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You are here: Home Wilderness Blog July 2009

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Archive for July, 2009

First the Fat Tax, then Gun Control

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 by theidel

While the Democrats noodle over how to take over health care in the United States “to even things out”, the Centers for Disease Control offered up a cool drink for them.  That would be a fat free, sugar free cool drink, but to our elected representatives, a very delicious and refreshing one.  At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Weight of the Nation” conference, CDC chief Dr. Thomas Freiden said increasing the price of unhealthy foods “would be effective” at combating the nation’s obesity problem.

Now many may see this a good idea.  Some could see this another money grab that is part of the ”orgasmic” money and power grab being conducted by our elected representatives.  You could also see it as the first shot in battle where everyday Americans don’t have a lot of dry ammo.  The $.10 a can proposed soda tax, while seemingly expensive, will be easily swallowed by America.  Pardon the pun.  Many States already have deposits on bottles and cans that are similar in cost and a revolution didn’t start.  Many will tell themselves that they will just drink less fattening drinks; they don’t need it anyhow.  Next it will be chips, McDonalds food and on and on.  People will gripe, but they will eat it.  Sorry, I did the pun thing again.

This is the part of the “Hope and Change” that so many voted for last November.  The “change” that will be coming out of your pockets and wallets at minimum, for the next four years.  I “Hope” that it is only 4 years. 

There is a much darker side to this trend.  While these “Health Taxes” are supposedly going to combat obesity, they also accomplish another goal.  They are taxing the life choices people make that the government doesn’t agree with.  While the argument can be made that obesity is a major health problem and costs $147 billion a year by some estimates, it is still a life choice, albeit poor one.

What is next?  What other “legal” choices do we have that the liberal wing-nuts in our government have major case of heart burn over? 

Our guns. 

What is preventing the Obamacrats deciding that since they cannot eliminate guns through the courts, why not tax the hell out of it.  Don’t think that is too crazy.  Our friends on the “left coast” in California are actually pondering the taxation of marijuana to balance their budget.  What if the Federal government decided to add a 30% tax to the purchase of firearms and ammunition.  Of course they may not reach that far right away, but it would not surprise many if 15% was accepted.  Tell me how often taxes go down.  Not too often.  They will be back to the well the next year, just like they have for cigarette and gas taxes.  5% here, 10% there, and all of a sudden you are paying 50% tax on your guns and ammunition under the auspices of improving gun safety and education to prevent accidents and reduce crime.  They would say it is a health issue that causes X amount of $$$ each year in gun related accidents and crimes.  Starting to sound familiar.

Don’t sit back and take these little “baby bites” that Pelosi and the gang are beginning to shove down our throats.  They will quickly turn into chunks of taxes that will choke you off.  Choices and rights you are guaranteed by the Constitution will quickly be taxed into oblivion.  If you think that “no matter how much they tax me, I will still buy my guns”, think again.  The economic reality is that many people will not pay more money for guns and ammo.  Sales of guns will go down; companies and stores will go out of business and your ability to get guns and ammunition will be limited.

Don’t waste any more time.  You have a responsibility to contact your representatives and let them know that “No, I do not want more taxes” and “NO, I don’t think government should be attempting to regulate my legal lifestyle choices by taxation”.  If you let that happen, you are allowing taxation without representation.  If you remember from history class, that caused a hell of a stir a couple hundred years ago.

Go to http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml to contact your State and Federal elected officials and let them know what you think.  Many have an email link, but that is not very effective and most times are scanned and replied to by a computer.  Call your representatives office or write them a letter.  They are much more effective.

Who Cares About “Where’s the Beef?”

Monday, July 20th, 2009 by theidel

Delicious and healthy venison has been a secret among hunters, their family and friends. It is part of the reward to those that loved the hunt. Besides the allure of nature’s beauty, the hunt and the camaraderie of the deer camp, the rich, tender and wholesome venison was the icing on the cake for the investment in guns, gear and time. Venison for the most part could not be found commercially in restaurants or meat markets. The need for USDA inspection prevented venison from moving from the sights of a gun to the dinner table for those that did not actually shoot it or know someone that did.

A strange thing happened with the consumption of venison in America over the last 70–100 years. History suggests that venison has been consumed as a food longer than other meats, including beef, chicken and pork, that are more popular today. During the first part of the last century, venison was still a staple for many families. The urbanization of America and industrialized production of meat began to change our eating habits. The ability of putting your own food on the table was being replaced by packaged meat from the grocery store or meat market.

Well, that is beginning to change.  Many are find out about the health benefits that venison provides and how delicious it is.  It is beginning to become the “in” meat.  The demand for venison is rising and domestic deer farms are trying to keep up.  Venison is showing up on menus for fine restaurants and grocery stores in greater regularity.

Venison, Beef, Pork Nutritional Comparison

Venison, Beef, Pork Nutritional Comparison

Click HERE to read the full article “Who Cares About “Where’s the Beef?”" which talks about the history of venison consumption, the health benefits of venison and how good venison tastes.  Browse our large selection of free wild game recipes at the Wilderness Cookbook.

Vacationing with the Da Yooper’s

Thursday, July 16th, 2009 by theidel

If you ever get up to Gran Marais, Michigan, I would suggest stopping for breakfast at the West Bay Diner & Delicatessen.  We were apprehensive at first, when we first arrived.  We glanced in the main dining room and seen they had a breakfast buffet set up.  On the “hot side” they had only a few items and the rest of the trays were empty.  We thought we would skip the buffet and order off the regular breakfast menu.

When the waitress came to take our order, she asked if we wanted to do the buffet.  I first declined and explained that there wasn’t much there.  She assured me that if we ordered the buffet, they fill the entire buffet with fresh food.  Fill they did.  The food was outstanding.

West Bay Diner & Delicatessen

West Bay Diner & Delicatessen

West Bay Diner

West Bay Diner

Inside the West Bay Diner and Delicatessen

Inside the West Bay Diner and Delicatessen

If you ever want to find agates, take a trip to the U.P. Michigan.  I recommend camping at the Muskallonge State Park and definitely head over to Grand Marais.  While you are over there, drive a bit further and explore Pictured Rocks National Park.  It is a beautiful drive and well worth your time.  The light house trip is a good thing to see as well.  On the walk to the lighthouse, make sure to go on the beach where the signs tell you there are shipwrecks.  There are the keels and ribs of some very old ships on the beach that had gone down in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

More Agate Hunting Adventures At Lake Superior

Monday, July 13th, 2009 by theidel

On our second day of agate hunting between Grand Marais and Muskallonge State Park, we think we had a better idea of what to look for when searching for agates.  Our first mistake was thinking that anything that had alot of color might be an agate.  Not the case, although there are alot of beautiful and colorful rocks on the shores of Lake Superior.  From what we understood from the Gitchee Gumee Agate Museum is that we needed to look for rocks that were purplish in color with bands running through it that had some structure to it.  Also these agates when dry, have a dull cloudy appearance.  So in the bright sunlight, dull and cloudy agates could easily be overlooked.

So we tried it again walking down the beach looking for the elusive agate.  I have to say that my wife Pam, had much more ambition in this effort than I did.  We still had a lot of “cool” rocks we were picking up and putting them in my backpack.  I quickly found out that my field of vision and ambition was inversely proportional to the weight of my backpack.  The heavier it was getting the less I was looking and feeling like looking.  Every so often though, we would find some “possibles”.  Below are two of them and it would be great if someone with a bit greater knowledge of agates would drop us a line and let us know if they actually are.

These are two of what we think could possibly be agates that we found on the shores of Lake Superior.

These are two of what we think could possibly be agates that we found on the shores of Lake Superior.

Well it’s getting a bit late tonight, but tomorrow I will tell you about a neat little restaurant in Grand Marais called the West Bay Diner & Delicatessen.  It was a comfortable and friendly place with good food and lots of personality.  They also redefine what it means to have fresh food on a buffet.

I will also talk a bit about Pictured Rock National Park that we visited while waiting for the Agate museum to open.

Vacationing in the U.P.

Sunday, July 12th, 2009 by theidel

I hope everyone had a great time over the 4th of July. My wife and I just returned from a weeks vacation in the Michigan U.P. We took a swing at tent camping, a feat not attempted since the kids were much smaller. According to the wife, it was a wonderful time except for being so damned cold. I enjoyed the cold at night and slept like a log.  Overall, I would do it again.  (Apparently, we are in the market for a camper.)

I would like to say “Hi” to Ted, Robbie, Dave and Deb from Detroit. They were a great group that camped in the site adjacent to our own. Until now I could not think of anyone from Detroit that I knew. It is my pleasure to say that is no longer the case.  They were a lot of fun and made our stay much more fun.  They were a big help in trying to decode the culture of the Da Yoopers.

We camped at a great campground at Muskallonge State Park.  If you want to find a camper-friendly place to go, this is it.  Heated bathrooms, hot showers and electricity were a godsend.  (It kept the wife happy) Extremely clean as well.  The entire campsite was spotless as a matter of fact.

The campground at Muskallonge State Park is nestled between Muskallonge Lake and Lake Superior.  Both lakes were amazingly clean and there was plenty of room to walk the beach and be alone.  One of the reasons we chose this area was the abundance of Agates that can be found right on the beach.  Rock hunting is a passion of my wife and she always wanted to find some agates.  It was cold and windy the first day, but warmed up a bit after the first.  It turned out to be a beautiful place.  (I think we were very successful, but I am also in the market for a good rock tumbler and a lapidary saw.)

Agate Hunting on Lake Superior

Agate Hunting on Lake Superior

It began cold and windy on Lake Superior, but turned out to be a beautiful place to be.

It began cold and windy on Lake Superior, but turned out to be a beautiful place to be.

It took a little work at first to figure out what an agate even looks like.  We purchased a couple of books about agates and Lake Superior agates in particular.  It seemed helpful until you actually went out looking for them.  After a short while, they all look the same.  To me especially.

We decided to take a trip over to Grand Marais and visited the Gitchee Gumee Agate Museum.  This was a very valuable visit for us.  The owner wasn’t around, but the woman that was working was very nice and showed us around the shop and the museum.  I hope that if we return that we have a chance to meet the owner.  If you visit the museum,  make sure you make to the back room.  We missed a cool exhibit but found out about it from our friends from Detroit.  I won’t tell you what it was; you will have to find out yourself.  It costs only $1 to get into the museum and it was worth every penny.

After we were able to get our eyes calibrated at the Gitchee Gurnee Agate Museum, we gave it another try.  Actually seeing what they look like in your hand gave us a great advantage.  We found quite a few in areas that others had already had scoured.  (A tip to those looking for agates.  Look in the second band of rocks from the beach.  That is where we found most of them.)  We stopped at a number of turn-offs on the old dirt log truck road that lies between Grand Marais and the State Park.  I think we saw one person on the beach.  We had it all to ourselves.

Tomorrow I will show you what we are fairly certain are agates that we found on the beach.  I will also share some the other places we visited and some of the Da Yooper culture we ran into.

Our Rights and Freedoms Are Disappearing this Independence Day

Sunday, July 5th, 2009 by theidel

Here we are in July, the day after Independence Day.  Not even 7 months ago, Barack Obama took office.  At that time, many in the country were swept up in “Hope and Change” believing that life in America would be a better place to live.  You need to ask yourself today, “Is my life better today than it was 7 months ago?”   Do you see your life getting better?  Does the government taking control of banking, industry and attempting to implement socialized medicine portend a better America?  Many don’t think so.  Many are reconsidering their wisdom in voting for Barack Obama.

The agenda of Barack Obama, his radical left-wing administration and the controlling party in Congress  is to make government bigger and have more Federeal control of our everyday lives.  It is their belief that the free-market economy, freedoms of choosing your health care provider as well as other Constitutional protections we have had in the past need to be dramatically changed or eliminated.

Some may joke that a divided Congress is a good Congress since they can’t get anything done or in other words screw anything up.  You need to be scared that this is not the case today.  The Democratic Party now controls both houses of Congress and are on a mission to implement their dream agenda.  This includes much more control over your every day lives.  Bills and policies that are currently being considered by the Obama Administration and other members of the Democratic Party in Congress include the following:

  • Eco-Laws - The ruling government wants you to keep paying taxes on your land, but tell you what you can do with it.  Other proposals include a “per mile” tax on driving your vehicle, as if the federal and state gas taxes are not enough.  Drastic increases in electricity, gas and fuel because of carbon trade-off provisions and taxes.
  • National Health Care - Create the situation where you lose your ability to choose your health care provider and be forced into a nationalized plan very similar to the dismal failures in Canada, Russia and China.
  • Censorship and control of the Press - The Obama Administration has used its immense influence and positioning powers to prevent or limit those that oppose their views from being heard.  It has become so bad that strident liberal reporter Helen Thomas said

The point is the control from here. We have never had that in the White House. And we have had some control but not this control. I mean I’m amazed, I’m amazed at you people who call for openness and transparency.”

  • Gun Control - The left, not just the radical left wants to take away your right to bear arms.

If you think that your rights and freedoms won’t be radically altered, you are sadly mistaken.  We have been given a taste of what is ahead in the video below.  Law abiding citizens of the State of Louisiana had their 2nd amendment rights trampled on under the direction of Democratic Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco.  Don’t think that the ruling government would not use any crisis to take your guns away from you and eliminate your ability to protect your family and property.  It is their agenda.

In 2010  and 2012, elections will be taking place that could very well be the most important in  the history of our nation.  A little known result of political polling results is that a vast majority of U.S. citizens believe Congress is broken and corrupt, but when asked about their own representatives, they believe that person is doing a good job.  How the hell can that work?

You need to take a careful look at your Congressional representatives and investigate if he or she really represents your views.  Voting for him or her because they have always been there is lazy and a threat to your freedom.  Exercise your right to vote and vote for those that support your freedoms and the American way guaranteed by our forefathers in the U.S. Constitution.  Throughout the history of our great nation, men and women have fought and died for these freedoms, at least we could vote for them.

Rosemary Grilled Duck on the 4th of July

Saturday, July 4th, 2009 by theidel

If you plan on grilling out during the 4th of July weekend, you will find this recipe a big success.  Our family loves this recipe.  Even my daughters who typically are not duck fans.  A splash of liquid smoke in the marinade has worked for us too.

Grilled Duck with Rose and Rosemary

Description

A delicious marinated duck recipe enhanced with rose wine and rosemary.  You will be the gourmet grill master of the neighborhood.

(more…)

Did you ever think that you could cook a Ground Hog?

Friday, July 3rd, 2009 by theidel

Groundhog Bake has to be one of the most unusual Wild Game recipes we have had someone submit at Wilderness Recipes.  I have seen and taken care of many ground hogs that love to dig under my shed, but it never occurred to me until seeing this recipe that you may be able to eat one of them.  I love cooking, but I not sure I am this brave.

Check out this recipe and more at www.wilderness-recipes.com/wilderness-cookbook.

Groundhog Bake

Ingredients

1     medium-to-large groundhog
1     cup white vinegar
1     onion, quartered
1     tsp. black pepper
2     large potatoes, quartered
2     carrots, in bite-sized chunks

Methods/steps

Skin and clean groundhog (be careful when touching glands on insides of legs).  Soak groundhog overnight in solution of 1 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon water.

Remove groundhog and place in large pot with onion and black pepper.  Boil until tender, approximately 2 hours.  Remove from pot and place in roasting pan with potatoes and carrots.  Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, cover dish with foil and roast at 350 degrees for 2 hours or until browned.

If you try it out, let us know how it is or leave a comment at Wilderness Recipes.


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