VPT Online: VOJ #209


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VPT's Outdoor Journal #209

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Ice Climbing

Trapping

Primitive Biathlon
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Ice Climbing
To many it may appear impossible to comprehend a climb up a sheer wall of ice in the winter. But thanks to advances in technology, this sport is now more accessible than ever.

For many ice climbers, mastering the mental and physical challenges associated with this sport is what makes it attractive. Ice climbing requires a person to be completely in synch with the environment and to understand how the changing weather conditions affect the terrain being climbed. For those that attack the physical and mental challenges of this sport, there is a special sense of accomplishment and feeling of being one with nature. Host Marianne Eaton joins Austin Paulson of Peak Expeditions for a day on the ice in Smuggler's Notch.

Related Links & Information:
Ice Climbing Areas of the Northeast North American Ice Climbing Project North East Ice	Peak Expeditions Petra Cliffs Rock & Ice

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Trapping
A century ago, trapping fur-bearing animals was not only a way of life for many Vermonters, it was also a necessity to make ends meet and put food on the table. Much progress has been made to regulate trapping, making it as safe and humane as possible. Leg-hold trap technology has improved to the point that if a non-targeted animal is trapped it can be released unharmed. Today trapping it is more of a management tool than a profitable venture, with trappers being summoned by landowners with nuisance animals. And for many families it remains an important way of life. We head out with Tom Decker and his two kids to learn more about the critical role trapping plays as a management tool as well as discover some of the advancements in technology.

Related Links & Information:

Furbearer Resources Technical Work Group
FurBearers Unlimited
Fur Takers of America

National Trappers Association
Vermont Trappers Association

"Regulated Trapping and Furbearer Management in the United States" is available on videotape from The Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Call (802) 241-3700 for more information.

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Primitive Biathlon
Muzzle-loading guns were an important tool for survival for early Vermonters. Today, the allure of the ball-firing muzzleloader has caught on with a whole new generation of hunters and shooting enthusiasts. These guns present special challenges for hunters in that you only have one shot to hit your quarry. You have to get relatively close to the target to make a successful shot. And even when the conditions are right, the gun may misfire. It's a sport of few second chances.

Every January in Jeffersonville at the Primitive Biathlon, period-costumed participants traverse the course, wearing wooden snowshoes, and shooting at the targets with muzzleloaders. It's a day where the woods are filled with mountain men and the smell of black powder. Host Lawrence Pyne competes at this year's event.

Related Links:

Coon 'n Crockett

Muzzleloader Mailing List

National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association

Smugglers' Notch Primitive Biathlon

Sterling Ridge Inn & Cabins

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