This is a perfect example of what you don’t want to meet in the forest – a Wild Boar sow and her piglet (specifically, a ‘squeaker’). This was taken on an RD1000 trailcam outside my village in the Carpathian hills of north-eastern Slovakia. It always amazes me how the single-most cute creature on the planet, […]

Is Spring really here? The landscape says yes:   but the weather says no. It’s May and we’re still getting subzero temperatures at night and the occasional snow storm. Regardless, I put out my old trail cam in a much deeper part of the forest (about a 90 minute trip there and back) with the […]

Veles, my English Bullmastiff, has died. He was born on April 30th (Walpurgisnacht) 2007. Next month he would have been 10, which is a fairly good innings for a molosser. He was named after Veles, the Slavonic god of the forest, animals and the underworld. He was a really sweet dog and very soft with […]

The latest issue of Bushcraft Magazine is out and this time contains a bumper pack of my contributions First off is the cover, which is my photo of a bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) – I feel honoured the editor Steve chose that one. Then there’s my article about the realities of living out here during a […]

I’ve just completed two paintings that I’ve been wanting to try my hand at for a very long time – hide art. The paintings are done in acrylic on wild boar hide strung onto ash wood frames. The process of fetching the wood from the forest, carrying it home, debarking it, drying it, painting the […]

I decided to write this review because of all the hassles I’ve had finding a pair of Winter boots which can be used both in the bush and in an urban setting. Price-wise they’re medium range. Last year I bought a pair of Lidl snowboots for 20 Euros and the sole and upper separated within […]

Alright, so I’m a few months late in posting but this issue of the magazine is still available from the Bushcraft Magazine website. This issue features a forest horror story of mine entitled ‘The Stag’. The editor, a great man, Steve Kirk, is featured on the cover. Sign up for a subscription.

I’d completely forgotten to post this – Bushcraft Magazine‘s Summer Issue features a couple of pieces by me. There’s a how-to-make a Valaska, a Carpathian shepherd’s walking axe, and another true forest horror story. Order a copy or, better yet, subscribe for a year’s worth. It’s the best magazine on the subject out there.

Knowing that we’d be away for a week or two, I set the gamecam up in my favourite spot – one which gets no human visitation due to its inaccessibility. Once we’re back at the house for a longer period I’ll move it to higher ground and try and get some big predators. There was […]

After a stressful and very busy week with all the kids away at various times in different countries visiting capital cities on school trips, and a lengthy drive into Poland to get some diagnostics done on my Vlochka, my Discovery, we only managed to squeeze one night in at the house. Thankfully, the weather was […]