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Tip o' the Day

Have you ever glanced around and wondered how long you have before yon sun sinks below yon horizon? No watch? Fear not, Roland can help you. . . .

Hold your arm out to the sun, fingers together and pointed at a right angle to your arm. Each finger width between the sun and the horizon means about 15 minutes. Three fingers, means the sun will set in 45 minutes. Only one finger? You have 15 minutes until sunset.

The rule is very rough, and one must remember to hold his arm extended. But it makes no difference if you're Paul Bunyan or Tiny Tim. Tiny Tim's fingers might be smaller, but his arms are shorter, too, so the fingers-to-eye relationship remains the same. So does the fingers-to-time dimension.

* * *

Let's say you do have a watch, so you know your time. But you'd like to get a better fix on directions. Simple enough. Lay your watch on a flat surface. Turn it so the hour hand points to the sun. Halfway between where the hour hand is pointing and 12 o'clock is due south.

Remember that it works in all time zones (Northern Hemispher; if you're uphill of the equator the direction will be north). And you must remember that God never constructed His heavens to have the sun directly overhead on our Daylight Saving Time. So think Standard Time.

One of my guides was trying to explain the time/direction process to a group of our hunters after supper one evening in 1974. The hunters each stared at their watches but they couldn't seem to "get" it. Then we discovered each of them wore digital watches -- the first we'd ever seen.

* * *

It's that time of year when folks who're out and about in mountain country need to be aware of avalanche danger. Growing snowpacks, sometimes heavy wet snow on top of unstable old snow can break loose and roar down a mountainside in an instant. People innocently driving a plowed road have been buried by avalanche. So, even, has a snowplow operator or two. The danger is greater, however, to downhill skiers who leave the chair lift to push past out-of-bounds markers onto unsafe snow; to backcountry skiers; and to backcountry snowmobilers trying to see who can mark the highest spot on the steepest slopes.

Skilled avalanche forecasters often dig holes to analyze each snow layer's stability. But for we who are venturesome, I'm told our best protection against a surprise avalanche is to listen.

"Listen?" I asked my mountaineer friend.

"Sure," he replied. "Listen for any unusual sound. Sometimes snow breaking loose can come with a `snap'. but most often with a `whomp'." Then he shook his head, remembering. "There's usually a few seconds from that snap or whomp until things really start to move. That's when it's time to get to hell off that mountain, or into the timber.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ethan Lester, the 13-year-old lad who sent an evocative email telling me how much he liked Echoes of Vengeance, then followed through with the rest of the series, isn't necessarily tied to books. Not at all; the lad has a fine eye for drama, too, and a ready eye out for what might work best on the silver screen. The reason I know this to be true is because he once sent an email saying: "There should be a `echoes of vengeance' movie. That would rock!! Or a cartoon, I'm not too picky!! I really think some hollywood bigshot would dig it. I sure would.

Your california fan, ethan lester

I emailed Ethan to the effect: "I did note your suggestion that Echoes of Vengeance would make a good movie and am heartily in favor. There's only one flaw -- how? Tell you what you do, you go sell a Hollywood film studio on the idea, and you can have ten percent of all profits I make from the film."

So, Ethan, being Ethan replied: "I have a friend whos dad works for warner bros so ill try to talk him into it." Later,, Ethan emailed: "hey sorry its been so long.aol kicked me out for a while but i'm back.the warner bros guy said he might be able to get me in contact with a guy who could try to make the movie thing happen

It's possible there's still a few flaws to work out in Ethan's schoolboy pipeline into Warner Bros Studio lot because I've not yet been offered a contract.

 

 

STOKING YOUR DOG'S FIRES WITH PROPER FUEL

Mossy horned bucks and 17-inch antelope and six-point bull elk aren't the only creatures pursued by hunters across the state I call home. Nope, there are prairie chickens and sharptails amid the coulees and sagebrush flats, and ringnecked pheasants and Hungarian partridge along stubblefield edges. Grouse in several species hole up in timbered thickets and along ridge crests. Wedges of honkers head south and flights of norhern mallards wing into every open pond in the pothole region.

There'll be men and boys, and girls and gals honking from blinds and quacking from windrows, tromping fields from early in the morning until the sun passes over the yard arm. Dancing alongside, or zig-zagging ahead will be a plethora of their four-footed buddies, testing the breeze, sniffing each gopher mound or mouse runway. And that's what I want to talk about today: their hunting dogs.

Hunters stock up on big breakfasts with lots of protein-rich food, such as bacon and eggs and stacks of flaphacs to get the energy they need. If they're serious about their sport, they've been in training for a month, walking miles each day, or jogging of an evening. If they're really serious about their sport, they may never have allowed themselves to get out of shape throughout the entire years. But can they say the same about their dog?

Many (or most) semi-sedentary humans take in, say, a couple of thousand calories per day. On an active day, they may consume more. Extended hard work for a reasonably well-conditioned man might require as many as 3,000 calories per day. Top athletes such as long distance runners and competitive crosscountry skiers have been known to require 9,000 calories, and Iditirod mushers will take in 8,000. But what of their dogs?

Would you be surprised if I told you a hardworking sled dog requires upwards of 4,000 calories per day? That's half as many as the human encouraging them on! And their musher can spoon high energy peanut butter from a jar while riding on the sled, or has access to a pocketful of candy bars. Meanwhile the dogs can only eat at the end of a run. But what's the alternative? Provide fuel or the tank runs dry. We've all learned that cause and effect during the aging process. In fact, we've learned age is a factor despite our bodies being superbly fueled. So, why not apply the same consideration to an aging dog?

Tell the truth, hunting dogs need more than big breakfasts on opening day to supply the energy they need. Actually, would-be hunters should start feeding their dogs a carefully controlled diet well before hunting season, coupling the increased feeding program with a pre-planned exercise regimen.

It is said more than half the dry matter in your dog's body is protein -- including muscle, hair, bone, and organs. Only the protein not utilized for these functions can be burned as energy by the dog. Red blood cells carry the oxygen that working muscles need for stamina. An increase in red blood cell count is often associated with improved conditioning. And it takes time for a dog to develop those extra red blood cells. So starting early to condition your dog through proper feeding and training makes sense.

When in the field for the first time, begin by taking it easy. Consider your dog's present condtion, age, weight, and muscle tone. If the weather is still warm when you start, you should realize pups, older dogs, and overweight dogs are at greater risk during warm weather exercvise. Avoid the heat of the day until your dog (and you) toughen up.

Be alert for signs of fatigue in your buddy. A lowered tail is an obvious indicator, as is an anxious look, excessive panting, swelling of facial veins, and a darker red color in the gums. If you notice any of these signs, take a break. Calm your dog and get in a shaded area. Give him a little water and rest until his body temperature returns to normal and he breathes easily.

There really isn't a lot of difference between the way you ease your dog into a tough hunting regimen and the way you'll do it yourself.

The important thing is to remember that both you and your canine hunting buddy are better off for the doing.

 

Roland Cheek wrote a syndicated outdoors column (Wild Trails and Tall Tales) for 21 years. The column was carried in 17 daily and weekly newspapers in two states. In addition, he scripted and broadcast a daily radio show (Trails to Outdoor Adventure) that aired on 75 stations from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific Ocean. He's also written upwards of 200 magazine articles and 12 fiction and nonfiction books. For more on Roland, visit:

www.rolandcheek.com

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