Published January 2005 It’s been a tough winter so far with up to 20 inches of snow that’s luckily melted off now. I was trapped in my house for about 24 hours before I could find someone to plow my driveway, and that 24 hours gave me plenty of time to start thinking about my […]
Continue reading about Winter Gardening: Spring Radish Varieties
Published in January 2005 Just how many coyotes are there in north-central Ohio? Are they rare? Common? Thick on the ground? Apparently, the third choice is the answer, though many an outdoorsman has never seen one, mainly because they travel mostly at night. One group of coyote chasers who does most of their hunting around […]
Continue reading about Hunting Coyotes with Dogs in North Central Ohio
Published in December 2004 House plants have a tough time in the typical mid-winter home. It’s cool, the humidity is low, and light often lower, so the typical scenario is to buy a couple of nice house plants, enjoy them until they die, then buy some more. For those who appreciate a spot of greenery […]
Continue reading about Indoor Gardening: Keeping Houseplants Alive in Winter
Published in December 2004 Snow. Cold and white, fluffy or frozen, it’s marvelous stuff. Skiers love it and snowmobilers, and hunters love it too, or should. Last year we had an open winter, one of several recently, when it hardly snowed at all, but this winter is shaping up to be a cold one with […]
Continue reading about Hunting in Snow: Tracking Deer, Rabbit, Pheasant and More
It appears the halcyon days of early rabbit season are essentially over. Those lovely days with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s that saw rabbits sitting out in weed fields, in thin fencerows, light brush and curled over grass have turned into days with snow, bitter winds, and temperatures that hardly break freezing. Weather like […]
Continue reading about Winter Rabbit Hunting With No Rabbit Dog
Published December 2004 One of the nicest things about living in a forested part of America (as opposed to prairie or desert) is that we have lots of trees. And trees are great for many a reason. We like to plant them for fruit or to provide food for birds and squirrels. They gladden our […]
Continue reading about Great Tips for Cutting Your Own Firewood
Published in December 2004 Unless you’re into ice fishing or below the dams saugeye, steelhead fishing is the only game in town from December through March. Luckily, it’s a very good game indeed. The Ohio Division of Wildlife stocks many thousands of steelhead each year into Lake Erie tributaries, and these fish grow large feeding […]
Christmas is coming close, and while major gifts have doubtless already been bought, there are still stocking stuffers and smaller presents for an outdoorsman/woman/youngster that need to be bought. Everyone knows that wives and mothers do most of that buying, and these busy shoppers too often know less than most about gifts for hard hunting, […]
Continue reading about Christmas Gifts for Fishermen, Children and Sportsmen
Published December 2004 December is a magic month for gardeners and flower bed enthusiasts, and not just because Christmas is coming soon. Over the next weeks, “wish books” will be arriving, normally called seed catalogs, and we can spend snowy and bitter cold hours sitting near a warm fire turning pages, looking at new offerings, […]
Continue reading about December Gardening: Favorite Seed Catalogues
Most northern Ohio farmers and outdoor types recognize the ordinary nut trees and shrubs. They know shagbark and shellbark hickories, black walnuts, and maybe butternuts. But did you know there are lots of other nut bearers that will live and thrive in our often chill climate? John (Bud) Luers certainly does. Bud lives on 26 […]
Continue reading about Ohio Nut Farming: Growing Nuts and Grafting
Published December 2004 It’s a good time of year for area farming folk. The crops have been harvested, the machinery repaired, and it’s time to sit back and rest or maybe take a little trip somewhere to get away from northern Ohio’s often bitter weather. You might go to Florida, spend $150 a night for […]
Continue reading about Winter Getaway: Myrtle Beach – From Fishing to Shopping
Published December 2004 Christmas is coming soon, and that means some folk are happy (finished shopping) and some are in a panic (haven’t). If you’re in the latter group, and that person needing a gift is a gardener or plant lover, there’s still plenty of time to find them a fine present, one they can […]
Continue reading about Christmas Gifts for Gardeners: DIY Forcing Bulbs for Presents and More
Published December 2004 The Ohio statewide primitive weapons season will runs for four days in December (2004), and as always it’s going to be a tough one. Archers have already made a record kill and the opening day of gun season alone accounted for a further 40,000 plus animals. The dumb and the unlucky are […]
Continue reading about Ohio Primitive Weapons Hunting: Bows and Muzzleloaders
Most, if not all, outdoorsmen love nature and like to see wild creatures at their daily business. Which is why many a time I’ve bagged my requisite two squirrels for dinner, then lingered to watch others frisk among the leaves. Or sat quietly while a small herd of deer foraged for acorns. I like to […]
Continue reading about Ohio Birdwatching in December: The Birds Are Waiting
It was a good gun season for a fair number of Ohio hunters and right now thousands of pounds of deerburger, steaks, chops, roasts, and more are sitting in area freezers. And a good many cooks are looking at their new mound of meat and wondering what to do with it. There are lots of answers to […]
Continue reading about Venison Recipes: Deer Hunting with Delicious Results
Back when I was a kid in the hills of southern Ohio, the rites of manhood and The Use Of The Gun came in three distinct steps. First, after hours of wheedling, the young man received his first BB gun at age 10 or 11, depending on mental maturity and the stamina of his mother. […]
