It’s absolutely no secret that I’ve been neglectful of this blog lately.

Some evidence:

• I never posted a few of the deer that Justin shot.
• I didn’t post anything about Jeff, Barry, Erin, and Josh heading down to the ATA show in Columbus a little over a week ago.
• And I’ve never posted anything about the fact that SimplyOutdoors TV will be airing on the Pursuit Channel starting in January 2013.

I have all kinds of excuses for my neglectfulness – helping the wife tend to a colicky baby, and working on some up and coming website revamping – just to name a few.  But the fact of the matter is that I’ve been a complete slacker when it comes to this blog.  I can’t really deny it.

SimplyOutdoors has a lot of very cool things in the works right now, and though I’ve been a little preoccupied with raising two little girls, and all the responsibilities that go with it, hopefully – very soon – I will be able to put more time back into this blog again, and make it what it used to be – a place to write, to vent, to share ideas, and, most importantly right now, a place to share all of the cool things that are coming down the pipe for the SimplyOutdoors crew.

And…since I’m turning over a new leaf….I might as well share the fact that this weekend, on Saturday, a bunch of us will be at the Huntin’  Time Expo in Grand Rapids.

So, even though, lately, you can’t read many of my ideas and thoughts, you can at least stop by the Proc’s Hunting Buddy booth and say hello.

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Last night I cleaned my muzzleloader.  And though I usually love the feeling that comes with cleaning any firearm, last night’s cleaning kind of depressed me a little, because it was a sure sign that another deer season had passed and that I had once again went through an entire season without putting any venison in the freezer.

As I was cleaning and reflecting back on the last couple of seasons, I was trying to figure out exactly where I’ve went wrong when it comes to my deer hunting exploits.  I can kill turkeys, catch fish, kill rabbits, and kill geese, but the four-legged swamp donkeys always managed to sneak past me.

Why?

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I’ve always said that I wouldn’t pressure Abby into any of my outdoor pursuits.  My plan has always been to introduce her to my outdoor pursuits gradually, and let her make up her own mind as to whether she wants to hunt or fish, etc.  I’ve never wanted to pressure her into any of the outdoor activities that I’m involved in, and I truly practiced what I preach this past weekend.

As many of you have read, we’re lucky and privileged, because Abby’s Grandma and Papa have a little 10 acre piece of heaven not very far from us.  This property is a perfect place to relax and have a bonfire; it’s a perfect place to fling a few arrows; it’s a perfect place to camp, if we choose; and it’s also a perfect place to have a little fishing pond, which I’ve written about on this blog many times.

As the weekend got closer, I envisioned Abby and I pulling in a few small gills from the  pond on the property.  I was very hopeful that we’d spend at least a half hour or so casting, waiting, and eventually reeling in some bluegills.  Of course, my plans and her plans were slightly different – she was more interested in playing in the grass, running up and down the hills, and playing in the sand, rather than fishing – but it ended up opening my eyes to something else, which I hadn’t been paying much attention to:  Abby didn’t really want to fish, but her little cousin, Benji, certainly did.

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We’re busy with work and getting ready for the upcoming deer season, but in the meantime, and until Arthur decides to actually write a post with some substance, please check out SOTV”s Episode 8.

This episode promptly displays how successful stalking the corn can be; it highlights a very humbling experience for Jeff and his teenage son, Tyler; and it provides you with an excellent how-to segment for river smallies.

Enjoy.

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I’ve never really thought of myself as a bug wuss.  We have plenty of the little buggers running and flying around our neck of the woods, but they’ve never seemed to bother me.  Even when a nasty spider makes his way anywhere close to me, I just handle the situation – no whining, screaming or crying needed.  And though I hate mosquitoes – despise them, actually – since I discovered the ThermaCELL, my hunting, fishing and camping excursions have been much more enjoyable.  I’ve lived in a world of bug bliss, I guess.

But it was a different story in the U.P.

The mosquitoes were a different breed up there; they would blow right through the ThermaCELL barrier, and bite the crap out of you.  And while I still have full confidence in the ThermaCELL’s ability, these particular mosquitoes were convinced that they were going to eat all of us ALIVE; it didn’t matter how well the ThermaCELL barrier was or wasn’t working.

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