Spring Gobbler: To Blind, or not to Blind...

I cut my teeth hunting Spring Gobblers at eye level.  A low seat, a vest with some back padding, and maybe a deke or two out there.  However, after a rained out muzzleloader season, I invested in a ground blind. Nothing fancy, just a simple pop up, but now that I have it, the blind just begs the question: Do I hunt spring gobblers from a blind now?

There are obvious advantages to having a blind.  If it's raining it will keep you dry and more comfortable.  I'm a huge advocate of comfort.  The more comfortable you are, the longer you stay in the field.  The longer you stay in the field, the greater your chance of success. The blind will conceal movement. This is great when drawing a bow, or a gun on a feeding deer, but absolutely critical when hunting turkeys.  There's nothing more paranoid then a turkey, especially one that has been hunted. As my boys get older the blind will also come in handy because anyone with kids knows well how poorly they sit still.  The blind will give us an extra layer of protection from all those little fidgets. 

There are some big disadvantage as well though. The blind is one more piece of equipment to carry in the field.  The blind above folds down into a round pack with a diameter right around 2 feet. At about 8 inches thick, and 12 pounds, it's not awkward to carry, but it is one more thing to carry. All my hunting ground is rolling, so no matter where I choose to go, I'm hefting that thing up hill at some point.  Also once I'm set up I'm more committed to that location, then I would be if I was just carrying my low seat.  I've either got to fold up the tent, and pack it to the next location, or leave it and remember to go back and retrieve it, before I leave the woods.  You'll also notice in the picture above, all blinds need to be "brushed in" so to speak. The blind by itself looks like a building.  Completely out of place in the woods.  If you stack brush around it that will help to blend the hard edges into the background.

Probably the biggest disadvantage is just the fact that I've had success without using the blind.  Whenever you have success, you really want to replicate that success.  Changing something major about your setup, puts you at risk of starting over, so to speak, and learning how to be successful with that new tool.

It's a toss up to be sure. 6 weeks from now, with the Spring Gobbler season starts in PA, will I find myself in a blind?  Probably not for the opener, I'm too superstitious for that.  However, since I own a blind now, I'm sure I'll test it out later in the season.  Experimenting later in the season has worked out well for me in the past, so maybe by the 3rd Saturday, I'll pack that blind into the woods and give it a test run.

Happy Hunting
Scott M

Local wilderness vacations: Shades Beach

For my 3rd installment, featuring wild places to explore locally I'd like to offer Shades Beach in Harborcreek Township.  While it doesn't offer the ranging trails and acres of trees that places like Asbury Woods has to offer, Shades beach is a wonderful place to play and explore.

The above map was taken directly from the Harborcreek Township website dedicated to Shades beach, and it outlines your options quite well.

If you've never been there, and would like to check it out, a warm Sunday is a tremendous option.  Especially if you've got a little guy with an abundance of energy, like in the first picture above. Just south of the main parking lot is a large picnic pavilion that is available to rent.  Immediately next to the pavilion are two nearly brand new playground sets.  Great options for a small picnic with kids, or even your next family reunion.

For the adventurous sorts there are a couple acres of woods that can be explored.  While the map does not outline any formal trails, I'm sure you will stumble upon several well used routes through the woods. These woods are bordered by a wonderful example of the natural cliffs, which surround the Great Lakes.  Unlike Presque Isle and its very typical sand and beach structures, most of the shoreline of the Great Lakes are actually rather steep cliffs.  These cliffs graphically display the geology of our region, with layers of shale topped by clay and topsoil.  Then just a narrow strip of beach separates the cliff and the water.

Even with the narrow strip of beach there is still room for the sun lovers among us if you're looking for a more out of the way area to work on your tan.  For the boaters, the ample parking lot and long boat ramp are a great access point to explore Lake Erie, east of the city.

Finally, one of the best reasons to visit Shades beach is the sunsets.  As a result of the angle of Lake Erie's shoreline it has been said that our summer sunsets rival some of the best sunsets in the world.  I'm not hardly a world traveller, but I was reminded by a friend last week of how beautiful the sunsets are at Shades beach when she posted a photo to Twitter.

It might be a small out of the way little park, but Shades beach truly has a lot to offer for all of us in northwest PA.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Signs of Spring

Despite the best the winter has thrown at us here in northwest PA, spring is blooming or at least my Crocuses think so.  This is the second year in a row where I've come home one day to these eager purple flowers plowing their way up through the snow.

I've written about the way nature reclaims what is hers (The beautiful thing about Nature) and with the spring thaw we can see how the cycle perpetuates itself.  Plants that have died back, and left almost no trace of themselves by September, reemerge and start their lifecycle all over again. 

And that's what draws me to the outdoors.  All of these temporary markers of our modern human life will go away.  Nature has been, and will be, endless.

The animals are at it too.  White-tailed deer breed in the late fall, so that they drop fawns in the spring when food sources are emerging, giving the fawn the best possible chance of success.  Birds, like wild turkeys breed and hatch in the spring, giving their poults access to a fresh supply of emerging grubs and tender greens.  Every species of animal have evolved so that the young have the maximum chance of surviving through the next winter season.

If you think about it humans are the really the same way too, just on a much longer scale.  We tend to reach our peak of breeding, and child rearing in our 20's and 30's when we are young enough to have the energy to complete the task.  Then correspondingly our offspring will reach their breeding peak while we are in our 40's to 50's.  For ancient humans, who had much shorter lifespans, this meant the older generation was dying off while the new generation replenished the tribe.  For modern humans, with double the life expectancy, we reach our earning potential and maximize various savings vehicles so that we don't have to work forever.

We're all animals, and we all adapt our behaviours to the cycle of nature.

In the next several weeks and months we will be able to shake off the cabin fever, get outside and explore the natural world.  Spring really is one of the best times to get outdoors.  You're motivated by the long weeks indoors, plus there is so much life re-emerging, there's always something to see.

It doesn't really matter what path you choose, just choose one, lace up your boots, and rediscover your place in nature.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Local Wilderness Vacations: Presque Isle

As the second installment of my occasional series highlighting local attractions with a wilderness theme, today I want to talk about Presque Isle.  To call it a gem in PA's state park system is quite a statement, but having visited many state parks in person, I'm not ashamed to make this claim.  Not to disparage any of the other state parks.  I've had many enjoyable trips in our lovely corner of the state. 

Presque Isle is a collection of some of the most unique and diverse habitats in the state. Being that the park is managed for tourism, the hiking and biking trails are exceptionally well maintained.  If you're not a beach person, and I'm not a beach person, I'd urge you to explore the hiking trails.  PresqueIsle.org has a wealth of information about the entire park, but their trails map is the best I've come across.  Many of these trails are easily accessible, and are an enjoyable way to spend several hours.  Better yet, the trails serve as a jumping off point for "off-road" exploration. After all the park is surrounded by water, and several roads, you're not going to get lost for long if you venture off the trails.

For the history buffs at the far end of Presque Isle is Perry's Monument erected to commemorate Oliver Hazard Perry's victory over the British during the war of 1812.  While the battle took place in the western end of Lake Erie, Perry's fleet was built right here in Erie.  The fleet even spend a winter harbored in Misery Bay, so named because of the miserable conditions the crew faced that winter.  Nearby to Misery Bay is Cemetery pond, again an area named for the horrible conditions and the sailors that were laid to rest in that pond.

Even on inclement days the park is fascinating to explore.  In the above picture the winds were incredibly strong, and blew parallel to the shoreline creating these amazing little sand devils swirling across the beach.

So much to explore, but for many of us who grew up nearby, we often take it for granted of what an awesome expanse of nature we have at our doorstep. 

Happy Exploring

Scott M

Spring Gobbler: Preseason

In just over 2 months the Spring Gobbler season will open here in PA.  The 2012 season was spotty for many of us due to the extraordinarily mild winter, and the incredibly early green-up.

So how can you make your 2013 campaign better?  Start today with a few easy little activities that will get you ready, and will get you pumped up to chase them Toms!

It's two months out so you can be pretty aggressive with your scouting, so don't be afraid to go knock on their bedroom doors.  Even if you bust a turkey or two they've got a long time to forget and forgive.  This is particularly useful if you can get out after one of our late winter snowfalls, and find some tracks.  Tracks are easy to see in the snow, and are a tremendous indicator of the size of the flock.  Using their own trails you can uncover a pattern of use, which you may have missed before.  Depending on how harsh the winter has been, you'll probably still find mixed flocks.  The young of 2012 haven't been run off yet, and the Toms intermix with the Hens, in order to make foraging easier for everyone.  As the weeks progress, the flocks will break up into males and females, and both will set their pecking order for the upcoming mating season.  Large boss Toms will assert their authority and position by challenging and sparring with other Toms.  The winner of these skirmishes will get priority on breeding rights.

Next, dust off those calls.  Whether you choose mouth calls, box calls, pot n peg calls, or any of the wide variety of turkey calls on the market, they all need to be reconditioned for the season.  Then practice practice practice.  Look up one of the many recordings of live turkey calls, available online, then use them to perfect your calling techniques.  Do some calling outside so that you learn what volume you need to break through the woods.  One note of caution here: I'm a firm believer that turkeys can and do learn the sound of calls.  Your call is like a hen's voice.  Just like in the wild each call, and each caller, will sound unique.  So if my goal in the season is to pretend to be a hen ready to mate, I want to be cautious of how often I use that call in the woods during the preseason.  How many times will that Tom try to find that certain hen he hears, before he gives up?

Finally, turkey hunters are notorious gear hounds.  Manufacturers make vests with dozens of pockets to carry a myriad of gear into the woods.  In the next several weeks the large catalogs will begin to feature their turkey gear.  Make sure you check it out, and replenish your vest as necessary.

Happy Hunting,
Scott M

Little memories

It's the little things in life that matter the most.

Cliche? Yes. Truth? You decide. Think back to your most favorite memories. Your go-to stories. The thoughts that cross your mind when you encounter a specific smell, or return to a specific location. I'd bet the vast majority of those memories revolve around something simple, or unplanned.

Sure, I have lots of memories of a wonderful roadtrip my wife and I took through Ohio and western PA back in 2011 on our honeymoon. Yet, it's the smallest things that we talk about the most. In Columbus, OH there's a restaurant called Thurman Cafe. It's down in German Village, and it has been made famous by an enormous burger they call the "Thurminator."  We had an amazing time one dinner there, but right next store is a diner that probably didn't have 11 booths, called The German Village Coffee Shop.  Had we not gone to Thurman Cafe, we never would have seen it, but the next morning at that diner we had the best damn breakfast we had that whole week.  To this day Jennifer raves about the pancakes, and she's a connoisseur.

We go to my uncle's cabin 2-3 times a year.  We've hiked for miles on the trails. We've driven to amazing nearby places. Yet one of the first things Robert, Jen, and I always look forward to is filling the hummingbird feeder and watching those amazing little birds show up as if on que We've spent an embarrassing number of hours sitting on the porch swing, trying to be still enough for them to come back and really feed for a while.

I find campfires incredibly enjoyable. The meditative relaxation of gathering wood, constructing the fire, then the stretches of quiet and conversation in between the slow and steady maintenance of the fire.  The picture above was a fire I built at my uncle's cabin after a day we had spent playing and riding 4 wheelers with Jen's parents.  After the kids roasted marshmallows, cleaned up, and were tucked into bed, Jen, her mom and dad, and myself posted up around this quiet little blaze, and talked for hours.

I've mentioned before that my camping experiences growing up were more about cabins owned by relatives, and less about public campgrounds. So my first experience taking the boys to a public campground, I was less then happy to find this campground was really more of an RV park, than a cozy wooded campground. So imagine my further disappointment the first morning when I realize I haven't packed a spatula for the grill. Never fear, I've got beer and a metal fork.  The picture above shows my yankee ingenuity, which is a story we've told and retold several times since this originally happened three years ago.

The next time you make big amazing plans, make sure you leave a little space in there for little memories. I'd bet those will become your favorites.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Planning your summer wilderness adventures, with some local stops

With the sky-rocketing price of gasoline, more and more people are looking to decrease there fuel bill every month.  At the same time we are all planning our summer get-a-ways.  By staying closer to home we can lower our fuel bill, and take advantage of the local wilderness opportunities that are less than 30 minutes from our front door.  Not only will these local adventures help your personal economy, they will also help to decrease your carbon footprint.

Increased environmental awareness has been all over the news recently, with more and more companies going "green."  Not only has this effected the business world, but it has also begun to reach into our vacation time as well.  Ecotourism is a growing movement, where people are utilizing their personal time to have a positive impact on the environment. 

According to The International Ecotourism Society, an ecotourist aims for responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.  While that may sound like a lofty goal, it can be as simple as driving less during your vacation.  Two local hiking trips, are less than 20 minutes away from anywhere in the city, and are great day trips to experience local wild places.

The first, and shortest of the two would a day trip hiking the Wintergreen Gorge.  The portion of Four Mile Creek upstream from Cooper Rd in Harborcreek is commonly known as the Wintergreen Gorge, and it offers some of the most beautiful scenery, and easy hiking trails, that the Erie area has to offer.  The picture above was taken after Super Storm Sandy deluged the area with rain.  The trail itself dries out quickly, but the creek is amazing to watch for hours, sometimes days after the rain.

To get there take east 38th St past the Bayfront Connector, and Bird Dr.  This is where east 38th St becomes Cooper Rd.  Continue on Cooper Rd and just past the intersection with Shannon Rd there is a bridge over Four Mile Creek .  On the eastside of the bridge is a convenient parking area

For a nice starter hike I would suggest starting from the parking area and follow the primary trail up through the woods.  This main trail follows along the base of the hill for about a quarter of a mile and stays between twenty and fifty yards from the creek itself.  In this portion of the trail there are several areas to cut over to the creek and enjoy the natural beauty of the running water. 

After about a quarter of a mile the trail does divide, with the main branch continuing up hill for another quarter of a mile, heading away from the creek and arriving at one of the back parking lots of Behrend College.  The trail does continue on from the parking lot, and at this point is about the size of a good mountain biking trail.  Approximately 200 yards up the trail from the college's parking lot is an overlook that has been well used over the years, but remains unimproved.  The overlook offers a wooded view up the rest of the Wintergreen Gorge, that is stunning any time of year.  However, when the leaves change in the fall the view is breathtaking.

If I am in the mood for a more rustic hike, I follow the main trail for about a quarter of a mile, until it divides and I will take the trail to the right.  This trail is smaller, and continues to follow the stream as it winds its way up through the Wintergreen Gorge.

As the crow flies, the gorge would be about one and a quarter miles, but since the creek winds back and forth, I would estimate the total hike of the stream bed to be about one and a half miles.   

The second, and most diverse, would be the series of trails that make up Asbury Woods Nature Center.  This 200 acre tract contains wetlands, trails, forests, streams, fields and historic properties.

There is a small network of trails around the Asbury Woods Nature Center on the east side of Asbury Rd just south of W 38th St.  These trails highlight the local ecology, and offer great learning opportunities for school age kids. 

On the west side of Asbury Rd, just across from the main entrance to the Nature Center, begins a large network of trails.  The primary trail system covers well over two and a half miles winding through diverse habitat, crossing Walnut Creek, and eventually working all the way around to Brown's Farm on Sterrettania Rd.  There are several unimproved trails that give access to remote fishing holes and beautiful cliffs along Walnut Creek.

Exploring the entire complex of trails can be done during the course of a day, by utilizing a map that is printable from asburywoods.org.  Of course all of the main trails are well marked, some even contain boardwalk areas in order to view wetland habitat.

As part of being an ecotourist, I want to leave the land better than I found it, so I always carry an extra plastic bag in my daypack.  This way should I encounter any trash along the trail, I can easily collect the trash, and dispose of it properly after my hike.   By committing to driving less while on vacation, and taking advantage of local wilderness adventures, we can all have a positive impact on our environment.

Over the next several months I plan to highlight even more local areas like these.

Happy Exploring!

Scott M