Well, the temperatures of the last week have surely slowed down my excitement of upcoming hunting seasons! It’s hard to get excited when the temp is in the upper 90’s. According to the forecast through next week should bring us weather in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s; that’s more like it!

Reports continue that there are good numbers of dove in the area, so if you haven’t been out, there is still time to grab your gear and head out to your favorite spot!

Opening of archery deer season is less than two weeks away and hopefully you have at least started your preparation for the upcoming season. It’s still not too late, but you need to get yourself in gear. Acorns are starting to drop and the forecast of cooler temps ahead will start to trigger the transition from summer to fall patterns.

The bucks are still in bachelor groups but as we move in to fall that will quickly change. Unless you have planted early food plots to attract the deer or have feeders set up, it’s hard to pattern the deer as there is plenty of browse and grazing available. While many farmers have planted their winter wheat, it has yet to come up, so that attractant isn’t in the mix yet!

With my feeders the main visitors have been cows, hogs and the ever present raccoons along with a pair of smalls bucks with a total horn length on both that wouldn’t amount to 8 inches!

While you’re out in our great Oklahoma how often do you see armadillos? Although they play havoc in your yard, they are entertaining to watch.

Growing up I remember getting off my horse and catching them if found in open pasture away from the creek. In open areas it was possible to run them down, grab them by the tail and lift them up. You just wanted to stay away from their feet. While certainly not ferocious critters, those claws used for digging could be hard on your hands while they were trying to get away! We were certainly a lot younger back then; I would have a hard time catching a turtle these days.

I remember when we moved to Missouri in the 80’s, armadillos were just moving into the area. The reports on the news and callers to radio stations were hilarious. Reports of fast moving turtles crossing the roads, spotting of small dinosaur-like critters laying dead on the roadside. For a couple of years we enjoyed the chatter as the armadillo made its was into the Ozarks!

The armadillos are native to South America where 11 different species exist. One species, the nine banded armadillo has made its way through Mexico into Texas and northward into the south central states. It has continued its march due to lack of any natural predators.

This armor-like skin appears to be the main defense of the armadillo, although most escape predators by fleeing (often into thorny patches, from which their armor protects them) or digging to safety. The North American nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight up in the air when surprised, so consequently often collides with the undercarriage or fenders of passing vehicles.

Armadillos have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The nine-banded armadillo is noted for its movement through water which is accomplished by two different methods: it can walk underwater for short distances, holding its breath for as long as six minutes; also, to cross larger bodies of water, it is capable of increasing its buoyancy by swallowing air, inflating its stomach and intestines.

Armadillos have very poor eyesight, and use their keen sense of smell to hunt for food. They use their claws for digging and finding food, as well as for making their homes in burrows. They dig their burrows with their claws, making only a single tunnel the width of the animal’s body. They have five clawed toes on their hind feet, and three to five toes with heavy digging claws on their fore feet.

Armadillos are often used in the study of leprosy, since they, along with mangabey monkeys, rabbits, and mice  are among the few known species that can contract the disease systemically. They are particularly susceptible due to their unusually low body temperature, which is hospitable to the leprosy bacterium. The leprosy bacterium is difficult to culture and armadillos have a body temperature of 34 °C (93 °F), similar to human skin. Humans can acquire a leprosy infection from armadillos by handling them or consuming armadillo meat. That certainly takes them off of my planned menus!

That is probably a lot more than you wanted to know about armadillos but they are another critter of our Great State of Oklahoma!

“Time Marches On”, yep, we are nearing the end of May with the Memorial Day weekend just around the corner! If you haven’t been fishing yet, you better get it in gear. Hopefully, with the winds of recent weeks coming to an end, your time will be more pleasant on the water.

 Bass boats were the norm around Waurika Lake for years but the severe drought of a few years ago caused many to sell their boats. Thankfully there is an option available for a quality fishing experience with a much lower price point. I know we have talked about kayak fishing before, but the sport continues to grow with the abundance of quality fishing kayaks available today.

 You can spend as little as $300 for a fishing kayak, however, do your research first. Most of the kayaks at this level are plastic boats with a preformed upper and lower hull that is bonded together and their longevity is limited. It’s similar to purchasing a bicycle for $50 from a discount store; it will get you started but probably won’t be useful in a year.

 Any boat that you should seriously consider should be made from  roto-molded  polyethylene. They are very durable and relatively lightweight; they will last for years and give you many hours on the water. Quality fishing kayaks can be found from around $500 up to $5,000 depending on what you want to use it for.

  For myself, I like the somewhat minimalistic approach and prefer powering mine with a paddle and a little effort.

  For years while living in Missouri, we floated rivers in canoes and kayaks. Talk about a great way to spend the day, peacefully paddling and taking time to fish for smallmouth and goggle eye, and having lunch on a shaded gravel bar. In our part of Oklahoma we don’t have that opportunity but we are blessed to have Jap Beaver Lake and Lake Waurika easily available. 

  A peaceful morning on Jap Beaver is hard to beat and launching a kayak is very simple at the boat ramp! A calm day spent on a neck or bay of Lake Waurika can be very rewarding with many species available including bass, crappie, walleye, sand bass and hybrids!

  You can find a fishing kayak at any price to handle any situation.  A few years ago I decided to try a “Hobie 12ft Angler” and, while a fine boat and very well made, I found it was way too much boat for what I wanted to do. It was equipped with the Hobie Mirage Drive system which was pedal driven and I continually bent the flippers on the stumps in Jap Beaver Lake. Plus, fully loaded it weighed over 150lbs, not something you just loaded in your truck and carried to the water. I had to purchase a special trailer made for it and when finished probably had close to $3,500 tied up in it! Wow, that had gotten totally out of hand!

   Now, I am back to simple, both of my current kayaks weigh in the 50 to 70 pound range and are powered with a paddle and a little sweat. Both are well made of roto-molded polypropylene and cost between $500 and $1000! At that price range there are many quality fishing kayaks that come with features like rod holders, track systems for mounting accessories and even seating space to take a little buddy along for a ride. Easy to load in a truck or car top if you need and drive to your favorite spot.

 I see my neighbor, Seth Cathey, drive by often with his “Pescador 12” made by Perception on top of his Jeep. You can bet he catches plenty of fish! His is a sit-on-top style which happens to be my favorite type. You sit up higher than you would in a kayak that you sit in and have more room to move around. The “sit in” kayak does have more protection from the elements and you tend to stay drier which is a plus if fishing late fall or early spring.

 Regardless of which style or size you decide on, they are all fun and give you another way to get on the water. Next week we will take a more in-depth look into fishing kayaks and also the fun and benefits of the sport of paddling. Until then, get out and enjoy your Oklahoma.

 What a blessing a week of forecast sunshine is! A few weeks ago my daughter Toby and husband Jeff Ross made their annual trip up for the “Snake Hunt”. Although it was very cold and windy, the little ones, Colton, Ryder and Grady loved it!

    All the rides and watching the snake handlers were a high point but the real excitement was when Ryder purchased his first pet. With his birthday money, he bought a small Red-Eared turtle. The little critter still lives in Frisco, TX and his name is D.J. and I am told, he is a Cowboy fan! Well, what about turtles…….

  As long as I can remember folks have talked about “why did the chicken cross the road?” Why did the chicken cross the road? Well it was to get to the other side! A play on words meaning the other side of the road and because the chicken apparently has a death wish, to most definitely be struck by a car and get to the “other side!”

  We don’t see many chickens crossing these days but how about turtles? If you are like me and wonder why this time of year we see so many turtles of every variety crossing the road, we may be able to help.

 I’ll bet many of you did not know that World Turtle Day is May 23, so I wanted to remind everyone to be conscious of these very special animals that share the roads with us!  Where we live, we are surrounded by ponds, creeks and lakes. But there are highways and roads that also surround these waters. This often means that native turtles do not fare well when they need to cross the busy roads.

  April through October are the months that you will see many turtles actively crossing roads in Oklahoma.  They do this for many reasons; in the spring, males are looking for females and territory to call their own.  May and June is nesting season.  At this time, egg-bearing female aquatic turtles leave the water to find terrestrial nesting sites, and this often requires crossing a road.  During late summer and fall, hatchling turtles are digging up from nests, looking for water.  Then later in the year males and females are heading to safe places for winter hibernation. Other times they will migrate to find a more suitable spot to live.

  Although pre-dating dinosaurs by several million years, turtles everywhere are disappearing quickly today. The “hide in my shell and wait it out” strategy has enabled turtles to weather the geological changes leading to the extinction of countless other species. However it has proven of little use in surviving the peril posed by fast moving trucks and cars.

  The only way we can help them in this situation, if it is safe to do so with existing traffic, is to pull over and slowly approach the turtle and gently pick it up by the shell, midway on both sides, and carry it to the other side of the road and set it down facing in the direction it was going. You might want to know that normally a turtle, when picked up from the ground, will empty their bladder, so don’t drop it when this happens!

  The worst threat to snapping turtles is vehicle traffic. Each year many females get killed in their search for nesting sites. Often vehicles will not stop or will even deliberately hit turtles because snapping turtles are disliked by many people. Nests on road sides and in gravel pits are often destroyed by vehicles and road grading. Hatchlings on their way back to the water are frequently run over.

  However, if you are going to relocate a snapping turtle, I would be very cautious. They can be very aggressive and have a very long neck; they can bite nearly halfway back on their shell and are very quick. I would suggest you use a stick or something to prod them along or push them to the other side!

  Whatever the reason a turtle is traveling, their destination can take him or her miles away from where they live.  As humans continue to encroach upon their habitats, turtles will be crossing more roads.  Research has shown that aquatic turtle populations across the United States have uncommonly high proportions of males because so many female turtles are being killed on roadways.  Turtles have a long lifespan, take a long time to reach sexual maturity, and have low survivorship when newly hatched.  Because of this, turtle populations suffer greatly!  With turtle populations requiring high levels of adult survivorship, every individual is important to a population’s stability.  This concern is even greater in recent years because many U.S. turtle populations are becoming displaced and progressively smaller.

  We may never know for sure about the chicken! But hopefully this will help in your understanding of why we see so many turtles crossing the road! Get out and enjoy our great Oklahoma outdoors!