YOU DON’T KNOW JACK!!! YOU DON’T KNOW JACK!!! A Conversation with Jack UnruhA Conversation with Jack Unruh

BONNIE RAITTSLIPSTREAM

BUCK KNIVESKEEPING

THEIR EDGE

ISSUE IV

KIM COSTNERGIRLS LOVE HUNTING TOO

BOWFISHINGIN THE SUMMER TIME

THE OUTPOSTGorilla Marketing, LLC • Marietta, GA 30062 • 770-675-7200Jason Martin, Partner • Jim Zegers, King of the Jungle • Art Young, Editor in ChiefContributing Writers: Art Young, Jason Martin, Patrick Meitin, Tony MartinPhoto Credits: Sandy Earle - Jason Martin - Floridabowfi shing.com - Kim CostnerRodney Coplin - adventureatwill.com - Richard Moscardelli - Buck Knives - Jack Unruh

Editor’s Letter:Recently, while working on one of the articles for this issue, I had one of those forehead slapping epipha-nies. You know what I’m talking about. A blinding fl ash a crystal clear clarity occurs to you that demands that you stop and rethink what you’re doing.

Mine happened while I was having the conversation with my friend Jack Unruh that turned into the featured interview of this issue. Jack has spent his entire brilliant career as an illustrator. He has developed a one-of-a-kind style that has delighted clients for more than 50 years. When we met at his studio, he was busy with 3 or 4 new projects but he was more excited about getting to ride horseback into the wilderness of the Wind River in Wyoming and fi sh for about a week. Those eyes that have been able to discern incredible detail and beauty were sparkling at the thought of getting outside spend-ing time in a pristine, unhurried environment.

Here’s the big idea. Jack loves what he does because he does what he loves.

It is obvious from the meticulous detail of his work and the amazing body of his work that Jack is skilled at his chosen profession. It is equally obvious from the richness and soulfulness of his work that he’s good at balancing work and play. Since you’re reading this publication, you share something with him - a love of fi shing, hunting, ex-ploring and conserving the great outdoors. That’s his bal-ancing tool. That’s what recharges his creativity. He’s the poster child of the benefi ts getting outside more. Maybe you and I should be following his example.

This issue of the Outpost is packed with other ways for you to recharge those batteries while hopefully learning some new tricks. The fascinating and particularly Ameri-can success story of Buck Knives will likely give you some new reasons to buy yet another one of these tools of adventure. Since we’re still in the middle of fi shing sea-son, we’ve got some tips on chartering a fi shing boat but if you’d rather catch your fi sh with a bow, we’ve got a cool story on bowfi shing too.

This Outpost also has great insights about women and hunting, the best way to get a shot at hunting elk in the West and tips on dealing with the limitation of hunting from an elevated deer stand. We haven’t forgotten the food and tunes. If you’ve ever wanted to cook up a Low Country Boil, we’ve got the goods on this. Plus, we re-view the new CD, “Slipstream” and Bonnie is sure ‘nuff back!

We hope you enjoy this issue. As always, we would love to hear from you. Hit us up with an email and tell us what you’re up to.

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Email us at: The-Outpost@comcast.net

THE OUTPOST© is produced and copyrighted 2012 by Gorilla Marketing LLC, Marietta GA 30062. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is expressly forbidden.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BOWFISHING GIRLS LOVE HUNTING TOO

BUCK KNIVES JACK UNRUH

20 26126

10 LOW COUNTRY BOIL

14 TIPS ON SHOOTING FROM TREE STANDS & BLINDS

18 WESTERN ELK PLANNER

36 TIPS ON CHARTERING A FISHING BAT

36

30 PHOTO OF THE MONTH

31 CAPTAIN TONY MIXOLOGY

43 TRAVEL GUIDES CLASSIFIEDS

43 THE BACK PAGE

& PARTIES

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by Patrick Meitin

Bowfi shing is fun. It’s also a great way to keep your archer’s eye sharp and shooting muscles toned for big game hunts to come later in the year. Plus, when temperatures soar, there’s no better place to be than armpit-deep in cooling water. Bowfi shing can also serve as a commu-nity service, thinning trash fi sh that can hinder reproduction of more valuable game fi sh.

Superfl uous carp are the mainstay, though various suckers, gar, buffalo, shad or legal ocean-going fi sh may be your preferred target. The most pro-ductive shooting is typically during the late spring or early summer carp spawn, though any time of year can provide shooting. Carp will live darn near any-where, from polluted storm drains to small runoff ponds, muddy irrigation ditches to crystalline trout riv-ers to ocean-like res-ervoirs.

First Things First

Getting started is easy. First, fi nd a place with carp or other non-game fi sh where it’s legal to shoot. When in doubt, ask the land-owner or someone who’s in charge. Get-ting a game-violation ticket over a slimy carp simply isn’t worth it.

Bowfi shing Hot Fun in the Summertime!

www.fl oridabowfi shing.com

Next you’ll need some ratty sneakers and cut-offs, polarized sunglasses, a wide-brim hat and waterproof sunscreen. There’s no use in ruining good clothes, as you’re go-ing to get dirty in this business. The polar-ized sunglasses will help cut surface glare and improve the view of submerged targets. Wear some sunblock. Water glare and all-day sun guarantee painful sunburns for the unprepared.

The Best Bow and Reel

You could use the hunting bow you already own for this, but generally, an older bow that you don’t mind getting wet and muddy is best. Traditional re-curve bows and longbows best accommodate the quick, “from-the-hip” shooting normally presented. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy or powerful -- a cheap 45- to 50-pound pawn-shop or eBay bow is fi ne.

You’ll also need a bowfi shing reel equipped with stout cord, heavyweight arrow, and barbed point. Reels allow you to shoot into deeper water and easily retrieve arrows for another shot. Bowfi shing arrows are much heavier than hunting arrows and are typical-ly made of solid fi berglass to penetrate deep water and the scales and bones of a fi sh.

Reels come in a wide variety of styles and models, from basic drums to sophisticated, crank-handle contraptions. The basic, hand-wound drum reel screws into standard stabi-lizer riser mounts or tapes into place via an-choring feet. These are fi ne for shallow water and when shots are not overly long. They’re also most economical. Look to Saunders, Cajun and Bohning Archery and Eastman Outfi tters for affordable options.

Close-faced spinning reels attached to reel seats – sometimes with short rods included -- screw into riser stabilizer mounts to make follow-up shots faster, and allow you to “play” your prize after a hit. Just remember to press the release (cast) button before each shot! Look to Eastman Outfi tters, Muzzy Products and Cajun Archery for prime examples.

The safest, most hassle-free bowfi shing reel is AMS Bowfi shing’s Retriever Reel. Lever-activated rollers neatly stack line into a bottle, feeding fric-tion free during the shot – and with no buttons to push between shots. They mount via standard sight taps on most bow risers (strap-on mounts are available through AMS for traditional bows with no taps). AMS, Muzzy and Bohning are your sources. No matter reel choice, many are offered in kit form, with everything you’ll need to get started.

www.adventureatwill.com

Arrows for Fishing

Solid fi berglass fi sh arrows are standard and abun-dantly available. They’re inexpensive and so durable that they literally last forever. They generally come in bright colors, making it easy to adjust fi re after a miss. Bohning makes bright yellow, orange, and white. Ca-jun, AMS and Muzzy offer white shafts (Muzzy also blue), Eastman Outfi tters “high-viz” chartreuse, In-nerLoc bright orange and glow-in-the-dark.

Barbed fi sh points come in a wide variety of styles and price points. Budget-priced heads can prove trickier to remove from fi sh, while also normally less durable. If you only bowfi sh occasionally, or in waters with soft bottoms, they’re highly viable. Here you’re looking at designs such as Bohning’s River Fish Point; Eastman Outfi tters’ Eagle Fish Point; Cajun’s Lil’ Stinger, Mohawk, and Wee Stinger; and AMS Shure-Shot Points.

If you do enough shooting that removing fi sh becomes tedious, or if shooting in pun-ishing areas with copious rock or stumps, a sturdier point is in order. These hold in-stantly-reversible barbs and more rugged construction. Cajun’s time-proven Sting-A-Ree; Eastman Outfi tters’ Osprey Fish Point; InnerLoc’s Grapple 2 and 3 Points; Muzzy’s Quick Release Gar or Carp, Sting-ray or Shure Shot points; and Bohning’s RuffNeck all withstand prolonged abuse and make getting rid of shish-kabobbed fi sh easy.

To avoid potential tangles that can mean a broken line and a lost arrow – or worse, a potentially dangerous bounce-back that results in injury to the shooter or compan-ions -- AMS’ Safety Slide system is worth

every penny. At least one bowfi sherman has been killed by a bounce-back. The slide system carries retrieval line in front of the riser and safely out of cables and accessories while drawing and shoot-ing, zipping back to facilitate straight-line fl ight upon release. Kits are sold by AMS, Bohning, Muzzy, and Cajun Archery.

Ready, Aim…

Now you’re ready. All you’ll have to remember is to aim low when that fi rst fi sh ghosts into view. This is due to the prism effect created by water, making objects appear higher than they actually are.

How far under the fi sh you aim depends on wa-ter depth and shot angle and there’s no other way to learn than to get out there and shoot some fi sh. That’s what all the fun’s about; getting outside on a hot spring or summer’s day, stalking fi sh in cooling water, sometimes shooting until it hurts, collecting a few prizes along the way. I can think of few things I would rather do during the dog-days of summer. ck

Low Country Boil

The end of the summer is a perfect time to eat outside – so long as the sun has started to go down – and there’s nothing better than a Low Country Boil for summertime chow. Preparation of this delicious meal has the appearance of throwing a bunch of good things into one pot – corn on the cob, shrimp, sausage, red potatoes and seasonings – turning on a steady heat, drain-ing off anything that’s not edible and digging in. However, there is a little more to putting together a Low Country Boil.

First of all, a little geography lesson is in order. The Low Country is generally considered to be South Carolina and Northeastern Georgia and this dish originated from this area.

Outpost Cuisine Reference books on the history of various cuisines note that the origins of the Low Country Boil go back to a popular dish of the Gullah/Geechee people of the Sea Islands, which run along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. African slaves brought along the cooking infl u-ences from their homeland and this was mixed with the Spanish and French cooking infl uences.

At one time or another, the Low Country Boil has also been known as Frogmore Stew, Beaufort Stew (named after Beaufort, South Carolina) and Beaufort boil. This very old recipe was revived and made famous by South Carolinian, Richard Gay in the 1960’s.

There are many variations on the ingredients and prep-aration for Low Country Boil, but here’s one quick and easy way to make it.

Low Country BoilPrep Time: About 30 minutes

Cook Time: About 40 minutes

Serves: 6 hungry adultsIngredients• Crab boil, 2 teaspoons per quart of water• 12 red new potatoes• 6 (4-inch) smoked sausage link sausage• 6 ears corn• 3 pounds fresh shrimp, unpeeledDirectionsFill a large pot with enough water to cover all of the in-gredients. Add the crab boil and bring to a boil. Adjust the crab boil to suit your taste. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook for an additional 10 min-utes. Add shrimp and cook for no more than 3 minutes. - Drain and serve with warm bread.

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Kim Costner – Pro Hunter

Ok boys… you have had all the fun for all these years! You have kept the secret from us too long! Ever since that fi rst buck stepped out in front of me, I realized why you “cavemen” always inter-rupted the marriage for hunting season! If women would have known it was this fun to hunt it, kill it and drag it back to the cave, you “men” would have been the ones nursing the babies while stay-ing home!

With over 2 million women now in the sport of hunting, we are defi nitely a force to be reckoned with. So girls, here is some free advice. If you want to turn a guy’s head, if you want to make them drool, just put on some camo and watch the sweat puddle up! Have any of you ladies seen the lonely looking groups of men hanging out at the Bass Pro Shops? It’s really pathetic. Just saying…

Seriously though, I’ve got some great articles com-ing up over the next issues that will be geared to-ward the female hunter. Sure you men out there are welcome to read these articles too. First, you will have to be in touch with your “girly” side. Sec-ond, when you learn something new you must be

willing to admit it. Ouch. These articles will cover plant-ing food plots, moon phases, scouting, wildlife manage-ment, children in the outdoors, product reviews on gear designed for the female hunter, tips on archery, latest news from my sponsors, fundraisers, fl y fi shing (Yes, we little girls can fi sh too!), turkey hunting with a bow, bear hunting with a bow and charitable events like Kid’s Hunt-ing for a Cure, etc…

Speaking of Kid’s Hunting for a Cure, what is more satisfy-ing than seeing a smile on a child’s face when they make that fi rst kill? Or, catching that fi rst fi sh? I had the opportu-nity to do just that when I participated in South Georgia’s fi rst Kids Hunting for the Cure event in July this year down in Douglas, GA. The proceeds went to fi ght cancer and childhood diseases. Charity events like this for kids are popping up everywhere. As you can see from the smile on 10 year old Lexie’s face in the below photo, she is stoked! She dropped this pig with one shot! Now some of you might be thinking that

Girls Love Hunting Too!!!

she used the ever so popular .243 caliper to make this shot. (For you men out there, the .243 caliper is a relatively small caliper capable of good expansion upon entry and is a great light weight gun for deer hunt-ing too. It has very little kick making it popular for youth and the female hunter. But I’m sure you knew that, right?) Wait! She didn’t shoot it with a .243! It was a 7MM-08. A heavier gun and bigger caliper! Go Lexie!

To make this hunt a memorable one, she was guided by April Nicolelli who has been hunting since she was 10. She’s has tagged herself as a “Rack-A-Holic”! In her words “Ever since that fi rst buck hit the dirt, I’ve been hooked on deer hunting like crack. I live and breathe it.” (Oh look… most of the men reading this just passed out. That is so cute.) April chose Lexie out of the group because she had “spunk” and loved hunting as much as she does. It was hard to tell who was happier with the kill, Lexie or April. In true guide form, April found the blood trail and found the pig in no time. Like Lexie, April likes to hunt with a bit larger caliper too – a 30.06. Yeah. A 30.06. (Well, there went our last guy that was reading this article. He just passed out. Come on out girls, the coast is clear.) Oh, one last thing. We women do love you boys dearly and want to thank you for all you do for us. Teaching us to shoot, how to fi eld dress deer, how to change our Buckshot mud tires, how to install the KC lights, ranch hands, etc. And besides, who else could we get to carry our pig out of the woods for us… I’ll be making the rounds at the Bass Pro Shops’ Fall Classic this month. Maybe I’ll see you there!

If you were ever lucky enough to receive a genuine Buck knife as a kid or an adult, you most likely remember when and why. There’s something about a knife – either a pocket knife or fi xed blade – that suggests adventure and when it had the Buck brand on it, the experience was even sweeter.

In a time of high technology and sometime questionable manufacturing quality, the Buck family has been making knives that the owners treasure for more than a hundred years. What is it about these knives that instill so much confi dence and pride? It has to do with a particularly American success story.

It’s a Family Affair

Buck Knives didn’t get its famous brand name from some copywriter at an ad agency. The Buck family has been literally making these amazing blades since 1902 and it all started with Hoyt Buck. At the time, he was a young apprentice blacksmith living in Leavenworth, Kansas and he was looking for a way to temper steel so that itwould hold an edge longer. Needless to say he found it and in the process began a family businessthat would span four generations, so far.

As the company website notes, “Hoyt made each knife by hand, using worn-out fi le blades as raw material. His handy work was greatly appreciated during World War II. After the war, Hoyts and his wife Daisy were living in Mountain Home, Idaho. Their eldest son, Al, was raising his family in San Diego, Cali-fornia, so Hoyt decided to relocate to the warmer climes and pass on the cutler legacy to the next generation. Hoyt moved to San Diego and set up shop as H.H. Buck & Son in 1947. In time, Al Buck’s son Chuck took over the business and added to its line of products while continuing the tradition of craftsmanship. The company reaped the benefi ts of making a

Buck Knives Keeping Their Edge for More Than 100 Years

BUCK KNIVES

product of consistent quality. The latest generation of the Buck fam-ily to run the family business is CJ Buck. Like his father, grandfather and great grandfather, he con-tinues to innovate in the compa-ny’s products, while maintaining craftsmanship that accounts for the company’s success and sus-tainability in the outdoor sports marketplace.

Sweating the Small Stuff

As with every successful company, the foundation of the ongoing success of Buck Knives is the quality of its products. Innovation in new products, one of the best warranties in the industry, af-ter the sale service and extensive retail and online distribution are all built on the foundation of product quality.

The company notes, “We really do sweat the small stuff.” It has an extensive network of dealers and long-time users and constantly conducts research among these groups to glean insights about new products and re-engineering existing products.

In referring to this process, the company says, “Each knife we bring to market has been thought-fully designed and engineered. Blending the right properties into stainless steel will ensure that your knife has the right hardness and strength. Heat-treating or tempering the blade helps the knife hold its edge longer and makes it easier for you to re-sharpen the blade. It’s the heart and soul of the blade in our humble opinion.”

From L-R: Early photo of Buck Knives; Al Buck, Hoyt BuckBottom photo: Buck Knives Factory

Buck Knives are Forever

We live in a time of mass production and cheap prices and this leads consumers to have a “throw away” attitude. If the blade of that knife that was picked up at the convenience store breaks into two pieces while it’s being used, the owner will most likely toss the pieces in the garbage and go look for another knife. This situation will not likely happen if the knife involved was a Buck knife because the company has one of the best warranties in the industry.

The company’s warranty is simple and outlined on its website. “The Buck Knives Forever War-ranty ™” is pretty much what it says. A Buck Knife is built to last, but if for some reason your Buck is defective due to materials or workmanship, you can return it to us for repairs, no mat-ter where you bought it.

We will repair your knife, including part, labor and/or replacement with a new knife at our discretion. Keep in mind that repairs are not always possible or practical. If this occurs, we will replace your knife with the same type of knife or one that is comparable.”

Hunting Knives

Just about every hunter has at least one Buck Knife. They are light weight and tough enough to get the job done, whether this entails breasting a mourning dove, removing the wings of a ring neck pheasant or fi eld dressing a giant whitetail deer.

Some good choices for hunting knives from Buck include:

• Alpha Dorado models (especially the Boone & Crockett Alphas)• Alpha Hunter models• Bantam BHW models• The PakLite models • Buck Zipper models (for easier gutting)• The ErgoHunter models• The Ranger Skinner

Plus, there are dozens more to choose from at either your favorite outdoor sports retailer on the Buck Knives website.

www.buckknives.com

Buck Knives for Fishing

The most important aspect of a knife that will be used for fi shing, especially one that will be involved with fi leting the catch is that it must stay sharp. The tempered stainless steel in every Buck knife has been engineered with this in mind. Every knife will eventually get dull, but the Buck knife can be razor sharp again with little effort.

Some possible Buck Knives for the fi shermen include:

• ErgoHunter Boning knife models• Silver Creek Series of fi llet knives• Pathfi nder • EcoLite models• Bantam BHW Keeping a Buck in Your Pocket

Buck Knives also make some of the best pocket knives on the market. If a part of your job in-volves opening boxes, cutting string or sacks, or you just need that comfortable feel of a utilitar-ian tool sitting in your pocket, here are some pocket knives made by Buck to consider:

• Buck Cadet models• Chairman series models (Lancer, Companion and Solitaire)• Knight• Paradigm models• QuickFire models• Prince (a truly classic pocket knife)

A Thing of Beauty

For a variety of reasons, people don’t seem to value having a knife in their pocket or on their belt as much as they used to. That’s a shame. Part of this is due to the travel demands – especially by plane – that most of us have to deal with. While you can take a Buck knife hunting, fi shing, camping and any other place where you might need to cut something, you probably don’t want to take it to the airport if you’re there to catch a plane.

For outdoorsmen, Buck Knives are a thing of beauty. They combine utility with ergonomic bal-ance and classic designs. The success of Buck Knives has been the result of building a better product and relentlessly taking care of the customers who buy it. When the next generation of Buck’s takes the company into the next century, they will hopefully adhere to the lessons of Hoyt Buck. Most likely they will because the Buck name is on every blade and handle.

Tips on Shooting From Stands & Blinds

by

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hitetail deer are typically shot at ranges most would consider slam-dunk. Yet, we regularly experience misses afi eld at ranges that would seem ridiculous on the practice range. The solution to this problem lies in understanding that that shooting in the back yard, standing erect and easily repeat-ing perfect shooting form, is nothing like shooting from an elevated position, from the awkward contortions offered by a tree-stand or pop-up blind. Plus, there’s the adrenaline rush caused by buck fever to consider! Both scenarios offer hidden pitfalls, the potential to toss shooting form askew.

Tree-Stand GamesThere are three reasons you’ll miss from an elevated stand – besides nerves: Geometry, collapsed shooting form, and unrehearsed shooting positions.

Geometry is the easy part. The tendency when shooting from a position well above your target is to shoot high. Archers blame gravity, but it’s actually a function of geometry. That animal is simply closer than you think and your trusty, super-precise laser rangefi nder isn’t immune to errors either. You’re aiming for actual distance when the animal is really only as far from you as he is from the base of your tree.

Let’s say your stand is 30-feet high. The deer is standing 25 yards from the base of the tree holding your stand. You range him and your rangefi nder tells you the straight-line range is 31 yards. You’re going to shoot high. When installing yourself on the stand and inventorying ranges around your site, make a point to range trees on the same level your sitting. You’ve then received the actual range for anything at the base of that tree.

W

Of course technology solves recurring bowhunt-ing dilemmas. Several companies now offer laser rangefi nders with built-in tilt compensators. When used correctly, these give you an actual range to targets well below you. To eliminate even more guesswork, choose a pendulum bow sight. A single pin sits in a pivoting cradle, automatically adjusting itself for shots from directly beneath your stand to as far as 30 or 35 yards. This is foolproof assur-ance. Shooting form, as it pertains to tree-stands, is more problematic. The hunter’s tendency is to compensate for the downward angle by dropping the bow arm. This instantly changes your anchor and makes it diffi cult to use proper back tension. Instead, you should “bow” to your quarry when on stand, bending at the waist before aiming and shooting. Practice by fi rst aiming on the level, and then bending at the waist once settled into the shot to address the target.

Practice in the backyard, including a full dress rehearsal, to ensure that insulated duds, your fall-restraint system or an unaccustomed shot angle won’t trip you up. The off-season is the time to unravel possible prob-lems – not when a rutting buck approaches your stand. Envision various scenarios. What if a buck comes from behind? From hard right? (and your right handed). Directly beneath you? What if you must shoot from a sitting position? Are you ready to perform?

Blind-SidedEven when ranges are intimate, shooting from pop-up blinds can trip up the most experienced shooter. First of all, those limited shooting ports -- besides providing potential defl ection points – can throw range-judging for a loop. They give your brain less information to work around, making targets look farther than they actu-ally are. Most hunters are simply unaccustomed to shooting while sitting or kneeling. It might be a good idea to conduct a backyard trial run before the big hunt. Shooting-port defl ection isn’t uncommon. Anyone who’s bowhunted from an enclosed blind has done it at least once. You‘re excited, focused on the shot, and forget to take the time to look at where your arrow sits in relation to the window edge. Bow sights are mounted well above the arrow rest by necessity, creating this potential. Again, backyard trial runs are a helpful exercise. It never hurts to pull your head away from anchor and double-check arrow alignment just before important shots.

Where you set up can make getting clean port pass-through easier. For example, a blind set up on a rise can create a situation where the shooting port is too high to shoot from even your knees. Setting up in a dip where shots are predominately uphill means you must shoot while sitting fl at on your rear.

Large, shoot-through screens have seemingly eliminated these problems, though precautions are in order. Most mechanicals aren’t compatible with shoot-through screens, blades opening on screening itself and causing wild arrow fl ight. Fixed-blade heads are less of an issue. The only way to know for certain is to pur-chase extra broadheads and try them out through your blind before hunting. Since most African bowhunting is conducted from enclosed blinds while guarding water, I quickly learned during my fi rst trip over that even at high noon, seeing your sight pins can become a challenge inside a dark blind. This is especially true of the prime low-light hours surrounding dawn and dusk. Add a heavy tree canopy, overcast sky, or shoot-through screens and you’re really in trouble. Fiber-optic pins help somewhat, but to play it safe, I opt for an added sight-pin light, or a TruGlo glowing TFO (tritium) top pin. There are many useful options today, violet L.E.D. versions seeming to work best for me in all types of light conditions.

There is absolutely no doubt that tree-stands, and more recently pop-up blinds, have made us more deadly bowhunters. Tree-stands have made it possible to literally climb above a whitetail’s sharp nose and make ourselves invisible to game while in plain sight. Pop-up blinds have opened up still more options, making it possible to take advantage of hotspots where hanging a stand is simply not possible.

While stands and blinds have made it easier for us to get close to big game, you still must make the shot. This can be trickier than fi rst meets the eye. Prepare now to assure you are up to the challenge when that big buck arrives within range this season.

By Patrick Meitin

Every season more big-game hunters than ever travel West to pursue North America’s most ma-jestic big-game animal -- the Rocky Mountain elk. Thanks in large part to logging and thinning to cre-ate more grass for grazing cattle and calm fears of forest fi re elk populations have exploded to unprecedented numbers, becoming available to more do-it-yourself hunters. Despite this, choos-ing the best elk hunt for you is more complicated than would seem immediately evident. The per-spective elk hunter must weigh desires and ex-pectations and balance them with the realities of modern elk hunting. By doing your homework, going that extra mile, you can fi nd elk-hunting success without the expensive proposition of a guided hunt.

Guaranteed Elk Hunts

Over-the-counter elk licenses are rare today, though two states stand alone. Colorado and Idaho still allow even non-residents to purchase a tag without early application deadlines or long draw odds – though not every hunt unit in either state is included. Colorado allows you to simply show up and buy a tag for a large group of units not in-cluded in lottery drawings. You won’t be alone on these hunts, and you better have done your homework if you expect to beat the crowds to fi nd success. And though Colorado has an estimated 200,000 elk, the largest population in the nation, trophy quality’s normally not of the same as that found in many other elk strongholds outside heavily-managed hunts protected by limited tags systems. Check regulations for guaranteed options at www.wildlife.state.co.us/.

The Gem State issues limited licenses on a fi rst-come-fi rst-serve basis during what they term an “application period,” so you must make decisions early for the best hunt units. Otherwise licenses are there for the taking by early birds, and there are oftentimes leftover tags in certain areas well into the September archery season. Certain Idaho areas offer better-than-average trophy quality, but many of these require wilderness trekking. Find more details at www.state.id.us/fi shgame.

Easy-Draw Options

The best trophy-elk areas are no longer secret, so you’ll have to scan game and fi sh department web sites for draw odds stats in order to fi nd a hunt with better than 50-percent draw odds. These aren’t overly rare, but buy-ers beware, as some of these areas are hard-core wil-derness and accessing worthwhile hunting can require backpacking or pack animals. There might also be pri-vate-land issues. Drop-camp or self-guided trespass-fee options are often available through an outfi tter, a real bargain when wilderness is involved. Also, easy draws can entail “fringe” habitat with only scattered or sparse elk herds. Quiz a state game biologist to assure you un-derstand what you’re getting into before signing up for any hunt. Top picks include Montana: www.fwp.state.mt.us/hunting/default.asp New Mexico: www.gmfsh.nm.us/Wyoming: http://gf.state.wy.us/

If you’re only interested in meat (and elk steaks are fi ne food) and a good time with friends or family, check out antlerless hunt options in nearly any Western state, as must hunters want antlers and these hunts can be ex-

PLANNING A WESTERN ELK

HUNT

tremely easy draws, or complete shoe-ins, often going undersubscribed. Many of these hunts occur during late seasons when elk move into lower, more accessible habitat that harbor very few elk during traditional seasons.

Going For Broke

It goes without saying, if you’re looking for only the very best antlers in the Rocky Mountains you must be willing to sit the bench for several years before drawing a quality public-lands tag. As I’ve said, the best places are certainly public knowl-edge in the information age we live in. Arizona (www.arizona-hunt.com/) automatically goes to the top of the list, with areas such as Unit 9, 10, 1 and 27 offering the best trophy potential. New Mexico’s better trophy areas also get an enthusi-astic nod, with hunt units such as 15 and all of the 16s (A through E) top picks. Montana’s best Missouri Breaks areas have emerged as a real hotspots for book bulls, with draw odds steep, and also the problem of a predominance of pri-vate lands where trespass goes to only the well heeled. Nevada and certain Utah areas are real sleepers, with record-book bulls common, 400-inch bulls killed nearly every year. Non-resident elk tags in these states are extremely limited, so sleeper or not, drawing a tag is never easy. To try your luck scan their web sites at: www.nevadadivisionofwildlife.org/ www.wildlife.utah.gov/

Battle Plan

To arrive as prepared as possible a large volume of desk-jockey scouting’s in order. This involves fi rst purchasing appropriate maps of your hunt area – U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management – BLM – according to land status, plus U.S. Geological Survey topographical maps to give you a better picture of the lay of the land. Study these maps like a treasure map, seeking remote areas void of roads, deep canyons or high ridges that will daunt less ambitious hunters, even elk habitat itself; feeding meadows, long traveling ridges, hanging bedding benches.

After you discover several prospective areas, start making phone calls. State wildlife biolo-gists are an obvious start, but also hit up local Forest Service, BLM or Soil Conservation offi ces in search of someone who knows something of

your chosen hunting area. Hound them for specifi c infor-mation that will help you hit the ground running. If you’re lucky you might fi nd a person who has spent time in the area and can provide current information.

Finally, in the end you absolutely must invest in on-the-ground scouting. The one piece of advice I always give, is you’re better off spending four days of vacation scouting and three hunting smart than seven days hunting blind without having scouted at all. When time’s short use va-cation wisely, investing much of that time scouting, even if it’ll cut into actual hunting days. Scouting should in-clude dropping in on local ranchers, country stores and gas stations. Chatting up locals can sometimes offer that one clue that reveals a real hotspot.

Elk hunting’s a tough business. You get out of it what you invest. Start now -- laying the groundwork to make your elk hunt a success this season.

PHOTO PHOTO OF THE OF THE MONTHMONTH

EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW JACK ABOUT ART… A conversation with outdoorsman and illustrator Jack Unruh

In a time when most illustrators have more computer equipment than drawing pens and illustration boards, Jack Unruh is decidedly older-school. Sure, he has a computer and the internet but they’re not used for creating his art. That’s done with his uncanny visual acuity and highly skilled fi ngers gripping a drawing pen. He’s also an avid and savvy outdoorsman, who has hunted and fi shed around the world, making him an interesting subject for The Outpost.

Every line and every brushstroke of all of his thou-sands of meticulously created illustrations are done by hand at his drawing table (yup, he has one of those too) sitting by the window in his Dallas studio. Unruh, who is 78 years old but looks about 20 years younger, has been illustrating magazine articles, annual reports, ad-vertising layouts - just about any medium that requires a unique look – for more than 50 years.

He has completed illustration projects for Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Monthly, Time, Sports Illustrated, Reader’s Digest, National Geographic, Sports Afi eld, Field & Stream, GQ, Road & Track and Texas Monthly, just to mention a few. He has also completed annual reports and advertising campaigns for Citicorp, Exxon/Mobil, Budweiser, American Airlines, Reming-ton Firearms, Georgia Pacifi c, Transamerica, Hallibur-ton, Sony, United Technologies and hundreds more.

Along the way, Unruh has gained a reputation as an outstanding wildlife illustrator. His illustrations are featured in one of the best hunting and fi shing books ever printed – The Sportsman’s Guide to Texas. To say that Jack’s style is somewhat unique, is like saying west Texas mourning doves fl y pretty fast on opening day. If you’ve seen an outdoor sports magazine, travel maga-zine or consumer magazine that has some Unruh illus-trations, you’ll recognize them immediately. His style is like no other artist.

He graciously allowed The Outpost to visit his comfort-able studio, near White Rock Lake in East Dallas and to let us chat with him about hunting, fi shing and art. As one might expect, Jack Unruh’s work place is packed with an eclectic collection of books, photos of hunting and fi shing trips, pencils, pens, paint brushes, illustra-tions-in-process, a box of shells for a 357 Magnum, fl y fi shing reels, lures and an ancient shotgun hanging above his well-worn drawing table. Just the usual tools of the illustration trade.

JACK UNRUH A conversation with outdoorsman and illustrator

TO: Since you have been so successful in the advertising business, some people might not know how prolifi c you have been as a wild-life illustrator…

Unruh: Well, I’m not really a wildlife illustrator. I love to cook, but I’m not a chef.

TO: OK. Fair enough. You have, however, created some stunning wildlife illustrations. So, when did you start illustrating birds, fi sh, deer and the rest of the critt ers that adorn the outdoor books and magazines that you’ve worked for?

Unruh: Over the years, I’ve been prett y successful illustrating annual reports for large companies and sometimes these companies – oil com-panies, especially – wanted illustrations of their pump jacks, oil drilling rigs, pipe and so forth. Th ese are not exactly the most interesting things in the world to draw. If you’ve seen one pump-jack, you’ve prett y much seen ‘em all. So, in order to make these illustrations more interesting, I started adding wildlife, such as a covey of quail here, a whitetail deer or a javelin there to the illustrations. Some of the people who saw these drawings of wildlife started asking for more of them and prett y soon, the word got out to magazines such as Sports Afi eld, Field & Stream and even National Geographic that I could draw these birds, animals and fi sh and I started gett ing commissions to illustrate outdoor sports articles.

TO: So, what’s your favorite animal or bird to illustrate?

Unruh: Actually, my favorite wildlife to draw is fi sh. Th ey’re so interest-ing. I love the colors and detail of fi sh. For me to really nail an illustration I need to be close (literally) to the subject and I can do this easier with fi sh than say a whitetail buck. Big animals are tougher to draw. I also en-joy drawing waterfowl for some of the same reasons.

TO: Where’s your favorite place to hunt or fi sh?

Unruh: (laughing) Wherever most people aren’t!

TO: And where would that be?

Unruh: I really like to fi sh in Wyoming and in fact I went in on horseback to fi sh the Wind River recently. I enjoy hunting upland birds anywhere there are wide open spaces, especially Rotan, Texas. I hunt in Kan-sas for quail and pheasant and I like to go to North and South Dakota for pheasant hunting. I used to deer hunt more than I do now, but it’s hard to go wrong packing into the mountains of Colorado or Wyoming for bigger game.

TO: How old were you when you fi rst started fi sh-ing and hunting?

Unruh: My dad was an Air Force pilot, so we lived in a bunch of places, including Utah. I started hunting (if you could call it that) there when I was about 11. My mom would take me out past Hall Air Force base with my gun and I would shoot until I ran out of shells. My fi rst fi shing trips were on Strawberry Creek trying to catch trout. TO: What has been some of your most interesting assignments?

Unruh: Once, I was commissioned to illustrate every brewery in Mexico. Th at was a fun one. National Geo-graphic sent me to the Pyrenees in France, crawling through caves as research for an article on Paleolithic man. I got to go on a 7-day fl oat on the Kanektok River in Alaska and illustrate the trip for Sports Afi eld. Th at was a blast. Great fi shing!

TO: Who are your favorite wildlife artists?

Unruh: Man! Th ere are so many good ones. I really like Bob Kuhn, Th omas Aquinas Daly and Francis Lee Jacques.

TO: You illustrated one of my favorite books by Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda called “Art of Birds.” What was that experience like?

Unruh: It was great. I got the assignment from the University of Texas Press and the book was published in 1985. Neruda was such a visual poet, it made the book fun to illustrate. I also got some fi shing in while I was in Chile since the translator for the book had a place down there.

Th is last comment is vintage Unruh. He oft en manages to work in some fi shing and hunting in his illustration work and this keeps it fun. Th is delight is evident in his art.

Jack Unruh, whose website is easy to remember, www.jackunruh.com, is clearly doing exactly what he was put on this earth to do and he is obviously having the time of his life. He’s gracious, smart, witt y and doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s the kind of guy you would enjoy talking to while walking over miles of South Dakota corn stubble, hunting pheasant.

He’s also a brilliant artist with an uncanny eye for detail. For those of us who love the outdoors Jack has given us a view of nature that we seldom see.

Over the years, I have been asked what is the manliest drink of all time. I suppose that is a matter of taste. However, over the next few issues of The Outpost, we will

examine some of our picks.

Black and Tan Man Nothing says manliness more than a pint of beer. No beer is more manly than a Guin-ness Draught. Fuel your testosterone with a Black and Tan. The American version can be found in Irish pubs around the country, but don't order a Black and Tan if you are in Ireland. The Black and Tan originated in England. You might just get knocked off your bar stool! Ingredients: 1/2 pint Smithwicks Ale (or your favorite Irish or English ale)1/2 pint Guinness Draught How to prepare: Pour 1/2 pint of Smithwicks into an ice cold frosty mug. Add the Guinness by pouring it over the back of a spoon. This helps dis-perse the Guiness and give it the black and tan look. Drink up! CHEERS!!!

Captain Tony’s

Mixology

BONNIE’S BONNIE’S BACK!BACK!

Slipstream is Her Best Work in Decades

It’s been 7 years since Bonnie Raitt has been a recording studio but anyone who thought this immensely talented musician/singer was ready for the Classic Rock tour of baby boomer casinos needs some addi-tional fi ber in their diet. Bonnie is back with a vengeance and she’s doing what she has always done – take songs that other people have written and Bonnitize them in her own, inimitable style!

Realizing that the only way to make a living in the decimated recorded music industry is to control all the levers, this veteran of the music business has also joined the (r)evolution of the recording business by starting her own label – Redwing. Not everyone would want to take on the responsibility of being an artist and an entrepreneur, but Raitt has proven over the years that she’s not everyone, she’s someone.

The new set of tracks, called “Slipstream” features Raitt’s long-time band mates – Hutch Hutchinson, Ricky Fataar, George Marinelli and Mike Finnigan – plus a few brilliant additions such as Bill Frisell, Al An-derson, Paul Brady, Maia Sharp, Lee Schell, Luis Conte and alt-country wunderkind, Joe Henry playing on and producing 4 of the tracks. Of course, Bonnie’s fabulous slide guitar and one-of-kind voice are front and center on each track.

Making Other People’s Tunes Her Own

Since she fi rst started recording, Bonnie Raitt has made a habit (and a good living) of fi nding the best song-writing talent and adapting their songs to her own style. She was one of the fi rst to record John Prine, Jack-son Browne, John Haitt and Randy Newman songs. Her ear was also good enough to pluck a few gems from relatively obscure people like bluesman Mose Allison.

This tradition continues on “Slipstream.” The fi rst radio single from the CD was written and recorded by Gerry Rafferty several years ago. In fact, “Right Down the Line” was a hit for the late performer, but Bonnie and band changed the tempo of the tune to refl ect a more reggae feel. Mix in a big helping of Bonnie’s soulful voice and voila’ “Right Down the Line” sounds much different from the original and it’s cooler than ever.

Want another example? Bonnie included two Bob Dylan songs in this set and even if you’ve heard him do these songs for the past 20 years, her deft changes of phrasing make “Million Miles” and the classic “Stand-ing in the Doorway” Bonnie Raitt songs that just happened to be written by the most prolifi c songwriter in history.

Joe Henry Was a Song Drivin’ Man

Much has been written about producer/musician Joe Henry who produced “You Can’t Fail Me Now,” “Mil-lion Miles,” “Standing in the Doorway,” and wrote and produced an amazing cut, “God Only Knows,” on the Slipstream CD. Given his success with the late Solomon Burke, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rodney Crowell’s incredible CD “Sex and Gasoline” and a few dozen more blockbusters, it’s not a surprise that Raitt would gravitate to his golden ears.

It is clear that Henry’s laid back production style and musical taste in song selection is spot on for Raitt. It’s interesting to note that the production of this CD, except for “Right Down the Line,” is not as slick as some Raitt‘s songs have been in the past. Most of the tunes are not really “radio friendly” and this less-polished, more real vibe is being appreciated by the legions of her fans. Word is that the Raitt and Henry recorded about a dozen cuts in his home studio and this means that Redwing records will have another batch of great Bonnie Raitt tunes coming out in the future.

Not a Bad Cut on the CD

The recording sessions for Slipstream must have been fun to watch, because it sounds like the players had a blast recording it. One sign of this is the lack of throw-away cuts that were either phoned in or afterthoughts. There’s not a wasted cut on this CD. This may be partially due to the fact that most people are buying indi-vidual tracks for their digital music devices and if the cut doesn’t work, it doesn’t sell. The tracks on “Slip-stream” won’t have this problem.

In addition to the ones mentioned above, you might want to check out a few of other tracks. The fi rst track, written by Randall Bramblett, is funk fest led by Raitt’s voice and guitar. If you enjoy a more subtle-voiced Bonnie, you might enjoy the slower “Take My Love With You” and “Not Cause I Wanted To.” One of my favorite cuts was written by Joe Henry and Loudon Wainwright III and our girl signs her butt off on “You Can’t Fail Me Now.”

Bonnie Raitt’s “Slipstream” is one of the best CD’s of 2012 and it’s the best work she’s done in decades. If you like blues, alt country, ballads or funk, you’ll fi nd something you’ll like among these tracks. I’m happy to be one of the many to announce: Hot damn. Bonnie’s Back!

For the fi rst single off the new CD click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T_aMNbXVdA

Tips on Chartering a Fishing Boat

The economics of owning a fi shing boat are daunting, at best. They’re expensive to purchase, dock and keep up. Unless you’re retired or independently wealthy and therefore don’t have to work, a boat is used on a lim-ited basis, maybe once or twice a month at most. Plus, the kind of boat that is safe enough for the open seas is much larger than most anglers would ever consider buying. Given these factors, most fi shermen choose to charter a boat.

Since most people don’t charter boats every day, some tips on this subject are in order. As with just about any-thing, when handing over cold, hard cash to the cap-tain of a fi shing boat, it’s a good idea to know your facts and follow some protocols.

Plan Your Trip

If possible, book a fi shing charter boat at least two weeks in advance. During popular fi shing seasons and even in the off-season, quality charter fi shing boats are often booked far in advance. Sometimes a boat will be available at the last minute due to a customer cancel-lation but why bet the trip on getting lucky? Start re-searching well in advance and contact at least three charter boats before making a choice.

As with most things in life, you usually get what you pay for. As fi shing site earthsports.com notes “Don’t choose according to price or availability. Cheapest is almost certainly not best; fi nd out what the going rate is, and expect to pay at the higher end of the scale for an expe-rienced, top-notch captain and boat.”

Captain Doug Snowden, who owns the “Catch-a-Lot Guide Service” taking anglers out into the Gulf of Mexi-co from of Port O’Connor Texas notes that “charter fees vary, but most bay and jetty cost between $500 and $600 for a full (7 hour) day or about $450 for a half day of fi shing.”

Earthsports.com also suggests that an angler should not be put off if the chosen captain is not available on the day that’s the fi rst chosen, especially if it’s a week-end. “Good charters are usually booked well in advance – in fact, if he’s (the captain) available on lots of Satur-days and Sundays, you should be suspicious.”

Check Out the Boat and Captain before Chartering

The most accurate way to get a reliable read on a charter boat is to ask around among friends who fi sh the area you’re considered. A glowing recommendation about the captain and crew on the charter company’s website – “I’ve never had this kind of positive experience on a fi shing charter in past 50 years! This boat was supernatural in its ability to draw fi sh” – is far from objective. Even the people at the marina may not be the best folks to get a recommendation from because they likely have personal relationships with each captain and crew.

Snowden says that word-of-mouth from local bait shops and motels in area are probably the most accurate ways to fi nd a good captain and boat. “If the captain that you want is not available, ask him if he can recom-mend someone else.”

Fishing guides and boating websites recommend that you check out a captain’s credentials. Oudoorsports.com notes: “It’s amazing how many un-licensed people try to play captain. And in other cases, you’ll fi nd a captain who has his Coast Guard certifi cation, but didn’t bother to get a state license (which is only required in certain areas). In either case, pass them over – if they don’t care enough to play by the rules, you can’t expect them to care about your personal experience.”

The Boat’s Fishing Style is Important

Always ask each charter boat that is being considered what types of fi shing they offer. Since some charter boats offer bottom fi shing, trolling or some a combination of both, it’s important to clarify the day’s fi shing objectives and match this to the boat that offers this type of service.

It’s best to ask the price for each type of fi shing, the length of time your charter is for, what species of fi sh are you likely to catch and the amount of deposit required. It’s also important to fi nd out who might be join-ing you on the trip. Find out how many other people are scheduled to be on the boat at a time. Party boats can have 20 or more people on a single trip. If these folks are serious fi shermen or who at least understand the basics of the sport, you will enjoy their company. However, if they are loud, rude and stupid, it might be a long day on the boat with them.

The experts at outdoorsports.com suggest that one should always check the boat’s policy on fi sh. “In some areas, the captain takes a cut of the catch and sells it. In this case, you’ll usually be expected to kill every-thing you catch—not exactly fun, for a catch-and-release angler.” Finding out if the crew on the boat clean and fi let the day’s catch is another element of a checklist. Sometimes there is an extra charge for this and sometimes not. Usually, the boat supplies ice for the cleaned fi sh, but this needs to be arranged before leav-ing the dock.

Knowing who’s in charge of bringing food and drinks – the charter company or the fi sherman – is extremely important. The quickest way to ruin a great day on the water is to suddenly realize (about noon!) that there are no provisions for lunch

Be Courteous and Don’t Forget the Tip

It’s also important to show the proper courtesy for the captain and his crew and this involves showing up at the dock in plenty of time before the boat is scheduled to depart. When asked what some of his clients have done that drove him nuts, Captain Snowden said, “Putting a fi sh in the boat on their own without me fi rst hav-ing a look at what it is (hard head, gafttop, shark, etc.). Some things can be dangerous and cause injury.”

It is also common to tip 15 to 20 percent if the service on the boat has been good. The usual protocol for this involves giving the tip to the captain and allowing him to disburse to the rest of the crew.

Renting a charter boat for fi shing doesn’t have to be a hassle and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune either. Taking a little time to investigate the options and clarifying all of this before making a deposit will go a long way towards an enjoyable trip.

(Note: If you’re interested in fi shing the Gulf of Mexico from Port O’Connor, contact Doug Snowden online at dougsnowden@sbcglobal.net or 214-289-0082).

The tournament will take place at

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8000 Capps Ferry Road Atlanta, GA 30135

Clays for Kids November 2, 2012

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Clays for Kids is a sporting clays tournament benefiting pediatric cancer research at AFLAC Cancer Center & Blood

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E-mail: trussell@sullivanandschlieman.com

If you have questions, please contact Tonya Russell at

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TRAVEL CLASSIFIEDS GUIDES

Tony Eckler Owner / OperatorLebanon, TN

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THE BACK PAGETHE BACK PAGE

A big-game hunter went on safari with his wife and mother-in-law. One evening, while still deep in the jungle, the Mrs awoke to fi nd her mother gone. Rushing to her husband, she insisted on them both try-ing to fi nd her mother. The hunter picked up his rifl e and started to look for her. In a clearing not far from the camp, they came upon a chilling sight: the mother-in-law was backed up against a thick, impenetrable bush, and a large male lion stood facing her. The wife cried, "What are we going to do?" "Nothing," said the hunter husband. "The lion got himself into this mess, let him get himself out of it."

Two hunters went moose hunting every winter without success. Fi-nally, they came up with a foolproof plan. They got a very authentic fe-male moose costume and learned the mating call of a female moose. The plan was to hide in the costume, lure the bull, then come out of the costume and shoot the bull. They set themselves up on the edge of a clearing, donned their costume and began to give the moose love call. Before long, their call was answered as a bull came crashing out of the forest and into the clearing. When the bull was close enough, the guy in front said, "Okay, let's get out and get him." After a moment that seemed like an eternity, the guy in the back shouted, "The zipper is stuck! What are we going to do?" The guy in the front says, "Well, I'm going to start nibbling grass, but you'd better brace yourself."

Philosophy

Impacting the children of tomorrow... Showing youth a better way of life while providing them with a weekend of fun in Gods creation to experience new things and meet new friends.

1. Nothing we do is as important as the impact that we have on the youth community.2. Engaging activities develop values, skills and relationships. Activities are not seen as ends in themselves, but as vehicles for creating values, building skills and solidifying peer and adult relationships. An engaging activity is one that holds the youth's attention, awakens their imagination, and inspires them to want to learn more.3. All youth have equal rights to be accepted, respected and valued by others. Youth are viewed as individuals to be developed, not problems to be solved.4. Youth should be involved in decision-making and program design. If children get to choose how, when, in what and with whom to be engaged, they are far more likely to enjoy themselves and behave cooperatively.5. When we listen for understanding everyone learns — youth and adults alike. We are constantly able to learn from the youth as well as each other. Everyone is a learner

To see how Kicking Bear One-on-One is truly changing kids lives, please view this video: http://youtu.be/NHVPdRJdZzU

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