Tony Bibbs - Outdoors Nation

Boat for Sale

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:30:14 -0500

Well, I'm finally getting around to upgrading my boat. I'm pretty excited but this also means I need to sell mine. I'm asking $4,500 or best offer for a great boat with these features:

1997 Spectrum Boat
2006 30hp Mercury 4-stroke with less than 35 hours
3 swivel seats with backs all in good condition. 1 pedestal seat used for bass fishing
12 gallon gas tank, two storage compartments and livewell.
Lights, bilge and aerator all work and are in good condition
Galvanized trailer with full spare that's in fantastic shape. Tires on trailer are brand new.
Optional: Minnkota Trolling motor. It's an auto-pilot that is compatible with the co-pilot remote (not includeded)
Interested parties should contact me at tony [at] tonybibbs [dot] com or call 515.554.8046

Fishing Boat for Sale from Tony BIbbs on Vimeo.

Preparing to Wade Iowa's Interior Streams

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:54:22 -0500

My first try at a short podcast. Basically a video with zilch in the way of editing. That's next:

Preparing to Fish Iowa's Interior Streams from Tony BIbbs on Vimeo.

Purple Martin Hatchlings!

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:22:55 -0500

And just like that we have at least 3 purple martin chicks! I just posted an update that we had eight eggs. Now we have no more than five! Today Kate called me at work to tell me the kids found a shell in the yard. I immediately suspected the worst that maybe a House Sparrow and pinned (cracked) one of the eggs. To my surprise there was no such tragedy and we had the two chicks shown! That said we now have only 22 days to enjoy the birds before we have to leave the nest undisturbed. Why 22 days? Well somewhere recently I read that is the magic time when the chicks will be strong enough to flee and that lowering the birdhouse can spook the birds and lead to disaster. That means we have roughly 5 nest checks we can do between now and then. In the meantime I hope Mother Nature is kind to the birds...no sparrows, no starlings and hopefully the heat won't be too bad.

Purple Martin Update

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:49:00 -0500

It's been a long time since I've posted an update on our Purple Martin Bird house. Right now I have nothing but good news. We have at least three nesting pair, one pair on the west-facing side and at least 2 pair on the east-facing side. I'm not sure about exact numbers actually living there because I can't see the east-facing side. Right now that side has three complete or nearly complete nests. I have two nests, one on each side with eggs. On pair laid eggs just last week and the other pair the week prior. Both nests with eggs have green leaves in them which I found a bit odd...apparently others do too. The picture shown is of one of those nests. Our guess is we should have you hatching the next couple of weeks which should be interesting.

This whole experience has been a fun family activity. The kids love the birds and they can't wait for me to do the next nest check. With nature's beauty comes it's downsides and I've had to explain to the girls that not all eggs may hatch and even the ones that do may not survive. That prompted a number of other good questions and I think they are getting it. One of the interesting things that Kate and the kids got to witness was hell breaking loose in one of the nests when a house sparrow made an entrance. I can't say for sure if they knew for sure it was a house sparrow or another purple martin. I've seen the purple martins getting into minor tussles with each other when one bird gets too curious about another nest. Kate, however, made it clear it was quite the fight which would suggest it was a house sparrow. For those not in the know, house sparrows are devilish little birds that will sometimes try to evict purple martins by destroy a nest and/or pushing eggs out. Starlings can be just as disruptive as seen by this video:

I personally haven't done anything active yet with regards to both sparrows and starlings. I've yet to see a starling on the bird house (thought I don't doubt their presence) and while I have seen sparrows they haven't "pinned" any of the eggs yet. I do have a sparrow trap that I may install with fresh bread here while the eggs are laid. I guess I struggle with doing that if the bread would actually attract them. As with anything new I've got a lot to learn!

Back to the good news. As for the birds, I know we have at least one after second year (ASY) male. Deep, brilliant purple color. The other males must be first or second year males because they don't sport the same brilliant colors and, frankly, it gets really hard to tell them apart from their mates because they have the same body size and same general colors. The ASY male and his mate have 4 of the eight eggs. It's been fun. I've been trying to do nest checks every 4 days trying to work them in around trips out-of-town. Summer plans keep us pretty busy and we've got one full week we'll be out-of-town so it'll be interesting to see if I can rope one of my neighbors into doing the check for me. More updates to come.

Making Memories in God's Country

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:38:00 -0500

Every year I try hard to get close friends and family together to enjoy the outdoors. This often takes many forms from the simple fishing trip, a walk in the woods mushroomin', a short hunt or, like this past Memorial Day weekend, a healthy dose of camping. No, not just any type of camping where you pick some random park and hang out. We're talking God's Country, Northeast Iowa where limestone bluffs, clean, small streams and classic Iowa towns give you plenty to do like canoing, fishing, birdwatching and a kids versus adults game of kickball. This past weekend was unbelievable!

You have to immediately understand why this part of the state is such an attraction for anybody that loves the outdoors. The image to the right is literally across from our campground. Imagine how relaxed you'd be hearing the trickle of the stream, echoes of morning songs sung by birds and he shear beauty of such a perfectly sculpted work of art! Another reason this part of the country is so special is because this is where my mom took my sister and I many times. Gone now two years this coming Father's Day, the memories I have of my mom over so many years up there gives me a strong spiritual connection with her everytime I visit. I can only hope that everybody reading this has such a place, somewhere you can go to clear mind, get right and focus on what is truly important in life. That's exactly what I did! The first treat for me on this trip was leaving a day sooner than the rest of our group to secure a good camping spot along the river. Because Maia had school, Kate stayed back with her while I took Lauryn and Ava on their first trip to this special place. It's not often I get to spend quality time with any of my girls but especially with my younger two. The nearly four hour drive up was pleasant as the kids did some napping before waking up to sing songs they heard on SIRIUS' KidStuff channel (awesome channel for anybody with kids). After arriving in Bluffton the kids were angels just taking in the sights and exploring as I got camp setup. As you can see in the picture both Lauryn and Ava were getting the hang of this camping thing quite well!

Day two things only got better. We started thing slowly with a campfire breakfast, some donuts and, for me, coffee. After that I wanted to do a few things with Lauryn and Ava that would give them a lasting memory of this area! First up was a trip to the Decorah Trout Hatchery. For those not in the know, many Northeast Iowa streams can support trout including brookies, rainbow and browns. The Decorah Hatchery is an impressive facility that not only raises trout fingerlings to catchable size, they also have a trout stream on the property that provides convenient access to anybody including those with accessibility concerns. Ava and Lauryn absolutely loved it! Small fish, big fish and everything in between. I had hoped to do some trout fishing that weekend along with a shore lunch. Ah, but we had so much to do we simply didn't have time...besides we'd get plenty of other fishing in! In fact, we left the Decorah Trout Hatchery to hit the upper dam in Decorah. I've heard the lower dam is much prettier but the upper dam gets less pressure and has easier access for guys rolling solo with two kids.

First of all, this was the first official fishing trip of the year! Man what a memorable one! Ava and Lauryn *loved* playing with the worms (yeah, that's right, fishing old school, baby). In fact the worms were almost too much of a distraction for them. Almost. See, the area we picked is one that is now on my top places in Iowa to take a kid fishing. Not only will they likely catch some fish, but they will be a good mix of "game" fish and bigger "rough" fish. To the right you see Lauryn holding a Rock Bass...she'd be the first to tell you she did it "...all by myself!" I have a deep connection with the outdoors and I have my mother to thank for that who got me visiting this part of the state when I was younger. She's been gone two years come Father's Day and yet her legacy lives on by passing these experiences to my kids. My bond with the outdoors and this part of the state can't be over emphasized!

After fishing the kids were hungry and tired. Kate hadn't arrived yet so all our food for the weekend was still enroute so on the way through "downtown" Decorah we stopped at Happy Joe's Pizza. Why there? Well turns out that the first Happy Joe's Pizza Parlor was opened in the Villiage of East Davenport in 1972. A few years after being hatched in 1973 my parent rented an apartment above one of the local pubs. I have very few memories of that time in my life but I do remember Happy Joe's with the vibrant red-and-white, enchanting noises such as bells and horns. Few can say they grew up on any one food but I can say I literally grew up with Happy Joe's. So it was only fitting that after a great day a the trout hatchery and after some awesome fishing we eat at a place that had some significance in my life. This trip to Happy Joe's wouldn't be complete without mentioning the beauty of downtown Decorah. Some think if you've seen one small, Iowa town you've seen them all but few compare in raw, traditional beauty. Shop after shop with everything from ice cream and pizza parlors to antique and consignment shops. They truly have it all. (Click read-more for full story)After lunch we headed back to camp where we all managed to catch a quick nap. Nothing is more relaxing than napping outdoors, stream side with your kids. I only regret that Kate and Maia had to miss out on all the days fun. It wasn't long before the rest of our group started arriving. First it was the Williams clan, friends from Des Moines. Not long after them came the Kronfelds...the four of them up from Cedar Rapids. Then it was Kate's brother, Jon, and his girlfriend (and hopefully future wife) Rebecca - Reba for those who know her best. Of course that leaves Kate and Maia who not surprisingly showed up last. It was 8 adults, 8 kids and a Boston Terrier in all. If you don't particularly like camping and have never had the chance to camp with a large group of friends you really have to give it a try to see if doesn't change your perception. One of the great things about camping is the kids pretty much entertain themselves, the adults can kick back fireside and relax and each day spent was nothing short of relaxing.

One the highlights of the trip was, not surprisingly, the float we made on Saturday. Blessed with perfect weather, we selected a short float that was the perfect amount of time to keep the kids excited yet not too long to bore them out of the minds. Few places in Iowa offer the beauty seen on the float between Kendalville and Bluffton and if you are familiar with the area you really need to make sure you float the section that has Chimney Rocks. To the right you see one of the Williams boys with one of the best backdrops Iowa has to offer! Best yet, this float gave us one big surprise. Kevin, a long time hunting and fishing buddy, was working with his oldest son on casting from one of the many sandbars you can pull out on. Kevin and I have been visiting these waters for over 10 years so we have gotten pretty good at reading how "fishy" a spot looks and believe me when I tell you there wasn't anything particularly impressive about this spot. No eddies and for what little slack water there was it was only a few inches deep. That left only the swift part of the river as a viable place to cast. Thinking we had this spot pegged Kevin and I paid little attention while the kids were casting and then, sure enough, we hear yelling. Yep! Fish on! Man, as was it ever. After a few second fighting the fish to shore, it revealed a roughly 17 inch smallmouth bassblack bass that puts up the best fight pound-for-pound. This is why I'm cursed to never "pleasure boat". I've decided if I'm ever going to be in any vessel that floats I will always carry at least one fishing rod.

One of the other highlights from the trip (well, for some anyway) was the kids vs adults kickball match. We're talking serious stuff here. Both kids and adults took the game very serious and I was surprised at how much trash talking that was coming from both sides. It all sort of reminded me of this classic ESPN commercial. The kids proved to be worthy opponents and it was surprising difficult to actually hit such small and quick targets. In the end, the kids one but I'd like to point out that it was only after yours truly had to come out late in the game with a leg injury. It's official....I'm not "young" anymore. Ok, so there I was "batting" and clearly being an idiot because a) I was barefoot...sandles were getting in my way and b) I got the itch to see just how far I could kick the ball. Foolish move. As I kicked the ball I am pretty sure I heard my quadricep tear away from the bone. Ok, ok, maybe it wasn't quite as bad as I'm depicting but I can say it was a fairly severe pulled muscle leaving a nice bruise on my thigh for about a week. Despite this very serious injury I can still tell you it was all worth it. I can't remember that many adults participating in any sort of pick-up game like that when I was growing up!

Wrapping up, one of the other reason for us having chose this section of river is the convenience. If you recall our campground is right on the Upper Iowa River so by floating the stretch upstream we avoided the hassle of loading all the kids up a second time. We were able to simply pull ashore and send the kids off to play while the adults got unpacked. Once unpacked the evening camping ritual of campfire dinner, smores, beverages of choice and - for those interested - a nightcap of a fine cigar under starlit skies. Even this lengthy blog post can't recount all the memories made...things like Reba finding a dead, dried-up leopard frog, Jon accidentally giving his dog, Pele, a bath in the cold waters and of the Upper Iowa and one I won't forget...pulling my quadricep playing the time honored tradition of kickball.

As that weekend ended, it was fate to be a perfect weekend. Before heading home I convinced everybody to go to the Upper Dam to see, first hand, how good the fishing is. I believe all the kids minus one caught a fish but everybody undoubtedly had a great time. One of the things that will last with me was when Doug told me one of his kids were surprised at how much fun fishing could be. Sounds like we may have a budding outdoorsman in the making! Trips like that is truly what it is all about. Anyway, Mother Nature chased us off with lightening coming from some ominous clouds so we all made a mad dash for the vehicles to begin the trip home. Turns out the ride home would even be memorable...but for the wrong reason. We drove through the beginning of what has now been three weeks of very heavy rainfall in Iowa leading to very serious flooding. We personally missed or tornado that touched down just north and east of Waterloo on it's way to Dunkerton. Not everybody was so lucky as anyone in the towns of Parkersburg and New Hartford will tell you. We made it home safe and while getting home tried our nerves, I know I'm not the only one that can't wait to get back up to God's Country and make more memories.

Georgia Loosens Restriction on Concealed Carry

Wed, 14 May 2008 15:19:00 -0500

Gun control is a hot issue and those of us who hunt and fish follow it closely. That said you had better check out how Georgia loosened their concealed carry laws. Specifically they now allow concealed weapons by individuals holding a concealed carry permit in places like restaurants, public transportation (e.g. buses) and state and local parks to name a few. I should make it clear the law does outlaw having a concealed weapon in a restaurant when drinking alcohol. While I agree on the whole, it does raise some questions:

Should restaurant wait staff have to ask if a patron is packing heat before serving alcohol?
Does it make sense to allow guns in state parks where you can camp and be drinking alcohol?
What about the situation where a person goes into a restaurant without a gun, has a few drinks then moves on to another restaurant where they don't drink?

This, as always, is a hotly contested issue and one I encourage everybody to get educated on. While I do believe in the issuing of concealed carry permits, it isn't without some concern and I'm going to be interested in how other states will react to this news.

Spring Outdoors

Tue, 13 May 2008 23:01:19 -0500

The nation's mid-section and much of this great country is experiencing a cooler than normal spring. Don't worry, even for those of you on our border with Canada, you will soon be outdoors (I hear ice out is about 10 days behind last year). That said, spring activities are in full swing in most of the rest of the country and now is the time to get out. What should you do? After reading this list I think you'll agree it will be hard to pick one!

Float a small river or stream

.Most of us are within a few miles of a small river or stream. This gives anglers and those who simply enjoy a leisurely float in a canoe or kayak a chance to enjoy the change of seasons. For the angler spring gives access to fish moving upstream to spawn. Odds are you've already missed the northern pike and muskie spawns but many of you can still get in on the walleye and crappies as they move up. Don't fish much? Floating small streams this time of year make upper stretches of many small streams a challenge and this time of year that many such places have enough water to float. Just be careful, spring rains can raise streams to dangerous levels so take all the necessary safety precautions.

Lake Fishing

Spring is the great equalizer on most of our nation's lakes. Why? Just like in our streams, spring means spawning runs but instead of moving upstream, lake fish move to the shallows making them accessible from shore. Crappies are a favorite this time of year with small tackle and live bait being particularly effective. Looking for more adventure? Wading is a great spring-time tactic for catching ice-out catfish patrolling the shallows for winter kill fish that have blown ashore. While ice-out has hit much of the country already, walleyes also provide great wade-fishing action. Just remember if you choose to wade take all the normal safety precautions (e.g. don't go alone, wear a life jacket, avoid bad weather, etc).

Turkey Hunting

Many states in the union offer up some excellent turkey hunting and spring is synonymous with turkey hunting. This late in the spring turkey hunting can be a real challenge because many of the toms are "henned up". This means you can't expect calling to be as effective as it was early in the season and that hunting later into the day is a top option as many toms will leave hens they were tied up with in the morning to search for others. Setting up on known travel routes and calling just enough to entice a wandering bird can be particularly effective. Another good tactic is to simply spot-and-stalk. The new foliage of late spring can make sneaking up on a gobbler easier, though, it can also mean getting a shot off can be a challenge. If you do spot-and-stalk, avoid crossing saddles and ridges without first setting up and calling as peering over saddles and ridges is often the time you get busted.

Mushroom Hunting

For the die hard mushroomers spring means long walks in the woods after one of natures most delicious treats, the morel mushroom. Mushroom hunting is something the entire family can do when you do it safely by avoiding ticks and the disease they can carry as well as avoiding false identification of morels which can be deadly.

Camping

One thing that goes well with all of the above activities is camping or can stand alone by itself is camping. Spring brings warm temperatures yet you can avoid the nuisance of many bugs such as mosquitoes who haven't reach their full summertime numbers. Camping is something that can transcend age, and lends itself well to long talks with family and friends either in reflection of past outdoor pursuits or just touching on any of life's experiences.

Spring is a time of anticipation of the great summer to come. I hope you all get a chance to get out and enjoy the outdoors particularly with kids. Blackberry's, the upcoming election, video games and life's other distractions can't compete with the time a family or group of friends spends in the outdoors. So get out there, enjoy the outdoors and make some memories!

Outdoor Workshop in Barcamp Format?

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:01:24 -0500

So as I laid in bed last night exhausted from ensuring my wife had a terrific mother's day and chasing the kids around my mind started wondering toward thoughts of the outdoors (as it often does). I started thinking about the various outdoor shows I've been to where they have some big names in the outdoors come and talk to you about whatever it is they think is important while, of course, promoting the products of various sponsors. While this format seems to work, it's not flexible. It doesn't give me the chance to learn more about what *I* want to be better at and, instead, I'm subjected to the predictable talk from some out-of-stater on how to catch big bass or bag that trophy buck. Don't get me wrong, lots of the "pros" know their stuff but it's too rigid and doesn't allow me to ask questions.

Then I started having thoughts about BarCamps and their relatively loose structure and eye toward collaboration they had and I started wondering, why couldn't the BarCamp format work for people who love hunting, fishing and the outdoors? The one BarCamp I know of that was in my area wasn't wildly successful just because I think there were a limited number of IT-geeks in Des Moines willing to go (not so surprising) but there is no shortage of people who love the outdoors (even less surprising). I think I may be on to something here but before I get too excited about the possibilities I'd love to hear what other people think by providing answers to the questions below. I'm hopeful all this can turn into a fun social experiment!

Fundamentally can the BarCamp format work for other interests besides the IT?
What would be the obstacles in pulling such a thing off?
Is there anything specific that would need changing to the traditional BarCamp format?
Are there alternative formats to BarCamps that might be a better fit for this sort of thing?

Don't Get Tick(ed) Off!

Sun, 11 May 2008 20:51:00 -0500

Let's face it, now is the time to be outdoors. Whether you be chasing wild turkey, planting food plots or taking the family on a hunt for the delicious morel mushroom which is just coming into season in many parts of the country you are going to expose yourself to ticks. In fact this time of year I expect to see ticks doing their best to catch a free ride and, worst yet, a free lunch. Ticks, generally, are fairly harmless insects but left unchecked they can introduce some very nasty illnesses...some that can even kill you. As with any potential enemy it is best to learn as much as you can about them and how to combat them. So how do you do that?

First, learn about the two most common types of ticks in the United States. There is dermacentor variabilis known as both the dog or wood tick. Adult specimens are relatively large to other tick species making them easy to spot as they attempt to make their assent to a warm, cozy spot on your person. This species has been known to transmit an illness called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In my experience this is the tick you are most likely to run across, particularly in my neck of the woods (Iowa).

More feared than the wood tick is the Deer Tick known to people in white coats as lxodes scapularis. This tick is much smaller than the wood tick which is a problem because it can transmit lyme disease one of the more feared tick-born illnesses and one all who love the outdoors should become familiar with.

Ok, so you know what they are so how can you prevent getting them and what do you do if you find one making home on you, a loved one or friend? First you need to know how these little rascals get on you. They do not jump and can't fly so the only way you can get them is to come in physical contact with them by either walking through grass and brush or, less likely but possible, have one fall from overhead. That said it is absolutely imperative for anybody enjoying nature to do "tick checks" after each trip afield. Before we get into how to remove a tick, let's talk about preventing them from setting up shop in the first place. For this Google is your friend as there is no shortage of advice (here, here and here to name a few). Let me sum up a few of the most common recommendations:

When you can wear white or light colored clothing. Ticks are dark and will be a nice contrast to a white shirt allowing you to quickly spot them.
Tuck your pant legs either into your boots or socks and wear long sleeved shirts buttoned up at the wrist. Wearing a hat and optionally a mosquito net will help protected your head.
Use a tick repellent. Many common brands of bug repellents also deter ticks.
Do tick checks often, particularly when you are in areas with heavy tick populations. Each outing should conclude with a full body tick check. Adults should always do this for children and even adults could benefit by having a spouse or significant other provide a second set of eyes.
Prevent bringing ticks into your home. This means checking pets that my have been out with you as well as ensuring the clothes you wore are tick-free. I've personally seen ticks show up on one of my daughters who wasn't even with me on the prior excursion. I'm convinced the tick came in with me on my clothes.

Despite your best efforts if you are an outdoor enthusiast you will undoubtedly run into a situation where a tick will have set-up shop. Now what. One common misconception is that the use of heat or chemicals should used. I personally recall being told to use tweezers and to heat the tips of the tweezers up with a lighter...NO don't do that. Turns out that using heat, chemicals or even crushing the tick while attached to it's host could cause it to regurgitate into the skin. Instead simply use common household tweezers or specialized tick tweezers like Tick Twister to remove the tick.

Finally I'm going to leave you with this video which specifically discusses prevention of ticks, symptoms of lyme disease and other useful tips:

Never Too Young To Hunt!

Tue, 06 May 2008 22:24:09 -0500

Every hunting season is an adventure where memories are made regardless of the outcome of the hunt. This past week was the epitome of that as I learned that just three hours of hunting can help build the kind of memories that resonate for a lifetime. Sure, sounds sappy but until you've walked in those boots you simply can't appreciate the truth in these words. Saturday I was joined by long time friend and hunting buddy Kevin Kronfeld. Kevin and I are childhood schoolmates who've bonded through our love for the outdoors. This friendship really took shape in college and has grown as we've forged in with our careers, marriages and families from different towns. The short two hour drive between Cedar Rapids and Des Moines has never prevented us from getting together regularly to do what we love...hunt and fish.

So this past weekend has been planned for months. We've had to juggle things based on our personal schedules, the hunting season and Mother Nature always seems to have a say in it. This weekend's hunt, our first with both our oldest kids, was originally planned for last Saturday but 22mph winds, cold morning temps and the chance for rain had us postpone it a day later. Man, am I glad we did. So our goal in all this? Most people foreign to hunting would think it'd be to simply kill our quarry...in this case the wild turkey. Ah, but not so. See, while that would have been a great way to top off this trip the real goal was to introduce our kids to the sport of hunting by putting them, for the first time in their lives, in a situation to observe nature without nature being all that aware of them. The beauty in it all is only enhanced with the time honored tradition of hunting. See, Kevin and I know that by introducing our kids to hunting at an early age it will combat a lot of life's negatives (childhood obesity, obsessions with video games, being too competitive too young in life).

So what was the goal of this hunt? Simple. We wanted to create some memories. And that we did! This video can only give you a short glimpse into the energy and excitement that two six year olds had on their first hunt together with their dads. On this hunt we heard Tom's gobble on the roost, we had a whitetail deer within 15 yards of our blind and we had a Jake mingle with our two hen decoys. While we didn't get to see the long-beards we were after, this video will make it clear it was still a successful hunt!