Buckskin Jim's brother really doesn't like to cook.
Buckskin Jim shares some of his camp recipes here.
Buckskin Jim shares some of his camp recipes here.
|
Did Buckskin Jim find the source of the Mississippi River? You'll have to click here to find out!
Come sit Around the Campfire to learn about the adventures on Slide Rock Point. Click here to read about this memorable experience from the vantage point between two generations. Was it a walk in the park or a terrifying trip? I Say “Potato,” You Say, “Aaiiieee!” Comments: From: Tim
Subject: Re: Slide Rock Point by Jim and Anna Love Date: January 11, 2016 at 9:34:18 AM MST Love it! I especially got a chuckle at the different perspectives of the same experience. What a precious memory for them! No, yours truly, Buckskin Jim, did not know "Buckskin Jimmy" Atkinson, but his great-granddaughter, Ms. Jeannie Atkinson Dixon, sent me some fascinating information about her great-grandfather. I'd like to share some of his story with you. Buckskin Jimmy was a freighter and saloon keeper in the Judith Gap (Montana) area. Click here to read this 1881 newspaper clipping sent to me by Ms. Dixon. Also, from Ms. Dixon is this story (also below) from the Fergus County historical pages. All the place names refer to the Montana Frontier.The shooting described seems to be a separate incident from the Thomas Pool affair. Finally, also courtesy of Ms. Dixon, is this 1932 obituary of Buckskin Jimmy. What a life! If, like me, you find historical characters like this fascinating you might like Tough Trip Through Paradise 1878-1879 by Andrew Garcia. Garcia was a trader in Montana, a contemporary of Buckskin Jimmy Atkinson. After his death in 1943 his memoirs were found, edited, and published as Tough Trip by University of Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho. He was another tough hombre! Dec. 31, 2016
Comment received from Gail: Buckskin Jim i.e.: James Atikson was my great Grandfather!! About a month ago, Buckskin Jim invited kids to share their summer camping stories with him. Several submitted their adventures, and now he is happy to share them with everyone else.
A big THANK YOU from Buckskin Jim to all of you who shared your story! **********
Your Friend, Charli
Your Friend, Nathan
Your Friend, Heaven
Your Friend, Danica
Your Friend, Zoey
Your Friend, Alexa
Your Friend, Kristyaona  At our booth at the Little Shell Chippewa Powwow we were selling Stick and Ring Games which were very popular: most of the kids at the powwow had one. We allowed kids to play with them at our booth as much as they liked but they needed to pay to take them away.
Three Native American kids (big sister, about 8, little sister, and little brother) were playing Stick and Ring at the booth. Big Sister asked, “Can we take them to show Grandma and ask her to buy them?” Looking into those big brown guileless eyes, I took a deep breath and said, “Sure.” They instantly disappeared, with the games, into the crowd. Fifteen minutes later, they came trooping back and placed the games back on the table just as they had found them. “Grandma said ‘No’.” Next time you stereotype Indians, keep in mind that these three little kids learned those values at home. Buckskin Jim  My friend Fred told me a story the other day. I tend to believe it really happened because Fred’s the kind of guy that would do something like this and never look back. It seems it was daybreak on the first day of Montana elk season. Fred had spent the night in a sleeping bag at a locked gate on a US Forest Service road. You know, one of those roads that’s gated and locked during hunting season to allow walk-in hunting only. He had just crawled out of the sack and was chewing on a granola bar before hiking in to try for a herd bull he had been scouting for the last six weeks.  He was shrugging into his daypack when a pickup pulled up to the gate. Inside were three men: orange hunting vests, rifles in the gun rack. The guy in the shotgun seat jumped out and, completely ignoring Fred, unlocked the key padlock and opened the gate. The truck pulled through, the guy snapped the lock back on the gate and they drove on in through Fred’s planned walk-in elk hunt. Fred decided to cancel his planned hunt and move on to another drainage. But here’s the thing: before he left, Fred cut a matchstick-sized twig, drove it into the lock’s keyhole and broke it off. Thinking about those guys trying to come back out through that gate, he walked away smiling. So I have some questions for those of you who’ve joined me around this virtual campfire. What do you think of the guy who betrayed the public trust by using his key to let his friends drive into a walk-in-only hunting area? What about Fred’s jamming the lock? Might that have unforeseen consequences? What would you do if you were in Fred’s place? Me, I’m smiling along with Fred: I think those guys got what they deserved. Would I do it? Would I jam the lock? Well….I’d have to think about it. How about you? Write me here with your comments. Comments: February 28, 2016 from Rick Love:
Way to go Fred ! Heck yes, I would do the same thing. I hope they had a hell of a time getting that lock open. Some people these days just have no respect. August 15, 2015 from Wapiti Wayne: In response to Hunting Ethics: Kudo’s to Fred! If more of us followed his example these big shots with keys would begin to think twice about road hunting in our walk-in hunting spots. August 11, 2015 from Bitterroot Hunter: Re: Hunting Ethics: I think Fred was being too hard on the three hunters in the truck. They obviously didn’t have fathers to teach them ethical behavior. ***** August 10, 2015 from Don Simmons: An ethical hunter would have written down the license #, state and vehicle description and made a report to the Sheriff, State Wildlife department. The wood in the lock - seems fair for a criminal to have to work for his illegal harvest - but Judge not the splinter in the offenders eye and ignore the beam in your own.! ****** August 9, 2015 from Jack from the Yaak: Dear Buckskin Jim: I’m replying to your “Hunting Ethics” letter. Why didn’t Fred just man up and confront those men while they were stopped at the gate? As hunters we need to stand up to SOB’s like this!!   All photos courtesy of S.N. Jacobson
 Earlier this summer three of us had my tipi set up in the trees at the edge of Moose Park, high in Montana’s Little Belt Mountains. A large owl was hunting in the area, moving from one vantage point to another in a several hundred yard circuit along the edge of the timber. He was doing really well, frequently taking what appeared to be mice from the tall grass. One of his perches was at the edge of our camp. Every time he caught something, he’d fly with it back into heavy timber, then return to his hunting circuit. This owl had the size and markings of a great horned owl but lacked those “horns” over the eyes. Does anyone out there know what kind of owl this was? I’ve been calling it “he” but maybe it was a she? Or were we actually watching a pair take turns? We watched this hunting activity for three or four days, then, after a hard rainstorm, no more owl. We never saw another owl for the rest of our time in camp. What was that all about? Why would a predator with an obviously successful hunting circuit suddenly stop? Is there another predator up there that preys on owls? If you can shed light on my owl mystery or have similar experiences to share, please join me “Around the Campfire” by submitting your comments and stories by clicking here. Comments A visitor read this missive about the mysterious owl, and submitted this comment:
Ms. Dixon says, “I do know, the owl in your picture is a Great Gray Owl, although I'm not sure if that is a photo of the one you saw hunting. As for the hunting activity of the owls, it may well have been an adult pair, and probably a fledgling as well, as this is how they behave when they are teaching their young how to hunt. Also, it's no surprise that they left the area, as they usual have several hunting grounds that they will rotate through.” |
"Around The Campfire With Buckskin Jim"
I’d like to hear from you about your outdoor experiences and adventures! Send me pictures and tell me your stories. Buckskin Jim reserves the right to select and edit those stories and photos being published on this page. Click here to submit your stories.
Archives |
RSS Feed