Into the Outdoors: Weird things I have encountered afield
- Editor
- May 12
- 3 min read
Recently, I got to looking through a bunch of old photos, some of them really old. I came across a picture of a fallen down house Old Bub and I saw while hunting many years ago. I began to think about some of the weird things I have encountered afield.
Over the years, I can’t tell you how many doll heads I’ve found. Not whole dolls, just heads. On some occasions, it’s been around old foundations or fallen down houses. There, the explanation is pretty obvious. Kids once lived there. But how do you explain finding one far out in the woods, where there was never a house? Abandoned cars and trucks are yet another thing. I kid you not, I’ve come across these in places where I can’t imagine how
Of course, a lot of the stuff you come across is nothing more than trash some slob wanted to get rid of, but it’s easy to tell when that is the case.
If asked to name the most bizarre thing I’ve found in the woods, the choice would be easy. About fifty years ago, a buddy and I found a prosthetic leg. There was an old dumpsite nearby, and that’s probably where it came from, but it was still strange. It was not a modern one, but a full length wooden piece.
With Father’s Day’s rapid approach, I thought it would be fun to look at gifts for the outdoor dad on your list. This is, in fact, one of my favorite columns of the whole year, so here goes. Of course, we can’t cover all of the possibilities, or even most of them. Hopefully, however, these ideas will be useful, or at least serve as a springboard for ideas of your own.
A good, rugged outdoor watch makes a wonderful and useful gift. The fact of the matter is that hunting in the rain, as well as fishing, is just too much for a a really cheap watch. A good one may cost fifty bucks or more, but it’s worth it. Make sure the one you choose is water-resistant to at least fifty feet. While, true, it will probably never be down that far, this rating shows that it’s really sealed well. I’ve had one of these for several years. It’s been submerged countless times, had gasoline and other chemicals spilled on it, and been abused just about every way possible, yet it still runs just fine.
Vise-Grip adjustable locking pliers make a great gift. Around this time of year, you can buy gift sets featuring various sizes and styles. These are amazingly sturdy and versatile. When out in a boat, they’re about the only tool you really need. You can replace a cotter pin, use them to remove the nut to replace a shear pin, tighten a loose fuel fitting and a variety of other little jobs. They’re also great if the cylinder on your propane lantern is too tight, or for changing the gas tank on your outdoor grill. There’s just no end to their uses. You can even use them to pinch on split shot sinkers. Vise-Grip also markets a multi-tool which features pliers plus a number of other handy tools all in one.
Fishing-oriented gifts are available to fit almost any budget. Rod and reel combos are what usually come to mind first, but the price tag for good ones is often a bit intimidating. Many lure companies, such as Mepps, market gift packs of lures, usually geared toward a certain type of fishing, such as trout, panfish, etc.
Books make great gifts, too. Most outdoor folks thoroughly enjoy reading about their favorite pastimes. How-to books, “Me and Joe” nostalgia works and humorous books are all available at reasonable prices. Pat McManus’ hilarious books are guaranteed to make any outdoor man or woman chuckle. Magazine subscriptions rank right up there, too. It’s really great, on a cold winter day, to go to the mailbox and discover one of your favorite magazines. Well, I hope you find some of these ideas to be useful. It seems impossible that Father’s Day is so close, but it is.
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