North Woods Traders
Survival Gear, Information, Old Time Americana
Winter in the inland northwest brings it's own activities unique to the region. Of course, most are based on the outdoors. Always think safety first when enjoying any of these activities. Dress appropriately and carry safety items in a survival kit with you at all time. Know what to expect from the climate and terrain and you will always have a good time.
Hunting Season
Rifle season for large game (elk and deer) ended in the Panhandle December 1st. Archery and muzzle loading seasons begin in various areas and will extend through to the end of the year for large game. Grouse season opened September 1st and will remain open till the end of January. Grouse can be found anywhere there is running water with thickets of brush, alder, snowberries and cover. Rabbit hunting is not good in Benewah county. A disease destroyed the rabbit population a couple of decades ago. The disease is still persistent and rabbits are unable to survive in the area. Hunting lands are prevelent in the area with tens of thousands to millions of acres of national forest, State and BLM lands open to all.
Fishing
Most streams, rivers and creeks are closed in Idaho during the winter. Many lakes are still open, however. Kokanee, land locked chinook, trout, bass, pike, perch and blue gill are prevelent in all or most of North Idaho's lakes. Ice is begining to build along the banks and snow may obscure the edges of banks. Casting reels and rods may be necessary to place the bait next to the fish. By late December and January, ice should be thick enough for ice fishing. The chain of lakes including Chatcolet Lake, Black Lake and Lake Benewah are usually excellent ice fishing waters. Come prepared with small shelters to block the wind which is funneled through the open lakes by mountains on either side. Corn, worms and jigs with power bait are common and useful baits.
Scenic Adventures
Idaho's panhandle mountains have a lot of vista and scenic byways to offer. Highways 3 and 6 each offer their own unique perspectives on the eastern and western banks of the chain of lakes stretching from Couer d'Alene in the north to St. Maries in the south. Either highway has twists and turns following mountainous paths. Scenery varies from closed in, snow covered forest, open lake shores and mountain vista views on both highways. Beware of winter conditions while driving. You should bring chains for your tires and vehicles should be 4 wheel drive as sometimes fast moving storms can dump more snow on the roads before road crews can handle the accumulation.
The Mullen Trail in and around St. Maries can provide scenic winter hiking. If you are planning a hike much beyond the St. Maries portion of the trail bring snow shoes or cross country skies and a survival kit. Most roadways will be closed over the winter. This allows cross country skiers and snowmobilers a scenic parkway nearly the size of the State of New Jersey. The snowmobile trails along the Hoodoo Mountain Range offer fantastic winter views and frigid winter camping.
Ski resorts are begining to open in November as snow accumulation is begining to be sufficient for skiing. December is seeing more snows and ski resorts should see a fair amount of snow this season.
Winter Holidays
Winter holidays are upon us. Christmas is a time for family and neighbors. It is a time for sharing gifts. This year share a piece of your homestead. Homecrafted gifts build skills for you and unique, one of a kind gifts for those close to you. In the midst of all the celebration don't forget that Jesus is the reason for the season. The New Year will be upon us before you know it. New Year is a time to begin all over again. Peruse your seed catalogs and dream of repairing and rebuilding the greenhouses, look over the roto-tiller, plan out a plot for a barn and another coop. Finally build that smithy and look forward to another year to get the old homestead in better shape. Listen up guys! February brings Valentine's Day. Don't forget! Get your gifts and put in your orders for flowers now. While ordering your flowers, make sure they give you a reminder call a few days before the fact! Just in case, get your sleeping bag down and make sure it's in good repair. Clean off the couch and make sure the cushions are fluffed up and nice and comfy.
There are some holidays this December that many Americans no longer have knowledge of, but should have. December 15 is Bill Of Rights Day. This day commemorates the ratification of our Constitution's first ten amendments. The Bill Of Rights enumerates a certain few of the Rights that are unalienable in all human beings. The Bill spells out that government is to leave those Rights inviolate and incorporates those Rights into law, so that those violating them will be known to be criminals. It is important for Americans to commemorate this day, learn what their Rights are and to remind others. Celebrate this day by reading our Constitution and especially The Bill Of Rights. Don't forget to read The Bill Of Rights to your children as well as they will not be reading them in public schools.
December 16th is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. On December 16, 1773, a group of American colonials calling themselves The Sons of Liberty, having been pushed too far by the abuse of taxing authority of the government of their day, donned blankets and war paint, thinly disguising themselves as Native Americans, and boarded a ship in Boston Harbor. The Sons of Liberty then dumped the ship's cargo, tea, into the harbor. American colonials had nothing against tea, however, this tea had been taxed by the English crown without the representation in a political body of the American colonials. This was such an affront to the American colonial's principals of free born people that committees were formed to block the landing of the already taxed cargo and finally led to the destruction of the cargo. This was one of the incidents that led to growing tensions between Americans and a despotic government which eventually led to America's War For Independence and freedom.
This year the above patriotic holidays are being commemorated by the Ron Paul for President campaign. Ron Paul is the only major candidate in any party which advocates a return to American principles and the rule of our Constitution. On December 15th and 16th, the Ron Paul campaign has scheduled a "money bomb" donation day. Main stream media has been distorting facts, claiming that Ron Paul has only a few supporters who are strong activists. This was shown to be a lie last month when the campaign's first scheduled money bomb produced over 4 million dollars in donations. As a few activists can't produce this kind of campaign donations, Ron Paul has proven that he is a strong candidate with wide spread grass roots support. If you care about your country and your quest to remain free, check out Ron Paul's campaign at www.ronpaul2008.com.
North Woods Traders
Survival Gear,
Information, Old Time Americana