Pursuit of Truth
A Patchwork of News about Hunting, Farming, and Other Intel
Bear Everywhere…Again
A bear in my town was euthanized in May because of aggressive behavior. This is unfortunate and the likely result of exurban development and not enough people hunting bears.
I wrote about these challenges back in November 2023 in this newsletter:
Alice Jones Webb explained why a science-based and conservation-minded approach is necessary to manage bears. I recommend her newsletter, Take It Outside.
Keyboards are Useless in a Hunter’s World
April’s newsletter discussed why some of us should probably be hunting, not typing.
I started reading a fascinating crossover newsletter that touches on similar themes, especially how they relate to ADHD. Check out Thom Hartmann’s newsletter, ADHD: Hunter in a Farmer's World with Thom Hartmann.
This post offers a novel theory about primitive hunting societies.
Crazy Canyon Journal
I stumbled upon PJ Delhomme’s article about Bozman, Montana, and subsequently started reading more articles from his Crazy Canyon Journal.
Check it out if you're interested in anything related to the outdoors; I’m working through the “Legends” section.
1959
That’s the last year the number of cows (405,546) in Vermont exceeded the number of people (389,881) in the state. Today, there are 117,000 cows and 647,064 people.
US Milk Production & Number of Dairy Farms Vermont ranks 19th overall in milk production, generating 1.12% of US milk. Dairy is a vital component of the state’s identity, and the state received the 11th-highest dairy subsidy out of all 50 states, totaling nearly $27 million, or $231 per cow.
When the federal government needs to buy milk to support farmers, they sometimes use it to make cheese that goes into a strategic cheese reserve stockpile.
Firewood & Slöjd
According to the US Energy Information Administration:
“More than one in eight Vermont households use wood for their primary heating source, almost 10 times more than the national average and the largest share of any state.”
Last year, I discovered the philosophy of Slöjd and wrote about it for Northern Woodlands magazine.
Jögge Sundqvist excellently articulates this tradition.
His descriptions of Slöjd, combined with Wille Sundqvist's (Jögge’s father) book Swedish Carving Techniques, are fantastic references for anyone looking to gain a fundamental understanding of hand-carving spoons and bowls utilizing an approach that works in concert with the natural shape of the wood.
Feel inspired? Check out these hand-carved bowls by master wood crafter David Fisher. That’s right— they are hand-carved!
The current state of my woodpile. This is the winter of 2025/26 heating supply:
What I’m reading
A book about the famous yet often overlooked explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson (who I mentioned in the last edition of Next Adventure).
Mark Bourrie’s 2019 book Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson is a dense read that’s taking me months to get through. It is thoroughly researched and covers an extensive history of trapping (and global commerce) surrounding Hudson Bay.
Cool Tool and Newsletter
Another Substack newsletter I recommend is 🅟🅐🅤🅛 🅜🅐🅒🅚🅞’s Deplatformable. He recently tipped his subscribers off to this note-taking website, which I now use for quick note-taking on the go.
Deplatformable regularly provides practical and novel information, typically related to marketing (a topic I usually avoid, but Paul makes it fun).
Thanks for the shout out, Jesse!
Thanks for the shout-out, Jesse! Much appreciated.