Style Counts for Something

One of the redeeming features of Face Book is that it has facilitated the reunification of any number of us who grew-up together and came of age in the 60s and 70s.  I suppose we can thank COVID for more free time and screen time.  Add to this a milestone High School reunion only a couple of years ago.  After roughly 50 years of separation for some of us the reconnection has been a good thing.  

Plenty has changed for many of us; nevertheless, becoming reacquainted is A-OK by my standards.  FB has become our Town Square and gathering spot to share thoughts and opinions and remain in-touch. And while the pace of new friends and acquaintances may have slowed the list continues to grow.  In any event, one of those pals from the old neighborhood posted this photo on his FB page including his own words (italics) preceding it:

The Democrats saw Obama as their chosen one that would lead them into their socialistic utopia. When Trump was elected those same people realized that their utopic dreams were not going to be realized. They then started hating and attacking anything and anyone that threatened the " progress" they believed they had made politically and culturally in transfirming/destroying the USA.

 

So, their protesting and at times violence is the continuation of their deranged hatred of President Trump. If Kamala or some other person adored by their Party was directing these deportations there would be no issue no protests, no threats to Law enforcement personnel. Hypocritical in their thoughts and actions. Sad, real sad.

 

I commented with this:   

I was actually studying-up on this phenomenon this afternoon.  Under Obama, interdiction and deportation was hardly ever public and rarely involved any drama. Not even background noise. Interestingly, very close to same in the early years of the first Trump administration. I absolutely know what changed (because I took old fashioned notes).  10 guesses anyone?

 

The discussion that followed included defenses of President Trump considering everything from Trump Derangement Syndrome, generalized media bias, to perceived Face Book and iPhone (Apple) algorithm biases.   My childhood pal shared this:  I respect your research and notes Tom. Please share.  

 

So I did.  I had to cut and paste my notes from my laptop resulting in poor formatting; nevertheless editable.  They are as follows:  

Here’s a brief summary of deportations under Barack Obama (2009–2017) and Donald Trump - (both terms, including his second term starting in 2025) - focused on ICE/DHS removals/deportations by the numbers.  Note: The Trump second term is incomplete and stats both reflect that and are annotated.

 

Over the eight years (2009 - 2017) of Obama’s presidency, ICE and DHS reported approximately 3.1 million immigration removals/deportations. Highlights - FY 2012: ~409,849 deportations — one of the highest annual totals.  FY 2013: ~438,421 deportations — often cited as the highest year. 

 

Observations:

 

Deportations were high early in his tenure and declined later — partly due to changes in enforcement priorities and declining border apprehensions. Later years saw lower totals: ~235,413 in FY 2015 and ~240,255 in FY 2016

 

Obama’s approach focused more on recent border crossers and noncitizens with criminal convictions, rather than broad interior enforcement.

 

Trump Administration (2017 - 2021 & 2025 - ?)

 

First Trump term (2017–2021): DHS/ICE data shows fewer overall removals than under Obama, with around 932,000 deportations reported over those four years.

 

Second Trump administration (2025 onward): Data is less centralized, but multiple sources provide partial figures:  ICE deported nearly 200,000 people in the first seven months of 2025 alone. Some government estimates suggest combined deportations + other removals could reach ~300,000+ in FY 2025 under Trump’s enforcement surge. Public reports cite overall removals including border expulsions and voluntary departures in the hundreds of thousands by the end of 2025.

 

Observations:

 

Trump’s highest annual ICE deportation figures (e.g., ~267,000–300,000+) clearly have not surpassed Obama’s peak year totals (which were ~438,000 in 2013). 

 

The Trump administration’s enforcement in 2025 increased interior ICE arrests and targeted broader categories of unauthorized immigrants including many without criminal records. 

 

Data releases from DHS/ICE have been inconsistent, making comprehensive year-by-year comparisons harder than with historical Obama data.

 

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

 

1. Enforcement Priorities: Targeted Arrests vs. Universal Arrests

 

Obama:

Focused on enforcement priorities aimed at public safety: Serious criminals, national security threats and recent border crossers. ICE was supposed to emphasize these groups before acting on others; this constrained the agency’s interior enforcement focus.

 

Trump:

Early executive orders broadly expanded enforcement priorities to include all undocumented non-citizens as targets for arrest and removal. This resulted in enforcement shifting from a targeted, risk-based approach to a wide net aiming to arrest anyone removable under immigration law.

 

2. Criminal History Composition of Arrests

 

Obama:

A larger share of ICE interior arrests historically involved people with criminal convictions. ICE largely confined interior enforcement to those with broader public safety concerns.

 

Trump:

Recent data show a dramatic rise in arrests of people with no criminal records. Nearly 1/3 of those arrested in 2025 by ICE had no criminal history. Another report suggests tens of thousands without criminal convictions were picked up, contradicting official focus on criminals. Independent data also show a sharp shift in arrest composition, with non-criminal individuals making up a much higher share of total ICE detentions under Trump.

 

3. At-Large vs. Custodial Arrests

 

Obama:

ICE largely arrested individuals already in jail/prison (custodial arrests) via information sharing with local jails and prisons; use of at-large arrests (sweeps in communities) was more limited.

 

Trump:

ICE dramatically increased at-large arrests — apprehending people in homes, workplaces, and communities rather than primarily from jails. This shift meant broader, more public operations compared with the historically jail-linked approach.

 

4. Collaboration with Local Law Enforcement

 

Obama:

ICE cooperation with local police/jails — such as through Secure Communities — was significant but tempered by enforcement priorities and some jurisdictions’ non-cooperation.

 

Trump:

Expansion of programs like 287(g) dramatically increased the role of local police in immigration enforcement, allowing them to question and detain immigrants for ICE — a tactic scaled back or de-emphasized under Obama.

 

5. Detention Policy and Public Operations

 

Obama:

Fewer large-scale, publicized raids; enforcement often occurred in less visible ways (custodial transfers from local jails, routine immigration check-ins).

 

Trump:

Enforcement has included public raids, frequent at-large operations, and actions in “sensitive locations” that were avoided under prior internal DHS policies — including immigration court check-ins, workplaces, and neighborhoods. ICE has also faced criticism for increased detention populations and facility deaths tied to expanded enforcement.

 

6. Policy Framing and Quotas

 

Obama:

Restored a degree of prioritization to manage enforcement resources and judicial backlogs, focusing removal on higher-risk individuals in many years.

 

Trump:

Reports indicate daily arrest “quotas” and political mandates for mass enforcement, with leadership pushing ICE to meet broad arrest targets rather than focusing solely on prioritized categories.

 

Summary:

Obama’s ICE tactics centered more on defined enforcement priorities and collaboration with the criminal justice system; whereas, Trump’s approach expanded who could be targeted, expanded community arrests, and integrated local law enforcement more deeply, resulting in broader sweeps and more arrests of people without criminal records.

*Note:  The notion that I had burned about three hours time (time I will never get back) that same afternoon was a consequence of a FB post - including an eight year-old YouTube "Ride With ICE" video - from another neighborhood pal of mine.  It was thought-provoking and encouraged me to initiate some background as it didn't get anyone's interest on FB other than me and maybe one additional individual.    

 

Inasmuch as things went silent on my pal's FB page following posting my notes I added an additional comment for purposes of background (see asterisk above) on Sunday morning.  That comment, including the YouTube video, are as follows:

 

As a follow-up to my notes I posted yesterday I want to share that the inspiration for my inquiry into this subject was a post that (name redacted) put out there four days ago. 

 

In it he asked: "8+yrs ago Obama's Ice agent's were well respected heroes, just doing their job. wonder what changed?"  (Note: Video is dated August 25, 2017 making these Trump's ICE agents.  Typo?) 

 

The video is from 8 years ago and taken during the first year of the first Trump term. It's not very long so watch it to the end and then afterwards ask yourself  "what changed between Trump 1.0 and 2.0 with respect to ICE protocols and reflecting on the differences between the two Presidents and their approach to interdiction and deportation.

 

Not stirring things-up as I happen to think (name redacted) has raised an excellent point and asked a thought-provoking question.

 

 

Have you ever wondered what it's like during the life of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent?  Phil Shuman of Fox 11, Los Angeles, takes you along for a ride on August 25, 2017.

At the time of this post's publication that thread has gone silent.  No further discussion.  The point I was attempting to make (perhaps not very clearly) was we have the same President today as eight years ago.  Almost at the same point in time of each presidential term. 

 

The clip is from the first year of the first Trump term in 2017.  Contrast that with ICE operational procedures today - the first year of the second Trump term in 2025. 

 

Are there objective differences between ICE agents and their protocol between then and now?

 

If any, what may they be?  What, if anything, changed?

 

I have some working theories about how, and why, ICE evolved between Trump 1.0 and Trump 2.0 

 

You?

Deer Camp

Including myself we hosted six hunters here for the gun deer opener and successfully added eight whitetails (four of each sex) to the camp meat poles.  For various reasons the number of  hunters has skinnied-down recently yet the kill count stays about the same.

 

Anyway, the trail cameras continued through the entirety of the ruckus and I thought it would be fun to share some photos of their comings and goings.

 

 

Including these of one of the guys heading out to his stand before sunrise who was tailed by a fox.

 

This weekend we're hosting my business partner, some of her family and anyone else that wants to join the fun for the December antlerless hunt.

  

Thirtieth Anniversary

This year’s Deer Camp is the 30th Anniversary Edition.  That’s not nearly as long as my neighbors multi-generational traditions but as a latecomer to big game hunting it’s fine by me.

Brandy from the land of my birth

Anyway, another tradition is the food. I’m going to overlook something I’m sure; but over four days I dined on something on the order of five varieties of sardines, two kinds of liver pate and two iterations of homemade smoked Hungarian sausage (old family recipe). 

 

Bobby’s homemade smoked Hungarian sausage

This was followed by venison chili dogs and Lawyer's gourmet venison bolognese.  

 

My infamous homemade navy bean soup built upon a foundation of Marchant’s smoked pork hocks.

Jägermeister. Ja!

Raw beef and onions on marble rye and a half a dozen kinds of cheese, sourdough bread, French baguettes and washed it down with adult beverages from the peninsula stretching all the way to Europe.  

The humble hard boiled egg is the perfect deer stand snack you can fit in the pocket of your parka.

Thanks guys for another hunt in the record books…..

Thirtieth Anniversary

 

Yes; 30 years of chasing deer.  Can you believe it?  The Deer Camp is celebrating a Thirtieth Anniversary.

Even the bear is getting in the game. 

The operative question is how does a person go about calculating the precise number of deer that have been killed and eaten  over those three decades? 

On This Day In History

Yo!  

Deer Camp Pals....

Been perusing some older digital photos in the collection and came across this one.  It was taken during a rain-sodden deer camp in November of 2005. 

The perspective is looking west out of the second floor blue bedroom. 

Except for low-light conditions there was no way a whitetail could sneak across this stretch of territory without being vulnerable.
 

Twenty years later - not so much. It's some dandy permanent cover out there nowadays. A real forest... 

 

Pheasant Hunt

It was only a couple of weeks ago I was in eastern South Dakota chasing pheasants; Friday is a reunion of sorts as several of the usual suspects from that trip will find their way here for the gun deer opener this coming Saturday.  I figure smoked pheasant will find its way into our diet next weekend.

Anyway some photos from the the pheasant hunt...

Queuing-up to push some grass

 

  

And some post hunt images back at the outfitter's barn...

$2 Beers and $3 Hi Balls

 

And at our rental house.  For ten guys a terrific set-up with a couple of bathrooms, a bunch of bedrooms, bunks and kitchen. 

 

Crashed

Most days my dog gets a dose of outdoor exercise; an important factor to successfully raising a puppy.  Especially a sporting breed.  As a consequence my dog takes her sleep very seriously.

And by the time this post is published Braumeister and I will be driving home following a trip to South Dakota to chase pheasants.  It's likely he, me and the dog are gonna crash tonight.

Check-back in the next week for photos and if we were successful.  Or not.

As Randi Dix says;  Shoot 'em in the face! 

Fall Colors

 Hiking last weekend with friends - Bay Shore Blufflands State Natural Area.

 View from the escarpment (the ledge)

Fall foliage

Milkweed fuzz

Staghorn Sumac 

Standoff

When we lived in Germany my folks took a trip thru East Germany to Berlin.  I still have my Soviet Visa authorizing my passage to the Russian Zone.  Yes, even a small child might have to produce his 'papers' on demand.  This was before the Soviets built a wall and before this cold war stand-off.  

By the time this photo was snapped in 1961 we had already returned stateside.  

In 2023, accompanied by two additional couples, we traveled thru what had previously been East Germany and took some photos at Checkpoint Charlie.  

What a difference 62 years makes.....

  

 

That KFC location is priceless.  Further evidence of significant progress following reunification.... 

You Are What You Eat

I recently made a run to Miesfeld's in Sheboygan to fetch the last batch of venison from the 2024 deer season.  It took a while for everything to be processed; yet it's completed. 

Garlic summer sausage, snack sticks, wieners and bacon.  Yes, there is such a thing as deer bacon.  

I had previously taken an additional batch of venison to Marchant's Meats in Sturgeon Bay to have brats and regular summer made.  Much faster turn-around.  And by the time you read this all but the shares belonging to a couple of hunters will have been distributed and likely found its way to a summer grilling session. 

In case you're wondering about the economics it works out like this:

Four deer skinned, cut and wrapped was $520; split six ways is $87 a hunter.  Everyone received a generous helping of steaks, chops and burger.  On top of that there was another generous selection of brats, wieners, snack sticks, summer sausage and bacon.  $560 total ($381 Miesfeld's and $179 Marchant's) split six ways is $93 a hunter.  All-in that comes to $180 a hunter.  And if you've been paying attention to the price of meat lately this is a decent deal; considering the overall yield.  (Note to self - take photos next time). 

I take payment by check or Zelle®.

Fun Fact:  Three additional deer were donated to the food pantry network of northeast Wisconsin thru DNR's deer donation program. 

In The News

Making the local paper can be a good thing or a bad thing - depending-upon the circumstances surrounding the coverage.  In this case it is a good thing; on a couple of levels.

First, promoting the idea of non-confrontational dialogue covering current events and difficult topics is a good thing.  Actually accomplishing it makes it a better thing.

For several years now I've been the class coordinator for a Learning In Retirement course titled: A Fine Kettle Of Fish.  It's a class covering current affairs held spring and fall semesters at the local community college.

I am also a participant most Friday mornings in the Third Avenue Discussion Group; Group for short.

Made a bunch of new friends of all political persuasions and of varied backgrounds.  Further evidence the peninsula is really a little-known giant brain trust. 

You can read all about it here.  

Serpents

 

The other thing materializing that is a sure sign of spring are the Eastern Fox Snakes.

They've thawed-out, emerged from their dens and have taken to sunning themselves at every opportunity.

Allow me to introduce you to Pantherophis vulpina – the Eastern Fox Snake.  This is a valuable animal to have around your yard as they dine principally upon rodents.  If you are a gardener they are your ally.  Belonging to the family of snakes that are constrictors - upon seizing their prey they coil around it to suffocate the animal.  After which they swallow it whole.  Their lower jaw is unhinged allowing this critter to swallow a rodent or bird five times the diameter of their head. Yum!

This snake has many large reddish-brown, chocolate brown or black mid-dorsal blotches along its back and other smaller blotches on its sides on a background color of yellow, tan or olive-gray. The head of adults is usually a dark copper, rust or orange color. They live in a variety of open habitats including marshes, sedge meadows, prairies and old fields.

Their diet consists primarily of rodents and ground-nesting birds. Young fox snakes will occasionally eat amphibians. This species is the most frequently encountered snake in people's homes, especially if the house has an old rock foundation where the snake(s) may be hunting for food or hibernating in the basement. The fox snake is often mistaken for the venomous copperhead due to its head color and subsequently is often killed. 

Copperheads do not live in or near Wisconsin. Fox snakes are also often mistaken for rattlesnakes, as they often "rattle" their tails in dry leaves, grasses or against objects when disturbed. Their pointed tail distinguishes them (and all other Wisconsin snakes with pointed tails) as a non-venomous species in Wisconsin.

Doggo is still trying to figure out if they are friend or foe.... 

Talking Turkey

 

After a couple year-long turkey drought the dam broke yesterday and I dropped a real nice gobbler with a record-breaking fifteen minute hunt.  

Yup.  No sooner than a sat down and made some initial calls this gobbler walks-in from behind me, quietly making a beeline for my jake decoy.

Kaboom!

I never even unpacked the book I brought to read.

I didn't pluck this bird choosing to butcher it and break it down into its component parts.  

I got two - three pound - pieces of breast meat; I'm thinking stir fry and risotto for starters.  The hind quarters are destined for homemade wild turkey vegetable noodle soup.

My pals Lawyer and Braumeister are on deck with tags for next week and the following.

 

Observations

From a Face Book friend I've known for a very long time there is this:

 

The Real Luxuries In Life

Time

Health

A quiet mind

Slow mornings

Ability to travel

Rest without guilt

A good night's sleep

Calm and routine days 

Meaningful conversations

Home-cooked meals

People you love

People who love you back 

Schneehund

 

 

The dog loves herself some snow.

From last weekend we got enough overnight to head-out for a post breakfast romp.  Not quite enough for snow shoes but 4-5 inches of white stuff nonetheless.  1.2 miles for me.  Somewhere north of 2 miles for the doggo.  And 3 miles for our guests.

Ruby is absolutely nuts for snow and was tearing-it up at every opportunity.

Then she can sleep it off later..... 

Just Ducky

I’m not raising expectations; but visitors can expect pretty good chow if they’re hanging their hat here for a spell. 

 

Just the other day there was Duck Confit; including duck fat fried taters and pickled red cabbage. 

 

Remarkably, the spuds were imported from Alberta, Canada. 

 

 

Raising a toast to good friends and our friendly neighbors to the north….

 

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Easy Duck Confit Recipe

Duck confit (con-fee) is one of the most luxurious of foods in French cuisine. This means seasoned and cured duck legs bathed in their own fat and slowly cooked to falling-off-the-bone perfection. This is followed by crisping the skin in a pan or oven – resulting in a sinful combination of juicy meat and crackling skin.

Authentic confit takes several days to make but this recipe is a mash-up, work-around, hack of the NYT’s Melissa Clark recipe that you can cook in an afternoon. It is really good and super easy.

Get yourself some duck legs. They’re not easy to find unless attached to the entire duck but Bunzel’s in Milwaukee has them in pairs from the freezer case. A specialty grocer may be the place to source them fresh or frozen.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Rest the fridge: 1 to 4 days

Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf, crumbled

4 duck leg quarters (about 4 pounds total), rinsed and patted dry but not trimmed

Duck fat-fried or smashed garden potatoes, noodles, spaetzle and lightly-dressed bitter salad greens such as arugula, chicory and/or radicchio, for serving

Preparation

Pat the duck legs dry with paper towels. Using a needle or a very sharp knife and prick the skin all over. Focus on the skin that covers fat. Do your best to avoid piercing the meat itself by pricking the skin at an angle over the drumstick and the center of the thigh. You are doing this to give the fat that lies under the skin a place to seep out – if you don’t do this, it will be far more difficult to get crispy skin.

In a pestle combine salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf pieces.  Crush thoroughly.  Sprinkle duck generously with mixture. Do not skimp on the coarse salt. Place duck legs in a pan in one layer. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours. Your legs can fester for up to four days.

The next day, heat oven to 275 degrees. Place duck legs, skin side down, in a large ovenproof skillet, with legs fitting snugly in a single layer (you may have to use two skillets or cook them in batches). Roast uncovered until fat starts to render – about one hour.

If you are making duck fat-fried taters this is a good time to ladle rendered fat into your fry pan.

Reduce heat to 250 F, flip duck legs (skin side up), cover pan with foil or a lid and place it in oven and continue to roast for an additional hour.

After one hour shut the oven off and use this interval prep your salad and other sides. The legs will hold just fine for up to an hour if they are covered and undisturbed.

After the sides have been prepped raise the oven to 375 F and remove the foil/lids. Bake an additional 30 minutes – checking periodically to make sure the skin is browning nicely.  My new GE Profile convection oven is perfect for this task.

Immediately prior to plating your meal open the wine allowing time for it to breathe. If needed, finish your legs under a low broiler setting for a few minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes.

Use the fat for cooking vegetables or frying eggs or potatoes. Strain the fat through cheesecloth if you intend to keep it in your fridge for an extended period. Tightly-covered it should keep for up to six months.