Friday, March 28, 2008

Spring Trip To Steelhead Alley

Recently I had the opportunity to make a trip to Erie with a couple of coworkers/ friends of mine.  We made plans last week and finalized them on Easter.  I would drive separate and meet Scott and Steve at the Elk Creek access.  Before arriving, I made a stop at a local bait store to get some leaders and talk with the owner.  The news was not good. He said the tribs needed water and they haven’t had a fresh run for some time.  Though I didn’t like what I heard at the bait shop, I was still looking forward to fishing with Scott and Steve.  My hope for this trip was to see Steve land his first steelhead.  He had made the trip once before, but unfortunately the tribs were blown out and he didn’t have the opportunity to fish.

Rigging Up
Scott and Steve Gearing Up For Steelhead Action

I have fished with Scott several times, and he just flat out knows how to catch fish.  He is one of those outdoorsmen who knows how to get it done whether it’s elk hunting out west, archery hunting for whitetail, turkey hunting, or fishing for any species in PA.  Beyond this, he is just a good guy to be in the outdoors with.

COld Outside
Man, is it cold out!


We met at the access, and decided to fish a section of stream which held many fish earlier this year.  Upon arrival, we were surprised to find we would be the only people fishing this area.  I remember thinking this could either be very good or very bad, and was confused as to why nobody was around.  The weather was bitter cold and windy, but the stream had good color and decent flow.  The first spot we fished was a large slow hole below a train trestle.  It wasn’t long after we got our lines wet, that Steve coaxed a nice hen into hitting his yellow egg sack.  After a relatively short battle, Steve landed his first steelhead!  I took a couple pictures, offered congrats and soon we were back fishing.  Steve no sooner got back into the water and had his second steel in the net.  Things went dead for a while and Scott switched to live minnows.  This proved to be the right move as both Scott and Steve took turns catching fish up until the time we left.  At one point it was a hookup every four casts or less with several doubles.

Steve's FIrst STeelhead
Steve's First Steelhead


Scott's Steelhead
Scott's First Steelhead of the Day

Another Steelie


More action


More Steelies



My contribution to the trip included one steelhead and a couple suckers.  I tried everything from egg patterns to minnow imitations but the steelhead (with the exception of one) just weren’t interested in my flies.  Although I didn’t have a great day catching fish on a personal level, it was a great time fishing with friends and sharing a first steelhead experience.  Congrats Steve!

Mike's Sucker
My Big Catch of the Day - Sucker!


As the bait shop owner reported, the fish have been in the streams a while, and most had the cuts, sores, and scars to prove it.  Several of the hens caught were full of eggs and a couple were spawned out.  There were a few clean semi bright fish caught, but no chromers.

Train Crossing
Train Crossing the Bridge While We Were Fishing

The cold was getting to me after a few hours, so I decided it was time to call it quits.  I went over to Trout Run to see if I could get a few photos of steelhead in this little stream.  Trout run is nursery water that is off limits to fishermen (except at the mouth of the stream in Lake Erie).  In the fall, Trout Run can literally be black with huge fish and can sometimes draw quite a crowd.  The following are a few pictures of my visit to Trout Run.

Trout Run
Trout Run Nursery Water

Trout Run



More Of Trout RunTrout Run
Enjoy the outdoors and be safe!

Spring Scouting & Sheds

With March coming in like a lion, my trips to the woods to do some scouting and search for shed antlers had to occur between snow storms. Even so, I was anxious to get out of the house and spend some time in my favorite archery spots from last fall. With snow still on the ground, it wasn’t hard to see where the deer had been spending most of their time.

Deer Bed
A well-concealed deer bed beside a thick swamp; This spike was still carrying his antlers in early March.


The majority of the tracks I found were located in thick bedding areas, and it was nice to venture into the swamps and thickets I normally wouldn’t dare disturb. My spring scouting trips always seem to lead me to hiding places that I’ve overlooked during the season. The deer are often using the same areas that allowed them to avoid heavy hunting pressure a few months ago.

Coyote
A nice sunset after an afternoon of scouting; Not exactly what I was hoping to see on my trail camera

In my opinion, this is the best time of year to do some serious scouting and stack the odds in your favor for next fall. Deer sign really seems to stand out in the spring and it’s easier to put together the pieces you might have missed the year before. I even carry a little notebook with me and keep a log of what I find, because it’s easy to forget the little details when hunting season rolls around. You never know when one of those details might help put the buck that’s been avoiding you into shooting range.

Buck Rubs
A tall rub that I missed during my fall scouting; Deer trails are very visible during the spring.


One of the benefits of spring scouting is that it’s the best chance you’ll have to find the shed antlers of any surviving bucks in your area. All of the sheds I’ve found so far this year have been pretty small. You’d think that the big ones would be the easiest to find, but somehow, they’ve eluded me. I keep telling myself that the big boys might still be carrying them around on their heads.

Sheds
This white antler was an easy find, standing out against the dark leaves.

This year, my best luck finding sheds has been on trails between feeding and bedding areas. I also check fields, stream crossings, and any other places I think deer might spend a lot of time. It’s even better if these areas are located on a south-facing slope, as deer naturally spend more time in these areas to soak up what little sun we get during the winter.

Sheds
This shed was partially covered with some ground ivy that had sprung up among the dead leaves.

I’ve found that overcast days are much better for shed hunting than sunny days. It also helps to hit the woods after a good rain, because the light-colored sheds stand out against the dark color of a wet forest floor. But the bottom line is that you just have to get out there and cover as much ground as you can. Don’t get discouraged, because shed hunting in PA is tough. Remember, this isn’t Iowa or Wisconsin, so don’t expect to find a dozen sheds in an afternoon. If you find one or two, you’re doing really well!

Kyle's Mount
The Bruiser and I strike a pose in my front ‘yard’

Awesome Mount



I also thought I’d share some photos of my ’07 archery buck that I just got back from the taxidermist. If you’ve been following my field journals, this was the buck I nicknamed “The Bruiser” because his body was so huge and he came running to my rattling horns looking for a fight. The mount was created by Ron Wenner of Emlenton (814-797-5133), and I think he did an excellent job. I highly recommend his work if any of you are thinking about getting something mounted.

Massive Body Buck
This angle shows the size of the buck’s body


Taxidermist Buck
Taxidermist Ron Wenner with the mount in his studio


As you can see, the bruiser had quite a few scars on his hide from doing battle with the local bucks. I have every intention of meeting up with some of his opponents this fall. I figure if they’re willing to square off with this guy, they’re probably sporting headgear worthy of a trip back to Ron’s taxidermy shop. And that’s a trip I’m quite willing to take.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

March Snows

Being an avid waterfowl hunter I had anxiously been awaiting for March snows. Snow geese that is! Although, unable to connect in PA with any hunting this year, I decided the next best thing to being able to hunt them would be at least to view them, capture some photo opportunities and experience one of the wonders of our natural world. There is no better place to view this phenomena than right here in Pennsylvania at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area located on the Lebanon/Lancaster border.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission owns Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. It is a 6,254-acre facility created in 1973. A 756-acre wildlife propagation area has been set aside as a sanctuary for waterfowl and other animals.

Middle Creek


Snow geese breed in the Arctic Tundra and winter in farmlands, lakes and coastal areas in the American Southwest, South and East Coast. They are only located in North America and make a round trip annual journey of sometimes more than 5000 miles at speeds of 50 mph or more. When seen in flight the adults are all white with jet-black wing tips. The juvenile birds have gray markings. There are also a different color phase of snow goose called the blue phase. The blue phase has a white face and very dark body.

Blue Phase Snow Geese
Blue phase snow goose


Snows are smaller than the Canada goose weighing from 4 –7 pounds and have about a five-foot wing span. Snow geese winter in largely immense flocks numbering in the thousands. We were fortunate to see thousands of snow geese at Middle Creek. Approximately 80,000 snows!

Snow Geese



We arrived at Middle Creek around 10 AM. On our way to the destination we saw a small flock (about 1000 birds) in a field. We parked the vehicle and got out to take pictures a true spectacle.... They flushed. Just like that, they lifted instantaneously and provided a little of what was to come. Upon reaching the impoundment we were able to view a few hundred Tundra Swans on the lake. These birds are quite large compared to a Canada goose and make a cooing noise while at rest. A group lifted and took flight. Even in the air they look larger as you can see by my picture.

Tundra Swans
Tundra Swans In Flight


We approached a field where the geese were feeding ravenously to prepare for the northern migration and breeding. Jimmy was totally mesmerized. He just kept saying, “I have never seen this many geese in all my life!” It is in one word AWESOME! We video taped and I snapped a few hundred pictures. Well more like 962, but who’s counting? It was like the geese were playing leapfrog in the field. A few of the flock would lift and fly in front of the feeding frenzy and proceed to feed. Then they would continue to engage themselves to new ground to optimize intake.



We parked and went inside the Visitor’s Center. The Center houses many waterfowl exhibits along with other Pennsylvania wildlife. There is an observation room of the impoundment and learning displays. Such as the migration map for snow geese and a simulated goose blind and hunt. Which of course Don Jimmy and I made a point to try out.

Observation Deck
Visitor Center Observation Deck.


Waterfowl Map


Waterfowl Migration Map


After leaving there we proceeded to bundle up, grab our cameras and walk back on Willow Point Trail. This is an easy ten-minute hike that takes you back to an observation point and overlooks a large portion of the 400-acre lake. This is when the best part of the day occurred. While we were back snapping photos and video taping the thousands of geese and swans, a single engine plane flew over. For whatever reason, the geese didn’t like it and they flushed. Not a few ALL of them. The sky actually darkened above us and the sound was almost deafening. Although I feared looking up... I couldn’t resist the photo opportunity! Believe me no photos could do that justice. This exodus was unforgettable! After the plane flew over, literally within seconds the thousands of geese that took refuge on the water flew right back to the fields to begin feeding again.

Feeding



The number of Snow Geese has caused great concern for many. Ongoing research has confirmed that the carrying capacity of the habitat in some areas has been exceeded to the point that "permanent damage to tundra vegetation" is occurring. In addition, and because of the amount of vegetation removed by snow geese, the salt content of remaining soils has increased, killing all vegetation. The effect is so widespread and significant that it is easily observed in data collected by satellites.

As a result of over-population on some portions of the breeding ground, snow goose goslings in some areas are smaller than gosling’s 15 years ago. Gosling mortality is high and diseases are killing many of goslings. Survivors remain small as adults and may be less able to withstand the stress of migration. Adults are surviving at a high rate thus shifting the age structure of the population toward older geese - a dangerous situation. Old birds may be more susceptible to disease and a disease outbreak might spread quickly. If a population crash occurs, there will be few young, strong geese to begin the rebuilding process. That is why hunting these geese is so important not only for the Tundra region but for their mere survival.

The day went by so fast and the sights were truly remarkable. We took a ride through an interior road through the compound only to view more Snow Geese, Canada Geese and Swans. We did see a few flyway ducks. Some Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Buffle heads, Scaups, Ring Necks and Black Ducks. Not as many as I was hoping for but the show the Snow Geese provided well made up for any lack of ducks! If you haven’t ever gone and visited Middle Creek it is well worth the trip. It is one of nature’s true wonders!

Snow Geese


Snow Geese


Snow Geese