Exactly what does “wild-man” even mean?

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Good question! For @papa-pepper, this “wild-man” title is really twofold these days. One is based more upon environment while the other is based more upon tendency.

Environment

The environment that comes into play here is the wild. To be a “wild” man you need to be in the wild, right? I know that one can be unruly or riotous and have that be referred to as “wild,” and I certainly used to live that way, but that’s not what I’m talking out here.

The outdoors, the wild, the woods, and all of God’s creation is where I prefer to spend my time. Cold concrete and densely populated cities don’t have the same appeal to me as the wild. I’d choose to be out in the environment that God made over what man has made when I really want to enjoy myself and relax. It is out in the wild that I enjoy spending my time. It is always such an adventure out there, and the possibilities are almost endless.

I certainly have a real interest in the creatures in the wild too. Ever since I was little, I’ve been capturing and interacting with all sorts of animals. Over time this has also become a food source as well, but most of my interaction with wild-life is still but to learn, observe, interact, and enjoy.

Besides just catching or photographing wild animals, hunting and fishing are also long-time hobbies of mine. I had never been deer hunting until last year, and I actually harvested three deer with three shots fired. The meat that it has provided my family has been excellent and very enjoyable, so that has been a huge blessing.

Fishing is another one of those enjoyable and relaxing way to provide food for the family. I taught @mama-pepper early on in our marriage that when the refrigerator and the wallet get empty at the same time, it is time to go fishing.

When I’m out in the woods exploring or hunting, or at the lakes and rivers swimming or fishing, it’s the preferred environment for a man like @papa-pepper.

Tendency

While I am out in the environment of the “wild” I also seem to have the tendency to be a little more wild than some others. Often I’ll run off into the underbrush after a snake or jump out of a canoe after a turtle. It’s not uncommon for me to be seen neck deep in the swamp, attempting to capture some sort of creature.

One example of this wild tendency is seen in the video above. It took me thirty-some years to realize that I could grab a Snapping Turtle by the throat, but now that I know I can, I might as well be using that skill, right?

You see, the more time that a wild-man like me spends in the wild interacting with the wildlife, the more comfortable one gets. Obviously there is always a risk when you do things like putting a live scorpion in your mouth, but a certain understanding of the situation can limit the danger… at least a little.

Knowing what the real risks are affects how you react in the situation. These days, I’m not too concerned about getting bit in the face by a non-venomous snake. Sure, some may call it foolish or even idiotic, but I prefer wild. Somehow, “wild” just sounds better than idiotic and “wild-man” is more appealing than “moron.”

Of course it’s not just animals that Papa goes wild for, it’s peppers too! When a completely edible plant can bring grown men to tears, it sounds like a good idea to eat. In fact, many years ago I even invented PEPPER POKER. Pepper Poker is a modified game of Texas Hold’em where you bet peppers instead of money in a real case of “putting your money where your mouth is.” Whenever you fold or get beat, you just have to eat whatever peppers that you’ve bet so far.

Pepper Poker may not be on top of everyone’s list of favorite games, but there are those who enjoy it. Yes, I’ve actually gotten people to play the game with me and even come back year after year. Unfortunately, we got so good at eating extremely large quantities of super-hot peppers that it began to take us many hours just to complete a game. Since the tournament is always “last man standing” the game must go on until all other participants quit.

For that reason, I had to institute shots of hot sauce every few hands just to try to speed up the process and get the game over in a more timely manner. It worked!

Don’t worry, I like to spread the hot sauce love on steemit too, so when @winstonwolfe, @giftedgaia, and @stellabelle met up with @papa-pepper at the recording of the Steemit Talk Podcast Episode 25, we all enjoyed a shot together!

Wild-man Blog Posts

As I enjoy the wildlife, you can be sure that I’ll keep sharing what I’m up to and the amazing creatures that I interact with. Whether it’s a Pygmy Rattlesnake that one of the @little-peppers calls me over to relocate or a beautiful photograph of an insect that I find, I’ll keep sharing.

Sometimes things will just be for fun, other times it’ll be educational and filled with practical life skills. Perhaps I’ll explain to you how to catch a venomous Copperhead snake.

Another time it may be how to fly a Bumble Bee or some other peculiar, rare, and interesting experience. Much of the stuff I am up to there is NO NEED to attempt to try on your own, and I’m certainly not recommending that anyone attempt to grab venomous snakes or put live scorpions in their mouths.

In fact, as @vegascomic said when he created this image for my YouTube page, “I so this stuff so that you don’t have to!”

Anyway, whatever Wild-Man activities I’m up to, I’ll keep sharing. You can always expect random, original posts full of original images and videos as I enjoy my wild life!

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Stay tuned to @papa-pepper for the next installment in the “GOING DEEPER WITH PAPA” series where I share about my “Gardener” identity… coming soon to a steemit near you!

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The long-term purpose of this account is to help provide the necessary funds to live a self-sufficient lifestyle at home with my family.