Wildlife Wall Decor

Its an amazing part of nature to watch the cycle of migrating birds each year.  I have a premonition . . . that even if humans had all the facts about weather and natural disasters like plagues, droughts, floods, the phase of the moon, and now global warming . . . that the birds really don’t care, nor do they understand!  They still nest and raise their brood.  They still fly and make magnificent wildlife silhouettes across the North American skies.

“The Amazing Journey” is an informative article in the Ducks Unlimited magazine, May/June 2008, pages 34-39.  Scott Stephens, Ph. D. is the writer and director of conservation planning at DU’s Great Plains office in Bismarck, North Dakota.  Dr. Stephens gives the reader a better understanding of migratory flights of ducks.

Hunters depending on the rut of Whitetail Deer are usually disappointed . . . says Doug Howlett.  Doug is author of an article, “Rut Reset,” in the magazine Outdoor Life, November 2009, pages 61-68.  I understand from this article that there are just too many variables to use the Rut Season to determine when and how to hunt the elusive Whitetail Deer.

However, according to Doug Howlett, there are three “Rut Stands that Work” #1 . . . The Seeking-phase Setups. (Does are running from the bucks.)  #2 . . . The Chasing-phase Setups.  (Does are coming into estrus, and the bucks shadow the does.) and #3 . . . The Breeding-phase Setups.  (Both animals tend to lay up in thick areas of cover.)

The author suggests “Hot Zones” and “Best Stand Locations.”  Should I be a hunter again, I would check this out.  Since I’m not a hunter, I depend on displaying my wildlife trophies in beautiful metal pieces of outdoor wall art.

The origins of much of the wildlife wall art produced in the United States raises concerns of both hunters and politicians in all of the continent of North America.  Most migratory birds find food, water, and nesting areas from Mexico, all the way into the protective wetlands of the United States and Canada.

Here is an article with beautiful photography about the migration of Mallard and Pintail ducks published in the magazine, Ducks Unlimited, November/December 2009, pages 48-55, interestingly and informatively written by Mike Anderson, PH.D.

The article is “Conservation in Canada,” but the focus is on the harvesting of ducks in the States . . . of a natural product, waterfowl . . . that find their origins in the bountiful water marshes, lakes and natural resources of Canada.  Good reading!

Each year we bring out and display Christmas decorations stored in our trunks, attics, garages, and basements.  We celebrate holy holidays with indoor and outdoor wildlife wall decor . . . to be festive! . . . maintaining special memories of celebrations gone by.  Trees, lights, wreaths, table settings, and outdoor welcome signs are dusted off to please each other and our families, friends and neighbors.  In America we can worship God openly with religious, free expressions.

With all the poverty, hatred, bitterness, and unforgiveness that’s in the world today, let this holiday be the beginnings for peace, love, and forgiveness.  This holiday can generate true joy that brings about happiness for every hurting and lonely soul.  Let there be a launching of love and laughter in our lifetime!  Now!  Come build a special memory that starts growth towards newer and more lasting relationships between everyone, every race, and in every country . . . for the good of all.  

The urgency of this call is great because thousands perish daily because of greed, ignorance, and stupidity!  Desire for power and fame is a strong force sweeping generations from the face of the earth.  A waste of human life . . . and for what?

During high school I participated in many sports, and was dedicated to every team I was on. While I would train year-round for athletics, my parents were often more avid about the athletic competitions than I was. Our house has always adorned with a variety of school memorabilia.

As our mascot was the Wolves, we naturally had a fair amount of wolf art throughout the house. My sister, who is an artist, even created a mural-sized portrait that takes up most of the living room wall. Although I appreciated there support, even I felt that my family went a little bit over the top.

Many people spend thousands of dollars and countless hours designing and decorating their homes. Picking out the right paint, carpet and lighting can be a painstaking process. Most furniture designs, however, are a dime-a-dozen; the freedom you have in most furniture choices is reduced to the color of the varnish. When decorating a living room or any other interior space it can be difficult to find furniture that reflects your personality.

Etched glass is a great way to add a personal, artistic element to your furniture. An etched glass end table or coffee table can reflect you personality and interests in an innovative way. Any piece of glass is a blank template for an etched design, and the possibilities are endless. You can find a variety of professionally done pieces or purchase etching tools and try it yourself.

To be considered a home-decorating master, it’s essential to know how to add character and flare to a dull space with simple accents. For example, a handmade quilt or beaded tapestry that you may have just lying around the house can be used for an aesthetic indulgence. Hung from a blank wall, such items produce color and texture to any living space. It’s being able to think outside of the box that will give you the most original pieces at a next-to-nothing cost.

Now let’s talk furniture. How can you apply these ingenious tactics to pieces of furniture that aren’t holding their own in the decorative-style department? If you’re one of the many people who have an ever-so-popular glass table, you’re in luck. To turn this lifeless chunk of furniture into a sassy and original piece, grab your etching tools and let’s get to work. Using a stencil to guide you, hundreds of designs can be produced to give you the ultimate etched glass table. And presto, you’ll have an original piece of furniture in no time!

Do you have the desire to travel and fish for you dinner along the way?  Outdoor Life magazine, May 2008, pages 36-43, lists 12 open-road great fishing spots in the U.S. that will bring you fishing experiences you’ll remember.  The requirement is a rod and reel, assorted bait and fishing gear, and one tank of gas.  For more information in your area, refer to the magazine. 

Here is the list:  (1) Seattle to Portland, 173 miles . . . king salmon, small mouth bass, steelhead, muskies, and sturgeon;  (2) Las Vegas to San Diego, 333 miles . . . stripers, bass scallpin, calico and barracuda;  (3) Orlando to Miami, 350 miles . . . bass, crappie, tarpon;  (4) Dallas to Houston 239 miles . . . catfish, crappies, stripers, redfish, white bass;  (5) NYC to Buffalo, 396 miles . . . small mouth bass, steelhead, salmon, walleyes, pike, and trout;  (6) Phoenix, AZ to Show-Low, AZ . . . trout, bass, crappie, and walleyes;  (7) Milwaukee, Wis. to Minneapolis, Minn. . . . steelhead, bass, pike, walleyes, tiger muskies;  (8) Huntsville, Ala. to Gulf Shores, Ala. . . . smallmouth bass, crappies, blue catfish, spotted bass, redfish, king mackerel, groupers, red snapper, tarpon, and cobia;  (9) Ft. Smith, Ark. to Memphis, Tenn. . . . crappies, catfish, bass;  (10) Bismarck, N.D. to Pierre, S.D. . . . salmon, catfish, sauger, large and smallmouth bass, walleye, pike, and perch;  (11) Boise, Id. to Salt Lake City . . . crappies, bass, and catfish;  (12) Washington, D.C. to Raleigh, N.C. . . . shad, stripers, red drum and spade fish, large and smallmouth bass.

Today, information is more abundant, affordable and user-friendly.  The best teacher, of course, is a member within the family, passing information to others.  However, where there are no fathers or older siblings to learn skills of hunting and fishing from, experience is taught and information is shared by friends from printed materials written by experienced outdoorsmen.

Every young hunter can glean wonderful insight into hunting strategy from the Whitetail Handbook published in the Field & Stream magazine, August 2008 and 2009,  pages w1-w30.  The reader can learn tactics for successfully hunting the elusive whitetail deer for food, for sport, and even wildlife management conservation. 

In some areas in the United States, deer population is so highly over crowded, hunters are invited to become part of the extermination army, managing the number of deer given to an alloted acreage.

The deer’s age is the primary criteria for determining extermination.  Recently, I read an article written by Doug Howlett, “How Old’s That Buck?”  It identifys unique signs that a hunter can see for determining the age of a whitetail deer.  Some of the signs are the shape of  the deer’s antlers, legs, nose, eyes and other visible signs . . . individually or combined, they are all important in identifying a whitetail deer’s age, especially when it comes to managing the numbers of deer.