Bitter cold weather came early this fall, but there’ll still be days, even weeks of reasonably mild temperatures before the ground freezes hard and winter snows arrive. So, there should still be time to plant a tree or two, and some of those trees should be apples. Apples are good fruit, and the supermarkets and […]
Continue reading about Still Time to Plant Apple Trees in Autumn
History lives at Buck Creek State Park which surrounds C.J. Brown Reservoir in east-central Ohio. George Rogers Clark fought there in 1780, leading 1,000 Kentuckians in a raid against a Shawnee camp, and defeating them at the Battle of Piqua. One Indian who fled the attack was a young Shawnee called Tecumseh. Much later the […]
Continue reading about C.J. Brown Reservoir Prime Boater Destination
The 2009 squirrel season opened in Ohio on September 1 and runs to 31 January 2010 (Editor: See the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website for a useful Hunt Calendar of Ohio Hunting Seasons dates), and most days so far have been perfect days, cool, sunny, and pleasant. There’ll be lots more days like that as leaves slowly […]
Continue reading about Ohio Squirrel Hunting: Avoid Common Mistakes and Get Your Limit
Fall has to be the best, though shortest, season of the year. And once the beans and corn are off, it’s a good time to take a well earned vacation. The question is – where can you go that’s reasonably close, inexpensive, and a great place to visit with lots of things to do? For […]
Continue reading about Houghton Lake, Michigan Good To Visit for Fishing and Fun
The 2009 Ohio deer archery season opened on 26 September, a long awaited event for northcentral Ohio bow and crossbow hunters. It’s a wonderful time to hunt, with cool, pleasant days, leaves turning into a riot of red and gold, blue skies, and that hint of fox grapes on a gentle wind. But not a […]
Continue reading about Bad Weather is Good Weather for October Deer Hunters in Ohio
Autumn has arrived almost unnoticed, but it seems that every day the leaves turn a little more and gradually begin to assume their gorgeous autumn hues. A few days ago on a country drive I passed a red maple that was nearly at peak color, and lots more maples that were showing tinges or yellow […]
Continue reading about Why Do Leaves Turn Color? (And Autumn Tips for Tree Planting in Ohio)
I love to look at gardens. Driving in the country or walking on city streets each spring and summer, I’ve got to slow down and look over other peoples plantings, their rows, the quality of their soil. And while many I see are rich and fertile with healthy, vigorous plants, too many have soil that’s […]
Continue reading about Improve Your Garden Soil: Build a Compost Pile
Wouldn’t it be nice during this soon-to-come prettiest season of the year to do some near wilderness fishing? To roam where almost no one else goes, cast for fish who seldom or never see a hook, to wade where deer come to drink and wild turkeys slip through shoreside brush? You can do it, and […]
The 2009 squirrel season opened last month in most midwestern states cool, sunny, and pleasant. There’ll be lots more days like that this year and next, and plenty of chances to fill a squirrel limit. Some hunters will have little trouble bagging those bushytails, but lots more will be lucky to get one or two […]
Continue reading about Squirrel Hunters: Simple Tactics For Improved Squirrel Limits
Here’s a question for you. Do you enjoy greens fresh from the garden? In season, they’re great, especially cut and come again types like leaf lettuce, arugula, mustard, and others. Of course, you can buy them in supermarkets, head lettuce and leaf lettuce, and mixes that might be wonderful and healthy, but might also have […]
Continue reading about Choosing and Planting Fall Lettuce and Greens
Ohio’s archery season opened on September 26 (2009), but it didn’t mean much to many area bow hunters. Lots went out on opening day, of course, because it’s traditional, and some made a few trips later. But it’s during the rut that bow and crossbow hunters become serious, because deer move then, and the big […]
Continue reading about Bow Hunters:Tactics for Tree Stand Success During Deer Rut
Some years ago an old friend retired and was given a fishing rod and box of tackle, instead of a watch. “I’ve always wanted to learn to fish,” he said, “and now I’ve got the time.” He made several visits to a local lake, caught nothing, and gave his equipment away. “I just didn’t know […]
Continue reading about The Absolute Nuts and Bolts of Fishing
Hunting seasons are well in, and the thoughts of most area outdoorsmen are on deer, rabbits, pheasants, and waterfowl. But fish are still biting, cold weather or no, and one of the most active now is white and black crappie. These silvery, flatsided pansters are extremely popular each spring when they come in close to […]
Continue reading about Autumn Crappie Fishing: Where Are They Biting?
Farmers and landowners have enough problems these days without adding predation by foxes and coyotes, and there are plenty of both out there in family woods and fields. Actually, red fox populations are down a bit, possibly due to predation by coyotes, though there are still lots around, grey fox are almost extinct north of […]
Continue reading about Trapping Tactics That Work for Fox and Coyote: Ohio Veteran Trapper’s Tips
Some people don’t care for the taste of venison, complaining that it has a slightly “wild” flavor. But many others like that flavor, and feel that it adds substantially to meals and dishes like chili where ground deer seems to surpass beef. And few deny that venison is healthier, being leaner and free of antibiotics […]
Continue reading about Raising Deer Can Be Profitable: Ohio Whitetail Deer Farmer Tells How
This world is full of things an outdoorsman will never know, and just one of them is how many times a waiting bowhunter will have a trophy buck or even a small doe catch his or her scent and ghost away to safer climes. But I suspect it happens often. Too many archers don’t really […]
Back when I was a kid in the hills of southern Ohio, there were lots of poisonous snakes, and since we ran those hills like little savages we had to quickly learn to avoid the fairly common timber rattlesnakes and even more common copperheads. We learned to take care around rockpiles which both species favored […]
Continue reading about Help Save Ohio's Tiny Population of Poisonous Snakes
October is a good month for hunting several kinds of wildlife, but it’s an equally good time to do some fishing, and the best game in town these days is seeking Lake Erie perch. Erie perch traditionally turn on in October with action along shorelines and on piers a little slow at first, but gradually […]
Continue reading about October Perfect for Lake Erie Perch Fishing on Piers and Headboats
Ohio native Americans called him the “little bear”, and relished his rich meat. Many a young Huron and Sandusky made his first kill on a groundhog, and not only was the hand of man turned against this stocky creature, but bears, cougars, wolves, and coyotes ate them at every opportunity. The only animals that survived […]
Continue reading about Many Reasons to Hunt Groundhogs: Eat Them, Practice, and Make a Farmer Happy
Life has gotten complicated for modern day farmers. Pigs and cattle are often fed by computer, litters and basic information is computer oriented too, and we do our plowing and harvesting with huge tractors and combines. But young farmers are often forced to listen to parents and grandparents and hear “It wasn’t like this when […]
Continue reading about Ohio Farming in the 1930s: Were The Good Old Days Really Good?
