Dan Vogt WTU's Field Director of the Year

Dan Vogt has been named as the Whitetails Unlimited Field Director of the Year for the fiscal year 2010-11.

Vogt, who conducts events in Missouri, Louisiana, and Arkansas, was honored based on chapter performance, service to local chapters, and internal performance benchmarks. “Dan always does an outstanding job for Whitetails Unlimited, and that translates to doing an outstanding job for the WTU chapters in his territory,” said Dave Hawkey, vice president of field operations for Whitetails Unlimited.

Vogt grew up in Columbia, Missouri, and now lives in Centralia, Missouri with his wife, Michelle, and their eight-year-old son, Jacob. He is an accomplished deer and turkey hunter, and enjoys spending time at home when not on the road. “I’m very proud to bring this award to the Show Me state,” said Vogt, “but the recognition really belongs to my incredible group of chapters and volunteers, who really deserve all the credit.”

According to Hawkey, Vogt set a new record of 18 points (lower score is better), beating the previous record of 21 set three years ago. Tim Powers of Iowa came in second, and Wisconsin’s Jamie Merckx placed third.

“It’s taken a little over five years for Dan to develop his territory and become WTU’s number one field director,” said WTU’s Executive Director Pete Gerl. “That in itself is an outstanding accomplishment. Dan is a true asset to Whitetails Unlimited.”

Analog Fire

The Long Burn Matches can burn for close
to a minute, on a wooden stick that starts out
 at about 3-3/4 inches long. Photo by Jeff Davis.

Fire.

One of the four classic elemental forces.

Used by humans for untold thousands of years, it is the transformative foundation for nearly everything civilizations have created throughout history. And yet, starting a simple campfire is sometimes a chore that is beyond my skill.

That may change now, after I stumbled across an obvious solution – longer matches.

At about 3.75 inches long, the Long Burn Matches from Industrial Revolution easily reach into a grill or lantern, or under campfire kindling. The long-burn matches will generate flame for 45-60 seconds, depending on conditions. This is four to five times longer than a standard match, and I don’t burn my fingers. Even I can get tinder going in that much time.

Matches were first sold 185 years ago, but the simplicity and utility of the device has changed little. Lighters seem to fail for me on a regular basis, so I now have a box of Long Burn Matches sealed in a heavy-duty Ziploc bag in my car, daypack, tackle box, with my basic hunting gear, and in the garage. In a digital world, don’t overlook the analog solution.

Long Burn Matches are available at outdoor retailers, including Cabela’s, REI, and MEC. The UCO website is www.ucogear.com.