Tools of the trade

Tools of the trade - include the internet

By Larry Claypool, OVO Editor

With the right tools all jobs become easier. For the outdoorsman many tools are used to gain an advantage in the field.
One new ‘tool’ implemented more the past five or six years has been the use of the Internet - the World Wide Web. There’s nothing better than learning in the field, by trial and error, but the ‘information highway’ is getting a lot of play these days - and for good reason.

The web is a handy, instant encyclopedia, map, library, guide, database, Yellow Pages, White Pages, chat room, tour guide, menu, supply house, gift shop, general store and much, much more - all excellent tools, for everyone.
For the hunter, fisher, trapper, hiker, biker, outdoorsman, ect. the Web can be used for everything. One of my favorite tools to use is the search engine Google. If there’s a question in our office, it’s “Google it”. Type in the right words and you’ll have an answer within seconds. (Those scratch off game piece questions on the Dunkin’ Donuts coffee cups don’t have a chance.)

Google can be used for more than just answering dumb office puzzlers. The outdoor related directories, links, databases, archived articles and businesses are full of information, tips and ideas. It’s easy to buy stuff too, and it’s delivered right to your door. (I suggest making purchases from local businesses though.) It’s not a bad idea to compare prices though.
Comparing products is another big advantage on the Web. For one, it’s nice to see what products are out there. A selection and price range available are always handy tools to the consumer.

Expect to spend some time on the Web while looking for items. I Googled the word ‘hunting’ and picked up 110 million options. That’s crazy. Try to direct your search with several related ‘key’ words and that will save time. Too many key words will net some unwanted ‘garbage’ sites though.
Another tip to remember is the domain suffixes used can help direct your search. All commercial sites end in .com or .net; organizations use .org; schools or colleges use .edu and government offices use .gov, .mil or .us.

I have many favorite Websites that I’ve bookmarked on my computer. Some are .coms, others are organizations and a few are government generated sites. The department of natural resource sites from area states (ODNR, WVDNR, PGC) are loaded with tons of information and resources. So are database and directory sites like; huntingsociety.org and thenaturalresource.com. The Hunting Society site, along with its sister sites, claim to be the largest outdoor information site on the net. It says ranking.com places it second under outdoor sales giant Cabela’s with over 15,000 visitor hits a day.

The Natural Resource site was launched last October and is an easy to use map-driven site is tailored to Ohio’s outdoor enthusiasts that include hunting, fishing, camping, boating, biking and golf information. (See sidebar story.)
For every great website out there, there’s probably six bad ones. Some of those new ones on the horizon can be a waste of time too. Place money on an established winner, not an unproven upstart withthat has no track record of ‘hits’.

A few other very good database sites available are; shooting-hunting.com; hunting.net; fishing.com; aa-fishing.com (All About Fishing), gundealersonline.com and huntingsuppliers.com. Some of my other favorite sites include: boone-crockett.org; Gray’s Sporting Journal (gray’ssportingjournal.com); National Shooting Sports Foundation (nssf.org); ventureoutdoors.com and whitetails.com. Regionally, theohiowhitetail.com site offers valuable interactive forums with 104 members that recently sported 461 threads (topics) about whitetail hunting. Also, the ohiosportsman.com site offers many good forums, product reviews and expanded classified section for sportsman looking for a good deal.

Another government site, the National Weather Service (www.nws.noaa.gov), is another must have on everyone’s bookmark list.
Before your next move into the outdoors, check out the Web. It will pay off, and allow more time in the field.