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VPT's Outdoor
Journal #407
 Shed
HuntingShed hunting doesn't get the press of deer or other types of hunting. There is no official season. You don't use a gun or bow. In fact, the only equipment you use are your legs and eyes. Shed hunting refers to the finding of antlers that animals have shed. Animals such as deer and moose shed their antlers in winter so they can grow larger ones in the spring. Moose antlers can grow very fast — as much as an inch a day. When they are fully developed they can weigh as much as sixty pounds. Deer and moose will shed their antlers anytime between November and March. The best time to hunt for sheds is either in early December before there is a lot of snow buildup or in late winter early spring as the snow melts away. Steve Foster has been hunting sheds for 45 years. He says that some of the best ones have been found in November. Though he's not ready to give up on rifle hunting season yet, Steve says hunting sheds has become an obsession with him. He heads out as soon as deer season is over. "There's nothing like it. I just love doing it. I love being outside in the winter. It's a beautiful time of the year." Hunting for sheds is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It requires some of the same skills regular hunting does. You have to look for the signs, such as the rubs on the trees, tracks and beds. You have to be familiar with the type of habitat of your animal. And this is a silent prey. A shed doesn't bolt when you approach it. It will let you walk right by without moving. It requires keen eyes, woodsmanship and a passion for being outdoors. Host Lawrence Pyne joins Steve Foster on a moose shed hunt in winter.
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Montshire
Igloo BuildingAlong the Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which runs the length of the Connecticut River from northern New Hampshire to the Long Island Sound, sits the Montshire Museum of Science. Montshire is an amalgam of the last two syllables of Vermont and New Hampshire. It's a place where people can learn all year round about the outdoor world around us. There are four aquaria at the museum that showcase aquatic life found in both cold water streams and warm ponds. There are nature trails that contain exhibits of insect life, flora and fauna of Vermont. The museum's Science Park is a collection of dozens of hands-on experiments that uses the outdoors as a living experimental library. There are programs for school groups, teachers, children and families. And it doesn't close down in the winter. One of the events the museum held this past winter was an igloo building day. Bert Yankielun is an engineer at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. He lent his expertise in cold weather snow to help kids learn about how frozen water and air can be used to build a shelter. But, Bert says, it's not a survival class. "I'm more interested in teaching people how to have fun with winter," he explains, "[how to] make friends with winter, do something that's extremely inexpensive that you can do as a family or with friends." In this segment, we join Bert Yankielun at the Montshire Museum of Science for a day of igloo building.
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Dog
SleddingThe sport of dog sledding evolved from the common use of sled dogs in harsh polar regions as work animals. The gold rush helped add a demand for powerful dogs such as the Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies. And though airplanes began replacing sled dogs as carriers of supplies and mail in the 1920s, the allure of mushing continued, evolving into a sport. In 1925 an outbreak of diphtheria occurred in Nome, Alaska, requiring serum to be sent from Nenana, over 600 miles away. With temperatures reaching 50 degrees below zero, a relay team of sled dogs was set up to make a dramatic run, delivering the serum in just over five days. The event inspired the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which now covers over 1,100 miles Bruce Linton of Green Mountain Dog Sled Adventures hopes to qualify for the Iditarod. His company in Morrisville, Vt., is a great place to get an introduction to dog sledding. He has about eighty spirited Alaskan Huskies that will take you on an incredible winter ride. He says people are often surprised when they first meet the dogs. "I can't tell you how many people come up here and say, 'your dogs are so friendly. I can't believe how friendly they are.' " The popular misconception is that they're big, aggressive animals. The average female Alaskan Husky weighs only about 45 pounds. And they love to run. They sense the change in the weather and begin to get excited when it gets cold. A careful training regime is followed to allow the dogs to slowly build up their stamina and not overexert themselves. Their engines run high in winter. A single dog can burn up to 10,000 calories a day pulling in the cold, requiring a special diet high in fat and protein. At Green Mountain Dog Sled Adventures, you can learn about the care and feeding of these magnificent dogs. You can learn about the sport and how to hook up a team and drive. Or you can just sit back and go for ride in the snow. Host Marianne Eaton joins Bruce Linton of Green Mountain Dog Sled Adventures for a little introduction to the sport of dog sledding. RETURN TO TOP
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