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NatureWorks donates bronze wildlife statues to Wildlife Department
Motorists and pedestrians along Lincoln Blvd. and 18th St. are now enjoying a momentary escape to the outdoors right in the middle of the Oklahoma City Metro.
A plan by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to make its headquarters in Oklahoma City more accessible to persons with disabilities turned into a highly aesthetic redesign of the building's front entrance, which now showcases a new bronze monument depicting three whitetail deer on the run.
The larger-than-life sculptures are a donation from NatureWorks, a Tulsa-based conservation group that has supported a number of wildlife conservation projects of the Wildlife Department. The artwork was created by wildlife sculptor Stephen LeBlanc, who is passionate about the outdoors and wildlife and has traveled extensively worldwide to view wildlife in natural habitats.
"I was very fortunate to be chosen by NatureWorks to be able to do this monument," LeBlanc said, saying later that he feels "excited," "elated" and "very blessed" to be part of the project. LeBlanc makes his home in Parker, Colorado.
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adjourned its May meeting with the dedication of the newly renovated entrance. The whitetail statues are the latest of 22 heroic-sized wildlife monuments donated to others by NatureWorks, many of which can be seen along the City of Tulsa's Riverside Drive.
"It's an honor to be part of leaving what we think is a legacy with the Department of Wildlife today," said Dwayne Flynn of NatureWorks. "It's just the right monument for all the conservation work done by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife with the whitetail deer. We hope that this gift will inspire those young and old to get involved with wildlife conservation."
NatureWorks, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife conservation and education. Projects such as the Department's paddlefish management program, duck stamp print program and centennial duck stamp print have benefited from NatureWorks' support as well as habitat work at the Harold Stuart Waterfowl Refuge Unit within the Deep Fork Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and the Grassy Slough WMA. NatureWorks is also an important supporter of the Wildlife Department's Hunters Against Hunger program — in which hunters can donate their legally harvested deer to feed hungry Oklahomans, and they have funded a project that puts Outdoor Oklahoma magazine in every school and library in the state.
Additionally, every year NatureWorks hosts the annual NatureWorks Art Show and Sale, in which artists from across the United States and abroad are brought together to display their work. The event is known as one of the best wildlife art shows in the country, widely recognized for its outstanding art plus the opportunity it provides for visitors to meet directly with artists. Art sales help generate matching grants to assist a variety of state wildlife conservation projects.
In other business, the Commission approved a new cooperative agreement with Weyerhaeuser Company to continue providing public hunting and fishing access on southeast Oklahoma's Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area.
Hunters and anglers visiting Three Rivers WMA after June 1, 2011, should be aware that the boundaries of the WMA have changed. Updated boundary maps will be made available by that date, and a map of Three Rivers WMA showing the boundary changes that will be effective June 1 is available online at wildlifedepartment.com. Changes to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) that took effect in 2008 will remain, and the Land Access Permit required to use the area will remain at $40 for Oklahoma residents ages 18-64 and $10 for a resident three-day permit for non-hunting and non-fishing activities. The cost for the Land Access Permit for non-residents will remain at $85.
"Weyerhaeuser Company is very pleased to continue working with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to provide quality wildlife conservation and hunting and fishing recreational opportunities to the public," said Matt Williams, Weyerhaeuser timberlands manager for the Arkansas and Oklahoma region. "The Three-Rivers Wildlife Management Area, comprising over 200,000 acres of Weyerhaeuser timberland in southeastern Oklahoma, is an outstanding example of how a forest products company, a state agency and the general public can come together and find a solution that meets their common objectives."
To learn more about the Three Rivers WMA and other public hunting and fishing areas across the state, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
The Commission also approved the adoption of a social media policy that will allow the Wildlife Department to pursue certain outreach opportunities.
Additionally, Greg Sexton, game warden stationed in Jackson Co., was recognized for 25 years of service to the Wildlife Department. Sexton began his career as a wildlife management area assistant in northwest Oklahoma and then transferred to the Wildlife Department's Law Enforcement Division, where he has served for 23 years.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for 9 a.m., June 6 at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
Photo Caption: A new monument has been added to the entry of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters in Oklahoma City. The artwork, created by sculptor Stephen LeBlanc, was donated to the Wildlife Department by NatureWorks, a Tulsa-based conservation organization that has been involved in a number of Wildlife Department conservation efforts.
Wildlife Department boosts southwest Oklahoma bass and crappie angling
As water temperatures continue to warm, anglers at southwest Oklahoma's Ft. Cobb and Lawtonka lakes are going to find plenty of new potential bass and crappie honey holes all around the banks of the reservoirs.
Fisheries personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have been submerging hundreds of cedar trees in the shallows of the two lakes in the last few months, adding to a total of almost 1,600 trees that have been submerged there over the last three years.
"Fort Cobb has been a great fishery for hybrid striped bass and saugeye over the last few years but has lacked an abundance of structure that largemouth bass and crappie prefer," said Ryan Ryswyk, southwest region fisheries biologist for the Wildlife Department.
In 2009, fisheries personnel placed about 250 shallow cedar tree brush piles in several coves of the lake in an effort to draw fish to concentrated areas and improve angling success. The piles were placed at depths ranging from two to six feet, and more and more trees were added over time.
In addition to positive feedback and reports from anglers, biologists observed better success in their management surveys.
"Our electrofishing survey that spring showed that the largemouth bass were indeed attracted to those piles," Ryswyk said. "Our catch rates doubled from previous years when we electrofished the newly installed brush piles."
In April of 2010, angler Charles Coffman of Ardmore landed a 10.6-lb. lake record largemouth bass from one of the areas of the lake targeted with shallow-water brush piles, confirming to fisheries biologists that their efforts were helping anglers enjoy better fishing opportunities.
Because of their success, fisheries personnel continued to add more cedar brush piles, and Ryswyk reported that after doubling their electrofishing catch rates in 2009, they have since doubled them again.
According to Ryswyk, similar habitat work is also now underway at Lake Lawtonka, with about 200 cedar trees submerged in shallow water areas already.
"We like the results we are seeing at Ft. Cobb — both sampling and angler success — and hope to replicate those results at Lawtonka," Ryswyk said.
Already Lawtonka anglers are reporting successful crappie fishing around the brush piles, and fisheries personnel for the Wildlife Department sampled a 10.1-lb. largemouth bass from a brush pile area in one cove.
"It seems the additional cedar trees have been doing what we had hoped," Ryswyk said. "Cedar tree brush piles themselves are not a new idea, but placing them in shallow water is a new strategy that is proving successful," Ryswyk said. "These shallow water piles provide shallow structure for species like largemouth bass and crappie to spawn on or around. Fisherman can easily see the tops of these cedar trees sticking out of the water and can target these places to land their next fish. As the water temperature continues to warm, these areas should prove to be great crappie spots this spring."
On the west side of Ft. Cobb, areas where anglers can find shallow brush piles placed by the Wildlife Department include the Area 5 boat ramp cove, the Fly Inn 2 boat ramp area, and the cove 1/2 mile north of Fly Inn 2.
On the east side of the lake, brush can be found near the Crow's Roost East boat ramp, ¼ mile north of Crow's Roost West boat ramp, boundary line cove, Kardokus cove, and the south bank of Marina Cove. Anglers also can fish brush piles from the Oney fishing dock near Crow's Roost East Boat ramp or the fishing dock in Marina cove near the main boat ramp.
According to Ryswyk, anglers should be able to take advantage of these brush piles "no matter the method, either by bank, fishing dock, or boat."
Invasive cedar trees spread fast and, for the amount of nutrients and space they take up, they offer few benefits to wildlife that cannot be obtained from noninvasive native trees. As a result, one of the best places for cedar trees, if not treated with prescribed fire, is at the bottom of a lake where fish will use them as cover. There, they not only provide habitat, but they also provide fishing opportunities for anglers while benefiting land-dwelling wildlife. According to Ryswyk, cedar trees placed in the lakes come from locations such as wildlife management areas managed by the Wildlife Department, state parks and municipal properties.
For more information about fishing in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Crappie success
Photo Caption: John Perry holds up
a nice stringer of crappie that was caught by rod and reel while fishing the
shallow water piles in Robinson's Landing at Lake Lawtonka. Fisheries personnel
with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have been placing
shallow-water cedar tree piles in Lawtonka and Ft. Cobb lakes over the last few
years in hopes of drawing fish to concentrated areas where anglers can enjoy
more fishing success.
Largemouth bass sample during ODWC electrofishing surveys
Photo Caption: John Perry,
fisheries technician at the Wildlife Department's Manning Fish Hatchery, holds a
10.1-pound largemouth bass that was sampled from a shallow water brush pile at
Lake Lawtonka this spring while conducting electrofishing surveys. Fisheries
personnel have been placing cedar tree brush piles in shallow areas of Lawtonka
and Ft. Cobb lakes in southwest Oklahoma to draw fish to concentrated areas,
resulting in new fishing opportunities.
Hackberry Flat WMA to host family outdoor day
Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in southwest Oklahoma serves as an outdoor destination every day of the week, but each year it also opens for a special day in the outdoors designed to bring Oklahomans closer to nature and increase interest in wildlife and conservation.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Friends of Hackberry Flat are hosting Hackberry Flat Day Saturday, May 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hackberry Flat Center located near Frederick. The event is designed for the entire family, and events include everything from wildlife tours to shotgun shooting.
Though the official event starts at 9 a.m., the day gets an early morning start at 6:30 a.m. with a birding tour for intermediate and advanced birdwatchers. Birding tours for beginners are offered at 9:30 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Wetland hayrides into the wildlife management area start at 9 a.m. and continue on the hour until the last hayride at 2 p.m. Archery and shotgun shooting will be available, as will a number of other activities, such as learning the tricks of catching crayfish — also known as crawdads — with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission, getting close-up views of Oklahoma sport fish in an aquarium, viewing wetland wildlife in a wetland classroom, playing the "Who Eats Who in the Prairie" game presented by the Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance, and trying out the hands-on activities provided by Quartz Mountain Nature Park.
An interactive exhibit about bats in Oklahoma will be presented by Alabaster Caverns State Park, and a range of items made from bison parts will be furnished by the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site. Back by popular demand, families will have the opportunity to build a bird house to take home and place on their property. The Friends of Hackberry Flat and Frederick FFA members will offer the bird house make-n-take programs at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to the first 10 families at each of the programs.
The Friends of Hackberry Flat will have the official Hackberry Flat t-shirts for sale inside the Center, and new this year, the First Christian Church Youth Group will have a concession set-up to sell hot dogs, chips and drinks to visitors as they raise funds to help with their mission and projects.
Participants of the Hackberry Flat Day activities are exempt from hunting or fishing license requirements and Wildlife Conservation Passport requirements.
All activities will begin at the Hackberry Flat Center, a facility that provides wetland classroom experiences for school groups, programs on wildlife and wildlife-related activities as well as meeting facilities for resource-oriented programs, workshops and meetings. Directions to Hackberry Flat can be found at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com . For more information, call the Frederick Chamber of Commerce at (580) 335-2126 or Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department, (405) 990-4977.
Last call for May 15 controlled hunts application deadline
Sportsmen who have not submitted an application for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's controlled hunts program are running out of time. Online applications for the hunts will be accepted through Sunday, May 15.
Offering once-in-a-lifetime elk and antelope hunts, highly sought-after buck hunts, and a range of other quality deer and turkey hunts, the controlled hunts program is a valuable resource for sportsmen, and the application process take just a few minutes.
The online application process must be completed through the Wildlife Department's website at wildlifedepartment.com. The cost is $5.
"For just $5, you can get drawn for a bull elk hunt in Oklahoma's rugged Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge," said Melinda Sturgess-Streich, assistant director of administration and finance for the Wildlife Department. "The same $5 can put your name in the hat for an antelope hunt in the Panhandle, a deer hunt in some of the best habitat in the state, or even a unique gobbler hunt. You just can't beat this opportunity."
The controlled hunts program offers a wide variety of highly desirable hunts through a random drawing. Opportunities offered through the program include hunts on Department or other government-owned or managed lands where unrestricted hunting would pose safety concerns or where overharvest might occur.
All applicants, including lifetime license holders, must pay the $5 application fee to enter the controlled hunts drawings. The fee is paid only once per person per year regardless of the number of categories entered.
Applications are offered online through a secure process that only accepts applications once they have been filed correctly, and a print-out confirmation page is available for sportsmen to document their submitted application.
For complete application instructions, including tips on enhancing your chances of being selected as well as a full listing of available hunts for elk, deer, antelope and turkey, log on to http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
May 15 marks squirrel season opener
When spring turkey season closes May 6 of each year, some hunters fold up their camouflage clothing and store away their shotgun and gear until dove season. Others keep them out, knowing that the state's important, long-standing squirrel season opener arrives just nine days later.
Squirrels have long been valued by Oklahoma hunters for the generous hunting opportunities they provide, the hunting challenge they pose, and for their tasty, lean meat.
Squirrels are readily available on public and private lands all across the state. Hunters can harvest 10 squirrels daily and enjoy nearly nine full months (May 15-Jan. 31) of hunting opportunity.
Oklahoma is home to two species of squirrel that are legal to hunt — the eastern gray squirrel, which inhabits the eastern portion of the state, and the fox squirrel, which is found statewide in suitable habitats. Gray squirrels are apt to quickly move throughout treetops, often escaping before a hunter pulls off a successful shot. Fox squirrels, on the other hand, are keen at hiding and remaining still and undetected.
"Sometimes it's just the slightest movement, a strand of fur on a squirrel's tail, or the outline of the animal's ear against the sun that reveals the location of a squirrel in a tree," said Michael Bergin, information and education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and an avid squirrel hunter. "One great thing about squirrel hunting is that you can go during every season of the year, be it during the mild temperatures of late spring or on a sunny but cold January day. You can really learn a lot about the woods as well as scout for other hunting seasons. I have discovered several places where I could hunt deer and turkeys by hunting squirrels in those areas."
Sportsmen use several approaches to hunt squirrels, among them calling, stalking, still hunting or relying on dogs trained to hunt and locate squirrels. Both shotguns and .22 rifles are good choices for hunting small game.
When deciding where to hunt squirrels, a hunter should consider food sources that are available during the time of year that a hunt is planned. Foods attractive to squirrels include a variety of seeds, nuts, berries, insects, pinecones and buds from a variety of plants and trees. Depending on the time of year, some foods are more readily available than others. This spring, hunters should watch for mulberry trees and other fruit trees.
"If you find the right wild fruit tree and sit down in the area, you could harvest several squirrels in one morning hunt," Bergin said. "In the early fall and late in the season, I like to hunt squirrels using dogs, particularly in areas with hickory, oak and pecan trees."
Any one of a number of manufactured squirrel calls also can be effective, depending on the time of year in which the call is most likely to be used by squirrels in the woods. Some may be better for locating a general area that squirrels are using, while others draw attention and lure squirrels into shooting range. Hunters who use dogs generally send their dogs in the direction they wish to walk, and then follow behind while the dog locates a squirrel, alerting the hunter of their find by "barking treed."
Regardless of method, hunters have no shortage of squirrel hunting opportunities. Excellent squirrel hunting can be found on a number of wildlife management areas statewide, depending on which species sportsmen hope to find.
Additionally, squirrel meat makes excellent table fare and is popular for use in a variety of recipes and dishes. Celebrated squirrel dishes include fried with biscuits and gravy or served with dumplings, among others. Squirrel meat is lean, and when cooked properly, should be tender and white to gray in color.
To hunt squirrels in Oklahoma, hunters need a resident or non-resident hunting license, unless exempt. Resident hunters younger than age 16 can hunt squirrels without a license. Seasons on public lands may vary from statewide season dates. For full details and regulations consult the current "Oklahoma Hunting Guide" or log on to the Wildlife Department's website at www.wildlifedepartment.com.
Young wildlife best left alone this spring
As spring moves closer to summer, Oklahomans will inevitably begin to see a variety of young wildlife, be it young birds, squirrels, and even fawns. Sometimes wildlife offspring will appear to be abandoned, and it is common for outdoor enthusiasts to try to help them. But biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation say these youngsters are better left alone.
"If you find newborn wildlife while in your yard or in the woods that appears to be alone, chances are an adult animal is nearby and is simply waiting for you to move along so they can take care of their young," said Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department. "It is common for fawns to be left in a safe place while does feed nearby, and interfering with that always causes more harm than good. It's also best to leave birds, young squirrels and other wildlife alone as well."
In Oklahoma, most fawns are born in May and June and start becoming visible in mid to late June.
Young birds and squirrels can be blown out of their nests during storms as well, and even though they may appear to be alone and distressed or in need of help, an adult animal will often find and care for them.
Biologists say it can actually be more stressful on young wildlife if people try to help.
"It's good when well-meaning sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts want to help, but sometimes the best help we can offer young wildlife is to leave them alone and let nature run its course," Hickman said.
In most cases, it also is illegal to pick up wildlife. Log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com for more information about wildlife conservation in Oklahoma.
Selman Bat
Watch registration available May 31
A blackening of the evening sky as at least a million bats emerge from their cave is a spectacle Oklahomans can see in their home state this summer.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's Selman Bat Watches will be held the last four weekends of July at the Selman Wildlife Management Area near Freedom, where the Selman Bat Cave attracts migrating Mexican free-tailed bats every year just as it did 100 years ago. Each night, the bats emerge from the cave to feast on literally tons of insects, offering a visual spectacle to onlookers in the process. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.
Each night's viewing activities will be limited to 75 visitors who are randomly drawn from a pool of mailed in registration forms. Hopeful viewers must print, complete and mail their registration form to the Wildlife Department at Bat Watch Program, P.O. Box 53465 Oklahoma City, OK 73152 between May 31 and June 7. Only mailed in registration forms post-marked by June 7 will be accepted, and instructions for completing the form should be read carefully to ensure correctly completed registration. Successful registrants will receive an e-mail confirmation and a packet in the mail.
"Given the popularity of this event, the Department is using this approach to streamline its registration process," said Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department.
More information and details about the Selman Bat Watch can be found online at wildlifedepartment.com.
The Wildlife Department purchased the area around the bat cave in 1996 because of its ecological importance to the Mexican free-tailed bat. According to Hickman, the cave is important because it is one of only five major sites in Oklahoma that is used by females to raise their young.
Hickman says the bats serve as free pest control. The bats spend daylight hours inside the cave. But most of the action is after sunset.
"Studies tell us that the bats at Selman Bat Cave eat about 10 tons (20,000 pounds) of insects, moths and beetles every night," Hickman said.
The bats' evening emergence is the highlight of a Bat Watch, but there is more to the evening than simply watching bats. Buses take visitors to the Selman Wildlife Management Area, usually closed to the public, where they learn facts about bats and the prairie community. There also is an optional nature hike before the bats emerge. On Friday and Saturday evenings, staff and telescopes from the University of Central Oklahoma's Selman Living Laboratory will be at the observatory to assist stargazers.
Additionally the Bat Watches benefit the local economy by drawing tourists from a multi-state region into Oklahoma. Hickman said Oklahomans enjoy a rare opportunity to get close to wild bats and to share their importance to the environment and the economy.
For more information, call (405) 424-0099 or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Wildlife Department spring electrofishing survey turns up massive striper
Fisheries personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have repeatedly surveyed a number of large fish during their annual electrofishing surveys being conducted this spring, emphasizing to anglers that now is a great time to be fishing.
Several big largemouth bass have already been sampled by biologists from lakes like Arcadia, Lawtonka and Watonga this spring, and the newest big fish to add to the list of those sampled this year is a 41.5-inch striped bass estimated to weigh 51.5 lbs. based on measurements taken during the survey.
The big striper was sampled during electrofishing surveys below Lake Eufaula, and if an angler were to catch the fish, it would beat the current state record by an estimated four pounds. The current rod-and-line state record striper tipped the scales at 47 lbs., 8 oz. when Louis Parker caught it from the Lower Illinois River in 1996.
According to this week's fishing report from the Wildlife Department, fisheries personnel who are conducting electrofishing surveys are not the only people who should be out on the water this week looking for Oklahoma's big fish. Striper and striped bass hybrid fishing is reportedly good at Overholser, Sooner, Canton, Texoma, Foss, and Ft. Cobb Lakes, and catfish are biting at lakes all over the state as well.
In fact, this week's fishing report shows most species of fish are biting at lakes all over the state this week, such as at Hefner Lake in Oklahoma City, where white bass fishing is reportedly good on small spinnerbaits, crappie fishing is good on minnows and jigs at eight to 15 feet along the dam, catfish are biting good on cut bait, and bluegill fishing is excellent on worms and small jigs all around the lake.
Every week the Wildlife Department's fishing report provides a listing of lakes and the current fishing conditions at that location.
"This time of year is magical for fishing in Oklahoma," said Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for the Wildlife Department. "The fishing report shows 'good fishing' at least 80 times for a number of species at lakes across the state this week, and 'excellent' fishing is reported in a number of places as well."
The reports are compiled by Wildlife Department employees and volunteers and cover lakes and other waters throughout every region in the state. Information such as lake levels, water temperatures, species being caught, locations with best fishing action and successful baits is included in the reports. Anglers can receive the fishing report by subscribing to the Department's weekly news release at http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
Photo Caption: During a recent electrofishing survey below Lake Eufaula, fisheries personnel with the Wildlife Department surveyed this striped bass, estimated to weight more than 51 lbs. and serving as a reminder to anglers that now is the time to be fishing. Pictured holding the possible new state record striped bass is Richard Snow, fisheries research technician for the Wildlife Department.
Free family fishing clinics slated throughout summer
Oklahomans can learn to fish this summer at a number of free family fishing clinics held by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation in Oklahoma City and Jenks.
Through the Wildlife Department's Aquatic Resources Education Program (AREP), kids and adults can take just a few hours to attend a fishing clinic, and come out with a knowledge of such topics as fish identification, knot-tying, fish cleaning and cooking, fishing tackle selection, equipment use, water safety, outdoor ethics and more. Most clinics, including those held at the Wildlife Department's Arcadia Conservation Education Area in Edmond and at the Zebco Casting Pond in Jenks, include hands-on fishing opportunities at stocked ponds.
The AREP program is designed to help people get a start in the sport of fishing so they can take advantage of the many fishing opportunities available to them throughout the state.
According to Damon Springer, aquatic resource education coordinator for the Wildlife Department, the free clinics benefit families trying to learn about the sport as well as those looking for easy and affordable opportunities to spend time with family.
Most clinics will be held at the Wildlife Department's Arcadia Conservation Education Area in Edmond or the Zebco Casting Pond in Jenks. Others will be held at local ponds in Oklahoma City. A full listing of AREP clinics can be viewed on the Wildlife Department's website at wildlifedepartment.com. Pre-registration is required to attend an AREP class and can be done by calling the contact number listed with each clinic.
The Aquatic Resources Education Program is the Department's means to promote the sport of fishing and aquatic resource awareness as well as a way to give youth, regardless of family situation, an opportunity to learn how to fish and to gain an understanding of Oklahoma's aquatic environments.
Developed in 1988, the program's objectives are to increase the understanding, appreciation, and awareness of Oklahoma's aquatic resources; facilitate the learning of angling skills, outdoor ethics, and sport fishing opportunities in the state; enhance urban fishing opportunities; develop adult fishing clinics and provide information on specialized fishing techniques.
For more information about the Aquatic Resources Education Program, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Go fishing for free June 4-5
Reports of good angling from all over the state indicate summer fishing is coming into full swing, and Oklahoma anglers can get in on the action for free June 4-5 during Free Fishing Days. A state fishing license is usually required for most anglers to go fishing, but during Free Fishing Days, a license will not be required to fish in Oklahoma.
Anglers who don't know where to start can turn to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's weekly state fishing report to find just the right place to go. This week's report says largemouth bass fishing is good at Lake Arcadia in Edmond on crankbaits and spinnerbaits; channel catfish angling is good at Lake Hefner, and the Lake Overholser report says crappie fishing is good all over the lake. In the northwest, reports for Canton Lake show good walleye fishing on night crawlers in the upper end of the lake; Bluegill fishing is good on worms and crickets around grass beds at northeast Oklahoma's Lake Eucha; and white bass are being caught on topwater lures and wiggle-tailed 1/8-oz. grubs at Lake Arbuckle; and in the southwest, Ft. Cobb anglers are catching saugeye on crankbaits and night crawlers in the mornings and evenings. A saugeye is a hybrid cross between a walleye and a sauger that are raised at Wildlife Department fish hatcheries and stocked at various lakes.
"Fort Cobb has been a great place to saugeye fish for the last few years," said Ryan Ryswyk, southwest region fisheries biologist for the Wildlife Department. "In fact, it holds the current state record saugeye at 10 pounds 10 ounces caught in 2006. Saugeye are great tasting fish just like the walleye but are able to better tolerate the muddy water found in many Oklahoma lakes."
Every week the fishing report provides a listing of lakes and the current state of angling success at that location. The reports are compiled by Wildlife Department employees and volunteers and cover lakes and other waters throughout every region in the state. Information such as lake levels, water temperatures, species being caught, locations with best fishing action and successful baits is included in the reports. Anglers can receive the fishing report by subscribing to the Department's weekly news release at wildlifedepartment.com
"Free fishing days are great for anyone just wanting to try their
luck at fishing for the first time or just wanting to get back into it again,"
said Damon Springer, Aquatic Resource Education coordinator for the Wildlife
Department. Springer also said anglers can use Free Fishing Days as an
inexpensive way to take someone to fishing and a great opportunity for families
"to get out and enjoy something together in the outdoors."
Oklahoma offers fishing in lakes and rivers, but also in urban waters designated by the Wildlife Department as "Close to Home Fishing" locations. Although state fishing licenses are not required during Free Fishing Days, anglers should note that certain city permits may still apply to specific fishing areas. Additionally, anglers fishing Lake Texoma should be aware that Free Fishing Days applies for all of the lake on June 4 but only on Oklahoma portions of the lake on June 5. This week's fishing report says largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing is good now at Texoma on deep-diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastic combination baits. Additionally, good fishing at Texoma is being reported for striped bass, white bass, crappie, sunfish, blue catfish and channel catfish.
Oklahoma was the first state in the nation to offer free fishing days about 30 years ago and has since been followed by dozens of other states that have established similar days.
For more information about fishing in Oklahoma, log on to the Wildlife Department's website at wildlifedepartment.com.
Oklahoma students perform well at national archery competition
Oklahoma students continue to show the nation that, when it comes to the National Archery in the Schools Program, they are a strong contender in competition. The program held its national tournament May 13-14 in Louisville, Ky., and Oklahoma students claimed some high rankings among students across the nation. One of those was a second place ranking in the middle school girls category taken by Cheyenne Keith of Greenville Middle School, and another was a fourth place in the high school boys category taken by Brydon Edmonds from Chickasha High School.
Keith's second place win in a category of 999 middle school females shows the nation that Oklahoma students can compete at the highest level, as does Edmonds' fourth place win among 1,236 high school male shooters. Additionally, Chickasha Elementary School placed fourth as a team in the elementary school category, while Zaneis Middle School took sixth place in the middle school category. These successful individual and team showings continue to solidify the legacy being built by Oklahoma students in competition through the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program.
Just last year, then 5th-grader Meredith Noland from Chickasha took her second consecutive national championship, and other first place wins and high standings have been claimed by Oklahoma students in recent years as well.
"We send our heartfelt congratulations to all of the students who represented our great state in the national competition," said Justin Marschall, Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools coordinator for the Wildlife Department. "It is amazing to see the instant bond and mutual respect that this program builds between students."
Marschall went on to encourage Oklahoma students who participate in the program to "continue challenging themselves in archery and in life."
This year's national tournament drew about 6,730 youth shooters, of which 251 were from Oklahoma.
Students involved in the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program hone their concentration skills by shooting at targets from 10 and 15 meters, attempting to place their arrows into a three-inch diameter bullseye for points. Students of all ages, sizes and athletic abilities can compete at the same level for high standings and personal success.
Oklahoma students qualified for the national competition based on their individual and team scores from the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools State Shoot held in March at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. More than 1,150 students gathered at the site for the state shoot to wrap up a season of archery practice and competition at their respective schools and to determine qualifiers for the national tournament.
Oklahoma is in its seventh year of participation in the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program, and about 270 schools are currently participating.
The Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program, administered by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, is part of a national organization that introduces students to the sport of archery, in which students of all athletic abilities can learn and excel. The Archery in the Schools curriculum is designed for 4th-12th graders and covers archery history, safety, techniques, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement.
A limited number of grants are available each fiscal year for schools interested in implementing the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program. Teachers interested in learning more about the program or starting the program at their school should contact Marschall at (405) 522-1857.
For more information about the Wildlife Department, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
Two non-residents charged with paddlefish violations
Two men have been charged with three counts each relating to paddlefish possession violations following a traffic stop near Blackwell in April.
Anatoly Natekin, 36, and Fedor Natekin, 27, both of Kent, Wash., have been charged with three counts each, including illegally transporting paddlefish eggs with the intent to leave the state, unlawful possession of more than three pounds of processed paddlefish eggs, and conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor.
A rental vehicle occupied by the two men was pulled over by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on I-35 April 23. Inside the vehicle were 305 pounds of caviar packaged in unmarked jars and several pounds of fish fillets, all believed to be harvested from paddlefish. The charges for possessing more than three pounds of paddlefish eggs and transporting them with intent to leave the state each carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail and $10,000 in fines. In addition to fines and possible jail time, courts are required to order violators to pay restitution payments in all fish and wildlife cases.
Native to Oklahoma, paddlefish swim upstream in rivers and tributaries each spring to spawn, particularly in those rivers that empty into lakes in northeast Oklahoma where most paddlefish angling activity takes place. Anglers who flock to northeast Oklahoma each spring to fish for the spawning paddlefish are legally allowed to possess no more than three pounds of paddlefish eggs — which can be used as the primary ingredient for caviar products — and crossing state lines in possession of paddlefish eggs also is illegal.
Game wardens with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation were called to the scene, and the two men were taken to the Kay County Jail in Newkirk. They were released April 26 after posting bond of $5,000 each. Their next court appearance date is set in September, and the evidence was cataloged and is being stored until the trial.
"If convicted, these wildlife violators could face significant consequences for their actions," said Bill Hale, assistant chief of law enforcement for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "This is an extreme case of violating our state's fish and wildlife laws, but this is a good time to remind our state's many law abiding anglers to read all regulations before going fishing this season. The Wildlife Department's 'Oklahoma Fishing Guide' tells you all you need to know, and it is available free anywhere that fishing licenses are sold and online at wildlifedepartment.com."
Oklahoma draws paddlefish anglers from across the nation. The sport has grown into a booming recreational pastime in northeast Oklahoma, and the Wildlife Department has found a way to manage the fish and learn about the anglers who catch them to sustain long-term angling opportunities through its Paddlefish Research and Processing Center. The center is a site where anglers can bring their paddlefish to be cleaned and processed for free in exchange for biological data from the fish. Fisheries personnel with the Wildlife Department use the data to help manage the state's unique paddlefish population, and eggs from female fish brought to the center are collected and sold worldwide as caviar, the proceeds of which are used by the Wildlife Department to fund the paddlefish program.
The Wildlife Department is the state agency charged with conserving Oklahoma's fish and wildlife and is responsible for enforcing laws related to hunting and fishing. More information about the Wildlife Department, including regulations for hunting and fishing in the state, is available at wildlifedepartment.com.


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Crow Nation
|230pxCrow tribesman (circa 1910)
|Total population
|12,000 enrolled members
|Regions with significant populations
|23x15px United States (23x15px Montana)
|Crow, English
|Crow Way, Tobacco Society, Christianity
|Related ethnic groups
The Crow, called the Apsáalooke in their own Siouan language, or variants including Absaroka, are Native Americans, who in historical times lived in the Yellowstone River valley, which extends from present-day Wyoming, through Montana and into North Dakota, where it joins the Missouri River. Today, they are enrolled in the federally recognized Crow Tribe of Montana.[citation needed]
Pressured by the Ojibwe and Cree peoples (the Iron Confederacy), who had earlier and better access to guns through the fur trade, they had migrated there from the Ohio Eastern Woodland area to settle south of Lake Winnipeg, Canada. From there, they were pushed to the west by the Cheyennes. Both the Crow and the Cheyennes were then pushed farther west by the Lakota (Sioux), who took over the territory from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Big Horn Mountains of Montana; the Cheyennes finally became close allies of the Sioux, but the Crows remained bitter enemies of both Sioux and Cheyennes. The Crow were generally friendly with the whites and managed to retain a large reservation of over 9300 km2 despite territorial losses.[citation needed]
Since the 19th century, Crow people have been concentrated on their reservation established south of Billings, Montana. They also live in several major, mainly western, cities. Tribal headquarters are located at Crow Agency, Montana.[citation needed]
- 1 History
- 2 Culture
- 3 The modern Crow Tribe Apsáalooke Nation
- 4 Popular culture
- 5 Notable Crow
- 6 See also
- 7 Notes
- 8 References
- 9 External links
The name of the tribe, Apsáalooke [ə̀ˈpsáːɾòːɡè], meaning "children of the large-beaked bird",[1] was given to them by the Hidatsa, a neighboring Siouan tribe. French interpreters translated the name as gens du corbeaux ("people of [the] crows"), and they became known in English as the Crow. Other tribes also refer to the Apsáalooke as "crow" or "raven" in their own languages.[2]
In 1743 the Absaroka encountered their first people of European descent, the two La Vérendrye brothers from New France. The explorers called the Apsáalooke beaux hommes (handsome men). The Crow called the French explorers baashchíile (persons with yellow eyes).
In the Northern Plains
The early home of the Crow-Hidatsa ancestral tribe was in the Ohio country, near Lake Erie. Driven from there by better armed, aggressive neighbors, they settled for a while south of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba.[3] Later the people moved to the Devil's Lake region of North Dakota before the Crow split from the Hidatsa and moved westward. The Crow were largely pushed westward due to intrusion and influx of the Cheyenne subsequently the Sioux.
To acquire control of their new home, they warred against Shoshone bands (called Bikkaashe—"People of the Grass Lodges"),[4] and drove them westward. They allied with local Kiowa and Kiowa Apache bands.[5][6][7] The Kiowa and Kiowa Apache bands later migrated southward, and the Crow remained dominant in their established area through the 18th and 19th centuries, the era of the fur trade.
Their tribal territory stretched from what is now Yellowstone National Park and the headwaters of the Yellowstone River (E-chee-dick-karsh-ah-shay—"Elk River") in the west, north to the Musselshell River, then northeast to the Yellowstone's mouth at the Missouri River, then southeast to the confluence of the Yellowstone and Powder Rivers (Bilap chashee—"Powder River" or "Ash River"), south along the South Fork of the Powder River, confined in the SE by the Rattlesnake Mountains and westwards in the SW by the Wind River Range. Their tribal area included the river valleys of the Judith River (Buluhpa'ashe—"Plum River"), Powder River, Tongue River, Big Horn River and Wind River as well as the Bighorn Mountains (Iisiaxpúatachee Isawaxaawúua), Pryor Mountains (Baahpuuo Isawaxaawúua), Wolf Mountains (Cheetiish—"Wolf Teeth Mountains") and Absaroka Range (also called Absalaga Mountains).[8]
Once established in the Valley of the Yellowstone River[9] and its tributaries on the Northern Plains in Montana and Wyoming, the Crow divided into four groups: the Mountain Crow, River Crow, Kicked in the Bellies and Beaver Dries its Fur. Formerly semi-nomad hunters and farmers in the northeastern woodland, they picked up the nomadic lifestyle of the Plains Indians as hunters and gatherers and hunted bison. Before 1700, they were using dog travois for carrying goods. They obtained horses from the Spanish.[10][11]
Enemies and allies
From about 1740, the Plains tribes rapidly adopted the horse, which allowed them to move out on to the Plains and hunt buffalo more actively. However, the severe winters in the North kept their herds smaller than those of Plains tribes in the South. The Crow, Hidatsa, Eastern Shoshone and Northern Shoshone soon became noted as horse breeders and dealers, and developed relatively large horse herds. At the time, other eastern and northern tribes were also moving on to the Plains, in search of game for the fur trade, bison, and more horses. The Crow were subject to raids and horse thefts by horse-poor tribes including the powerful Blackfoot Confederacy, Gros Ventre, Assiniboine, Pawnee, and Ute.[12][13] Later they had to face the Lakota and their allies, the Arapaho and Cheyenne, who also stole horses from their enemies. Their greatest enemies became the tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy and the Lakota-Cheyenne-Arapaho alliance.
The Crow were generally friendly with the northern Plains tribes of the Flathead (although sometimes they had conflicts); Nez Perce, Kutenai, Shoshone, Kiowa and Kiowa Apache. The powerful Iron Confederacy (Nehiyaw-Pwat), an alliance of northern plains Indian nations based around the fur trade developed as enemies of the Crow. It was named after the dominating Plains Cree and Assiniboine peoples, and latter included the Stoney, Saulteaux, Ojibwe, and Métis.
Historical subgroups
The Apsaalooke by the early 19th century were divided into three independent groupings, who came together only for common defense:[citation needed]
- Ashalaho ('Many Lodges', today called Mountain Crow), Awaxaawaxammilaxpáake ('Mountain People') or Ashkúale ('The Center Camp'). The Ashalaho or Mountain Crow, the largest Crow group, split from the Awatixa Hidatsa and were the first to travel west. (McCleary 1997: 2-3)., (Bowers 1992: 21) Their leader No Intestines had received a vision and led his band on a long migratory search for sacred tobacco, finally settling in southeastern Montana. They lived in the Rocky Mountains and foothills on the present-day Wyoming-Montana border along the Upper Yellowstone River, in the Big Horn and Absaroka Range (also Absalaga Mountains) with the Black Hills comprising the eastern edge of their territory.
- Binnéessiippeele ('Those Who Live Amongst the River Banks'), today called River Crow or Ashshipíte ('The Black Lodges') The Binnéessiippeele, or River Crow, split from the Hidatsa proper, according to tradition because of a dispute over a bison stomach. As a result, the Hidatsa called the Crow Gixáa-iccá—"Those Who Pout Over Tripe".[14][15] They lived along the Yellowstone and Musselshell rivers south of the Missouri River and in the river valleys of the Big Horn, Powder and Wind rivers, (historically known as the Powder River Country), sometimes traveling north up to the Milk River.
- Eelalapito (Kicked In The Bellies) or Ammitaalasshé ('Home Away From The Center', that is, away from the Ashkúale - Mountain Crow).[16][17] They claimed the area known as the Bighorn Basin, from the Bighorn Mountains in the east to the Absaroka Range to the west, and south to the Wind River Range in northern Wyoming. Sometimes they settled in the Owl Creek Mountains, Bridger Mountains and along the Sweetwater River in the south.[18]
The oral tradition of the Apsaalooke mentions a fourth group, the Bilapiluutche ('Beaver Dries its Fur'), who are believed to have merged with the Kiowa in the second half of the eighteenth century.
Gradual displacement from tribal lands
When white Americans arrived in numbers, the Crows were resisting heavy pressure from enemies who greatly outnumbered them. In the 1850s, a vision by Plenty Coups, a Crow boy who later became their greatest chief, was interpreted by tribal elders as meaning that the whites would become dominant over the entire country, and that the Crows, if they were to retain any of their land, would need to remain on good terms with the whites.[19]
By 1851 the more numerous Lakota and Cheyenne were established just to the south and east of Crow territory in Montana.[20] These enemy tribes coveted the hunting lands of the Crow and warred against them. By right of conquest, they took over the eastern hunting lands of the Crow, including the Powder and Tongue River valleys, and pushed the less numerous Crow to the west and northwest upriver on the Yellowstone. After about 1860, the Lakota Sioux claimed all the former Crow lands from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Big Horn Mountains of Montana. They demanded that the Americans deal with them regarding any intrusion into these areas.
The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 with the United States confirmed as Crow lands a large area centered on the Big Horn Mountains: the area ran from the Big Horn Basin on the west, to the Musselshell River on the north, and east to the Powder River; it included the Tongue River basin.[21] But for two centuries the Cheyenne and many bands of Lakota Sioux had been steadily migrating westward across the plains, and were still pressing hard on the Crows.
Red Cloud's War (1866–1868) was a challenge by the Lakota Sioux to the United States military presence on the Bozeman Trail, a route along the eastern edge of the Big Horn Mountains to the Montana gold fields. Red Cloud's War ended with victory for the Lakota Sioux. The Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) with the United States confirmed the Lakota control over all the high plains from the Black Hills of the Dakotas westward across the Powder River Basin to the crest of the Big Horn Mountains.[22] Thereafter bands of Lakota Sioux led by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and others, along with their Northern Cheyenne allies, hunted and raided throughout the length and breadth of eastern Montana and northeastern Wyoming, which had been for a time ancestral Crow territory.
On June 25, 1876 the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne achieved a major victory over army forces under Colonel George A. Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, but the Great Sioux War (1876–1877) ended in the defeat of the Sioux and their Cheyenne allies. Crow warriors enlisted with the US Army for this war. The Sioux and allies were forced from eastern Montana and Wyoming: some bands fled to Canada, while others suffered forced removal to distant reservations, primarily in present-day Montana and Nebraska west of the Missouri River.
In 1918, the Crow organized a gathering to display their culture, and they invited members of other tribes. The Crow Fair is now celebrated yearly on the third weekend of August, with wide participation from other tribes.[23]
The main food source for the Crow was the American bison which was hunted in a variety of ways. Before the use of horses the bison were hunted on foot and required hunters to stalk close to the bison, often with a wolf-pelt disguise, then pursue the animals quickly on foot before killing them with arrows or lances. The horse allowed the Crow to hunt bison more easily as well as hunt more at one time. Riders would panic the herd into a stampede and shoot the targeted animals with arrows or bullets from horseback or lance them through the heart. In addition to bison the Crow also hunted bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, elk, bear, and other game. Buffalo meat was often roasted or boiled in a stew with prairie turnips. The rump, tongue, liver, heart, and kidneys all were considered delicacies. Dried bison meat was ground with fat and berries to make pemmican.[24] In addition to meat, wild edibles were gathered and eaten such as elderberries, wild turnip, and Saskatoon berries.
The Crow often hunted bison by utilizing buffalo jumps. "Where Buffaloes are Driven Over Cliffs at Long Ridge" was a favorite spot for meat procurement by the Crow Indians for over a century, from 1700 to around 1870 when modern weapons were introduced.[25] The Crow used this place annually in the autumn, a place of multiple cliffs along a ridge that eventually sloped to the creek. Early in the morning the day of the jump a medicine man would stand on the edge of the upper cliff, facing up the ridge. He would take a pair of bison hindquarters and pointing the feet along the lines of stones he would sing his sacred songs and call upon the Great Spirit to make the operation a success.[25] After this invocation the medicine man would give the two head drivers a pouch of incense.[25] As the two head drivers and their helpers headed up the ridge and the long line of stones they would stop and burn incense on the ground repeating this process four times.[25] The ritual was intended to make the animals come to the line where the incense was burned, then bolt back to the ridge area.[25]
Habitation and Transportation
The traditional Crow shelter is the tipi or skin lodge made with bison hides stretched over wooden poles. The Crow are historically known to construct some of the largest tipis. Tipi poles were harvested from the lodgepole pine which acquired its name from its use as support for tipis.[26] Inside the tipi, mattresses and buffalo-hide seats were arranged around the edge, with a fireplace in the center. The smoke from the fire escaped through a hole or smoke-flap in the top of the tipi. At least one entrance hole with collapsible flap allowed entry into the tipi. Often hide paintings adorned the outside and inside of tipis with specific meanings attached to the images. Often specific tipi designs were unique to the individual owner, family, or society that resided in the tipi. Tipis are easily raised and collapsed and are lightweight, which is ideal for nomadic people like the Crow who move frequently and quickly. Once collapsed, the tipi poles are used to create a travois. Travois are a horse-pulled frame structure used by plains Indians to carry and pull belongings as well as small children. Many Crow families still own and use the tipi, especially when traveling. The annual Crow Fair has been described as the largest gathering of tipis in the world.
The most widely used form of transportation used by the Crow was the horse. Horses were acquired through raiding and trading with other Plains nations. People of the northern plains like the Crow mostly got their horses from people from the southern plains such as the Comanche and Kiowa who originally got their horses from the Spanish and southwestern Indians such as the various Pueblo people. The Crow had large horse herds which were among the largest owned by Plains Indians; in 1914 they had approximately thirty to forty thousand head. By 1921 the number of mounts had dwindled to just one thousand due to increased raiding from Crow enemies such as Cheyenne, Sioux, and Blackfeet. Like other plains people the horse was central to the Crow economy and were a highly valuable trade item and were frequently stolen from other tribes to gain wealth and prestige as a warrior. The horse allowed the Crow to become powerful and skilled mounted warriors, being able to perform daring maneuvers during battle including hanging underneath a galloping horse and shooting arrows by holding onto its mane. They also had many dogs; one source counted five to six hundred. Dogs were used as guards and pack animals to carry belongings and pull travois. The introduction of horses into Crow society allowed them to pull heavier loads faster, greatly reducing the number of dogs used as pack animals.
Clothing and Beadwork
The Crow wore clothing distinguished by gender. Women wore dresses made of deer and buffalo skins, decorated with elk teeth or shells. They covered their legs with leggings during winter and their feet with moccasins. Crow women wore their hair in two braids. Male clothing usually consisted of a shirt, trimmed leggings with a belt, a long breechcloth, and moccasins. Robes made from the furred hide of a bison were often worn in winter. Leggings were either made of animal hide which the Crow made for themselves or made of wool which were highly valued trade items made specifically for Indians in Europe. Their hair was worn long, in some cases reaching the ground.[27] The Crow are famous for often wearing their hair into a pompadour which is often coloured white with paint. Crow men were notable for wearing two hair pipes made from beads on both sides of their hair. Men often wore their hair in two braids wrapped in the fur from beavers or otters. Bear grease is used to give shine to hair. Stuffed birds were often worn in the hair of warriors and medicine men. Like other plains Indians the Crow wear feathers from eagles, crows, owls, and other birds in their hair for symbolic reasons. The Crow wear a variety of headdresses including the famous eagle feather headdress, bison scalp headdress with horns and beaded rim, and split horn headdress. The split horn headdress is made from a single bison horn split in half and polished into two nearly identical horns which are attached to a leather cap and decorated with feathers and beadwork. Traditional clothing worn by the Crow is still worn today with varying degrees of regularity.
The Crow People are well known for their intercut beadwork. They adorned basically every aspect of their lives with these beads, giving special attention to ceremonial and ornamental items. Their clothing, horses, cradles, ornamental and ceremonial gear, in addition to leather cases of all shapes, sizes and uses were decorated in beadwork.[28] They gave reverence to the animals they ate by using as much of it as they could. The leather for their clothing, robes and pouches were created from the skin of buffalo, deer and elk. The work was done by the tribeswomen, with some being considered experts and were often sought by the younger, less experienced women for design and symbolic advice.[29] The Crow are an innovative people and are credited with developing their own style of stitch-work for adhering beads. This stitch, which is contemporarily called the over-lay, is even still also known as the "Crow Stitch".[28] In their beadwork, geometric shapes were primarily used with triangles, diamonds and hour-glass structures being the most prevalent. A wide range of colors were utilized by the Crow, but blues and various shades of pink were the most dominantly used. To intensify or to draw out a certain color or shape, they would surround that figure or color in a white outline.[28]
The colors chosen were not just merely used to be aesthetically pleasing, but rather had a deeper symbolic meaning. Pinks represented the various shades of the rising sun with yellow being the East the origin of the sun's arrival.[28] Blues are symbolic of the sky; red represented the setting sun or the West; green symbolizing mother earth, black the slaying of an enemy[29] and white representing clouds, rain or sleet.[28] Although most colors had a common symbolism, each piece's symbolic significance was fairly subjective to its creator, especially when in reference to the individual shapes. One person's triangle might symbolize a teepee, a spear head to a different individual or a range of mountains to yet another. Regardless of the individual significance of each piece, the Crow People give reverence to the land and sky with the symbolic references found in the various colors and shapes found on their ornamental gear and even clothing.[28]
Some of the clothing that the Crow People decorated with beads included robes, vests, pants, shirts, moccasins and various forms of celebratory and ceremonial gear. In addition to creating a connection with the land, from which they are a part, the various shapes and colors reflected one's standing and achievements. For example if a warrior were to slay, wound or disarm an enemy, he would return with a blackened face.[29] The black color would then be incorporated in the clothing of that man, most likely in his war attire. A beaded robe, which was often given to a bride to be, could take over a year to produce and was usually created by the bride's mother-in-law or another female relative-in-law. These robes were often characterized by a series of parallel horizontal lines, usually consisting of light blue. The lines represented the young women's new role as a wife and mother; also the new bride was encouraged to wear the robe at the next ceremonial gathering to symbolize her addition and welcoming to a new family.[28] In modern times the Crow still often decorate their clothing with intricate bead designs for powwow and everyday clothing.
Gender and kinship system
The Crow had a matrilineal system. After marriage, the couple was matrilocal (the husband moved to the wife's mother's house upon marriage). Women held a significant role within the tribe.
Crow kinship is a system used to describe and define family members. Identified by Lewis Henry Morgan in his 1871 work Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family, the Crow system is one of the six major types which he described: Eskimo, Hawaiian, Iroquois, Crow, Omaha, and Sudanese.[citation needed]
Like other Plains tribes, the Crow historically had three defined gender roles: male, female and baté (trans female / "two-spirit").[30][31][32][33] Osh-Tisch was a well-known Crow baté.
The modern Crow Tribe Apsáalooke Nation
The Crow Indian Reservation in south-central Montana is a large reservation covering approximately Script error: No such module "convert". of land area, the fifth-largest Indian reservation in the United States. The reservation is primarily in Big Horn and Yellowstone counties with ceded lands in Rosebud, Carbon, and Treasure Counties. The Crow Indian Reservation's eastern border is the 107th meridian line, except along the border line of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
The southern border is from the 107th meridian line west to the east bank of the Big Horn River. The line travels downstream to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and west to the Pryor Mountains and north-easterly to Billings. The northern border travels east and through Hardin, Montana, to the 107th meridian line. The 2000 census reported a total population of 6,894 on reservation lands. Its largest community is Crow Agency.
Prior to the 2001 Constitution, the Crow Nation was governed by a 1948 Constitution. The former constitution organized the tribe as a General Council (Tribal Council). The General Council in essence held the executive, legislative, and judicial powers of the government, and was composed of all enrolled members of the Crow Nation, provided that females were 18 years or older and males were 21 or older. The General Council was a direct democracy, comparable to that of ancient Athens.
The Crow Nation, or Crow Tribe of Indians, established a three-branch government at a 2001 Council Meeting. The new government is known as the 2001 Constitution. The General Council remains the governing body of the tribe; however, the powers were distributed to a three-branch government. In theory, the General Council is still the governing body of the Crow Nation, yet in reality the General Council has not convened since the establishment of the 2001 Constitution.
The Executive Branch has four officials. These officials are known as the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Vice-Secretary. The Executive Branch officials are also the officials within the Crow Tribal General Council, which has not met since July 15, 2001. These officials established the 2001 Constitution. The Chairman is Darrin Old Coyote.
The Legislative Branch consists of three members from each district on the Crow Indian Reservation. The Crow Indian Reservation is divided into six districts known as The Valley of the Chiefs, Reno, Black Lodge, Mighty Few, Big Horn, and Pryor Districts. The Valley of the Chiefs District is the largest district by population.
The Judicial Branch consists of all courts established by the Crow Law and Order Code and in accordance with the 2001 Constitution. The Judicial Branch has jurisdiction over all matters defined in the Crow Law and Order Code. The Judicial Branch attempts to be a separate and distinct branch of government from the Legislative and Executive Branches of Crow Tribal Government. The Judicial Branch consists of an elected Chief Judge and two Associate Judges. The Crow Court of Appeals, similar to State Court of Appeals, receives all appeals from the lower courts. The Chief Judge of the Crow Nation is Julie Yarlott.
Constitution controversy
According to the 1948 Constitution, Resolution 63-01,(Please note; in a letter of communication from Phileo Nash, then Commissioner of Indian Affairs, to the B.I.A. Area Director- as stated in the letter And confirmed that 63-01 is an Ordinance in said letter) all constitutional amendments must be voted on by secret ballot or referendum vote. In 2001, major actions were taken by the former Chairperson Birdinground without complying with those requirements. The quarterly council meeting on July 15, 2001 passed all resolutions by voice vote, including the measure to repeal the current constitution and approve a new constitution. An opposition has arisen to challenge the new constitution's validity. The challenge is now in Crow Tribal Courts awaiting a decision.
Critics contend the new constitution is contrary to the spirit of the Crow Nation, as it provides authority for the US Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to approve Crow legislation and decisions. The Crow people have guarded their sovereignty and Treaty Rights. The alleged New Constitution was not voted on to add it to the agenda of the Tribal Council. The former constitution mandated that constitutional changes be conducted by referendum vote, using the secret ballot election method and criteria. In addition, a constitutional change can only be conducted in a specially called election, which was never approved by council action for the 2001 Constitution. The agenda was not voted on or accepted at the council.
The only vote taken at the council was whether to conduct the voting by voice vote or walking through the line. Critics say the Chairman ignored and suppressed attempts to discuss the Constitution. This council and constitutional change was never ratified by any subsequent council action. The Tribal Secretary, who was removed from office by the BirdinGround Administration, was the leader of the opposition. All activity occurred without his signature.
When the opposition challenged, citing the violation of the Constitutional Process and the Right to Vote, the Birdinground Administration sought the approval of the United States Department of the Interior (USDOI), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The latter stated it could not interfere in an internal tribal affair. The federal court also ruled that the constitutional change was an internal tribal matter.[citation needed]
The seat of government and capital of the Crow Indian Reservation is Crow Agency, Montana.
The Crow Nation has traditionally elected a chairperson of the Crow Tribal Council biennially; however, in 2001, the term of office was extended to four years. The previous chairperson was Carl Venne. The chairperson serves as chief executive officer, speaker of the council, and majority leader of the Crow Tribal Council. The constitutional changes of 2001 created a three-branch government. The chairperson serves as the head of the executive branch, which includes the offices of vice-chairperson, secretary, vice-secretary, and the tribal offices and departments of the Crow Tribal Administration. Notable chairs are Clara Nomee, Edison Real Bird, and Robert "Robie" Yellowtail.
On May 19, 2008, Hartford and Mary Black Eagle of the Crow Nation adopted U.S. Senator (now President) Barack Obama into the tribe on the date of the first visit of a U.S. presidential candidate to the nation.[34] Crow representatives also took part in President Obama's inaugural parade. In 2009 Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow was one of 16 people awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
During the United States federal government shutdown of 2013, the Crow Nation furloughed 316 employees and suspended programs providing health care, bus services and improvements to irrigation.[35]
Popular culture
Edgar Allan Poe's 1838 novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket features a character, Dirk Peters, who is the son of an Upsaroka (Absaroka) mother and a French father.
The cover of the popular music album America, which contained the Top Ten song, "Horse With No Name", featured the three group members sitting on the floor in front of a mural of Eight Crows.
The tribe hosts a large pow wow, rodeo, and parade annually; the 86th Crow Fair was held in Crow Agency from August 17–21, 2006. Called Baasaxpilue (to make much noise), it is the largest and most spectacular of Indian celebrations in the northern Plains.[36] The photographer Elsa Spear Byron photographed the Crow Fair from 1911 to the 1950s.
Angus Young, a Crow elder and historian, and professor at Little Big Horn College, was featured on the 2006 installment of the PBS television series Frontier House.[37]
In the documentary Native Spirit and the Sun Dance Way (2007), Thomas Yellowtail, a Crow medicine man and Sun Dance chief for more than 30 years, describes and explains the ancient Sun Dance ceremony, which is sacred to the Crow tribe. In the 1994 film Legends of the Fall, based on the 1979 novella of the same name by Jim Harrison, actor Gordon Tootoosis spoke Yellowtail's words to examine the preservation of a cultural and spiritual world before the coming of European settlers.
In 2007 Medicine Crow's grandson Joe Medicine Crow appeared on Ken Burns PBS series The War (documentary).
The Crow are the main antagonist in the 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson based on the real-life mountain man John Liver-Eating Johnston who, like in the movie, fought against the Crow earning him the nickname "Crow killer". Liver-Eating Johnson later made allies with the Crow as in the film.
Notable Crow
- Plenty Coups, important head chief, warrior, and peacemaker
- Medicine Crow, notable warrior and war chief
- White Man Runs Him, notable Crow Indian Scout and warrior
- Hairy Moccasin, notable Crow Indian Scout and warrior
- Goes Ahead, notable Crow Indian Scout and warrior
- Curley, notable Crow Indian Scout and warrior
- White Swan, notable Crow Indian Scout and warrior
- Half Yellow Face, notable Crow Indian Scout and warrior, leader of the six Crow Scouts who assisted Custer
- Pine Leaf, notable female war chief and warrior
- Pretty Shield, notable Crow woman
- Pretty Eagle, notable chief and warrior
- Bull Chief, notable war chief
- Joe Medicine Crow, war chief, educator, historian, author, and World War II veteran
- Pauline Small, notable female member of Crow Tribal Council
- Noah Watts, actor (most known for his role as Ratonhnhaké:ton, the main character of Assassin's Creed III)
- Peggy White Wellknown Buffalo, creator of The Center Pole charitable organization, and leading Medicine Woman, she was honored in 2014 by the Dalai Lama.
- Robert Summers "Robbie" Yellowtail, leader of Crow Nation, described as "20th Century Warrior". First Native American to hold position of Agency Superintendent.
See also
- Crow language
- Crow religion
- Pine Leaf was a woman and chief of the Crow tribe
- Plenty Coups was the last of the great chiefs of the Crow tribe
- ^ Johnson, Kirk (July 24, 2008), "A State That Never Was in Wyoming", The New York Times
- ^ William C. Sturtevant, Handbook of North American Indians: Southwest (1979, ISBN 0160504007), page 714: "Among other tribes the Crow are most commonly designated as 'crow' or 'raven'."
- ^ Barry M. Pritzker:A Native American Encyclopedia
- ^ Phenocia Bauerle: The Way of the Warrior: Stories of the Crow People, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 978-0-8032-6230-0
- ^ Peter Nabokof and Lawrence L. Lowendorf, Restoring a History, University of Oklahoma Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8061-3589-1, ISBN 978-0-8061-3589-2
- ^ John Doerner, "Timeline of historic events from 1400 to 2003", Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
- ^ Timeline and citations, Four Directions Institute
- ^ Rodney Frey: The World of the Crow Indians: As Driftwood Lodges, University of Oklahoma Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8061-2560-2
- ^ The Crow Society - Crow The People
- ^ Dog travois, Women of the Fur Trade
- ^ "Forest Prehistory", with pictures of dog travois, Helena National Forest Website
- ^ Osborn, Alan J. "Ecological Aspects of Equestrian Adaptation in Aboriginal North America", American Anthropologist, No l. 85, No. 3 (Sept 1983), 566
- ^ Hamalainen, 10–15
- ^ Bowers 1992: 23
- ^ Lowie 1993: 272–275
- ^ Timothy P. McCleary: The Stars We Know: Crow Indian Astronomy and Lifeways, Waveland Press Inclusive, 1996, ISBN 978-0-88133-924-6
- ^ Lowie 1912: 183–184
- ^ Barney Old Coyote, Turtle Island Storyteller
- ^ Plenty Coups and Linderman, Plenty-Coups, Chief of the Crows, 2002, p. 31-42.
- ^ Brown, Mark H (1959). The Plainsmen of the Yellowstone. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN 0-8032-5026-6.
- ^ Text of the Fort Laramie Treat of 1851, see Article 5 relating to the Crow lands
- ^ Text of Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, See Article 16, creating unceded Indian Territory east of the summit of the Big Horn Mountains and north of the North Platte River
- ^ 93rd Annual Crow Fair. Welcome from Cedric Black Eagle - Chairman of the Crow Tribe http://www.crow-nsn.gov
- ^ Crow Indian Recipes and Herbal Medicine, by Pretty Shield's granddaughter, Alma Hogan Snell
- ^ a b c d e Keyser, James. "The Plains Anthropologist". Anthropology News. Retrieved March 2012.
- ^ Wishart, David J.. Encyclopedia of the Great Plains Indians. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2007. 89.
- ^ Letter No. 8 George Catlin "...most of them were over six feet high and very many of these have cultivated their natural hair to such an almost incredible length, that it sweeps the ground as they walk; there are frequent instances of this kind amongst them, and in some cases, a foot or more it will drag on the grass as they walk, giving exceeding grace and beauty their movements. They usually oil their Hair with a profusion of bear grease every morning"
- ^ a b c d e f g Powell, P (1988). To Honor the Crow People. Chicago: Foundation for the Preservation of American Indian Art and Culture, Inc.
- ^ a b c Lowie, R (1922). Crow Indian Art. New York: Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History.
- ^ Will Roscoe (2000). Changing Ones: Third and Fourth Genders in Native North America. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-22479-6.
- ^ Walter L. Williams, The Spirit and the Flesh: Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture (ISBN 0807046159)
- ^ Sabine Lang (1998). Men as women, women as men: changing gender in Native American cultures. University of Texas Press. p. 117. ISBN 0-292-74701-2.
- ^ The Crow Indians (1983, ISBN 0803279094)
- ^ "Obama Adopted Into Crow Nation". The Washington Post.
- ^ Brown, Matthew (2 October 2013). "Shutdown hits vulnerable Indian tribes as basics such as foster care, nutrition threatened". Minnesota Star-Tribune. AP. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ Elsa Spear Byron Collection
- ^ PBS - Frontier House: Frontier Life
- The Crow Indians, Robert H. Lowie, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1983, paperback, ISBN 0-8032-7909-4
- The World of the Crow Indians: As Driftwood Lodges, Rodney Frey, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1987, hardback, ISBN 0-8061-2076-2
- Stories That Make the World: Oral Literature of the Indian Peoples of the Inland Northwest. As Told by Lawrence Aripa, Tom Yellowtail and Other Elders. Rodney Frey, edited. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1995, paperback, ISBN 0-8061-3131-4
- The Crow and the Eagle: A Tribal History from Lewis & Clark to Custer, Keith Algier, Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho, 1993, paperback, ISBN 0-87004-357-9
- From The Heart Of The Crow Country: The Crow Indians' Own Stories, Joseph Medicine Crow, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2000, paperback, ISBN 0-8032-8263-X
- Apsaalooka: The Crow Nation Then and Now, Helene Smith and Lloyd G. Mickey Old Coyote, MacDonald/Swãrd Publishing Company, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 1992, paperback, ISBN 0-945437-11-0
- Parading through History: The Making of the Crow Nation in America 1805-1935, Frederick E. Hoxie, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1995, hardcover, ISBN 0-521-48057-4
- The Handsome People: A History of the Crow Indians and the Whites, Charles Bradley, Council for Indian Education, 1991, paperback, ISBN 0-89992-130-2
- Myths and Traditions of the Crow Indians, Robert H. Lowie, AMS Press, 1980, hardcover, ISBN 0-404-11872-0
- Social Life of the Crow Indians, Robert H. Lowie, AMS Press, 1912, hardcover, ISBN 0-404-11875-5
- Material Culture of the Crow Indians, Robert H Lowie, The Trustees, 1922, hardcover, ASIN B00085WH80
- The Tobacco Society of the Crow Indians, Robert H. Lowie, The Trustees, 1919, hardcover, ASIN B00086IFRG
- Religion of the Crow Indians, Robert H. Lowie, The Trustees, 1922, hardcover, ASIN B00086IFQM
- The Crow Sun Dance, Robert Lowie, 1914, hardcover, ASIN B0008CBIOW
- Minor Ceremonies of the Crow Indians, Robert H. Lowie, American Museum Press, 1924, hardcover, ASIN B00086D3NC
- Crow Indian Art, Robert H. Lowie, The Trustees, 1922, ASIN B00086D6RK
- The Crow Language, Robert H. Lowie, University of California press, 1941, hardcover, ASIN B0007EKBDU
- The Way of the Warrior: Stories of the Crow People, Henry Old Coyote and Barney Old Coyote, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2003, ISBN 0-8032-3572-0
- Two Leggings: The Making of a Crow Warrior, Peter Nabokov, Crowell Publishing Co., 1967, hardcover, ASIN B0007EN16O
- Plenty-Coups: Chief of the Crows, Frank B. Linderman, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1962, paperback, ISBN 0-8032-5121-1
- Pretty-shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows, Frank B. Linderman, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1974, paperback, ISBN 0-8032-8025-4
- They Call Me Agnes: A Crow Narrative Based on the Life of Agnes Yellowtail Deernose, Fred W. Voget and Mary K. Mee, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1995, hardcover, ISBN 0-8061-2695-7
- Yellowtail, Crow Medicine Man and Sun Dance Chief: An Autobiography, Michael Oren Fitzgerald, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 1991, hardcover, ISBN 0-8061-2602-7
- Grandmother's Grandchild: My Crow Indian Life, Alma Hogan Snell, University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 2000, hardcover, ISBN 0-8032-4277-8
- Memoirs of a White Crow Indian, Thomas H. Leforge, The Century Co., 1928, hardcover, ASIN B00086PAP6
- Radical Hope. Ethics in the Face of Cultural Devastation, Jonathan Lear, Harvard University Press, 2006, ISBN 0-674-02329-3
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Crow tribe.
|Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Crow Indians.
- Crow Tribal Council Website
- Crow Indians - Their Lands, Allies and Enemies
- Little Big Horn College Library
- Smithsonian
- 2001 Constitution
- 1948 Constitution
- Photo exhibition on Crow Indians, with short account of 21st century lifestyle, Untold London
- Collection of historical Crow photographs
- List of Crow Chiefs, Little Big Horn College Library.
- Crow Indian Recipes and Herbal Medicine, by Pretty Shield's granddaughter, Alma Hogan Snell
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Mortgage fraud has become increasingly common across the country, particularly as it relates to foreclosure rescue and loan modification scams and short sale scams.
There are many organizations that can help you when facing financial problems or foreclosure, but it is more important than ever to make sure you are dealing with a reputable organization before getting involved. Any unsolicited help should be fully researched before accepting any help.
How to Report Scams
If you've been approached by a company or individual promising to save your home from foreclosure for a fee or believe you've been the victim of a scam, report it immediately !
- Go to www.preventloanscams.org and fill out the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network's (LMSPN) complaint form online and get more information on how to fight back. Note: you can also fill out this form and send to the fax number/e-mail/address (your choice!) on the back of the form.
- Call 1-888-995‐HOPE (4673) and tell the counselor about your situation and that you believe you got scammed or know of a scam.
How to Identify Mortgage Fraud
Following are six red flags identified by Loan Modification Scam AlertTM , a national public education campaign that Freddie Mac co-chairs, to indicate that you may be dealing with fraud:
- A company/person asks for a fee in advance to work with your lender to modify, refinance or reinstate your mortgage.
- A company/person guarantees they can stop a foreclosure or get your loan modified.
- A company/person advises you to stop paying your mortgage company and pay them instead.
- A company pressures you to sign over the deed to your home or sign any paperwork that you haven't had a chance to read, and you don't fully understand.
- A company other than your lender claims to offer "government-approved" or "official government" loan modifications.
- A company/person you don't know asks you to release personal financial information online or over the phone.
Freddie Mac is the co-chair of the Loan Modification Scam Prevention Network that is working with the new Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force and others to track and prosecute mortgage fraud.
Types of Fraud
Foreclosure Rescue and Loan Modification Fraud
In these scams, mortgage fraud artists target homeowners who are delinquent on their mortgage, on the brink of foreclosure, or in foreclosure with false promises of being able to save their home from foreclosure or guaranteeing a loan modification with a reduced mortgage payment.
Many of these companies seek out distressed homeowners by searching public records to identify properties where a Notice of Default has been filed. Typically, these people – or companies – charge excessive upfront fees for their "work," fail to execute any of their promises, and put you and your family at a much greater risk of losing your home.
In exchange for their assistance, they may:
- Require you to sign the title to your home to them.
- Ask you to sign a stack of unfamiliar documents, which may include a deed to transfer your title to them.
- Charge you rent to stay in your home, and may promise that you can purchase your home back when your financial situation improves.
Typically, an unreasonable repurchase price is set, or they fail to make the mortgage payments on your behalf. The result is most often a foreclosure action, loss of your equity and eviction from your home.
Loan modification scams may operate similarly, providing false hope and empty promises. In most instances, the company collects an upfront fee and promises to work with your lender to obtain a modification with a reduced payment, but they fail to deliver on their promises.
Short Sale Fraud
The number of short sale transactions has grown significantly since the housing crisis began and, unfortunately, so has the number of scams involving short sales.
There are multiple schemes associated with short sales. For example, an unscrupulous short sale negotiator may attempt to facilitate the sale of your home to an affiliated party at below market value, with plans to resell it immediately to a third party for an immediate profit. Although this may achieve your goal of avoiding foreclosure, it may be considered fraud if your servicer was misled regarding the value of your property. In addition, an artificially low short sale price can also leave you with additional tax liabilities or a larger amount remaining on your loan balance, if applicable.
If you are selling your home through a short sale, following are some important points to keep in mind:
- Beware of agents or companies that charge upfront fees or ask you to transfer title to your home to a third party or into a trust. The transfer of title should be completed by your closing agent, and should be done at the conclusion of the short sale process.
- Seek the assistance of a licensed real estate professional to represent you.
- If you engage the services of a short sale negotiator, remember that some states require negotiators to have a real estate license.
- Seek the advice of an accountant and an attorney to discuss potential tax implications and the possibility of a deficiency judgment for the amount of debt that is forgiven or if there are subordinate liens on your property.
- Beware of purchase offers that are well below market value, as well as any payments, transfers of funds or payoffs that are not included in the sales contract and approved by your servicer.
- Make sure that your servicer is aware of all aspects of your transaction and that all activities are documented. Side agreements, undisclosed payoffs or hidden addenda should alert you to possible fraud.


text:
A what? A fun pack. Its the first try at a name. I thought about using action pack but that just didn't seem appropriate. What is it? Well because paypal fees (I love paypal by the way) make pricing videos at less than $2.99 not very tenable, I decided to package several together and sell the HD videos that way. This first one is for June and has 8 HD scuds, nymphs, and emergers. You get a $24 value for just $10. That's pretty near 60% off the list price. So take a look at the patterns below and if even half of them look interesting, its a deal. Get your JUNE FUN PACK now!
Todd Moen and Brian O'Keefe have a great magazine in Catch. I've written about it before and I just can't say enough how much I admire the job they are doing. ( I even plunked down a few precious bucks to advertise with them a few months ago). Todd's latest work is a two part short on a mother-daughter teem of steelhead outfitters in B.C. The imagery is beautiful as always but what I really like is the fact that its what someone once referred to as "a good story well told". Take a look below at both parts and be sure to subscribe to Catch Magazine for mouth watering fly fishing goodness. (its free)
Sorry I've been away for awhile. I've been cutting and compressing and transcoding and uploading, oh and filming some. I thought I'd bring you and update with some names to go with some of the pics from my previous post. Here's a list of upcoming patterns which will ultimate take TWF up to 193 patterns and 40.5 hours of content.
- Veiled Egg
- Blood Midge
- Lady Caroline
- Day-2 Midge Pupa
- KC's Crane Fly
- TLF Deer Hair Emerger
- Burkus Baetis Emerger
- KC's Shaggy Caddis
- Woven Hair Hackle Dry Fly
- Eumer Steelhead Killer
- TLF BWO Softhackle
- KC's Powder Puff CDC Emerger
- Blue Bird Spey
- Booty's Mahogany Emerger
- Dahlberg Rabbit Strip Diver
- Green Rockworm Caddis
- Bear hair Golden Trude
- TLF Steelhead Magic
- KC's Woodchuck Nymph
- Bear Back Rider
Its that time of year again and TWF is down at the East Idaho Fly Tying Expo meeting up with old friends and filming a slew of patterns and top notch tiers. Here are some of the patterns You will be seeing in the coming weeks and some set and expo pics.
No, I'm not giving away free Hardy's, though that would be nice huh? I just wanted to let everyone know that I've put up a new page called REELS (check the tabs at the top of the page on the right). I have and will continue to post samples of Reel Action projects and my own work. I've got five films up now and I'll add more as I go including, probably, the 5-6 promotional videos we did for outfitters in Argentina in 2009.
Take a look and enjoy.


text:
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Zomg, I almost Cried!!
I had a mini heart attack because my laptop just stopped working! Here is the freaky part, I was cursing about how I need a new one because this one is so crappy and falling apart, my friend pointed out that I should not get a new one just yet because it still works and I made so much money with it while working online. True. True. Then it stopped working, I have no time to get a new one! So much work to do, I will get in trouble. Then it just worked again, just like that....weird....i think it heard me? Sorry Lappy, I wub u!!!
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text:
The sixth edition of the Security Intelligence Report (SIR), Microsoft's semi-annual report on the state of computer security was published on April 8, 2009. Using data derived from hundreds of millions of computers worldwide and some of the busiest online services on the Internet, this report provides an in-depth perspective on trends in:
- Software vulnerabilities (both in Microsoft software and in third-party software)
- Software exploits
- Security and privacy breaches
- Malicious and potentially unwanted software
- E-mail, spam, and phishing
When I say 'in-depth', I mean it. At 184 pages in length, the report is extremely comprehensive and data driven. If you are a data junkie like me, the whole report is fascinating. I love reading about the industry vulnerability trends, seeing the history of where we have come from and the progress we have made, as well as where things are going and thinking about how we stay ahead in security. But if you are an IT Admin, the SIR can be far more than just fascinating. The SIR can help you understand the threat landscape and assess risk in your environment. For example:
Malicious software infection rates differ significantly for different versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. Windows Vista was less infected at any service pack level than Windows XP. Comparing the latest service packs for each version, the infection rate of Windows Vista SP1 is 60.6 percent less than that of Windows XP SP3.
This is hard data that helps you make a decision about the most secure Microsoft operating system to deploy in your environment. And the SIR doesn't just include a wealth of datapoints, it also includes clear guidance on mitigations and countermeasures for most threat and exploit trends investigated.
There are a number of key findings in the SIR relevant to Trustworthy Browsing as well. Rogue security software, phishing, and malicious website threats are rapidly increasing. These threats make it even more important for browsers to help users avoid the dangers of social engineering attacks and make safe browsing choices. Internet Explorer 8 does this with our SmartScreen Filter, which identifies and blocks sites on the web that are distributing malicious software.
I could easily take the SIR data and use it to support the great security features in IE8… But you can already learn more about IE8 security here in IEblog, and in my recent TechNet interview. Instead I'm asking our IT Admin readers to take the time to download and read the SIR, if you haven't already. It can help you assess today's security risks and understand the latest threats to your environment so you can take timely defensive steps to ensure your users and company assets are safe.
Safe browsing,
-Kymberlee Price