International Falls Daily Journal - Outdoors - Comments

I would recommend giving the

roj2000 — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:55:15 -0500

I would recommend giving the kids a .22 pistol upon gradyeating from 1st grade, but with the condition that they can only use .22 "short" rounds. Then upon gradyeating from 2nd grade, and if they have not gone "postal or Columbine" then let them have .22 long rifle bullets. Sure, I'm being somewhat facetious here, but also due to the current "intendo generation" I would also recommend a Psychiatric evaluation prior to shooting a rifle at big game at age 10. At age 10 I was just happy to go along with the adults for the experience of watching how it all works. Also, remember to show the young fella's where the "reset button" is, in case they shoot the wrong thing!!

I started cutting back the

Thomas L. Johnson — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:08:33 -0500

I started cutting back the balsams on my meager plot of island land and was pleased to discover that balsams, once denied the warm shoulders of other balsams, tend to go away. They just fall down when the Northwest wind blows like it loves to do. Once freed from these junk trees, the reds and white do start seeding themselves. So does the grass, by the way.
Is there a life lesson in allo of this? Balsams are weak-kneed conformists, standing shoulder-to-shoulder and never putting down roots. Eventually, they crowd out the individuals -- the redpines [Norways] and the whites. It's kind of like bad money beating out good or bad bloggers drowning out good ones.
The fear in all this are the tree diseases making their way from various coasts towards our little shire in the woods. The emerald ash borer is getting too close for comfort and will certainly find those ash I have back in the swamp; the kind of beetle infestation that is killing off the lodgepole pines in Wyoming is a scarier thought. So eat, drink, and enjoy your trees, for tomorrow both of you die. And only the jackpine live forever.

“Giving youths more

BPARS — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:41:06 -0500

“Giving youths more opportunities to hunt is important,” Johnson said. “But the most important part of the equation is getting experienced hunters to make a commitment that gets and keeps these youth in the field.”

I don't understand why it is important to give youth more opportunities to hunt!!!! After they receive their firearms safety training and receive their certificate is plenty soon.

Having an experienced hunter with them is not the same as them being trained by a firearms instructor. Many of those adult hunters could use some firearms training too.

As Gilligan would say,

roj2000 — Wed, 21 May 2008 21:16:37 -0500

As Gilligan would say, "sorry Professor"!! Let's see, 1917 + 30 yrs = "oh my God, he deserves a free lunch at the senior center"!! My Brother will splurge for the free lunch, if you get there early! Oh, that's right, I don't have a brother!! Remember, the first thing to go is the mind! Thanks for giving us the heads up. The date is forever in my day timer, as we blog!! Hope you have many, many more "you centrist that you are"!! Oh, and GW and Cheney send their best, also! So does, President-elect McCain. HAVE A GOOD ONE!!!!

Well, I think its because

flatfishancrawlers — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:51:43 -0500

Well, I think its because you accidently made it public knowledge about two weeks ago or so. I won't write a long history as I did for dad but still I wish you a Happy Birthday and many more to come. When we both become old enough to desire more time in the rocking chair then we can find time for now, then we can find more time for fishing and deeper discusion then we can find time for now.

Same day as JFK . . .just 30

Thomas L. Johnson — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:31:53 -0500

Same day as JFK . . .just 30 yrs. later. And why is this public knowledge?

?

Thomas L. Johnson — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:30:14 -0500

WOW - Anton, It must be

roj2000 — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:52:51 -0500

WOW - Anton,

It must be raining up there, because you are on a roll today!!!! You brought up a few good things (ie- lack of tourists, etc) that I didn't even consider. We tried several times to get the walleye to survive here in the Carolina's but it's too hot for them. Closest place from here to catch walleye, is near my in-laws in Knoxville, Tennessee. They even crossed a sauger with a walleye, and now we catch something called a "saugeye". Some PHD type must have had too much time on his hands, and came up with that concoction!! I still think the walleye Sportsman Service sends me tastes better than the Tennessee version. Thanks for reminding me of Tom's B-day (29th I think). I wonder if they will be putting a handicap ramp on the new VNP boat for him to use at the "first annual" DJ blogger's convention. I will be on vacation next week, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY (in advance) Professor!!!!

Commandment # 1.-- Thou

Anton1965 — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:43:57 -0500

Commandment # 1.-- Thou shalt offer opinions without bias and without alterior or hidden agendas

Commandment #2-- Thou shalt live and work in our community with the best interests of the members of this community and no others.

Commandment #3-- Thou shalt not think the members of this community or its elected officials are stupid or lacking in education, morals, ethical standards or desires for themselves and their children.

Commandment #4-- Thou shalt not think that we need any help from the folks in St Paul and/or any of its subordinate agencies unless we ask for their help. We have done just fine for over 100 years and can and will do just fine for another.

With regards to the VNP question, I like it. No tourists, no boats, no campers like we used to have and thus we all have our own private little woods to enjoy like never before and fishing is getting better also. Whats not to like for us locals?? Resort business is terrible but the answer to that is don't be in the resort business and many resorts are selling off the cabins as high priced condo's visited infrequently by there owners and that means even fewer tourists and even more room for enjoyment by locals. Blueberry patch and fishing spot here I come!!

Also, don't give the Daily Journal such a hard time. They are not the bad guys. They do a good job of rendering order around here even if we think they make mistakes occasionly. Rob and Laural bend over backwards to allow us the freedom we think we deserve and are not particularily "anti" anything except for our occassional discourteous behavior. Besides, they are our only paper and offer us our only means to voice our variously mundane, eccentric and wildly opinionated minds an outlet.

Other then that roj., whasup? Going to be 70's in town by Friday and fish are biting great. Toms Birthday this weekend, I think, and I believe he is going to be something like 65 or 70, something like that. Really old I know for sure and teaching is hard on a guy. by the way, how are the walleye biting in the Carolinas?

Calm down Anton, you're on

roj2000 — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:00:24 -0500

Calm down Anton, you're on the verge of breaking one or more Daily Journal commandments!! WOW....... So, tell me Anton, how do you feel about Voyager's National Park??

Obviously you are again

Anton1965 — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:18:29 -0500

Obviously you are again incorrect as "peer reviewed" reports in "professional journals" meet my approval as I stated in my comments to yourself as I thought the "reports" made interesting reading and stated so. These peer reviewed reports, however, are just that, reports and I might add are reports of those that are alined with your own viewpoints and are not peer reviewed reports of those peers that do not agree with your views. In specific, these reports, in some cases, " might have been" instituted by some kind of research, of some technique not known by the reader but as I stated previously do not constitute "research". Of course Gore himself "invented" much to include the internet and stands alone in his "research" of global warming to which another whole bunch of fools also having credentials have so aptly honored him with paper that isn't worth anything but to wipe certain areas with. Your skin is kinda thin for someone who I know to possess great ability to be so hardened to not be able to find some point of commonality with none of my disagreements with yourself but I have hope.

Blackbay, I too would like

Anton1965 — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:32:17 -0500

Blackbay, I too would like you to come back to our discussions. I am sure you have much expierience and ideas to offer us woodsy uneducated folks up here. Just be careful in trying to present your personal agenda under the guise of somebody else's work to further your own desires for "our" lake and "our" woods which has always done just fine without your personal credentials and efforts. Or Not!!

Giving up so easily, on such a trivial exercise might lead many to question your motives and might even question your desire to exercise your abilities, which I am sure you have, in performing whatever work you might have to perform on our behalf.

You are right on all that you have stated, however, I do and will voice my opinion on any and all matters concerning the welfare of myself and our local population in all matters you might find the folks in St. Paul might not care about us local uneducated folks want to do in any manner you don'r like. If my comments and those others that agree with me are objectionable, then do as any concerned resident might do, find a good arguement to counter my arguement on such matters as woods, water, papermill, sewer systems, schools, pollution, taxes, childrens sports funding, tourism, roads and streets, business improvement and all those other things that all residents that call this place a home, would find important enough to take an interest in to illicitt any discussion that those in local government might find some modicum of information in with which to make a decision. These things are important to us idiots up here because this is our home and these things all effect our welfare and our childrens welfare. It would seem that you belong to the many who have your own isolated cubicle, with your own isolated agenda and typically care little about anything else happening in our community except where it might effect your own lunch box. I personally, as well as the majority of locals, have had about enough of temporary career visitors protecting their concepts and ideas at our expense with our jobs, forests, fishing, huntings, childrens education and even our medical and hospital care.

You can live in our midst with whatever ideas you profess and are welcome to do so but it would be nice if you as well as others like the "Doorsman" might be at least a little interested, and vocal, in the other matters of importance that affect our community and your neighbors, you know like what color should the bandshell be painted, when is it inappropriate to further hold certain offices, wetlands, should "Smokey Bear" be moved, burner road or you know stuff like that. You don't have to be knowledgable, just be concerned about more then your own back yard. Try it, people won't dislike you for your varied opinions even if your wrong or in the minority. I don't even know you and I can find much to like you for even if I disagree with you. And, please don't give me that "peer review" stuff. Peer review in todays climate is nothing more then agreement by those that are alined with your own views and agenda not those peers that disagree with your views. We are both in the same "game" so try that concept in another community.

Come back Blackbay, come

Doorsman 54 — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:52:43 -0500

Come back Blackbay, come back, don't leave Blackbay, just like the movie with names changed to protect the innocent. Just stay on the sidelines and snipe when you really have to. Reach out and touch when you have to. You are right about the Pride and being concerned about the results a boat like that can do to a lake, the park even recongized that. This boat is the answer and I hope it is used correctly. When are you coming to the estate and when are you leaving, wife just wants to know to move in after you bug out. Going to bury a family member at Ft. Snelling so maybe I will see you when you come to town for your time at the lodge. And go ahead and brag about your Phd, and your gender, you are the best conservative enviormentalist I have ever had the pleasure to know and you lend something to this insanity, so again, don't leave Blackbay and if you must go away, don't go away mad, just go away, MotlyCrue right.

Apparently peer reviewed

Blackbay — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:55:14 -0500

Apparently peer reviewed reports published in professional journals don't meet your standards. I guess I should have known better than to engage an expert not only in minnows but ecology, limnology, geology, engineering, paper making, city planning, business administration, politics, etc. Roj is right you 65ers know everything.

With that I'll bid these blogs a fond farewell. For you have Anton1965 to give everyone expert analysis on every topic pertinant to life.

BTW I'm not a female nor a Phd. Or maybe I am. Then again I may have been ole joespooon04 too. Cue spooky music as I slide off into lurker land.

Out of the 66 articles

Anton1965 — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:26:22 -0500

Out of the 66 articles listed in the above reference by someone with a Phd, no articles of which were hers, and also no opinions of which were given by herself, I find it most interesting that in most cases the referenced articles "do not" lend any credence to any boat wake but rather are an attack on the negative use of outboard motors in general. I found the article on the correlaton of outboard motors on the weed beds in Perth, Australia to be highly informative however I fail to recognize the correlation between the weed beds of Perth, Australia with the weed beds of BlackBay, Minnesota. Thats okay, of course, being just a minnow guy from Northern Minnesota who likes flowers, children and watermelon wine, my ability to correlate things might not be as great as someone with a Phd in something I would hope is not ping-pong or basket weaving but which was not listed for questionable reasons I do not understand. I mean Aquatic Biologist, whats that?? Its a typical kinda scholastic American thing sorta like Marine Biologist. The article on pollution emissions by 2-cycle engines (outboard motors) was something I can grasp and I grasp the article as mis-leading and factually incorrect. The problem with 2-cycle pollution emissions "is real " but the problem rests with the oil and primarily the additives to the oil and not the propulsion unit using the oil. The "fix" is an oil that does not harm the eco-system being exposed to the emmissions not in the use in the motor itself. My own studies would show the degradation of the oil and additives is long lasting in some waters specifically in Kabetogama and other shallow water aquifers of large size and holding a popularity with boaters and especially with these aquifers having little or no flowage. The silt at the bottom of Kabetogama shows distinct banding of heavy metals and hydrocarbons not showing up in Rainy or in Namakin. The apparent answers lie in effecting a change in the formulation of the motor oils and fuel used in 2-cycle engine use "and" the causing of "large wake" to agitate the silt at the bottom of these areas that don't get a frequent and common agitation of the bottom ie. wake in the Kempton channel and Rat Root and Black Bay areas is good or at least not as bad as no wake. Of course I have not read "all" of the 66 articles yet, but I will. Some writers I am already familiar with and can find agreement with some and disagreement with many. Most of these 66 articles do not constitute "research" by any means or at least would not constitute research in any lab or project I have been involved with. Certainly no student of mine would be allowed to reference most of these articles as being worthy of research type status. The articles for the most part are, however, interesting reading.

And I'll bet you thought I would not care to bother with reading this list as I am sure most in the area don't care to do so.

I was at a restrauant on 53, at the edge of town, during the hail storm and the wind so I can well imagine your discomfort at trying to catch a few on Saturday afternoon. Every one who fishes just can't get their limits on every day but I am hoping you might yet find that feeling of success we all look for.