NorCal Cazadora on NPR

Holly Heyser, aka NorCal Cazadora, is fast becoming one of the industry’s leading authorities on women and hunting, and well she should be … since she loves to hunt. Read about how NPR’s Doug Nadvornick found Holly and about the interview that turned out to be balanced and something that Holly blogged about at her site. See http://norcalcazadora.blogspot.com/

Don’t get mad: Ask questions and be accountable

I love it when my flight is delayed at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport, because I get to shop at Brighton Collectibles in the terminal. One consideration, though: The salesperson can’t be suffering from MBDTM syndrome (My boss didn’t tell me).

I found a fabulous silver bracelet and earrings and took them to the register with cash, not plastic, in hand. One of my purchases wouldn’t pass the bar scan routine. After several minutes–10 to be exact–of phone calls, calling people stupid, frustration and indignation, the clerk blamed everyone but herself for the incorrect code. Here was a true absence of conflict resolution skills!

I watched with interest, from a Decontaminator of Toxic People point of view, waiting for an alternative solution that never appeared. So I selected a new jewelry combo that did pass the electronic scrutiny. Here are some possibilities my angry helper might have considered:

1. Add up the sale by hand.
2. Take my name, information and credit card number, and send me the jewelry after resolution.
3. Ask in training, “What happens if . . .”
4. Pay attention in training.
5. Have the boss’s cell number in case of “real” emergencies.

What else could she have done? Look forward to hearing from you!

Marsha

Excuse me, but your modifier is dangling

Hi, my name’s Bill, and I’m an editor.

I don’t have OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). I have OCRD, obsessive-compulsive reading disorder. Put something, anything, written in front of me and I’ll read it—I just have to. Even the ingredients on cereal boxes. How else would a little kid have learned to spell ascorbic acid and niacinamide and vitamin B palmitate?

OCRD might seem sad, even pathetic, except that now (to my frequent disbelief) people actually pay me to read stuff and correct the spelling and grammar . . . and watch out for dangling modifiers. So maybe OCRD is a frown turned upside down.

The dangling modifier (aka dangling participle) is the unzipped fly on the copy of life. And your editor has to remind you, politely, to zip up before you head back out to the party. It’s also one of the most common errors in writing, and frequently the cause of inadvertent hilarity.

A dangling modifier is a grammatical error in which a modifier (usually an adjective) modifies the wrong word in the sentence, that is, not the word the writer intended. My dad was an English and Latin teacher (maybe OCRD is genetic) and here’s his favorite example:

Buried deep within the earth, the scientists said the blast would be harmless.

The dangling modifier here is “buried.” It modifies the wrong word (scientists). It’s meant to modify, well, a word the writer neglected to write down. We certainly hope it’s not the scientists who were buried! It had to be something else—presumably an explosive device the scientists were testing.

Below are more errors taken from actual copy I’ve edited. Numbers 5 and 4 are examples of dangling modifiers, but in more complex sentences than the one above. Naturally this makes the dangling modifiers harder to spot. If you can find them, pat yourself on the back—but gently, so you don’t dislocate your shoulder, as my mother used to say.

The others are just for fun. “Answers” in next post.

5. To be considered insane in New York State, Shawcross’s team had to show quite specifically that at the time of the various offenses—every single one—he suffered from a mental defect such that either he did not know what he was doing or could not appreciate that it was wrong.

4. Driving toward the park boundary from the center of Tuolumne Meadows, 13,053-foot Mount Dana dominates the horizon to the east.

3. I fired my .375 Merkel double, and the buffalo took off downhill, but made it only about 75 yards before he dropped dead. The PH told me that the hit was in the juggler.

2. Damian, the tracker, finally spotted two lone stallions.

1. Frequently a fish would leap fully out and take the fly in his decent, a thrilling site and one of the reasons the big spiders make such exciting fishing.

Journaling your season: Memoirs from the field

I have been journaling as long as I can remember. I have shelves full of journals of every kind—from plain steno books, bound composition books, whimsical journals to my all-time favorite, leather journals.  As you can see from a small collection that I am sharing with you, there is no rhyme or reason to what I have used as journals—the most important thing is making sure to take the time to put pen to paper.

Although I do not write in a journal every day, I do write in one every time something of importance happens or a matter weighs on my mind. I also find myself collecting stickers and quotes, along with favorite recipes and important information that I do not want to lose.

As my life has evolved into everything hunting and I have morphed into an avid huntress, I have found that journaling has never been as important to me as it is now. In the past, my writings were something to reflect on at a later date, quotes to be looked up when I felt the need to remember or reflect, recipes to use for special occasions, and important tidbits of information that are accessible when I need them.

Now that I have started keeping a hunting journal, I can log important information to rely on for future hunts, to record harvests, weather conditions proven favorable for hunting and game that I have seen on particular hunts.

The realization of the usefulness of my hunting journal came to fruition when I was able to go back to a journal from my first year hunting to retrieve some information to give to a fellow huntress who is going on an annual hunt that I previously attended. I would never have had mental notes as good as those I found written in my hunting journal. Last season alone, I spent 289 hours in the field, and although I can remember the days when I had eventful hunts, I couldn’t tell you from memory anything about the weather, the locations I hunted, the game that I saw on those hunts, or even the sunrise and sunset times . . . these are all questions I can answer by reading my hunting journals.

If you don’t already, you should try keeping a hunting journal this season. You will be astonished by how journaling your hunts can assist you in harvesting chosen game by recording its movements during the season. It is very helpful to look back through your entries and discover how the pieces of the puzzle came together. Another great thing is that you will have a neat journal to pass on to your children, or great memoirs to read in your senior years when you are no longer able to hunt.

Log It Outdoors, LLC has made it easy for you to journal your hunts with a Hunter’s Log and Journal. This handy little journal is perfect to keep in your backpack or vehicle, or beside your favorite recliner so that you can log your entire hunt experience. It has thick, water-resistant front and back covers and is spiral bound. The journal has preprinted pages that allow you to record the date, time in and out of the field, type of game hunted, weapon, location of hunt or stand, weather conditions, moon phase, calls and/or scents used and activity seen, as well as an area for you to include harvest information, or whatever else you would like to record about the hunt.

The journal also includes a section where you can record locations of hunting blinds and stands, a food plot log, a weapon and maintenance log and a single-page phone directory for important numbers you may need in case of emergency or if you need assistance in the field.

You can read more about the Hunter’s Log and Journal by Log It Outdoors, LLC and other journals they offer by visiting www.logitoutdoors.com. The Hunter’s Log and Journal is $9.99 and can be ordered by calling 877-773-2851. Start journaling this season and see what advantages you will have on your future hunts, as well as the joy you will receive by reading your hunting memories between seasons.

Jody Narantic – Member of The WOMA

Jody Narantic, aka “The Hunter’s Wife,” publishes the blog titled The Hunter’s Wife where she finds humor living with her all-around outdoors guy. She’s the girl in borrowed camouflage with the painted fingernails — proving that opposites do attract. Married to her husband for 10 years, this city girl is still trying to adjust to life in the outdoors. After taking her first fishing trip just 5 years ago, Jody realized there is nothing more breathtaking than being in the middle of a beautiful lake spending time with your husband enjoying a day of fishing.

Read more

Did we fail them or did they fail us?

Did we fail them or did they fail us?

I have an old pair of Wolverine women’s hunting boots I’ve been wearing in September bow season for elk in Colorado. Lightly insulated and with roomy toe boxes to accommodate some toe issues I’ve developed, and an aggressive sole for steep hills, they’ve been my preferred boots—and they showed it. Although the uppers of leather and Cordura were holding up, the soles were worn and sloped dramatically, illustrating my gait style. Time to go shopping.

I started with Wolverine. They make only one women’s hunting boot now, and it’s insulated with 600 grams of Thinsulate. My feet would swelter in the 70-degree temperatures of early September.

I called Wolverine to see if they could resole my old pair. That wasn’t a service they offered. I asked if they had plans to reinvigorate their women’s hunting line. Again, the answer was No. The marketing representative said that women had asked for hunting boots, they’d made women’s hunting boots, but women didn’t buy them.

Wolverine isn’t the only footwear company that has largely abandoned their women’s hunting line. A few years ago, Georgia Boots had a complete line of women’s hunting boots, from non-insulated to 1,000 grams of insulation. No women’s hunting boots carry the Georgia Boot brand now.

What do you think happened? Are there enough footwear companies making women’s hunting boots that the demand for any one company’s line is too diluted to make it profitable? Is the market for women’s hunting footwear too small for all but a couple of companies to maintain a women’s line? Do women still feel guilty spending money on themselves? How much would you spend on a pair of boots? How many pairs of hunting boots do you own?

I did wear my old Wolverines hunting. A local boot shop resoled them for $85. I blanched at the cost initially, but it was cheaper than buying a new pair. Plus, given how the uppers are holding up, I’ll be traipsing the Colorado elk woods in them for years.

Entitlement and responsibility

As I watch the news relating the stories of the inappropriate actions of Kanye West, Serena Williams, Joe Wilson, Mark Sanford, and the oldie but goody John McEnroe (who thinks Serena’s outburst was OK), I am struck by the lack of personal responsibility and the poor choices they make. And did you pay attention to their reactions? How did we become a me, me, me, society? What happened to conflict resolution skills and personal development? How did we become an entitlement society?

There seems to be no real penalty because this behavior has become acceptable. Celebrities and people in the public eye have a responsibility that few appear to acknowledge. Their behavior, the way they conduct themselves, the unacceptable statements they make and how they conduct their personal lives become the standard and role model for many others.

It’s not surprising that so many people routinely show off their poor behavior, are involved in affairs, drink too much, make excuses and care so little about what they say in public. I think it is high time that these public voices woke up to their responsibilities. I think it is high time for everyone to wake up to their own personal responsibilities. If anyone wants to be applauded and receive acclaim for their work (whatever that might be) they must take responsibility for the role model they provide.

I’m interested in what bothers you about people not taking personal responsibility?

Radio 108: Just how many callers can you handle in 12 minutes?

When Deb Ferns, author of Babes with Bullets ™, released her book in early 2006 she wasn’t prepared for the numerous requests for radio interviews she received. Now, 500 + radio interviews later, she shares with members of The Women’s Outdoor Media ingredients for a giving a good radio interview. Read more

Cathy Williams – Member of The WOMA

Cathy Williams  is the President and Owner of CMG Marketing & Events.  Her previous career experience includes working for a Fortune 100 company for 25 years as well as working as director of communications for Beretta, the oldest company in the world.  Both these career opportunities provided her with the background and expertise to provide marketing services to companies across the United States and around the world in her business.

“It has been such a rewarding experience starting CMG Marketing and seeing it grow each year,” says Cathy with a smile.

Cathy is also currently involved with cancer prevention, especially in the area of breast cancer.  She and her daughters recently completed the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, DC.   She was also involved with Girls Scouts of America for nearly 15 years as the local service unit Public Relations Manager.  Cathy has had the opportunity to hunt in Finland, Africa, Argentina and many places across the United States.  In addition to hunting, she enjoys traveling with her husband, Italian cooking and other outdoor activities including target shooting, fishing and just walking on the beach with her black Lab, Kayla.

Do you use Facebook to air your political views?

Don’t ask me why, but my thought processes tend to move when I do. I can come up with great ideas and solve the world’s problems (well, at least mine) from behind the wheel of a car. Today, this blog post evolved while I was behind the wheel of my riding lawnmower. I realize the topic isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a tech column, but cut me some slack on this one, OK? Read more

Next Page »