Vermont teenager killed while turkey hunting

Vermont Fish and Wildlife game wardens and State Police are investigating what appears to be an accidental shooting that has left a 17-year-old turkey hunter dead.

The incident occured at about 6 a.m. May 1, the opening morning of the Vermont turkey season.

According to a press release issued by the Vermont State Police, authorities responded to a report of a shooting at 7206 S. Wheelock Road, in Wheelock, Vt.

Rescue personnel and Game Warden Dave Gregory arrived to find Jacob Kadamus, 17, suffering from a gunshot wound and his father, Kevin Kadamus, 45, trying to render aid, according to the press release. CPR and rescue efforts failed and the teen died at the scene.

Officials said the pair were hunting turkeys in two different areas, but Jacob Kadamus left his area and moved toward where his father was hunting. Kevin Kadamus fired a shot at what he believed to be a turkey, hitting Jacob, according to the press release.

State game wardens are processing the shooting scene and State Police detectives are continuing the joint investigation. The Caledonia County State's Attorney will review the facts.

No charges were immediately filed, according to the press release.

An autopsy will be conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine conclusive cause of death.

OutdoorsVT 5-1-09

Checking for ticks

Spring is a beautiful time of the year. As the temperatures warm the air, green creeps back into the picture, flowers bloom, animals birth their young and another year of battling ticks begins.

I guess spring can’t all be beautiful.

Dealing with ticks is just part of being outdoors in the spring.

Unfortunately, because of the dangers of contracting Lyme disease, ticks aren’t just an annoyance, but can prove to be a serious risk to your health.

As outdoor enthusiasts, we are going to run into ticks, which are most often found in wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter on the ground.

Fortunately, while we seem to have a growing problem with ticks and Lyme disease, the situation isn’t as bad as it may seem.

Health officials say the number of cases of Lyme disease grows every year.

Some of that is certainly due to an increase in the number of ticks as well as the number of ticks carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

But some experts say that the increased number of cases certainly has something to do with increased vigilance on the part of people who get symptoms checked out and a medical community that continues to get better at diagnosing Lyme disease.

Still, if you’re the one who gets infected, it doesn’t matter what the statistics say so prevention is critical.

Happily, every tick bite doesn’t result in a person contracting the illness and there are things people can do to reduce the chances of being infected with Lyme disease.

If bitten by a tick carrying the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that causes Lyme disease, quickly removing the tick reduces the chance of it being conveyed to the person.

It takes 24 hours or more for the disease to be transmitted as the tick feeds so if the little critter can be removed the same day it attaches, the odds improve that you won’t suffer any ill consequences, according to health officials.

Country crooner Brad Paisley sings about trying to convince a barroom conquest to let him check her for ticks.

Despite the humorous nature of this silly song, checking yourself — or having someone help you — is a good idea.

Early detection is key to treating Lyme disease.

Anyone who ventures into the outdoors — even if it’s just the backyard or a local park — should conduct a thorough inspection to ensure they haven’t picked up a tick.

The problem with tick bites is that the person being bitten quite often has no clue they have a tick unless it is seen.

Most often, tick bites go unnoticed at the time of the bite.

And spotting a tick on your body isn’t always easy. The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, which is responsible for carrying the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, are little bitty.

They may not be much larger than the period at the end of this sentence. A tick will also search out a warm, moist place on your body, which often means armpits, groin, between the toes and even behind the knees. But they also tend to bury themselves in hair-covered places, which again points toward armpits and the groin area along with the head.

The upshot of all this is spotting ticks isn’t always easy and getting a little help isn’t a bad idea; parents should check their kids every day when they come in from playing outdoors.

But while finding a tick after it bites is important, preventing the tick bite in the first place is even better.

Avoiding tick bites is relatively easy, although far from 100 percent effective.

One thing people can do is wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants and tall socks and tucking the pant legs into the socks will better prevent ticks from crawling up your legs.

Add another layer of defense by using an insect repellent.

Products containing high percentages of DEET or Permethrin are favored, but there is a big difference between the two products in the application.

DEET-based products can be — and should be — applied directly to the skin, as well as the clothing.

But Permethrin-based repellents should only be applied to the clothing, and clothing should be allowed to dry before putting on.

On children, use lower concentrations of the active ingredient, using concentrations of less than 30 percent.

Be sure to read the label carefully and follow directions closely.

Also, keep the product away from the face and off of hands, which your little one might use to rub an eye, handle food or otherwise come in contact with the mouth.

There are natural products that are, in my experience, generally less effective but still offer some protection and are safer for children.

This season is turning out to be a busy one for ticks already.

I’ve talked to many different people who have found ticks on their bodies and I’ve already pulled ticks from an animal at my house, and we’re only at the beginning of May.

Unfortunately, tick season really doesn’t peak until June or later every summer.

Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. His Web site is http://www.darrenmarcy.com/. E-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.

OutdoorsVT 4-24-09

Herricks Cove festival offers outdoor family fun

One of the top outdoor events of the year is scheduled for Sunday, May 3, when the 10th annual Herricks Cove Wildlife Festival is held in Rockingham to “celebrate the wonders of wildlife.”

This event, by all accounts, offers a great opportunity for outdoor family fun and education.

The day-long event begins with an early-morning bird walk, but most events are scheduled 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Herricks Cove.

Herricks Cove is located at the confluence of the Williams and Connecticut rivers, and is noted for its birding opportunities. Designated as an Important Birding Area, Herricks Cove offers important habitat for waterfowl and songbirds, and provides a staging ground for migrating ducks, geese and warblers.

This year’s event is expected to feature live wolves, owls, eagles and reptiles — a sure bet to fascinate kids of all ages in addition to presentations, activities and tours.

Things get started with a guided bird walk at 7:30 a.m. Other activities get under way at 10 a.m.

The day is billed as an event that brings together wildlife, nature and outdoor enthusiasts.

There will be a forest exhibit, and guided nature walks, nature presentations, crafts and workshops will be held throughout the day. Some of the events on the schedule include:

? The Southern Vermont Museum will be there with hawks at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

? Live animals from Squam Lake Science Center will be shown at 10:30 a.m. and noon.

? Jim Andrews will feature amphibians, including a turtle workshop at 11 a.m.

? Jerry Snyder will feature butterflies at 11:30 a.m.

? Brian “Fox” Ellis will give a presentation about the “comic misadventures” of Lewis and Clark at 1 p.m.

? The Vermont Institute of Natural Science will offer a presentation on hawks and owls at 2 p.m.

? Jake the Snake of AMOS Natural Science Education Services will feature a 9-foot boa constrictor at 2:30 p.m.

? And Atka, a wolf from the Wolf Conservation Center, will be featured at 3 p.m. Other events will be held throughout the day.

Families will be able to take nature walks with Meg Moynihan.

Also, a presentation will focus on the “Ways of the Woods: People and the Land in the Northern Forest.”

There will also be food and live music, and the event will be held rain or shine.

Finding Herricks Cove can be tricky. It is located off Route 5 less than 3 miles north of Bellows Falls.

From Interstate 91 northbound, take Exit 6 onto Route 5. Continue past the intersection with Route 103, down the hill, across the Williams River to Herricks Cove Road on the right, then follow the signs. From I-91 southbound, take Exit 6 onto Route 103, take a left onto Route 5, down the hill, across the river and right on Herricks Cove Road.

There is no charge to attend, but contributions will be accepted with a suggested donation of $2 per person or $5 per family.

For more information contact Ascutney Mountain Audubon at 722-3355, The Nature Museum at 843-2111 or staff@nature-museum.org, or the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department at www.vtfishandwildlife.com.


Seyon Lodge

The Vermont State Parks is offering a bargain for people wanting to experience Seyon Lodge State Park and get away from it all with the creature comforts of home.

Located in the middle of Groton State Forest, and home to Noyes Pond, Seyon Lodge features some of the best early-season brook trout fishing destinations is offering people a preseason deal.

Sorry for the blatant ad, but this sounds like a deal a lot of people might be interested in.

Between now and June 18, a two-night, midweek stay at Seyon Lodge is priced at $65 a night with all meals and full-day boat rental included. Even taxes are covered in this price.

That boat will come in useful; should you simply want to tool around Noyes Pond or cast for brook trout, that is highly recommended.

The State Parks calls it Vermont’s only public fly-fishing trout pond and has been named one of the best brook trout fisheries in Vermont by Steve Hickoff and Rhey Plumley in their book, “Flyfishers Guide to Northern New England.”

“Early and late season is the best time to fish Noyes Pond,” according to the book. “The emergence of the giant mayfly, in late May and early June, can be dramatic and brings many, sometimes large, beautifully colored brookies to the surface.”

Seyon Lodge State Park offers a season fishing pass granting unlimited fishing and boat rentals that will be on sale for $89 through June 1. After that, the price is $95.

Not an angler?

No problem.

“The excellent fishing is not the only draw at Noyes Pond,” Hickoff and Plumley write. “The setting is quietly beautiful. You’ll often hear the whistle of a peregrine soaring on the wind currents high overhead. Or you might see a loon dive beneath the surface of the pond, holding its breath for what seems an impossible amount of time.”

Sold?

Contact Seyon Lodge State Park at 584-3829, or find more information online at www.vtstateparks.com.

Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. His Web site is www.DarrenMarcy.com. E-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.

Tweetin' on Twitter, or Whatever

I'm taking this Web 2.0 or Social Networking, or wasting time over and over again to the next level.

One of the things I want to do is expand my horizons in the world of outdoor writing as well as possibly find new eyeballs that might be interested in reading some of mine.

To that end, I've been jumping into the online world deeper than ever. I've had a blog and Web page in one version or another for about four years. Now, I have a Facebook page, a spot on CamoSpace, and, last but not least, a Twitter page.

You'll see the link to my Tweets (as I'm told they're called) on the side of this blog.

Soon, I will get around to adding links to my Facebook page (Darren Marcy Outdoors) and CamoSpace site (Darren Marcy) as well as a link to my other blog with the Rutland Herald (www.rutlandherald.typepad.com/outdoorsvermont).

Look me up and let's connect. I'm always looking to meet new people, particularly people with a passion for the outdoors.

OutdoorsVT 4-17-09

Vt. State Parks propose increase in camping

Fido is going to have to pay more to camp in Vermont State Parks in 2009.

It’s going to be more expensive to camp in a Vermont State Park this year if a fee increase goes through as proposed by the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.

State Parks Director Craig Whipple says the fee increases are an effort on the part of the State Parks to keep up with the cost of doing business because the costs to run the parks increase $200,000 to $300,000 every year due to inflation.

The fee increase proposal is set to go into effect June 1. While the increased costs are only some of the proposed changes, camping fee increases will be among the most noticeable changes for visitors to state parks.

With the exception of remote areas, the department is proposing to eliminate $14 sites and add a $2 fee for nonresidents — two of the changes people will notice.

The new camping fees will be $16 for residents for a standard tent or trailer site, and $18 for prime sites.

A lean-to site will go for $23, with prime lean-to locations priced at $25.

Those prices are for up to four people per site. The additional-person charge will be increased by $1 to $5 per person.

Nonresidents will pay $2 more per night for all camping sites.

The designation of a “resident” follows the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s definition as a person living in Vermont with no other residences for at least six months.

Fee increases will even affect your pooch, which will be charged $1 per night.

There are other changes, but those are the highlights.

There will be detractors who claim the proposed increase is just another example of government excess. Some will go as far as to call it a tax increase.

But growing costs are a fact of life and Vermont’s State Parks are still a bargain.

Consider day-use fees. My family of four, with one kid too young to be assessed an entry fee, pays $8 for the day.

Try going to a movie — even a matinee — for that.

A night of camping will go up, but a night with the family is priceless. There is little better than cooking hot dogs over a fire and roasting marshmallows with your kids. We’ll be doing that this summer and a couple of dollars won’t dissuade us from that little adventure.

Whipple says the proposal to increase the fees is part of the State Parks’ philosophy of supporting the parks system to the point that is feasible and reasonable.

He said that charging fees is a simple reality in order to sustain the parks’ operation, but fees should not become a deterrent for people.

“Our fiscal approach here is to balance all those things and not set fees too high, but not to apply any more pressure than necessary on the general fund. Our effort is to make the park system as self sufficient as possible without the comprising our purpose.”

In 2007, the day-use fees were adjusted slightly, but Whipple says it has been a while since camping fees had been adjusted.

Whipple said day use has been declining at state parks but he doesn’t expect this round of fee increases, if enacted, will deter people.

“It’s an educated guess, you never know for sure,” Whipple said. “In the past there have been some larger incremental increases and it’s shown a modest decline in usage. It shows you’ve gone too far too fast.”

But today’s economy has people looking for cheaper, closer-to-home recreation options.

“Camping is still a relatively inexpensive camping option,” Whipple said. “People are looking for ways to spend their down time and leisure time. We’re hoping people stay close to home and use their state parks.”

That seems to be happening, he said.

About 45 percent of State Parks visitors are Vermonters and reservations are up about 5 percent this year, Whipple said.

With the fee increase, Vermont will still be competitive with nearby states, Whipple said.

“We did as close a comparison as we could for 11 northeastern states,” he said. “We’re about in the middle any way you work it.”

Let’s face it. Camping remains one of the most affordable ways for a family to spend time in the great outdoors. A small fee increase won’t keep most people home or prevent a family from going camping.

This increase deserves our support.

But whether you agree, you have an opportunity to comment on the proposed changes.

A public hearing will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, April 27, at the Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation Conference Room in Waterbury.

Written comments can be mailed to Craig Whipple, Director of State Parks, 103 S. Main St., 10 South, Waterbury, Vt., 05671. Comments can also be e-mail to craig.whipple@state.vt.us.

Details of all proposed changes can be found on the State Parks’ Web site at www.vtstateparks.com, scroll down and click on Fee Increases.

Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. His Web site is www.DarrenMarcy.com. E-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.

NEOWA Member

Well, I guess I'm officially a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association. Submitting my application materials during the organization's annual meeting a week ago and I've received word that it was accepted and I should expect my membership packet in the mail soon.

I'm looking forward to that.

I've been kicking around the idea of joining the NEOWA for a year or so, but wanted to wait until I felt like I truly belonged.

I didn't want to have to work hard to meet the minimum requirements for eligibility. Now that I've been writing my weekly outdoor column for the Rutland (Vt.) Herald for more than a year and regularly sell other freelance work, I decided it was time.

I'm proud to be able to call myself a member of the NEOWA.

OutdoorsVT 4-10-09

Avoid wet trails through Memorial Day

It’s that wonderful time of the year again. Spring is finally coming to Vermont.

The snow is largely gone, temperatures are finally beginning to turn seasonal and there is green beginning to show.

Unfortunately, while the temperatures often provide great hiking weather this time of the year, the ground often isn’t ready.

Mud season is a time of the year when hikers and bikers are itching to set boot or tire to trail, yet the trails fight back with mud.

The Green Mountain Club is asking hikers to refrain from hitting the trails that are muddy until they firm up, usually by Memorial Day weekend.

Staying off muddy trails will protect fragile areas and prevent erosion.

The Green Mountain Club and trail volunteers work throughout the warmer months to repair trail damage as well as perform preventative maintenance.

Hiking when the trails are muddy can set back efforts, causing more damage and negating previous work.

And the higher elevations are where the trails will remain muddy the longest. It’s possible to start out on a dry trail that quickly becomes a mud bog.

Some hikers will try to skirt muddy areas by walking on the vegetation on either side, causing the hole to widen and increase the size of the problem.

Fortunately, there are plenty of lower-elevation hikes that offer early-season hiking opportunities ranging from dirt roads to recreation paths.

A list of possible hikes can be found on the Green Mountain Club’s Web site at http://www.greenmountainclub.org/.

Check with the Vermont State Parks, the nearest U.S. Forest Service ranger district office or the local municipality for suggestions and warnings about trails under each jurisdiction.

Some areas should be avoided, including Camel’s Hump, Mount Mansfield, Stratton Mountain, Killington Peak, Jay Peak, and Lincoln Ridge from Mount Ellen to the Appalachian Gap.

Also avoid high-elevation conifer forests, sticking to hardwood forests at lower elevations and south-facing slopes will dry sooner than northern exposures.


Pine Hill Park
The Pine Hill Park folks are back at it with a slate of work days to improve the trails.

The first public work day is set for 9 a.m. Sunday, April 26. Work will focus on the front entrance area and back to Elephant Rock.

Pack some cookies to share if you’d like and organizers say chocolate bribes might be available for those who show up.

The second work day is set for 9 a.m. May 16 with the focus on hauling in lumber for bridge projects followed by trail work on Lonely Rock and Strong Angel trails.


ATV club grant
The Birdseye Mountain ATV Club has announced it has received a $10,000 trail grant from the Polaris TRAILS Committee of Polaris Industries.

The grant will be used to improve Trail No. 2 up to Betsy’s Balcony and build a new trail across the top of the Birdseye Mountain ridge towards the Dome.

The new trail will be called “Polaris Run.”

The ATV club hopes to have Polaris Run ready by July 18.


Half marathon
A new half marathon is set for April 26.

The Middlebury Maple Run — The Sweetest Half is scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 26, from Porter Medical Center.

The USA Track & Field-certified course will feature traffic control and water stations until 12:30 p.m., after which runners continue at their own risk.

Runners registered by April 15th will get a free T-shirt.

The race will award the first-place male and female finisher in open and master divisions, as well as three places in six age groups.

A pre-race pasta buffet will be held 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. the previous night and registration and packet pickup is at 6 to 8 p.m. The cost for the buffet is $12.99.

For more information, log on to http://www.addisoncounty.com/ and click on the link at the bottom, right part of the screen, or call 388-7951, ext. 2.


Floyd Landis
The 2009 Tour of the Battenkill will be held April 18-19 with one high-profile rider scheduled to compete.

Floyd Landis, who won the Tour de France only to be stripped of the title after testing positive for a banned substance, is set to compete with Team OUCH out of Oakland, Calif., after sitting out his two-year ban and having hip-resurfacing surgery.

In all, 22 professional teams are scheduled to compete in the professional invitational event. Dubbed “America’s Queen of the Classics,” the Tour of the Battenkill boasts a 124-mile course with 16 dirt sections beginning in Cambridge, N.Y.

In all, more than 2,000 racers are expected for the two-day event, which organizers claim makes it the largest road cycling race in the United States.

For more information, log on to http://www.tourofthebattenkill.com/.

Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. His Web site is www.DarrenMarcy.com. E-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.

The Great Hook-Baiting Scandal

Saturday is the trout season opener in Vermont, a holiday of sorts for hard-core anglers who have waited all winter for the chance to drown a worm with the hope of landing a rainbow, brown or brookie.

Also, Gov. James Douglas and Fish & Wildlife Commissioner Wayne Laroche will celebrate the season opener at 11:30 a.m. at Marshfield Reservoir fishing access area, 2 miles east of the village on Route 2.

There will be youngsters on hand along with their parents or mentors. Douglas and Laroche will be fishing with them and coaching the young anglers as well as talking about the importance of fishing in Vermont.

Let's just hope there isn't a repeat of last year's hook-baiting scandal.

A year ago, I watched footage of Douglas fishing on opening Saturday on the evening news. At one point, I was amazed as the governor reeled in his line, raised his rod and swung his bare hook back toward a man wearing a Fish and Wildlife shirt who promptly baited his hook for him.

I later found out this was Laroche.

I was amazed and told Rutland Herald outdoor editor Dennis Jensen knowing he would get a chuckle out of it. When I told Jensen, he was more than amused. He wrote a column about it, which spread far and wide. Douglas ended up being vilified in several national publications.

Mr. Laroche, please leave the governor's hook alone.

Governor, put your own worm on. You should also be prepared. What if you accidentally catch a fish? You wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of all those kids.

What Direction Will This Blog Take?

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the purpose of this blog.

For a while now, I've been regurgitating news that I thought to be interesting, or maybe even useful.

But it struck me. I'm doing something that others are already doing, and, in fact, they're doing it better. (Look for a post soon on what I believe to be some of the best sources for regular -- daily -- outdoor news on a countrywide scale.)

So, I'm thinking, what can I offer that isn't already out there in several locations?

The quick and dirty answer is my opinion. Nobody else is printing my opinion on things, or sharing with the world news about my successes and failures as an outdoor writer.

That's the direction I'm going to be leaning. Until I get it figured out for sure, I'd expect fewer offerings here than what I've been posting.

OutdoorsVT 4-3-09

DVD features New England’s reptiles, amphibians

The spring peepers are about to begin their peeping and with it comes another spring to Vermont.

The world of reptiles and amphibians don’t often get the attention that other wildlife species garner.

Snakes, frogs and salamanders just aren’t as sexy as deer, turkeys and bears.

Certainly it has something to do with their size and that they aren’t obvious like a deer standing in a field or a moose in a bog.

But, in their own way, amphibians and reptiles are fascinating critters and worthy of study and appreciation.

And, now is the time to learn more about these animals and their habitats.

If the peepers haven’t already started their serenade, they will soon in a vernal pool near you.

And while many species of amphibians and reptiles may be abundant in places, others are nearly impossible to find unless you know exactly where and when to look. Because most of us aren’t herpetologists, most of us don’t know when or where that is.

A newly released interactive DVD will help.

“Rattlers, Peepers & Snappers,” is the result of a collaboration between wildlife videographer and editor Vince Franke and Jim Andrews of Middlebury College.

The DVD was four years in the making as Franke videoed all over New England when time allowed in between his other projects and when the various species were active.

Now complete, the DVD includes three hours of video coverage of all 52 breeding species of amphibians and reptiles in New England.

While aimed at resource professionals, naturalists, teachers and students, the DVD would be of interest to anybody who appreciates wild critters, their habitat and the challenges biologists face in protecting sensitive species.

Franke said one of the keys to the production was the knowledge of Andrews, who has been the driving force behind the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas at Middlebury College.

“He’s very knowledgeable and he’s focused on educating people on amphibians and reptiles and what we can do to reduce our effects on them,” Franke said.

A one-hour presentation, culled from the three hours of video footage on the DVD, will be aired at 7 p.m. Sunday on Vermont Public Television.


The DVD

This DVD, while not organized just like a traditional paper field guide, supplies much of the same information but with video, interviews and an ease of use that, in some ways, surpass a standard field guide.

Speed is one advantage. If you know what species you’re looking for, you can be watching a video of an expert herpetologist discussing the species within seconds.

You can learn about its distribution, whether it is common or rare, habitat needs, visual identification, and listen to its vocalizations in about the same amount of time it would take to find the species in a guide and start reading.

The program is divided into two sections: one for amphibians and one for reptiles with videos, field adventures, species specific information and videos and quizzes for each.

The camera work is incredible, a result, Franke said, of the expertise of his guides and having a lot of patience at times.

Two Vermont species – the five-lined skink and the timber rattlesnake, both of which are found in Rutland County – are so rare that few have ever seen them.

Alcott Smith led Franke to some timber rattlers, finding some large rattlers and, later, footage of fall babies.

“The most humbling thing about the rattlesnakes is they were just sprawled out sunning in the forests,” Frank said.

The skinks, Franke said, were even more of a challenge because they are hard to find and fast moving when they are found. He said the key was to go to an area where they had been seen before and then waiting for hours.

“The skinks took a while to film,” he said. “I think it’s pretty unique footage. I don’t think there’s much footage out there of five-lined skinks in our area. It’s great to be able to show that to people.”

Because of the way it’s designed, you don’t lose anything by watching the segments out of order allowing the viewer to hit the things most interesting to them or most appropriate to learn about a specific species as needed.


Big honor

Editing the three hours of footage into the one-hour show for VPT this Sunday was difficult, Franke said.

“It was a bit of a challenge but I realized what would work best was to show the field trips,” Frank said.

Even then, there was too much video, so he pruned the field trips, each featuring an expert in the field, down from 15 to nine.

“The field trips allowed people to go along and find out where these critters were and let these experts explain things in their own way,” Franke said.

The DVD has been released to wide acclaim including an honor in an international film festival.

“Rattlers, Peepers & Snappers” will be given an honorable mention for Scientific Content at the 32nd International Wildlife Film Festival on May 9-16.

Franke said it’s quite an honor because the film festival draws entries from the British Broadcasting Corporation, National Geographic, Animal Planet International, and the Nature series on PBS.

“All the big producers are there,” Franke said. “It is nice to get recognized by the scientific community.”

Check this DVD out.

Keeping a kid’s attention in today’s video-game world is difficult. A DVD like this one gives a parent a fighting chance and it will be fun and educational for everyone.

“Rattlers, Peepers & Snappers” is $24.95 and is available from Peregrine Productions at www.rpsdvd.com.

Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. His Web site is www.DarrenMarcy.com. E-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.

OutdoorsVT 3-27-09

Happy birthday to OutdoorsVT

It’s been a whole year since I first subjected you to OutdoorsVT.

Can you believe you’ve put up with me for 12 months?

My long-suffering wife sympathizes with you. She can barely put up with me.

Congratulate yourself on your dedication and perseverance.

Whether you actually like reading the dreck I schlep every week or just put up with it, I thank you.

Many writers go through their entire careers thinking so highly of themselves they believe it’s their work that is important and the readers are lucky to read it. But I learned long ago it’s the other way around.

These days we have many, many places to get our news and that applies to outdoor information as well. If you spend a part of your Friday with my ugly mug in front of you, I appreciate that.

But, just like getting drunk at the end of the year and making resolutions about what we’re going to do in the coming 12 months, I like to take a moment and reflect and look forward — just without the headache that follows.

In the last year we’ve gone biking, hiking, boating, camping, skiing, snowshoeing, watched spring babies, chased the fall foliage and reminisced over Bubba, my golden retriever who went to that great trail in the sky.

We’ve built bridges, attended outdoor shindigs, counted birds, promised to follow the Leave No Trace outdoor ethic and celebrated a relatively safe snowmobiling season.

We’ve bought boots and snowshoes and worried about the BPA in our Nalgene and similar plastic bottles.

We’ve competed in the Mount Ascutney Run, went on plenty of runs in Pine Hill Park including the Sunset Series, ridden in the Vermont Lakes Region Cycling Weekend, a variety of triathlons and went on monthly jaunts around the West Rutland Marsh with the Rutland County Audubon birders, and weekly hikes with the Green Mountain Club.

We’ve celebrated Vermont Days, National Trails Day, the Long Trail Festival, Dead Creek Wildlife Day, and Killington’s 50th anniversary.

We even ran for president together under the banner of the Outdoor Party.

It was fun.

The best part is we’re heading into year two and we get to do it all again.

But before we hit the trail, I’d like to know what you think.

I give a rip what you like or don’t like about this column.

What is it that works, or doesn’t work, for you when you read OutdoorsVT?

For example, my wife doesn’t think I’m funny and when I try she thinks I embarrass myself.

Should I leave humor to Leno and Letterman or Colbert and Stewart? What do you think of the where-to-go pieces? More gear? More trails? Book reviews? What would you prefer to see more coverage of?

Too much hiking and not enough biking? Too much gear and not enough deer? Want to read about a new trail, but not about a … a … sorry, can’t do it. I gave up rhyming after “Green Eggs and Ham.”

What columns do you read to the end and which ones do you turn the page without starting? I want to know.

Understand one thing. I reserve the right to ignore anything you have to say. But I can promise I’ll consider all suggestions and criticisms — even those that include profanity and thinly veiled threats.

But at least put your name on your correspondence. I don’t want to have to write back and say:

Dear Youraidiot@yahoo.com,

I’m sorry you think my column is a waste of perfectly good fire starter.

Sorry, I won’t beat my head on the remaining ice at Lake St. Catherine, but I will seriously consider avoiding suggesting that people hang their wooden snowshoes on the wall in the future.

I did not mean to offend both members of the World Association of Snowshoe Travel Elitists.

Thanks for writing,

Darren

That’s a joke. I actually had one very nice gentlemen write to tell me I was all wet in addition to a recent letter to the editor. The end result? I promised to write a piece about wood snowshoes next winter to give them a fair shake.

If that’s not democratic, I don’t know what is.

And before I forget, I think this is an appropriate time and place to apologize to some folks who were inadvertently ignored back in December and January or so. I apparently had problems with my e-mail configuration or something and I didn’t get any e-mail for a period of time.

I didn’t intentionally ignore you and appreciated hearing your comments on various columns. Now that I’ve recovered them I’m slowly catching up with those that are still valid.

So, send in that feedback. E-mail it to the address below, or do it the old-fashioned way by writing to the Rutland Herald, PO Box 668, Rutland, Vt., 05702.

Go crazy. Tell me what you think. Get it off your chest. It’s not every day a writer asks you to criticize him.

Thanks. I look forward to hearing from you.

Except for you, Long Suffering Wife. You get your say at home. Now, let’s hit the trail on the second year.

Darren Marcy is a local outdoor enthusiast. His Web site is www.DarrenMarcy.com. E-mail him at darren@darrenmarcy.com.

OutdoorsVT 3-20-09

A couple of hikes over the last weekend proved that it's not always what you pick up along the way, but what you bring home that matters.

It started with my youngest daughter picking up a handful of deer pellets, and ended 24 hours later with me getting in trouble for bringing home a scat specimen to identify. In between, there was plenty of fun.

Read about the adventure here.

Fla. Outdoor Writer Dies

An outdoor icon in Florida died March 13.

Jerry Hill, an outdoor writer for the Bradenton (Fla.) Herald for 32 years, was hailed as one of the best outdoor scribes in the state of Florida.

It's always sad when one of these old-timers heads off to the great field or stream in the sky.

For more about Jerry Hill, read a story in Saturday's paper, a column carried in Sunday's Herald, followed by an opinion piece a couple days later.

Salem-News.com Adds Outdoor Reporters

Hold the presses and your hat.

In a move that is the complete oppositive of everything going on elsewhere in the world of publishing, Salem-News.com has announced the addition of two outdoor reporters to its publishing efforts.

It may not exactly be the New York Times, but any work for an outdoor writer is to be celebrated.

Longtime Izaac Walton League Leader Dies

Jack Lorenz, the longtime director of the Izaak Walton League, died March 2.

Lorenz became known nationally during his 18 years at the helm of IWL where he developed a code of ethics on outdoor activities and led the group into the forefront of the national environmental debate.

Lorenz was respected in many outdoor circles, bringing together groups often at odds with each other like the Sierra Club and National Rifle Association to achieve common goals.

Paul Hansen, who led the Izaac Walton League from 1995 to 2007 spoke highly of Lorenz.

"He was the nation's spokesman for many years on the ethical management of hunting, angling and off-road vehicle use," Hansen said. "He was one of the nation's most well known and popular environmentalists."

Read about Jack Lorenz in this Washington Post piece.

OutdoorsVT 3-13-09

It's been a safe year on Vermont's snowmobile trails compared to past years.

With an average of 40 to 50 crashes a year and two or three deaths per year, Vermont closing in on the end of the season with only a handful of crashes and a single fatality.

Authorities are hoping the luck will hold as Vermont remains one of the safest states in New England for snowmobiling.

Read about the safe year in Vermont here.

OutdoorsVT 3-6-09

A coalition of 52 conservation and outdoor recreation groups held a press conference earlier this week to call on the federal government to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was established in 1965 to help preserve the nation's natural areas, culturally and historically significant landmarks, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

It is currently designed to be funded to the tune of $900 million per year, but only once has it reached its full funding level.

In the last decade, the funding has continually fallen until, in the 2008 fiscal year, only $155 million went into the fund.

More than $17 billion of the funding has been diverted from land conservation for other governmental uses.

It's no wonder there is such a backlog of needs and a lack of funds for land acquisition and conservation projects.

Read the column about why I think the LWCF should be fully funded.

Seeking Historical Vermont Hunting & Fishing Photos

I'm looking for historical hunting and fishing photos in Vermont for a book project.

Do you have old hunting or angling photos from Vermont?

Do you have family or friends in Vermont who might?

You could see your family's hunting and fishing photos in a book dedicated to those sports.

Please contact me at: darren@darrenmarcy.com.

Cheney confirmed as museum speaker

So the American Museum of Fly Fishing seems to have finally come clean on its involvement with Dick Cheney as a speaker for a fundraiser.

Cheney will speak at a museum fundraising event, but not at next week's annual dinner. The AMFF Executive Director Cathy Comar said the event will be sometime in the fall and probably in the Washington, D.C., area.

Read about the announcement as reported in the Rutland (Vt.) Herald.

Fly-fishing and conservation writer Ted Williams broke the story, to the best of my knowledge, in January. Since that time, the museum has either been mum or denied it.

The museum has sullied its reputation with the choice of Cheney as a speaker and has looked silly in trying to deny -- poorly at best -- the news along the way.

I expect to write a lot more on this as time permits.

OutdoorsVT 2-27-09

Hunters and anglers pay the lion's share of the way for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration and access to recreation areas through two federal excise tax programs on sporting equipment and supplies.

The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act and the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act provide millions of dollars to states every year.

Many of the benefits are appreciated by users groups well beyond hunters and anglers yet little money is put forward to help pay the costs.

Read my take on the subject here.