An Outdoorsman’s view on the River
Tuesday was the second day of autumn. I arrived home
from work with a dozen chores which needed to be tackled. One look at the river
and that line of thinking was swept away by the river current. I shed my work
cloths and boots, trading them for shorts and sandals. I was in the boat and on
the river with no second thoughts or feelings of guilt. I could not believe how
perfect a day it was to just relax. A few perch came my way, not enough to
bother with. There was not another boat in view as I watched the sunset and
felt the rapid cooling after the suns departure. That is kind of how the rest
of my week went, carefree and casual.
Each day was warmer than expected for this time of
year. I watered flowers on Friday afternoon
(for the weekend) and encountered a surprise. A salamander was resting on the
yellow cap of a water outlet. It seemed to be relaxing in a cool dark place and
was not upset with me spying on it. It allowed me to get quiet close for a good
photograph. Various flights of migrants were heading south, pausing here to
fuel their boilers. Grackles and starlings gathered in the tops of oak trees.
They looked to be organizing matters for the journey ahead. Kingfishers have
increased as well and I have been seeing them all along the river. The
delightful song of summer birds will soon be a distant memory for us in the
North Country. The colors will be leaving eye level and captivating us in the
tree tops.
My bride’s flowers are still going strong. This week
the pink hibiscus is the center piece of the yard. My pap planted some long
legged yellow flowers that are naturally prolific. I dig them out and the next
year more return. Bumble bees of various sizes are gathering the pollen from
them, in a rush to beat the first frost. We ducked the first frost along the
river, which was a relief to me. I had a late planting both green and yellow
beans in blossom. They were protected by the river and I have been picking
beans every other day this week. Those babies are going right from the bush
into freezer bags. I have decided to leave the beans intact, opting to keep the
ends on them. I am hoping that it will help to keep them ‘summer’ fresh and
full of flavor.
Some fish came my way this weekend. I purchased some
crawfish to try a favorite spot for smallmouth bass. I only used one crab on
Saturday morning and it lured in a dandy 19” small mouth. She was a strong fish
and dug deep into the river current. It took some patience and time to revive
her. She swam back into the depths of the river in good shape. Later I jigged
up 12 perch all over 9” in size. I caught them on a 3” rubber minnow which they
could not let go by. It worked again today as I brought home another 24. That
was my goal when I started out. I did very well until I caught the 23rd.
Then it was one small perch after another, nothing was over 8”. I began to
think that by the time I was done my son would be married and the ice would be
on the river. Finally one more came to fill my goal.
Over the last few seasons the perch seem to pickup as
the leaves on the trees begin to change colors. I don’t know if the water
temperature is what makes them active or if the minnows are on the move. Either
way it is always amazing to be a part of it. I noticed a sugar maple this week,
reluctantly giving way to autumn. It had predominantly green leaves and then
yellow and finally gold leaves. The colors were bright and crisp, not unlike
the days ahead. As the leaves on the trees change so do my priorities. The
first of October will be the beginning to my days afield. I will have company,
old pals who enjoy the fall as much as me and for just as long. We will log
some miles, poke around admiring the view and perhaps bring home some fine
table fare.
After a day of rigorous activity will come a hot meal
and long conversation. My pup Zoey will be curled up on a lap or in a chair,
with her own memories of the day. The bird season is first on the autumn
agenda. Pheasant, turkey, woodcock, grouse and then waterfowl will be open by
weeks end. It all goes by too quickly. With so much to do it can be hard to
decide what to look for on a given day. Many times I will start out with the
dog and encounter all of the species. She will not swim, so ducks are out when
she is with me. She is good at finding and flushing grouse, the problem there
lies with me. If I hit one of those maze flying rockets a year… it is a good
year. Woodcock I do much better on, the dog will find a downed bird but will
not pick it up. Even when she sits right over the top of one it can still be
hard to see.
Just a few weeks after the bird season is underway,
deer season comes into play. They coincide here in the north and I have to
choose the best times to chase birds. I will wait until mid-morning or early
afternoon when the deer hunters are out of the woods and my shot pattern will
not cause a problem. Then there is the matter of me getting some venison for
myself. I plan on filling the two deer management permits I have and perhaps
the buck tag as well. I may even get my muzzle loader out for the early season,
to secure one for the freezer. With the prices on meat, especially beef, I will
utilize the renewable venison resource to the best of my ability.
Winter will arrive and I will have my summer
beans, various fowls and venison to dine upon. Yummy stews from the crock-pot, rare red steaks on the grill and home
made sausage for breakfast. Some roasts will be in the mix and a few of those
will become corned venison. Just the thought of all that fine eating is reason
enough to get out of bed before daylight! I always dream big just before the
season, how much of comes true is yet to be known. I’ll climb my hills, paddle
my streams and cross over into winter… a happy man.
Mike LaDue
