WELCOME TO ATLANTA.COM OUTDOORS

  Kent Mitchell was Outdoor Editor for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 27 of his 35 years with the paper. In that time, he covered all kinds of outdoor sports, ranging from hunting and fishing to cliff climbing and triathlons and he participated in most as a means of getting as close to the subject as possible.
  He's interviewed the rich, the famous and the everyday outdoor types, male and female, learned that the love of the outdoors, nature and adventure is a common denominator among all three types and became wealthy himself with the memories of those experiences.
 An Atlanta native, he has been married to Shirley for 43 years, has three grown children and seven grandchildren. The most important part of his life is summed up in that sentence.
 He is a United States Marine (Once a Marine, Always a Marine) and third degree karate black belt (Yes, you might see some martial arts articles in this section, too).
 His writing career also includes a stint as Southeaster Field Editor for Field & Stream magazine in the 1980s, but his writing hasn't been limited to outdoors. He Co-Authored with Keith Vitali three books on karate--Beginning Karate, Intermediate Karate, Karate Kicking and has written articles for Karate Illustrated, Black Belt, Tai Chi Journal and Muscle Up as well as assisting the Southeast Tourism Society in publishing its Top 20 monthly events for several years.
  Many times, his wife and children participated in events he would write about, such as one day when he, his wife, son and youngest daughter were all suspended from climbing ropes some 200 feet above the ground at Mount Yonah while he was working on a rock climbing article.
  Personal experiences worked their way into many stories, such as:
  --Watching his wife rescue their youngest daughter--saved her life--from a Tennessee River.
  --On-the-road camping stories to parks in six states with the whole family and using their experiences to add more zest.
  --Hunting and fishing with his son.
  --Even a detailed article about hearing aids after he learned he wasn't getting the whole story during interviews.
 Retired today, he's going to cover outdoors now for Atlanta.com so that the entire world will know what a wonderful place Atlanta is to live and have fun.
  He plans to cover a large area--hunting, fishing, RV camping, hiking/backpacking, climbing, running, canoeing/kayaking and more, even how a customer designer makes and sharpens his knives.
 He can use your help. Have an idea for a good story? Have an helpful new product? An event, seminar, show?
 Let him know by email at Outdoors@Atlanta.com

RESIST URGE TO RESCUE "ORPHANED" WILDLIFE

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --In the spring, as wildlife begins to stir and young are born, it is inevitable that humans and wildlife will cross paths.  Often, people will find young animals that APPEAR to be abandoned or orphaned.  The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) would like to encourage people to leave these animals alone - for the sake of the animal and themselves. 
  "Most of the time young animals that appear to be helpless and alone only are separated from the adults temporarily," says WRD Assistant Chief of Game Management Mark Whitney.  "Adult animals frequently check on their young, but do spend a significant amount of time away from their offspring to keep predator attention away."
  If someone knows with certainty that a young animal has been orphaned or if an animal is severely injured, they should contact a local WRD office.  A WRD Wildlife Biologist can assist in placing the animal in the hands of a certified wildlife rehabilitator where it will receive proper care until it can be released back into the wild.  People who are not trained in wildlife rehabilitation should not attempt to take care of any wildlife and Georgia law prohibits anyone from keeping most wildlife in captivity without a permit.
  If an animal such as a bat, fox, skunk, raccoon, coyote or bobcat is found moving about in the daytime and appears to show no fear of people or dogs, or the animal seems to behave in a sick or abnormal way (weaving, drooling, approaching people, etc.) people should avoid the animal and report it to a local county health office or a WRD office for additional guidance.  This animal may be afflicted with distemper, rabies or some other disease.  Do not attempt to feed or handle the sick animal.  Keep pets, livestock and other humans away from the area where the animal was seen.  Two of the most important things that people can do to protect themselves from rabies is to get their pets vaccinated and to avoid contact with wildlife.  Children especially should be instructed never to bring wildlife home. 
   For more information on orphaned, injured or diseased wildlife, visit the WRD website at www.georgiawildlife.com, contact the local WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 918-6416.

BLACKIE COLLINS, SELF-TAUGHT KNIFE-MAKING GENIUS

By Kent Mitchell

  Blackie Collins still remembers the words of his second grade teacher, Mrs. Fryer (he never knew she had a first name) when he told her what he wanted to be when he grew up.
   The other kids in his class at Harlee Grammar School in Florence, S.C.,  had the usual dreams -- fireman, nurse, doctor, etc. -- but  little Walter Collins looked at the world differently. He still does.
  "I want to make guns and knives," little Walter told his teacher.
   Mrs. Fryer had made some sort of supportive, positive comment on each child's wish . . . until then.
  "She got a very stern look and said, 'By the time you're grown, there won't be anymore guns and knives,' " said Collins, who came of age, somewhat, that day. "I didn't understand anything about teachers being liberal, but even then there was a hardcore resistence to outdoor stuff."
   No matter. Mrs. Fryer obviously didn't make much of an impression  because Blackie Collins designs have been sold in the millions in the last 25 or so.
   Collins started his business in a small storefront in Atlanta but has since moved his operation to a location with the interesting name of North, South Carolina.
   Collins actually made his first knife in the second grade but it was a far cry from his current designs. He has made knives of all kinds, written books on knives and knife making and founded American Blade magazine  (and later sold).
   Not bad for someone who didn't go to a knife or gun design school-- there aren't any. The products enjoyed by millions come from a hugely fertile mind.
   "There's no high quite like creativity," he says. It's a quality Collins has by the bucketful.
   Collins' career has been one of  innovation.
   He was the first designer to see the practicality and utility of  using something other than the standard bone or wood and complicated steel assembly for folding knives.
  The first design, the Gerber L.S.T. (Light, Strong, Tough) has sold three million so far and is still a staple in the Gerber catalogue 14 years later.
   "That was the first molded Zytel handle," Collins said. "Now, it's the most copied knife in this century in the United States.  "I wouldn't be in business if it weren't for injection molds.
   It comes with an interesting story.
   "Pete Gerber handed me a knife in their line and said, 'Give it some moxie,' " said Blackie of  the 1983 meeting. "I asked what else he wanted and he said, 'Make it easy to manufacture,' and I took it from 26 parts to six parts."
   Remember the K.I.S.S. theory? Collins might have invented it.
   He also was the first to use Cordura sheaths rather than the usual leather.
      Although his strength is knife design -- he's designed for more than 20 manufacturers -- Collins also has other innovations.  He designed a trigger lock, called Cease Fire, that fits nearly all rifles except some lever actions, and he designed a shooter's screwdriver that is selling well, but knives are his living.
     He got the idea from motorcycling. While riding a winding and bumpy road on a Ducati, and was impressed with the suspension that made those driving conditions almost effortless. The strut in Strut'N'Cut is like the Ducati's single strut that makes it very easy to open and close.