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Backwoods Bound Bullet Volume 21 - Issue 2

  Welcome to the February 2020 issue of The Bullet. Deer hunting is over. So is the waterfowl season. The ground hog has seen his shadow which means six more weeks of winter. The only hope is it gets or stays cold enough for the ice to get safe enough to get out and do some old fashion ice-fishing. So grab your pole and jigs, your auger, and your fish locator then bundle up and head out for some action.

If sitting on the ice isn’t your cup of tea then check the papers and see when the sports show hits town. Spending a day looking at the newest fishing gadgets, boats, firearms and hunting, camping and hiking gear is a good way to shake the winter blues.

We have the usual stuff this issue with the highlight being a story from our buddy Dave Falconer. If reading the tribute to his grandpa doesn’t warm your heart or put a tear in your eye then the world is turning into a cold miserable place. Okay. Enough said. Let’s get to it. Enjoy issue this issue of The Bullet. Until next month, J. E. Burns, Editor-in-chief.

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In this issue:

~ Backwoods Trivia
~ Recipe: Cheesy Walleye Casserole
~ Article: Shaping Up The Deer Season
~ Recipe: Roasted Elk
~ Article: The Old Man Goes Home
~ What's New
~ Candid CamShots
~ Recipe: Cheesy Venison Appetizer

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BACKWOODS TRIVIA: This month's question comes from a past issue. It was sent in by Jack Howard. See if you know the answer.

Who invented the revolving breech pistol and when?

Find the answer at the end of this newsletter. Send your trivia questions to mail@backwoodsbound.com.

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RECIPE: CHEESY WALLEYE CASSEROLE

~ 2 lbs. walleye fillets, cut into 3-4 inch pieces
~ 2 packages (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
~ 1 medium onion, chopped
~ 2 tbsp. butter, melted
~ 1 - 10 oz. can cream of shrimp soup
~ 1/2 cup milk
~ 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
~ 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
~ 1/8 tsp. curry powder
~ dash of pepper
~ 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
~ 1/2 cup saltine cracker crumbs

* Spread the spinach in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Place the fish on top.

* Sauté the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the soup, milk, Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, curry powder and pepper.

* Cook over low heat, stirring until the cheese is melted. Spoon this over the fish.

* Top with the cracker crumbs and parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

* Serve & enjoy!

Our thanks to Robert Phillips for sharing this recipe. For more fish recipes to try, visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zfish.html.

Send in your favorite recipe to mail@backwoodsbound.com and we'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

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** AFTER THE SHOT TROPHY PLAQUES **

Our handcrafted plaques are made from solid oak not plywood or particle board giving your trophy a solid base to anchor to. Each plaque comes stained with a wall hanger installed. Clear-coating is an available option.

We specialize in unique designs! We’ve done everything from arrowheads to walleyes to shields to light bulbs, hanging and stand up designs! Just tell us what you have in mind and we’ll make it happen!

No matter what type of trophy you want to display, we have a plaque or trophy to fill the need. Contact us at sales@backwoodsbound.com with your ideas.

Don’t settle for an ordinary looking plaque! Go one better and order your AFTER THE SHOT Trophy Plaque today. Prices start at $33.95. Don’t wait, order today!

Visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/ats.html for photos and information on how to order your plaque. Order with our secure on-line ordering system and pay with confidence using Paypal.

"It only takes a little more to go first class."

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ARTICLE: SHAPING UP THE DEER SEASON AROUND THE COUNTRY by James Burns

  Since the 2019-20 deer seasons have wrapped up I wanted to see how many deer were harvested around the country. My search of the many state departments of natural resources/conservation yielded little data on harvest totals. So while they continue to shift through their data here’s what I could find. Keep in mind that these numbers could increase or decrease as more data becomes available.

  Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 153,048 across all seasons. This includes the early youth hunt, bow, firearm, and muzzleloader seasons. This was an increase from the 151,709 deer that were taken in the 2018-19 season.

  Hunters in the Land of Lincoln harvested 45 percent does and 55 percent bucks.

  The biggest increases were in the 3-day Youth Deer Season, Oct. 12-14, with a harvest of 3,775 deer as compared to 1,660 during the 2018 season. And the overall archery season as bow hunters came in with 67,696 deer as compared to 61,096 the previous season.

 Tables can be found at the link below with a county-by-county summary of preliminary deer harvest results for 2019-20, and final 2018-19 harvest results for comparison. https://www.dnr.illinois.gov/news/Documents/IDNR-DeerPrelimHarvest-Jan2020.pdf .

  The hunters in neighboring Missouri took a total of 285,483 deer during the 2019-20 seasons. This was down from the previous year’s total when 290,224 deer were taken.

  The 2019-20 harvest broke down like this; 133,914 bucks, 27,931 button bucks and 123,638 does.

  Missouri bow hunters increased their harvest like the Illinois archers did by tagging 61,209 deer as compared to only 52,923 in the 2018-19 season.

  According to Missouri Department of Conservation Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle, season timing was a factor.

 “The shift in the calendar this year with Thanksgiving occurring later in November resulted in archers having an extra week of prime hunting before the November portion of firearms season started,” Isabelle explained. “These extra days of hunting during the rut when bucks are particularly vulnerable to harvest, and an increasing trend in the number of archery hunters, contributed to a record year of archery deer harvest.”

 For more information on deer harvests from past years, visit www.huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer/deer-harvest-reports/deer-harvest-summaries .

 Hunters in Ohio had a good year. They tagged a total of 184,465 deer. It was a big increase over the 172,670 taken during the 2018-19 season but still is a ways off from the record harvest of 2009-10 when hunters tagged over 261,000 deer!

 “It was another productive season for Ohio’s deer hunters. Ohio has a world-class deer population and continues to offer one of the best hunting experiences in the nation,” said Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker.

 Archery hunters in Ohio also had a great year. They accounted for 48 percent of the deer taken with a total of 88,860 deer tagged when their season wrapped up on February second.

 Hunters farther east in West Virginia bagged fewer deer during their traditional buck firearms season which ran from Nov. 25 – Dec. 7, 2019. The total of 36,796 bucks is a decrease of 17 percent over the 2018 season.

  “The harvest during the 2019 traditional buck firearm season was expected to be similar to that of last year; however, the southwestern region of the state had heavy oak mast conditions, which appears to have significantly decreased the harvest in that region,” noted Gary Foster, assistant chief of Game Management. “This year’s buck season also opened later and further from the peak of “rut," which may have contributed to the reduced harvest.”

  Numbers for the archery, crossbow and muzzleloader seasons in West Virginia weren’t available but let’s hope they are at least equal to past seasons.

  In summary, the above numbers show that there are a lot of deer roaming the woods, fields and wood lots of the country and shows that hunting continues to be the major factor in conserving and managing the white-tail deer population.

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FUN FACT:  On January 31, 1940, 65 year old Ida May Fuller of Vermont received the first Social Security benefit check. Check number 00-000-01 was for $22.54. By 1975 she had received nearly $23,000 in benefits.

Send your Fun Facts to mail@backwoodsbound.com. For more Fun Facts visit www.backwoodsbound.com/funfacts.html.

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RECOMMEND AND VOTE FOR THE BULLET

Tell a friend about The Bullet. Just go to: www.ezinefinder.com/rec.html?ez=backwo and follow the instructions. It’s free and easy!

To vote for The Bullet follow this link: www.ezinefinder.com/backwo-vote.html.html.

Thanks for your help.
 
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FISHIN' TIP:  If you're using vertical jigging spoons for crappie and bluegill through the ice, try tipping each of the hooks tines with a waxworm. If targeting walleyes, try tipping just one of the tines with a minnow head.

Send your tips to: mail@backwoodsbound.com and we’ll post them on the site or use them in a future issue of The Bullet.

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INTERESTING QUOTE: "Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall." – John Dickinson

 If you’ve seen or heard an interesting or humorous quote send it in and we'll post it next month. Send them to: mail@backwoodsbound.com.

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** KAREN'S KREATIONS **

Celebrate Leap Year with this “sweet” deal, 29% OFF ALL orders this month!

Take 29% Off any order of our entire product line. Items made from your personal picture are $1.00 more.

We make charms and more for just about any theme you can imagine! Visit our web site www.karensglabels.com for ideas!

Visit us at www.karensglabels.com or e-mail us at Karen@karensglabels.com or call 618-257-1365. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to get news about our monthly specials and new items!


"Because no wine glass should ever be naked!"

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RECIPE: ROASTED ELK

~ 2 - 3 lb elk roast
~ salt and pepper
~ 1 can 7-Up soda
~ 1 packet onion soup mix

* Trim fat from roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub into the meat.

* Place the roast in a large zip lock bag and add enough 7-Up to just cover.

* Seal and refrigerate overnight. Turn a couple of times.

* Place the roast and soda in a roasting pan. Sprinkle on the soup mix.

* Cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

* Check for desired doneness. Bake another 1/2 - 3/4 hour if needed.

* Let rest a few minutes before slicing.

* Serve and enjoy.

Our thanks go to Rocky Jay for sharing this recipe. For more elk recipes to enjoy visit our site at www.backwoodsbound.com/zelk.html.

Remember to send your favorite recipe to mail@backwoodsbound.com. We'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet.

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ARTICLE: THE OLD MAN GOES HOME by David L. Falconer

  The Old Man’s house felt empty without him there as the young man sat near the Old Man’s recliner. He used to sit in it all the time as a kid, but he couldn’t bring himself to sit in it today.

  The young man looked across the room at the picture of Old Will, a vibrant English Setter the Old Man owned that had won the coveted title of National Shooting Dog or some such thing back in the day. The young man wished he had paid attention to it more, but he had always been proud of the Old Man’s accomplishments when it came to his bird dogs.

 The young man got up and walked around, looking at the plaques and trophies of various field trials won, a picture of the old man holding a dog in a row of men holding dogs and his old whistle hanging from the nail driven into the support post. He could hear it in his mind and he took it from the nail and blew it, smiling as the whistle tasted faintly of tobacco. The smell of tobacco and coffee together was a comforting smell to him that went back to when he was a little boy.

  Standing in front of the turkey tail fan picture of his grandma and grandpa together, he smiled while touching the bronze feathers that belonged to a long beard gobbler. He remembered the time that some men from the National Wild Turkey Federation asked the old man to guide some of their celebrity hunters. Grandpa was to guide General "Stormin'" Norman Schwarzkopf. The weekend of that hunt found the Old Man and myself on the edge of a clear cut in the Oklahoma Mountains near Red Oak Oklahoma.

  "Wasn’t you supposed to be doing your celebrity hunt this weekend Grandpa?" I asked.

 The Old Man was looking across the clear cut with his binoculars. "I told them I wasn’t going to do it," he said succinctly.

 Half laughing, I said,"“You could have been hunting with Stormin' Norman!"

 He put the binoculars down to his chest, a pair of artillery field glasses he took from a German Officer in Czechoslovakia in World War 2. His eyes met mine. "I would rather hunt with you."

  I did not realize until I was a young man myself that the Old Man was my best friend and I was a little older than that when I realized I was his too. I mean Grandma was really his best friend and their marriage showed it, but he and I hunted everywhere together. We discussed books and the old man had read more than anyone I knew. We discussed movies because the old man said I had watched more than anyone he knew! I have read a few books myself.

  I was there when he knocked down 5 quail on a covey rise in LB Lowe’s pasture with that light-weight Browning Auto-5 20 gauge.

  I was there when he knocked down the quail in Kansas with a 40 mile an hour wind behind its tail.

  We have stood together on a mountain ridge with rain dying down around us as a storm moved out, braving the elements to be among the turkey when it broke. I killed the longest bearded gobbler we ever killed that morning. Of course the Old Man called it in.

  I was there crawling beside him as we crawled Indian fashion up on a strutting gobbler and half a dozen hens along a ravine that angled across the edge of a dry gas well location -- and he let me shoot the gobbler. Turkey hunters know that is no easy trick.

 He taught me that watching someone you loved take game under your guidance was actually a bigger trophy than taking it yourself. He taught me that the time we spent in the woods and the field was truly some of the best times of my life and worth more than gold or treasure. He taught me honesty and integrity was something you lived and not just some words you said.

  He was my mentor, the man I admired most in the world, the example I did my best to follow, my grandpa and my best friend. Some people want to win the lottery. I already did when I was Perry Falconer’s grandson.

 I willingly spent my entire life in his shadow and all I ever wanted to be was him.

 As I stood over the table I looked at his last will and testament and I chuckled. It basically said he left everything to me to keep or distribute as I saw fit. I had been shocked when he showed me the will.

 "Grandpa, you said you were going to be specific about things," I said.

 His voice a little hoarse, he said, "Property I put in transfer upon death deeds so that’s taken care of." He nodded towards the will. "The rest of that is personal property. I told you how I wanted it." With a devilish old grin, he added, "This made it easier on me. Less writing."

  I held it in my hands and he could see I had a hard time with it.

 "Aw I guess if you wanted you could just keep it all to yourself and make it easy on you. It won’t matter to me, I’ll be gone," he commented, his face kind of emotionless.

  I looked him in the eye. "You raised me. I gave you my word Grandpa. It don’t die when you do. It dies when I do."

 The old man grinned, his eyes moist. "Then it’s done. You’ll take care of it."

 There is no one like the old man though I know some men who walk in the same kind of boots. Until we meet again old man, I am lucky to be your grandson.

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HUNTIN' TIP: Now’s the time to give your guns a thorough cleaning. Check and tighten any loose screws especially on the scope and mount. If something needs fixing above your abilities get your gun to the gunsmith now. No need in waiting to the last minute plus it will give you time to fire the weapon making sure everything is working correctly and to make adjustments.

Send your tips to: mail@backwoodsbound.com and we’ll post them on the site or use them in a future issue of The Bullet.

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** CHILI TIME! **

  The snow is falling. The wind is blowing. And the cold of winter is seeping into your bones. What better way to warm up while enjoying a hearty, delicious meal than with a pot of chili made from Backwoods Bound Chili Seasoning Mix! Its unique blend of herbs and spices makes a great pot of chili everyone loves without the aid of added fillers or MSG!

  Try it for all of your cooking needs! Backwoods Bound Chili Seasoning Mix makes all sorts of great dishes like jambalaya, enchiladas, stuffed manicotti and lasagna. Also try it as a dry rub or marinade on your beef and deer roasts or steaks. See our collection of great recipes at www.backwoodsbound.com/zchili.html.

  Enjoy at home or hunting camp in single pot packets or the triple value pack.

  Order your supply at www.backwoodsbound.com/chili.html.

  "Not too mild.... Not too hot.... Treat yourself and make a pot!"

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WHAT'S NEW

  New recipes are needed! Our file is dwindling down! It used to be almost an inch thick but it’s down to a little over half of that now. If you think about how thick a sheet of paper is, that’s a lot of sheets off the stack. We could use new recipes for everything. Duck, goose, elk, quail, rabbit, buffalo, antelope, deer, alligator, pheasant and all types of fish are needed. Send your recipes to mail@backwoodsbound.com. Thanks and we look forward to getting them!

  Deer season is over but hunters are keeping us busy as they get their trophies mounted on our After The Shot Trophy Plaques! A few of the designs that have gone out recently are Texas, Utah, Illinois, Georgia and Minnesota. Orders for more Pennsylvania and Wisconsin plaques as well as some custom work are on the schedule. Go to www.backwoodsbound.com/ats.html for all the information on our line of After The Shot Trophy Plaques. And remember we specialize in custom designs!

 Our supply of trail camera pictures for the Candid CamShots has also dwindled down. We need new pictures now! Go through your files and send in a couple for everyone to look at. We’ll take anything as long as it’s not obscene. Send them as attachments to mail@backwoodsbound.com and see this month’s photo at www.backwoodsbound.com/funphotos2.html.


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** ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE HERE! **

Over 4400 potential customers could be reading YOUR ad right now instead of ours!

Place your ad here for $8.00 a month! Discount rates for multiple issues.

For more details, visit our site at: www.backwoodsbound.com/advertise.html. Or e-mail us at: sales@backwoodsbound.com.

Fishing season is fast approaching so place your ad now!


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CANDID CAMSHOTS

  This picture of a southern Illinois coyote was taken early last fall on Charlie Cox’s camera. This isn’t the only coyote he captured on camera last fall.

Coyote


Send your trail camera or outdoor pictures to mail@backwoodsbound.com.

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RECIPE: CHEESY VENISON APPETIZER

~ 2 lbs venison burger
~ 1 jar Cheese Wiz
~ 1 tsp Slap Your Mama seasoning or your favorite Cajun seasoning
~ crackers or chips for dipping

* Brown the burger in a skillet or medium size sauce pan. Drain if needed.

* Stir in the seasoning and the Cheese Wiz.

* Heat over low heat until melted and smooth.

* Add more seasoning if desired.

* Serve warm with crackers or chips.

Thanks to Paul Setterington for sharing this recipe. For more great venison recipes to use in your kitchen visit this page on our site, www.backwoodsbound.com/zdeer.html.

Send your favorite recipe to mail@backwoodsbound.com and we'll post it on the site or use it in an upcoming issue of The Bullet

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ANSWER TO BACKWOODS TRIVIA:Samuel Colt started making his revolving breech pistol in 1835. The design revolutionized small arms manufacturing and the entire shooting world.

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