying to gather herself as she was having wardrobe malfunction and crying.  I finally made my way back to help her up, and she was hysterical.  She lost her wedding ring. 

I looked briefly in the water, but I knew there was no hope for that ring.  It could have been washed away, it could have wedged between rocks, it could have been come off where she finally settled or where she fell out.  There was no telling.  But I was immediately more concerned about the golf ball sized knot on her elbow.  I just knew she had broken something.  She had mobility in her arm, and I knew we were getting close to Bigfoot again.  So, we decided to get moving because we knew she would need some first aid soon.  

Check back next week for Part 2 of this adventure gone wrong.  We have only made it about 3/4 of the trip to this point and I will recap some of the lessons learned, what we did right and what we did wrong.  Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you'd like!