LAST DAY OF SUMMER VACATION

Kids all over Kansas are heading back to school this week.  Summer vacation is over and the days of sleeping in, swimming, camps and the like will soon be a distant memory.  Younger kids tend to like school while older ones would rather it be summer year-round.  I've got a couple right in the middle as they still like school, but sports camps, a chauffeur (my wife is a school teacher so she's off in the summer, too) and a flexible sleep schedule make it hard to say so-long to summer.

My son, Cody, has been asking about going squirrel hunting the last couple weeks before school started back up.  We planned to go yesterday morning but were greeted with the first decent rain showers we've had in months when I walked outside at 5:30 a.m.  The forecast the night before had a 10 percent chance for showers but most of central Kansas was green with radar rain.  I sent Cody back to bed and although he was disappointed he didn't mind a little more shut-eye.  

Our plan was to try it again this morning on Cody's very last day of summer vacation.  As we climbed in the truck it was a cool 63 degrees.  I told Cody we would likely leave with the seat heaters on and return with the A/C blasting as the forecast was for 98 degrees today. 

We pulled into our spot at 6:15 a.m.  Although legal to shoot, it was still a bit too dark to see well in the timber so we waited a few minutes.  As we stepped into the woods I knew it was going to be a beautiful morning.  Light winds and cool conditions make for great squirrel calling.  I carried a 20 gauge shotgun and my .22 rifle.  Cody was intent on using the .22 but I had his back-up plan, too, if the squirrels wouldn't sit still. 

Our first stop with the calls didn't elicit any response.  The next few spots we caught glimpses of a couple squirrels but couldn't get any shots.  It seemed many of our calling locations early had squirrels responding, but they were too far away and didn't move towards us much.  Undaunted after 45 minutes we eased through more timber.

On the next stop I was about 5 seconds into a calling sequence when Cody tugged on my shirt and pointed up.  I hadn't heard or seen the squirrel but he was going ballistic and on a dead run down the tree next to us.  I handed Cody the shotgun and he made a nice shot as the squirrel wasn't slowing down. 

We were on the board now and Cody was excited.  A couple more close calls and the next spot found us with a squirrel barking across a small creek about 50 yards away.  Cody had the .22 and was trying to maneuver into a good shooting rest.  I reminded him about his breathing, squeezing the trigger, etc., to make an accurate shot and told him to shoot when he was on him.  The rifle cracked.

"That's a dead squirrel," Cody said a bit nonchalantly and seemingly not surprised as the squirrel tumbled to the ground.

I was shocked.

"Good shot, buddy!" I said.

We had a couple more encounters but didn't add any more squirrels to our day's total.  Just for fun Cody spent 15 minutes shooting at hedge apples and other targets and his marksmanship was impressive.  Maybe the long shot wasn't too lucky after all. 

As we walked back to the truck I asked Cody how many other 13-year-old boys likely spent their last day of summer vacation hunting squirrels with their Dad.

"Probably none," he laughed.

I was certainly glad there was at least one. 

    

DROUGHT IS ROUGH

Drought conditions have persisted for much of Kansas for the last two summers.  You wouldn't think that last year's problems could get worse but water-wise they may have done just that this summer.  We're seeing the first rain in some time as I write this but it won't be enough to call an end to dry conditions over much of the state.  But it's a start.

Drought affects all kinds of wildlife, either directly or indirectly.  Obviously, species like fish need water to survive.  Pheasants need adequate nesting cover.  Pheasant chicks need protection from the elements in ground cover, as well as the insects utilizing those same plants.  Dry conditions are a one-two punch for pheasants.  Add an early wheat harvest and it doesn't look promising.

And despite a better-than-most-years prediction for migrating waterfowl numbers it isn't looking good for the home team.  Ducks need water and that's at a premium in many parts.  A buddy and I went to check out a spot we hunt on the Arkansas River recently to assess the situation.  Wow!  That pretty much sums up what we found.  Riding ATV's for about 7 miles of river we found 95 percent of the water measured in inches.  The deepest was just over my knees and I'm short.  Sad indeed (the lack of water, not that I'm short).

Standing where we normally sit to hunt I remembered past photos with smiling duck hunters and ample water.  I tried to guess as to the composition of those photos for comparison.  I got surprisingly close.  If you look at the treeline in these two photos I'm within a couple feet of the same location where I took each photo.  Oh what a difference a couple years makes.

Granted, rivers like that are constantly changing.  New sandbars form from one season to the next and log jams change places.  As duck hunters we adjust to those conditions but as long as there's water we're good to go.  But when things dry up that's not good news for ducks or duck hunters.  Here's hoping we get a couple toad stranglers between now and opening day.    

SARAH'S FIRST FISH

It's not uncommon for friends of my kids to show an interest in the outdoors.  Many of them have never hunted, fished or trapped.  I've never turned down one of their requests to tag along and several of them have grown to love the outdoors.

My daughter's friend, Sarah, just graduated from high school.  She's been a regular around our house for the last year or so.  She accompanied Ashley and I on several trapping expeditions last winter and enjoyed it as we caught beavers and raccoons. 

One day earlier this summer Sarah made the comment she'd never caught a fish.  I couldn't believe it and told her we'd make sure she could check that off her list of "Things To Do Before I Go Off To College."  She was excited at the prospects.

Sarah actually caught her first fish without my help.  She'd accompanied some of her friends to a pond one evening where they caught "perch."  I told her they were likely green sunfish and only inches long shouldn't count as her first "real" fish. 

It was hard to schedule an early morning trip as both Ashley and Sarah worked summer jobs during the week and weekends were busy.  We loaded up the boat and headed to the lake one evening hoping to tangle with some big channel catfish.  It was 103 degrees when we launched at 5:30 p.m. so the evening was far from pleasant. 

Unfortunately, we fished until about 9:30 p.m. and while others in the boat caught only a few fish Sarah never had a bite.  I told her we'd do better in a couple weeks when she went camping with us.

Our wake-up call was at 5:30 a.m. but Sarah said she was up at 4:30 a.m. and wide awake.  I teased her that she was too "exthited to thleeeep" like that little kid on the commercial going to Disney World.  We loaded the boat with gear and were off as it got light.

It didn't take Sarah long to catch her first "real" fish.  She set the hook and the pole didn't budge and I knew she had a nice channel cat on the other end.  With a little coaching she had the nearly 5-pound fish flopping at the surface in no time.  She was excited and her smile said it all as she posed for photos.

Sarah's luck was good that morning and she caught another half-dozen just like it.  Our boat ended up with 20 keepers in just a few hours so it was indeed a productive trip. 

We weren't even back to the ramp when Sarah asked if I'd text her those photos so she could send them along to friends and family.  She couldn't wait to download them to her Facebook page.   

Sarah will remember that fishing trip for a long time.  I will as well.  It's always nice to see someone discover the joy of the outdoors and I was glad to be a part of it.