Oh blessed event… Though 2 weeks post dates, our little snappers have arrived. It was Saturday morning, September 14, 109 days after Mrs. T so gracefully deposited her eggs deeply into the sand before returning to the creek, leaving her latchkey offspring behind. This task was completed 2 days after Memorial Day. If you read the previous article, The Legend of Mrs. T, then you learned about this yearly happening that I was privileged to witness for the first time. The odds are against them, but somehow, a few survive to carry on their legacy. … Read More
A Night’s Tail
Only in backwoods living would such a story be told. Most would not admit it happened in their home. However, in the interest of full disclosure and finding the humor in something disgusting, this story follows. So I admit, we sometimes have a mouse problem since our move to the woods of Atlanta. We had set two traps in the kitchen. Recently, upon awakening at about 4:50 a.m. for nature’s call, as I entered the kitchen for a drink of water, I noticed that one of the traps had migrated to the left by 3 … Read More
Michigan’s Liberty Hunt offers a wonderful opportunity to introduce kids to the wonderful world of deer hunting.
Michigan’s first Liberty Hunt was held in 2001, which would allow kids aged 16 and younger as well as adults with qualifying disabilities, to participate in the special two-day deer season, which usually occurs during the second weekend in September. My youngest son Joe, at age 15, was able to participate in that first Liberty Hunt, as well as the following Liberty Hunt in 2002. After that I would make a point of “adopting” a kid for that special hunt each year, and yep, folks, there are a lot of kids out there wishing for … Read More
The new Jay’s and Webber Wildlife Education Center is a great place for the entire family to visit.
July 24, 2024, marked the grand opening of the new Jay’s and Webber Wildlife Education Center located close to Jay’s Sporting Goods in Clare. Stepping through the doorway to the museum is a bit of a breathtaking moment, I can assure you. The first thing to greet you are the full-sized mounts of two zebra stallions fighting, and from there on as you look around and move to each exhibit, you’ll encounter wildlife from all over the world being presented in their distinct habitat. The artwork adorning the walls to enhance each exhibit is nothing … Read More
Nature’s most amazing earth excavator
The old tongue-twister “how much wood can a woodchuck chuck” isn’t all that accurate because a woodchuck doesn’t chuck on any sort of wood, and in fact its name doesn’t relate to the woods at all. It got its official title from early English settlers who corrupted the Native American (Algonquian) name for this ground-dwelling rodent they called “wuchak”. Woodchucks actually prefer more open ground and due to the settlement process of this country that cleared forests to make way for agriculture, it would be to the woodchuck’s advantage. There is little doubt more woodchucks … Read More
Exploration Adventures in Yooper-land
There is a unique sense of entering an isolated, slower-paced and back-to-nature atmosphere after crossing the Mackinac bridge into the Upper Peninsula. At least that is the way it is with my wife, Ginny, and me. Our destination was Baraga, where the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA) was holding its annual conference at the Baraga Lakeside Inn, which is located right on the shore of Lake Superior and offers great accommodation and food (the meals prepared by chef Doug Smith were outstanding). Baraga is located on Lake Superior near the southeast corner of the Keweenaw … Read More
Quarting Berries – A Summer Pastime
Wild berry picking has become a tradition for some in our family. This began with my dad as far back as I can remember. Oftentimes these berries were picked in Atlanta, my dad’s old stomping grounds, as a 1948 graduate of Atlanta High School. He knew where to find them, whether wild blueberries or blackberries. Over time the landscape has changed and some of these patches have migrated. But who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt? And fresh berries are most certainly a treasure! Between the many pies, and homemade wine, my dad’s pursuit of … Read More
Those Sudden Surprises In The Great Outdoors
Last summer, I was feeding my horses in an outside manger and a leaf of hay fell on the ground. I bent down to pick it up, and yellow jackets suddenly came swarming out from underneath the manger and began stinging the left side of my face. Well, folks, that will wake you right up! One even zapped me near my left eye. When I looked in the mirror the following morning with my right eye, it wasn’t a pretty sight at all. The left side of my face was swollen, the left eye sealed … Read More
The Legend of “Mrs. T” lives on – Snappers with a purpose!
The original Mrs. T was so named many years ago due to her scrunched-up facial resemblance to Mr. T and his ever-present scowl. If you recall, Mr. T starred in the 1980’s action series, The A Team. Thus, we are many generations removed, yet her legend lives on through her progeny. Memorial Day Weekend fell a few days early this year, and as such, the annual journey of snapping turtles to attempt the continuation of their species took place a few days after, on May 28 and 29. And so I was blessed to observe … Read More
A Winter-Wonderland Travel To Yellowstone – “Experience the Magic”
A thumbnail sketch of the wonders of Yellowstone through the eyes of our dear WGD’s friends, Bruce & Nancy Ter Beek…worldly travelers-extraordinaire…”Thanks for sharing!” My wife and I spent ten days exploring our first national park. Yellowstone National Park was created in 1872. The Department of the Army managed the 2.2 million acre reserve for over 40 years until the National Park Service was created. This was my 10th trip to this spectacular place, but my first winter experience. Yellowstone never disappoints. From May through September the park is crowded with over two million visitors. … Read More