Wildlife Wall Decor

When you’re a proud Hunter, there’s no shame in decorating your automobile to reflect your favorite pastime.  You might consider hunting décor like a long horn hood ornament, an amusing license plate frame, bumper stickers, a gun rack, or various components for your truck bed.  With a long horn hood ornament you can proclaim to other drivers that they need to step out of the way!  With an assortment of cool bumper stickers or an original license plate you can let all the people parked near your car know that you are a proud outdoor sportsman. 

If you want to be a bit more subtle, decorating the interior of your truck with camouflage seat covers can also be a great way to show you’re a hunting enthusiast!

In your travels for hunting and fishing in the timbered hills, lakes, and streams of Arkansas, be sure to visit Eureka Springs.  There’s a quick preview of Eureka Springs in the December 2008 issue of Southern Living magazine, on pages 37 and 38.  The city is full of charm, history, and elegance, and is located just one hour south of Branson, Missouri.

The hunters and fishermen can shop the largest Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, MO, just 1/2 hour north of Branson.   While the husbands hunt or fish, their wives can take in the shows at Branson or do their shopping in Eureka Springs.

It was a joy to read about all the unique species of wild turkeys roaming the East and Southern states of the USA.  The article I’m referring to is pages 98 - 101 in December/January 2009 Outdoor Life Magazine.  The article mentions that in Florida alone, there is estimated between 80,000 and 100,000 turkeys.  In the last seven years, my wife and I have traveled almost every State and visited many of the national forests, and we have never spotted wild turkeys, although I have heard them in the trees.

On the other hand, while traveling north of Spokane, Washington, in spring of 1999, near the Colville National Forest on Highway 395, traffic was stalled for nearly twenty minutes while a flock of 22 wild turkeys drifted across the highway.  Travelers were fascinated with the wild birds’ lazy behavior and vocal chatter.  It was a royal event as we watched them stroll and fly to shelter.

In addition, I marveled at the respect travelers showed towards the preservation of wildlife in this area, a rare and unusual sighting, indeed. 

Cold weather camping while hunting and fishing, or taveling in an RV has some risks.  Ventilation is a key ingredient to healthy camping.   The presence of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from heaters, stoves, and lanterns kills careless outdoorsmen every year.   If you are a camper or hunter, you owe it to your family to read the article “The Silent Killer,” by Rich Johnson, on pages 34 and 35, in the December/January 2009 Outdoor Life Magazine. 

While camping, especially over night, ALWAYS crack the ceiling vent or window in your tent or trailer.  Your life depends on it!

During the holiday season everyone is running around doing their best to buy gifts for all the people on their list.  If you happen to have one of those hunter, fisher, wildlife lovers in your family, here are a few gifts sure to delight:

~Etched Mirrors; if your hunter happens to be male, an etched mirror with a wildlife design ensures he just might check out how he looks before he leaves the house. 

~Hunting Clothing; camouflage jackets, reflective vests, warm hats—all potential gift ideas for the hunter on your list. 

~GPS Units; excellent for knowing where you are in the outdoors, and to prevent getting lost.

~Trophy Mounts; to serve as a lasting reminder for all those hunts and kills, you could also consider taxidermy services as an additional gift.

Before the ships under the command of Christopher Columbus ever set sail, there were hundreds of tribes of Native American peoples living in America.  These people had rich cultures which were rooted in wildlife and nature.  Ancient cave drawings created by Native Americans still exist in several areas of the United States.  These drawings depict the important aspects of their culture; hunting, fishing, and animal spirits played a huge part in their development as a people and a culture. 

It was in these caves and through Native American peoples that modern wildlife art was first conceived.  When European settlers arrived they recognized the Native American people’s bond with nature, and since, our fascination with the wild, unexplored frontier has allowed us to create our own art in celebration of animals and nature.

It’s fascinating how the Native American’s lifestyle demonstrated their love for the creatures living on land, in air, and water.  The Indians also developed a unique conservation program by creating multiple foods and bi-products from the bodies of animals, birds, and fish.  An example of not being wasteful is the way they processed the buffalo.  The buffalo was more than meat.  The hide was used for teepees, moccasin tops, winter robes, bedding, clothing, pouches, paint bags, quivers for arrows, utensils, knives and weapons.  The Indian women also made dolls from the buckskins.

My appreciation of the Native American way of life is reflected in the wildlife decor we use in our home.  It helps to remind us of the conditions of living in the pioneering days.    

Should you have an IRA and are approaching 70 years old, you might want to read Ducks Unlimited, November 2008, page 29.  DU has an article that explains tax benefits for US citizens 70 1/2 years and older.    “At age 70 1/2 years, you must begin taking distributions from your IRA whether or not you need this additional income stream.” 

For relief, Congress has approved a gift method using your IRA.

The value of the increased distributions can be used as a donation.  For example, Ducks Unlimited can use the gift toward waterfowl conservation and the donor avoids an additional tax burden from these distributions. 

Check it out!  . . . And support the sport of hunting wild ducks and geese.

The gray wolf, or Canis Lupus as it is called in Latin, is a carnivorous mammal inhabiting a portion of North America.  Though widespread throughout North America, the gray wolf only inhabits a small part of its former range mostly due to human destruction of its habitat.  Despite preferring dense timber, the gray wolf is highly adaptable, and can survive in environments such as deserts, tundra, grasslands, and urban areas.  Though wild, gray wolves are not particularly dangerous to people unless they feel threatened. 

The gray wolf has integrated itself into the culture of several societies, and now exists as a symbol of the wild, untamed world.  Wolves are also thought to be savage creatures by many people, but scientific evidence proves this to be untrue.  Wolf team mascots, wolf figurines, and wolf art is common throughout the Western world.

A customer hired me to customize a new curtain rod and valance over her bedroom patio doors.  She was working, so I had the key to her apartment.  When entering the bedroom, I noticed a three-foot stuffed Iguana on the foot of the bed.  I was thinking, “This woman is a little weird!”

While going in and out with my tools and step ladder, I became aware that the stuffed Iguana had disappeared.  My thoughts were, ” Oh my God, someone has entered the apartment while I was not looking and stolen some things.”

Excited and concerned, I called my customer and mentioned that I noticed the Iguana toy was missing.  She reassured me that no one would take Henry!  He always hides in the closet when strangers are around.  Henry was her pet! If you had living wildlife decor, wouldn’t you mention it to your repairman?  Henry made me so angry I wanted to stuff him! . . .  And her too, for that matter!