The 2015 mast survey conducted by the WVDNR is out and it found that the oaks didn’t produce very many acorns this year. The beech, hickory, and walnut trees were the big producers this year. Soft masts like apple and grape produced plenty of fruit this year but black...
Well if the old saying “April showers will bring May flowers” is true, we should have plenty blooming next month. There definitely hasn’t been a shortage of rain so far this spring. Driving along our backroads I can’t help but notice the beautiful redbud and dogwood trees. The deep dark...
It’s that time of the year where everything wakes up and comes back to life. The trees and wildflowers are blooming providing a colorful landscape once again. Various shades of green are taking over the dull drab woods of winters past. Spring in West Virginia is a wonderful time to...
The weather has broken and the snow has melted with warmer temperatures. Daylight savings time has already caused us to spring forward with an extra hour of daylight in the evenings. The Spring Equinox is this week on the 20th marking the first official day of spring. The birds are...
With snow piled up over the knees through the end of February I thought it would be appropriate to write about the winter woods this week. It’s amazing how different the landscape looks with a covering of snow. The snowflakes glisten as they slowly fall to the ground and there’s...
I have to say I’ve been enjoying the weather this winter with the few nice days we’ve had before the snow and cold decided to return. Sure its winter and you expect snow and cold but it’s nice to have a day or two of mild weather in between. Last...
With late season hunting opportunities still in season, I decided that this week I’d talk about the raccoon. This masked critter has a reputation of raiding garbage cans and farmers’ gardens. They were an important source of fur and even food during the pre-settlement days. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett...
This week I decided to write about an elusive critter that roams our mountains but is seldom seen, the fisher. I’ve never laid eyes on one myself but just a few weeks ago I captured a blurry picture on my trail camera that sure did resemble a fisher. I did...
If you were one of the lucky hunters to get a deer this past year it will be the last time you’ll have to drive out of your way to find a check in station thanks to a new electronic check in system. According to the West Virginia Division of...
I along with many of the other hunters I talked with had a rough buck season this year. It was by far the least amount of shots I can remember hearing during the first 3 days of buck season when most of the harvest takes place. Once again weather played...
Every year it’s the same old routine when November rolls around. The alarm clock goes off well before daylight and any free time is spent on stand patiently waiting for that big buck to come by. Trail camera pictures are analyzed and stands are placed in the best possible locations....
With Halloween over and the calendar flipped to November one three letter word sums up the weeks ahead, the ‘rut’. Right now is the best time to deer hunt as the bucks go into seek and chase phase of the rut. The bigger, mature bucks are starting to show themselves...
When trying to think about what to write about this week an unusual encounter with a grouse came to mind. It was a few years ago and I was taking an ATV ride deep in the West Virginia woods. It was during this time of year when the leaves were...
Another bow season has begun and archery hunters will have 3 months to chase whitetails around the West Virginia hills and hollows. Things will be different this year versus last deer season as there are a lot of acorns on the ground right now. Last year an acorn could hardly...
The first day of fall has officially arrived and there is no better time to get into the outdoors than right now. Hunting season is in and deer hunters are able to climb back into their tree stands as bow season started on Saturday, September 27. And don’t forget about...
As another hunting season approaches, we as hunters have the responsibilities to obey the law, be safe, and hunt ethical. It seems that more and more private land is becoming leased or posted as landowners feel they can control who hunts on their land better. Gaining permission to hunt private...
In my last column Tara and I were roaming around in the Rocky Mountains catching a few trout along the way. On our fourth day we ventured over to Ennis and the Madison River Valley. The Madison River is probably one of the most talked about rivers in Montana and...
For our summer vacation this year Tara and I decided to venture back out west to our second favorite state, Montana, in hopes to catch a few fish. I always look forward to the dry air and the snowcapped Rocky Mountains. Flying on the other hand can be stressful but...
The heat and humidity of summertime is an active period for biting insects and slithering reptiles. Snakes are an often talked about reptile in that you either like them or hate them. The majority of folks tend to dislike snakes but they are a living species just like all the...
Hunter’s that have found themselves driving out of their way to check in a deer, turkey, or bear will no longer have to waste the time or gas starting in 2015. According to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR) starting with 2015 spring gobbler seasons, hunters may check...
