Greetings PA sportsmen and women! I’m assuming you’ve all been enjoying the PSP website and the excellent stories and photos from across the state. You may have read some of my earlier entries, but I thought it would be appropriate to tell you a little more about myself. The ’07 hunting season is quickly approaching and I’ve been busy getting ready for archery and the early waterfowl seasons. With the opener for Canadian geese on Sept. 1, my first hunt this fall with likely take place in an oats field or on a lake somewhere in Clarion County. The resident goose population is always plentiful in our area and provides excellent wing shooting opportunities.
A successful kayak trip on a high and muddy Clarion River and a productive field set-up with my dad last September.
Between goose hunts, I’ll spend my time shooting my bow and scouting for a nice buck to chase in October. If I’m lucky, he’ll be on a piece of property where I have permission to hunt and treestands are already in place. If not, I’ll start knocking on doors and looking for new stand locations. I try to get these chores done early because once the season starts, things get really busy. Between duck season, squirrel and grouse, early muzzleloader, rabbit and pheasant, and turkey season, there’s a new opening day starting every weekend in October. I usually spend most of my time in the deer stand, but I enjoy the other seasons as well, so I’m willing to trade some of my archery trips for outings with my family and friends who don’t bowhunt.
My first deer with a bow back in ’99; Three generations of my family with a fine harvest on the opening day of rifle season (the buck was a nice 10-point that eluded me during archery season, but my cousin connected from one of my stands overlooking a thick creek bottom).
If I still have unfilled deer tags after rifle season, and I almost always try to save one, I’ll be carrying my smoke pole in the flintlock season after Christmas. This is one of my favorite times to be in the woods, and at this time of the year, you can usually count on having the place to yourself. Plus, January almost always brings cold temperatures and good tracking snow that are often absent during PA’s other deer seasons.
A couple of deer that I’ve taken with my flintlock in the late seasons.
On alternating years, I also try to schedule time for a trip to one of the western states during elk season. These excursions are always ‘do-it-yourself’ hunts with close friends and family members. We camp in army tents and hunt public land without the aid of guides or outfitters. This method can be challenging, but helps keep costs down and is something I really enjoy. It’s an awesome feeling to be surrounded by wilderness as far as the eye can see and pursue elk that are also being hunted by wolves, mountain lions, and grizzlies. Realizing that you’re a part-time hunter in terrain filled with full-time predators and prey can be a humbling experience.
A view of the Colorado wilderness and our elk camp last November.
During my time out west, I’ve been fortunate to harvest this cow elk in Colorado and a 5x4 bull in Idaho.
If you’ve read my bio, you know that when I’m not hunting, I also enjoy fishing. My angling trips have taken me from the limestone streams of central PA to the trout rivers of Colorado, New Mexico, and Oregon. Most times, I’ll be carrying my fly rod and trying to match the hatch, but I’m also quite content with swinging spinners and spoons with my ultralight gear. A couple of years back I took up ice fishing too, and found it’s a great way to ward off the cabin fever that usually sets in for me around February. Most of my hardwater efforts are focused on exploring Lake Arthur in Butler County and Kahle Lake in Clarion/Venango Counties.
A healthy rainbow from the San Juan River in northern New Mexico and a Lake Arthur largemouth I caught through the ice last February.
I also look forward to a trip that my family often takes to northern Quebec in June. It’s a long drive, but the fishing can be tremendous! The lake holds walleye, northern pike, and whitefish, but is too far north for bass or musky. We spend the mornings and evenings jigging for walleye and concentrate on the pike during the mid-day hours. The pike are my favorites and are the most aggressive fish I’ve ever encountered. They’ll strike at almost anything, but I’ve found that big weedless spoons usually bring the most hits.
A couple of nice pike that I caught in Quebec fishing the shallow weed beds.
I was truly flattered when the PSP owners asked me to join their field staff for the ’07 season. I know it’s going to be an exciting year, and I’m looking forward to sharing my adventures with the online community. I wish you all success this fall and hope you’ll get a chance to share your time afield with a young hunter. Good luck!
No comments:
Post a Comment