North Dakota Outdoors and beyond

more on the Decleration of Independence Day

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:10:00 CST

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?

· Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

· Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

· Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

· Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

· Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
· Eleven were merchants.
· Nine were farmers and large plantation owners.

Men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

* * * * * * * * * *

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: Freedom is Never Free!

I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many people as you can, please.

It's time we get the word out that PATRIOTISM is NOT a sin,

and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games.

weekend Outdoors Live

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:17:00 CST

This weekend on Outdoors Live we'll bring you from 7-8PM
Saturday Jully 4th the weekend edition of Outdoors Live Saturday from 7-8PM welcomes Dan Driessen with an in depth conversation on the right way to get kids outdoors. Nancy Boldt with a boat and water safety rundown. All that and Pat Stockdill with her central dakota outdoors report. Catch it again Sunday morning at 7AM

Catch it again Sunday morning at 7AM. All that and a Central Dakota Outdoors report from Pat Stockdill on Saturday at 6PM and Sunday morning at 7-8:30AM
Listen live on AM 790 http://www.kfgo.com
podcast at http://www.gcast.com/u/OutdoorsLive/main
http://twitter.com/dougleier
http://www.facebook.com/doug.leier

becomming and outdoorswomen still has space

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:54:00 CST

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is still accepting registrations for the 15th annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop, held Aug. 7-9 at Lake Metigoshe State Park near Bottineau. The cost is $135 for women 18 years of age or older with an Aug. 1 registration deadline.
The workshop offers 24 different seminars, each of which lasts more than three hours. Classes are held outdoors, and each session contains 45 minutes of lecture with the remainder dedicated to hands-on instruction. Each session has room for 12 women. Participants are limited to four sessions.
Women will learn the basics of hunting and fishing, shooting, navigation, and plants and animals. New classes offered this year include basic boating skills and intermediate archery. Other classes include decoy carving, canoeing, fly-fishing, kayaking, plant identification and predator calling.
Participants will stay in dorms and must provide their own bedding and towels. All camp facilities are handicap accessible. Equipment is provided unless noted in the course description.
To receive an information brochure and enrollment form, contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, at (701) 328-6312; ndgf@nd.gov; or visit the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.

youth grants

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:48:00 CST

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department invites clubs and organizations to submit an application for the Encouraging Tomorrow’s Hunters program, a grant program developed to assist in the recruitment of the next generation of hunters and shooters.
Last year, several groups conducted youth pheasant and waterfowl hunts, while others sponsored trap and shooting events. More recently, the Bismarck Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation conducted the second annual M.U.L.E.Y. Day Camp where youth participated in archery and rifle shooting.
Any club or organization interested in conducting a youth hunting or shooting event can get more information, including a grant application, from outreach biologist Pat Lothspeich at (701) 328-6332.
The deadline to apply for a 2009 grant is July 31.

aquatic nuisance species in NoDak

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:09:00 CST

North Dakota boaters are doing their part in trying to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species into and within North Dakota. Lynn Schlueter, ANS coordinator for the state Game and Fish Department, said compliance has been outstanding.
“Most watercraft users are aware of our educational efforts and are abiding by ANS regulations,” Schlueter said. “In fact, our enforcement division in Bismarck is reporting that not one citation has been issued statewide.”
Game and Fish Department law enforcement and fisheries personnel are conducting check stations this summer in an effort to ensure compliance. One has already taken place in the Devils Lake area. “Inspections are simple,” Schlueter said. “We make sure all vegetation is removed and water is drained at the boat ramp.”
A summary of the compliance check in Devils Lake indicated 62 boats were inspected in slightly more than two hours. Boats were registered in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma.
“Most knew about ANS problems in their states,” Schlueter said. “Only a few needed some education about our laws.”
Some common problems found during the compliance check included weed fragments in the boat or on the motor, trailer or depth finder, and water left in a few livewells. “Overall, compliance was very good,” Schlueter said. “Anglers were encouraged to keep boats and equipment clean.”
Schlueter said boaters traveling near Devils Lake are encouraged to stop by an ANS inspection site at Cenex West. “The Devils Lake Chamber and Cenex West are operating a boat inspection site for all comers, including locals and out-of-state anglers,” Schlueter said. “Inspections focus on aquatic vegetation in or on the boat, including any equipment and in the livewells, and drained/dry livewells and bilges. Boats with problems are provided use of a power washer and an area for cleaning.”
Detailed ANS information and prevention regulations can be found in the 2008-10 North Dakota Fishing Guide, or by accessing the Game and Fish Department website at gf.nd.gov.