Smallest Wild Area Residents Hikes

Rangers Gray Wolf and Stumpy Jenkins will be leading hikes throughout the summer to highlight little-known aspects of Big Pine National Forest. The rangers are excited to share some of the smallest residents of the Shady Mountains. Two of their favorite little residents are pikas and calliope hummingbirds.

Gray Wolf says that the pika is a small hamster-like animal related to the rabbit and hare. The pika is roughly three-quarters of an inch long with a one-eighth inch long tail. It's ears are short and rounded. Also called coney or rock rabbit, the pika lives in between and under rock fields above the tree line This means that Gray Wolf will be taking hikers on a high-altitude walk up the Shady Mountains to hunt these small mountain farmers. Yes, farmers. Pikas are most easily found by locating their haystacks. Pikas eat grasses, moss, and lichens that grow above the tree line. Pikas cut and stack grasses into haystacks to dry. When dry, pikas bring their haystacks inside their burrows to eat during the winter months. Gray Wolf says that he never tires of watching rock rabbits scamper about cutting and stacking grass into haystacks.

Stumpy and Gray Wolf will also be taking hikers to see the calliope hummingbird on the small mountain residents hikes. The calliope hummingbird is the smallest hummingbird found in North America. Adults weigh only 2.5 to 3 grams. They drink flower nectar and eat small insects. These birds are dark green in color with a white chest. Males have red streak on their necks. Calliopes prefer to build their nests in shrubs that grow along or near streams or highways. They live in the higher elevations of the US and Canada in summer and migrate into Mexico during the winter, often traveling more than 3,000 miles in one direction. Calliopes have been found at elevations at high as 11,000 feet.

RB085 The Deep Country

Colonel Anders and his wife are late returning from their California vacation. The colonel's assistant Walt and the colonel's daughter drive Bill crazy with all their worries and fears. Bill believes that the Anders' car may have been found far into the back country, in the deep country. The colonel's daughter, Walt, and the folks living in the deep country make Bill's job of finding the colonel nearly impossible. Will Bill locate the colonel and his wife - before it's too late?

Happy Birthday USA, Happy Birthday RBFC

Thank You Everyone!!! While our land is celebrating 234 years as a nation, the Ranger Bill Fan Club is celebrating 60 years of Ranger Bill broadcasts. And the Ranger Bill Fan Club is also celebrating turning 8 years old yesterday. And it's all because of the interest of each and every one of you who listen to Ranger Bill. Whenever you stop by this website to listen to the week's story or catch the latest news from Knotty Pine or write to say "Hi" or to ask a question you make this website what it is today. Many of you have shared tapes or CDs of different shows that I did not have. Some have passed along information about Ranger Bill's cast and crew. Some are looking for Ranger Bill CDs. Thanks to each of you for your interest in Ranger Bill and for your support of the fan club and this website.

It's hard to imagine that it has been eight years ago on a quiet 4th of July evening that I sat down to create the RBFC and design a simple web page to share what I had learned about Ranger Bill and looking for more Ranger Bill information and recordings. I have met hundreds of you through letters and emails. And I continue to learn new and fascinating information about the show, parks, forests, rangers, and the wilderness. And I promise to continue to work hard to learn and share what I learn with you.

My greatest thanks goes to HIS KIDS Radio who so generously share Ranger Bill with us each and every week. The popularity of this page is due in large part to being able to offer you Ranger Bill through their player 24 hours a day, 7 days each week.

As I began, I would like to conclude this. Thank you, everyone, for your support of and interest in Ranger Bill! God bless and keep listening!!!

Happy 4th of July!!! from Knotty Pine

Ranger Bill Jefferson, Stumpy, Gray Wolf, Henry, Ralph, Rocky and all the gang from Knotty Pine and Big Pine National Forest want to wish everyone a "Happy 4th of July!!!"

Please take time this weekend to remember the sacrifices made by so many brave soldiers to preserve the blessings of peace and freedom that we have enjoyed in the USA for more than 200 years. And thank the Lord God for giving us national peace despite so many threats to that peace. Above all, thank God for the supreme peace we have with Him through faith in the death of Jesus on the cross.

Knotty Pine is celebrating the Fourth with a BIG fireworks display this Saturday night at 9:00 PM. The fireworks are being sent up from Jock McIntosh's welding shop property north of Knotty Pine's downtown. The fireworks display can be best viewed from Knotty Pine's square. On-street parking as well as parking in all downtown parking lots is permitted for the evening's show.

Big Pine National Forest will be open throughout the holiday weekend. Ranger Headquarters, all camping areas within the forest, as well as the visitors center and the Chuck Wagon food center will be open during regular hours. Ranger Bill has deputized several local residents as volunteer rangers for the weekend to help with the expected crowds and to give the rangers a little free time with their families and loved ones. Frenchy DeSalle and some of his loggers are some of the weekend rangers. Dick and Bob "Unc" Mitchell with their three tugboats will handle policing Shady River traffic and river fire control for the 4th.

RB084 The Flying Game Warden

Every ranger wants Arnie Nelson's cushy job as flying game warden, including Bill. Arnie takes a month's vacation, so Col. Anders makes Bill the flying game warden. Bill and his rangers find out Arnie's job isn't so easy. Bill must cover a huge section of forest, lakes and rivers, as well as protect and rescue both vacationers as well as the wildlife. And there are poachers, especially the Bixon family. Find out with Bill and the boys just how hard and dangerous the flying game warden's job really is!