I guess I’m like most hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen. I subscribe to several of the big name outdoor/fishing/hunting magazines. Each month I read articles about trolling for walleyes, how to set out my duck decoys or how to keep a buck’s nose from detecting you while in a treestand. But while I was reading an article about deer hunting a few weeks ago I had a feeling of deja vue. That I had heard this piece of advice the author was trying to communicate to me somewhere before. Had I dreamt it? Saw it on TV or in a movie? Or had I eavesdropped on a conservation coming from the liars table down at the local cafe.

  What was going on? And then it hit me. I‘m plagued by the same problem I had twenty something years ago in high school and what my wife, or as I call her, "yes dear" had been accusing me of for years, I can’t remember squat. I only remember and retain information that is important to me only at a certain time and place. And I thought she was always making stuff up just to keep me in the perpetually in the doghouse.

  As I pondered this problem, having gave up reading the article I needed a new prospective so I called my old school chum Ron.

  Telling him what I had discovered he quickly reminded me I was an idiot for thinking that my wife was smarter than I was and he had to get off the phone as his wife was yammering on about an anniversary or something.

  Still not quite clear I called an old girlfriend, just friends not dating friends, Lisa. After listening to her yack on about her sick kid for what seemed like an eternity (10 to 15 seconds), I had to interrupt her to talk about more important things, the reason for my call.

  After a quick explanation she reminded me of the fact that I was the one who had to relearn grammar each of the four years, (that’s right, I made it out in four) of high school. She reminded me of the time I answered that an adverb was a female verb on a test. "Or the time you thought a pronoun was a noun that had gone professional. Or the time..."

  Ah, who ask her? How’d she get my number anyway?

  Only one more source to go to and I sure wasn’t looking forward to the I-told-you-so-attitude I was bound to get.

  As I sat attentively listening to “he drives me crazy”, as she likes to introduce herself to strangers as, she explained to me that a lot of people have to be reminded or in her words "re-educated" to things around them. As she pointed out to me, "it’s just unfortunate that most of them are of the male gender. Speaking of re-educating, when are you going to go back to school? When are you going to…."

  What is she talking about? How did this suddenly turn against me? Oh well, just keeping smiling, nodding politely and saying yes dear.

  Later that night while I lay in bed listening to the gentle sounds of a buzz saw intermixed with what can only be described as a clogged vacuum cleaner next to me, I came to the realization that “yes dear” was right. We as hunters, fishermen and outdoorsmen need to be reminded of the skills and techniques that we bring into use each time we take to the woods or water. That we are in need of the constant reinforcement we get from reading articles and watching videos or outdoor shows on television. That it’s alright to be reminded when it’s a good time to use a Texas rig instead of a Carolina rig, the best place to hang a stand or what do if you get lost in the woods.

  So I’ll keep subscribing to my magazines. Keep buying videos and watching Bill Dance on TV. After all, I’m just like everyone else. I just need a little reminder now and then to bring out my best. Now if I could just get to sleep.
 

  The fall months see an increase in vehicle collisions with wildlife and especially deer. As we near the deer breeding season or "rut" the risk greatly increases. The "rut" peaks around mid to late November and can run well into December. Deer at this time of the year are less cautious and more unpredictable as their instincts for breeding takes over their behavior.

  Here are some suggestions to help you avoid colliding with a deer or other wildlife.

  1. Be extra cautious while traveling in the late afternoon through the early evening hours and in the hours just before sunrise. Deer are active throughout the night but seem to be more active during these times.

  2. Slow down and be prepared to suddenly stop in areas where deer might be present.

  3. If you see a deer on the side of the road, slow down and be ready to stop suddenly. Deer can be unpredictable! They can jump out in front of your car just as quick as they can jump across the ditch and disappear into the woods. Many a car or truck has been struck in the side from deer jumping into them at the last second. So head-on collisions aren't always the norm.

  4. And since we brought up head-on collisions, if one is eminent, hit your brakes and go ahead and hit the deer. It is usually better to hit the deer rather than swerve and try to avoid it. You could possibly flip your car in the ditch, hit a utility pole, hit another car head-on or worse yet, a pedestrian.

  5. Always be aware deer may be present throughout wooded areas, crop fields, and areas with dense vegetation.

  6. If another car is behind you and you see a deer, tap your brakes to help alert the other motorist to the presence of the deer. If the deer is on the road try flashing your lights and/or honking your horn to encourage the animal to move.

  7. Most states have seatbelt laws in effect so buckle up. Remember that it takes three seconds to buckle up, but dead is forever.

  Although deer were mentioned in the above suggestions, they can apply to all wildlife; rabbits, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, etc.

  Avoid harming local wildlife while protecting your vehicle and yourself; slow down, be especially cautious while driving at night, and stay alert.! After all, safety is no accident.

  Digital camera sales are going through the roof. As the quality of images from digital cameras improves they are becoming much more affordable and the sales are simply not surprising. Consumers are also becoming more comfortable with the whole idea of taking of photographs digitally. In choosing a digital camera take into account your basic needs and what you plan to use the camera for.

  Types of Digital Camera

  There are basically three types of cameras whether you care shooting film or digital. Point and Shoot cameras, Prosumer cameras and professional quality cameras.

  1. Point and shoot cameras operate automatically. They do everything for you except for framing the subject. Exposure is decided by the camera as well as whether a flash is needed or not. All you need to do is to point and shoot.

  2. Prosumer Cameras. These cameras are a step up from your typical point and shoot because it allows the photographer not only to shoot in a fully automatic mode but also to have control over various aspects of the exposure. They typically have various modes including portrait mode, a close-up mode, action mode and landscape mode.

  Resolution

  It doesn't matter what sort of camera you decide to get you will have several decisions to make regarding resolution of the camera. The salespeople of most electronics superstores are quick to tell you that the most important thing to consider when buying a digital camera is how many pixels there are. Now while it is important it is not the end all of digital image quality. Pixels are tiny squares and in some new models they're starting to use other shapes as well. The more pixels you have in your image the sharper the detail of the image will be. Most current digital cameras on the market today will produce an image with more than 4 million pixels. That's enough resolution to easily print images up to 8 x 10 with good image quality. Is not likely that you will print images larger than 8 x 10 and so most of these cameras should meet your needs.

  Try Different Cameras Before you Buy

  Different cameras can have very different image qualities even though they may have the same number of pixels. This is due to different types and sizes of sensors on which the images are recorded and the various qualities of lens used. It is recommended that you purchase a memory card and take it in with you to the camera store. Then you can try out various cameras by taking photographs on your memory card. You can then take the pictures home and view them on your computer or better yet have them printed at a local lab to compare the results. Make sure to take notes so that you remember which image was taken on which camera.

  Digital cameras are constantly changing and being improved upon. Every few months it seems there is a new model out with more pixels and better features at a more affordable price. Do not let this bother you. Take the time to choose a good digital camera which makes quality photographs and enjoy the benefits of digital photography for years to come. And one last piece of advice. Digital photography has created a new problem. People are not printing their photos anymore. They download them to their computer and then they eventually get lost or deleted. Print those special photographs. Your children will thank you. – Sean Packards

  Sean Packards runs and looks after Filme Cameras, an excellent resource for camera articles. For more information visit: http://www.filmecameras.com/