Tag Archives: Dennis Neely

Returning with but little meat…

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Fall slipped away. Three days of intermittent rain and brisk gusts stripped all but the white oaks of their leaves. Overnight the wind subsided, somewhat. An hour after first light, lacy white clouds drifted west, pushed by a chilly northeast … Continue reading →

Posted in Living History, Squirrel Hunts, Turkey Hunts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Wild Turkey is Worth a Dozen Squirrels

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Silence echoed in the glade. My moccasins crept along the ridge’s west slope, downhill enough to avoid detection from the east. The air smelled moist. A butterfly breeze jostled leaves, but not enough to raise even a telltale whisper. Dark … Continue reading →

Posted in Persona, Research, Squirrel Hunts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Search for Lost Companions

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

“Friday 24th [February, 1804]…I am very Uneasy about [Joseph] Boisvert and [Jean] Connor. It is now nineteen Days since they left for the fond du Lac, expecting that it would take Twelve Days To make The trip. They carried one … Continue reading →

Posted in Living History, Scenarios, Scouts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Answer is Not Simple

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

A fallen red oak blocked the trail. Spring’s broad, lush leaves hung curled, brown and brittle. After stepping over the trunk, worn-out elk moccasins continued through the shadows. Blue jays screamed high atop a far hill, but not for me. … Continue reading →

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The Coyotes Taught a Valuable Lesson

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Cortland apples browned beside sizzling venison steaks. Not long before, dusk’s long shadows had succumbed to night’s darkness. A stick held a chunk of meat firm to the kettle’s bottom while the butcher knife sliced. The smell of the evening’s … Continue reading →

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The Answer is Always the Same…

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Petite yellow flowers blanketed the fen. Lavender colored milkweed blossoms dotted the swamp’s edges, and pale-yellow bumps tipped mullein stalks like fresh-kindled flames on a night hunter’s torch. As I sat beneath the spreading boughs of an old red cedar … Continue reading →

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The 21st-Century’s Exacting Toll

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

White-flowered Queen Anne’s lace dotted the prairie. Dew clung to hundreds of spider webs. A misty, boiling fog shrouded the near tree line as morning’s long shadows blanketed the small grassy opening. The August air smelled cool and damp, yet … Continue reading →

Posted in Living History, Scenarios, Scouts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Waiting on the Wind…

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

White waves rolled on a stiff northwest wind. The air smelled damp, heavy with the mist of water roiling over the rock-strewn shoal. Between the clouds, the noonday sun mapped the strait’s depths, separating the shallows from the cold abyss … Continue reading →

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