Archive for the 'Wildlife Images' Category
Though it’s often not possible to attract animals like deer, bears, or bald eagles to your garden (and in some cases who would want to!), it is possible to celebrate the majesty of these animals through silhouette art. Silhouette art is often made with metal used to etch out an animal’s shape. The silhouette can then be transferred to your garden where it will add a unique aesthetic to the outdoor space. Animal silhouettes are made by various professionals, often part-time blacksmiths, and each silhouette is a little bit unique. Silhouettes are also an accepted art form with several artisans testing their skills and creating original pieces.
If you want to have unique animals in your garden, or are just lacking a certain rustic appeal, silhouettes are a great option that will impress all your guests.
During the cold winter months of the 1980’s, I would take my family ice skating and sledding on the reservoir just North of Troy, Idaho. Sometimes we would roast wieners and marshmallows around a campfire just to keep warm.
Ocassionally, we witnessed two warmly dressed fishermen wearing skates, loaded down with fishing gear, folding chair, and carrying a chainsaw. They would start the saw, then place the tip of the chainsaw on the ice. The saw propelled them to their fishing spot on the other side of the lake. When they arrived, using the saw again, they cut a hole in the ice for fishing. It didn’t take long, until we heard the chainsaw start up again, and we could see them using the saw on the ice to propel them back to their fire to roast the white-fish they caught for lunch.
Ice fishing with a chainsaw! What a clever idea. I never tried it, though! I kept my chainsaw sharp enough for cutting our winter’s supply of firewood.
Whether you or your spouse is the hunter, a den which displays trophies as well as wildlife art will serve as a unique retreat for lovers of hunting and the outdoors. Here are a few ideas for decorating your Hunter’s den.
~Add wildlife wall decor—in addition to trophies, it’s nice to have depictions of wildlife in their full majesty, whether through photos, pictures, or silhouettes.
~Put in a decorative rug—if the hunter doesn’t already have a rug, it’s nice to have one with a western or Indian pattern in the room, symbolizing appreciation of nature.
~A desk for documentation and planning—every den needs a desk, pick one made of a rich wood with a wide flat surface good for planning out hunting trips or research.
For anyone who loves pet images and especially cats and kittens, you must not miss reading “Mommy Dearest,” an article printed in People Magazine, November 10, 2008. The pictures reveal a 2 1/2 year-old chimpanzee adopting two white Bengal cubs. An emergency arose at the wildlife reserve on the East Carolina coast, following one of the hurricanes. The Bengal mother had to be moved to a safer environment. The Chimp was observing the move, and volunteered to help care for the baby cubs.
Twenty years ago, I held a white Bengal tiger in my lap, and my son Cary held a lion cub in his arms. It was part of a wildlife conservation program. An exhilarating experience I will never forget! Who wouldn’t love these cute and affectionate creatures? But, a chimpanzee? That’s amazing!
My heart sings to see so many large ranches expanding their beef herds by adding Buffalo to their range lands. Almost extinct, Buffalo are not only becoming an important part of nature’s wildlife scenery, but they are also becoming a part of North America’s food chain, once again.
Southern Living magazine, October 2008, page 6, features a panoramic view of Buffalo grazing on 29,000 acres near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. This seems like a large area, but it’s a long way from the 142 million acres that Bison roamed before hunters and farmers killed them off. In our travels through the Western United States, we have seen many small ranches raising Bison.
How many times have we read or heard the famous quote, “Feed a man a fish and you’ve fed him for a day; teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime”? Here is another secret, helping fishermen get their dinner catch everytime they launch the line of their rod and reel into both still or moving waters anywhere in America:
John Alden Knight has designed a SOLUNAR TABLE that forecasts the times of day and night when both fish and game are most likely to feed and be active. One of these TABLES can be viewed on page 52 in the June 2008 Field & Stream magazine.
Here’s food for thought: Both a fisherman and hunter choose the day and hour in their time zones when wildlife are feeding, but who told the wild creatures to play by the same rules?
The Southern Living Magazine gives unique articles and recipes to live by. In the July, 2008 issue, pages 66 through 71, is an article on a Heavenly Garden located in North Carolina.
My hat goes off to Marty and Fred Hirons for bringing their skills and genius together when they designed this garden. A perfect haven for the 3 B’s: Birds, Bees, and Butterflies, including wildlife silhouettes and birdhouses. The garden has natural foliage and limbs for structure, and wonderful colors, crushed rock paths, and plant shapes for design.
For me, just to experience the photos in this article is like a garden of worship for prayer, peace, and a place of rest for my soul. Thanks to the Hirons for their love and hard work, to Steve Bender for his photography, and to Rose Nguyen for styling.
Mark Hicks has given us six clever tips for keeping our broadhead arrows sharp. The article is printed in the September, 2008 Field & Stream magazine, on page 45. After reading his article, I learned that the sharpening process begins with a carbide sharpener, then color the edges with a black marker. To develop a keen edge, we use a 600-grit stone, and then finish the sharpening with a 1200-grit stone or automotive sandpaper. The broadhead arrow should be sharp enough to instantly cut through a 1/4 inch stretched rubber band on the blade’s edge.
Interesting . . . how far technology has developed since the Native Americans sharpened their arrows and spears to bring home their wildlife decor . . . for their wig-wams and lodges!
Here’s another wildlife image for consideration by each hunter. Can you answer this question: “When is a White Tail Deer Buck old enough to shoot?”
An article written by Doug Howlett in the Outdoor Life Magazine, August 2008, pages 30 & 31, compares six stages of development of Whitetail Bucks 1 ½ years old through 6 ½ years old. Doug offers two clues for comparing each group: Body Language and Antler Development. Doug includes a third clue, as a form of advice, by referring to the “Shootability” of the buck. This article will educate the prospective hunter and at the same time help answer this important question: “How Old’s That Buck?”