Submitted by Vikki Rawe, KNOW Area Coordinator
I'm sitting at the pond in my jeans, hunting boots, wool sweater and camouflage cover-alls. The rain is on and off, sunshine in between. Not exactly what most ladies are doing today, but Kay is. Kay's my fishing buddy. I'm not much of a fisherman, but she sure is. Fishing to Kay is like what hunting, trapping and groping is to me. If I don't go out on an adventure, I'll smother, same with Kay. She needs to be out here just as much as I do. She needs to try out that new jig. If Kay can't fish she'll smother. What a pleasure to hear her line whipping through the air as she cast, the jig hitting the water with a smack. My pole's not even in the water, she can't keep hers out. Her mind races as she visualizes the crappie and bass beneath the water's surface. I only see the surface, the sun glistening on the winded ripples, the raindrops as they sprinkle the water. Kay sees an entire world under there, she's part of that world, she's one with it. Although I cannot see it, I can appreciate it and I know what she's feeling. It's awesome.
I was late meeting up with Kay for our fishing adventure. She understood, some people wouldn't but she does. My daughter Heidi and I were riding down the road when Heidi spotted four deer in a small field alongside the road. It was my neighbor's little patch of winter wheat. We pulled in and were surprised to see that we were not too much of a concern to them. I shut off the car and Heidi climbed up to the front seat with me to get a better look. She slowly rolled down the window having to stop often not to frighten "our" audience. We stopped to watch them but their curiosity was as obvious as ours. They wanted to stay and continue snacking on the sweet green wheat. They knew to be cautious, but they wanted to see what we were doing there too. As we watched we talked about their beauty and grace, their caution and curiosity, their alertness and behavioral patterns. We talked about how lucky we are to know to stop and watch, to study them. The more we know, the more we can appreciate. I knew that I was running late, Heidi did too, but there was nothing we could do about it. We had to be there, we had to take advantage of this gift. After ten or fifteen minutes we decided that we could leave. As she put the window back up we knew to watch for their alert sign, the sign that means possible danger. I started the car and there was the sign. Their white tails flew up like big white, fluffy flags. As they trotted off, tails in the air, I was glad that we were able to share that moment together. Why don't we have a patch of winter wheat planted at our house?
The sun is shining pretty bright now. Kay has circled the pond, maybe twice looking for a hot spot. I look around me, I see the wood duck box, the cedar trees, the woods. I wonder if the deer are bedded down on the hill behind those cedar trees. The wind's blowing in the right direction for them not to smell me, so they could be pretty close. There's a thicket behind me, I'll go back there later to try to jump a rabbit.
The days are growing longer, therefore the sun is shining longer. That tells me that the turkey patterns are changing. Turkey season is coming up in a few weeks, I got my calls out again yesterday. I have to wait patiently for turkey season, but that's okay, the preparation is so much fun. I don't mind waiting because the crappie will be biting in the river soon. I do enjoy river fishing and wade fishing--lots of action.
As I walk around the edge of the pond on my way out of today's adventure I see once again something that I noticed on my way in. Muskrat sign, lot's of muskrat sign. The damage that a muskrat can do to a pond is pretty unbelievable. Future damage to this particular body of water will be minimal because I know that it was trapped this past trapping season. Thirteen rats were harvested from this location, this should be a pretty happy landowner.
Thirteen rats; Kay already has three crappie and a good size bass, this pond like so many others is home to an abundance of wildlife. I wonder how many snapping turtles could be taken from here this summer? I think I need to stop and visit with the landowner to get permission to set turtle lines! Another adventure in the making!
Vikki Rawe
P.S. Since this adventure, pretty many crappie, a few white bass and even a gar have made their way to my house. River fishing with wade boots is so much fun! Turkey season opened this past Monday and I got a jake by 7:30 that morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was soooooooo cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
