Steve Osterholzer's “A Wilderness Filled Soul”

 

I confess it took me a few chapters to get into this book. It’s not that “A Wilderness Filled Soul” isn’t a wonderful book; it is. It’s just that I am not a hunter, and the book is primarily stories of Steve’s elk hunting experiences with his family. But then, two chapters grabbed me. First, the chapter where he uses his mountain bike to get to and from his hunting area, much as I do with fishing, and second, the absolutely wonderful chapter where Steve transcribes his daughter’s memories of her first hunt. I was pleased to find that I’m not the only guy out there whose daughter (or granddaughters, in my case) finds them somewhat annoying. Back to my point, it took me a while to get into the book because I am primarily an angler and not a hunter. It’s not that I have anything at all against hunting; it’s just not an activity I take part in. But as I experienced with “Wilderness Waters,” Steve’s writing is exceptional, and draws you in to where you feel you are right there beside him, whether it’s slogging up and down a snow-covered slope, looking through the scope of the rifle, sighting down the shaft of an arrow, or celebrating your son or daughter’s first successful hunt, you get the feeling of being right there with the author, seeing what he sees and experiencing what he feels.

I think the best description of how captivating Steve’s writing is, came from my wife, who picked up the book from where I had left it the evening before and started reading. She told me that she was three chapters into it before she realized that I wasn’t done with the book yet. After I finished, she took it and continued from the point where she had left off. My wife, like me, is a fly angler, not a hunter, but she comes from a family of hunters. I didn’t even have to recommend the book to her; she recommended it to herself. Now, I’m recommending the book to you. “Ae Wilderness Filled Soul” is beautifully written, captivating, and immersing. Steve Osterholzer paints with words a scene as magnificent as anything Chris Denham captures on video on “Western Hunter,” and that’s saying a lot because that show’s videography is amazing. So is Osterholzer’s writing. Hunters, particularly those who hunt Wapiti, the elk, and those who hunt with their sons, daughters, and wives, will love this book, and even if you’re not a hunter, you will enjoy the experience of hunting alongside Steve Osterholzer he takes you along on the journey of “A Wilderness Filled Soul”

Available at: https://steveosterholzer.com/

There's a reason I say, "Be Prepared, Be Safe, and We’ll See You on the Trail"

 

I always end my Old Ranger’s Backcountry podcasts with, “Be Prepared, Be Safe, and We’ll See You on the Trail.” There is a reason for that, and a reason that I am constantly harping on carrying the “10
Essentials” with you anytime you go into the backcountry, even if it doesn’t seem that remote. I gained my first Red Cross first aid instructor certification in 1972 and have been instructing first-aid ever since. The following semester I got my first EMT certification, and in 1979, My First Wilderness Medical certificate. I’ve been a search and rescue volunteer, worked ambulance for many years, coordinated emergency medical services at numerous special events, and of course was a park ranger for many years. Needless to say, I’ve seen many, too many incidents that could be if not prevented, dealt with more effectively by being prepared.

Over this past weekend a follower/friend of mine on X (Twitter) had a relatively minor incident that could have indeed been much worse. She ended up with a nasty laceration just above her left eye. Less than an inch to the right and it would’ve been much more serious. Fortunately, there were a number of people on hand who could assist her, and she’ll be in good shape and just a few weeks. (It isn’t stopping her from fishing, though.)

Admittedly, I am always a bit of an overkill type when it comes to first-aid kits. Usually in the summertime I have three in the car; one that stays under the driver’s seat unless needed, one in my mountain bike rack pack, and one in whichever daypack I’m using, fishing, trail patrol, snowshoeing, whatever. Each is one is equally designed for the activity I’m involved in, whether it’s mountain biking, cross-country skiing/snowshoeing, fishing, or being responsible for others on trail patrol. They are heavy on trauma supplies, pain relief, allergic reactions, and other discomforts that I have encountered in my years of doing this. It used to be that I had to buy an empty pack and build my own response kit. The one in my snowshoeing/ski pack, dubbed the “football,” is the last of those. In the past decade or so a number of commercial first-aid kit manufacturers have addressed real-world needs, and various party sizes. For instance, the “football” is designed to take care of one or more persons for an extended time frame in a cold environment and also includes splinting material since those activities frequently result in sprains and fractures. The small Adventure Medical Sportsmen’s kit in my fishing pack is more for small injuries, such as in impaled fishhook, cut finger, etc. The old National Mountain Bike Patrol provided kit in my rack pack is designed for cycling related injuries, and the one under the seat of my car for more generalized first-aid needs. Oh, and after an incident several weeks ago, we now have a first-aid kit in the house that also includes Blood Stopper bandages.

Of course, none of this means anything if you don’t know how to use it. There are resources online, both in terms of courses and YouTube videos, but nothing beats the personalized touch of having a certified first-aid instructor, preferably one with experience in the same activities as you will be participating in, showing you how it’s done. If you’re going to spend any time in the backcountry or biking, boating, camping, away from rapid medical care (EMS) take the time to learn first-aid and keep the information current.

My friend will be back in her fishing kayak, none the worse for wear. But what happened to her should serve as a reminder that we need to be prepared and we need to be safe. We’ll see you out there.

 

Stream Fish in Winter? In a MinneSNOWta winter??

(Apologies for no recent posts. I have a "part-time" retirement job that seems to keep morphing into full-time, despite my best efforts to the contrary. When I have the time to hit the water, the weather and other commitments scheme against me, and when everything else should be good, I don't have the time. I'm trying to make that change this year.)

Three of my favorite podcasts, "Dead Drift Outdoors" on YouTube, and "The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast" and "Casting Across" have all recently posted on the topic of winter stream fishing. I haven't done that in quite a few years, but I am going to try one of these weekends soon. I am doing my research, and will include equipment lists, safety considerations, and general suggestions about where to go in the snow in a future post and Old Ranger's Backcountry Podcast on YouTube.

Ross at "Backcountry FFP" is based in Colorado, and his casts (pardon the pun) reflect that. He hits the water at altitudes over a mile regularly, and therefore his approach is different than that of Matthew at "Casting Across," who is a pastor in Vermont, the "Green Mountain State." Both of them are different than mine here in the Lake Superior watershed. Jon at Dead Drift Outdoors lives in the Southern Tier of Upstate New York, where I grew up and, with the addition of the western Adirondack Mountains, where I learned to fish. Those streams, some of which I'm fairly sure I recognize from back in the day, are very similar to the ones I fish today in Northwest Wisconsin and Minnesota's Arrowhead region.

Earlier this week, Jon posted a video of fishing a stream in the Southern Tier, his first this year, and I really enjoyed it. I am (hopefully) re-posting it here, and I would encourage you to check it out, like it, and subscribe to his YouTube channel. His podcasts are top-notch, filmed beautifully, and highly informative as well as entertaining. I am also posting links to "The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast" and "Casting Across." You should check those out as well. You'll be glad you did.

Dead Drift Outdoors:

The Backcountry Fly Fishing Podcast

Casting Across