There’s Something In The Air
Category: article
Mar 16th, 2012 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Mar 16th, 2012 at 12:00 AM
With spring in the air throughout much of the Midwest, shed hunters will soon face a sense of urgency to find that needle in the haystack before shades of green add another level of difficulty to the task. Meanwhile, the warm up has morel hunters salivating at the thought of finding pods of Witch caps and Yellows, anxious to lace up and re-visit their favorite go-to spots. The outdoors transition from the seemingly lifeless colors of the thaw certainly does give way to the vibrancies of spring in elegance. Take a drive through the country on a sunny evening for a chance sighting of witnessing a Tom turkey in full strut as he works to impress Jenny. See his bright red and blue head stand out in a newly emerged alfalfa field, his iridescent feathers glistening on his puffed out chest; his tail fanned out and certainly impressive. It’s that time of year again and we’re certainly ready for it, even if Ol’ Man Winter did take it easy on us this year.
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While re-told hunting stories from this prior deer season make their rounds amongst friends and barstools, I’m already looking ahead to the coming season and preparing my sets now before the bugs get bad and the season draws too near. After a winter of horrible ice conditions, I put more miles on my boots scouring new and old lands I intend to hunt in the 2012 Whitetail season. In doing so, the few snows we had revealed bedding areas and transition routes that I intend to capitalize on as I take my extended limb saw off the garage wall and head in to a couple key stand sites to hang new sets and trim lanes. What a perfect time of year to do these tasks. The bugs are few to non-existent, the weather is neither too hot nor too cold and what’s best is the deer will have plenty of time to unwind and relax following my intrusion.
Bear in mind as you make your way into the woods for whatever reason the allures you, always keep an eye on the ground as it can startle you pretty good when your foot lands an inch from a nested woodcock and it explodes into the air in a furry before your face. Another observation to keep a close eye out for are the tiny footsteps of new born fawns. Whitetails will give birth to those little spotted critters in mid to late spring and can really be fun to watch as they dance around on their new legs.
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Ah yes, this truly is a wonderful season in the Midwest. Soon hunters will take to the fields for Spring Turkey hunting and what a pleasure that can be. In most cases I sit in the darkness of a blind with the windows opened only enough to allow a shooting hole and never more windows than necessary. It’s hard to put into words what an intoxicating feeling it is when the peach fuzz on your cheeks perk up as chills creep up your spine at the thunder of a Tom Turkeys gobble from 15 yards away. It’s a moment you don’t soon forget and if you’re anything like me, you feel almost selfish to have been there for that without your friends and family there to share it with. Sure I hunt with a friend or a family member at times, but I’m not talking about one or two people, I want my whole wedding attendance there. It’s always icing on the cake to have a deer come by, and even better when it’s a buck with 6 inches of velvety antler growth splayed out from his bases.
For many fellow outdoors men and women, Spring is also the time to get the boat out of storage and re-familiarize ourselves with our rigs, soft water and our rods and reels. I for one am one of those 365 days a year outdoorsman who may not have the time for every specie and every type of season, but I’m in the woods and on the water, soft or hard, every chance I get from summer to Fall and Winter to Spring. So no matter what your hobby or passion is, don’t let this spring pass you by without getting in touch with nature and exposing yourself to the wonderful riches of spring and the life it revitalizes outside.