Tag Archives: Traditional Woodsman

A Rough and Tumble Woodsman

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

The ax bit hard. Red cedar chips scattered. Sweat spattered. The thud echoed. A quick upward jerk on the straight hickory handle dislodged the silver-edged blade. With a steady stroke, the single-bitted ax drew back, then for an instant, perched … Continue reading →

Posted in Living History, Research | Tagged Dennis Neely, historical trekking, Mountain Man, 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 | Comments Off

A Dubious Claim to Fame

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

The Northwest gun’s front sight found a British soldier’s neck. As the death messenger crossed the clearing it would drop, and if true, would strike the Redcoat mid-chest. The black flint lunged. Sparks streamed. Gunpowder flashed. A brilliant yellow tongue … Continue reading →

Posted in Living History, Persona | Tagged Dennis Neely, historical trekking, Mountain Man, 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 | 6 Comments

“Dwindling Daylight”

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

“Snapshot Saturday”

Posted in Snapshot Saturday, Squirrel Hunts | Tagged Dennis Neely, historical trekking, Mountain Man, 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 | Comments Off

“I Let the Deer Pick Them…”

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

Water gurgled in the gravelly cut. Two solid days of heavy, November rain filled the swamps. The thicker of the two, the south swamp, appeared higher than the sparser swale hole to the north. A thigh-deep cut crossed the mounded … Continue reading →

Posted in Deer Hunts, Skills | Tagged Dennis Neely, historical trekking, Mountain Man, Native captive, Northwest trade gun, trade gun, traditional black powder, traditional black powder hunting, traditional blackpowder, traditional blackpowder hunting, Traditional Woodsman | 2 Comments

A Kentucky Barbecue…

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

The writings of John James Audubon, the great ornithologist, painter and writer, offer a unique view of early 19th-century backwoods society. In Delineations of American Society and Character, Audubon described in vivid detail the Fourth of July celebration at Beargrass … Continue reading →

Posted in Worth thinking about... | Tagged Dennis Neely, historical trekking, 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 | 4 Comments

In Need of Mending

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Dennis Neely: Traditional Woodsman

A crow cawed from the far side of the nasty thicket. Another answered from the ridge that overlooked the River Raisin’s bottomlands, well to the west. The first cawed twice; the second cawed twice. The first crow uttered a pitiful, … Continue reading →