For hunters, shooters and other outdoors enthusiasts exposed to frequent gunfire or other ear-damaging noise, holiday “Jingle Bells” could eventually become a “Silent Night.” Some of us older hunters and shooters have already noticed a bit of high frequency hearing loss, when we ask our spouses or other family members to repeat themselves or turn up the TV.

I have a love-hate relationship with trail cameras. Checking their SD cards is like an early Christmas — opening those images on my point-and-shoot camera in a hunting blind brings the surprise gift of the local bucks, does and even an occasional coyote or raccoon that pass by. I’ve had more than my share of issues with these magical little hunting tools.

Another historic Wisconsin gun-deer season is now about halfway through, and many lasting memories have been made afield as about 550,000 hunters pursue America’s premier big game animal in the state with the most record-book bucks. It doesn’t matter if you harvest a wide-racked buck or a fat doe.

I finally gave up on assembling my spacious Barronett Ox 4 ground blind, barely a year old. It had fallen out of the bed of my Polaris Sportsman 6x6 ATV after last year’s deer season on the short ride to my house, and one of the steel hub poles punched a hole in the fabric. Despite studying several YouTube videos about fixing ground blinds and a call to the company, I still haven’t been able to get it to open.

A little rain and wind didn’t stifle the enthusiasm of 17 youngsters who experienced community policing via bows and arrows. Their squeals and laughter proved that the first Badges and Bullseyes program in the Clintonville area Oct.

While teaching hunter safety in Waupaca with another instructor Oct. 1, something magical happened. A boy about 12 ran excitedly toward the parking lot of the church, where fellow instructor Chris Hazen and I were teaching a group at our tree stand safety station. “Dad, I passed!” the boy yelled as he approached his dad’s car. I caught my breath and felt my eyes getting ready for tears.