Author: Nate Woelfel

Why I deer hunt

Throughout my life, I’ve spent a good deal of time in self-reflection.

This can be a difficult balancing act. Too much self-awareness can lead to an inflated sense of importance, overthinking, and general anxiety. Lack of it can lead to entitlement.

On either end of the spectrum, you can quickly lose perspective.

For better or worse, I have long been dedicated to taking stock of my logic and reasoning in my pursuit of living an intentional and purposeful existence.

Throughout my 20-plus-year deer hunting career, I’ve found this to be particularly true when I am sitting in my tree stand. Even the most engaging and active hunts generally offer adequate time for introspection.

Continue reading “Why I deer hunt” →
0

BIGG Mouth Fishing Stick Bait Review

It’s no secret that stick baits are something of a cheat code in the bass fishing world. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has impacted bass fishing the way Gary Yamamoto did when he introduced us to the Senko in 1996.

In my experience, these plastics strike a balance of catching the volume and size of fish I’m after that few other options offer.

So It makes sense that loads of companies offer their take on the holy grail of stick baits. I’ve spent money with many of them.

But when I saw an Instagram post from Wisconsin-based company BIGG Mouth Fishing, I was immediately intrigued.

Continue reading “BIGG Mouth Fishing Stick Bait Review” →
0

Unpacking the feelings

There is no shortage of anecdotal and scientific evidence that being outdoors is good for your mental health.

The ol’ “getting some fresh air” trick has done wonders for countless people, myself included.

Disconnecting from the day-to-day and experiencing the beauty of the natural world, even for a brief period has a way of re-charging our proverbial batteries and leveling us out, often bringing about feelings of peace, calm, and relaxation.

But as you spend more time alone in nature, you’ll find these experiences can offer up more complex emotions. Some that, on the surface, may not necessarily seem positive.

Continue reading “Unpacking the feelings” →
0

Hunting for trout

“If you want something you have never had, you must do something you’ve never done.”

The fact that this quote is frequently misattributed to Thomas Jefferson shouldn’t take away its sentiment. It certainly doesn’t for me.

After I came up empty in my mission to land my first inland trout on a fly rod during the early season, my friend Brandon offered me an opportunity. His family owns a cabin in Langlade County and he discovered an abundance of quality trout fishing spots during some scouting trips last year. He told me I was welcomed to join him for an adventure that would likely get me off the schneid.

Continue reading “Hunting for trout” →
0

My Earth Day Wish

Before you roll your eyes and go, “Oh great, another Earth Day think piece just like all the rest of ’em,” I hope you’ll hear me out.

Make no mistake, I am going to get up on my soap box. Today seems as good a day as any to do it. But I’m not going to take the cliche path of imploring you to plant a tree or pick up some trash. Though, those are always wonderful things to do.

In fact, even though there are loads of things we need to do to protect our planet, I’m not going to ask you to take any action at all. Not right now, anyway. My only ask of you throughout this entire would-be sermon is to stop and think. Because, unfortunately, I feel our society is in need of a mindset shift before we are capable of meaningful change.

Continue reading “My Earth Day Wish” →
1

Is it ethical to feed birds?

When my wife and I bought our first home, I knew I wanted to put a bird feeder in our backyard. I greatly desired having a little slice of nature in the middle of our town.

As someone who tries to be conservation-minded, before I went to the hardware store and bought all of the necessary supplies, I stopped to ponder a question I still ask myself to this day: “Is it OK to feed wild birds?”

Continue reading “Is it ethical to feed birds?” →
0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑