Field and Stream - First-Aid RSS

A Bug Spray You Can Drink? CDC Promotes Grapefruit Extract "Nootkatone"

Online Editors — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:51:32 -0400

This must be a good year for insect repellant research. First it was a new type of pre-treated clothing. Now researchers at the Centers For Disease Control say they're working on a new all-natural insect repellant made from a citrus extract.From this story on NPR.
"...the CDC is pushing hard to develop a completely natural insect repellent made from a chemical called nootkatone, which is found in Alaska yellow cedar trees and citrus fruit. (CDC researcher Marc Dolan) says nootkatone "is nongreasy, dries very quickly, and it has a very pleasant, citrus-y grapefruit odor to it." He recently demonstrated its effectiveness as a mosquito repellent, rubbing some on his hand and then sticking it into a cage containing 50 hungry mosquitoes. When he holds the treated hand near mosquitoes, they try to get away in the opposite direction as fast as they can. Even after five minutes, Dolan has no bites on his nootkatone-treated hand.

Jim Baird's Arctic Adventure Diary: Ulukhaktok or Bust!

Online Editors — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:40:43 -0400

The adventure has begun! Well, kind of…

My brother Ted and I are stuck in Deline.

First, we were waiting on the auger to arrive. When that got here, we thought we’d be ready to hit Great Bear Lake, but then we had a slight glitch with one of our snow machines during the first leg of the trip. Now we’re just waiting for the mechanic to make the repair and then, fingers crossed, we’ll be on our way.

This delayed start gives me a chance to show you the route Ted and I will be taking. We’ll travel across a few different landscapes: spruce forests, massive Great Bear Lake, mountainous northern shield country, treeless barren lands, and the frozen Beaufort Sea ice finishing the trip in the stark but beautiful landscape of the Arctic Islands.

Here’s a breakdown of our trip, stop by stop:

Make a Log from a Newspaper + 57 More Hunting, Fishing and Camping Tips from the Readers of Field & Stream

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 08:39:38 -0500

Here are the best Reader Tips from 2009 to the present.

Make a Tic Tac Box Bait Dispenser + 44 More Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Tips from the Readers of Field & Stream

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:19:38 -0500

Here are the best Reader Tips from 2009 to the present.

Beaver Attacks Fisherman in Georgia

Online Editors — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:25:50 -0400

First a Canadian beaver is shot after killing a large dog. Now a Georgia man is recovering from wounds he received after a beaver attacked him on a local river.

From this story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
There are some hazards that go along with fishing -- getting stuck by a hook, finned by a fish, sunburn. Getting attacked by an angry beaver is generally not considered a high risk. That's what happened, though, to an Atlanta man, who is recovering from wounds suffered when he was attacked by a beaver last week while fishing near Lake Lanier. Russ McTindal was fishing on the Chattahoochee River just below Buford Dam on Thursday when he was bitten on his leg and arm by the large beaver.

Leaping Barracuda Gashes Teenage Girl's Arm

Online Editors — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:08:15 -0400

Stuff That Works: Tecnu Oak and Ivy Skin Cleanser

Online Editors — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:52:28 -0400

I took my first Tecnu bath of the season last night. Yup, you heard me right - a Tecnu bath.

As we all know - fishing at times forces you to come in contact with poison oak and ivy. If you're like me, wet-wading small streams in the heat of summer is a must. With this wonderful right of summer comes some unpleasantries. Namely an itchy, oozing rash that lasts for weeks. I am almost guaranteed to get a nasty case of ivy at least once a summer simply by wet wading a few select streams near my house.

Fact Or Fiction? Top 8 Survival Myths

Online Editors — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:53:20 -0400

On water from a cactus, moss on trees, drinking urine, and playing dead to avoid a bear attack.

DEET Resistant Mosquitoes Bred in Captivity

Online Editors — Wed, 05 May 2010 10:24:28 -0400

A half-century after its discovery, DEET is still the unquestioned king of mosquito repellants. But researchers have discovered that under the right circumstances the mosquitoes can fight back...

From this story on Wired.com:

How To Prevent Snake Bites? Wear Snake Boots.

Online Editors — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:42:48 -0500

Headed to snake country? Wear snake boots.

Merwin: Avoid Hypothermia With a Mustang Survival Jacket

Online Editors — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:07:42 -0400

Staying alive. Personal safety is high on my fall fishing list. The water temperature this morning on one of the big lakes I often fish is 51 degrees. Normally dressed, if I fall out of the boat there’s a good chance of death by hypothermia.

Discussion Topic: Emergency Beacons and “Yuppie 911”

Online Editors — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:58:22 -0400

What would it take for you to summon Search and Rescue? Lost for a day? Mauled by a bear? Fell out of your treestand? How about, tasted some salty water?

11-Year-Old Boy Dies In Georgia Youth-Hunt Accident

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:42:45 -0400

From the Dawson News & Advertiser:

An 11-year-old Dawsonville boy who was shot in the head when his gun accidentally discharged in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area on Friday has died.  

John Wayne Corcoran was transported by air to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite following the incident, which occurred just before 6 p.m. He died at the hospital later that night.  

Illinois Hunter Killed By Friend In Bowhunting Accident

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:56:23 -0400

From the Evansville Courier & Press:

Aaron J. Long, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday night. According to Wayne County Sheriff Jim Hinkle, Long had been hunting near the Sam Dale Lake State Park with several friends Thursday evening when he decided to come down from his deer stand earlier than expected.

Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Tips from the Readers of Field & Stream

colinkearns — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:47:49 -0400

Here they are: the 34 best Reader Tips from the past two years.

Bears Kill Colorado Woman Who Fed Them

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:11:54 -0400

From The New York Times:

A 74-year-old woman who was known for leaving food outside her home for bears -- despite several warnings that it was illegal and dangerous to do so -- was killed by one of the animals, an autopsy confirmed.

Donna Munson's body had been partially eaten by a bear or bears when it was found outside her home in Ouray County, in southwestern Colorado, on Friday. . . .

Experts Say: Little Correlation Between Deer And Lyme Disease

Online Editors — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:34:28 -0400

From The New York Times:
When deer are scarce, ticks don’t necessarily become scarce, because they have alternative hosts. Indeed, several recent studies. . . in New York and New Jersey found no correlation between deer and ticks.

Second, ticks and Lyme disease are rare or absent in parts of the United States (the Southeast, most of the Midwest) where deer are abundant.

Wyoming Man Kills Attacking Grizzly, Suffers Serious Injuries

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:12:39 -0400

From the Cody Enterprise:

A Clark man is in the hospital with extensive injuries to his face after encountering a grizzly bear sow with three cubs Sunday afternoon.  

The man fired three shots at the bear with a .41 caliber revolver, killing the bear.  
Game & Fish has the three cubs, which are about a year old.

Discussion Topic: Your Fingers Or Your Dog?

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:05:10 -0400

How much do your love dog? Would you trade two fingers for Fido? Maybe it depends on which fingers. Maybe it depends on the dog. Over the weekend, 65-year-old Floridian David Grounds traded his right index and ring fingers for his wheaten terrier, Mandy, when he stuffed is hand into a 7-foot alligator’s mouth to save the pooch.

Discussion Topic: On Hunting Pythons in Florida

Joe_Cermele — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 08:33:20 -0400

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson’s request for a massive hunt of an estimated 100,000 pythons roaming the Everglades in Florida has been approved by Florida’s governor, Charlie Crist.

Crist has asked wildlife officials to start trapping pythons immediately. This comes a couple of weeks after a 2-year-old girl was strangled by a pet Burmese python in central Florida.

Montana Hiker Survives Grizzly Attack

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:20:24 -0400

From the Idaho Statesman:

[Paul] Sellers is recovering at a Rexburg hospital from injuries that including a broken arm, a punctured lung, a broken rib, a bite on the back of his head and abrasions. His wife said he stayed calm during the attack.

The Jungle Angler's Survival Guide

Joe_Cermele — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:22:03 -0400

The Bolivian jungle is a dorado dream destination, but it's certainly harsh on the angler. Here is Kirk Deeter's list of essential gear for a deep jungle adventure.

Chad Love: Locked & Loaded in Parkland

Joe_Cermele — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:28:51 -0400

There's already been a boatload of bloviation expressed on the recent reversal of the ban on loaded firearms in our national parks, some of it sensible but most of it (predictably) bordering on hysterics.

This column from the Huffington Post is a perfect example:

"In fact, the new rule is likely to make national park visitors less safe around wildlife. Packing heat could give some people a false sense of security and make them more likely to approach bison, elk, moose, and grizzly bears, rather than keep a safe distance which is better for both people and animals."

But the most certain outcome of this congressional action is that it will promote poaching. The National Park Service warned in its fiscal 2006 budget submission each year for the past several years ... The data suggests that there is a significant domestic as well as international trade for illegally taken plant and animal parts." Poaching, the agency said, "is suspected to be a factor in the decline of at least 29 species of wildlife and could cause the extirpation of 19 species from the parks."

Alberta Black Bear Mauls Teenage Camper

Joe_Cermele — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:22:22 -0400

From The Canadian Press:

A 15-year-old Alberta boy out camping was airlifted to hospital in stable condition Sunday after being mauled by a black bear.

"The bear entered the tent," said Cameron Heke of Stars Air Ambulance.

"The person did sustain injuries from that attack."

Discussion Topic: Field & Stream Wins ASME’s Highest Honor

Joe_Cermele — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:32:04 -0400

F&S is the best magazine of its size on the planet. Okay, I’m a little biased on that point--but it’s not just me who thinks so. Last night, the country’s top magazine editors representing the country’s top magazines met at New York City’s Lincoln Center for the 44th Annual National Magazine Awards. Known as Ellies, these are basically the Oscars of the magazine industry, and “General Excellence” is “Best Picture.”