I don't remember exactly when it was but I remember the incident very well since it was so unusual. I was on my way back from target shooting (with a truck full of gun stuff) and stopped by a local hardware store. As I was leaving, a man came up to me and started talking to me about hunting; asking me what I hunted, where. Asking if I knew of other places to hunt, other people who hunt. The topic wasn't necessarily too odd, as I've had brief passing conversations about hunting while getting gas or the like after a day in the field. But, the depth and direction of the conversation was very unusual.
I think I originally heard about the book Poachers Were My Prey by RT Stewart from the local electric company newsletter. With the end of the local hunting season and cold weather, this is a good time to catch up on my reading.
The book chronicles several undercover investigations of RT Stewart as he worked for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. It is coauthored by Chip Gross, who has also worked for the Ohio DNR and who has written many other things I have read (mostly in periodicals). The book is a fascinating read about many of the cases Mr. Stewart worked and his progression as a career wildlife officer. The first chapter is an attention grabber but it did make me angry. It tells the tale of a group of poachers who were routinely killing many deer anytime they felt like it by spotlighting at night. Thinking to the years when my personal hunting hasn't panned out well, it is hard to know if similar criminal activity could have played a role. Some years, just getting a doe within shooting distance has been a challenge.
From there, the stories continue to antler-chaser poachers, to profiteering from wildlife to any manner of wildlife violations and beyond. At the same time, Mr. Stewart talks of the toll that working under cover takes in his personal life, while still loving what his career is.
It was hard to read the book and not think to the close encounters I have had with poachers. In the most flagrant example, I was helping a friend move a motorcycle in my truck and picked it up at a friend of his. This man had apparently just been hunting at a local large land owner's property (well known in the area - I'll call them the Fountain's) and bragged how he had a doe right in front of him and he should have "blasted it" - all told while mishandling his 20-gauge shotgun in his kitchen. When I commented on the fact that it was well before the Ohio gun season this friend of a friend got aggressive (still holding the shotgun) and his wife said something to the effect of, "Oh, those hunters are the worst, they just seem to do what they want." To this day I regret not calling the the Ohio poacher phone line (1-800-POACHER).
It is easy to interact with people (criminals) who flagrantly ignore hunting laws and treat wildlife violations as degrees of bad - If I only do xx, I'm not near as bad as that guy who is killing deer every night by spotlighting from the road. But that is a race to the bottom, humans can rationalize all sorts of illegal, unethical and disgusting behavior.
And that was my major frustration with the book - and having read other work by Chip Gross I was disappointed. There was no mention of the fact that while the criminal taking of animals gets a lot of attention, the vast majority of us hunters are enjoying being in the field and following the rules, even when they might be a little frustrating. Since shooting an animal or catching a fish isn't really all that hard, but doing it within the rules and confines of fair chase brings satisfaction that no poacher will ever have.
Anybody who shoots wild game might be a hunter, but the difference between a Sportsman and a Poacher is a very clear, bright line. There is no grey area.
After reading the book, I appreciate that it was written. In the real world of limited resources, the fact that states like Ohio put effort into enforcing wildlife laws and deterring the illegal taking of game is good to know. And, the book was an interesting and exciting read.
One of the stories in the book talks about an operation very close to where I live, and the hardware store where I had the odd hunting conversation. It happened around the time that there was obviously undercover operations in my area. The information gathering tactics mentioned in the book sounded very similar to what I remember about the conversation. Mr. Stewart sounds like he mostly dressed as a Western Dandy which is not what I remember about the gentleman from that conversation, but I can't help bunt wonder if it was an ice-breaker looking for information. More likely, it was just some oddball hunter or something...probably.
I'm headed south in a short time to go hunt wild boar in South Carolina. It will be a good break from work to act as a Sportsman for a few days.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Sunday, January 12, 2014
(Almost) Running Out of Fuel in the Middle of Nowhere
I'm sure I have run out of gas at some point in my life, but I don't remember ever actually doing it. I know it hasn't happened in a long time and has been infrequent. I have never run out of gas while on one of my motorcycles, but the closest I came is vivid.
It was 2008 and I was headed east across British Columbia. Rain throughout the day had been sporadic but after over two weeks on the road in Northwest North America, rain was almost a friendly companion. Weather from Alberta to British Columbia to the Yukon and Alaska is always a bit unpredictable. And, in early June it had ranged from warm to well below freezing with precipitation in all forms.
I was on the Yellowhead Highway or CA16. Traffic in Prince George was tolerable, but more significant than much of the trip had been. As I approached and left the city proper, I saw a sign that said something to the effect of: No Petrol for 200 km. I quickly calculated how long I had gone since getting fuel and what that distance might mean in the miles I am more familiar with and knew I was fine for that distance with an acceptable safety margin. There are three possible reasons I was wrong:
The weather improved and cool temperatures warmed slightly. The scenery was wonderful as it had been for virtually all of the trip. At some point, while doing the normal monitoring of gauges, I looked at the odometer and fuel gauge and got the distinct feeling something wasn't right. Luckily, time on roads like the Yellowhead allow for thinking and I calculated things would be closer than originally thought. Shortly thereafter, I calculated again and saw that there was very likely no way I was going to make it to the next known fuel location.
I had a few options. The smart thing would have been to backtrack to Prince George. I hate losing time and my arrogance wouldn't let me do that. I could proceed and hope my math was right the first time (it wasn't). Or, I could slow down and conserve fuel by running at around 50 mph. Previous experimentation had told me this was near the most economical way to run a Goldwing.
I also don't always do slow well, but it was the option I went with. I had only gone a few more miles, when around a curve, I saw a resort-type building under some form of construction with a large red sign proclaiming: WE NOW HAVE PETROL. I don't know how I happen to have fallen into this, but there was a prayer of thanks. The "NOW" is burned into my brain as it implies only recently they had not.
Lake Purden is a remote area in North Central British Columbia. It was not the most remote place on the trip, but close. There is no electrical in the area. There is no copper land line into the area. There were very few facilities. What was odd, was that while the resort was obviously under construction, the gas pumps looked ancient. I wasn't going to argue with the discrepancy.
Approaching the the gas pumps in the muddy gravel parking area, each pump had a huge "divot" a few feet across and at least a foot deep making "parking" impractical at best. My SO jumped off the bike and went into the resort since the pumps had signs saying to get help at the cafe. Several minutes later, she returned with a very cute young girl, the pumps were turned on, which was apparently an exercise in itself with success not assumed.
Being in a remote area (with only generator electricity, etc.), I expected the fuel to be expensive and it was. The stated cost was CA$2.00/liter. This equates to approximately US$7.60/gallon. 2008 was an expensive year for fuel, but even the high average in remote areas was $4.00/gallon. Gas sales were rare at the resort, but I would have happily paid twice that much. It was, however, the only gas stop of the trip where I did not fill the tank.
After handing over the ransom, we headed out again through the treacherous parking area and while pulling through another trough in the gavel, an enormous rock reoriented itself and whacked into the belly pan I had installed on the GL1800 prior to heading into the North Country. The location and size of the dent that rock left in the belly pan told the story that without it, the coolant reservoir would have been destroyed, and remotely possible the lower engine case as well. Save number 2 in a very short amount of time.
McBride came soon enough down the road which was the stop for the night. As a slightly more traveled location, there were several hotels and restaurants...and ample fuel.
The bike may have made the distance by slowing down and it was a lesson to fill gas when the opportunity presents itself. The peace of mind that the fuel from Lake Purden brought was definitely worth it. In fact, at two loonies per liter, it was a bargain.
It was 2008 and I was headed east across British Columbia. Rain throughout the day had been sporadic but after over two weeks on the road in Northwest North America, rain was almost a friendly companion. Weather from Alberta to British Columbia to the Yukon and Alaska is always a bit unpredictable. And, in early June it had ranged from warm to well below freezing with precipitation in all forms.
I was on the Yellowhead Highway or CA16. Traffic in Prince George was tolerable, but more significant than much of the trip had been. As I approached and left the city proper, I saw a sign that said something to the effect of: No Petrol for 200 km. I quickly calculated how long I had gone since getting fuel and what that distance might mean in the miles I am more familiar with and knew I was fine for that distance with an acceptable safety margin. There are three possible reasons I was wrong:
- I am bad at math (I work as a scientist where math, including rapids approximation is needed daily so I don't think this is true but it is possible). Since much of the trip was in Canada, including the Alaska Highway, I should have been pretty good at knowing when I needed fuel - early and often.
- Having just passed a number of slower moving vehicles, I wasn't anxious to get behind them again on a long stretch of wet road.
- I wanted a little adventure added to my day.
The weather improved and cool temperatures warmed slightly. The scenery was wonderful as it had been for virtually all of the trip. At some point, while doing the normal monitoring of gauges, I looked at the odometer and fuel gauge and got the distinct feeling something wasn't right. Luckily, time on roads like the Yellowhead allow for thinking and I calculated things would be closer than originally thought. Shortly thereafter, I calculated again and saw that there was very likely no way I was going to make it to the next known fuel location.
I had a few options. The smart thing would have been to backtrack to Prince George. I hate losing time and my arrogance wouldn't let me do that. I could proceed and hope my math was right the first time (it wasn't). Or, I could slow down and conserve fuel by running at around 50 mph. Previous experimentation had told me this was near the most economical way to run a Goldwing.
I also don't always do slow well, but it was the option I went with. I had only gone a few more miles, when around a curve, I saw a resort-type building under some form of construction with a large red sign proclaiming: WE NOW HAVE PETROL. I don't know how I happen to have fallen into this, but there was a prayer of thanks. The "NOW" is burned into my brain as it implies only recently they had not.
Lake Purden is a remote area in North Central British Columbia. It was not the most remote place on the trip, but close. There is no electrical in the area. There is no copper land line into the area. There were very few facilities. What was odd, was that while the resort was obviously under construction, the gas pumps looked ancient. I wasn't going to argue with the discrepancy.
Approaching the the gas pumps in the muddy gravel parking area, each pump had a huge "divot" a few feet across and at least a foot deep making "parking" impractical at best. My SO jumped off the bike and went into the resort since the pumps had signs saying to get help at the cafe. Several minutes later, she returned with a very cute young girl, the pumps were turned on, which was apparently an exercise in itself with success not assumed.
Being in a remote area (with only generator electricity, etc.), I expected the fuel to be expensive and it was. The stated cost was CA$2.00/liter. This equates to approximately US$7.60/gallon. 2008 was an expensive year for fuel, but even the high average in remote areas was $4.00/gallon. Gas sales were rare at the resort, but I would have happily paid twice that much. It was, however, the only gas stop of the trip where I did not fill the tank.
After handing over the ransom, we headed out again through the treacherous parking area and while pulling through another trough in the gavel, an enormous rock reoriented itself and whacked into the belly pan I had installed on the GL1800 prior to heading into the North Country. The location and size of the dent that rock left in the belly pan told the story that without it, the coolant reservoir would have been destroyed, and remotely possible the lower engine case as well. Save number 2 in a very short amount of time.
McBride came soon enough down the road which was the stop for the night. As a slightly more traveled location, there were several hotels and restaurants...and ample fuel.
The bike may have made the distance by slowing down and it was a lesson to fill gas when the opportunity presents itself. The peace of mind that the fuel from Lake Purden brought was definitely worth it. In fact, at two loonies per liter, it was a bargain.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
What Is Healthy - and a (sort of) Book Review of The Heavy by Dara-Lynn Weiss
Definitions:
Healthy: in good health
Health: the state of being free from illness or injury
Heavy: of great weight; difficult to lift or move
Fat: (of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh
Obese: grossly fat or overweight
CDC Definitions (Body Mass Index = Weight / Height^2 * 705):
Underweight: BMI under 18.5
Overweight: BMI 25 - 29.9
Obese: BMI 30 or above
(and where does the seemingly arbitrary constant of 705 in the calculation come from?)
Most years around the end of the year I get a health screening at work. Things often slow down between Christmas and New Years so it is a good time to do this. I knew I had bulked up a bit since the last screening; a stressful year means that food choices often contained some less healthy options. Also, my hunting had been less than stellar this year so the low fat wild game I tend to eat a lot off was not as available as it usually is (this did mean I ate a lot more baby-back ribs this year, mmmmmmmm.)
My weight was put just into the overweight category. I'm not surprised by this although my activity level has remained pretty constant. I still walk between three and five miles most days and in general, my food choices tend to be healthy. I have almost unmeasureably low LDL (bad) cholesterol, and high HDL (good) cholesterol. Outside of weight, all other numbers are near the ideal limits.
This prompted me to look into what the CDC considers healthy (defined above). If we look at the median height man in the US of 5'10" we see that a BMI of 25 splits healthy from overweight and this equates to about 173 pounds. At the lower end of the healthy range is a weight of about 123 pounds. Being about this median height, I don't know what it would take to get at the lower end of healthy, but it would probably require a good long methamphetamine run to achieve that drugs over food emaciated look. Simply put, I don't think the CDC guidelines represent reality. Reinforcing this, based on the %body-fat my health screening gave me, I would have to lose well over 100% of my body fat to reach the lower limit of the CDC's health guidelines - and I'm already short on upper body strength.
The health screening came on the heels of reading Dara-Lynn Weiss' book The Heavy. Spoiler alert, while the book is about Ms. Weiss and her overweight daughter, "The Heavy" in the book is actually Ms. Weiss, as in pushing for changes in her daughter.
I'm not sure how this book ended up on my read-list but I resisted for quite some time. I was expecting this book to be by some self-righteous preachy bitch pushing the latest health trend de jour of raw milk and kale (or something). I picked up the book in the library many months ago and flipped open the book to see how it was written. The part I happen to flip through did make Ms. Weiss seem like a psycho (if you've read the book, I happened to open it to the hot chocolate episode). With not much else to read around Christmas, I finally read The Heavy.
I was wrong about the book. What is described in the book is a frank and honest journey about weight loss. I appreciated that the approach used was a sensical math - calories in vs. out approach. Far from a tale about how well a health craze worked, the author admits that processed foods (in moderation) are sometimes a realistically good choice figuring in the time commitments most people face. After reading the book, I followed that up to see what the reaction to it and Ms. Weiss' Vogue article was. While the reviews of both were mixed, I believe the vilification of her is off-base. Much of the criticism revolves around pushing weight loss on a young child. Part of a parent's job is to teach good habits in childhood so the bad don't need to be unlearned in (young) adulthood. Kids are taught at a very early age that hitting and lying are wrong, even though the ramifications of both are minimal in kindergarten. I don't understand how it is less appropriate to teach healthy eating habits.
I think her methods are open for discussion and she is potentially overzealous, but with no shortage of fat people (apparently myself included), it is a goal that should be shared, not maligned.
The book was well written and tells the complete story well. I think there are a couple fair criticisms of the story. Writing about the situation in Vogue was really, really dumb. The same story (told in brief as opposed to the book) in a different magazine which doesn't pray to the god of heroin chic would likely have been better received.
The other criticism is believing the CDC guidelines as some kind of gospel. Ms. Weiss and her daughter's picture in Vogue do not show two people on the verge of being overweight (she addresses this picture in the book, but her explanation falls flat). Extending this argument, if two people were shown - and both were at the lower end of the CDC healthy scale, it would probably be hard to suggest that there wasn't some horrible eating disorder causing severe malnutrition.
So the CDC says I'm overweight. I'm just going to say I'm corpulent and will continue to eat relatively healthy, and walk my dogs almost every day. But, maybe I'll also lay off the bags of extra thick flavored chips.
Healthy: in good health
Health: the state of being free from illness or injury
Heavy: of great weight; difficult to lift or move
Fat: (of a person or animal) having a large amount of excess flesh
Obese: grossly fat or overweight
CDC Definitions (Body Mass Index = Weight / Height^2 * 705):
Underweight: BMI under 18.5
Overweight: BMI 25 - 29.9
Obese: BMI 30 or above
(and where does the seemingly arbitrary constant of 705 in the calculation come from?)
Most years around the end of the year I get a health screening at work. Things often slow down between Christmas and New Years so it is a good time to do this. I knew I had bulked up a bit since the last screening; a stressful year means that food choices often contained some less healthy options. Also, my hunting had been less than stellar this year so the low fat wild game I tend to eat a lot off was not as available as it usually is (this did mean I ate a lot more baby-back ribs this year, mmmmmmmm.)
My weight was put just into the overweight category. I'm not surprised by this although my activity level has remained pretty constant. I still walk between three and five miles most days and in general, my food choices tend to be healthy. I have almost unmeasureably low LDL (bad) cholesterol, and high HDL (good) cholesterol. Outside of weight, all other numbers are near the ideal limits.
This prompted me to look into what the CDC considers healthy (defined above). If we look at the median height man in the US of 5'10" we see that a BMI of 25 splits healthy from overweight and this equates to about 173 pounds. At the lower end of the healthy range is a weight of about 123 pounds. Being about this median height, I don't know what it would take to get at the lower end of healthy, but it would probably require a good long methamphetamine run to achieve that drugs over food emaciated look. Simply put, I don't think the CDC guidelines represent reality. Reinforcing this, based on the %body-fat my health screening gave me, I would have to lose well over 100% of my body fat to reach the lower limit of the CDC's health guidelines - and I'm already short on upper body strength.
The health screening came on the heels of reading Dara-Lynn Weiss' book The Heavy. Spoiler alert, while the book is about Ms. Weiss and her overweight daughter, "The Heavy" in the book is actually Ms. Weiss, as in pushing for changes in her daughter.
I'm not sure how this book ended up on my read-list but I resisted for quite some time. I was expecting this book to be by some self-righteous preachy bitch pushing the latest health trend de jour of raw milk and kale (or something). I picked up the book in the library many months ago and flipped open the book to see how it was written. The part I happen to flip through did make Ms. Weiss seem like a psycho (if you've read the book, I happened to open it to the hot chocolate episode). With not much else to read around Christmas, I finally read The Heavy.
I was wrong about the book. What is described in the book is a frank and honest journey about weight loss. I appreciated that the approach used was a sensical math - calories in vs. out approach. Far from a tale about how well a health craze worked, the author admits that processed foods (in moderation) are sometimes a realistically good choice figuring in the time commitments most people face. After reading the book, I followed that up to see what the reaction to it and Ms. Weiss' Vogue article was. While the reviews of both were mixed, I believe the vilification of her is off-base. Much of the criticism revolves around pushing weight loss on a young child. Part of a parent's job is to teach good habits in childhood so the bad don't need to be unlearned in (young) adulthood. Kids are taught at a very early age that hitting and lying are wrong, even though the ramifications of both are minimal in kindergarten. I don't understand how it is less appropriate to teach healthy eating habits.
I think her methods are open for discussion and she is potentially overzealous, but with no shortage of fat people (apparently myself included), it is a goal that should be shared, not maligned.
The book was well written and tells the complete story well. I think there are a couple fair criticisms of the story. Writing about the situation in Vogue was really, really dumb. The same story (told in brief as opposed to the book) in a different magazine which doesn't pray to the god of heroin chic would likely have been better received.
The other criticism is believing the CDC guidelines as some kind of gospel. Ms. Weiss and her daughter's picture in Vogue do not show two people on the verge of being overweight (she addresses this picture in the book, but her explanation falls flat). Extending this argument, if two people were shown - and both were at the lower end of the CDC healthy scale, it would probably be hard to suggest that there wasn't some horrible eating disorder causing severe malnutrition.
So the CDC says I'm overweight. I'm just going to say I'm corpulent and will continue to eat relatively healthy, and walk my dogs almost every day. But, maybe I'll also lay off the bags of extra thick flavored chips.
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