Daily Archives: May 6, 2013

Caney Teens Create YouTube Channel for Hunting, Fishing Fans.

                                         Chance Brake and Sidney Smith
   
 A pair of Caney-area teenagers aren’t quite ready to host their own show on the Outdoor Channel. But Chance Brake and Sidney Smith are cutting their teeth in the outdoor television market with their own YouTube channel devoted to all-things outdoors.
    Brake, a freshman and Smith, an eighth grade student, at Caney Valley Jr.-Sr. High School are avid outdoor enthusiasts, spending their after-school hours with a shotgun, bow, or fishing reel in hand.  They’ve taken their love of their outdoors to the internet, where the duo has created a series of videos on their own YouTube channel. 

Called BS Boys Outdoors (B as in Brake and S as in Smith), the channel shows the two teenagers offering their advice on hunting, fishing and cooking wildlife.  YouTube viewers can watch Smith explain how to disassemble and clean a shotgun—or how to catch and clean rabbits. 

    Want to learn how to trap a coyote?  BS Boys Outdoors has prepared that Video.  Need to know how to prepare deer meat for an evening meal?  You can watch Chance fry deer back straps (with fried mushrooms as a culinary complement).

   “We love hunting and fishing,” said Chance.  “And we just thought it would be neat to offer our take on how to enjoy the outdoors.”  Brake and Smith also said they were recently interviewed by KVOE, Phil Taunton’s radio show , an Emporia radio station, which caught wind of the Caney teenagers’ online outdoor channel. 

The ease of using a hand held video camera—combined with some easy-to-use computer software—allow Brake and Smith to create their videos in little time, they said.

    We’ve got more ideas for upcoming videos,” said Sid.

Besides taking outdoor sports to an online level, they are also taking their love of fishing to a level of generosity.  BS Boys Outdoors will sponsor a benefit catfishing tournament on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19, for Garrett Battige, a Copan teenager who has been diagnosed with brain cancer.

   We’ve never sponsored a tournament on our own, but we know people who love to fish will enjoy that weekend , and it’s going to a good cause,” said Chance.  We understand the members of the TV show “Mudcats” will be participating.

State and International Winners Selected in 2013 State-Fish Art Contest

                                          Art by Ziche Wang (Grades 4-6)

Wildlife Forever is proud to announce the winners of the 2013 State-Fish Art Contest supported by NRG. A distinguished panel of fish artists and honorary judges selected 141 winners from a field of thousands to be “the best of the best” in their state and grade category and for the international entries in each grade category.

“Wildlife Forever is pleased to honor the talented young artists, educators and parents who make the State-Fish Art Contest such a successful program,” said Douglas H. Grann, President & CEO of Wildlife Forever. “Together, we are using art to empower a new generation of conservationists. By sharing their fish art with family, friends and the general public, our young people are becoming ambassadors for good stewardship of our aquatic resources.”

All winning entries can be seen at: http://www.wildlifeforever.org/contest/awards/state/2013statewinners/2013state.

Each state’s winner will have the opportunity to join talented young artists from across the country at the 15th Annual State-Fish Art EXPO July 12 and 13 at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry, Georgia. All winning artwork will be on display and an awards ceremony, at the Perry Arts Center, will recognize the winners before the crowd. Each winning artist, attending the EXPO, will receive an award, great prizes, art supplies, goodie bags, and a fishing rod & reel from Rapala.

The “Top 12” National Awards will be announced at the State-Fish Art EXPO honoring the top three pieces of artwork in each grade category selected from all the states, Ontario and international first place winners.

An overall “Best of Show” winner will be announced to receive the “Seth Thomas Spradlin Best of Show Award” given in honor of the 2008 winner who lost his life in an Alaska bush plane accident in August of 2010.

The People’s Choice Award will be determined by a world-wide public online vote through links on the State-Fish Art website www.StateFishArt.org and on the Contest Fan page: www.facebook.com/StateFishArtContest. Online voting will begin on Friday, May 17th and conclude on Friday, June 28th with additional votes collected in person at the State-Fish Art EXPO. Over 54,000 views and votes were cast in the 2012 contest!

One outstanding piece of artwork will win the “Art of Conservation” Stamp Award and be reproduced as the 2013 Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Conservation Stamp. Proceeds from the stamp will be used to fund the Contest.

The “Smile Award”, will be given to a piece of art, selected from all the entries, that just “makes you smile and feel good inside” … how cool is that!

This year’s “Invader Crusader” will be chosen from the entries in the Silent Invader Category. The art and essay include both a state-fish and an invasive species.

For the second year, the essays accompanying each piece of art will be judged and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place essays in each grade category will receive the new national Fish Make You Smarter Award. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service judged the Grade 10-12 Category and will be on hand to award the trophies for excellence.

Wildlife Forever’s 15th annual State-Fish Art Contest and EXPO is made possible by support from NRG, as Title Sponsor, North American Fishing Club, U.S. Forest Service, Rapala, Blick Art Materials, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, U.S Fish & Wildlife Service Fisheries and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Kansas Ash Trees in Danger!

The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species of beetle that has begun to spread into Kansas over the last year. It has killed tens of millions of ash trees in other states, and may have the same devastating effect in Kansas. The annual cycle of the beetle dictates that it will begin emerging as early as mid May, and Ash Borer activity will peak in June.

            In order to prevent damage to Ash trees, and to slow the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, many individuals are choosing to preemptively use pesticides on their ash trees. Tree owners are encouraged to inject their trees rather than spray pesticides on ground around the tree because chemicals are very harmful to aquatic ecosystems.   

            The practice of using pesticides or insecticides may be necessary to protect Ash trees, but it is important to do so in the correct and responsible manner. Inject the trees when possible but if you do spray please avoid over saturating the ground, and avoid direct application near water ways or storm drains. If you are treating your trees with pesticides or insecticidesplease make sure to follow all labels. Imidacloprid is one of the more common chemicals used to treat for Emerald Ash Borer and it is designated as highly toxic to aquatic invertebrate populations as well bee populations. Aquatic invertebrates make up many of the keystone species in aquatic ecosystems, and it is crucial that they maintain a healthy population.

            A few easy tips to remember:

♦ When using insecticides to protect from the Emerald Ash Borer; inject whenever possible!

♦ If you have to spray make sure to follow correct application rates.

♦ If you must spray then avoid spraying close to waterways, or storm drains, and avoid spraying prior to rain events.

For more information please visit: Kansas Department of Agriculture –http://www.ksda.gov/plant_protection/content/379 or http://www.emeraldashborer.info/

Boating Safety Class – May 11


Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will offer a one-day boating safety class to the boating public on Saturday May 11, 2013. The class will be held at the Lawrence Fire & Medical Department facility (Jayhawk Room) located at 

1911 Stewart Ave.

 in Lawrence, Kansas, 66046. The class will start at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude by 5:00 p.m. While the course is free-of-charge, purchase of the course textbook “About Boating Safely” is optional ($15).

Topics covered by the course include boat types and marine motors, pre-underway activities and trailering, boat handling and navigation rules, legal requirements of boating, boating emergencies, operator responsibilities and water sports. A closed-book examination will be administered at the conclusion of the course. Successful completion of this safe boating class will satisfy the educational requirement of the State of Kansas for persons 12 years of age or older and less than 21 years of age, to operate a motorboat, sailboat or personal watercraft, and will help persons become safer, more informed boaters.

Pre-registration for the course is required. To pre-register, contact Pam Chaffee at [email protected] or (785) 550-4074.