jdmidwest

I had read that they were affected by the West Nile Virus, along with crows and blue jays. The crows and blue jays are still plentiful around here. And Ness, I really think it may have been the aerial dropping of the rattlesnakes, since they nest on the ground. Catalpa worms still exist, I found several trees last year infested with them while floating. But, since I rarely fish with bait, I don't chase after them as much as I did when I was a kid. I used to freeze them, they work just as good dead.

I have yet to hear one this year. There used to be several at the farm, but I can't remember the last time I heard or saw a bird. You used to see them on back roads of a night driving around, again, no more. I used to hear them turkey hunting, none in Wayne, Iron, Washington, Cape, Bollinger, or Ste. Gen. counties where I hunted this year. No major habitat changes around those parts lately. Maybe this summer camping in the Ozarks.

I have noticed my evenings and mornings the last few years have been silent of the song of the Whip Poor Will. Where have the little birds gone? Turkeys used to start pouring on the gobbles about the time the Whippoorwill decided to call it a night. Twilight in the evening usually started up the songs for the night. It was always a game to identify the distinct calls of different birds. Some stuttered, some called with even cadence, some had their own style, we would always comment about them. Now they are gone. It has been at least 2 years since I have heard one. One of the best sounds of the night have gone. Was it the West Nile Virus?

They use the info for market studies, I don't think they use it for telemarketing purposes. Since I pay extra for an unlisted number and am on the NO-CALL List, I always give them my x-wife or make one up. It was always funny when the kid or the girlfriend would hear me give out the number and hear them say "Dad, that is not our number is it?". There is no law that I know of stating you have to give them a real phone number, they just ask for a phone number.

While floating the St. Francois one summer, it popped up a bad storm. Dime size hail was pelting us so bad we dived out of the canoes and floated along side of them in the water to keep from getting hammered. Our heads took a beating. Actually, lightening was the least of our worries.

That fish is going to be very DRY when you cook it.

Doodlebug, doodlebug, your house is on fire!

Anybody know what a Doodlebug is?? I thought everyone knew, but I found out today they don't. Walking out of the office tonight, there were several funnel shapes in the dirt of the flowerbed. I asked the young sons of my buddy if they had ever saw a doodlebug. I dug one out of the dirt and showed it to them. Seems like my buddy never saw or knew of them either. They must be a well kept secret. Growing up, we used to play with them all of the time. A larva of the lacewing family and known otherwise as Ant Lion, they were neat to watch. Often times we would disturb the funnel and watch the doodlebug flip the dirt back out to make a perfect cone shaped trap. We would catch ants and feed them, we would dig them up and watch them work their way back down into the dirt. They were plentiful in sand and fine dirt around the barn and house. Funny how little things amuse a country boy growing up out in the sticks. Here is a link for those that have never seen them. They mutate into an insect resembling a damselfly and may even be the source of a trout fly or two. Doodlebugs

I just run across this article in Field and Stream and it reminded me why we should stop fishing when a thunderstorm rolls thru. A few weeks ago, I sit around all morning waiting for a break in the storms to get in a little fishing. With all of the tech available today, you can ALMOST predict when you can get in a few hours fishing in a storm. I found a break coming and headed for the lake. Just got started when a popup storm hit that did not show on radar before I left and everyone was headed back to the dock. I had raingear on so I was good, till the lightening started popping. I too went back and tied off to the dock and waited it out under a pavillion. Like most, the thunderstorm blew thru fast and I was back out on the water in 30 minutes catching fish. There were just sprinkles and showers, but it did not bother the bass and panfish I was after. Note how the rod looks in the photos. Close Call, Teen Struck By Lightening.

I saw it disappear on a game violation on a suspect that was pursuing a conservation career 2 years ago. Kid got busted killing a deer and letting a friend tag it then posted it on Myspace as his own. POS got off with a slap on the wrist. He pled out and the info disappeared off Casenet.

I know the thing about Casenet, I have a divorce there. I think you can ask for the info to be hidden. Here is an article today regarding Facebook. Facebook users reveal risky details.

All of the time spent in woods and streams, I have only seen one Hellbender and seldom see any salamanders. I know there are many salamanders out there, they just lead a secret life. I have however run across several lampreys, the first encounters were in a stream survey of the Whitewater River in college.

Looks like I even narrowed down the streams you could have been fishin! You must have been close to my neck of the woods or expanded their territory. MO Brook Lamprey Or it could have been the Chestnut Lamprey which has a larger range. Chestnut Lamprey

If it had gills, its a lamprey. A parasitic form of the fish family. They are few and far between, thank goodness. The pics actually looked like a whopper leech, but your description sealed it. My slow connection did not let me zoom in.

Several articles have really got me thinking the last few weeks. With all of the online social networks like Youtube, Facebook, and Myspace, people are posting alot of personal info online that can be used against them. Take OAF, how many have posted weekend plans on here several weeks in advance, letting the whole world know when you are going to be out of town? How many have used their real names? How many have posted names and pics of our children online? And we have the birthday notification that shows that info. And sometimes, we let out our addresses our even a phone number. Phone numbers should be PM'd, that way only registered users can access them. I know most of us online are honest and good outdoors people with high morals. There have been a few in the past the assume a different identity to be a jerk, but most are good people. Most have used our real names from time to time, and I have always had a problem with that. I personally have run into a few on here and identified and been identified by my pics and posts. All have been great guys. We usually have a pretty high level of trust on here. What about the lurkers, the ones that just scan and don't post? The pedophiles and the thieves, the ones that want to take what we love and earn? And think about all of the other stuff you put out online, personal info that could lead to identity theft. Names, addresses, birthdates, etc. Most of the time on here I like to joke and poke on here, but this is serious. We use the net on our computers and phones daily now, more than ever. Social networks are really getting to be a personal security issue. I even run across an article about copiers storing sensitive info on their hard drives that gets passed along. The information superhighway has a lot of skid marks left behind by us.

I got rid of 3 deer myself this year, cooking some of its muscle on the grill tonight as we speak. I think I am going to get some of its ground up muscle in the form of summer sausage and toast him with a good cold beer while he cooks. The reason we hunt them is for population control and for food. They destroy our crops and need some killing off every now and then. I don't really worry about bears around here, and I always carry a gun in the woods and streams. Its not for the bears, it is for the 2 legged animals that make meth in the woods and stream.

Just run across this on My Old House, article about the 9 deadliest home invaders. Enjoy. 9 Deadliest Home Invaders

Launching is never a problem, I use the rope thing. Recovery is my problem, my trailer has a short tube rail and the back door on the 4 runner is always in the water. I wear waders or muck boots if cold, otherwise, crocs and shorts.

Being eaten alive, slowly, since they prefer muscle first, or bleeding out is dying in style? Look kids, this forest was fertilized by grandpa's remains in the bear scat. Oh, look at the pretty kitty, is that a mountain lion?

2 years ago, the shuttle for a kayak and one person was $35 from Alley to Eminence. Either way you go, Harvey's charges a single person the same as a canoe. He really gets irritated if you ask him about the "Had Enough" stickers on his vehicles. Since he runs most of the liveries in the area, the rates are going to be the same on the Current also.

There is some pretty good camping at the Hazel Creek Campground nearby. I have not fished the Courtois there, but we fished it below Berryman last summer and did alright. Floating is starting at Berryman now when the water is flowing.

That's a neat old boat, did you ever run it? What kind of motor did you have on it?

If the bass are turned off, head over and catch some trout on the Current River, 11pt, or Spring River.

As I have stated, the only problem I have with the bears is that humans tend to attract them by careless garbage practice, livestock feed and livestock, and camping along side of them. If they get used to humans, they will stay around the sources of food. It was stated that they are omnivores, this makes them very opportunistic, eating everything and not just keying in on one food source. When they have young with them, they can get very agressive and will attack humans. There have been deaths by black bear attacks. Left alone in the wilderness, they will shy away from humans for the most part, you will probably not even notice or see their sign unless you look for them. As stated in the original post, be aware of them in the outdoors. If you know you have bears in the area, bearproof your garbage and pet food. Bear proof your coolers and food while camping and don't cook in a tent that you sleep in.

Looks like a greenie to me, they attack and fight like a bass but taste like a bluegill.