Rolling with the punches

Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. At least that is how the last week and a half has felt. We had all gone camping the weekend of the 10th, and had plans to take my Dad's camper the weekend of the 17th. Shortly before the first campout there was an "issue" that came up with Jen's schedule at work. The resolution to that issue, revised her schedule for the foreseeable future making spontaneous camping trips a near impossibility. Did we get mad? Maybe a little at first, but what can we really do about it? Should we stay mad and ruin the times we do have, or roll with it and make the best decision you can, with the information at hand.





You roll with it and move on. And what a great lesson this is for our boys, too. In life we take time to plan, and hope for the future, but the future is a moving target. Our plans keep us as close as possible to the target, but you just never know what may come around the corner and force your plans to change. 

Or do kids end up teaching this lesson to their parents?  Look at the fun those two crazy monkeys are having playing in the rain, in the photo above. We had talked about and prepped for this camping trips for weeks and weeks in advance. Jen and I saw the long range forecast and the chance of rain Friday night, our first night in camp. The boys weren't interested in the weather forecast, they wanted to go to camp.

Just as we finished unloading the Jeep at camp the rain started in, and what did the boys do? They didn't mope around feeling sorry for themselves because it's camping on their weekend at camp. They played in it!

They took turns running from the porch to the big Cherry tree in the yard. They stood under the downspout and felt the water hit their heads. They used a fly swatter to bat at the water while it fell from the downspout. Our boys rolled with the punches, and isn't that the best lesson they could ever teach us?

Let me know what lessons a child has taught you in the comments. I'd love to read about it.

Happy Exploring

Scott M

Turkey time is coming fast

As we get ready to turn the calendar from January to February, already my thoughts are leaping forward to April.  April 27th to be exact.  The PA Game Commission has the legal start time for that day listed as about 6:04am, so with any luck, and good weather, by about 5:15am I'll be hunkered under a thick Beech tree, with a stand of white pine along the ridge to my right that could be just thick with roosted turkeys.  This is Spring Gobbler season, and for me this is the season I enjoy more than any other. 

I love the Spring Gobbler season, for a bunch of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I've had my fair share of success.  I didn't grow up chasing turkeys, in fact my very first Spring Gobbler opener was May of 2002.  However, in the 10 years that have followed, I've called in and shot 3 birds.  In PA you were only allowed one bird per season, until just recently, so starting out as a complete newb in the 2002 season, I'll take my 30% success rate.  In that time I've seen my best friend take a fine Tom that had wandered in dead silent.  And probably had conversations with a dozen other birds while in season.

Just being in the woods during the spring green-up is reason enough to love this season, so this ranks as a strong 2nd in my list.  Traditional hunting seasons tend to occur as fall changes to winter.  So if you hunt several different species, you witness mother nature going to sleep for the winter.  Tender green plants dry up and die back.  Trees change color then drop their leaves.  In the Spring Gobbler woods, hunters bare witness to the exact opposite.  Sprouts push up through the leave litter, and the trees sprout this season's leaves.

The picture of my 2010 Gobbler shows the green-up in all its glory.   Not my biggest bird, but just ask anyone that has chased the spooky Pennsylvania Eastern Turkey subspecies, and they'll let you know each one is a trophy.

This particular fella had answered my calls early, probably with the first hours of legal light, but had taken his time.  My guess was he was a 1-2 year old bird, who may have gotten thumped by an older Tom.  As a result he was cautious in answering my calls, and he took his time picking his way to my spot.  Just as he wandered through the thick underbrush, into the opening I was watching a crow took issue with his presence.  Giving several loud caws, this crow swooped in, trying to run off my Tom.  He spooked, and ducked into the underbrush near the edge of the opening, but I knew what to do.  Knowing if he got spooked, he'd assume the hen he was looking for got spooked too, I let the woods settle then gave a cautious yelp.  Like a teenage boy, thrilled a girl called him back, the Tom rushed back into the opening, still looking for his dream girl.  Knowing he was bearded, and knowing that crow could be back in a second, I didn't hesitate.  The Mossberg 835, sent the Winchester Turkey Load about 50 yds and this fine Tom was getting fitted for my tag.

With a newborn in the house and a new job for my wife, the 2011 and 2012 seasons were a bit light on time spent in the woods.  Now that life has settled down, the 2013 season shows plenty of promise.  It doesn't hurt that I saw anywhere from 3 to 12 turkeys on each of the 3 days I spent hunting in the PA firearm deer season.

Happy Hunting!
Scott M

Thank you Mr Lincoln

Here's the story about harvesting the largest deer I've taken up to date.  The story's over 5 years old, and I've shopped it around a time or two.  It's never seen the light of day, so I figured what better forum than right here.  I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you Mr Lincoln

I don't normally consider myself a superstitious person, but when it comes to deer hunting, all bets are off.  I’ve got my favorite flannel, and a usual routine that I like to follow.  I pack up early and check my gear often.  Sometimes it seems like good karma is almost as important as the license, so I try to have a positive attitude, and be as prepared as possible.  Well, at least prepared enough to have a good day, without looking like a Polar expedition.

I feel that being prepared means having everything I’ll need from the beginning of my hunt to the end.  Including all of the items I’ll need, should I be successful.  Often if I get to the woods and realize I don’t have a pen, then mentally, my day is shot.  All hunters are great at coming up with excuses; mine tend to revolve around poor preparation.  As if not having a pen, or a piece of string is some kind of jinx that keeps the animals away.

The 2007 deer season was no exception to this.  Like most hunters I packed my field bag and vest a good two days prior to the season.  After checking and double-checking my gear, I finally placed all of it in the vehicle for safekeeping.  Later on while running some last minute errands I came across a head's up penny lying on the ground in front of a grocery store.  Being within 24 hours of the start of the deer season, I had to pick it up, and hope for any bit of good luck for tomorrow.  As I slipped the coin into my wallet, I laughed to myself, thinking that this was a little silly, but what's the harm.

I went about the rest of my day, not giving it too much thought of that penny and I set to completing some yard work while trying to clear my mind, so that I could relax and enjoy the season opener, tomorrow.  As a cleared the yard I came across another head's up penny, lying on the front step of my house.  This was just too much, so I laughed out loud as I placed my second "lucky" penny into my wallet.

I felt that my “lucky” penny experiences were just too foolish to tell any of my hunting partners.  Knowing them, if I did tell them about my pennies, I’d never hear the end of it.  There's always a good bit of ribbing out in the deer woods, and my pennies would be just too easy of a target.

As with most other hunter's, I barely slept the night before the season.  Finally giving up the struggle, I got out of bed around 4:15am.  I showered, dressed, and went downstairs to have some breakfast, and watch the weather forecast.  Saying that the weather here in Northwest PA was less than ideal would be an understatement.  We had fog and rain forecast for the entire day.  Undeterred we made the 35 minute drive to my cousin's property where we always spend opening day.  The property is small, but we’ve had good success on the opening day.

The day progressed just as usual, with some shooting on either side of the creek, but no deer through our spot.  By 9:15am my hunting partner Joe, left his tree to push through a brushy area that usually hides a deer or two.  I remained at my favorite tree hoping that Joe, and other hunters, would push the deer my way.  With the rain falling steadily I knew it would be hard to hear any deer approaching.  About 9:45am I glanced over my left shoulder in time to see a heavy antlered buck slipping past me at less than 20 yards.  The wet leaves had hidden his approach, and he has about to crest a small slope.  If he made it to the crest my shot would be unsafe.  Before reaching the crest the buck glanced away, and as he looked away I swung my gun and body into position to make the shot.

The Marlin 30-30 cracked and the deer bolted over the crest of the hill.  I worked the action and then made it up the slope to try and get a glimpse of where the he had run.  Just outside of my wood lot are two fields separated by a road.  All together the two fields span about 250 yards. Even with such a great distance the deer was out of sight by the time I reached the spot he had been standing.  Since I was pretty sure he was hit well, I began the search for blood, but the steady rain made finding blood, a lost cause.  Knowing the deer had to cross a road, I searched up and down the road for tracks, which might give me a clue to the deer's location.

Having no luck finding tracks or blood on my own, I got my hunting partner Joe on the radio, and told him I needed his help in locating a downed deer.  From his location it took him about 20 minutes through wet golden rod, to meet up with me.  Of course this was the longest 20 minutes of my life.  While I waited I searched with binoculars the field edges, hoping for a glimpse of a white belly or antlers.  When Joe arrived, I went over the shot and the deer's possible location.

The deer's most direct line would lead into the woods at the south end of the field.  I entered those woods at the nearest point, while Joe walked the field edge searching for sign.  After we covered the nearest portion and did not finding any sign, I began to lose heart that I had even wounded the deer.  I quietly hoped to myself that I missed clean, and we wouldn’t have a long messy recovery.  As I continued on the south end of the field, Joe crossed the field to begin checking the north side.  Shortly after reaching the field edge, Joe hollered to get my attention.  I began crossing the field and from Joe's body language, I could tell there was a deer down in the brush.  My spirit lifted as I made the quick walk across the field.

His antlers were larger than I remembered, with a standard eight-point rack and a two-inch kicker on the right G2, making him a nine pointer with a fourteen inch inside spread.  He field dressed out just north of 180 pounds.  He was a massive animal.  We made quick work of the field dressing, and let him hang for a short time, while we recounted the story.

I never fail to be amazed at how far and fast a wounded deer can run.  This deer had crossed almost 200 yards in the same time it took me to cover 20.  It just goes to show, in bad weather conditions, you have to take every necessary step to recover the deer you may have wounded.

We loaded him into the van, and made the short drive to our favorite meat market.  After I filled out the order form, I placed the receipt into my wallet.  Upon opening my wallet, I realized, I still had my two “lucky” pennies that I had found the day before.  I laughed out loud, as I thought to myself, "Sometimes superstitions really do payoff."

Happy Hunting

Scott M

The weather...

Recovering from one of the worst sinus/ear infections I've ever had, I'm sitting here watching the snow melt in my backyard.  Checking the calendar, and yep it's still January.  My infection induced coma didn't result in me sleeping through to spring.  Watching this mid winter heat wave destroy our snow pack I can't help but think of how dependent outdoorsmen are on the weather.

To hot:  nothing moves
To cold:  nothing moves
Precipitation falling:  nothing moves

Catch the weather just right...  Wow! You will see action like you won't believe. 

January on the Great Lakes is ice fishing season.  Streams are mostly clear, but at these water temps getting steelhead to take your bait is about as difficult as keeping my 2 year old from demolishing his toys.  Technically archery season remains open, but this far north only the hardiest of souls venture to their treestands.  Small game is in, and this is actually the best time of year if you're looking for a large bushytail for a trophy mount, but again mid January weather leaves a lot to be desired. 

So what's an outdoorsman to do?  Ice fishing season will be heating up, if you'll pardon the pun.  I personally had a hard time understanding the attraction that hard water fisherman have to the sport.  After all in order for the sport to be productive you need the weather to really turn to a proper cold spell.  However, a few years back my best friend and I scrounged up some equipment, dumped it into a bucket, and headed out onto the now frozen waters of Presque Isle Bay.  "Scrounged up"  In all honesty I bought my Schooley's Spring Bobber on my way to the bay.  That plus a couple 1/2 ounce jigheads in fuchsia and chartreuse, and a dozen minnows.  Our very first trip we didn't even have an auger.  The game plan was to find holes that others had abandoned early that day or last night, then chip them back open with an assortment of flathead screwdrivers we had brought.  What a sight we must have been!

Several hours later we actually had each hooked into 2 dozen sun fish, and a handful of perch.  The sun fish weren't big enough to bother with, so back down the hole they went, but the perch made for a couple of fine sandwiches.

Since that trip we have gone out a couple times, and each upgraded our gear several times as well. 

The bay never froze last year, and up until the last several day, it looked like it would freeze up this year.  In fact a few brave souls have already ventured out.  For my taste I prefer 5 inches of ice or better.  I'm not starving to death without that fish, so no reason to get crazy about rushing onto thin ice.

With some simple gear any outdoorsman can find hours of entertainment and sport during any time of year.  Even in the depth of winter

Happy Fishing
Scott M

An Angry Lake

Growing up on Lake Erie, you don't really need a boat to feel a connection to this amazing body of water.  I find it very hard to describe, but the lake is like a home base.  When I leave this area I find myself struggling to find my direction.  The lake, figuratively and literally, is north.  No matter where you are in Erie County if you can point to the lake, you know north, and therefore you can navigate.  Just like Polaris in the night sky, once found, navigation becomes easier, and a level of comfort is discovered. 

I think that's it really.  Comfort.  We all long for things in our lives that we can depend on, and no matter what else is happening in our lives, that lake, our Great Lake, will always be there.  Eternal.

Ironically, the lake can simultaneously be a destructive force.  Relentlessly thrashing against rocks.  Carving cliffs and bluffs.  Something as seemingly eternal as bedrock, is forged into shape by the endless persistence of water.

Lake Erie is the shallowest of the 5 Great Lakes, and thereby quite deadly.  Storms can blossom very quickly.  You see a shallow lake is a warm lake.  That heat energy, stored from the sun, gives birth to storms.  When cool air sweeps out of Canada it acts like a vacuum cleaner, sucking moisture directly from the lake.  Once that same air hits land the winds have to rise to escape the Great Lakes basin.  It can't do that with all the moisture it just absorbed.  In winter this action creates Lake Effect snow storms.  Storm machines would be more accurate.  Like a conveyor belt of cold air, sucking moisture out of the lake and depositing it back onto the land. 

The western Great Lakes experienced this weather phenomenon distinctly as winter storm Draco plowed out of the Midwest states.  Unfortunately that never really reached us here on the shores of Lake Erie.  The winds howled (as my 2 year old, and the bags under my eyes, will attest too) but the 2 inches of snow that did fall were stripped by whipping winds.  All we were left with was a dusting of snow, and an angry lake.  In the above pictures you can see just how awesome the waves can be stirred up, and this was several hours since the storm passed.  A testament to the awesome powers of Mother Nature.

And where were the animals?  Living through it, as they always do.  As humans we have adapted shelters and tools to survive in every single one of Earth's climates.  Yet we overreact the worst.  Another signal of how disconnected we are from the natural way of things?  Perhaps.  However that's far to pessimistic for me.  To capture these pictures I visited 4 Mile and 8 Mile creek in Harborcreek, PA.  Both creeks held fisherman, anxious to tangle with one of our winter Steelhead's.  Maybe some of us have become a bit soft to the rigors of nature, but there are those among us that understand the magic of the natural order.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Falling Snow

Have you ever just sat back and watched it snow?

Ever been lucky enough to be sitting in the woods when a snow storm blows in?

While driving in snow and ice can be scary for many of us, there is still a great deal of beauty in falling snow.

Several years ago I had picked up a Migratory Bird license so that I could hunt ducks and geese.  Well I didn't have idea 1 about doing that, but I ventured out none-the-less.  During a late season hunt I found myself tucked back into some pines.  I had given up on seeing a goose at least an hour ago, and I was content to sit back and enjoy watching the world turn.  Without noticing the once grey sky had darkened, and the view gentle snow flakes had turned into a full on Lake Effect event.  If you didn't grow up on the Great Lakes, you've never had the pleasure of witnessing a Lake Effect snow event.  When cold air sweeps out of Canada and hits unfrozen lake water the cold air sucks up moisture like a vacuum.  Once the air hits the colder land and begins to lift to get out of the Great Lakes basin, the air has to lose that moisture.  This interaction of land, air, and water leads to amazing snow falls.  12-18 inches in 24 hours, and locally even more than that. 

So here I was tucked back in the pines and the snow had created a sheet of white.  Visibility was down to under 50 feet.  The trail I had followed in was long gone, and my foot prints had vanished.  I could barely make out the shore of the pond I had been watching, and hoping for some kindly Canadian Geese to take up residence on, in order to save my season.

Having grown up on the shores of Lake Erie, I realized there was simply no reason to panic.  It was January and this was bound to happen.  However, I also realized that these events, don't end quickly.  So I tucked back in, checked my bag for a snack, and looked at my water bottle. 

There was no rush to leave, but there was no hope in this blowing over.  I buckled down my bag, and my gun.  I made sure my gear was tucked in and accounted for. I stepped out into the whiteout and made my way from landmark to landmark.  Quickly I became acutely aware that I was the only living creature moving at this time.  Every other animal had already dug in to weather the storm.  It took me the better part of an hour to make it back, but I made it to my truck.  I shook the snow off, and climbed in, to catch my breath. 

The beauty in that day had stuck with me for more than 10 years.  For a brief time I was in the woods for that storm, and reminded that I'm just another animal making my way in the wilderness.

Happy Exploring
Scott M 

The Winter Solstice

Talking to a friend yesterday I realized I was different than most because I enjoy this time of year.  Mid winter makes some people rather blue.  I on the other hand find it exciting.  This is my New Year! Not really mine, but truly every agrarian/Pre-Christian society around the planet. 

The solstice is the point when the Earth's axis reaches its ultimate lean and in December the North Pole is pointing as far away from the sun as it will for the year.  Leading to short days and long nights.  In fact the further north you travel you eventually reach a point where the landscape has days and days of night.  A pure hell to some, but I'd lie to say I'm not excited to adventure their some day.

The great part about reaching the solstice is just like reaching the peak, or the ultimate point in anything.  Its the finale; The big show; The point we were all waiting for.

Why the perverse obsession with reaching the depth of winter?

Because the daylight gets longer the very next day.

Immediately we're on the upswing, with days getting longer, and nights shorter.  Native peoples around the world would celebrate this time as New Year, because in reality the sun is re-born.  The new sun is staying out longer and longer.  This change brings life back to the earth.  Sacred earth, which yielded all the natives needed to survive.  Grains to grow, and make bread. Animals feeding on new growth, making them fat and delicious to the natives.

So much to celebrate it's no wonder that native cultures made the winter solstice their key celebration of the year.  In fact it's no wonder that all the modern religions have chosen mid winter for some of their largest celebrations.  Wikipedia, lists 27 different religious celebrations occurring in the month of December.  Many are Christian, but Jewish and Muslim faiths are represented as well.

A fascinating time of year, which should be filled with hope and joy for the new year to come.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Let it Snow

As Winter Storm "Draco" bears down on us (apparently we're naming winter storms too, if you hadn't heard) I find myself so excited.  It's mid winter after all, and on the shores of Lake Erie, we should have snow.  In fact we should have been getting snow for 3 weeks by now.  2011-12 was a fluke and a I refuse to believe otherwise. 

So here's a shot of what the woods should look like.

I love the woods in winter.  I see the woods so often in summer with leaves and bushes.  Once everything's on the ground the woods become a whole different world.  One late season muzzleloader hunt I found myself turned around, and found an amazing scrape.  This mud-hole had been worked over by several bucks during the season.  Of course wanting to hunt that area in the future I immediately starting looking for landmarks.  None were to be found.  So I worked a couple loops around the area, making sure to not lose this new honey hole.  On the third loop I ran into the main trail for this piece of woods.  Shocked at how close I was I continued to loop back to the scrape.  Sure enough this entire time I was within 50 yards of the main trail.  A trail I had walked 100's of times in my life.  How did I not realize how close I was to the trail? 

It's the winter woods.  The woods really are a different world. 

Happy Exploring
Scott M

The Season of Change

Tis the season I suppose.  Many friends I talk to have very strong feelings about where they are at and where they are going with their lives.  It's normal for this time of year, and being this far north I think it gets a little magnified.  Today we are three days away from the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.  Here on the shores of lake Erie we are lining up for a little less than 9 hours of daylight on December 21st. 

For modern people this doesn't seem like a big deal.  We've got electricity readily available.  We've got indoor jobs, and a constant flow of entertainment from a couple magic little boxes.  Many of us barely notice the change within ourselves, until we wake up grumpy.  Irritable the whole day, no matter how that day is filled. 

Lack of sunlight really does a number on all of us.  Our bodies most efficient way to supplement Vitamin D is through sunlight.  Even being outside on a cloudy day will help because some of the ultraviolet waves still push through the clouds. 

Our not-to-distant ancestors didn't feel the pinch as bad as we do.  In agrarian societies outdoor work still needs to happen whether there is 14 hours of sunlight or 9.  Even that little bit of light gives us amazing health benefits.  I do try to get out whenever possible.  Even on a rainy day I'll walk down to the corner store to pick up an afternoon snack.  Then if the sun is shining, well watch out.  Aiden (my youngest) and I spent a solid 4 hours outside just this past Sunday.  It was sunny and a pleasant 56 degrees.  If you're reading this any significant distance from northwest PA, yes 56 is delightfully pleasant in mid December. 

The fact that our bodies respond so well outdoors, is really a great indication of how connected to nature we really are.  We've had thousands of years of evolution to build this body to survive on this planet.  It's just been in the past 150 years that we've closed ourselves off.  Developed larger and larger cities.  Moved more and more of our lives indoors, under artificial lights, disconnected from where our bodies are built to survive. 

Is any of this going away? Of course not. The only alternative is actively add outdoor activities to your weekly routine.  Take a walk around the block.  Go hike your usual hunting spot and see what it looks like out of season.  Explore a new trout stream.  Get out and move.  Your body, and your mind will thank you.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Clouds and Sun

Epic Skies:  While it has become cliche to throw the word "epic" around, anyone who has gotten away from it all and has been able to see an unobstructed view of clouds stretching off to the horizon, would have to agree that "epic" fits.  This photo is probably my favorite picture out of my new camera.  There's enough sun to start to over expose the sky, and cause the ground to black out, but the sun doesn't dominate the shot.  I think the clouds take over here.  The sun back lights the clouds and highlights the tops.  Then shadows on the bottom of the clouds create the depth.  Finally, the sun creates enough of a focal point that by the time you focus your eyes on the clouds you realize they stretch for miles off into the horizon. 

Just minutes before taking the above shot I had captured this shot, about a half mile down the road.

Here I centered an old oak and used the clouds in the back to contrast the leaves on the tree.  This oak watches over a 19th century family cemetery.  A simple wire, and stake fence outline the boarder of the cemetery.  There are several weather worn tombstones that mark, maybe half the graves.  The other half of the tombstones are lost to time.  Since this tree is inside the cemetery it has survived the chainsaw, allowing it's canopy to stretch to such a massive size.

Happy Exploring

Scott M

I'm a sucker for a sunrise

Thumbing through my photos, particularly the quick ones I grab with my phone, I've come to realize I'm sort of a sucker for a sunrise.

This one just goes to show how distracted I get by a sunrise. I was taking this picture while standing over the doe I had just taken in 2009. It was the last day of the PA firearms season. We had been dumped on for the last 36 hours. As you can see even under the tree canopy there was a foot of snow. As a result, I decided to still hunt an east facing ridge. Sure enough 300 yards into the stalk I catch 2 doe feeding their way up the hill. I picked the bigger of the 2 and took my shot. As I got started field dressing her, I realized how beautiful the sunrise was and snapped off a picture.

This spot is my absolute favorite spot for spring gobbler. This view is at my favorite tree and shows why this spot has yielded more than a couple gobblers.  You see the roosting tree is over my shoulder. So if my calling is up to par, the birds will come in facing the sun. Giving me an extra layer of cover from their sharp eyes.

Finally a misty morning at my uncles cabin. This is mid July, but because the camp is near the top of the hill the fog is hanging thick in the trees. Just the perfect setting for a cup of coffee and a rock on the porch swing.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

2012 Summer Family Camp

I changed phones last night.  A surprisingly painless process because of how I had my previous phone organized.  There is, however, the inevitable searching through files and photos, just to be sure everything made it over.  It all made it, but while I was viewing the photos I came across several photos from last summer's family campouts. 

After spending a weekend in both May and June at my uncle's cabin in Warren Co, near Pittsfield, we made the bold decision to spend 5 nights at the cabin, plus a 6th night at a rental cabin on the Kinzua Reservoir.  Now I say bold decision because we have a 7 year old and a 2 year old.  The 7 year old is relatively self-sufficient, aside from not wanting to hike long distances and being to old to carry.  The 2 year old is, well, a 2 year old and all that entails.  We went for it anyway, and even though I remember some relatively stress-filled points, the good memories are amazing.

There it is.  The iconic symbol of camping. A fire.  Nothing sets my mind at ease like the tasks of collecting wood, and building a proper fire.  I've done it thousands of times, yet I never get tired of it.  We had a fire nearly every night, and for my time and effort, there is nothing more relaxing.

One of the great aspects of my uncles camp is that it serves as a tremendous home base to explore the Allegheny National Forest.  The edge of the forest is a solid 20-30 min drive, and most of the sights are deeper than that, but to sleep in a cabin, for free, I'll put in some windshield time and spend money on other parts of the trip.

Hearts Content Scenic Area Interpretive Trail, is not a long trail.  30 minutes at an easy pace, while answering the 7 year olds continuous questions and carrying the 2 year old on my back.  The joy of Hearts Content is the majestic old pines.  People throw that word around, but this place lives up to the true meaning of majestic.  Hearts Content is 200+ acres of virgin ground.  This land has never had trees harvested.  Enormous white pines reach to the sky, with bases so large that my wife, son, and I could barely hold hands around.  The woods are in a beautiful mature state, meaning that the trees reach enormous size, but also that trees have broken and fallen down, simply dying as a natural part of their life cycle.

The Kinzua Railroad bridge, at one time was the highest and longest railroad bridge in the world in it's hayday.  As you can see in the above photo several of the supporting structures were toppled by a tornado back in 2003.  The cost to reconstruct such a masterpiece would be astronomical, so the decision was made to allow the steel structure to remain in the valley as a display of Mother Nature's awesome power.  While my childhood memories of walking the bridge rails from end to end will never be revisited by my children, I have to admit I love the re-purposing.  The remaining structure has been reinforced and a observation deck has been added at the end with a section of glass floor. 

The first picture doesn't quite do justice to the scale of the remaining bridge section, but in the above picture look at the rails run off into the horizon next to Robert.  The bridge is breathtaking, and truly a must see.

Looking forward into 2013 we have decided to head back to the Allegheny National Forest for more camping with the family.  This time we plan on exploring the lower half and get down  into Elk Country.  PA has done a remarkable job growing the Elk herd, and in towns like Bennezette, there are several spots to explore and see these massive animals.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Into the woods.

There's just something about being in the woods.  At least for me.  I can't think of any other place or situation where time can be so still, and so vibrant, simultaneously.  Trees are such silent sentries.  Standing watch.  Witnessing reality. 

Whenever I get distracted by the daily drudgery of work, tasks, sleep,  I turn to images like the one above.  This is a sunrise taken during the recent deer season in PA.  It was taken with my cell phone, so please excuse the quality.  I haven't really created a habit of carrying my new camera each time I head out.

There's nothing special really happening in the photo.  No deer or turkey feeding through the shot.  No squirrel leaping from tree to tree.  Yet the photo captures a very real moment.  This is sunrise.  This is reality.  The work we do to earn a living is important, because it provides a living.  Yet it is fleeting.  Whether we build something, or sell something, or take care of someone, it is all temporary.  The woods, a sunrise, they are real.  They have born witness to a hundred centuries, and they will bear witness to a hundred more.  Despite our quixotic attempts to reign in mother nature, to sculpt her to our ideas, she will reclaim all.  There is literally nothing we can do, that mother nature will not undo.  Perhaps the damage seems so severe that to our minuscule perception, the damage lasts forever, but we can't conceptualize forever.  Mother nature can, and she will reclaim all.

Again, another cell phone shot.  This was the slope I sat on for the rifle opener.  What you can't see in this picture is the homestead that existed to the left of the frame.  Walking up to it, there is plainly a hole in the ground surrounded by sandstone blocks that at one time made up a basement.  The driveway up to the house exists, but primarily because a logging operation has used it recently.  Without the large blocks and the trail through the woods, you would never know that was a home. 

I love to picture the area when the house was there.  This was someone's home. Someone LOVED living there.  They built it for themselves and they made it a home.  They had memories of births, and deaths, and holidays.  To this day, their is probably a story passed down through multiple generations about Grandma's house on the hill, near French Creek.  And now mother nature has reclaimed the area. 

I never look at this with any morbid fascination.  More just a reminder of what is real in our lives and what is fleeting.  A way to stimulate my mind to remember and appreciate small things.

Directly behind my position on opeing day of deer season a red fox came in to investigate.

Very difficult to see, but there's a reddish orange figure about halfway up the right side of the picture.  Here's a cropped shot zoomed in to highlight the coloring.

Just a fellow hunter, sharing the woods with me for a brief moment in time.  That's the magic of the woods.  That's when I remember that the woods are alive and full of activity.  That our time is fleeting and it's vital to our existence that we witness the small things.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Holiday Gift Ideas

December 7th. 

Mathematically 18 days until Christmas.  Plenty of time. Right?  What's your calendar look like for the remainder of the month?  Work Christmas party.  Spouse's Work Christmas party.  Family coming into town early. Your leaving to be out of town for Christmas.  Now what do those 18 days look like? 

They probably look mighty thin, especially if there's an outdoorsman (or woman) on your list.  As outdoors-people go we rank among the hardest to shop for when Christmas roles around.  Why?  Not everyone is into the outdoors, so they don't have any idea of what we use or need out there in the field.  Even if they have an idea, outdoorsman are notorious for just buying what we need when we need it. 

So here's a trick:  Don't try to buy something he doesn't have.  Replace something he already uses.

Let's talk optics.

What most of us know about optics, binoculars specifically, could fit in the palm of our hand.  Hunters included in this discussion.  So let's go with a basic primer on optics and look at some options that won't break your Christmas budge and the outdoorsman in your life won't be scared to lose in the woods.

Unless you're heading out west for a Elk or Antelope hunt you really don't need a big over-powered set of binoculars.

All binoculars have two statistics that you should worry about:  Weight and Objective lens size.

Weight is easy.  Lighter is better.  If it's hanging around my neck, or weighing down my pocket, the lighter the binoculars are the more likely I am to carry them.  Save the full size binoculars for bird watching when you are heading afield with a book and a good pair of binoculars.  Look at the compact models for packing in with the rest of your hunting gear.  The typical hunter is probably carrying between 10-15lbs of gear including the layers of clothes, and whatever lands in their pockets and packs.

Objective lens size.  Okay this is honestly a tougher choice, but in my opinion, boils right down to usability.  When you see a binocular and it's called a "10x25" or "8x42" the second measurement is called the "objective lens."  The objective lens is not the lens near your eye, it's the lens that let's in light.  Therefore the bigger the objective lens the more light that enters the binoculars.  More light, more detail.  However that objective lens can contribute a lot to the overall weight of the binoculars. 

The reality for most hunters east of the Mississippi is we hunt small thick woodlots.  So in this case if you hunt in areas common to Northwest PA you simply don't need a bigger objective lens.  It's not going to help you to see through the thick brush, so unless you really like being able to pick out individual thorns on the brier bushes 50yds away, save the weight and go with a 10x25.

So before you head off to the local sporting goods store, write down these two things:
Compact binoculars, 10x25

I'll let you decide between black and camo!

For more gift ideas check out my gear article in this Sunday's Erie Times-News www.goerie.com on the NWPA Outdoors page.

Happy Hunting
Scott M

Sand and Wind

Since Mother Nature refuses to release winter on us here in Northwest PA I figured I'd break out a couple pictures of two of her more destructive partners: Sand and Wind.

This shot was just a couple of weeks ago near what locals would call "Kite Beach" on Presque Isle.  It's actually a turn off just before the official parking spot for Beach Ten.  The wind was pulling just perfectly across the beach and this picture captures these little wisps of sand across the surface.  Seemed like something from the desert southwest, where a dust devil would just spring up, and carve a path across the beach.  I also like this pic because it's a rare angle to capture the lake without the giant rock break walls.  Break walls are a necessity to be sure, however their military precision down the length of Presque Isle, just can't help but to break up the natural beauty.

Several weeks back Hurricane Sandy ravaged the east coast, and reminents of her wind and rain graced us for a couple hours.  My oldest, Robert, had school cancelled so we took a drive to see how the Mile Creeks were flowing.  The Mile Creeks are all the creeks east of the city.  Apparently the Polish and German immigrants that developed the area, felt fancy names were unnecessary, so we are left with 4 Mile Creek, 6 Mile Creek, 8 Mile Creek, 12 Mile Creek and 20 Mile Creek.  Named for their distance from the city.  Leave it to the practical northern Europeans!

This picture captures the scouring effect the rushing water had on the bank of the creek.  Of course the polished stones are always fascinating to dig through.  Within about 20 feet I uncovered a piece of white beach glass and a nice sized piece of green beach glass that morning.  Of course Robert quickly realized if you stomped your foot close enough to the edge, the bank would cave in and you'd be left standing on the new bank.  So it took about 15 minutes to knockdown about 30 feet of under cut bank.  Shortly after that the rock throwing started.  No one was fishing that day anyway, so letting Robert bask in the big splashes he could make was priceless.

He definitely thought that was just the best thing ever.

Happy Exploring,
Scott M

2nd Week of Deer Camp

It is the 2nd week of Deer Camp. 
Or at least the 2nd week of Pennsylvania's firearm deer season is here, and as the song goes: 

"It's the 2nd week of Deer Camp.  And all the guys are here." 

These days there's probably more fiction in that line than ever before.  As little as 10 years ago I can remember opening day being an event that everyone actually participated in, but this year was a bust.  At least in my little corner of Northwest PA.  While it may sound odd to be nostalgic for the days when you would hear 50+ gun shots before lunch, realize this:  all that activity is why people came out to hunt, and why deer are taken.  Without hunters out there pushing the deer around, the deer can hunker down and simply watch Pennsylvania's orange army stumble around the woods for a day. 

Don't misunderstand me.  I've never been one of the guys that despised the PGC's recent deer management practices.  I've been to the areas in Warren and Forest Counties where hay scented ferns are the last remaining undergrowth for as far as the eye can see.  I've witnessed the return of berry bushes and young oaks and cherries deep in the woods, and I think it's fantastic.  What I've also seen is the deer management practices decimate hunter numbers across the state. 

Where I hunt, along the banks of French Creek, I would estimate half to a third of the hunters that used to hunt that area 15 years ago are hunting that area today. Perhaps their life has taken them down a different road, and hunting no longer holds a place in their hearts.  Or perhaps the perception of over harvest of Does has led to a preponderance of yellow Posted signs.  I'd never advocate purposefully trespassing, but I have on occasion wandered behind those signs.  Even on the opener, and the first Saturday, I didn't bump into  hunters.  If you're not going to hunt the land, why close it to others that would like to hunt the land?

The demographics of the rural landowners has changed.  Perception of hunters has begun to lean to the more negative side.  And a feeling that deer have been over harvested, therefore I must post my land, to protect "my deer," pervades modern thought. 

How is a modern day hunter supposed to adapt to this?

With any luck the modern hunter will also eventually be a landowner.  Maybe not on your own.  Maybe we will hearken back to a more communal ownership models of camps and wooded land.  Where generations of a family, or a collection of friends, pool resources and own their own property for hunting. If this isn't in the cards for you I'd suggest the tried and true method of driving a country road and knocking on doors.  You don't know what you'll find until you ask.  Don't do it the week before the season.  Don't do it dressed in camo, with a gun on your shoulder.  Put in your time in June and July.  Make an introduction.  You may not have success behind each door, but you will build relationships and you will find places where you are welcome to hunt.

Happy Hunting
Scott M

Welcome!

Hello, and Welcome.
My name is Scott Messenger, and I'm a Outdoor Enthusiast, Freelance Writer, and Photographer (among many other things) living in Northwest Pennsylvania.  My family and I, hunt, fish, hike and camp as often as possible exploring the splendor of the great outdoors.  I also write and photograph our adventures, sometimes selling articles to our local newspaper The Erie Times-News (www.goerie.com).  My intention with this blog is to share information about the great outdoors, and to broaden my audience outside of Northwest PA.  I will be uploading photos and links to my articles.  High quality copies of my photos will be available for sale, please e-mail me for pricing.  As a freelance writer, my skills are also for hire.  I've written about hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and outdoor adventure travel, just to name a few of my most popular topics.  In my 9-5 life I'm a technical writer for GGS Information Services.  So my writing and editing skills are wide and varied.  Please don't hesitate to contact me for a quote on any writing you may need completed.
Thanks and Happy Hunting!
Scott M