It is time to fess up!

For the better part of 27 years I have been an outdoor writer and for close to 25 of those years I have written on and off for the Idaho State Journal. For the most part you get the entire story but sometimes I do not get the entire story until years later. And what a ending to a story this is! I probably deserve this as many of my stories are based on the misadventures of families and friends at their expense.

During the 1990’s I was at the top of my game as a writer. Having over 1,000 articles published in various outlets across America. One of those article’s “When the hunter becomes the hunted” circulated around the outdoor world. It was a very popular story and was published in the pages of the ISJ also. The story was about the time a mountain lion came in on me as I was dragging my deer out of the woods with no gun and I decided to go full out Ninja. As Paul Harvey always said….”Here is the REST of the story” and what really happened.

My father and I were hunting the very famous No Tell Um mountain range in South East Idaho somewhere by Lost Creek Valley and Missing Mountain. We had been working some ravines and spotted only does. As the day wore on I noticed a small buck working his way across the ridge about 200 yards away. And as most of my friends and family remember I was shooting a .30.30 lever action and believe me Chuck Connors the rifle man had nothing on me. I could flat shoot that gun. In fact I could hit the apple off a mans head at 100 paces…somewhere around the 5th shot! Where the other 4 shots went I was never sure about that, but I was certain they hit somewhere in the vicinity of the apple.

I figured the season was winding down and I wanted some venison in the freezer. I decided to drop the little fella. It wasn’t pretty. I calmly shot my first round, then my second, then my third and finally on my fourth shot I connected and dropped him on the ridge (I had been practicing that is why it didn’t take five shots). My father walked up to me and asked what war I had just ended with all the gun fire. As we walked up to my buck we talked about how he never taught me how to shoot and it was my grandma’s teaching (and fault) that by throwing as much lead as I could an animal would have to drop (maybe by laughter or heart attack). Good idea grandma but not very ethical as I learned growing up in my later years around my peers. But hey in her defense that is the way it was back in the 1930’s era of Whack em & Stack em and Kill em & Grill em.

Back to the deer.

So I gutted my buck, tagged him and wrapped his liver and heart in a plastic bag. Stuffed it into his body cavity, tied on the rope to his legs and handed dad my gun. That is when he told me he had heard some growling up the ridge that sounded very much like a Mountain lion (I don’t know how he knew what a lion sounded like in the wild since he only heard one at the Zoo and on the Wild Kingdom TV show). I knew I couldn’t carry the gun and drag the deer down the ridge and back up a very VERY steep ridge to the truck. So I told him take the guns and keep an eye out for the lion and shoot it if he has to (in order to save my life). Wait until I get to the bottom of the ridge and then come on down.

As I got to the bottom that is when I heard it. My father screaming at the top of his lungs “Here he comes Dave and he is coming right on you”! Of course I was screaming “SHOOT…SHOOT”! That is when I heard the words I didn’t ever want to here, “He is in the bush with you and I don’t have a shot”.

At this point I went full Ninja or something like that…I dropped the rope, grabbed my knife, dropped on all fours (still not sure why I dropped on all fours but at the time it seemed like a good idea) and yelled “I am not giving this buck up to no cat”. So with blood up to my armpits, fully camouflaged, white blood stained tennis shoes and an orange bandanna on my head while sporting a small 3 inch Buck knife in my hand and the mind set of Mel Gibson from Brave-heart (not the part where he dies but when he painted his face blue) I was prepared to go to war. I waited and I waited and I waited and I waited it must have been half an hour of full pumped adrenaline running through my veins before my dad made it down to me. “Where have you been” I yelled. “I could have been killed dad or worse he could have gotten my buck”. He just stood there and shook his head.

We both pulled the deer up the mountain to the truck and loaded him. It was a quiet ride home. You know one of those rides where you just got busted toilet papering the neighbors tree or putting Ben Gay in the coaches jock strap. Not that I did any of those things…just saying it was quiet. I was mad he didn’t shoot and he just stared out the window. I thought for a moment he laughed or winced but maybe it was just my imagination.

Well I wrote about this little trip a few months later in Sports Afield magazine and also in the ISJ. Family, friends and many of you read the article. It was great “How the hunter became the hunted”! I was a certified Mountain Lion survivor. A true Ninja warrior of the mountain man type.

Now here is the rest of the story.

I would say about 20 years had passed or so and we were all having a BBQ at his house. I was telling stories and having a good time. Then my dad said it and dropped the bomb “hey I have a story also, you know that mountain lion that almost killed you. It was white and black and weighed about 4 pounds”. I stared at my food… I think I actually reheated the BBQ plate with the smoke and heat coming off of my head and out my ears. He looked at me, smiled and said…”GOTCHA”!

Thanks for all the memories dad. Love ya.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at AmericanPredatorOutdoors.net.If you have any questions or outdoor pictures drop me an email at WesternStatesSportsman@gmail.com

Until next week be safe and enjoy wild Idaho!

POWER! We all need it, whether we are at home, on the road, camping or just surviving the next flood, wind or snowstorm that knocks out your power.

It not only makes life easier, in some instances it is lifesaving. We take power for granted, until we need it. We use it for all of our appliances, cell phones, laptops, vehicle batteries, GPS, lighting and so on.

But what are our options when we go off the grid?

We can always use a generator, but they can be expensive and you better have plenty of gas. And the noise… not much fun in the outdoors when you have a generator screaming in your ear in the backwoods of Idaho. Oh and try strapping one to your back — I don’t think so.

But there is a choice. I discovered a company right here in the Pocatello/Chubbuck area. In fact I have known of them for 5 years and I watched them grow and develop into a company that brings consumers a powerful yet quiet alternative to generators, with easy portability and no mess or smell of gasoline. Let’s talk about Inergy and what they bring to the table in the outdoor community and to the household.

They have a line of power stations, including the Kodiak, Timber Wolf and Wolverine. They are portable, lithium-powered systems with AC and DC power when and where you want it. They all have solar panels that charge the systems as the demand is needed.

The Kodiak is your home-based unit. During hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms or power outages, this will power up to 150 cell phones on a single charge. You can also plug your satellite receiver and LED TV into the Kodiak and watch Satellite programming for 12 to 20 hours or Blu-rays for 10 to 15 hours. That is impressive. This system is what you want in your cabin on that weekend trip to Island Park.

What about the kitchen? Can I run a refrigerator? Depending on its size and age, you can run your typical refrigerator for a day or two. And if you hook up the small solar panel, you can run it indefinitely. The battery is a lithium ion 1,100-watt continuous for 1 hour, 3,000-watt peak (AC and DC) 12.6VDC, 90AH 2,000+ charge cycles with up to 10 years shelf life. You do have to charge it at least every 2 to 3 months or leave it plugged into a wall charger or solar panel. That goes for all three power stations we are talking about.

Lets talk about the Timber Wolf station. How many people use a CPAP? I know outdoorsmen that do and they need a good night’s sleep and cannot get it without using it. They are tired of being chained to the house or a hotel and unable to camp because they do not have power outside in the camper or the tent.

Hey, not everyone can afford the gas for a generator or even a generator itself. As far as power goes, you can cut it in about half of what the Kodiak puts out. But the trade-off is it’s portability, weighing in at only 7 pounds. The Wolverine is perfect to run a fish finder for ice fishing or run all your LED lights around camp.

The Wolverine station is a game changer — literally. Take this small 3-pound bad boy with you in the truck to charge your phone, laptop or GPS. Throw it in your backpack and go off the grid into the backcountry and still have power for all your needs.

I can tell you this, I wish I had it 10 years ago when my cell phone died and I had a dead truck battery at Oneida Reservoir. And if I would have had it, I could have at least maybe put some air back in using my small air compressor. I also love to listen to the weekend game on my radio in my boat. Again, something like this would be handy not for only games but also for storm warnings.

Technology is incredible. It is constantly changing daily. Solar power that runs large or small ultra-power stations are now available at prices everyone can afford. Five or 10 years ago, I would have said no way, it is too expensive. Now everyone can enjoy the comforts of home and also go off the grid. Sometimes, power units like these can save your life during a crisis.

Check them out at www.inergysolar.com. There are others available on the market. But this company seems to cater to homeowners, campers and the off-grid enthusiast. And guess what? They are built and sold right here in Idaho!

If you have any comments to add or questions, drop me an email at WesternStatesSportsman@gmail.com

Until next week, enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at American PredatorOutdoors.net.

Who believes children are our future? I know I do, and I know every rational adult does also.

But I am shocked, actually in awe, as to how many parents have not participated in the outdoors with our children. I have children and they deer hunted and fished with me since they were babies. Three daughters and one son, and they always went. Maybe they did not actually hunt or fish, but they were there with mom and dad at camp. And my grandchildren fish and now are starting to hunt. It was normal for us to teach them — they were raised that way.

I know times are hard. And some kids come from a one-parent home or a home with limited resources. That is why I am going to approach Idaho Fish and Game, as well as local, regional and national businesses and manufacturers, to help start a kid’s fishing tournament here in Pocatello. Hopefully, Idaho Fish and Game and the city get behind this at one of our local ponds.

I have already talked to some large businesses here in Pocatello, and they are standing behind me in this venture. Remember, our children are your next neighbor, fellow worker or customer. If children have no experience in the outdoors, you may as well close all the sporting goods stores, gun shops, fishing shops, camp trailer dealerships, boat dealerships, ATV shops and so on and so on.

We need to get kids away from the TV and video games once in a while, and get them back into the outdoors. That is what Idaho has to offer us. Her majestic rivers, lakes and mountains are minutes away, providing us memories that will last a lifetime and to pass on.

I have a gripe. When did landowners begin to have personal ownership to Idaho’s wildlife? Being a outdoorsman, I hunt and I fish and I have yet to see a brand on elk or deer in the wild. Yet I hear people tell me something like this “Aren’t they beautiful, when I bought the property they came with it, I would never allow someone to shoot my deer or catch my fish.”

Really? You really think you own Idaho’s wildlife. Think again!

We all have some ownership to the wildlife we have in Idaho and a responsibility to protect it. But no one owns them outright. They don’t have names like Billy the Buck, Elmer the Elk or Philly the Fish (sounds like a mobster name). These are wild creatures, and just because they cross your backyard, that does not give you the right to lay claim to them and harass hunters or anglers on BLM land.

Why do our kids get in trouble, turning to drugs or other crimes? Because they have nowhere to go and nothing to do because land and waterways are being locked up. Land is being purchased and locked up by the hundreds, if not thousands, of acres yearly by individuals (greedy in some instances) that prevent us from access to land we once enjoyed.

We are becoming Texas (1 percent public land), and that is sad and unfortunate. Since I moved here in 1984, most of the areas I fished or hunted have been posted. Past memories are there, but I cannot create future memories with any of my children or grandchildren in these places.

Give a young hunter or angler a break — let them hunt or fish your land and become responsible outdoorsmen and future adults. Only you have the power to show a young person the beauty of Idaho. Don’t turn them away.

And with that I will leave you with this. The reason our children have struggled over the past decade is lack of parental guidance, lack of mentors, no trespassing signs posted everywhere and drugs brought into our area. Heroin and meth are rampant, and children are easily influenced. Without us, they are lost. Is this what we want?

Without us and without mentors, that is happening now. By letting a young outdoorsmen into your life, you may have a friend forever and you will have had the opportunity to influence this youngster into becoming the person they deserve to be. So let them fish and let them hunt, that is why we live here in Idaho. To enjoy what God has given us —the outdoors.

If you have any comments to add or questions, drop me an email at WesternStatesSportsman@gmail.com

Until next week, enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at AmericanPredatorOutdoors.net

Who believes children are our future? I know I do, and I know every rational adult does also.

But I am shocked, actually in awe, as to how many parents have not participated in the outdoors with our children. I have children and they deer hunted and fished with me since they were babies. Three daughters and one son, and they always went. Maybe they did not actually hunt or fish, but they were there with mom and dad at camp. And my grandchildren fish and now are starting to hunt. It was normal for us to teach them — they were raised that way.

I know times are hard. And some kids come from a one-parent home or a home with limited resources. That is why I am going to approach Idaho Fish and Game, as well as local, regional and national businesses and manufacturers, to help start a kid’s fishing tournament here in Pocatello. Hopefully, Idaho Fish and Game and the city get behind this at one of our local ponds.

I have already talked to some large businesses here in Pocatello, and they are standing behind me in this venture. Remember, our children are your next neighbor, fellow worker or customer. If children have no experience in the outdoors, you may as well close all the sporting goods stores, gun shops, fishing shops, camp trailer dealerships, boat dealerships, ATV shops and so on and so on.

We need to get kids away from the TV and video games once in a while, and get them back into the outdoors. That is what Idaho has to offer us. Her majestic rivers, lakes and mountains are minutes away, providing us memories that will last a lifetime and to pass on.

I have a gripe. When did landowners begin to have personal ownership to Idaho’s wildlife? Being a outdoorsman, I hunt and I fish and I have yet to see a brand on elk or deer in the wild. Yet I hear people tell me something like this “Aren’t they beautiful, when I bought the property they came with it, I would never allow someone to shoot my deer or catch my fish.”

Really? You really think you own Idaho’s wildlife. Think again!

We all have some ownership to the wildlife we have in Idaho and a responsibility to protect it. But no one owns them outright. They don’t have names like Billy the Buck, Elmer the Elk or Philly the Fish (sounds like a mobster name). These are wild creatures, and just because they cross your backyard, that does not give you the right to lay claim to them and harass hunters or anglers on BLM land.

Why do our kids get in trouble, turning to drugs or other crimes? Because they have nowhere to go and nothing to do because land and waterways are being locked up. Land is being purchased and locked up by the hundreds, if not thousands, of acres yearly by individuals (greedy in some instances) that prevent us from access to land we once enjoyed.

We are becoming Texas (1 percent public land), and that is sad and unfortunate. Since I moved here in 1984, most of the areas I fished or hunted have been posted. Past memories are there, but I cannot create future memories with any of my children or grandchildren in these places.

Give a young hunter or angler a break — let them hunt or fish your land and become responsible outdoorsmen and future adults. Only you have the power to show a young person the beauty of Idaho. Don’t turn them away.

And with that I will leave you with this. The reason our children have struggled over the past decade is lack of parental guidance, lack of mentors, no trespassing signs posted everywhere and drugs brought into our area. Heroin and meth are rampant, and children are easily influenced. Without us, they are lost. Is this what we want?

Without us and without mentors, that is happening now. By letting a young outdoorsmen into your life, you may have a friend forever and you will have had the opportunity to influence this youngster into becoming the person they deserve to be. So let them fish and let them hunt, that is why we live here in Idaho. To enjoy what God has given us —the outdoors.

If you have any comments to add or questions, drop me an email at WesternStatesSportsman@gmail.com

Until next week, enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at AmericanPredatorOutdoors.net

Who believes children are our future? I know I do, and I know every rational adult does also.

But I am shocked, actually in awe, as to how many parents have not participated in the outdoors with our children. I have children and they deer hunted and fished with me since they were babies. Three daughters and one son, and they always went. Maybe they did not actually hunt or fish, but they were there with mom and dad at camp. And my grandchildren fish and now are starting to hunt. It was normal for us to teach them — they were raised that way.

I know times are hard. And some kids come from a one-parent home or a home with limited resources. That is why I am going to approach Idaho Fish and Game, as well as local, regional and national businesses and manufacturers, to help start a kid’s fishing tournament here in Pocatello. Hopefully, Idaho Fish and Game and the city get behind this at one of our local ponds.

I have already talked to some large businesses here in Pocatello, and they are standing behind me in this venture. Remember, our children are your next neighbor, fellow worker or customer. If children have no experience in the outdoors, you may as well close all the sporting goods stores, gun shops, fishing shops, camp trailer dealerships, boat dealerships, ATV shops and so on and so on.

We need to get kids away from the TV and video games once in a while, and get them back into the outdoors. That is what Idaho has to offer us. Her majestic rivers, lakes and mountains are minutes away, providing us memories that will last a lifetime and to pass on.

I have a gripe. When did landowners begin to have personal ownership to Idaho’s wildlife? Being a outdoorsman, I hunt and I fish and I have yet to see a brand on elk or deer in the wild. Yet I hear people tell me something like this “Aren’t they beautiful, when I bought the property they came with it, I would never allow someone to shoot my deer or catch my fish.”

Really? You really think you own Idaho’s wildlife. Think again!

We all have some ownership to the wildlife we have in Idaho and a responsibility to protect it. But no one owns them outright. They don’t have names like Billy the Buck, Elmer the Elk or Philly the Fish (sounds like a mobster name). These are wild creatures, and just because they cross your backyard, that does not give you the right to lay claim to them and harass hunters or anglers on BLM land.

Why do our kids get in trouble, turning to drugs or other crimes? Because they have nowhere to go and nothing to do because land and waterways are being locked up. Land is being purchased and locked up by the hundreds, if not thousands, of acres yearly by individuals (greedy in some instances) that prevent us from access to land we once enjoyed.

We are becoming Texas (1 percent public land), and that is sad and unfortunate. Since I moved here in 1984, most of the areas I fished or hunted have been posted. Past memories are there, but I cannot create future memories with any of my children or grandchildren in these places.

Give a young hunter or angler a break — let them hunt or fish your land and become responsible outdoorsmen and future adults. Only you have the power to show a young person the beauty of Idaho. Don’t turn them away.

And with that I will leave you with this. The reason our children have struggled over the past decade is lack of parental guidance, lack of mentors, no trespassing signs posted everywhere and drugs brought into our area. Heroin and meth are rampant, and children are easily influenced. Without us, they are lost. Is this what we want?

Without us and without mentors, that is happening now. By letting a young outdoorsmen into your life, you may have a friend forever and you will have had the opportunity to influence this youngster into becoming the person they deserve to be. So let them fish and let them hunt, that is why we live here in Idaho. To enjoy what God has given us —the outdoors.

If you have any comments to add or questions, drop me an email at WesternStatesSportsman@gmail.com

Until next week, enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at AmericanPredatorOutdoors.net

Who believes children are our future? I know I do, and I know every rational adult does also.

But I am shocked, actually in awe, as to how many parents have not participated in the outdoors with our children. I have children and they deer hunted and fished with me since they were babies. Three daughters and one son, and they always went. Maybe they did not actually hunt or fish, but they were there with mom and dad at camp. And my grandchildren fish and now are starting to hunt. It was normal for us to teach them — they were raised that way.

I know times are hard. And some kids come from a one-parent home or a home with limited resources. That is why I am going to approach Idaho Fish and Game, as well as local, regional and national businesses and manufacturers, to help start a kid’s fishing tournament here in Pocatello. Hopefully, Idaho Fish and Game and the city get behind this at one of our local ponds.

I have already talked to some large businesses here in Pocatello, and they are standing behind me in this venture. Remember, our children are your next neighbor, fellow worker or customer. If children have no experience in the outdoors, you may as well close all the sporting goods stores, gun shops, fishing shops, camp trailer dealerships, boat dealerships, ATV shops and so on and so on.

We need to get kids away from the TV and video games once in a while, and get them back into the outdoors. That is what Idaho has to offer us. Her majestic rivers, lakes and mountains are minutes away, providing us memories that will last a lifetime and to pass on.

I have a gripe. When did landowners begin to have personal ownership to Idaho’s wildlife? Being a outdoorsman, I hunt and I fish and I have yet to see a brand on elk or deer in the wild. Yet I hear people tell me something like this “Aren’t they beautiful, when I bought the property they came with it, I would never allow someone to shoot my deer or catch my fish.”

Really? You really think you own Idaho’s wildlife. Think again!

We all have some ownership to the wildlife we have in Idaho and a responsibility to protect it. But no one owns them outright. They don’t have names like Billy the Buck, Elmer the Elk or Philly the Fish (sounds like a mobster name). These are wild creatures, and just because they cross your backyard, that does not give you the right to lay claim to them and harass hunters or anglers on BLM land.

Why do our kids get in trouble, turning to drugs or other crimes? Because they have nowhere to go and nothing to do because land and waterways are being locked up. Land is being purchased and locked up by the hundreds, if not thousands, of acres yearly by individuals (greedy in some instances) that prevent us from access to land we once enjoyed.

We are becoming Texas (1 percent public land), and that is sad and unfortunate. Since I moved here in 1984, most of the areas I fished or hunted have been posted. Past memories are there, but I cannot create future memories with any of my children or grandchildren in these places.

Give a young hunter or angler a break — let them hunt or fish your land and become responsible outdoorsmen and future adults. Only you have the power to show a young person the beauty of Idaho. Don’t turn them away.

And with that I will leave you with this. The reason our children have struggled over the past decade is lack of parental guidance, lack of mentors, no trespassing signs posted everywhere and drugs brought into our area. Heroin and meth are rampant, and children are easily influenced. Without us, they are lost. Is this what we want?

Without us and without mentors, that is happening now. By letting a young outdoorsmen into your life, you may have a friend forever and you will have had the opportunity to influence this youngster into becoming the person they deserve to be. So let them fish and let them hunt, that is why we live here in Idaho. To enjoy what God has given us —the outdoors.

If you have any comments to add or questions, drop me an email at WesternStatesSportsman@gmail.com

Until next week, enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors.

Dave Langston has been in the outdoor industry for 27 years as a writer and television show host. His show, AMERICAN PREDATOR OUTDOORS, is seen on The Outdoor Channel’s MOTV.com hosted on the Roku box, iPhone and Android platforms, Xbox, Playstation and Fire Stick. You can also get more information on his website at AmericanPredatorOutdoors.net