Recent content by Brad Bortner

A hunting buddy has a Whynter and he swears by it. He regularly uses it to freeze and transport seafood and ducks from Washington to Montana or store food in sharptail camp. Doesn't seem to draw too much power and is well insulated.

Chad, I am not sure I understand your description of the method of attachment of the floor. But I would note that wood will expand across its width so I would be careful doweling it to the ends across its full width. I'd recommend making the holes for the outside dowels oblong or oversized and...

Absolutely do not paint the walnut!!! If you really dislike the shoulders in each corner, pare them with a really sharp chisel. It will be much faster than trying to scrape them with a card scraper. It's a stunning piece, I wouldn't overthink or obsess about the corners. They look good from a...

I'd be interested in seeing a list also.

Technically the interim strategy has been approved and is proposed to be implemented in 2025-26 season, however, the actual final regulations have not been issued by USFWS yet. In the future, USFWS is looking at a different way of establishing regulations which would streamline the...

A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by a reporter on the current status of waterfowl survey programs. I thought the article might be of interest to folks here. The title wasn't my idea. Field and Stream Annual Survey

I'm thinking that the previous owner hooked a curb or something at the boat ramp and bent the spindle and pulled the axle out of alignment. Have you measured the distance the axle is from the front or back of the trailer? I'd bet that the tires are scuffing sideways since they aren't running...

Like Steve and Scott, I am retired and not in the mainstream anymore but I do follow avian flu issues. I believe that I have heard of a few examples where mortality has been high enough that managers are concerned about impacts at the management unit scale. Those would be cacklers breeding on...

Good for you Ron. I know the guy who started that work and am glad to see it carried on.

The guy who built the bracket has built a bunch of them and also entire boats. He was clear to me in what he recommended in terms of design and what would function properly. Depending on tide conditions and which run of fish we are after, we will be fishing from anchor or trolling. Spring...

Tod, everything except the hull is new. I'm hoping that no tweaks are needed. Salmon and steelhead fishing are always a challenge out here. Multiple runs of fish with each fishery having different techniques. Forecasts for the spring chinook season this year is about like last year. It's...

Steve, was borne with 2 curses, be "mechanically handy" and stubborn. I didn't need any new projects but knew a nice hull when I saw it. Spent my free time the first year putting lipstick on the old boat and the second year putting a a new boat under the lipstick. 😂

This is my long tale which explains some of my absence from this page. Its a cautionary tale of an almost "Free" boat. In April of 2023 a friend from Montana asked me to either buy or sell a boat for a friend. Beware of friends offering essentially free boats!!! It was a 1994 custom built...