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Began de-watering the Woods Edge wetland last night. Plan to bring water off slowly through June.
The following column appeared in the Pittsburg Kansas Morning Sun on April 14, 2007:
On the “Web”…Part 1
Waterfowl hunters are a hybrid breed when it comes to technology. One-half of a waterfowler’s brain seeks all the latest technological advances with which to gain some miniscule advantage when it comes to luring in his fine feathered friends. The other half of a waterfowler’s brain yearns to return to bygone times of tan colored, canvas hunting jackets, hand-carved wooden decoys, and black and white photographs of salty duck hunters displaying a day’s harvest on the fender of a Model T.
The following “web” resources are a compromise to, hopefully, entertain both sides of the hardy waterfowler’s brain. Check them out and I’m sure you’ll find links to the latest spinning wing duck decoy as well as underground deals on the famed waterfowling gear of yesteryear.
Ducks Unlimited: www.ducks.org
Duck Unlimited is one of the oldest conservation organizations in the world. Its roots are anchored in the vision of a handful of duck hunters that, in the 1930’s, created an agency to conserve and develop wetland habitat for generations to come. On the Ducks Unlimited website you’ll find resources from biology to natural history to tips on how to properly train your own super human Labrador retriever. Check out the “Biologist Blog” of Ducks Unlimited waterfowl biologist Mike Checkett to follow along on the real-life adventures of conservation professional and a died-in-the-wool waterfowler.
Avery Outdoors Forum: http://forum.averyoutdoors.com
Avery Outdoors is a leading supplier of waterfowling gear that ranges from decoys to clothing to portable duck and goose blinds. Their interactive forum is a clearinghouse for a network of waterfowlers from across the world. If one has questions about waterfowling products, hunting strategies, duck and goose calls, or how to take great outdoor photographs the Avery Forum is a one-stop online shopping center. So, if you’re thinking of purchasing some new piece of gear, check out the Avery Forum as chances are there are waterfowlers out there who have used it and can give you a “thums-up” or “thumbs-down.”
Waterdog TV: www.waterdogtv.com
If you love stinky, wet Labrador retrievers as most waterfowlers do, check out Waterdog TV. This website and accompanying television programming is an offshoot of Ducks Unlimited and their members’ desire to enhance the average waterfowler’s linkage to their loyal retriever. This site is packed with professional trainers’ blogs, training tips, video teasers of upcoming programs, and links to other dog training resources. This is one of those sites where, just by merely browsing the homepage, you are bound to learn a few tips on getting the most out of your own “water dog.”
Mack’s Prairie Wings: www.mackspw.com
Last, but certainly not least, Mack’s Prairie Wings has everything that the waterfowler needs, could need, might need, and probably doesn’t need and it’s all only a mouse click away. Mack’s Prairie Wings is the online cousin of Mack’s Sport Shop in Stuttgart, Arkansas, who stakes their claim as “America’s Premier Waterfowl Outfitter.” Each year during my annual sojourn to hunt mallards around Stuttgart, time for shopping at Mack’s is always factored into my pre-trip planning. If a waterfowler cannot find some what he or she needs at Mack’s Prairie Wings, one doesn’t need it, period. They run many seasonal specials and also have a wide assortment of turkey hunting gear so log on to find something you “need” for the spring turkey season this year.
These are only a few waterfowling resources on the vast digital superhighway. I will share more in future columns and would welcome an e-mail from any waterfowler out there with information on other “web” resources that are out there.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Monday, April 09, 2007
Blue Winged Teal
We had four blue winged teal show up on the wetland at our house on April 2. All they do is eat and swim and eat and swim and eat a swim!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
March 24 Outdoor Column: Little Conservationists
The following column appeared in the Pittsburg Kansas Morning Sun on March 24, 2007:
A couple of weeks ago, the wall calendar indicated it was time for the annual inspection and maintenance of our bluebird nesting box trail at Woods Edge. So, one crisp Sunday afternoon, the boys and I headed out with tools in hand to prepare for the return of the Eastern Bluebirds.
Oldest Son, now 6, is a veteran of these outings and quickly assumed the role of “teacher” to Youngest Son, who just turned 2. The suggestion was made to transport all necessary tools in the miniature battery-powered John Deer Gator their “Mimi” and “Grandpa” wedged down their Christmas stocking.
“Great idea, lead the way,” I said, and off we went.
They worked with me to assemble the necessary equipment on our barn floor: cordless drill, screwdriver, hammer, galvanized screws, nails, three carnivorous plastic dinosaurs, one old shoe, four packages of cheese crackers, one dog leash, a broken plastic pinwheel, and one set of fake keys to the Gator.
The boys delighted in loading all of the aforementioned gear into the dump bed of their vehicle. Oldest Son jumped in the driver’s seat, buckled his seatbelt, and barked an order for Youngest Son to ride shotgun. With a spinning of the molded plastic tires they were off and rolling.
Our first stop was the bluebird box on the split-rail fence that serves as the northern border of Woods Edge. After discovering the box was filled to the brim with Pin Oak tree twigs, Oldest Son speculated that, “Bluebirds aren’t using this box, it must be another kind of bird.” The veteran bluebirder remembered that bluebirds prefer to make their nests from grass, not twigs. Oldest Son does have a good “rememberer.”
We decided to remove the twigs — most likely put there by a wren — and relocate the box to another more suitable location. When we asked Younger Son for his input, he simply pointed and yelled, “over they.” “They” is Younger Son’s word for “there” and his emphatic pointing was aimed at the split-rail fence on the west side of our property. Oldest Son and I agreed and together they helped me remove the screws and load up the box for the move.
After a short commute they came to a screeching halt in front of a suitable fence post, and after a brief power struggle over who would use the cordless drill, it was agreed that each would drive one galvanized screw to ensure a secure attachment while avoiding mortal combat on the west lawn.
As we spent the next hour driving and drilling and loading and unloading to mount the remaining three bluebird boxes, I realized the truth of the old adage of “the body fuels the mind.” In 6- and 2-year old language, we discussed how bluebirds are cavity-nesting birds and naturally prefer to nest in holes in dead trees. We also discussed that humans sometimes give wildlife a helping hand by providing substitute habitat like wooden nesting boxes. Nothing too deep, mind you, just a simple lesson in wildlife ecology from their biologist dad.
The “father of wildlife management,” Aldo Leopold, pioneered the concept of a “land ethic” whereby humans are an integral part of the biotic community rather than competing for a place in that community. I cannot help but think that a simple Sunday afternoon outing to maintain a beloved trail of bluebird boxes is somehow beginning to provide our boys with the tools they will need to develop their own “land ethic” and place in their “community.”
A couple of weeks ago, the wall calendar indicated it was time for the annual inspection and maintenance of our bluebird nesting box trail at Woods Edge. So, one crisp Sunday afternoon, the boys and I headed out with tools in hand to prepare for the return of the Eastern Bluebirds.
Oldest Son, now 6, is a veteran of these outings and quickly assumed the role of “teacher” to Youngest Son, who just turned 2. The suggestion was made to transport all necessary tools in the miniature battery-powered John Deer Gator their “Mimi” and “Grandpa” wedged down their Christmas stocking.
“Great idea, lead the way,” I said, and off we went.
They worked with me to assemble the necessary equipment on our barn floor: cordless drill, screwdriver, hammer, galvanized screws, nails, three carnivorous plastic dinosaurs, one old shoe, four packages of cheese crackers, one dog leash, a broken plastic pinwheel, and one set of fake keys to the Gator.
The boys delighted in loading all of the aforementioned gear into the dump bed of their vehicle. Oldest Son jumped in the driver’s seat, buckled his seatbelt, and barked an order for Youngest Son to ride shotgun. With a spinning of the molded plastic tires they were off and rolling.
Our first stop was the bluebird box on the split-rail fence that serves as the northern border of Woods Edge. After discovering the box was filled to the brim with Pin Oak tree twigs, Oldest Son speculated that, “Bluebirds aren’t using this box, it must be another kind of bird.” The veteran bluebirder remembered that bluebirds prefer to make their nests from grass, not twigs. Oldest Son does have a good “rememberer.”
We decided to remove the twigs — most likely put there by a wren — and relocate the box to another more suitable location. When we asked Younger Son for his input, he simply pointed and yelled, “over they.” “They” is Younger Son’s word for “there” and his emphatic pointing was aimed at the split-rail fence on the west side of our property. Oldest Son and I agreed and together they helped me remove the screws and load up the box for the move.
After a short commute they came to a screeching halt in front of a suitable fence post, and after a brief power struggle over who would use the cordless drill, it was agreed that each would drive one galvanized screw to ensure a secure attachment while avoiding mortal combat on the west lawn.
As we spent the next hour driving and drilling and loading and unloading to mount the remaining three bluebird boxes, I realized the truth of the old adage of “the body fuels the mind.” In 6- and 2-year old language, we discussed how bluebirds are cavity-nesting birds and naturally prefer to nest in holes in dead trees. We also discussed that humans sometimes give wildlife a helping hand by providing substitute habitat like wooden nesting boxes. Nothing too deep, mind you, just a simple lesson in wildlife ecology from their biologist dad.
The “father of wildlife management,” Aldo Leopold, pioneered the concept of a “land ethic” whereby humans are an integral part of the biotic community rather than competing for a place in that community. I cannot help but think that a simple Sunday afternoon outing to maintain a beloved trail of bluebird boxes is somehow beginning to provide our boys with the tools they will need to develop their own “land ethic” and place in their “community.”
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