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Aviation Buff Locates 20 Brand-New British Spitfires Buried in Burma

Sarah Smith — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:29:30 -0400

--Chad Love

This has absolutely nothing to do with hunting, fishing or conservation news, but if you don’t think this is cool, then you don’t have a pulse. And if you are (like I am, and I'm sure many of you) a WWII aviation and history buff, then it's beyond cool. Twenty brand-new, still-in-the-box British Spitfires that were buried in Burma at the end of WWII and promptly forgotten, have been found.

From this story on aviationpros.com:

Twenty Spitfire fighter aircraft buried in Myanmar during World War II are to be dug up and shipped back to Britain, officials say. The planes will be returned to Britain as a result of intervention by British Prime Minister David Cameron, The Daily Telegraph reported. The planes had been buried more than 40 feet beneath the ground for nearly 67 years because of fears of Japanese occupation.

...David Cundall, 62, a farmer from Scunthorpe, North Lincs, located the planes at a former Royal Air Force base using radar-imaging technology after a 15-year search that cost him more than $207,000 and involved 12 trips to Myanmar.

Wow. Many aviation buffs consider the Spitfire the most beautiful airplane of the WWII era and one of the most beautiful machines ever made, but like most military planes of that era, out of the thousands and thousands produced during the war, only about 35 are still flying. For the equally interesting backstory on the the amateur plane buff who tracked the planes down, here's a cool story in the UK Telegraph.

So this begs the question: what is your favorite WWII-era airplane? For me, as much as I love the Spitfire, I'd have to say my personal favorite has always been the Vought F4U Corsair. No, it can't compete with the Spitfire for sheer elegance and beauty, but for a history-obsessed kid growing up in the 70s, hanging on each episode of Baa Baa Black Sheep every week, the Corsair with its menacing midnight blue paint and awesome inverted gullwings was -- to use the patois -- the shizzle.

Coast Guard Rescues Three Stranded Alaskan Hunters

Sarah Smith — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:11:27 -0500

--Sarah Smith Barnum

It was a close call for three Alaskan hunters who were stranded after their skiff drifted away leaving them 20 miles from Sitka. When the men didn’t show up for work Wednesday, the Coast Guard Sector Juneau was called in to conduct a search. Luckily for the hunters, it was only an hour wait in a cabin near Sevenfathom Bay—it could have been much worse.

From this story on Juneauempire.com:

Three stranded hunters were rescued 20 miles from Sitka after their skiff broke free of its mooring and drifted away, according to authorities. The Coast Guard stated in a release that an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Sitka found the missing hunters stranded at a cabin near Sevenfathom Bay at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. All three men appeared to be in good condition.

The hunters had left for a weekend hunting trip aboard a 17-foot vessel on Saturday and were reported missing to Coast Guard Sector Juneau watchstanders when they did not show up at work Wednesday morning, according to the release. The Coast Guard conducted a search of the sea and shoreline between Sitka and Sevenfathom Bay, the destination of the hunters, and worked with the Sitka Mountain Rescue to coordinate a local investigation for the missing men, the release stated.

Sector Juneau Lt. j.g. James Dooley said they were found within an hour.

Baby Seal Found Sleeping on New Zealand Woman's Couch

Sarah Smith — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:14:44 -0500

--Sarah Smith Barnum

Not many people come home at night and ask themselves, “Is that a baby seal snoozing on my couch?” Actually, nobody does that, until now.

Annette Swoffer of New Zealand found this adorable baby seal curled up, asleep. Luckily for Annette, there were no bears and none of her porridge was missing...

From this story on the Huffington Post:

New Zealander Annette Swoffer got the surprise of her life when she found a baby seal in her kitchen, who later began to snooze on her couch, the New Zealand Herald reports.

According to the report, the seal wandered from the bay waterfront, through a residential area, across busy roads, under a gate, through a cat door, and up some stairs before he was found at around 9:30 p.m.

"I thought 'I'm hallucinating, this is just wrong,'" Swoffer told the paper. "Then it looks at me with those huge brown eyes. It was so cute..." Swoffer then called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), who called the Department of Conservation. According to a report by Stuff.co.nz, the department was already looking for the pup.

When biodiversity program manager Chris Clark came to pick up the animal, he told Swoffer he'd been looking for the seal all afternoon and that it had likely just been weaned from its mother.

A baby seal is much more innocent and easy to photograph than say, a 150lb bear cub in the living room, like the one featured in Field Notes earlier this year.

Alaska Boat Captain Saves Four Bucks Found Swimming Near Juneau

Sarah Smith — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:54:40 -0500

--Kurt Schulitz

Four bucks who overdid a leisurely group swim near Juneau, Alaska had to be rescued by Tom Satre, captain of the charter boat the Alaska Quest. After swimming around his boat a few times, the deer were completely exhausted.

These types of stories are not unheard of, but are always amazing. Thankfully, the bucks lived to swim another day.

From this story in the Juneau Empire:

A foursome of young bucks fell upon some good luck Sunday as they were pulled from the icy waters of Stephens Passage by a group of locals out to enjoy the last few days of recent sunshine. These good Samaritans describe their experience as "one of those defining moments in life." The winds blew hard down Taku Inlet that day, said Tom Satre, captain of his 62-foot charter vessel the Alaska Quest. The fury of the gusts had whipped the water into white-capped waves, which Satre guessed were topping out around three feet.

...This State Marine Park is located 25 miles south of Juneau and boasts a public dock, a public use cabin and few other decrepit buildings. It's a fine place to get out of the weather and soak up the sun. For the four family members - Satre, his daughter Anna Satre, brother Tim Satre and Kelly - this was to serve as a locale for a Sunday luncheon. But as they neared Point Arden, Kelly spotted something in the water. She raised her binoculars. Expecting to see the bobbing body of a sea lion or the heads of eiders, instead she saw ears - deer ears.

Kelly ran to get her brother. Satre slowed the boat, and the group began to watch the group of four juvenile Sitka black-tailed deer. "They swam right toward the boat," he said. "Then, they started to circle the boat. They were looking up and looked like they needed help." This was the first time he'd ever seen deer in this much distress, Satre said. They were foaming at the mouth, and not able to make it onto the swim step, they instead swam under it. The group knew something had to be done.

Satre guessed the bucks were of last year since their antlers were very small, for some just nubbins, and hardly large enough for him to grab on to. So he fashioned a lasso and, one by one, hauled them by the neck onto the back of the boat.

According to Kelly, the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals came willingly and once on the boat, collapsed with exhaustion. They were shivering, she said. A few could not hold up their heads. She didn't know if two would make it. "They couldn't stand up on their own," Kelly said. "(And) they couldn't shake the water off their coats. We didn't want to touch them, but it was clear they were happy to be there. They probably would have crawled on board if they could have."

How to Make Spiced Cider

Sarah Smith — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:28:03 -0500

by David Draper

From the cool autumn nights of late September on through the holiday season, a hot cup of spiced apple cider can melt away any chill. That sweet, peppery bite warms the stomach and soothes the soul. Splashed with a little bourbon or brandy, it even adds a twinkle to the eye.

Warm a three quart pot over a medium heat. Toss in a pinch of whole cloves, a spoonful of black peppercorn, and two cinnamon sticks.

If you happen to have a few allspice berries (I never do), throw them in the pot, too.

After about a minute or two, your kitchen should start smelling like autumn. Pour in two quarts of apple cider. (Plain apple juice will do, if you must.) Raise the heat and bring the mix just to, but not past, the boiling point. Reduce the heat to low.

Stir in a small handful of brown sugar and zest from half an orange or lemon. Let the cider steep for about 30 minutes—if you can wait that long. Let cool and pour through a cheesecloth-lined strainer.

Huge Bug Thought to be Extinct Found in New Zealand

Sarah Smith — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:14:42 -0500

--Chad Love

Live bait anglers, prepare to get Crocodile Dundee'd, because this cricket is bigger than your sorry cricket. "You call that live bait? Now here's some live bait!"

From the (UK) Sun:

An explorer has found the biggest insect ever on record - so large it can scoff a carrot. She's called a Weta Bug and has a huge wing span of SEVEN inches and weighs as much as three mice. Renowned entomologist Mark Moffett, 55, discovered the cricket-like creature up a tree on New Zealand's Little Barrier Island.

He spent two days searching for the creepy crawly which were thought to be extinct after Europeans brought rats to the island many years ago. American Mark, 53, said: "Three of us walked the trails of this small island for two nights scanning the vegetation for a giant weta.

"We spent many hours with no luck finding any at all, before we saw her up in a tree. "The giant weta is the largest insect in the world, and this is the biggest one ever found. "She enjoyed the carrot so much she seemed to ignore the fact she was resting on our hands and carried on munching away. "She would have finished the carrot very quickly, but this is an extremely endangered species and we didn't want to risk indigestion.

"After she had chewed a little I took this picture and we put her right back where we found her." Mark, from Colorado, added: "We bug lovers hear a lot of people who think insects are inferior in some way because of their size, so it was great to see such a big insect. "This became all the more amazing when we realised that this was the largest insect recorded."

Does anyone make a 14/0 cricket hook?

Hooded Vegan Vandal Attacks British Butcher Shops?

Online Editors — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:08:32 -0500

Old Blighty carnivores beware: There's a "mad vegetarian" on the loose in one British city, and your local butcher shop may be the next target of his vegan wrath.

From this story in Metro UK:

Police hunt 'mad vegetarian' vandalising butchers shops in Bristol. Police are hunting a hooded man who is believed to be behind the vandalism of six butchers shops in Bristol. Shopkeepers at the family-run stores believe a 'mad vegetarian' could be behind the attacks, which began eight weeks ago. Between them, the shops have had their windows or door smashed with a brick a total of 11 times. Adrian Cunliffe, director of Millhouse Family Butchers, believes the two attacks on his shop could be animal rights-related since no attempt was made to steal anything either time.

Mr Cunliffe said: 'There has to be a motive so maybe it is animal rights activists or someone with something against butchers. 'But surely they would put something on the brick or leave a note to say why it has been done, otherwise it would just be mindless vandalism.' Each attack has taken place in the early hours of the morning and witnesses have reported seeing a hooded man fleeing the scene. Avon and Somerset Police are keen to speak to a white man aged 20-30, of medium build and wearing jogging bottoms and a grey hooded top who has been seen near a number of the butchers around the time of the attacks. A spokesman said: 'We are looking into the possibility that these incidents could be linked.'

So what do you think? Animal rights monkey-wrencher, protein-deprived nutter, or just some dude who doesn't like butchers? How long do you think it'll be before we see the press release from PETA lauding him as a hero?

Environmentalists Suing USFWS Over Crops on Wildlife Refuges

Online Editors — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:09:53 -0500

A coalition of environmental groups are suing the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, claiming the agency broke federal law by allowing genetically-modifed crops to be planted on national wildlife refuges.

From this story on the Mother Nature Network website:

Environmental and food safety groups filed suit on Wednesday against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, demanding it end the cultivation of genetically modified crops on Midwestern wildlife refuges. The groups claim the federal agency broke the law by entering agreements with farmers that allowed planting of biotech crops on refuge land in eight U.S. states without environmental reviews required by U.S. law.

Most of the crops at issue are "Roundup Ready" biotech crops engineered by Monsanto to tolerate dousings of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, the plaintiffs said. Roundup Ready crops have been shown to "foster an epidemic of superweeds," and create other problems for the environment, according to the plaintiffs. "National Wildlife Refuges are sanctuaries for migratory birds , native grasses, and endangered species," said Paige Tomaselli, an attorney for the Center for Food Safety, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

"...The groups claim the government violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to do a complete environmental impact statement before allowing the biotech crops to be planted in the refuge areas. They also claim violations of wildlife protection laws. The Fish & Wildlife Service had no immediate response to the lawsuit.

Thoughts? Is this just a frivolous lawsuit, or should there be laws against planting GMO crops on national wildlife refuges?

Wild Side: Mashed Pumpkin

Sarah Smith — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:54:44 -0400

by David Draper

Sure mashed potatoes are the standard side dish for a big, fat venison steak or deer roast, but with Thanksgiving just around the corner, why not try a couple of ingredients that offer up some autumn flavors? Somewhat surprisingly, pumpkin and allspice make a great compliment to venison, and while you can pair them a number of ways, an easy mashed pumpkin side dish just might be the best.

*When buying (or growing) a pumpkin for this dish, try to avoid jack-o-lantern type pumpkins which generally have a thinner flesh. Look for pumpkin pie or cheese pumpkins at your local market.

Honeyed Mashed Pumpkin

1 fresh pumpkin of about 3-5 lbs.
2 tbs. honey
2 tbs. butter
½ tsp. allspice

Preheat oven to 450°.

Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds and place each half flesh-side down in baking dish.
Bake 30-45 minutes, or until you can pierce the skin with a knife.
(Alternately, you can boil or steam chunks of pumpkin, but I feel roasting adds a deeper flavor.)

Remove pumpkin from oven and scoop flesh into medium saucepan set over low heat.

Add butter, honey and allspice.

Mash thoroughly and serve warm with grilled venison steaks or venison roast.

Conservation (Bad) News: Salmon Plague Spreads to Wild Pacific Stocks

Sarah Smith — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:10:38 -0400

by Bob Marshall

Deadly Disease Threatens Wild Pacific Salmon

File this one under: Just when you think things couldn't get worse.

Earlier this month fishery officials in Canada and the U.S. confirmed the deadly infectious salmon anemia had been found for the first time in wild Pacific salmon. This is the same disease that devastated salmon farms in Chile and other countries. The disease was found in two sockeye salmon smolts off British Columbia.

The news sent shock waves through the fishing industries and communities that depend on salmon. It was good to see the threat also quickly cut through the entrenched partisanship in Washington resulting in a bi-partisan bill to address the outbreak.

Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) introduced legislation giving federal agencies six months to determine the scope and cause of the outbreak and to recommend steps to protect the salmon stocks along the West Coast, Canada and Alaska. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.).

There's a lot to be concerned about. Although a vaccine for the disease is currently being tested on Atlantic salmon, there is no known cure. Its sudden appearance is an example of the threats that fish farming operations pose to wild fish stocks. And its proven deadly virulence has some fisheries experts convinced the two infected smolts are just the tip of a disease iceberg already growing in that region.

And it's not like this is the only disease coming out of Chilean salmon farms.

Frankenfish?

That outbreak of infectious salmon anemia couldn't have come at a worse time for AquaBounty Technologies, the Massachusetts firm that has developed a genetically modified salmon it hopes to sell to fish farm operations. The company combined growth genes from Chinook salmon and slices of DNA from ocean pout, a fast-growing eel-like creature. The result is an artificial salmon that grows several times faster than the real thing.

Aquaculture supporters say developments like this will take the pressure off wild stocks--good news for anglers. But opponents point to incidents (above) of disease from these creatures spreading into wild stocks.

Sportsmen’s groups are keeping a close eye on the debate.

Longleaf Pines Get Help in Mississippi

On the good news front, Mississippi has scored a victory in the popular cause of reestablishing the longleaf pine forests, earning two grants to restore the habitat on public and private lands in the state. The tall, broad-shouldered trees created a beautiful savannah-like habitat that was resistant both to fire and hurricanes, and was an important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. But the trees were also valued for their hard lumber, eagerly sought for homes and naval industries.

Longleaf pines were once common in 35 of Mississippi's counties. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks a grant to improve more than 3,000 acres of longleaf pine habitat on Marion County and Theodore Mars Wildlife Management Areas in South Mississippi. Funds will be used to improve habitat for endangered wildlife species such as the gopher tortoise and black pine snake, and will also create habitat to benefit white-tailed deer, wild turkey and bobwhite quail.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded MDWFP, and its partners, the Longleaf Alliance and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve longleaf pine habitat on private lands in Mississippi.