Tag Archives: historical trekking

The Jake Died Thrice

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

“Jay!” The blue jay cried out but once. The alarm seemed halfhearted and without authority. After a pause, my elk moccasins whispered along the familiar trail. The blue jay watched. The empty Northwest gun hung heavy in my right hand. … Continue reading →

Posted in Turkey Hunts, Wilderness Classroom | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Magnificent Memory

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

A gray nose poked from the deep green grass. A cunning eye, attentive ears and a sleek, lean body burst from the left. The Jeep’s brake pads gripped the rotors firm, but not hard enough to squeal tires. A second … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An Alternate Choice

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Light rain spit. The sky appeared thick, gray and ominous. The air smelled sticky and humid. My bare shoulders and upper arms felt sweaty and damp as I tugged at the heel of my left buckskin moccasin, one of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing & Accoutrements, Scenarios | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on An Alternate Choice

Exhausting All Possibilities

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

The search resumed at dawn. Frost-tipped cedar boughs dotted the steep hillside. Night’s cold, clear sky turned azure, and in a short while, yellow streaks of sunlight crept over the little valley. On that crisp November morn, I made no … Continue reading →

Posted in Deer Hunts, Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

My Mouth Grew Dry

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

The soft cluck left little doubt. The faint “arrkk,” uttered in the forest’s somber stillness, fixed my attention on the crest of the ridge to the east. A yellow maple leaf whipsawed side to side. Others followed. The morning’s wispy … Continue reading →

Posted in Turkey Hunts, Worth thinking about... | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mind if I Look?

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

“Do you mind if I take a look?” a traditional woodsman asked, lifting the leather strap of my shot pouch from “Old Turkey Feathers’” muzzle as it rested against a white oak tree. “I’d like to see what you carry.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Clothing & Accoutrements | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mind if I Look?

“What if” Cogitations

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Deer flies swarmed. Mosquitoes the size of hickory nuts lit on the back of my left hand. I could not swat without tucking the Northwest gun under my armpit, and I presumed the little beasties knew that. That morning, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Persona, Scenarios | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “What if” Cogitations

At the Little Bend

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Abundant spring rains brought lush summer growth. A warm July night, in the Year of our Lord, 1795, produced a dense morning fog. Moisture dripped from every leaf, every bough, every sprig and sprout. My linen trade shirt felt damp, … Continue reading →

Posted in Living History, Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on At the Little Bend