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ECONOMY: Surviving the Recession
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| By Rod Daniel |
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Local business use innovative strategies to compete
Nowhere is the impact of a struggling economy felt stronger than a small business trying to break even.
Whether it sells and fixes bicycles or provides groceries, produce and meats to working families, staying afloat in today’s economy relies on a business’ ability to make changes.
• Valley Bike and Ski in Hamilton has sold and serviced bicycles and Nordic ski equipment in Hamilton for more than two decades. Owner Randy Leavell said the last year has been a challenge, but he and his three employees are faring well.
“Bike sales are definitely down,” Leavell said, “but we’ve still had a pretty good year. Having been here for 20 years and having an established clientele really helps.”
While the Hamilton bike shop has seen a drop in floor sales, they’ve almost made up for it in their service department. According to mechanic Tony Neaves, folks are bringing in bikes they haven’t used in awhile and getting them tuned up.
“We’re seeing old bikes coming out of garages that people haven’t ridden in years,” Neaves said. “Maybe a guy wants to commute to work and rather than buying a new bike he says ‘my old bike still works, I’ll just get it fixed.’”
Since the recession took hold, he said, people are much less likely to buy a high-end bike for recreation and more likely to buy a cheaper bike for commuting. “We’ve sold a lot of $400 bikes to people who want them more as a way to get to work and less as a sports toy.”
Ski sales and rentals, Leavell said, haven’t seen much of a change. He attributes steady ski sales to the fact that Nordic skiing is a relatively inexpensive, family-oriented sport. Chief Joseph Cross-country Ski Area, about an hour south of Hamilton, boasts some of the best ski trails around and use of the trails is free.
For about three years, Leavell and Neaves have worked hard to get another system of Nordic ski trails established closer to Hamilton and Missoula. Just last month the duo began grooming more than 30 miles of trails initiating near Lake Como and stretching south all the way to Tin Cup Creek.
Punctuated with dramatic views of both the Bitterroots and the Sapphires, the dog friendly trail is intended to draw more cross-country skiers to the area.
“We hope people will come here to ski, eat at local restaurants and stay at local hotels,” Leavell said.
Helping other local businesses, he said, is part of his own strategy for success.
“I think surviving in this economy is about supporting each other,” he said. “We’ve tightened our belts, started doing our own bookkeeping, and we try not to be frivolous with our spending. But we also make it a point to eat out at a local restaurant every now and then.”
• Up the road in Missoula, Open Road Bicycles and Nordic Equipment is one of a half dozen bike and ski shops serving the greater Missoula area. Owner Dan Dahlberg said 2009 was only the second “down year” he has experienced in 14 years.
His strategy for keeping the doors open, he said, is to adjust his inventory and closely watch his labor costs.
“The lower-priced items are selling fairly well,” he said, “but anything over $2,000 is pretty dead.”
Nationally, he said, bike sales are down. Couple that with the competition from five other bike shops, and Dahlberg said it’s a challenge to stay in business.
“In the bike industry you don’t get a king’s ransom for your work,” he said, “but the trade off is being involved in the community and doing what you love. We have a loyal following of customers, and we rely on them to keep us going.
In the natural and bulk food industry, the challenge of staying in the black is just as daunting.
• Jim Wood, owner of Bitterroot Grocery Emporium in Hamilton, has noticed some definite trends in the last year.
“Probably the biggest change,” he said, “is our customers are now a lot more conscious about what they spend. They’re looking for the best value, not necessarily the lowest price.”
An example, he said, is the bulk foods department, which has doubled in size over the last year.
“We might see a customer who last year was buying a $4 box of cereal every week, and now they’re buying a pound of granola instead. People who want to eat well and save money are turning to bulk buying because it’s a better value.”
Known locally for its extensive wine selection, Grocery Emporium now offers a higher percentage of lower-priced wines to meet customer demand. And even the customers who can afford the more expensive wines are more cost-conscious than in years past.
“We’re selling the same amount of bottles, but people are spending less per bottle,” he said.
Wood points to his “Value Wine Table” to illustrate his point. “We have one of the top wines in the world priced at $75 per bottle right next to a nice wine that the importer wanted to clear out priced at $7.99. Both are a good deal and both are popular with our customers.”
Reacting to customer needs, Wood has made a number of changes in his marketing strategy in the last year, including marking down the price of organic produce 10 percent one day a week and mailing a newsletter with coupons to his best customers.
“We’re now marketing to the people who want our products and tailoring our products to what these customers want,” he said.
In 2010, Bitterroot Grocery Emporium will offer more than 400 sale items each day and will rotate the items on a regular basis.
• In Missoula, managers of the 30-year-old Good Food Store are meeting the challenges of a depressed economy head-on. Grocery manager Pam Clevenger said the store has made some aggressive changes on behalf of their customers.
“A year ago, when we first became aware of the economic downturn, we realized our customers would have a harder time managing their food dollars,” she said. “So we tried to come up with a strategy.”
After looking at movement reports to determine their most popular items, they identified across-the-board staple items and lowered the margins on those products. Labeled “Good Choices” in both their advertising flyers and on their shelves, these products represent good value to the customers and their sales have increased accordingly.
Another proactive change the store has taken is scaling back the inventory of high-end wines and bringing in more wines in the lower-price category.
“We’re having to sell more wine to make the same amount in sales (as last year),” she said.
Clevenger said the staff at the Good Food Store is “trying to bust the stigma that we’re a place people can’t afford to shop.”
“I’m one of our customers and I’m constantly looking out for our interests,” she said.
The results of their proactive efforts have paid off, she said.
“We haven’t seen a downturn in customers, and our bulk department has seen an incredible growth in the last year,” she said. “But what I’m most proud of is we haven’t had to lay off anyone or reduce our employees’ hours. With a staff of 180 people, that’s really saying something.”
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ROADSIDE CHATS: New Year’s resolutions’ connections to the art of frugal living
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| By Shannon Selway |
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Tick, tock…The clock strikes midnight and in rolls the New Year, and with it brings a promise of a fresh start. The advent of the New Year usually brings about reflection of the past and how we want to change negative things about ourselves or our world for the better. The typical top resolutions out there, I find, really breaks down into four categories: health, relationships, spirituality and debt-related concerns. Those with resolutions in any area will find that frugalness can help your cause!
Most bad habits cost a lot of money! Smoking/chewing, junk food, soda pop, alcohol, out-of-control shopping, needless spending, and gambling (to name a few) are some vices that, if ceased or limited, can really have a positive effect on the pocketbook, as well as on physical and mental health. It seems that creating a good habit or dumping a bad one usually saves money – and in many cases, a rather substantial amount.
The idea of frugality is quickly becoming vogue, and there are many ways to apply frugalness in this material world.
Take quitting smoking for example. Everyone knows it’s very unhealthy and linked to an assortment of medical issues and diseases. The product itself is also expensive (in Montana the cost is about $6 per pack, and for a pack-a-day smoker, that costs the smoker $2,190 annually – enough bucks for a nifty vacation). Throw in the other economic costs associated with smoking, such as health costs, higher insurance, home and auto property depreciation (due to smoke damage/smell), breath mints, and perhaps even the loss of employment opportunities (some employers won’t hire smokers), and you will find that smoking carries a very hefty price tag.
It’s no secret that exercise is a big asset to obtaining fitness. It reduces the risk of some cancers, increases lifespan, increases mood-enhancing endorphins, reduces blood pressure, tones and strengthens muscle, and will make one feel a whole lot better. It will also help with weight loss, is an excellent stress reducer and can, in fact, be of great assistance to quitting tobacco. In a nutshell, the aspect of incorporating exercise in conjunction with whatever health-related goals will further your cause, and zap you full of energy! Who couldn’t use a little more pep in their step?! All you need to do is put on some shoes and take a walk or hike!
The old saying “you are what you eat” comes into play for weight control, mental health, and overall health. Decide that the burger and fries are to be only a rare treat; ditto for sweets. If you can look forward to a Mo burger, Hoagieville cheese fries, or a Dairy Queen treat every so often, then knowing you can enjoy a special treat down the road may make the “here and now” self-discipline a tad easier (an approach that has helped yours truly). Besides, eating out costs many times over than what it does to cook your food - and homemade is always so much better.
Make a budget (be completely honest with yourself) and put a special section aside to keep track of how much money you spend, and where. Each week, try to spend a little less than the week before. This can be a lot of fun as you start competing with yourself. You will be amazed how much lower you can go week by week.
Canceling unneeded services is another way to loosen up some funds. Do you have a bunch of magazines coming to your home that you seldom or never read? Drop the subscription. Many have articles online anyway which carry a great price of $zero! Besides, you’re not adding to the energy and paper it takes for the publication. Take a look at other services you may subscribe to: cable/satellite TV, newspapers, etc. The key here is to take an honest look at what you really enjoy and use. If TV is important to you, keep it, and look for other non-necessities to trim. Don’t forget the deals at the library – free usage of books, CDs, DVDs, videos, audio-books and Internet!
As for entertainment, we’re lucky to live where we do. There are oodles of free events in Missoula and in the Bitterroot for the taking, and many events that aren’t free are of low cost. Check out what’s going on at the U of M and around the region; bone up on what’s out there! Mimic our grandparents who spent endless enjoyable hours with their friends playing cards and games – a great way to socialize that costs nothing!
Inventory items in your house and pick out all of the things that you don’t use or need. Be honest that that outfit you looked so good in 10 years ago, and haven’t worn since, should go in the don’t need or use pile. Once you have finished rounding up all your unneeded goods, decide if any are worthy of selling on consignment or on E-Bay. Those which don’t cut the consignment or E-Bay mustard can be donated to a great local charity (with a tax deductible donation receipt you can use later on). Not only will you simplify your life by de-cluttering, you will make a little dough, and help someone else in the process.
Sorry, but I can’t help but push the no-brainers on gas and electric conservation. When feasible, run your washing machine on cold, and make sure you turn out any lights that are not in use. Another great way to save money here is to turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater. If the weather permits, put your clothes out on the clothesline and let the sunshine and wind dry them and make them smell awesome! You can save money by putting on a sweater or wrapping up warm with a Snuggie on the sofa.
As for grocery stores, never shop hungry, or you’re sure to arrive home with more than you intended! Ask yourself, “Do I really need this…or, do I just want this?” When you shop, cut out convenience foods as much as possible, i.e. frozen dinners, canned soup, junk food, etc. Also, you will find an entire isle dedicated to cleaning supplies, but all you really need is a big jug of white vinegar, jug of clear ammonia, jug of hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda.
Don’t’ shop unless you have a specific agenda, or chances are you will buy more. So you decide you need an item of some sort. Remember those things you dropped off at Good Will, the Pov, or Bargain Corner? Those same places probably have that “item” you need. Go ahead, check it out – you just might save a bundle. And, as the seasons permit, don’t forget how much fun seeking treasures out at rummage sales can be!
Frugality reduces one’s environmental footprints. Frugality saves money. Such a way of living is healthier, and it promotes a sense of pride and accomplishment when you realize that yes, you make a difference and can do without!
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HISTORY: The Chronicles of Crazy Woman Campground
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By Wm. W. Whitfield
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Some things in life are simply inexplicable. Over a period of time you might eventually find a way to rationalize certain life-altering events, or then again, you may find yourself puzzling over them for as long as you live. The tale I’m about to tell is true, and yet the reality of it lurks vaguely in the shadows of an uncertain world occupied by strange and unexplainable audio and visual sensations. I believe the events are presented here just as they occurred, but I will admit that all things in life are not what they seem.
Way back in the summer of 1975, a young couple packed up all their worldly possessions and headed west, trading the over-crowded conditions of the mid-west for the wide-open spaces and towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains. An old VW beetle served them faithfully as a cheap form of transportation, and as the travelers made their way from east to west, they gazed with wide-eyed amazement at the sheer magnitude of endless blue skies hovering majestically over an infinitely curving horizon. Granted, they had no plan, very little money, and hardly a clue as to where their road might lead them. Oregon may have been a goal to begin with, but that dream was only realized later, after fate had worked her magic and pointed them on towards some other whimsical quest. But, such is the way of youth, there are seemingly no limits in life when time is on your side and the lure of adventure awaits.
Somewhere west of Buffalo, Wyoming, the little beetle began its ascent of the first real mountain range it would have to cross. The Big Horn Mountains stood up in broad defiance of the tiny little car with its tiny little engine, but it puttered along at its own comfortable pace. Evening came up quickly on the travelers and they began to search out a place to pull off the road and raise their tent. As the car left the highway there was a loud thump, and with a sudden jerk the right front tire was completely swallowed up by the wheel-well. It took just a quick glance to see that a broken ball-joint was to blame, and that the cost would amount to more money than they had remaining in their pockets. Their journey was stalled in Buffalo, and while summer turned into fall, the couple struggled to refill their empty coffer. Then they heard that the highway over the mountain was scheduled for widening and repaving, and within a week or so they were hired on. She worked as a flagger, and he got on as a laborer, and things were definitely looking up.
The construction crew had a large camp situated in a wide-open meadow, cluttered with their utility and camping trailers, along with a host of pickup trucks and machinery. The young couple chose to pitch their little tent at a Forest Service campground a few miles further up the road, away from all the hustle and bustle of an active construction site. The campsites were strategically placed along a narrow paved road that wound its way through a dense forest of large pine and spruce trees, along a beautiful alpine stream known as Crazy Woman Creek. Our travelers chose a nice little spot near the edge of the woods, close to the rustic facilities, and the water well, which was operated with an old hand pump. The lively little stream gurgled on incessantly with its strangely hypnotic sounds just a short distance from their camp, and Cloud Peak reached up for the deep blue winter sky through the misty puffs of cottony clouds floating overhead.
The couple had the campground entirely to themselves as the chill of winter made its final approach, and once the cold weather came, the laborer’s duties involved watching a line of huge burn piles that had to be removed before spring came, and the paving project began. This meant that his workweek was extended until the fires had safely burned out. The couple had gotten used to driving in to Buffalo for a nice warm room and a hot bath on the weekends, but now they were suddenly forced to huddle together in their tent at night, as fresh snow blanketed the ground around them. Near the end of a long shift they bravely decided to break a hole in the ice-covered creek, and wash their faces and hair in the frigid stream. Even though the water in the creek was absolutely freezing, they somehow felt refreshed enough afterwards to climb into their cozy sleeping bags and fall into a deep and peaceful sleep. As nighttime fell on the lonely little camp, the only residents snuggled up in their downy beds and slumbered contentedly in their isolated retreat.
Sometime in the middle of the night they awoke to the sounds of activity around them. The young couple sat up and looked at each other in puzzled wonder. Chains rattled, wooden boards creaked against leather bindings, and heavy hoofs stomped loudly on the frozen ground. It almost sounded as if the newcomers had arrived in horse-drawn wagons! A low murmur of voices was heard, and then blazing campfires came to life, flickering brightly through the thin nylon walls of their little tent. Eventually, the fires gradually dimmed and the sounds grew faint as the campground once again fell silent. Fully expecting to have a campground full of new visitors in the morning, the couple nestled back down into their warm bags and quickly fell into another deep sleep. Then, just before the light of day, they heard more activity, as if the visitors were packing up and leaving. After the faint sounds had trailed off in the distance, the campers thought they heard the voice of a little girl calling out, “Here kitty kitty, here kitty kitty!”
As the light of dawn streamed into the silent campground, the couple arose to investigate the odd goings on of the night before. They were surprised when they saw that their own tracks were the only ones in the snow. They traced themselves back to the creek where they had taken their bath in the icy waters. They walked through the deep snow where the various fires had been lit, and the horses and carts had come to a halt for the evening. Nothing other than undisturbed whiteness revealed itself, and amazingly, no melted snow existed where hearty crackling campfires glowed the night before. They looked at each other in complete and utter bewilderment. If it was all a dream, how could they have interacted with one another so closely throughout it all, each one remembering the exact same details, right down to the little girl calling out for her missing cat? It perplexed them beyond belief, and none of it made any sense whatsoever. Were the strange occurrences some sort of shared hysterical dream sequence, or was there something far darker and much more ominous hidden just beyond sight, and well outside the realm of the waking world?
Later on, the last of the brush piles burning along the highway finally grew cold, and the couple once again made their way down the mountain for some much-needed rest and relaxation. After scrubbing up, they ventured out to the local pub to meet up with friends, and the subject of their strange visitation came up in the conversation. All their friends were as mystified as our young witnesses were, until a local man spoke up who had been listening in with one ear as the excited couple told their ghostly tale. “I’ll bet you two were staying at Crazy Woman campground, weren’t you?” They both looked at the old-timer as if he was some kind of a mind reader. “Yep!” they both said, with a surprised look on their faces, “but how did you know?” The old stranger took a deliberately slow tug at his beer and carefully wiped his lips before he answered, “Well, you’re not the first ones to ever tell that story, it’s a well known fact around these parts.”
According to this informant, the trail they were camped on was the same one used by early travelers, and wagon trains often stopped for the evening at that particular point on the road. Legend has it that one of these wagon trains pulled out early one morning, leaving behind a little girl who had strayed off in search of her lost cat. When the family finally realized they were one member short, a search party was sent back to comb the area, but no sign of the girl was discovered, and the men eventually gave up their search and returned to the wagon train with their sad news. The little girl was apparently saved by a band of Indians who found her wandering alone in the woods calling out for her kitty. According to the legend, the event had shaken this girl so badly that she never regained her sanity, and as the years passed by, her rescuers came to know her as Crazy Woman. Other accounts of the Crazy Woman myth often tell of an entirely different scenario, but this is the story told to a young couple one night over a beer in the Buffalo Bar.
A lot of time has passed since that memorable winter night, and yet I still can’t help but wonder how it is that those ghostly sounds and images managed to glue themselves to that exact location for so many years. Just what kind of vaporous and unseen forces were behind this mysteriously odd phenomenon? I suppose it’s possible that some things in life just aren’t explainable. Perhaps strange things randomly happen from time to time, and if they’re caused from sticking your head through a hole in the ice, or working way too many hours under extremely stressful conditions, then that explanation will just have to do. But, if by any chance there happens to be some deeper meaning, or some weird ethereal ghost world haunting a lonely little campground in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, then please don’t say I didn’t warn you, before you go innocently pitching your lonely little tent out there amongst them.
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REAL ESTATE: Ethical Practices and Mortgage Lending
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| By Darwin Ernst |
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It is very evident that lowered ethical business practices have played a major role in our nation’s current recession and the current global economic collapse. Many businesses contributed to a large volume of fraudulent mortgage loans by allowing themselves to lower their ethical business practices in pursuit of higher profits. It is easy to place blame on specific types of businesses involved in mortgage lending for our current economic situation. The blame can be placed on the borrower, who was willing to inflate their annual income for a “stated income” loan. Blame can be placed on the lender, who made a bad lending decision or the appraiser that inflated the value of the real estate. Blame can even be placed with the Wall Street security traders, who were willing to overstate the value, or “rating”, of mortgage-backed securities. Ultimately, blame can be shared by all of the unethical participants in the mortgage lending process.
The first legislation designed to curb the problems associated with mortgage lending was directed at the real estate appraisers and banks. Following the savings and loan crisis during the 1980’s, federal legislators enacted the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) in 1989. Unfortunately, they failed to provide any funding for enforcing compliance with this act. This resulted in the state governments and financial lending institutions bearing the burden of funding, implementation, and enforcement of the legislation.
The state of Montana followed the mandate and formed the Montana Real Estate Appraiser Board. Following the new rules of FIRREA the real estate appraisers in Montana were licensed and placed under state regulation. Currently, it takes an associate degree or higher, an additional 200 hours of education specific to appraisal practice, 2500 hours of documented appraisal experience with an approved mentor, a passing grade on a standardized national test, and work product review by the Montana Board of Real Estate Appraisers to obtain a certified residential real estate appraiser license in Montana. The requirements to obtain a certified commercial appraiser’s license in Montana are even more stringent.
By comparison it takes one week of education and a passing grade on a standardized national exam to obtain a real estate sales license. And Mortgage loan originators require six months of experience working in a “related field” and the state decides what constitutes “related field”. There are no other examination or education requirements in Montana for mortgage brokers because they were repealed by additional legislation.
FIRREA did not mandate licensing for bank loan officers, because they were under the supervision of the bank. FIRREA did require banks to implement a variety of changes in an attempt to reform the existing mortgage practices, which was an added expense to the financial lending institutions.
Banks were required to raise their lending criteria, so they sought borrowers with sound credit scores with adequate savings, and the less qualified borrowers were declined and sent elsewhere. The borrowers who did not qualify for one of the banks’ conventional loans soon discovered they could obtain a loan through mortgage brokers, who could look for secondary lenders willing to purchase their sub-prime loans.
Many of the bank loan officers saw opportunities available as mortgage brokers and a wave of loan officers, making near minimum wage, left their bank employer and entered the unregulated field of mortgage brokering. There were no licensing requirements for mortgage brokers, no ethical practices to worry about, and no education requirements. And if there were any doubts before leaving the bank, there was the added bonus of unlimited income potential and no regulators to watch over them.
Now the independent mortgage broker had the ultimate job with unlimited income potential and no regulation. Once the loan was successfully sold, the broker had no further responsibility or liability. These loans were all too often purchased by the government sponsored entities (GSE’s) known as Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. These corporate giants needed to satisfy investors, so they purchased loans from banks and mortgage brokers and bundled the loans into large portfolios. These large portfolios were often loaded with substandard loans, but there were very limited quality control requirements within the GSE’s and no regulation requirements mandated by the government. These large portfolios were made available to unsuspecting investors in the form of a mortgage-backed security (MSB).
The Wall Street businesses involved with the rating of these mortgage-backed securities felt pressure to offer investors the opportunity to invest in securities with “AAA” ratings. Because of the increased percentage of sub-prime mortgage loans, mortgage-backed securities that used to receive a rating of “B” or even “C”, were capable or receiving a higher rating, because there were no better security investment opportunities available.
Everyone seemed content for some time, as borrowers were able to borrow more than they should, loans were affordable and easy to obtain, the GSE’s were exceeding projected income, and investors thought they had purchased sound investments. This economic euphoria was very short lived once investors found themselves unable to sell their worthless mortgage-backed securities. The investors holding the worthless security paper blamed those who rated their securities, and so on down the line. Each business layer involved with creating the unstable economic house of cards blamed the lower layer for their financial woes until there was no one left to blame but the borrowers themselves.
These borrowers quickly blamed the governmental regulatory agencies that “allowed” them to obtain sub-prime loans. The Montana Mortgage Broker, Mortgage Lender, and Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act of 2008 established licensing and regulation of the mortgage brokers in another small step toward mortgage reform. Since the Federal Housing Agency (FHA) has insured approximately 25% of the mortgage market (with 14% in delinquency), FHA has also passed new guidelines to be implemented as of January 1, 2010.
FHA-approved lenders can no longer allow any commissioned loan officers (or mortgage brokers) the ability to order appraisals. This is an attempt to curb the volume of fraudulent loans created by collusion between the lenders and the appraisers. Locally, we still have appraisers and mortgage brokers working side by side to make loans work for sub-prime borrowers.
Ultimately, it is our responsibility as a borrower, appraiser, loan officer, mortgage broker, security trader, or other person involved in the lending process to engage in ethical business practices. If we all could be a little less greedy and work toward more ethical business practices, our economic outlook would increase dramatically.
I will be heading back to Washington DC this spring to lobby congress on mortgage reform issues, so if you have any insight or comments, I am available by e-mail.
e-mail: darwin@tekboys.com
Designated Residential Member of the Appraisal Institute, Montana Real Estate Appraiser Board Member, Montana Residential Certified Appraiser, Licensed Real Estate Agent, Realtor, and President of Independent Valuation Solutions, LLC
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| Gingered Venison |
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Wow, January is here and winter sports are going strong. Did you know for the serious trapper, that the pelts will be beautiful? Well it seems that this reminds me of our two inept outdoors men when they were younger, they are the infamous Trip and Fall.
Now this story takes place when our boys were beginning their turn to manhood. At this time of their lives they were interested in a small business that could give them quick cash to buy new toys. Unfortunately They would, as usual, get into trouble because of their ineptness. They decided that setting up trap lines and checking them after their work day would be the answer to extra cash.This seemed particularly enticing because the price for furry critter pelts was very high, as it was predicted to be a particularly harsh winter.
The two of them read everything published on trapping and scent-making and began to believe they could make enough money to get that duck hunting lease for next year. It seems that everything written about scents was very vague because it seems that these scents are some of the oldest secrets only known to the mountain men and they sure did not want to pass them on to anyone not in the tight circle of mountain men.
They experimented with everything from peanut butter to racoon droppings to pig intestines. They finally got the scent down (so they thought ) to three separate scents - essence of beaver, mink and coyote that all critters would love to eat. They knew their fortune was secure in the making. The major problem was their parents would not let them stay indoors anymore because they smelled as bad as the scents they made.
Off they go at the crack of dawn to set their trap lines to capture mink, beaver, coyote and anything else that passed by their traps. It was about ten above with a nasty wind, mighty cold indeed. They placed the beaver bait, set the trap and could hardly wait to check it later. Next they went about finding the routs of several minks and seeded the traps with the oily scent. Finally they set the fox and coyote traps. Now our two boys were kindhearted and set traps that would not injure or kill their critters., till they could dispatch them with an old 22 caliber pistol. They went to bed that night with dreams of coming home with many a pelt.
Neither one could sleep, it was about two am, pitch black, about ten below when they started on the long journey to check out their trap lines. Trip started out by immediately stepping out of the old truck and fell flat on his back, breaking the bottle of rancid mink scent in his pocket. He smelled so bad that Fall had to wrap his kerchief around his nose just to walk with him. All the while berating Trip on how long it took to squeeze out that chicken fat, getting the musk from the neighbors goat and wrestling that deer to the ground. It was no easy task getting those scent glands milked.
They arrived at the sight of the beaver trap only to find that the beavers had taken the trap, bait and all, and dragged it as far from their den as possible by chewing through rope tie downs, our two bimbo’s had used. They sure did not have the beaver scent down.The beavers hated the smell so bad that they dragged it a good quarter mile away and buried it. Well, undaunted the two of them went on to find the mink and fox traps. To their dismay, all these traps were destroyed by some very large and angry critter. It actually scared the heck out of them and that pistol was looking mighty small.
Finally they take off to find the coyote trap , but with much trepidation, not knowing what to expect. The snow was getting deeper and they thought they were being followed. They walked on, looking in front of them and in back while serching for their trap sets. They found a trap and discovered they were using the wrong kind of bait because, to put it delicately, there was poop on the trap, mighty big and scary poop at that.
They still had a fare piece to go when they realized they were smelling something other than the broken bottle of scent. It was the rotten package of chicken intestines that Fall was carrying and it had been leaking all during their trek. All of a sudden in front of them they saw a trap and there was something in it. It was not what the boys had planned on. It was one mighty ticked off bobcat. He was in no mood to have the rope untangled from his body. You see, this was not bobcat season and they had to release the mad cat.
It was spitting and carrying on and was mad enough to kill a grizzly bear.Then Trip had a brain cramp and decided to take off his outer coat that had the leakage problem, and throw it over the cat, jump on top and have Fall cut it loose. That coat smelled so bad that it made that bobcat pass out and was easily removed and let go. Unknown to the boys, their problems were just getting started. They soon realized that they were the ones being tracked. It seemed that all the while the chicken juices were trickling from the coat a very angry and hungry critter was following them. They had scared everything edible out of the area and those chicken drippings were pretty darn alluring to that hungry, ill tempered member of the skunk family, a wolverine. Now that critter has a reputation of being fearless and even intimidating to a full grown bear.They spotted the wolverine coming up behind them and the race was on.
They were running fast and shedding cloths as they picked up speed. All the while they could hear him snarling and snapping his teeth. They dropped their lunches and he ate them. They dropped their coats and he ate them, They even dropped the chicken guts and he ate them while continuing to gain on the boys. They were racing to the safety of the old truck, knowing that climbing trees wouldn’t help them, and that the old wolverine could climb them. They saw that wolverine gaining and knew that the last in line would be a snack and the guy up front the main course. Just as the hungry critter gets within three feet of them they arrive at the site of that old beaver trap and the hungry critter stopped to tear it apart. and bolted off howling and screeching. They figured that it got a whiff of that nasty beaver bait and couldn’t handle it.
Our two boys reached that old truck, wearing boots and birthday suits and were mighty glad that old truck heater still worked. You know they never did trap after that. They were last seen helping their little sisters selling Girl Scout cookies and asking for a commission.
I bet you think this month’s recipe is for beaver soup, well I thought a bit of venison back strap would be much better. I thought a bit Gingered Venison would go good.
What you need...
• One pound venison back strap - cut into half inch slices
• Peanut oil
• Two minced garlic cloves
• Two teaspoons cornstarch
• Three tablespoons teriyaki
• Half teaspoon ground ginger
• One six ounce can pineapple juice
• Three cups cooked rice
• Half quarter cup frozen peas
What you do
Add two tablespoons peanut oil (more if needed ) to a fry pan on medium high heat, then add the sliced venison. Brown on each side and remove when medium done. Set aside and keep warm. Mix well all the remaining ingredients, except the cooked rice and peas, and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil and then simmer for three minutes, stirring constantly. Heat the peas and rice and place on a platter. Arrange the venison over the rice and ladle the hot sauce over the meat and rice.
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