TRAVEL - THE HISTORIC CHAMBERLIN INN - CODY, WYOMING

IN SEARCH OF BILL
By Jim Foster

Leaving Salmon Idaho in short moments before the sun cast its light over the Mountains a couple of ravens sounded off in the cold air, their calls drifting away down the valley.

The trip east along the Lemhi River reminded me the calving season was a bit ahead of schedule this year. The small black dots on the snow guarded by their mothers grew in numbers each day – the season was well past the midway point and ranchers were spending sleepless nights with their herds.

Passing through the small community of Baker a pair of coyotes watched me over their shoulders as they trotted away.

Reaching the town of Leadore my path turned uphill through the flats then along Salt Creek and through Bannock Pass into Montana - then past the Clark Canyon Reservoir and east and south toward the town of Cody, Wyoming. It was mid February the year 2008.

This wasn’t my first trip and it wouldn’t be my last looking into the demise and final disposition of the man known as Buffalo Bill born William F. Cody in 1846. That tale will not be related here but will be completed for publication shortly.

Speeding my way toward Cody my trip was hastened by dry roads clear of ice and mostly clear of snow. It was late afternoon when I parked on 12th street in front of the historic Chamberlin Inn, named after Agnes Chamberlin.

Agnes (Aggie) Chamberlin moved from Kansas to Cody in 1900. She started work for Buffalo Bill at the Cody Enterprise newspaper. Directly across the street from the newspaper Agnes noticed was a vacant lot mostly covered with low sage. This vacant lot is where in 1903 Agnes opened her first boarding house. The sad fact was that Agnes’ husband was somewhat of a loser and had issued himself a bogus dental license and started a practice. Practice was truly the key work because that was what the so-called dentist needed - plenty of practice.

Aggie enlarged her boarding house and over the next 14 years, several buildings were combined to create the Chamberlin Hotel. Later one of the oldest buildings in Cody, the Cody Circuit Judge Court House was added. One of the photographs in the building today there is a 1910 photograph of Buffalo Bill and the newly elected Park County officers standing outside the courthouse door.

Aggie was a very active member of the Cody community and her hotel dining room hosted many of the areas social clubs which many time Aggie helped form. Some of these were the Cody Club Chamber, the Buffalo Bill Memorial Association, the Cody Women's Club, and the Cody Music Club.

In spite of, or maybe because of, the fact that Cody boasted over 15 drinking establishments Aggie was instrumental in the building of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches and later donated land for the Cody Airport.

Ernest Hemingway's signature was found on one of the original guest registers. Research by a Hemingway scholar found that in 1932, Hemingway stayed at the Chamberlin Hotel shortly after completing "Death in the Afternoon". Hemmingway spent some time enjoying the fishing on the Clark's Fork River.

While Hemmingway was staying at the Chamberlin he sent the manuscript and several short stories to his publishers. His schedule was to fish by day and then drink adult beverages and tell stories in the Irma Bar each night. Today a special room has been named in his honor at the Chamberlin.

Agnes sold the hotel in 1939 and the name was changed to the Pawnee Hotel. The Pawnee changed hands in 1974 and was operated as the Pawnee for the next 31 years.

As years passed The Pawnee hotel slowly fell into disrepair suffering from neglect and sloppy repair. This led to its closure and further down hill slide.

The downhill slide ended in 2005 when Ev and Susan Diehl bought the property and began the difficult task of restoring and updating the hotel. This was a project of love taken on by two very talented people. Joining in the project was the couples two daughters Kelly and Marcy and their families. A talented nephew with contracting expertise completed the team.

Two years and several bucks later the now renamed Chamberlin Inn is a property worthy of a five or more star rating. It is said that the hotel is the residence of a spectral being or ghost if you prefer. She has been seen by several guests wandering the halls wearing a blue dress.

Information about the Chamberlin Inn and booking details can be obtained by calling 307-587-0202 or by e-mail info@chamberlininn.com. The Inn also has a great web site at www.chamberlininn.com

During my stay at the Chamberlin I didn’t see the ghost but, the pillows and the towels are large and fluffy, and the rooms are very comfortable and well appointed. I shall return.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

HUNTING - The Noble High School Music Department BEAR HUNT- BUY A TICKET

(Photo: Author's (0n the right) first black bear.

STRIKE UP THE BAND – BUY A TICKET
By Jim Foster

In reading the opinion columns in many newspapers and magazines I have come to the conclusion there are many more stupid people than I had once thought. Sure, some slow thinkers and government employees may believe in global warming and the existence of the ivory-billed woodpecker. (I didn't vote for Gore.)

These are the same mental midgets who will expel a youngster for drawing a picture of a gun. However, this latest crock of so called politically correct bi product of grass and water after being processed through a male bovine takes the prize.

Here’s what happened.

The Noble High School Music Department in Maine is trying to raise money to send their band to New York City for a competition. This happens in communities all over the country. However in this case instead of selling candy bars or car washes (it is Maine) the music department decided, with the schools blessings, to hold a raffle for a spring bear hunt in Maine.

Hunting and fishing is a way of life in Maine but a few didn’t think so.

Melanie Ciccotelli and two of her friends with more time than intelligence showed up at a school board meeting to “protest” the hunt calling it “inappropriate”.

"It's legal, and I understand that," said Melanie Ciccotelli, "But this has no place in a school environment ... it's sending a bad message."

Hummmmmmmmm?? What’s the message? That doing something legal is wrong? Legal hunting is bad? Or youngsters learning about being creative has limits? Well, Mrs. Ciccotelli, get a life quickly, you have way too much time on your hands. The same applies to your two friends as well.

A loud round of applause should go to Rick Varney, as well as school officials for signing off on the idea. In spite of the small protest the raffle is still on. I for one just bought a few of the $10 dollar tickets.

Mr. Varney, who is a Maine guide, veteran police officer and the current school resource officer at Noble High School has explained the hunt and how to but tickets on line on his web site, www.mainebearhunter.com/bearhuntraffle.html. The site is well done and the secure area for ticket purchase is simple and gets the job done.

"The trip is valued at "around $3,200" and clearly offers more than simply a hunting experience. The winners will have a chance to explore a part of northwestern Maine he or she would most likely not otherwise visit”.

It is with this said I encourage all my hunting readers to buy at least one ticket and help the band get to New York. I bought mine and will keep my fingers crossed that I might win. The trip is for 2 people so might I suggest that if you are the lucky winner take a youngster along with you, that’s my plan.

Hey band guys and gals, GOOD PLAN AND GOOD LUCK.

JIM'S GEMS - ARE THEY CRYING WOLF?

DELISTING THE GRAY WOLF – FACT OR FICTION
By Jim Foster

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) the gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains is thriving and no longer requires the protection of the Endangered Species Act. The delisting has been done. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett made the announcement.

Well, maybe!

The delisting rule in it’s legal and formalized form is supposed to be published in the Federal Register February 27 and will become law 30 days later.

As many of my regular readers know my faith in the truth of statements by the USFWS or their parent bureaucracy the department of the Interior is rather thin. If the USFWS says something I always take it for granted it's either not true or only a partial truth. More times than not I am correct in my position.

In their news release Ms. Scarlett was quoted to say, "The wolf population in the Northern Rockies has far exceeded its recovery goal and continues to expand its size and range. States, tribes, conservation groups, federal agencies and citizens of both regions can be proud of their roles in this remarkable conservation success story".

Well maybe, but first I question the numbers of wolves in the respective states. One thing is for sure we do have more wolves than we need, over 100 breeding pairs to many.

The cost of returning the wolf to the Rockies has been over a staggering $27 million dollars. This isn’t counting all the time and gunpowder the old timers used to remove them from the Rockies in the first place.

Now here is the first catch, federal law prevents congress from directly giving appropriated money to the states. So, all federal funding would be required to be funded through a federal agency or program. Take a guess at which agency that might be?

In fact what has really happened is this, the introduced wolf has killed domestic animals and livestock, spread into unplanned areas, killed wildlife, and harassed the rest into changing preferred ranges and causing a low birth rate in native deer, elk, and other wild species.

However the USFWS continues to pour money down the wolf rat hole. It has been forecast that they, the USFWS, will spend over $3.3 million dollars just to keep an eye / manage the present population. Where this money is coming from nobody seems to know. Will it fall on the states where forced wolf populations live? It could come form the millions of dollars the USFWS has allotted to “reestablish” the ivory-billed woodpecker. That is IF they ever find one much less a breeding pair. If it weren’t so sad it would be funny.

If the states will be required to cough up the money it will be like the guy that helped vote a town dry then moved. The USFWS can come up with the funds to place the wolf then after creating a major problem the dump it on the states.

So that’s that, the wolf is delisted right?

Wrong!

What will happen now is the “Greens” will begin a series of lawsuits that will slow the process and allow the wolf to expand further and do more and more damage. The states will still not be allowed to “manage” the wolf in any fashion. We know how fast out courts are and that’s what the “wolf people” want.

I was hoping to buy the first wolf management tag and then devote as much time as required to use it. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

It is still my contention the badly written and mostly stupid endangered species act is the front line tool of the anti-hunter.

***As a Special Note for Montana Hunters.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) Commission to set dates for the 2008 wolf hunting season. The wolf season will be October 26 through December 31. To quote a Montana friend, “It’s about damn time.”

The 2009 season will be the same with an opening date of October 29. Montana seasons are considered every two years as part of the MFWP commission's biannual setting of seasons.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

TRAVEL - MARYLAND PARK WITH TEETH

THE JAWS OF THE PAST
By Jim Foster

It still amazes me there are parts and places of this great country where time seem to renew itself constantly. History is the understanding of our past and our past makes us what we are today. There has always been a sad place in my heart for those not interested or concerned with our history.

This past summer with the encouragement and under the guidance of travel guru Connie Yingling, my travels carried me across the Virginia line into Maryland and then to the Chesapeake Bay for several adventures. Being the outdoors person I am it was the Calvert Cliffs State Park that grabbed my attention.

These cliffs dominate the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay and cover almost thirty miles in Calvert County.

These huge Miocene cliffs rise over 100 feet over the Bay and are slowly eroding at the rate of almost 3 feet per year. Created over 10 million years ago and as the waters receded, the sea floor became exposed and sea life that was to become fossils were concentrated in the Miocene bottom. These cliffs are the most extensive assemblage of Miocene fossils in the eastern United States.

It is here that fossils have been found and identified of over 600 species of marine life. Some fossils were formed over 15 million years ago when a warm, shallow sea covered all of Southern Maryland.

The most common fossils are sharks teeth from various species shark measuring from extremely small to well over 5 or 6 inches. I met a park employee with a large sharks tooth necklace. Yes, removing fossils from the beach area ad the park is allowed.

Along with the interesting cliffs, the park offers nature trails, picnic areas, playground equipment, fishing and many interpretative programs as well as hunting.

Of the 1079 acres of the park are designated as a wildlands area, 550 acres are open to hunting for upland game, turkey and deer. Turkey hunting is permitted only during the spring gobbler season. Deer hunting is permitted during seasons established by the Wildlife Division.

Along with the interesting cliffs, the park offers nature trails, picnic areas, playground equipment, fishing and many interpretative programs of interest of travels and nature lovers.

While visitors are no longer allowed access to the cliffs themselves, they are more than welcome to walk and dig in the sand and water looking for fossils. The park also contains a small fishing pond and a playground made from recycled tires. Picnic tables and shelters are also available. A side trip to Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary or Calvert Marine Museum would tie in wonderfully before or after visiting the park.

The park is located 14 miles south of Prince Frederick on Maryland Routes 2 & 4. Calvert Cliffs State Park is operated and maintained jointly by the "Friends of Calvert Cliffs State Park" and the State Forest and Park Service.

Oh yes, I know I will get mail - the Chesapeake Bay Fishing is GREAT!

For additional information Contact Calvert County Tourism, 410-535-4583, 1-800-735-2258 or the Maryland Office of Tourism; www.visitmaryland.com

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

JIM'S GEMS - SO TRUE, AUTHOR UNKNOWN

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true, given the source, right?

The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed, and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with the performance of the President. In essence, 2/3's of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What are we so unhappy about?''

Is i t that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter?

Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks have a job?

Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time, and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last 10 years?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?

Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter?

I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world i s just not good enough.

Or could it be that when we have an accident, emergency workers show up and
provide services to help all, and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings

Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pill a ging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and computers.

How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world?

Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the President who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The President who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is this the same President who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The President that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?

The Commander-In Chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?

Think about it..are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. And don't forget our dignified Congress rating is far lower than the President

Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.

They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of Americans? Say what you want, but I blame it on the media If it bleeds, it leads; and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to write a book about "how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way"...Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad.

We are among the most blessed people on Earth, and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative.

NATURE - NO PORK HERE

THE COLLARED PECCARY - JAVELINA
by Jim Foster

There is a wild animal roaming the deserts, pear flats, and brush land of the southwest. Over the years it has earned a fearful reputation that is not only not deserved but is flat NOT TRUE. This is the story of the collared peccary or better known as the javelina.

The javelina or collared peccary are pig like creatures that are very different from other split-hoofed animals. The javelina has four-hoofed toes on its front feet, but only three on the hind feet. It has a short, pig-like snout; crushing molars and nearly straight and very sharp canine teeth some hunters call tusks. These canine teeth are very dangerious and one the reasons they have picked up a bad reputation.

In spite of the resemblance, the javelina is not a pig.

The javelina has acquired the reputation of being an aggressive bad tempered animal attacking on a whim and deadly to man and beast. The javelina has been known to kill dogs in a scrap but the rest is just not true. Traveling in small groups, the dog is many times outnumbered and most of the time the loser.

The fact is the javelina has very poor eyesight and when encountering man the javelina will do its best to escape. At times they will scatter in the direction of the person leading them to believe the little animal has charged them. The javelina with young will protect them, as will all wild animals. Early hunting writers were mainly responsible for giving the javelina its vicious reputation. Trying to add adventure to what is normally a very dull hunt they added quailties to the little critter it doesn't have.

The javelina lives in the brushy semi-desert where prickly pear cactus is a conspicuous part of the flora. They are commonly found in dense thickets of prickly pear, chaparral, scrub oak, or guajillo. They are also found in rocky canyons where caverns and hollows afford protection and in barren wastelands.

They are active mainly in early morning and late afternoon and often bed down in dense brush or prickly pear thickets during the heat of midday. The peccary is absolutely harmless to the range, to livestock, and to people except for a rather bad smell. There is one exception and that is the javelina does not like dogs and many a unwary bird hunter have lost a dog to a small group of javelina.

They travel in groups ranging from a few animals to several dozen and have a rather limited home range. In the brush country of South Texas, for example, marked individuals moved within home ranges varying in size. Home ranges of adjacent peccary herds may overlap slightly, but usually only one herd at a time is found inside this "border." The boundaries of the home range are marked by scent emitted from the conspicuous musk gland on the animal’s rump, which also serves the individual in keeping contact within the herd.

Peccaries are chiefly herbivorous and feed on various cactus, especially prickly pear, mesquite beans, and other succulent vegetation. In areas where prickly pear is abundant, peccaries seldom frequent water holes because these plants provide both food and water. Contrary to the habits of the common pig, peccaries rarely root in the ground but rather, push around on the surface — even where the soil is very sandy and loose — turning up chunks of wood and cactus. Mast, fruits, and terrestrial insects will also be eaten.

In some states, the peccary was hunted commercially for its hide until around 1939 when it was given protected game animal status in many states. Perhaps a far greater value is in its relationship to range vegetation as peccaries are able to control by eating certain undesirable cacti.

As a game animal, the javelina can be a good start for the beginning hunter, the bowhunter, and beginning handgun hunter. Seasons are open in many Southwestern states where the animal flourishes. The peccary’s poor eyesight allows hunters to get close.

As for the quality of the food value, there is a wide range of opinion. Many hunters believe its meat should be left alone, while some say tamales made from javelina are better than those made from pork or venison. The bottom line is, it is a matter of taste, but it doesn’t taste like chicken.

In most of the states with populations of peccary there are regular hunting seasons. In some Texas counties there is no closed season and the statewide limit is two a year. It is always a good idea to check the hunting guides in the state and county you are hunting for any special rules or regulations before hunting.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please e-mail him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com