High Country Bear Hunting (Addendum)
Due to the curiosity over a woman, the group she belonged to, and her attitude toward me, as a Bear Hunter, I am adding to this post. The new stuff is in italics. .
This is not either of the bunch's I hunt with. This is was shot in West Virginia.
While standing in the cold wind and rain waiting to see Drive By Truckers a pretty girl came along handing out literature to a friend of mine. Kind of another story in there, but, she said she was from a group of artist living on a commune in West Virginia, but she was from Eastern North Carolina. Well, I was pulled into the conversation when my friend, handed the literature to me. Squeaky, my Plott Hound, has hunted West Virginia, so has Twister, my long time Ranger Battalion Buddy. Twister saying it was good hunting. I then remarked about Bear Hunting West Virgina to Twister. I turned to the artist girl and asked if you can hunt West Virginia. "Oh I don't like Bear Hunters", she said as she turned walking away. "Then you don't like me", I replied with a grin. "No I don't!" She retorted while she twirled her pretty head of dark brown hair to look at me. She had her convictions. She was idealistic. I can respect idealism and convictions. I feel like she didn't know what she was judging though. I don't hate her kind.
"Stop bitching, start a revolution"
I kept the literature. I e-mailed the group to flirt with her, but it came back. Her group is a curious one. It is simply called Zendik, led by Arol Zendik, the widow of Wulf Zendik, an artist and apparent activist of a seeming Bohemian nature. The title of her literature being "Zendik", focused on non competition, their commune near Marlinton West Virginia, is called the Zendik Farm. The group produces music independently, and visits music festivals handing out their magazines. Being a farm, they produce much of their own food, I imagine. A search on Google turns up the good, the bad and the ugly about the group. Mentions of "mind control", no specifics that I've found yet, have surfaced. There is a blog titled "Escape From Zendik". But before drawing conclusions, we need to remember the polygamist sect in Texas that was supposedly marrying off under age girls and the now lacking evidence*. This last Friday, May 30th, was the day Joan of Arc was burned for heresy. History has proven her falsely judged. I do not intend to hang anyone, not even the young woman in question.
There's a problem in these Mountains. We've got people from all over that want to come and live here, and then tell people how to live in them. "It's just a big jug full of stupid passing through".
This Plott mix is somewhere in Western North Carolina. It was said (on YouTube) he was avoiding work. Maybe the trail was cold. But then, Dogs can be slackers too.
I do have a couple of videos. I need a better connection to post them and anyone who is in any of them's approval.
*I think what is so bad is the apparent lack of variety of fashions those ladies had to choose from.
Be a Man among Dogs...Bear Hunt...
The Appalachianist
This is not either of the bunch's I hunt with. This is was shot in West Virginia.
While standing in the cold wind and rain waiting to see Drive By Truckers a pretty girl came along handing out literature to a friend of mine. Kind of another story in there, but, she said she was from a group of artist living on a commune in West Virginia, but she was from Eastern North Carolina. Well, I was pulled into the conversation when my friend, handed the literature to me. Squeaky, my Plott Hound, has hunted West Virginia, so has Twister, my long time Ranger Battalion Buddy. Twister saying it was good hunting. I then remarked about Bear Hunting West Virgina to Twister. I turned to the artist girl and asked if you can hunt West Virginia. "Oh I don't like Bear Hunters", she said as she turned walking away. "Then you don't like me", I replied with a grin. "No I don't!" She retorted while she twirled her pretty head of dark brown hair to look at me. She had her convictions. She was idealistic. I can respect idealism and convictions. I feel like she didn't know what she was judging though. I don't hate her kind.
"Stop bitching, start a revolution"
I kept the literature. I e-mailed the group to flirt with her, but it came back. Her group is a curious one. It is simply called Zendik, led by Arol Zendik, the widow of Wulf Zendik, an artist and apparent activist of a seeming Bohemian nature. The title of her literature being "Zendik", focused on non competition, their commune near Marlinton West Virginia, is called the Zendik Farm. The group produces music independently, and visits music festivals handing out their magazines. Being a farm, they produce much of their own food, I imagine. A search on Google turns up the good, the bad and the ugly about the group. Mentions of "mind control", no specifics that I've found yet, have surfaced. There is a blog titled "Escape From Zendik". But before drawing conclusions, we need to remember the polygamist sect in Texas that was supposedly marrying off under age girls and the now lacking evidence*. This last Friday, May 30th, was the day Joan of Arc was burned for heresy. History has proven her falsely judged. I do not intend to hang anyone, not even the young woman in question.
There's a problem in these Mountains. We've got people from all over that want to come and live here, and then tell people how to live in them. "It's just a big jug full of stupid passing through".
This Plott mix is somewhere in Western North Carolina. It was said (on YouTube) he was avoiding work. Maybe the trail was cold. But then, Dogs can be slackers too.
I do have a couple of videos. I need a better connection to post them and anyone who is in any of them's approval.
*I think what is so bad is the apparent lack of variety of fashions those ladies had to choose from.
Be a Man among Dogs...Bear Hunt...
The Appalachianist
posted by Hill Billy Rave | Tuesday, May 27, 2008
23 Comments:
Not related to bear hunting, but I thought of while reading about the idealistic young lady toward the end.
Sitting on the tarmac in Charlotte waiting to take off for Dallas, I wrote to one of my paper's reporters. Suffice to say it touched on republicans, democrats, and local politicians. It was in me and it had to come out.
Probably all for naught, as it was not angry or jingoistic but, if I may ay so, rather eloquent. I thought it made the point nicely.
Poor little girl sounds kinda judgemental, deciding not to like you that quickly and on that little information. On the other hand, misguided or not, at least she believes in soething.
Damn! I sure have mellowed in my age.
I beleive I threw away the booklets, that featured some art and the teachings of their deceased leader and now preached by his widow. All of it about how the world is messed up and people need to come together. No mentions of Personal Liberties. They had a web site. And, I'm with you, Ed, she beleived something.
I had to Google "jingoistic". Let that be the word of the day.
You've sparked me on further thought. I'd say more, but, it is time to slave in the salt mine.
I'd be interested in such a letter.
I think the word "jingoistic" came from the music halls of 19th century Britain . . . songs used to rouse patriotc fervor . . . some sort of confrontation . . . it may have been between Britain and the Boers . . . the Brtish finally did go to war with the Boers at the end of the century, but the word means overzealous patriotism. It is the sort of word that "missy" and her kind would use no matter what was going on all the while living under the protection afforded them by others. Sorry . . . I need to look it up too . . . the word jingoistic . . . a young black bear came out of the woods close to Gilbert, South Carolina. They locked down the schools. I'm sure he would have rather been in the mountains. Someone at the ranger station at Cades Cove said that last year saw a bumper crop of acorns and they expected to see a large increase in the bear population. At any rate, without the hunters bears can change their species as deer have done and become "rats." I am not being politically correct . . . but the ability to sustain a species is everything and hunters help that especially concerned naturalist like the Appalachianist. Bill
Bill, the Boers did a number to the British. Ultimately the Brits prevailed, but at a dear cost.
A Black Bear down in Gilbert? Did you see Chicago's Mountain Lion?
You need to tailor your approach for the girl... an art hippie commune type of girl, forget bear hunting and tell her how you make your own Appalachian style hummus! :)
LOL, Sage, I like hummis, but, I don't make it and I don't lie. Besides,I Hunt for me, not to impress anybody. I wasn't trying to impress her then.
I bought some hummis off of an Iraqi vendor once. I opened the can and found it had a pin hole in it and the stuff was ruined. He was a good guy, before he insisted on giving me a lighter instead of me buying it. A gift.
LOL, she didn't look hippie.
You know I think telling everyone else how bad or backward they are has become the new religion. It makes the teller out to be a saint of great moral superiority and the tellee, why the tellee is just a bum or maybe just a "man among dogs" to be put down for what? It ain't right. It just ain't the whole truth of the matter. It doen't seem to matter who the person really is anymore. My cousin was telling me how people railed againt the deer season and the deer hunters until there were so many deer eating their precious yards and gardens that they were begging "hunters" to kill the deer who were now being called "rats." So much for Bambi . . . and I am not against Bambi. I mentioned seeing the elk down at the settlers' entrance off the Blue Ridge Parkway and entrance to the Smokies at Cherokee. I couldn't believe they were elk, and I had seen them at Fort Lewis, actually on Mount Ranier. I just couldn't believe they were elk in the Smokies and had to ask a park ranger. The elk were there as part of an effort to re-establish them in the Smokies . . . hunters support that kind of conservation. I don't meet many who are not concerned that way, and I don't hunt anymore, but I am not against it . . . so much for my sermon . . . bear hunting is part and parcel of the mountains and our heritage . . . protecting it means protecting the bears too . . . by the way was that there hippie woman wearin' tight fittin' bear huggin' jeans with those little yella tassels hangin' off dem belt loops? (ain't I smart) Bill
Of the things in this post, I see what everyone is commenting on the most is Artist Girl, not the Hounds treeing the Bear, or the one sniffing the camera. I really don't want to say anything bad about her. And, maybe the way I wrote it did so. Finding that video reminded me of her.
Any how, as intigueing as we find her...She wore jeans and a light jacket, her hair was a little curly and long. She did not look like the stero typical commune girl.
After all of this I found the web site of the commune in question. I do rememebr it went on a philosophy of non competition. I'll probably addendum the post.
I'll be untraditional and forego any comment about the girl and instead ask...what is that sticking up from the dog's collar? It looks like either a zip tie or an antennae.
Murf, thats an antennae for his tracking collar, there is a small transmitter on the collar on his throat. It transmits any where from the 216-222 Mghz range. It sends that signal creating beeps in the tracker, or reciever. There is a needle or bar on a screen that indicates too. Stronger the signal, closer the dog.
It's about time someoen talked about the dogs! Thanks, Murf.
Two questions: why did the bear in the first video come down out of the tree . . . was it to get in front of the bus laod of dogs that almost ran it over or was the tree (obviously) not to his liking or what . . . I saw the bear treed later in the video, and later in the other video the dog with the collar . . . how far would he have fallen if he had jumped off of that rock ledge . . . and then I think you said that the video came from somewhere else or it wasn't yours . . . and I think what caught people's attention in the original post wasn't the fact the speaker was a girl so much as what was said rubbed most the wrong way . . . you should go to graduate school and listen to the conversations that pass for education . . . the comments are an education . . . English graduate classes remind me of a discription of one of those re-education camps the communist send their citizens to from time to time probably not unlike the commune you describe. Anyway another reason for bear hunting is in the second video . . . what a beautiful scene that even in a small video takes your breath away. . . except I hate to get close to the edge of a mountain ever since a visit to Chimney Rock, Norht Carolina. No matter how hard I try. I still can't fly. Bill
The more I see the more I think this hunting business is just twisted and sadistic. Kinda creeps me out. But ya know to each his own. Many people don't approve of my hobby...and I don't care.
That dog may have not been feeling well, dogs can have their feeling poorly days just as humans. Looked rather depressed to me.
I didn't get all the fascination w/commune girl,....but I am agreeing w/her on the bear hunting thing. She brought light to my mind about that. The world will never come together, it is all ucked up and it would be nice for peace, love, harmony, but it ain't gonna happen as long a man walks the Earth.
I'm not ignoring you'll. I'm going to concentrate on the addendum post. If I don't, I'll not get it written.
Sorry for the inconvenience
Management
OK, ladies first.
Mew, I don't let your opinion offend me. As for your comment: "But ya know to each his own. Many people don't approve of my hobby...and I don't care."
This country has not gotten that controlling yet and we should guard against it.
Yeah, Dogs have off days. It could be the trail (scent) went dead. He may be just enjoying the day and the freedom away from the kennel. If he was depressed, it could be he didn't get the bear...He's not mean though.
The fascination with the girl, I beleive is, the men that read this are gentlemen. They see that this woman had some conviction and was not just subject to a whim. They respect a woman, though they may disagree with her, that speaks her mind and not just flys off the handle because she has had some fill of whatever, "has back bone and not just a temper". She was apparently talented, attractive (as myself and Twister can testify too) misguided perhaps, somewhat open minded. She obviously has spunk and a little against the grain.
I personally believe she was on a band wagon, but everything else I have to respect. Do I make sense?
Does anyone agree?
Bill, I'm glad someone asked. The Bear wasn't done. It was just resting. It felt pressure...Seen or heard the hunters perhaps. That will make them break. I have some video of that. But, it felt like it was time to get gone. Bear have human like smarts by the way.
They didn't have too many dogs on it. I've seen more. I don't believe in putting no more dogs on one than you have to myself. The men seen were holding dogs out of the fight. It still went up a tree. Later, and in the distance they catch the Bear, fight for a few seconds, a good little tare down, and tree it again. They didn't seem to be concerned with killing that Bear. There was plenty of time to shoot it in the beginning and then no one was positioning for a shot on the second treeing.
The camera cuts before the shot, the second of silence and then the on going howls as they wool the Bear. I think they were just working the dogs.
"Anyway another reason for bear hunting is in the second video "
So true, that is one reason. I have several. Bear Hunting requires dedication. It's action packed, getting in there and "dancing with the Bear" and the dogs. There is allot of moving parts, using mental and physical stamina (though I know some very out of shape hunters but most will walk you in the ground).
Most people I know that have been to graduate school are chemist.
I've spent too much time on this thing tonight.
North Carolina dog trivia for you, Dan... Old Yeller was a black mouth cur. I sure didn't know that, did you?
In fact, I didn't know there was such a breed as a "cur" until I read one of your posts about them.
Here's an interesting article on Southern Black Mouth Curs.
Gunner, I'm glad somehing I said showed somebody something.
I knew that about Old Yellar being a Cur. I rememebr him being a Retriever in the movie though. Most people that know Curs, believes that the dog is a Cur.
Back then, it wasn't a paticular breed. People kept them around as a "general purpose dog", just like the article say's. So was the Plott Hound in times of old.
Curs have hot noses though.
I was talking to a Hunter from Madison County the other day. He had had a Kemmer Cur that someone shot on a hunt. He patched her up, spayed her and left her with his mother as a yard dog. He said she was everything that article said of the Black Mouth Cur.
My blue dog is 1/4 Cur.
Appreciate it!
Of course my opinion doesn't offend you. Hunting is part of you and if you enjoy it then that is your thing. I will love you whether you hunt or not, it's just not my thing the more I see these animals being stressed and hunted for sport.
What is a hot nose? hot as in temperature to the touch or hot as in excellent sniffer?
What is a hot nose? What a great question. What is a hot nose? I don't know myself as it references hunting or dogs.One thing that struck me was the Appalacianist comment on the bear's intelligence. The whole hunt requires intelligence on the part of all: the dog, bear, and humans. It could be, as it seemed to be, described as an intricate dance among deadly serious participants. Thanks for the videos and the discription. The mountains are beautiful even if the hunt in parts is metaphor for the hardness and difficulty of the mountains. Bill
Thanks Mew, as I respect you in turn.
OK, You'll. What a "hot nose" is is the dogs sense of smell picks up on fresher scents. Where as a "cold nose" dog can pick up on older scents.
Hounds are colder nosed than Curs, but it really depends on the dog. I've heard people say "warm nosed" meening it's in between, LOL.
well, that clears that up, always learn something here. My dog has a hot nose and I didn't even know it.
Two dogs were talkin' and one said to the other, "Here comes that cold nose Jones dog." I only knew dogs to be cold nosed and wet . . . the better to smell you with . . . glad that all got cleared up . . . just funnin' but if you are a hunter, it is important information about your dog. Thanks. Bill
Just think, even hot nosed dogs smell so much better than us.
Gosh have we rambled...
Post a Comment
<< Home