Week 2 blog- Hunting

In the 2009 Wisconsin Deer Hunt, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) over estimated the number of deer in our state. You may think this isn’t too big of a deal, but to hunters like me, it is more than a big deal. It affects which hunts I am allowed to hunt in and how many deer I can shoot in those hunts. For example, in my hunting zone which is 74A, there was no T-Zone hunt this season. It was supposed to start on the 14^th of October and go through the 17^th but It was not allowed in the zone I hunt in because the WDNR over estimated the population of deer in our area. The T-Zone hunt is a hunt where u can only shoot does. Because of the WDNR over estimating the number of deer in our state, it has also affected me as a hunter in 74A during the regular deer hunting season because if I want to shoot a doe, I have to go and but a separate $12 doe tag. Never before in my hunting life have I had to go and buy separate tags for doe. Normally, when I buy my license, it comes with at least two doe tags, and it did this year, but they are no good and can’t be used. Which to me isn’t fair that I have to pay money for deer tags that I can’t use, to me that doesn’t make much sense. I guess I can do much about the whole situation but deal with it and continue to hunt as much as I can.
-Jeff Raasch

Revised Draft-Hunting

Jeff Raasch

Mrs. Allard

September 26, 2010

Throughout everyone’s life, different things happen that change them forever, and make them who they are today.  These events may be a death in the family, or even an experience they had with someone at some time that touched them in a way they never thought possible.  An event in my life that has changed me as a person and as a hunter is when I became part of my families hunting tradition.  It was a long and stressful process which took years to fully accomplish, but the start of it was an experience I would never forget.

It was a cold and snowy Saturday morning.  The time was 4:30a.m and my alarm was yelping in my ear, which meant one thing… hunting season was only hours from beginning.  I was finally 12 years old and ready to start my first year of hunting with my dad and two older brothers Bobby and Tommy.  My twin brother Jason was also 12 and old enough to hunt along me, my brothers and my dad.  I had already gotten all of my hunting close and belongings ready the night before so that I could get a head start in the morning, and be ready to go on time.  It was becoming close to leaving time so I double checked to make sure I had everything that I would need to go hunting.  As my family and I made our way out to our hunting land, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.  I was excited, pumped up, happy, and ready to start hunting, but most of all I was nervous and scared.  What made me so nervous was that this was the year that I would hopefully become one of the guys.  Which meant someone who was a man now.  To become a man and one of the guys, I would have to shoot my first deer, and preferably a buck.  But this was no easy task.  I would not only have to overcome what hunters call “buck fever”, but I would also have to steady my nerves and make a clean and deadly shot.  Buck fever is when a buck or doe comes walking through the woods towards you and you start shake uncontrollably.  You hear nothing but the sounds of the deer, inching its way towards you; and you wait for it to present a shot so that you can shoot it.

The challenge was set as I climbed into my tree stand.  As I sat down in my chair, which was placed on the wooden platform below me, I took a moment to recognize my surroundings and set my things down next to me.  I set my gun up against the tree, and my fanny-pack full of snacks and pop on the wooden platform below.  After everything was set down and in place, and I was comfortably sitting down in my chair, I took a moment to see what was around me.  I was surrounded by woods to my left and right, and an open hay field in front and behind me.  There was a fresh scent of cool, wet outdoors in the air.  It was almost as if there was no sound anywhere.  The wind was calm and cooling, and the temperature was near a shivering 20 degrees.  As I sat in my stand, patiently waiting for something to happen, I watched the sun peak out from behind the hills and start to slowly melt away the snow.  Then, all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something peeking its way out into the hay field in front of me.  My first thought was that I was only seeing things, and that it was nothing.  But to my excitement, it was a young doe and hopefully my first deer.  I quickly but quietly reached for my gun.  The nerves were starting to set in as at this point, and I knew this was my chance to shoot my first deer.  Next, I slowly raised my gun to take the shot.  I knew that I needed to hit the deer just behind its front shoulder in order to kill it quickly and easily.  I steadied my gun and aimed right where I needed to.  As the shot went off, and the smoke cleared, I saw the deer drop to the ground, and the rest is history.

That night back at the house, my family and I sat down talked about the day of hunting.  I couldn’t explain the feeling that I had at that moment, knowing that I had finally taken the first step in becoming a man and part of my families hunting tradition.  The only thing left to make me officially part of the tradition was to shoot a buck.  That task would be completed a few years later.  I hope to one day have a few kids of my own, and I hope that I can teach them how to hunt so they can know the feeling of becoming part of a long and fun hunting tradition.  My experience in becoming part of my families hunting tradition was a fun and exciting part of my life, but also a stressful and nervous experience.  I continue to hunt every year, and become more and more involved with our family’s ways of doing things, and to me, it never gets old.  Hunting is a part of me and my life, and without it, I truly believe that I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

Hunting-My First Draft

Jeff Raasch

Mrs. Allard

September 26, 2010

Throughout everyone’s life, different things happen that change them forever, and make them who they are today.  These events may be a death in the family, or even an experience they had with someone at some time that touched them in a way they never thought possible.  An event in my life that has changed me as a person and as a hunter is when I became part of my families hunting tradition.  It was a long and stressful process which took years to fully accomplish, but the start of it was an experience I would never forget.

It was a cold and snowy Saturday morning.  The time was 4:30a.m and my alarm was yelping in my ear, which meant one thing… hunting season was only hours from beginning.  I was finally 12 years old and ready to start my first year of hunting with my dad and two older brothers Bobby and Tommy.  My twin brother Jason was also 12 and old enough to hunt along me, my brothers and my dad.  I had already gotten all of my hunting close and belongings ready the night before so that I could get a head start in the morning, so I would be ready to go.  It was becoming close to leaving time so I double checked to make sure I had everything that I would need to go hunting.  As my family and I made our way out to our hunting land, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions.  I was excited, pumped up, happy, and ready to starts hunting, but most of all I was nervous and scared.  What made me so nervous was that this was the year that I would become one of the guys, someone who was a man now.  To become a man and one of the guys, I would have to shoot my first deer, and preferably a buck.  But this was no easy task.  I would have to overcome what hunters call “buck fever.”  This is when a buck or doe comes walking through the woods towards you and you start shake uncontrollably.  You hear nothing but the sounds of the deer, inching its way towards you; and you wait for it to present a shot so that you can shoot it.

The challenge was set as I climbed into my tree stand.  As I sat down in my chair, which was places on the wooden platform below me, I took a moment to recognize my surroundings and set my things down next to me.  I set my gun up against the tree, and my fanny-pack full of snacks and pop on the wooden platform below.  After everything was set down and in place, and I was comfortably sitting down in my chair, I took a moment to see what was around me.  I was surrounded by woods to my left and right, and an open hay field in front and behind me.  There was a fresh scent of cool, wet outdoors in the air.  It was almost as if there was no sound anywhere.  The wind was calm and cooling, and the temperature was near a shivering 20 degrees.  As I sat in my stand, patiently waiting for something to happen, I watched the sun peak out from behind the hills and start to slowly melt away the snow.  Then, all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something peeking its way out into the hay field in front of me.  My first thought was that I was only seeing things, and that it was nothing.  But to my excitement, it was a young doe and hopefully my first deer.  I quickly reached for my gun.  The nerves were starting to set in as at this point, and I knew this was my chance to shoot my first deer.  Next, I slowly raised my gun to take the shot.  I knew that I needed to hit the deer just behind its front shoulder in order to kill it quickly and easily.  I steadied my gun and aimed right where I needed to.  As the shot went off, and the smoke cleared, I saw the deer drop to the ground, and the rest is history.

That night back at the house, my family and I sat down talked about the day of hunting.  I couldn’t explain the feeling that I had at that moment, knowing that I had finally taken the first step in becoming a man and part of my families hunting tradition.  The only thing left to make me officially part of the tradition was to shoot a buck.  That task would be completed a few years later.  I hope to one day have a few kids of my own, and I hope that I can teach them how to hunt so they can know the feeling of becoming part of a long and fun hunting tradition.  My experience in becoming part of my families hunting tradition was a fun and exciting part of my life.  I continue to hunt every year, and become more and more involved with our family’s ways of doing things, and to me, it never gets old.

Jeff Raasch

Brett Favre Allegations

According to fanhouse.com and the NFL, Brett Favre has recently been under an investigation into his recent scandal on the "fast track," according to multiple outlets. Favre allegedly sent inappropriate messages and pictures -- including a reported set of nude photos -- to former Jets employee Jenn Sterger while Favre was playing in New York. On Sunday, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that, in addition to Sterger, the NFL wants to possibly interview a pair of massage therapists who are contracted by the Jets and allegedly received explicit text messages from Favre.  These recent allegations against Favre make his already cloudy image even worse.  I’m not saying what Favre is being accused of really happened or is true at all, but it makes me wonder how this rumor could just start up?  I am a huge Favre fan.  And even though he has tarnished his reputation by coming in and out of retirement, I still love the guy and believe he is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.  Even though I have a lot of respect for Brett, I can’t help but wonder why he did what he is being blamed for?  Why risk what he has left of his reputation on something that could potentially ruin his career, life, and marriage?  Is it because he feels he has the right to do anything because of his career and job?  Or does he feel that he can get away with anything because he has the money to buy his way out of problems?  I guess I will never know what he was thinking when he was doing all these things, but I hope it all turns out to be just a rumor and nothing else.  Hearing about this story has made me think about how another sports celebrity did a similar thing.  We all know him as Tiger Woods.  Woods ended up losing his marriage and tons of fan support.  He also lost major sponsors and worst of all, he lost the respect of many people all over the world.  I don’t believe that he intended for  any of those things to happen, but when the wrong people find out about these things, nothing but bad news and publicity come from these situations.  If Brett Favre really did do what he is being investigated for, then I will have lost even more respect for him.  I will continue to watch him play and I will still hope he does well in football, but I will never agree with what he chose to do to his wife, fans, and self. 

Jeff Raasch

http://blackboard.westerntc.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

What are your thoughts about the video and about Gever Tulley's approach to learning?

My thoughts about about Tulley's learing stlye and approach to learing are that I pretty much agree with everything he says, and his ways of teching are very helpful.  This video shows that working directly with kids and letting them explore new ways of learning helps them understand things without the help of an adult.  His approach to learing is different than most ways but I believe it is affective and works well. 

Did this video make you think of potential changes to our current system of education?

This video kind of changed my current way of learning and made me wish that more of my learning way more hands on instead of in the books and lecture.

What is Tulley saying about the learning process?

I believe Tully is saying that each child learns in different ways and that his teaching method is helpful and could potentially help children leard better in some areas rather then the traditional learning method. 

What have been your experiences as a student in school?

My experiences in school related to leaning have been the traditional type of learning.  By studying out of the book and by having the teaher lecture tothe class.  Most of my classes haven't been hands on learning, which I also think would be a better way of learning in some ways.

What have been your experiences learning things outside of school?

My outside of school learing experiences have been more hands on and learn it yourself.  I tend to like that style of learing because it helps me learn things quicker and easier.

Would you want to attend a school which approached learning this way?

Yes I think I would like to attend a school that has that type of teaching method.  I believe it would help me learn better and faster. 

In what type of learning environment would you thrive?

I would trive in a hands on environment where I could learn things by doing them myself instead of being told how to do it.

Can you think of a time when you approached learning something new in a new way?  What was the result? 

Yes, when I was told to learn something by watching someone else do it the wrong way, then I had to do it the right way.  The result was that I knew not what to do, so I did it right on the first try. 

What are your thoughts about how our society responds to failure?

My thought on how society responds to failure is that I believe that society feels failure is a good way of learing, as long as there isn't too much failure. 

Did anything else in particular really strike you?

Nothing else in this video really struck me. 

-Jeff

Labor Day Weekend- Goose Hunt

This labor day weekend I went early season goose hunting with my brother and his friend Derrick. It all started on Sunday morning at around 4:30am when we woke up. It was a cool, foggy moring full of excitemnent and antisipation When we got to the field we were hunting at, we all began to set up decoys and prepare ourselves for a day of hunting. We didn’t know exactly what this early season would have instore for us, but we were excited and ready for whatever happened. As the fog lifted, and the sun peaked out behind the clouds, our first chance at a goose presented itself. We all knew this early season was a hit or miss type of hunt, so we were not going to pass up this oppourtunity to tag a goose, and we did just that. At the end of the day, we ended up with only one goose, but we all had a great time and were very greatful that we even had the chance to get a goose. This weekend was full of excitement and fun, and I hope to keep having this fun with my brother for many more hunts to come.

About ME

Hi, my name is Jeff Raasch.  I am 18 years old.  I was born and raised in Coon Valley, WI.  My hometown is very small but it's a great community!  It has a population of only 700.  My hobbies include pretty much all sports.  I am in the Criminal Justice program at TC and i hope to become a police officer when I graduate.  My dad use to be the chief of police in Coon Valley when I was younger, but he is now retired.  My brother Bobby just graduated from Viterbo.  He went to school to be a police officer, and is now a jailor in Monroe County.  My favorite thing to do is play baseball.  I don't have any pets, but I love dogs.  In ten years I see myself married with two kids, hopefully working as a police officer somewhere.