If you are wondering whether our title references a fledgling northern Minnesota rap group, the answer is no. If you think it might be a knock-off of the boy band, New Kids on the Block, nope again. On the same note, however, some might remember how back in the rock music-vacuous 1990s there were rumors that because it was the heyday of boyish bands, a musically-minded group of Iron Range boy teens who were fond of fishing toyed with the idea of forming a similar teen pop ensemble named, The New Kids on the Dock, but that went over like a “lead balloon” and the boys just kept on fishing. The real “Block” kids would, believe it or not, actually go on to earn a million dollars a week at their peak in the ‘90s.
If you want a definitive explanation of “lead balloon,” by the way, look up its origin where you will find the original saying was, “Go down like a lead balloon,” first coined in 1924. The version most go by, though, especially those who floated bright ideas by their fathers and heard the dreaded verdict of, “That’ll go over like a lead balloon,” comes from a mixture of the tragic 1937 crashing of the German dirigible, “The Hindenburg,” in New Jersey and, of course, how the legendary rock group Led Zeppelin got its name.
If you recognized our title as a staple phrase of 1950s and ‘60’s yearbook signing quotes, you would be right as it ranked right up there with, “Have a good summer.” Our favorite, however, was a saying that appeared under the senior picture of the guy who was deemed the most outdoorsy in the class, “Give me a gun and time to roam and in the woods I’ll hold my own!” Our second favorite was for the self-proclaimed “most conceited” senior that said, “Every time I pass a mirror, I have to bow.”
Those of us who fervently ply our northern woods and waters know the importance of “yesteryear’s” pictures, slides and stories. Moreover, if we had to recount where we heard the bulk of these golden oldie stories, lots of us would say bedtimes and holidays. Many of us who grew up thusly, in fact, seemed to think Holiday Stores were named as such because their Minnesota owner had grown up with hunting and fishing stories told on holiday get-togethers.
If you truly want the personification of a Midwest outdoor business model, look no further than the true originator of the hunting and fishing catalog, Herter’s Inc. In that vein, many veteran outdoor people will surely relate to what the Star-Tribune’s Doug Smith wrote in his February 8, 2015 article, “Herter’s Catalog is Long Gone, but not Forgotten”: “Before there was an Internet or a Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop or Gander Mountain, there was Herter’s — the first outdoors gear juggernaut. Say Herter’s and a legion of mostly men, now middle-aged or older, in Minnesota and nationwide will nod their collective heads in fond recollection. Herter’s mail-order catalogs were legendary, hundreds of pages jammed with hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear that could be delivered to your doorstep. Those catalogs included lengthy descriptions, instructions and bold, often audacious claims — entertaining readers while also enticing them to buy. Herter’s also labeled most of its products ‘world famous’ or ‘model perfect,’ claiming they were endorsed by the North Star Guides Association — which didn’t exist.”
Smith then backgrounded, “Launched and headquartered in Waseca, Minn., the company was the inspiration for today’s huge mail-order and big-box outdoor retailers. And at the center of it all was George Herter, an eccentric and reclusive entrepreneur, a marketing genius who made brazen, bombastic claims to boost sales of his products. Though he died more than 20 years ago, he remains an enigma — and one of the most interesting characters in Minnesota history.”
Of particular interest because it is still troublingly relevant today, Smith explained, “George Herter once said, ‘I don’t want to be known,’” adding that “George Herter saw combat in Europe during World War II, earned a Purple Heart and may have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Reclusive even at the height of his success, Herter apparently didn’t give interviews and few photographs of him exist. The man who left an indelible mark on the outdoors industry is relatively unknown, dying in 1994 in Minneapolis at age 83 and leaving behind no autobiographies or interviews. ‘I rarely tell people my right name. I never allow anyone to take my picture,’ he wrote in one book. In the end, a ‘Sports Afield’ writer perhaps aptly summed up George Herter, calling him ‘a dazzling mixture of bamboozle and brains, snake oil and savvy.’’’
Speaking of “Sports Afield,” those who grew up before the advent of outdoor television pretty much had to rely on not only “Sports Afield,” but “Outdoor Life” and “Field & Stream,” to learn how to become an expert nimrod or “Compeate Angler” (correct spelling although newer editions change it to “complete”) via their pages. Ask those who grew up accordingly and they will tell how when reading at bedtime or having a late-night snack of baloney and mustard sandwiches on store-bought white sliced bread, they lived vicariously through these tales.
From the segments like “Outdoor Life’s” “This Happened to Me,” with its harrowing accounts of bear and mountain lion attacks, young readers learned what to do if “that happened to them.” From tourniquets to bee stings, sun burns to using nose oil to prevent chapped lips, Herter’s hallowed pages were also veritable fountains of first aid wisdom.
Herter’s books ranged in topics from fishing, both fresh and saltwater, to open water, lake, river, stream and ocean, to ice fishing and spearing. Just name a form of hunting, fishing or camping and Herter’s was there. Camp, cook or canoe, Herter’s had unique advice in its 1960 book the “Professional Guide’s Manual.”
Surprisingly, many of today’s must-haves were chronicled in Herter’s list of hunting necessities like a compass, waterproof matches, a good knife with a safe blade guard, extra ammo, broken-in not brand new boots, wool socks. emergency rations, water, a flashlight, dragging ropes and a small pack saw for splitting open the brisket or cutting kindling for a lunch or emergency fire, among other various and sundry items.
Interestingly enough, Herter’s also went into great detail regarding how to avoid anything white. From toilet paper to turned over socks on boot tops to even an exposed white t-shirt, avoiding white was paramount to safety as some hunters of that time were pretty much “if it was brown, it was down” and a glimpse of white could lead to severe injury or death. Ask around, in concert with land level shooting on deer drives, ground blinds and across fields, most yesteryear hunters remember hearing about either almost deadly or deadly errant shots. Way ahead of its time, Herter’s strongly urged not wearing red as it looked dark and donning at least an orange hat, if not more, to ensure not only not being mistaken for a deer, but being more visible in the background. Additionally, firearm safety tips such as never following another or climbing a deer stand with a loaded firearm were highly emphasized. Although deer stand maximum heights in many states (including Minnesota) were only 6’ back then, because most stands were constructed of native woods secured near stand sites and virtually no store-bought portable metal stands available, Herter’s stressed precautionary stand maintenance and even utilizing railings.
Some other interesting guidelines were to wear soundless clothes, like wool, so as not to alert the deer, carrying plastic bags for the heart (they also included the liver and tongue) and on windy or snowy or very cold days to hunt near swamps where the thermal canopies afforded deer more warmth and safety from predators. Many youngsters will smile at this, but Herter’s fervently advised not transporting deer on vehicle fenders due to the extreme warmth of the engines. As far as harvested deer care, their suggestion was to age the meat in 40 degree temps, but because hides house 75% of an animal’s odor, the deer should be skinned as soon as possible. For bucks, they advocated for the removal of the pungent leg musk glands, being careful not to taint the meat or yourself. They also instructed readers to skin deer from the neck down, thus avoiding deer hair on the carcass.
As you get ready for the opener this week, take some time to revisit past hunting days and the people who helped make you who you are today. Tell stories about how you waded in two-foot snow and sat with no heater, walls or roof in minus zero-degree weather with flimsy boots, quilted underwear and red-hooded sweatshirts with choppers on. Mention the old stands like Georgie’s Stand, The Peninsula or the Chief’s Last Stand that the “Camp Chief” hunted for another 20 years after he anointed it as his last because he was going to “hunt no more forever” (from Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce who said, “I will fight no more forever”). Tell tales like that of the hunter who learned an odiferous lesson and spousal reprimand for not tightening the cap on his buck scent in his hunting coat or the one who took his firearm to the stand sans bullets or how an experienced hunter spent an anxious, heart-pounding half hour until legal shooting time shaking as he thought he heard a buck rubbing its antlers on a nearby sapling, only to find out it was a porcupine chewing on his salt-lick. Some stories, memories and people are just too good to be forgotten.
Have a blessed hunt. Be safe, be ethical, be thankful. And, while in deer country, live in the wonder of it because as Socrates wrote, “Wisdom begins in wonder.”
Nik and Rod Dimich are northern Minnesota fishing guides and outdoor communicators who are on the pro staffs of Mercury Marine and Ray’s Sport & Marine in Grand Rapids, Minn. Rod is also a pro-staffer for L&M Supply and his radio show “Woods & Water” can be heard each Friday at 5:50 P.M. on KQDS 95, 106.3 with Tom and Kevin on their “The Train Wreck’s Drive at Five.” To contact Dimich Outdoors, please call/text Rod at 218-259-4051 or email him at rdimich@msn.com. Kristin Dimich contributes to this column.
Source: http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/sports/good-b-got/article_20290218-d95b-11e8-b68a-6365ad3909d9.html
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