Tracks in the Snow (and Crappies Under the Ice)

When I was out fishing this past weekend I saw a long trail of FRESH coyote tracks on an old road that I myself found I was also using for travel. The coyote couldn’t have left those tracks much more than half an hour ago. Coyote season has once more
come upon this boy.

Next week, over break I’ll surely be doing some calling and hunting with dogs to catch these predators, but when I return I’d like to pursue some coyotes around home. What better place would there be then to return to the place where I know there’s a coyote, so I’ll be heading out to the lake very soon with a gun behind the seat and my coyote call in my pocket… and my fishing poles in the back, so as to catch some fish if I fail on the hunt. If it just wasn’t for school, then my life would be one of the best in the world. Not to many get to go hunting and fishing all in just the passing of just a few short hours.

On a different note, late this past summer my cousin Tyler and I were putting a hurt on some crappies on one of our grandfather’s pastures, and we released all but the nicest four that we had caught in hopes of letting them get a little bigger for this winter. Now the time has come to reclaim these speckles (crappies) and we turned out some really great ones and there was quite a number of them as well and I’m really excited to see if we can catch them again over break.

First Ice Fishing Trip of the Year

I finally made it out on the ice this weekend, as Spencer and I loaded up our poles, and auger to try our luck at some of Iowa’s finest fish species, the bass and the bluegill. We started out on a half acre pond that is hidden away in Pleasant Creek State Park and after some quick success there, tried the main lake.

It was apparent that no soul had fished this pond this winter as there was no tall-tale sign of footprints or holes in the lake. We quickly nailed in a couple of holes near the deepest part of the pond and soon a few fish were spotted with the Vexilar. We continued on for a couple of hours catching a fair share of ‘gills and one bass, and the great thing about this pond was that we were sheltered from the snow storm and the unusually strong winter winds. However, it wasn’t too long until we wanted to chase after some crappies and some walleyes. We packed up the sled and made the one mile track back to the truck. As we drove to the lake it was easy enough to tell that we would soon be facing the winds and the full strength of the storm on the unsheltered lake. Ten minutes on the lake and with a couple of fish just spotted on the sonar the 40 mph (my approximation, it felt like a Category 5 hurricane to this Iowa boy) hit our small shelter. In disbelief, we were soon being pushed around on the lake in the sled-like shelter and we had long lost the holes we were fishing out of after we were pushed off of them by the wind. We made our way out of there after the battle of putting down our shelter and helping a lone fisherman next to us take down his, it was a good way to start off the year and I most likely won’t be so eager to head out on the ice again (or at least until I forget about being blown off the lake, so I’ll be out in two days then, surely I would forget by then). Good luck and good fishing!

Preseason Victories

Those not involved with winter sports have been preparing themselves physically for the next year’s football season. All of the coaches are excited for the talent and hard work that they see in this team and we are working harder in this preseason that ever before. We have been weightlifting and are making some vast improvements and are also working on our agility, not to mention that we are working on coming together as a team and becoming familiar with our new teammates.

The Cougar football team and I have been lifting every school day, except on Wednesdays. On Wednesdays we perform mat drills (which are similar to the ones done during the weightlifting competition at Washington High School), which are rigorous workout routines primarily done without weights involved. There about 25 of us in their every Wednesday along with Coach Lewis, varsity coach, and Coach Meyers, sophomore coach. We really get the sweat and blood going as we do various agility and endurance drills in tune with the rock music listened to by Coach Lewis when he was a football player.

We never take a break during this Wednesday morning session at 6. It is non- stop movement and many times a few of the guys that brave eating anything before these workouts fill the wrestling room with the smell of their vomit. Oh the joy of football. We all make a few jokes at them and then they are right back at it like the rest of us. It is evident that we can’t all be excited at waking up at 5 and throwing our bodies to the extreme, but we are coming together as a team. There is nothing quite like brutal tests of endurance and strength (of mind and arm) to bring young men together. As we are there to encourage and help one another and there to let the other know they feel the same thing that there companion is feeling.

I’m looking forward to seeing all my teammates together again this summer, but the weightlifters all understand that are other teammates are working hard in other sports and representing Kennedy. The Cougars this year will own Kingston’s turf, and will own all of Iowa’s football fields after the race to the dome has been won.

Rare Catches

Every since I started my passion for the outdoors, it seems I’ve always been looking for the rare catch. I’ve caught, fished, and hunted many larger that average game and fish, but I’ve always looked for the catch of a lifetime. I bring up this topic after reading a story about an Indiana man catching a fully white muskrat, which is the photo shown here.

I always carefully inspect any game that I catch for any small “defect” or uniqueness. I remember previous years in which a caught a muskrat with white spots on its belly fur and last year a ‘coon I caught was very unusually colored; I just had wished that the muskrat would have been all white and the raccoon fully a cinnamon (a certain hereditary fur color).

Both my uncle and my grandpa have had their share of unusual catches and so has many other hunters, trappers, and fisherman. My uncle has caught on a couple of occasions the cinnamon ‘coon, which I mentioned earlier, and my grandpa has had the most success at rare catches (I think because he has gone hunting longer than most and thus has had more chances at a catch). My Grandpa Ferguson has caught black, orange and even one albino coyote along with hundreds of regular ones. His albino coyote he gave to a furdealer, which he had mounted in his fur trading room.

I hope to be able one day to catch one of these rare specimens of a species and be able to mount it and “show it off” so others will know that I’ve hunted hard in my life and had many hunts, just like my grandpa has done.

Warm Disappointment

As things always are they never go as planned, I wrote last week how I would be trying some early ice fishing, but yet this hope was dashed. The entire state was consumed in a warm front that brought highs of 50 degrees or so, this quickly ended any chance of venturing out on the fishing hole. Most of the top ice melted off and thus was unsafe to walk on.

However, December 15, the Monday after this warm weekend temperatures dropped nearly 50 degrees in 24 hours (welcome to Iowa). This refroze any exposed water quickly and now if I find myself with any extra time, I’ll be hitting the water chasing after some dinner.

The warm weather did provide a good time for me to assemble the traps I would need this winter, and I was also able to get my ice- fishing equipment organized as to prevent some anxiety and stress when I’m not able to fish because of a tangle.

I’m really looking forward to any spare time that I might find myself with, just a few hours and you can all be sure this fisherman is loading the truck and driving to some FROZEN water. I’ll report on any success on these fishing ventures soon. Good luck and good fishing.

The Start of the Coyote Hunt

With the change of the season, with the turn of open ground to snow covered, thus my interests change. From ‘coon hunting and open water fishing to trapping and drilling holes in ponds to look for a fish. Another pursuit of mine is that of coyote hunting, which is a tradition of the Ferguson family, passed to me from my grandfather.

Southern Iowa has one of the highest concentrations of coyotes in the country, and sportsmen from all over the state, like myself, head south in chase of the wily ‘yote. Coyote hunting is fast- chased and a good sport of comradery as dozens of hunters will be with hunting with you.

There are two ways to hunt these predators the first is that of calling them using prey-in-distress sounds, and the second, the way that I primarily hunt is that of using hounds to chase a coyote into a brushpile or until it is too tired to run anymore. Both ways are very efficient and several coyotes can be hunted at the same time.

The only thing that is needed to be able with hounds is snow, and fresh snow at that.  Fresh snow allows a dog to be able to pick up the scent of a recent coyote track very easily and because of this it is much easier for both man and dog to hunt the coyote.  The morning after a fresh snow it can be guaranteed that the hunters will be in pursuit of coyotes, with shotguns and highpowered rifles wildly being shot, and CB radios been excitedly talked through.  

I'll be hunting all Christmas break and will update on the 'yote count to all those interested.

FIRST ICE!

Finally, the first ice has come! Ponds and lakes have frozen and even the currents of the mighty… Cedar River have closed their open waters to the cold, bitter wind. Yesterday, Cedar Rapids experienced its first ice storm of the year (this was accompanied with a cancellation of school) and thus almost always marks the first day that I’d be willing to go out fishing. As ice storms usually adds an inch or two to the already previous ice amount, which determines, generally, the weight load capacity of the ice.

Last year was my first measurable year of success of ice fishing. Sure I’ve always caught plenty of bluegills and crappies, but I’ve never really had any success with the “big game” fish species, such as walleyes and bass, until last ice fishing season. The major difference is that I acquired a vexilar sonar flasher and that I did plenty of preseason research to know where the fish-holding brushpiles and deep dropoffs were hiding under the ice. Towards the middle of the season I also got a “clam” ice fishing shelter, which is one of the best things that I own. Now I’m able to spend more time out on the “water” before getting frostbite or having the happiness of life get pulled out of me, and with the vexilar I’m able to locate fish and know at which depth they are at. This has been the difference.

This season I’m much more prepared, and I have all of the possible equipment that I would ever need. I have my sled, shelter, lures, bait (which I am able to grow during the offseason), rods, atv, and vexilar, which now I’m extremely familiar with. To any that ice fish and don't have a vexilar or even a camera and regularly have any success I take my hat off to you, for that is true understanding and knowledge of the sport and of the fish.

There’s a certain allure to ice fishing to those that don’t own a boat, as one isn’t limited to the shore and all water is now open to their access. Although I own a boat, I’m much more capable of accessing smaller bodies of water which typically I don’t use.

I’ll be sure to update you on any ice fishing ventures, I’m planning on heading out this weekend to the lake. Good luck and good fishing to all!

Winter Trapping (over the next break)

This year I’m going to try to extend my trapping season to its fullest legal length by trying to trap over Christmas break. Usually trapping in the snow and ice is very hard and unproductive to accomplish as most of the fur doesn’t even move during these late winter months, except close to their dens. It will be crucial to locate these dens if I plan to successful in trapping over break.
I will be in the pursuit of primarily both beaver and ‘coons. I had great difficulty in trapping these two species over fall break, and now that the conditions are tougher I’m not expecting my catch rates to be too high. However, I hope to be able to bag some more game, which I don’t usually do over winter.
This winter trapping will require some unprecedented trapping tactics and methods if I plan on being successful. . I usually trap just in the water, which is frozen at this time of the year and will occasionally place some dirt hole (land sets), but this has also been “shut down” by the snow. To be able to do these things I will be pursuing the ‘coons in several old barns that I have permission to and at an old bridge where I have seen several ‘coon living this year. I’m also aware of where a couple of beaver colonies are living and I will try to target them there… under the ice.
For the ‘coons I plan on using almost all bucket sets with 160 and 220 conibears and some snares if I come across any well used coyote and ‘coons trails and crossing logs. With the beaver, I will have to trap them through the ice in order to even get to them, I plan on using my ice fishing auger to drill a hole, and then attach a 330 conibear or a #4 coil or longspring on a 6 ft pole into the hole. This is a set I’ve never done and I picked this tip up from an old trapper, and I would be ecstatic if I was actually able to be successful with this set and catch a beaver.
I will make a quick entry after Christmas break if I (or don’t) have any success with trapping.

Thanksgiving Trapping- End of the "Regular" Season

My big outdoors week concluded this Monday, December 1st when Thanksgiving break officially ended. I sold half my furs on Saturday, which was a total of 47 ‘coons and 27 muskrats. The rumors of the fallen fur market were confirmed after I received my bid from my fur buyer (Northeast Iowa Fur Exchange). From the projected average of $25 average ‘coon prices fell to around $8-9 after the price of oil fell and the world’s depression deepened throughout this fall. Markets for muskrats remained the same from last year at around $2-3 for good hides.
Hopefully next year with the prices having gone done like they did this season, that there wont be as much competition for fur as I experienced this year. This was the worst I’ve ever seen it and it was unfortunate to see that almost every culvert and every ditch in the state had traps in it. Every timber that I went to had evidence of hunters having already attending to it and harvesting ‘coons on ground that had for many years been hunted or owned by my family. It was very disappointing at times, especially when I was trapping. On most days trapping bagged me 4 or 5 ‘coons a day, but this year I was only able to catch 1 ‘coon in a trap for the season so far. Although the fur markets are down I’m hoping to be able to harvest more ‘coons next year than I did this year.
Snow is blanketing the ground as I write this now, and this for the most part will end ‘coon hunting and trapping for the most part this season. However, I’m already looking forward to next year which could be possibly my last year trapping, but I hope and pray it is not. As I’ve made so many fond memories and memorable catches in those southern Iowa timbers and creeks and I wish to be able to continue this until it is my time to go from this world.
Next year I’m going to push myself to new limits and attempt at harvesting unprecedented numbers of fur. I would also like to catch an otter, fox, and coyote, along with a couple of beavers next year and at least 100 ‘coons. This would be a good way to end my trapping and hunting career if this were to be my last season or at least to end my “school” trapping. I’m going to expect a lot out of myself next year to meet these goals and I know I will be able to do these things.