MESKO- WHAT?

People see the word "Meskousing" and can't help wonder what it means or what it is.  Meskousing was the word written in Father Jacques Marquette's journal.  He wrote in his journal in June 1673, "The river on which we embarked is called Meskousing. It is very wide; it has a sandy bottom, which forms various shoals that render its navigation very difficult. It is full of islands covered with vines."  The river he is referring to is what is now called the Wisconsin River.  He first accessed the river at modern day Portage, WI.  When he heard the name, he was camping with the Miami (from Indiana) tribe.  Native American languages are purely oral and do not have a written alphabet, so Marquette was trying to capture the sound he was hearing and translate it into French.  

Meskousing was written other ways by other travelers.  Eventually the word morphed into Ouisconsing and later Wisconsin.  The Wisconsin River has at times been referred to as "The River of a 1000 isles," based upon an erroneous interpration of the meaning of Meskousing.  The now accepted meaning of Meskousing is "stream that meanders through someplace red."  There are red sandstone cliffs on the lower Wisconsin River and is likely what is referenced in the meaning.  For a more detailed explanation, feel free to visit the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Your guess is as good as mine in regards to how Meskousing is pronounced.  The last native Miami speakers died in the 1960's.  I've pronounced it several ways myself.  Given the transformation the written word has undergone, it only seems fitting that the pronunciation evolve, too.

I chose the name Meskousing Boats for a variety of reasons.  First, we are a product made in Wisconsin and proud of that.  I'm also a bit of a history buff and believe we need to know where we came from to know where we're going.  The journey of starting a business and creating a product has been a journey involving a lot of inlets, islands, channels, and shoals making navigation challenging.

Take a kid harvesting!
   

HARVEST SEASON!

 

Harvest season is upon us in northern Wisconsin.  A lot of our berries are behind this year because we had a cool wet spring.  The weather was good for waterfowl production and thirsty water tables.  The wetter than normal beginning of the summer is paying off now in the form of juicy berries. 

 

We went out blackberry picking this evening for the first time.  Between two of us, we got a little less than two gallons in about 1.5 hours.  The berry picking resulted in bringing home a lot more food than the fishing expedition earlier in the day.  Tomorrow morning we're having pie for breakfast.  And lunch.  And dinner.  The berries will be used for a variety of purposes.  Sometimes we make jam, but neither one of us is much into toast.  We also make the aforementioned pies and wine.  All of these items also make good "payments" to landowners that are gracious enough to let us hunt or trap on their land.  It's very difficult for a landowner to say 'no' when you're holding a blackberry pie- ice cream is optional. 

 

Within a week I'll be heading out to a few wild rice haunts, too.  Wild rice is a delicacy and another way to tie myself into the hunter gatherer lifestyle.  It also goes well with the ducks that will (fingers crossed) be harvested in the fall.  Scouting for ricing gets me to areas that waterfowl LOVE and muskrats will be plentiful.  If I can find a good crop of rice, there will be a good crop of puddle ducks.

 

After ricing, the fall hunting seasons begin: grouse, squirrel, pheasant, deer, ducks, bear, and furbearers!

 

Good luck to all that practice sustainable harvesting of our renewable natural resources.

 



WELCOME!!

This is the inaugural Meskousing Boats blog post.  I'll start with an introduction of myself, Tim Otto, the president of Meskousing Boats.  I'm an enthusiast of all things outdoors and consider myself a hunter gatherer.  This may be a paddle-powered boat company, but the emphasis is getting people outside to appreciate the natural world.  If someone chooses to buy a Meskousing Boat, we appreciate the business, but that won't be the point of all the posts. 

No introduction of a company, though, would be complete without explaining a little bit about ourselves.  Meskousing Boats is a manufacturer of lightweight hand-laid fiberglass boats.  We are located in Wisconsin and the boats are built in the land of cheese and the Packers.  A few years ago I found myself in the market for a new duck hunting skiff.  I wanted a lightweight boat that could easily be carried or dragged to my duck hunting spots.  My favorite locales often involved carry-in only boat landings or there weren't any designated landings.  After an exhaustive internet search, I couldn't find a boat that fit my needs.  As a result, I formed Meskousing Boats L.L.C.

When people go hunting, most prefer to hunt away from the crowds and in secluded areas.  Some people are willing and able to spend $20,000 or more on a boat and gear.  Some of us prefer the quiet route.  Another way to seek tranquility is to go the route other people aren't willing to go.  That often involves carrying, dragging, hauling, and hiking where others aren't willing to go.  The best spots are away from public roads and parking lots.  A lot of hunting honey holes are located behind locked gates and a lightweight boat helps to hunt these hidden gems.  At Meskousing Boats we'll help you get where nobody else is going.

The flagship model for us is the Backwater.  The Backwater is designed to be a duck hunting kayak for one person, a dog, and a bag of decoys.  It also has the ability to carry two people with a  bag of decoys or a dog. 

The stability of the Backwater is unquestionable.  People that are familiar with dogs and kayaks are understandably wary the first time a dog jumps out of the boat.  After a few times, you'll get used to having the dog jump out and realize the boat is going to stay upright.  When the dog returns to the boat, it can be grabbed by the scruff of the neck and pulled inboard.  If you're used to traditional kayaks and duck hunting boats this will seem implausible the first time.  After a few times, you'll be very comfortable pulling the dog in.

Take a kid hunting or gathering!