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Woods and Waters

Discover the great outdoors of southern Oklahoma and north Texas. Each week, Mike Gaines talks about hunting, fishing, and wildlife in general.

Archery Season

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Houston Scott

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!

Woods and Waters September 27 2018

Did everyone get enough rain? Over 6 inches in our area; we should be good for a while but I’m sure in a couple of weeks the coffee shop talk will be “Boy it’s getting dry!”

There  are still some doves in our area, if you can get to them. I know Houston and Slade Cathey are getting their share! Deer season is just around the corner and now is certainly the time to get ready.

The majority of hunters start with deer hunting. Some never strive for big game hunting and remain avid deer hunters their whole lives. If you’re interested in taking up deer hunting as a sport or passion, there are some essential steps to getting started. We will get you started with the basics.

 Get your license, sounds silly but folks sometimes forget. Don’t let red tape ruin your hunt. Get your hunting license well in advance of opening day. If you’re traveling, allow plenty of time to apply for an out-of-state license—every state handles hunting licenses differently. Don’t get stuck waiting by your mailbox on the first day of deer season.

Hunting regulations can vary from season to season, and certainly from state to state. Double-check season dates and bag limits.

Seth Cathey’s deer from 2017

If you use private land, don’t take it for granted. Try to maintain a relationship with the landowner. Stop by for friendly visits well before the season starts. Offer to do chores, share your meat—whatever it takes to keep your spot. Be straightforward with the owner about your intentions for the season—no one likes surprises. If you’ve got a lease on the land, make sure it’s up to date and good to go.

If you are hunting public land make sure to do your homework. Chances are topographic maps and aerial photos of your hunting area are available online. Use these resources to look for natural funnels, possible deer beds and escape routes. Don’t forget to prepare for the biggest public hunting challenge—other hunters. Scope out the edges of your hunting area to see where other hunters will likely enter the field; this will help you predict where deer will move when pressured.

If you have that special spot on private land then you need to make sure you are doing everything you can to attract and hold deer in your area.

Nearly 75 percent of the average deer’s diet consists of natural vegetation. Planting and maintaining a food plot on your hunting land can lead to success during deer season. Placement is key. Set up an area—about a ½ acre to 2 acres at most—within 100 to 200 yards of a deer bed. Plant a mix of vegetation that can survive in all seasons—especially sugar-rich foods that deer flock to in the fall and winter. Make sure the area offers a prime spot to set up your tree stand.

Hopefully your trail cam pictures look like this!

   Set up trail cameras on strong, healthy trees about 10 to 15 feet from the deer path. Place the cameras near food plots, feeders or anywhere where deer are likely to pass by. Conceal cameras enough to keep them from spooking game. Ideally, you’ll have one camera for every 50 to 100 acres of land. Try to create and monitor a list of potential deer you would to harvest during the season.

If you’re hunting with a firearm, zero-in your gun from a distance that makes sense for the type of hunting you do—100 yards is a common choice. Try to zero-in in weather that is similar to your hunting conditions, as changes in temperature can affect accuracy.  Remember to check for loose screws, especially on scope mounts and rings.

Another tip is make sure you have plenty of ammo to last the season, make sure you use the same type as when you sighted in your rifle.

If you bowhunt make sure to give your bow a thorough check-up. Strings and cables stretch over time, causing cams and nocking points to move. If you don’t want broken strings and cables to ruin your hunt, replace them every few seasons. Sight-in your bow with field points, and take a couple of extra practice shots with broad-heads to make sure you’re still on target.

Use the knowledge gained from scouting and set up your tree stand accordingly, as high as possible and downwind to conceal your scent. Clear any limbs that may obstruct your shot.

Deer hunting doesn’t have to be a chore.

This may sound very simple but some folks forget! 

There’s nothing worse than taking down a buck, only to have your short-lived elation obliterated as you try to field dress the carcass with a dull knife.

I hope these tips help, and for most of you this information may seem redundant but it never hurts to go over the basics! It also gives you more reasons to get out and enjoy your Oklahoma.

Woods and Waters July 5 2018

Hope you had a great “4th of July” holiday and had a chance to celebrate the founding of our great nation! In doing so I also hope you had a chance to get on the water and enjoy a little fishing.

   While out casting on your favorite body of water catching bass, crappie, catfish or whatever your quarry is, hopefully you didn’t encounter any snakeheads! What is a snakehead you ask? Well, I’m going to tell you more than you probably wanted to know about them.

   Snakeheads (Family Channidae) are native to Africa and southern Asia. About 28 species have been identified. Equipped with a lung-like organ, these fish can gulp air and survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen levels. They can also live out of water for several days if they are kept moist. All snakeheads are aggressive predators and may eliminate other fish in waters they invade. They have even been known to bite humans who got too close to a guarded nest. The northern snakehead (Channa argus) is fairly cold tolerant, and could probably survive winters in many parts of the United States. This species also has the ability to cross land by wriggling or “walking” on its pectoral fins. Snakeheads have been imported to North America for the aquarium trade, and at one time were sold live in Asian-style fish markets. It’s thought that in some instances some of these live fish were released in waterways to reproduce as they are a sought after food source in Asia.

Native Bowfin

   That was prior to the Snakehead being added to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act in October 2002, which banned import and interstate transport without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Snakeheads were sold in pet stores and in live food fish markets and some restaurants in several major U.S. cities, including Boston, New York, and St. Louis. Live specimens have been confiscated by authorities in Alabama, California, Florida, Texas, Virginia, and Washington where possession of live snakeheads is illegal. Some snakeheads living in natural waters of the U.S. may have been released by aquarium hobbyists or those hoping to establish a local food resource. Also, some cultures practice “prayer animal release”, a faith-based activity in which individuals purchase, then release, an animal (fish, amphibian, reptile, or bird) to earn merits with a deity.

You Don’t Want To Lip A Snakehead!

   Snakeheads are a freshwater fish with little, if any, tolerance for saltwater. Within their native and introduced ranges, they live in small and large streams, canals, rivers, ponds, reservoirs, and lakes. Many species can tolerate a wide range of pH, and one species living in Malaysia and parts of Indonesia prefers highly acid waters (pH 2.8-3.8). The northern snakehead and several other species prefer to live in somewhat dense aquatic vegetation where they feed and reproduce. Northern snakehead may tolerate a wide range of water temperatures and environmental conditions which contributes to their success as an invasive species.

   During all stages of their life, snakeheads compete with native species for food and habitat. A major concern is that snakeheads may out-compete and eventually displace important native or other established predatory fish that share the same habitat.  As adults, snakeheads can be voracious predators. Should snakeheads become established in North American ecosystems, their predatory behavior could also drastically disrupt food chain and ecological conditions, thus forever changing native aquatic systems by modifying the array of native species. This could be disastrous!

Northern Snakehead!

   In the summer of 2002 and again in late spring 2004, Channa argus, the northern snakehead, generated national media attention when anglers caught these fish in a pond in Maryland and, more recently, in the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia. Fisheries scientists consider snakeheads to be invasive species because they have the potential to threaten native fish, the recreational fishing industry, and aquatic ecosystems.

   A mature northern snakehead female can carry as many as 50,000 eggs, although some will not develop and others will be eaten by insects and small fish following fertilization. Depending on water temperature, eggs can hatch in about 24-48 hours. The fish also can spawn several times a year.

   Snakeheads are easy to identify with their large mouth-full of sharp teeth, a mottled appearance much like a snake and a dorsal fin that runs back to their tail. They have a slight resemblance to the native bowfin common in our southern states but they are not related. 

   Hopefully you never run into these creatures but you can search YouTube and pull up videos of people fishing for snakehead fish in the northeast.

    But for now you don’t have to worry about swimming in Lake Waurika. Get out and enjoy our Oklahoma.

Woods and Waters

As I write this Tuesday morning I wonder how many of you got much sleep last night? Thank goodness our little corner of Oklahoma was spared any severe weather and our prayers go out to those suffering with tornado and flood damage throughout the state!

 The fishing reports I’ve gotten from Lake Waurika have been great on the north area, especially around the island, despite the high water levels.  I know Houston Scott and Slade Cathey have been slaying the crappie and bass the last few weeks on their ponds.

 On another note, please remember that the Farmer’s Market will take place this weekend after being cancelled last Saturday because of weather! Come out and support our local folks.

  I happened on an interesting article last week about turtles and tortoises I think you will find informative.

 A tortoise is a turtle but a turtle is not necessarily a tortoise. Confusing isn’t it?

 The tongue twister of the relationship between turtles and tortoises is the same as those two boxy geometric shapes we learned in elementary school. A tortoise is a turtle just like a square is a rectangle, but a turtle is not a tortoise just like a rectangle is not always a square.

 “Turtle” is a broad term that can refer to any reptile with a shell. However, the classification can be further broken down into types of turtles. Confusingly, a turtle is a type of turtle. Tortoises and terrapins are the other two kinds of turtles.

Tortoise or Turtle

 If you look at the larger picture, all turtles are reptiles with a shell, and therefore all tortoises are turtles–in the broadest sense of the word. However, in the smaller scope of things, when you divide the larger category into three different types, you see that a turtle is not necessarily a tortoise or even a turtle, because it can be a terrapin instead.

 Are you confused yet?  Let’s leave our vocabulary lesson behind for now and dive right into the science of things. In order to have divisions of these reptiles, they have to have different characteristics.

 Distinguishing attributes of the feet, shell and habitat help to tell these reptiles apart. The most obvious distinction is where they live. Tortoises live on land. Turtles can live in water or land, with some species being almost solely aquatic.

No doubt about this one!

 As terrestrial individuals, tortoises adapted flat feet to more easily traverse the landscape. For life in the water, turtles have at least some degree of webbing between their toes–even full-fledged flippers in the most aquatic individuals.

 Box turtles spend a lot of time on land and so are often mistaken for tortoises. But, they have slightly webbed feet, making them turtles!

 The last difference between turtles and tortoises is shell shape. Because turtles spend time in the water, their shells are flatter for stream-lined swimming. A tortoise has more of a dome shape to its shell. As Box turtles spend most of their life on land, their shells look more like an Aldabra tortoise than a red-eared slider.

 To clarify things even further, the tortoise shell pattern seen on sunglasses is not actually made from tortoises. It was made from turtles–the hawksbill sea turtle, specifically. Nowadays, the species is protected and so that material is just plastic. 

Common red-eared turtle!

 The shape of a turtle’s body with regard to its feet and shell can offer understanding of its habitat. It also helps you classify if it is indeed a turtle or a tortoise!  To simplify-they are all TURTLES!

 Don’t forget the Farmer’s Market this weekend and certainly keep in mind those that have gone before us and our Veterans who gave it all!

 In the meantime get out and enjoy our great Oklahoma outdoors!

Woods and Waters June 7 2018

 As I write this, we are enjoying a fabulous Sunday afternoon with temps in the 80s and moderate winds. Quite a relief from last week – whew! It was flat hot!

 If you haven’t started fishing yet, then you better get going before the summer passes you by. It’s difficult for me not to think about fishing, living next to the Cathey boys and getting many calls a week from Hoot about his most recent lunker bass!

   Well, we have talked about getting our fishing gear ready and cleaned up for the upcoming season and with the current temps , it seems like the time might be here.

   In fact, as I was working on this article, I got a call from Houston Scott and was asked to accompany he and his brother, Lodge, for an afternoon of fishing on some of their ponds. We had a great trip, caught several bass and crappie, with all returned safely back to the water. No monsters but spending an afternoon with two quality young men in the outdoors is hard to beat! They certainly come from “good stock”!

Houston Scott

  Growing up it was different, fishing was such a simple affair back then. A quick trip to the barn or my mother’s flower beds and in a few minutes you would have dug up enough juicy worms to fill up a tin can; it was going to be a good day! It didn’t matter if you were after catfish, perch or anything, they were all suckers for a fresh red worm. A simple cane pole with a hook and cork was all you needed to be masters of the water. We could sit for hours and watch that cork “bob” on the water waiting for that slight twitch which signaled a fish was interested.

  Back then a mess of perch and yellow cats was a good day! My, how things have changed. With thousands of lure and bait options available it’s easy to get lost in the process and sometimes it gets so complicated you feel like you need a degree in fishology, if there is such a thing!

  On a brighter note, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. You don’t have to use a cane pole, but they are fun if you haven’t tried them. Just grab your rods and reels, hooks, sinkers and bobbers, if you wish, and some bait. As we mentioned, tried and true worms are hard to beat but if you are after catfish you might add some chicken livers and bait shrimp! I might add if you use bait shrimp be sure to wash your hands well before returning home. Your wife will appreciate it!

  Now that we have everything together let’s head out to our favorite fishing hole, whether a pond, lake or creek it doesn’t matter. This is a great time of year for creek fishing if you don’t mind snakes. A hot day in the shade of a tree while sitting on the creek bank is a pretty good way to spend the afternoon, especially if you have a nice breeze. An occasional bite and the company of a good buddy, like grandkids or your spouse just makes it better.

What a beautiful Monday!

  Fishing should be relaxing and a time of peacefulness and reflection. OK, I’ll admit those days when the sand bass are running, and you’re wearing out a silver jig or small spoon, thinking your arm will fall off from casting so many times are pretty hard to beat. But so is sitting on a quiet pond or creek in the early morning while watching the woods come alive with bird and wildlife – it is hard to beat!

Take a buddy!

  Remember our Saviour, Jesus Christ was the greatest fisherman of all time and he didn’t have a bass boat! Slow down and take time to witness and enjoy all that our Creator has blessed us with and get out and renew your acquaintance with our beautiful Oklahoma outdoors!

  And remember, take someone with you!

Woods and Waters May 10 2018

Every week we take a look at all things outdoors, fishing, hunting, camping and anything that gets us out in our great Oklahoma outdoors. This week we’ll look at one of the most important tools that we use, regardless of our activities and that would be knives. They have been around in one form or another since the beginning of time. It’s hard to imagine going afield without one!

  Growing up on a ranch near Claypool it seemed every boy I knew had a knife by age six. It was a necessity, you used it everyday and it seemed a “right of passage.” Opening feed sacks and cutting bailing twine, yep, they didn’t always use wire! Cleaning quail after a successful hunt, working cattle, making a needed repair to your saddle or splicing a broken rein, it was one thing you needed with you at all times.

  Maybe nothing more important than sitting in the shade and whittling on an old stick, it was a much needed tool for life in the country. Most times your first knife was a Case Sodbuster, a single blade utility knife that is still made today.

  It’s hard to believe in this day and age but we would spend nearly every recess outside of Claypool School at our favorite dirt patch playing Mubbly-Peg! My brothers, Jim Howard, Haskel Breshears, McLain Rose, Boyd Gear, Jimmie Huskey and the Porterfield boys, Richard and Finley and I’m sure some I don’t remember but you had to have a knife!

  Even in high school at Waurika I don’t know a boy that lived in the country that didn’t carry a knife to school. You never knew if you might have to cut a ribbon for your girlfriend’s hair! It was just a way of life. Can you imagine that today; there would be SWAT teams arriving by the first bell.

  Knife-like tools were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago. Originally they were made of rock, bone, flint, and obsidian. Knives have evolved in construction along with technology. Now blades are being made from bronze, copper, iron, steel, ceramics, and titanium. When the white man first came to America, the Native Americans used flint as their primary knife blade. But as steel and brass were introduced, it changed everything. They obtained these blades through traders and they were prized additions to their arsenal. Due to its role as man’s first tool, certain cultures have attached spiritual and religious significance to the knife.

Corner Tang Flint Knife Blade, Burnett County Texas

  I love knives and always find an excuse to buy another, although I avoid the expensive custom knives. They are great with unbelievable workmanship. I had a Bob Sky custom hunting knife given to me by my wife years ago, custom hardened steel blade, silver bolster and elk horn handle. I scrimshawed a deer head on the handle and also kept track of all my adventures on it! It is still somewhere on a deer lease in the Texas Hill country and has been since 1978. No more high dollar custom knives for me!

  Knives can be found in any configuration you can think of and in many different blade materials. Even today you would be hard pressed to find a farmer, rancher, cowboy or outdoorsman without a knife on his belt or in his pocket. They are a mainstay of rural Oklahoma. They may not be used for all the things they were years ago but when needed are irreplaceable!

The original Sod Buster.

   As invaluable as a knife was in the “old days” there are still many uses in our modern lives! One that comes to mind is being trapped in a burning vehicle after a vehicle accident. Your seat belt might be locked and the doors won’t open. A modern knife will quickly slice through the seat belt material and you can use the pommel to break the door glass and exit the vehicle! I never leave home without one.

  I’m an old guy but I still feel naked when I leave home if I don’t have my knife. You would probably be amazed at how many youngsters still roam the creeks and hills of our beloved Jefferson County with that familiar feel of a knife in their pocket. Get out and enjoy our outdoor Oklahoma and don’t forget your knife!

Woods and Waters: “Snipe” Hunting

 As I write this on Monday morning it’s 36 degrees outside, so much for our “magic fishing time!”

   We’ve spent the past couple of weeks discussing fly fishing on your local waters, but with turkey season just around the corner, we may need to switch gears. We are blessed in our little corner of Oklahoma with the boundless opportunities we have for outdoor adventures.

With deer, dove, quail, turkey, waterfowl, predators and of course, feral hogs, there is always hunting available for the outdoorsman.

Alrighty!

   I started hunting on my own around 8 years of age and by the time I was 10 I would saddle a horse, grab my .410 or 22 and head to the back of the Valley Pasture – was not uncommon in those days. I had the thrill of hunting every critter that crawled, flew or slithered!

   You can imagine my enthusiasm when my older brother Dick, asked if I wanted to go hunting with he and Randy Howard, the next warm spring day.

There are Snipes everywhere.

   To say I was excited was an understatement, however he was always too busy to give me many details. All he would say was that we needed to wait ‘til the moon was right. Having been coon hunting with Perch King a couple of times I thought this was going to be good.

   The time finally came as he told me to be ready tomorrow night. I could hardly sleep that night, knowing the big hunt was just around the corner!

   After getting home from school, I took care of the show calves and my chores and waited. Finally just as the sun was dropping in the west, Randy Howard pulled up; the time had come!

    Walking to his pickup I asked what did I need to bring and Dick advised that Randy had brought all the needed equipment. By the time we crossed the cattle guard it was getting dark. We headed north toward the Claypool School and proceeded several miles north of the Howard Ranch.

    It wasn’t long before we turned east on a side road and after another mile or so pulled over. As we were getting out they both lowered their voices and began to explain the hunt. Stealth was very important and the need for quiet paramount. The excitement was building as they explained we were going to catch a creature that looked like a cross between a jackrabbit and a squirrel! I was told they had done it several times, with much success. I could hardly wait as they handed me a tow sack and two small rocks. They explained that the critters made a clicking sound by snapping their teeth together and used that to attract a mate.

   The plan was simple, all I had to do was stand in the road and hold the bag open between my legs. When they hollered that they had flushed one I was to click the stones together several times and hold the bag  open and it would run into the bag.

   I was ready as they both headed out into the pasture to flush my prime catch. Once they left, it was so dark you couldn’t see your hands-they advised I couldn’t have a flashlight as it would scare them off. 

    It didn’t take long before I heard Dick’s voice shouting “one on the way”! I clicked my stones and waited……….guess I might have spooked it! 

The real Snipe, a game bird!

   This went on for some time, each time they flushed one, their voices seemed further away. I just continued to click my stones and hold on to that bag. It was pitch black and I had no watch and it seemed like over an hour had passed with no noise. Finally, I called out- no answer! I couldn’t imagine what happened. Finally I headed back down the road we had come in on, all the time wondering, how many critters were hidden in the grass.

    I was probably getting a little concerned 

(Scared) when I started to hear laughter up ahead! Soon I could see the back of Randy’s pickup and they were both sitting on the tailgate laughing! As I approached Dick shouted “guess it just wasn’t a good night for “Snipe Hunting!”

   Growing up I had never heard of a snipe. I’m sure all of you know what a Snipe Hunt is! A snipe hunt is a type of practical joke, in existence in North America as early as the 1840s, in which an unsuspecting newcomer is duped into trying to catch a non-existent animal or bird called a snipe. While snipes are an actual family of birds, the snipe hunt is a quest for an imaginary creature whose description varies in different parts of the country.

   The target of the prank is led to an outdoor spot and given instructions for catching the snipe; these often include waiting in the dark and holding an empty bag or making noises to attract the prey. The others involved in the prank then leave the newcomer alone in the woods to discover the joke. As an American rite of passage, snipe hunting is often associated with summer camps and groups such as the Boy Scouts.

   While the snipe hunt is known in virtually every part of the United States, the description of the prey varies: it may be described as a type of bird, a snake, or a small furry animal. In one version, the snipe is a type of deer with a distinctive call; the dupe is left kneeling and imitating the snipe call while holding the bag to catch it.

   Hopefully you be successful on your first Snipe Hunt, if not, you have the memories.

  Looking back it was a rite of passage and a great memory of growing up in our Oklahoma!

Woods and Waters May 3 2018

 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!

Don’t pickup snapping turtles!

  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.

My grandson, Ryder, with DJ!

  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!

More About Bow Hunting

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The cooler temperatures of the last week and this past weekend being the first full weekend of archery deer season signaled the arrival of a special time for bowhunters. I have been practicing with my bow and getting familiar with my equipment but the cool nights and the sound of crickets finally spurred me into the woods! So, I decided that Monday morning I would kick off my quest for a nice buck in the 2017 season.

I have had feeders and cameras out for over a month and a half but with very limited success. If I discount and delete the pictures of hogs, turkeys, raccoons and an occasional black cow, it left very few pictures. However, after a month, I am seeing several very small bucks and does with fawns on a regular basis. Hopefully, with more fall-like weather on the way, the big boys will  start moving more and thinking about the rut. It’s still early but I’m trying to be optimistic.

So, 4:30 Monday morning I rolled out of bed for my first cup of coffee. It’s at these times I question my sanity or my commitment. After the caffeine kicked in it was easier to become halfway excited. I had laid out my gear the night before and got dressed as I hurriedly ate a banana and bar. I loaded my bow and backpack on my Honda Pioneer; I was only going for an early morning hunt so I traveled light.

It was a short ride to the creek from my house and as I pulled up to where I park, under a couple of mesquites, I sit a moment to let the woods settle down. The moon was still bright from the Harvest Moon of last week and cast a gray light over the woods. I relaxed a little and enjoyed the moment. The air was cool and the wind relatively light as I grabbed my flashlight and backpack and began the walk to my stand.

I hadn’t gone but maybe a 100 yards through the woods when I thought I heard something moving off to my right. I turned off my flashlight and stood motionless. I certainly didn’t want to spook a deer, but surely they were still out in the fields feeding.

Then the sound of movement became louder as if was coming closer. Surely this wasn’t a deer-whatever it was apparently had no fear of me! I shined my flashlight in the direction of the noise and then it stopped. No sound at all, the only thing I could hear was my heart and my shallow breathing.

Then I hear a stirring in the leaves and the snap of a twig and an armadillo ran from behind a tree right in front of me. I almost laugh until I hear a loud crash and the sound of something big running away, crashing  through the woods! I shined the light in the direction of the noise and it ended abruptly. I thought it must have been cattle or a large group of pigs but it sounded like a single set of footprints.

At this point I could see a slight bit of pink in the east and I knew I had to hurry to get to my stand. My nerves were a little on edge but I moved as quickly as I could to my stand. I climbed into my stand, pulled my bow up and settled in and readied myself. Birds were beginning their morning activity as they flitted from branch to branch chirping. Without warning the birds erupted from the brush. Then I heard the noise again, heavy slow footsteps behind me and the sound of limbs breaking.

All I could think is this must be a monster buck. I could only see about 20 to 30 yards in the predawn light. But I waited, trying to find this buck; it had sounded so close! But the noise just ended. I then began to wonder what it was, because it had sounded just like the noise I heard coming into the woods.

The sun was getting closer to coming up and I could see a little better now. Several squirrels were chasing each other around in the trees and I relaxed as I watched them play. Then movement caught my eye, something was moving very slowly through the brush towards the feeder. It was certainly no deer and I didn’t think it was human, it looked very large in the predawn light! My imagination was getting to me. I couldn’t make it out. Then it dropped it’s head toward the ground or bent over I couldn’t be sure.

Fortunately “or not!” the feeder went off and started slinging corn. The mystery creature exploded back through the brush and crashed it’s way out of sight.

At this point my nerves were shot and my imagination was in overdrive. I begin to wonder if Bigfoot was real.      By that time I decided it was time to call it a day and I had experienced pretty much everything but a deer hunt!

As I lowered my bow to the ground and grabbed my backpack to climb down the ladder, I turned around, took one step and heard a loud crashing footstep again! As I looked up I was staring eye to eye with the biggest, mangiest horse I had ever seen! I started laughing so hard I thought I would fall off the ladder!

Until next week, get out and enjoy your Oklahoma!

Woods and Waters November 15, 2018

Tuesday morning and outside a brisk 23 degrees, well, we know for sure we are done with mowing the grass!

 The “Eagles” is the only Jefferson County football team still in the playoffs after the first week! Congrats to both Ringling and Ryan on great seasons. Friday night Waurika hosts the “Cherokee Chiefs.” Come out and root for a great bunch of young men!

 Saturday is opening day of Oklahoma deer gun season and unlike the last couple of years, the bucks are already rutting. This might alter their patterns somewhat, but with the bucks chasing does, you never know when a big boy may show up!

 Remember, if you get a big one, send us a picture for the “Waurika News Journal Big Buck Award”!

 I am including information from The Department Of Wildlife about the upcoming season.

  Oklahoma’s 16-day deer gun season will run Nov. 17 through Dec. 2. With more than 187,000 expected participants, the season is the state’s most popular hunting event in terms of participation. It is also the deer season that boasts the greatest success rate in terms of harvest each year. Firearms accounted for 57.7 percent of all deer harvested in the 2017-18 seasons. That amounted to 62,257 deer, the highest total for gun harvest since 2012.

 

Good luck Saturday!

  All things considered, deer gun season hunters should find ample opportunities for success in 2018.

  “With timely rainfall throughout the growing season in much of the state, habitat is generally in great shape,” said Dallas Barber, a big game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

  Acorns and other food sources are in good supply. Those hunters who take note of deer feeding patterns as the season opener approaches will have an advantage.

  The deer breeding season, known as the rut, will peak over the next few weeks, which means deer will be more active during daylight hours. During the week prior to opening day, the Department will issue its annual Deer Rut Report, which will offer hunters valuable insights on deer movement and hunting prospects using the most recent information available from all regions of the state. To get the Rut Report in your inbox when it is released, sign up for Email Updates on the left side of the Department’s home page.

 Fueling deer hunting’s popularity in Oklahoma is a management plan that serves the state’s diverse hunters’ interests by providing region-leading season lengths and bag limits along with a strong education component outlining the benefits of balanced sex ratios and selective buck harvest.

 Jerry Shaw, the regional supervisor in the Department’s Wildlife Division, said Oklahoma offers generous seasons and bag limits while still having one of the healthiest buck age structures in the nation.

 

Would you shoot?

 “Our hunters have taken the ‘Hunters in the Know … Let Young Bucks Grow’ message to heart, and the results are being seen in fields and woods across the state. Today we have more mature bucks than at any time in our state’s past. And it is all thanks to hunters following our lead and allowing many of our young bucks to walk and grow another year.”

 Central to this voluntary management approach is reminding hunters that every time they choose to pull the trigger or release an arrow, they are making a deer management decision. “Equally as important as the deer you take are the deer you pass on and let walk away,” Shaw said. “While the ODWC provides the direction, it is the hunters who are putting the management in place.”

 The statistics bear this out. Last year, 28 percent of all deer harvested were in the 0.5-year and 1.5-year age classes, while 49 percent of the harvest was in the 3.5-year and 4.5-year age classes.

 The Department’s balanced voluntary approach with its “Hunters in the Know” campaign has gained national attention in recent years. The Quality Deer Management Association recognized Oklahoma among the top five states showing declines in yearling buck harvests.

 But antler-less deer harvest remains an important component of the state’s deer management plan, Shaw said. “Adequate doe harvest is vital to keep populations in balance with the available habitat, maintain healthy buck-to-doe ratios, and synchronize fawning when conditions are the most favorable for fawn growth.

“Even if your freezer is full, you can always donate the deer to the Hunters Against Hunger program and provide nutritious, delicious food for someone less fortunate,” Shaw said.

 From the largest outdoor and sporting goods stores in the major metropolitan cities to the smallest of cafes and roadside motels in rural outposts across the state, deer hunting has a sizable economic impact estimated at more than $600 million a year.

 It wasn’t always this way. From the time of Oklahoma’s first deer hunting season in 1933 until well into the 1960s, the forests of southeastern Oklahoma were about the only places with huntable populations of whitetails. As part of what has become one of conservation’s greatest success stories, the Wildlife Department began successfully trapping and transplanting deer from the 1950s through the 1970s.

 Now, the state’s deer population is estimated to be well over 500,000 animals. And deer hunters in Oklahoma have a better chance of harvesting a deer than at any other time in the state’s history.

 Barber urged deer hunters to also do their part for future generations.

“Seeing how far we have come, it’s important to remind hunters not only to be deer managers but to share their heritage with others as well, so that this tradition of success is passed down and continued.”

 Saturday morning it starts and knows you are continuing a rich Oklahoma Heritage. Good luck to all and remember in order to acclimate yourself to the temps, come out Friday evening and cheer on your “Waurika Eagles”!

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