Yes, duck hunters, it’s about time to oil up your dogs and feed your shotgun some carbohydrates. Duck and goose hunting is in the wings. Actually, an early goose season is on, statewide, beginning today. And from all indications there are plenty of geese around. You know, you golfers may even have to fight your favorite golf course for space, since geese seem to love those links.

Although I prefer to fish for trout, I also enjoy tackling a bass or two now and then. And bass season in Michigan is right on our doorstep, so I know many of you are anxiously awaiting to cast away, as am I. But today, I believe I’ll discuss a little different method to catch bass, along with some other fishing thoughts.

Depending upon your fishing location in the state, you may find that some flies are early, on time, or even late. Of course, I make reference to Mayflies and caddisflies, which emerge over the trout streams or lakes about this time of year.

Here it is. The spring turkey hunt is about to pop open and many hunters are prepared for it or busy getting ready. As I believe I mentioned a while back, I’ll not be carrying my shotgun with me because I absolutely forgot to apply for a license. However, I’ll be calling for one of my hunting pals and that’s almost as good as carrying the gun.

Yes, Easter is here, and we must remember that it isn’t just time to eat the ears off chocolate bunnies and hide eggs for the kids. We must think of its religious meaning as well. Yes, this is true and all well and good. But the coming of April also heralds some things of importance to the average sportsman, hunter, fisherman and other out-of-doors folks.

A recent Associated Press article tweaked my thinking about camping in the Upper Peninsula. And yes, it included various outdoor activities that can be done in the winter as well as summer. I have a good friend who lives in the U.P., and he particularly enjoys the fishing and hunting there. He and his family do many other activities there as well, but most of those aren’t in the winter time. Fact is they’re living down in the Lower Peninsula right now!

Our Flat River Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will stage its annual Hunting Heritage Banquet on Saturday, March 3. Troy Hopkins, chapter president, says it should be a great event and the chapter is working hard toward what will be a very enjoyable evening. He says ticket sales will be good and the forms are coming in as usual.

An acquaintance of mine used to be a charter boat captain on Lake Michigan. But he fell on hard times, quit the charter business and started a small shop making sinkers and lures.
His shop was on the first floor of an old building and I happened to walk in on good ol’ Carl one afternoon, unannounced of course. And there I was, amid a hodge-podge of old machinery and almost stepping on one of his cats as I entered.

It wasn’t deer season. Rather it was a crisp January morning as I stepped out the cabin door and started walking up one of the local deer trails toward one of my favorite hunting spots.
An evening snowfall had made the trail a little difficult to maintain, as the snow clung to the overhead brush and trees, while occasionally falling to the ground around me as I moved slowly through the woods.

I’m looking upward at an old photo of my father. It hangs on the wall over my desk and is bringing back an old, warm memory. I’ve mentioned my dad before, but I feel like writing about him again. My father, Donald Gilbert, gone some years past, will always be my hero. He was the epitome of an outdoor individual, but that wasn’t all he was.