Waiting For Ducks

The winter of 2013/2014 was a really great waterfowl season in this area. The winter of 2014/2015 has been pretty dismal. There sure isn't much out there to look at. Things can change quickly; you never know. But, right now the waterways are pretty much devoid of duck life. There isn't much to see other than the resident Canada Geese, Mallards, Cracker Ducks and the occasional Bufflehead. There just isn't much to get excited about.

There isn't much in my yard, either. The juncos show up when they see a snowflake. But, they seemingly stay over in the clear-cut most of the time. My Pine Siskins have moved on and I have a couple of Fox Sparrows. That is just about it after you take the goldfinches out of the equation. Yep, we need something new to look at. Bring on the Ducks.

(c)2014 High Virginia Outdoors All Rights Reserved

YEP, 12/14/14

Oyster Mushrooms

You know that I feel sorry for all of the morel munchers out there. You just don't realize what you are missing out on. I guess it just falls into the category of doing what is reasonably easy and never straying from the norm. Kinda like opening day deer hunters, turkey hunting on Uncle Bill's farm and birdwatching on the Nature Trail. results are pretty much predictable and pretty much the same. Over and over and over. Never do anything new.

Yep, I'm having fresh Oyster Mushrooms right off the stump and some filet minion right off the carcass. The date is 12/14/14 and I'm in the infertile, gloomy and cold environs of Randolph County, WV. Some of you believe that I spend a lot of time searching for all of this stuff. The reality is that most of the things I find are on hour long dog rides. Yep, the only thing that many need to upgrade their quality of life is the ability to see and observe. Nope it will not hurt you one little bit to learn to look and see.

(c) 2014 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

LOOKING BACK

Month twelve, Yuk. Cold, gray, brown and white. Here we go again.  I have noticed that as we get older years tend to speed up in their passing. Still, it seems as if some weeks can last forever. Think back to January; did you accomplish everything you had planned on doing? Well, you’re about out of time. I know that I am.

I know that I had planned on fishing once per week from January until deer season. That sure didn’t happen. It wasn’t fit to go until April; but I did manage to get out more times than I have since 2007. I guess I can get some partial credit for that. Morel season came and went; I found a couple in my yard. That was it. Ramps and asparagus season was very good and then it was garden time. I got everything out and it seemed fine, by then it was fly-fishing time. July rolled around. Clouds, clouds, clouds no sun; tomatoes died. I still had big plans for a truckload of chanterelles. I might even have some to sell; if all goes well. It didn’t.

I never told anyone about this; until now. I found a massive patch of chanterelles in early August of 2013. They were probably 95% too old when I found them. I had big plans for this patch when July rolled around. The first trip I made over there to check them out was a total bust. Nothing was up, yet. I figured I was just a bit early. Two more trips and about eighty dollars’ worth of gas later; I picked a grand total of 3 chanterelles. You just cannot trust fungi. Lesson learned.

I can always count on getting my fill of Chicken of the Woods in early September. Not this year, I can’t find any.

Things change. It is now late September and I’m finding chickens every time I take the dogs for a ride. Suddenly, I now have a surplus of those beautiful orange things in the freezer to brighten the winter. Yep, you can’t trust fungi. I had never before found any after the 8^th or so of the 9^th month. If you give up the search; you are guaranteed to never succeed.  I found my biggest all-time Shaggy Mane patch in early October and ate shaggies until I didn’t want anymore.

Mid-October brings my thoughts to migratory birds. Not shooting them, just observing. I love finding to ones that most people don’t even realize stop by and visit. Nelson’s Sparrows and Marsh Wrens were very cooperative. I even got glimpses of the elusive Sedge Wren. My goal for the month was finding a Sora in Randolph County. The dogs and I slogged and slogged through the cattails with no success. But, I did find the first for county Marsh Wren.

Fresh venison is in the freezer at the end of the month; taken with ammo I loaded. This ended several years of reloading procrastination for me. I’m proud of that. I’m confident that the rest of deer season will be good and the freezer will be full. December is here already, wow. My mind wanders back to late winter the last several years and all of the mink I have seen run over and wasted. I used to be a pretty good minker; I’m breaking my stuff back out and see if I’ve still got it.That is where I’ll be this month. Merry Christmas

(c) 2014 High Virginia Outdoors

This is my December Article for Two-Lane Livin All Rights Reserved

December Mushrooms !!

Oyster Mushrooms

Yesterday,I was fortunate to pick and consume my first West Virginia December Oyster Mushrooms. I had been watching them for a couple of weeks. It took them quite awhile to get big enough to pick. They were really waterlogged at one point last week. That did not seem to hurt them at all. When I picked them they were covered with ice. Their texture was just as good as if they would have been picked at a somewhat more normal time.

I have also picked Oyster mushrooms when they were seemingly dried out from the sun. They reconstitute just fine when cooked and always seem to retain their flavor.

This just goes to show you that you will never find anything; if you don't look.

YOU Can help STOP the IDIOTS

Report hunting and fishing law violations to West Virginia DNR

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. – It's easy to report hunting or fishing law violations in West Virginia, and those reports are helpful in protecting the state's wildlife.
"Anyone who witnesses or is aware of hunting and fishing law violations can call the closest DNR district office, 911 or provide information on the DNR website," said Col Jerry Jenkins, chief of the DNR Law Enforcement Section. "We are doing this to ensure a quicker response to the violations reported by the public."
For non-emergency calls or questions, or to report questionable hunting or fishing activity, telephone calls should be made directly to the closest of six DNR district offices.
For emergencies or to report game law violations in progress, calls should go to local 911 centers or use the DNR website reporting at www.wvdnr.gov/LEnforce/Poachers.shtm which sends information directly to a Natural Resources Police Officer for immediate response.
"Call immediately, any time, day or night, if you see something going on in violation of the state's wildlife laws," said Col. Jenkins. "
When calling, please provide the following information, if known, to a West Virginia Natural Resources Police Officer:

• the nature of the violation;
• the location of the violation;
• the name and/or description of the violator;
• a description of any vehicle and license number  or boat involved in the violation;
• any other important information which will assist in apprehending the violator.

WVDNR Law Enforcement District Offices
District 1 – Farmington 304-825-6787 (Barbour, Brooke, Hancock, Harrison, Marshall, Marion, Monongalia, Ohio, Preston, Taylor, Tucker and Wetzel counties)
District 2 – Romney 304-822-3551 (Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan and Pendleton counties)
District 3 – Elkins 304-637-0245 (Braxton, Clay, Lewis, Nicholas, Pocahontas, Randolph, Upshur and Webster counties)
District 4 – Beckley 304-256-6945 (Fayette, Greenbrier, McDowell, Mercer, Monroe, Raleigh, Summers and Wyoming counties)
District 5 – Nitro 304-759-0703 (Boone, Cabell, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Putnam and Wayne counties)
District 6 – Parkersburg 304-420-4550 (Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Jackson, Pleasants, Tyler, Ritchie, Roane, Wirt and Wood counties)

**DNR**

I ROLLED MY OWN

.280 Remington

I enjoy watching some of the upper-North made for TV reality shows. The scenery is usually pretty good and you can actually see bits and pieces of life in remote regions.  The statement is invariably made that they have seven months of winter and a short four month growing season.  I always think; that’s about what we have here. I always think to myself that yes, they do have some brutal weather conditions but as far as I’m concerned once it is froze up; it doesn't make much difference how much colder it gets. They don’t have to get up and drive to a job miles away six days per week, either. They all have put away stores of smoked salmon and a moose and a couple of caribou sure can be stretched a lot farther than a couple of whitetails. I always believe that they don’t quite have it as hard as they would like for us to believe.

I was watching an episode recently; they were loading ammo for a moose hunt. The statement was made that they couldn't just go to the store and buy their ammo like everyone in the lower 48 can. Yeah, right. During the past decade it has been a challenge to find the ammo you actually want. I always have started in September to try and purchase my needed ammo supply. Some years I have been able to get what I wanted and other times I have had to settle for something that will just do. I found what I needed this year actually in-stock. But, I needed to buy tires. Alas a week later none was to be had. That was my final straw.

I broke out my reloading press which had been idle since 1987. I started gathering supplies and was lucky enough to find everything that I needed; locally! I already had a few hundred used cases for my two rifles; so I was set to go. One week later, I had more ammo loaded up than I will ever have a need for. Yep, a lifetime supply and more accurate than store bought. I’ll never have to go through the annual trying to find it hassle again. That feels real good.

I defrosted my freezer today and it really made me think. Down in the frozen depths were mushrooms, trout, asparagus, blackberries, strawberries, corn, beans and ramps. None of these were purchased from a store. There was a turkey and a little bit of venison in there, too. The venison is definitely running a bit low; but I’m sure that will change over the next couple of months. I have to admit that there are a few bags of store bought frozen peas in there. There are plenty of sugar snap peas, but I’m not shelling out a winter supply of the others. Been there and done that. That is also the reason I don’t grow black-eyed peas anymore, too.

I believe that if you sit back and think about it; we are in the same league as the homesteaders in the upper-North, Maybe they will put us on TV and we will become rich and famous. Not in one of those silly monster shows, either. Happy Thanksgiving and be thankful for what you have and what you can produce.

This is my November 2014 Article for the printed edition of Two-Lane Livin

(c) 2014 High Virginia Outdoors Photos (c) 2014 High Virginia Images ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

DONE

Black Birch

Last call...Its over. Let the desolation begin. The final leaves are falling and I don't like what I can now see. Six months of bleak on the horizon. Shades of brown and gray. It gets even worse; at times there will be white. Yes, it is winding down time. renewal is far away.

I'm so glad that my freezer is full of Spring. I can just look inside and feel the warmth.

I don't care what others say about Japanese Knotweed..It makes a great fence; tall and green. Until the leaves fall.

Then it is DONE.