While some of what is Woodsmanship can come natural, such as the ability to see the flick of a buck’s tail through dense, winter timber to the ability to navigate unfamiliar terrain without getting lost. However, much of Woodsmanship comes from a single source. Experience. Luckily for those of us young in our lifetime outdoors, experience doesn’t have to be the kind experienced first hand, it can be experiences others have accrued through the years. In fact, your first course – Woodsmanship 101 – should take advantage of as many outdoors veterans as you can. Working in your favor, many of the best outdoorsmen I know have a unique combination of arrogance and unselfishness that makes it easy to draw knowledge out of them. They can’t wait to tell you what they have learned while hunting and how good they are at doing it!

Your 200 level Woodsmanship course moves you to published works. Wikipedia, outdoors magazines, outdoors television shows and publications by outdoors organizations such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) and Ducks Unlimited (DU) and outdoor TV shows will be a good place to start and has the added benefits of serving you well when life keeps you indoors. My suggestion is to skip Barnes and Noble and head to your closest half-price book store where there will no doubt be a number of hunting books on the cheap. Better, in my opinion, are the regional online communities such as Iowa Sportsman. Not only do such communities have a lot of members with tons of experience, they can also lead to friendships with people willing to show a novice the ropes.

After that, your studies take you into woods where Mother Nature leads the class. Entering the woods shouldn’t make you feel you are encroaching so much as you joining your rightful place in nature. Woodsmanship is much to do with reestablishing your ties with nature that our society, full of distraction has tried hard to tear down. Once there Mother Nature will likely not lay quarry in your lap, rather, give you the chance to listen and watch your quarry allowing you to apply this knowledge on future hunts. In fact, Mother Nature will often give you as much advice on how to turkeys while you are on that deer hunt as she is about deer. Woodsmanship is being open to the experience, appreciating that killing is a small part of hunting, the blending in with nature to watch creatures do what they due is the truest reward of any hunt.

Finally, it’s important that if you learn nothing else from all this, that Woodsmanship isn’t so much an attainable goal, rather, a ladder that much be climbed one step at a time but that can, with the help of others, be scaled quicker. It’s a path that is best shared and when shared with a seasoned veteran of the wood, Woodsmanship is knowing they only do so with the implicit expectation that you will do the same for others.

NOTE: Many thanks to the Iowa Sportsman Community (formerly Iowa Outdoors). Their member continue to teach me about Woodsmanship and the true meaning of happiness.

1. Start Small – Before trying to destroy hunting in a large country like the United States which is deep with outdoor traditions, start with a smaller country such as the United Kingdom. Using the Scientific Method, establish it as your control and try out a number of ideas you feel can lead to outlawing the barbaric outdoor lifestyle. Start by seeking the outran ban of a very specific species of animal that people are sympathetic to. In the case of the UK, for example, you can use the medieval class system and how it ties to oppression as a great reason to ban fox hunting. If that doesn’t work, throw in the fact the foxes will die in a brutal manner because of the use of dogs since, as we all know, mother nature is the most humane of all killers…not people nor pets.
2. Divide and Conquer – This concept is nothing new. Take a large group such as outdoors enthusiasts and divide them into increasingly smaller groups. Start by dividing them into hunting and trapping camps. Then move on to dividing hunting into deer hunters, turkey hunters and the like. Then do your best to turn those groups against one another by suggesting whitetail deer are much more of a challenge to hunt than turkey. Encourage the proliferation of region and species specific online communities. In this manner, mis-information they give about us so-called “antis” will be limited to those communities. Be sure to perpetuate the stereotype that hunting is an activity for only the manliest of white, anglo-saxon protestants. The last thing we need is the additional contention that women, blacks and Mexicans could bring to the table.
3. Turn Them into Monsters – It’ll be much easier to outlaw outdoor activities if the participants are looked upon negatively by the general public. The best part of this is you can often profit off of this activity by making things like stickers of the Confederate Flag, bullet holes or of phrases like “if it’s brown it’s down”. Then make sure others take note during hunting season as these hillbillies sport the elk or deer they shoot uncovered in the back of their pick-up or trailer. After that, find a few sensational idiots in the outdoor community such as felons and poachers and create as much publicity around their situations as possible. When that doesn’t work, hit the public with obscure facts or outright fabrications of so-called “scientific evidence” that clearly show that hunting does nothing to curb wildlife populations and even exposes those populations to hard hitting diseases that could decimate their already “managed” populations.
4. Find Sympathetic Businesses and Organizations – When the above doesn’t work, get a few so-called “non-profits” who can fight these barbarians using public donations. If you can, do some clever things like get companies that provide common, everyday products like dog food to donate part of their revenues to those same non-profits. Outdoorsmen are pretty dumb and won’t dig deep enough to find out that the product they just bought is actually working against them. These non-profits also bring the added benefit of having Washington D.C. lobbyists at their disposal. These groups are great at working the political circuit and the art of the amendment. That’s right, our lobbyist friends have found crafty ways to attach anti-hunting legislation to bills that have nothing to do with hunting or the outdoors! While all that is going on, we need to point out at every chance we get that our non-profit partners and leaders in business are responsible for the massive turn around in game populations throughout the country. Hunters will lie and suggest the government – through hunting and fishing licenses – are responsible which, of course, is a lie.
5. Hit Hollywood Hard – Let’s face it, there is no denying the influence that Hollywood and celebrity actors have on the general public. Many of these same celebrity actors tote around their pets and even dress them up like real people. Find the biggest names in Hollywood you can to take up our cause and publicly humiliate these neanderthals. Don’t forget, these same celebrities have deep pockets and relationships with influential people such as judges and politicians. If Hollywood can get Obama elected, damn it, they can help us outlaw hunting!
6. Outlaw Their Tools – Fact is these bozo’s can’t kill or harm an animal if we take away the very tools they depend on. First try hitting them where it hurts most by taking away their guns. If you can’t ban firearms outright, first try to outlaw automatic weapons. Turn it into an issue of public safety deflecting the issue of hunting. Be sure to point to the escalating crime in your area as a reason to get rid of these radical firearms. Once you get automatic guns outlawed, just start climbing the ladder to handguns, shotguns and rifles. While you work on the firearms bans be creative and consider trying to obtain the outright ban of ammunition. Maybe even sue a firearms or ammunition manufacturer for the death of some pour soul in some big city…it doesn’t matter that hunting wasn’t involved.
7. Give Them Something Else To Do – If all of the above fails, one thing we have in our hip pocket is that hunting is on the decline. We need to continue pushing distractions such as mobile phones, the Internet and gaming devices like the Wii and Playstation 3. Fact is, kids would rather text, update their Facebook status, or play computer games against each other. This is our Plan B. These hunting fools are too stupid to realize how drastic the decline in hunting licenses are and the positive effect it will have for us moving forward.

First, learn about the two most common types of ticks in the United States. There is dermacentor variabilis known as both the dog or wood tick. Adult specimens are relatively large to other tick species making them easy to spot as they attempt to make their assent to a warm, cozy spot on your person. This species has been known to transmit an illness called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In my experience this is the tick you are most likely to run across, particularly in my neck of the woods (Iowa).

More feared than the wood tick is the Deer Tick known to people in white coats as lxodes scapularis. This tick is much smaller than the wood tick which is a problem because it can transmit lyme disease one of the more feared tick-born illnesses and one all who love the outdoors should become familiar with.

Ok, so you know what they are so how can you prevent getting them and what do you do if you find one making home on you, a loved one or friend? First you need to know how these little rascals get on you. They do not jump and can’t fly so the only way you can get them is to come in physical contact with them by either walking through grass and brush or, less likely but possible, have one fall from overhead. That said it is absolutely imperative for anybody enjoying nature to do “tick checks” after each trip afield. Before we get into how to remove a tick, let’s talk about preventing them from setting up shop in the first place. For this Google is your friend as there is no shortage of advice (here, here and here to name a few). Let me sum up a few of the most common recommendations:

1. When you can wear white or light colored clothing. Ticks are dark and will be a nice contrast to a white shirt allowing you to quickly spot them.
2. Tuck your pant legs either into your boots or socks and wear long sleeved shirts buttoned up at the wrist. Wearing a hat and optionally a mosquito net will help protected your head.
3. Use a tick repellent. Many common brands of bug repellents also deter ticks.
4. Do tick checks often, particularly when you are in areas with heavy tick populations. Each outing should conclude with a full body tick check. Adults should always do this for children and even adults could benefit by having a spouse or significant other provide a second set of eyes.
5. Prevent bringing ticks into your home. This means checking pets that my have been out with you as well as ensuring the clothes you wore are tick-free. I’ve personally seen ticks show up on one of my daughters who wasn’t even with me on the prior excursion. I’m convinced the tick came in with me on my clothes.

Despite your best efforts if you are an outdoor enthusiast you will undoubtedly run into a situation where a tick will have set-up shop. Now what. One common misconception is that the use of heat or chemicals should used. I personally recall being told to use tweezers and to heat the tips of the tweezers up with a lighter…NO don’t do that. Turns out that using heat, chemicals or even crushing the tick while attached to it’s host could cause it to regurgitate into the skin. Instead simply use common household tweezers or specialized tick tweezers like Tick Twister to remove the tick.

Finally I’m going to leave you with this video which specifically discusses prevention of ticks, symptoms of lyme disease and other useful tips:

So this past weekend has been planned for months. We’ve had to juggle things based on our personal schedules, the hunting season and Mother Nature always seems to have a say in it. This weekend’s hunt, our first with both our oldest kids, was originally planned for last Saturday but 22mph winds, cold morning temps and the chance for rain had us postpone it a day later. Man, am I glad we did. So our goal in all this? Most people foreign to hunting would think it’d be to simply kill our quarry…in this case the wild turkey. Ah, but not so. See, while that would have been a great way to top off this trip the real goal was to introduce our kids to the sport of hunting by putting them, for the first time in their lives, in a situation to observe nature without nature being all that aware of them. The beauty in it all is only enhanced with the time honored tradition of hunting. See, Kevin and I know that by introducing our kids to hunting at an early age it will combat a lot of life’s negatives (childhood obesity, obsessions with video games, being too competitive too young in life).

So what was the goal of this hunt? Simple. We wanted to create some memories. And that we did! This video can only give you a short glimpse into the energy and excitement that two six year olds had on their first hunt together with their dads. On this hunt we heard Tom’s gobble on the roost, we had a whitetail deer within 15 yards of our blind and we had a Jake mingle with our two hen decoys. While we didn’t get to see the long-beards we were after, this video will make it clear it was still a successful hunt!

• Confirm permission to hunt on private land. Many hunters are lazy…too lazy to give the landowner a courtesy phone call to not only confirm you can still hunt their land but to also tell them just how much you appreciate them letting you hunt. I even go so far as to send thank-you cards with pictures of hunts or, if they enjoy it, even offer some of the meat from your harvest.
• Got ammo? If not you better secure some ASAP. Too many people wait until the day before the first day of the season to get ammo just to learn that their ammo is picked over. Don’t fret too much if your favorite load is picked over (see next tip)
• Sight in your gun. Yes, you have to do this before *every* hunting season. If you hunt both fall and spring turkey seasons you still need to shoot before each. There are a number of reasons your sites or scope could be off…too many to enumerate. If you are lucky you’ll only need a couple of shots to confirm nothing has changed.
• Check your boots. Without the gun and ammo you can’t shoot the bird so those two things are the top pieces of turkey hunting equipment but boots are a close second. Ensure your boots will keep you warm for the wide temperatures swings of spring. Case-in-point, right now it is 38 degrees and in two days it will hit 68 degrees. Your boots need to be able to keep you warm yet breathe just enough when the temperatures rise.
• Rain Gear.

Don’t let a cold spring rain ruin your hunt. Let’s face it, the birds will be out regardless of the weather which means despite rain you can still harvest that bird.

• Scouting. You must know the land you are hunting and how the birds use it. If you can’t at least identify a couple flocks of birds, where the roost and their tendencies during the day you could be in a for a long hunt. This is the number one reason for unsuccessful hunts.
• Get in early. I like to get setup an hour before sunrise. Tomorrow sunrise is at 6:37. it takes me a half hour from the time I park to the time I am setup and it takes me 45 minutes to get to the farm I’ll be hunting. That means I need to be on the road by 4:15am.
• After the above it just a matter of ensuring the rest of your turkey equipment is handy. Here’s what I double check on each year:
  • Hunting License and Tag. Don’t forget them at home.
  • Check the weather. It is import to be mentally prepared for what ever weather mother nature will throw at you.
  • Knife and field dressing gloves. It is much easier to pluck the birds shortly after harvesting them and in the spring I like to avoid bringing ticks home by dressing them in the field.
  • Heat packs. Temperatures in Iowa can dip below freezing so having heat packs is a convenience you may want

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  • Turkey calls. I keep a variety of mouth call and a slate call on me at all times. You should have started practicing back in late February or early march.
  • Turkey decoys. Sure you may not use them but you had better pack them anyway just in case.
  • GPS Unit. Completely optional. I will use this particularly on new land to find my way to my morning setup since new land is hard to navigate in the dark. You GPS can also serve as a watch.
  • Camo. I like to dress in layers so I can adjust what I’m wearing based on the current temps. Be sure you include a face mask.
  • Blaze Orange Vest.

  There are a lot of turkey hunters, mushroom hunters and others in the woods. Ensure your safety by wearing blaze orange on your way in and out of the field.

  • Mobile Phone. Accidents can still happen and a mobile at the very least will allow you to phone for help and, if possible, GPS-technology on your phone could help authorities find you in the event you go missing. It’s also convenient when you need to call in to report your harvest to the Iowa DNR
  • Pruning Sheers. Don’t let foliage frustrate you. A compact set of pruning sheers will allow you to quickly trim anything in your shooting lane(s).
  • Scent control. OK, this is probably the most controversial thing but I prepare for turkey hunting just like I do deer hunting. Why? Deer and turkey often frequent the same places and deer can effect turkeys particularly when they are within eye sight of one another. Minimize your presence by using the basic no-scent systems on the market. I do it all exactly the same as you would deer season minus playing the wind. While the odds of such a thing are slim why risk it?
  • Camera and tripod. Hey, if you harvest that bird you’ve been after you want to remember it properly. Too many guys wait until they get home and take photos in their backyard. I prefer the authenticity of an in-field shot like the one you see here.
  • Tick checks. Spring is tick season and to avoid the common illnesses they can transmit it is imperative to get all ticks off of you within 24 hrs. I personally do a tick check prior to getting in my vehicle after the hunt to avoid getting any of the pests in the truck where they can roam a few days before finding me. This *has* happened to before. After the vehicle tick check I strip all non-essential camo and put into an air tight bin until my next hunt. When I get home I wash any clothes I didn’t put in my air tight bin such as socks, t-shirts, camo pants, underwear, etc. If you missed any ticks and they are still in with your clothes washing and drying them should take care of them. Finally I will do one last tick check in the shower just in case. I know this seems a bit extreme but given the serious nature of the illnesses ticks can transmit I feel this is a critical. Besides you don’t want the very sport you love being your very demise, do you?

This list has evolved over the past decade. If you have things you do that I may have missed I’d love to hear suggestions.