Puppy Drum in Inches of Water (back when it was warmer)

There's the sound of a splash. Over there. Off to the right. Right on the edge of that thin, stick-like, sparse and spread out bit of spartina grass. 25 yards from the skiff and closing, with the boat drifting ever closer as the tide pulls it out of the tidal salt marsh. Ever closer. Won't be long until the fish sees the boat and it'll be too late. There's a wake, like a bow-wave of some miniature coastal Carolina submarine, chasing bait.

Sling a cast just ahead of it. Bump. Bump. The line goes tight, you feel the tension, you set the hook, and the rod bends over. The fish runs. Line peels off the spool. Steer him clear of the oysters. You work him back. He runs again. Work him in, closer and closer. Closer. Scoop him in the net. Doesn't get much prettier.

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The Simple Things---the love of a canoe

You don't need much to get out and enjoy the natural world. Really, you don't need anything at all. Just take a walk in the woods and breathe in that fresh air. Having said that, a few items expand your range into nature exponentially. A simple canoe is one of those things. Pick one up cheap on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or even Walmart. You don't need anything fancy. One person can easily lift a less than 15 footer, especially made of ABS or Royalex or other light materials, and about any vehicle can carry that size boat on the roof.

The Draw Hunt Club

Tradition. I would wager that's what that many of us love about the outdoors. That sameness that keeps us coming back. The same familiar duck and deer camps. The same family and friends. The same dogs. The same memories of those who've left us. The same passed down guns and gear. The same dented trucks and worn-fiberglass skiffs and scraped and shot-up decoys. The same meals and snacks. The same old thermos of coffee, perhaps with a hint of something extra to keep you a bit warmer. Season after season. Year after year. Things that make us feel that secure continuity of life, especially when the world around us seems more ever-changing and unpredictable. Things that make us feel a sense of community, family, and connection to this place and our place in it. One of those traditions, for me and a few buddies, is the opportunity for some permit duck hunts. We started this thing back in college. We've continu...

DIY Camp Shower

When you're doing outdoors stuff, you get dirty. Maybe you're camping and have a few days of grime on you. Or you've been out hiking and sweating in the sticky summertime. Or you've been swimming at the beach, you're covered in sand. You don't want to stink up the truck, all muddy and sandy, grit everywhere... all in the seats and stuck on the steering wheel. Or maybe you're out deer hunting and need some pressurized water to wash off your fresh venison. Or maybe your four legged friend decided to take a mud bath. There's a simple DIY solution, a camp shower---a few pieces of PVC, some fittings, some basic tools, and a bike pump or air compressor are all you need. Spray paint it black if you want some solar heat on a cool fall day in the field. Of course, there are companies that build these things, for a few more dollars, but where's the fun in that? This REI write up was helpful, as was this, and other YouTube videos . ...

The Tar Heel Outdoorsman

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