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.

OutdoorsVT 2-20-09

Snowshoeing is growing in popularity every year, which means a lot of people are buying snowshoes.

Snowshoes are made for recreational, backcountry and running uses and each has features that make them slightly different from one another.

I run through the various details about buying snowshoes including sizing, construction and accessories.

Read the full column here.

Jaguar Trapped in Arizona

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

After keeping tabs on a wild jaguar in southeastern Arizona for more than a decade, Arizona Game and Fish officials accidantally capture the big cat Feb. 18 while trying to trap mountain lions and black bears.

During a study to monitor habitat connectivity for cougars and bears, the jaguar was captured southwest of Tuscon, Ariz. It was captured, fitted with a GPS tracking collar and released. The collar will relay the cat's location every three hours allowing biologist to track the animal and learn about it's feeding and traveling habits.

Ironically, more than 10 years ago the department tried to trap a jaguar, after a big cat was accidentally treed and photographed by a mountain lion hunter in 1996. Biologists were unsuccessful but jaguars have been captured on trail cameras many times and tracks found over the last decade.

While not immediately confirmed, the jaguar is believed to be "Macho B" a cat that has been photographed multiple times over the last 13 years.

The trapped cat weighed 118 pounds and appeared to be healthy.

Outdoor Products Recalled

Skis, mountain bike forks and a campstove. All three of these items have been recalled recently after they were found to have dangerous defects.


XBi ALU Skis

About 4,500 pairs of skis made in Italy and distributed by Nordica USA have been recalled because a binding plate can crack or break. No incidents or injuries have been reported.

The skis were sold nationwide from August 2006 to December 2008 and retailed for between $800 and $1,500.

The recall includes Nordica ski models: 2006 MACH3POWER; 2007 DOBSPIT; 2007 MACH3POWER; 2007 MACH3; 2007 MACH2; 2007 HELLCAT; 2007 FIREFOX; 2007 DOBPROSL; 2008 FIREFOX; 2008 DOBPROSL; 2008 DOBPROGS. The skis were sold at ski retailers nationwide from August 2006 through December last year.

Consumers should stop using the skis immediately and return them to the retailer for a free replacement of the binding plate.

For more information: Nordica USA at (800) 892-2668 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday, info@nordicausa.com, or www.nordicausa.com.


Marzocchi Mountain Bike Forks

Bicycle forks made by Tenneco-Marzocchi of Bologna, Italy, have been recalled because the fork could become compressed and fail to rebound.

There have been eight reported incidents including one that called injuries.

The recalled forks include certain 2008 model year 888RC3 and 888RC3WC suspensions with date codes beginning with T07D07, T07D08 and T07D09. The forks are white or black with red and black artwork on the legs.

The forks sold nationwide from July 2007 to September 2007 for between $1,000 and $1,700.
Consumers should stop using the forks immediately and return them to the dealer for a free repair.

For more information: Marzocchi at (800) 227-5579 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST Monday through Friday, Techinfo@Marzocchiusa.com, or www.marzocchi.com.


Field & Stream Dual Burner Camp Stoves

About 6,700 dual burner camp stoves sold under the Field & Stream brand at Dick's Sporting Goods have been recalled because of burner problems that could cause higher-than-expected flames unexpected ignition. There have been no reported incidents or injuries.

The stoves carry a style number of #CEH00475 and sold for between $100 and $120.

The stoves should not be used and consumers should contact Dick's Sporting Goods for a free repair kit.

For more information: Dick’s Sporting Goods 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday (888) 837-1380, CampStove@rankam.com, www.dickssportinggoods.com.

OutdoorsVT 2-13-09

Man, getting old sucks.

On top of it, I've let myself go and now I find myself way out of shape and it's hurting my outdoor pursuits.

This is mostly about weight as I'm in pretty decent shape considering my size. Well, as good a shape as a guy with a gut my size can be in.

It doesn't stop my outdoor pursuits. I still hit the trail, but there's no denying I could go faster and farther if I wasn't lugging along the extra poundage.

I'm getting old. When I was hauling around 225 pounds at 30, it wasn't as big a deal. But I'll be 42 in a month and 225 is a long-gone fond memory.

So I've decided to do something about it.

Follow my efforts to get in shape at www.fitoutdoors.blogspot.com/.


And read the rest of my column about being fat and broke here.


Read all about my upcoming effort to get fit for the outdoors here.

Outdoor Expo Grinds to a Close

Toyota Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition ground to a halt after four days in Worcester, Mass. It was a four-day outdoor smorgasborg offering knowledge, entertainment and good old-fashioned American capitalism.

There were many highlights, but for me, it was the people that will prove to be the highlights over time. I was able to meet and have conversations with some really nice and knowledgeable folks during the two days I was there.

Make yourself a promise of attending next year. Mark your calendar now and start checking the Web site toward the end of 2009 for the 2010 Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition.

Fishing & Outdoor Expo

Man, this thing is everything I hoped it would be.

The Toyota Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition completed its third (of four) day today. It was my first day here and I'm worn out. I'm also buzzing after a day of looking at trophy animals and outdoor gear, watching seminars and talking about hunting, fishing, boating, camping and general outdoor fun all day.

I met a lot of great people and made many great contacts that will be paying off down the road in terms of articles and better knowledge. I already have books in hand for review and a line on another. I've come across a great turkey hunting product I plan on writing about this spring and made contact with a guy making his own fishing lures for a variety of freshwater fish I expect to be hooking up with in the future in some regard.

The great thing is that I only scratched the surface. I have a full day tomorrow still before returning home Monday with a bag full of literature and notes.

Stay tuned.

OutdoorsVT 2-6-09

All over the Green Mountain State, winter events are in full swing.

From winter carnivals and festivals to ice-fishing competitions, snowshoeing and animal tracking.

It's an outdoor paradise here year-round, but the winter activity is quite varied.

So, layer up the clothing, find the hat, gloves, scarf and waterproof boots and hit a few of these events.

Read the column here.

Heading to Worcester, Mass.

As soon as I can get away from the office today (and go home and pack) I'm hitting the road for Worcester, Mass., for the 33rd annual Toyota Eastern Fishing & Outdoor Exposition.

The Worcester show is one of three the group is putting on. Although each has a slightly different focus, they all feature impressive lineups. See www.sportshows.com/ for more about the upcoming show in Suffern, N.Y., March 5-8 as well as the details about this weekend's show. A saltwater show is scheduled for March 20-22 in New Jersey.

This weekend's four-day event is chock full of top-notch seminars, acres of displays, and what sounds like a impressive slate of fun demonstrations.

Some of the outdoor industry's biggest names will be teaching their skills. From the bass-fishing world Kevin Van Dam, Mike Iaconelli and Ish Monroe will be on hand. Greg Ritz, host of Thompson Center Arms Game Trails TV show will talk about hunting white-tailed deer; Shane Benoit, Vermont's own famous trophy whitetail deer hunter; and New England legend Stu Bristol will talk about turkey hunting and using a GPS unit to improve your hunting success.

Among the other events, some of the highlights are easy to pick out in advance. Others will likely be a surprise.

There will also be a 40-foot mobile fish tank that doubles as a water dog jumping and retrieving platform, as well as a display and activities by the Maine Primitive School, dangerous reptiles of the world, a bird of prey display and presentations.

If that's not enough, there will be more than 350 exhibitors displaying their wares, trips, guiding services and others to take in.

Can't wait. I'll let you know how it goes and what I find.

Women Outdoor Media Association launched

A new group has formed aimed at outdoor women communicators and professionals.

The Women's Outdoor Media Association launched Jan. 17 at the National Shooting Sports Foundation's annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trades Show in Orlando, Fla.

This is what the group says about itself on its Web site:

"The intention is to complement other media organizations. The difference is that the focus of The WOMA is on what women are doing, and what is being done for them, in the outdoor areas of shooting sports, hunting and fishing."

Involving more women is an important part of growing the ranks of outdoor enthusiasts and only by helping women feel welcome will that happen. Hopefully, this organization will bring more women into the fold, and as a result, their daughters down the road.