Outdoor Adventures
Phil Taunton
Friday, November 23, 2007
While working in the yard the other day, trying to spruce things up a bit for family and friends coming over for Thanksgiving, I noticed a couple of dandelions audaciously blooming in all their glory.
My, oh my. Isn’t anything sacred anymore?
Fall for this outdoors person is hunting, fishing, bird watching, bird dogs and watching trees and shrubs turn their brilliant color. I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but thoughts of dandelions should definitely be shelved until spring.
I remember when I was a kid, we might have had a couple of feet of snow on the ground by Thanksgiving ... no dandelions to be bothered with then. That statement in itself might surprise Wifeus because she doubts I can remember back that far!
Speaking of Wifeus and with all due respect to my friend and outdoors writer, the late Jim Ramberg, perhaps I will start calling her First Mate. She earned her stripes and has been known to say a few choice words to boot!
This past week before the weather changed, she and I enjoyed limited success fishing for crappie. Having a successful fishing trip doesn’t take much for us when we consider making it home safe, keeping our faculties straight and not sinking the boat as being somewhat of a success. But we did catch crappie at Council Grove over a brush pile in 22 feet of water.
Having no live minnows — but I’m sure they would be productive if you could find them — a little minnow-imitation, plastic bodied jig called the Gitzit was the ticket. But an iridescent lime green Roadrunner or Stump Jumper I “used” to have with a white feathered body constantly caught the bigger fish. First Mate caught the most fish on our last outing, but please note I was somewhat handicapped due to her propensity for using my pole when I was getting her lures unsnagged. A tackle box “all her own” plus casting and lure retrieval lessons are already on the Christmas list.
There must be a Wal-Mart store of lures on that brush pile!
Upland game
bird report
Some 30 years ago on the opening weekend of pheasant season, which was traditionally the second weekend of November, the harsh reality of what a “three dog night” meant became firmly implanted in my mind and made me realize Man’s mortality.
The definition of three dog night is when it gets so cold, a person needs three dogs to cuddle up with in order to stay warm. That particular night, I only had two, but I am most beholden to Toot and Jackson for accepting my invitation and joining me in the sleeping bag. I liked to froze to death anyway! Other than the Call of the Wild, why I chose to sleep in a tent on the ground when there was a perfectly good house, fireplace and heater not 20 yards away, where all my friends were sleeping, is something I can’t fathom now.
I have talked to several hunters who have gone “Out West” and they tell of having successful pheasant hunts. One mentioned hunting around Pratt and seeing numbers of pheasants that rivaled the great numbers we enjoyed in the ’60s. Colder weather and the farmers getting all their crops out of the fields will make things even better. Locally, quail hunting has been spotty, though I did get a report that one party found eight coveys in one day while hunting in Coffey County. I was really pleased to hear they chose to take only one or two birds out of each covey.
Attention Hunters … “Hunt for Hunger” two-person teams needed
A group of local hunters have organized a charitable and fun competition to help the needy in our area this Holiday Season. They hope to make this an annual fundraiser.
The event runs Dec. 7 through 9 and will provide wild game for the Salvation Army to use in their various food assistance programs. Deer harvested will be donated to the Farmers & Hunters Helping Feed the Hungry (FHFH) organization, and any monies generated from the sale of furs will be given to Camp Alexander to help with the purchase of equipment for its ever-expanding youth outdoor skills program.
This event is a great charity for the hungry and less fortunate and has a lot of great sponsors who have already committed to the program that include Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, Guion’s Showcase and CZ Rifles just to name a few.
Winning teams, plus all those who participate in the fundraiser, will be recognized and treated to a hunter’s banquet where cash, prizes and gift certificates will be awarded after scoring on Sunday, Dec. 9.
Please visit www.huntforhunger.com or call Chuck Gardner, 620-343-0225, or Joel Williams, 620-340-7628, for more information.
Safari Club International also helps to feed the hungry and its Chisholm Trail Chapter of Wichita recently donated $3,000 to help Kansas FHFH pay for processing wild game and distributing it through local food banks.
The organizers of Hunt for Hunger also will accept any canned goods and game not harvested during this competition to use in this charity.