Proto-gnarly

SWAGGERING mountain men like Kit Carson are not extinct. They are out there, tying their own landing nets, capturing pond turtles for a nice soup or crafting leather machete sheaths. Feeding their hunger for self-reliance is the Richie family of Westcliffe, Colo., publishers of a primitively designed bimonthly that celebrates and perpetuates the simple ways of our ancestors. Here is a sampling from the November/December issue of the Backwoodsman magazine:

Letter to the editor: Hello Charlie, very pleased with your short article on the sgian dubh [translation: black dagger], I don’t leave home without mine. One comment, though, we are Scotsmen, not Scotchmen. Scotland is a place, scotch is a drink. I’ll have a double! Michael.

Editorial disclaimer: Backwoodsman magazine is not responsible for mishaps of any kind which may occur from the use of published material or writer recommendations.

Feature: “The Right Way to Clean a Muzzleloader,” by Ron Kesler. Step 1 -- Use a round toothpick or similar small stick to plug the nipple in a percussion rifle or flashhole in a flintlock.

Feature: “Permanent Elevated Deer Stands,” by L.E. Williams. The older I get the more I see the high tech deer hunting market as a big scam. It’s a multi-million dollar industry that deceives the American hunter into believing you can’t kill deer without one of these and two of those. For 1 million years, give or take a few million, man has killed deer without high tech stands, camo cloths, fancy do-dads and the like. Give me a basic gun, a lofty location, and I’ll make meat.

Ad: Whether you’re whistling “Dixie” or “Yankee Doodle,” the Dixie Gun Works’ catalog has been A MUST for any blackpowder enthusiast or history buff.

Feature: “From Shell to Pot, Using Turtles for Food,” by John R. Merrifield. With the head removed the turtle will continue to move for quite a while and the jaws are still dangerous. I attribute this to nerves, but an old wives tale makes claim that a snapper won’t die until after sundown (better plan on a late supper).

Classified ad: Custom varmint calls. Calls coyote, cats, fox. Each one hand made. Hard maple body. Very nice workmanship. Very raspy long range. Each one hand signed. $12 each, postage paid. Jim Bowman, P.O. Box 684, Kersey, CO 80644.

-- Pamm Higgins