Category Archives: Skills

The Wisdom of Long Ago

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

One-by-one, five blue jays hollered. A chipping sparrow bobbed up-and-down on an autumn olive sprig. Its beak opened, but the blue-jay ruckus overpowered this tiny, forest tenant’s “chip, chip, chip, chip, chip…” The constant “JAY! JAY! JAY! JAY! JAY!” intensified … Continue reading →

Posted in Skills, Squirrel Hunts, Wilderness Classroom | Tagged Black powder hunting, Dennis Neely, historical trekking, National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, Native captive, North West trade gun, Northwest trade gun, trade gun, traditional black powder, traditional black powder hunting, traditional blackpowder, traditional blackpowder hunting, Traditional Woodsman | Leave a comment

Drafting a new meaning

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Canada geese ceased honking at the first shot. A few minutes later a second shot, which sounded like it came from the far hillside, echoed up and down the River Raisin. An anxious thumb rubbed the Northwest gun’s jaw screw. … Continue reading →

Posted in Persona, Skills, Wilderness Classroom | Tagged Black powder hunting, Dennis Neely, historical trekking, National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, Native captive, North West trade gun, Northwest trade gun, trade gun, traditional black powder, traditional black powder hunting, traditional blackpowder, traditional blackpowder hunting, Traditional camping, Traditional Woodsman | 2 Comments

The Slow Stalk Back…

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

A bending, hesitant foreleg hinted. A second rising, then falling hoof removed suspicion. Despite the hazy cloak of small snowflakes filtering earthward, the deer’s faint outline became all too obvious in the snow-clad tangle of twigs and cedar boughs. Another … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing & Accoutrements, Deer Hunts, Skills | Tagged Black powder hunting, Dennis Neely, National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, Native captive, North West trade gun, Northwest trade gun, trade gun, traditional black powder, traditional black powder hunting, traditional blackpowder, traditional blackpowder hunting, Traditional Woodsman | Leave a comment

Temptation Teased…

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Temptation teased. Three broad green blades of prairie grass rolled between sweaty palms. A greasy, blackened thumb pressed the tangled ball into the Northwest gun’s muzzle. The young turkey’s gray pate again popped up in the deep grass and yellowing … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Skills, Wilderness Classroom | Tagged Black powder hunting, Dennis Neely, historical trekking, National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association, Native captive, North West trade gun, Northwest trade gun, trade gun, traditional black powder, traditional black powder hunting, traditional blackpowder, traditional blackpowder hunting, Traditional Woodsman | Leave a comment

An Existence Based on Survival

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Silence invoked a peaceful solace. Snowflakes drifted. Subdued yellows backlit the oaks and cedars on the far hill. A broken-over sedge grass leaf, brown and wispy, twitched. On the west side of the big swamp, out in front of a … Continue reading →