Pollinators are a vital part of the environment, helping to complete many plant lifecycles and are responsible for 35% of the world's food crops and 75% of the world's flowering plants.
From June 16 - 22nd in the United States, we recognize their importance. Learn more here:
https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-week
Pheasants Forever Blog - Creatures Great and Small
Fortunately, Southwest Ohio is blessed to have several rivers that are perfect for paddling canoes, kayaks, and Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUPs). These rivers offer dappled shade from trees on shore and some relief from the sun.
You can read the complete article here: Using local waterways to beat the summer heat with paddle activities
For me, being on local waterways always seems to deliver a story. Quiet paddles could result in all kinds of wildlife sightings, from otters to deer to eagles. Group paddles deliver different types of stories, from runaway coolers to wedding rings washed away. But they only happen if you get outside.
In our area in the summer, the question isn’t what to do, it’s where to go. See resources below for possible rental and trip options. And one video of a section in Springfield on Buck Creek.
Canoe and Kayak Rentals
RiverScape with Taiter's Kayak Solutions - RiverScape - Great Miami River
https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=T309&api=programs&type=program
Voice of America Lake| MetroParks of Butler County| Boathouse
https://www.yourmetroparks.net/parks/voice-of-america-metropark/lake
Mad River Adventures - Mad River
https://www.facebook.com/madriveradventures/about
River’s Edge Outfitters - Little Miami River
https://riversedgeoutfitters.com/
Barefoot Canoe - Stillwater River
Sources
With summer here, there are a lot of opportunities to be outside. There are hikes, walks, programs, and Ohio’s free fishing day on June 14th and 15th. But first things first, and I should have probably touched on this earlier: guard against bug bites to make sure the memory outshines any consequences.
That means both your two and four-legged friends. If one of your human companions is continuously under assault by bugs, they won’t have a great time, and nobody else will either. And biting bugs can have serious consequences for our four-legged companions. Here are my top least favorite bugs of summer:
1. Ticks
2. Chiggers
3. Mosquitoes
Runner-Up: Biting Flies
Read the complete article and how you can avoid getting bit here: Staying off the summer bug bite menu
Memorial Day might mark the unofficial start of summer, but it isn’t real for me until I see groups of fireflies or lightning bugs. As a kid, chasing the gentle glowing bugs flying in seemingly random bobbing path was the next activity to prolong time outside.
Just as darkness started to fall and make batted balls or flying frisbees too hard to see and catch, along would come the green glowing orbs. That would add at least another 30 minutes of outside play to the day, catching and releasing them out of a jar.
Fireflies typically appear in Southwest Ohio in early June, but it can depend on the weather and temperature. I’m sure that Bill Felker of Poor Will’s Almanac has precise dates of the insect’s first appearance each season near Yellow Springs. I don’t have that, just a recollection of a now deleted text I sent to my daughter about seeing the first one of the season in early May, and how it seemed really early.
Read the complete article here: Fireflies typically appear in SW Ohio in early June, but it can depend on weather, temps
“I got one!” If ever a kid says that without the exclamation mark when they have their first fish on the line it will be the first. There’s something about the tug on the line and the unknown at the other end that generates excitement and smiles. Taking a kid fishing is an introduction to a pastime they can enjoy for a lifetime. It teaches patience and focus without a screen, creates a literal connection to the world around them, and introduces basic conservation concepts.
With summer break starting soon for area schools, now is a great time to take a kid fishing or plan a future outing.
To make that first trip successful, keep a couple of things in mind. First of all, keep it simple. Pick an accessible location nearby. You don’t want to spend more time driving than fishing, and you don’t want the time of the outing to exceed attention or energy spans. And remember, for at least the first couple of times, if not years, you’re taking a kid fishing, not going fishing with a kid. Focusing your attention on them and their experience will make it more fun for everyone.
“What’s that weird abuzzing noise?” asked our family’s Spanish exchange student in the middle of a wiffle ball game. “What noise?” I responded, not hearing any noises I considered strange. Then it buzzed again.
“Oh, that’s just a cicada,” I replied.
While cicadas provide familiar summer background noise in Southwest Ohio, the periodical cicadas go beyond the term “just.” It’s amazing. Flash forward a couple of decades and I was reminded of the fact that this doesn’t happen everywhere. A French colleague was visiting our headquarters in Cincinnati during brood XVI’s last arrival and was amazed. There is a lot to take in.
Read the complete article, Bugging Out, here:
And stay tuned for some possible data crunching on the impacts cicada's have on the area: https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/bugging-out-cicada-brood-xiv-is-back-in-sw-ohio-very-soon/JVMEHPM745DF3G7Y25EKD4HEPM/
“Go for a walk.” That’s advice my mom would give for any number of situations, and it’s great advice.
If you can, walking provides a range of benefits, from resetting and clearing your head to discovering new things to promoting physical health — all good things. I think most mothers would approve.
While you could just step outside your front door and start walking, Southwest Ohio offers interesting paths and trails within minutes of anywhere. There is everything from garden paths with manicured surroundings to more wild routes with some elevation changes. There are several trails that include views of the area waterfalls. Note that water flow can vary by season and conditions at some locations.
I might or might not have set expectations too high at an unnamed local waterfall that was very different between early spring and the summer.
Here are some reliable favorites:
Sugar Creek Park
In an environment where many things have been removed and or replaced, there’s something about a 580-year-old oak tree that puts the world in perspective. You can see that and a variety of other landscapes, including tall grass prairie in Sugar Creek Park southeast of Dayton. https://www.metroparks.org/places-to-go/sugarcreek/
Snyder Park Gardens and Arboretum
Located on the site of the former Snyder Park Golf Course in Springfield, the Snyder Park Gardens and Arboretum combines the efforts of the Ohio State University Extension and Master Gardener Volunteers of Clark County. The results are demonstration, teaching, and display gardens, as well as a Victory Garden that produces fruits and vegetables to donate to the local community. https://ntprd.org/snyder-park/#1486322920016-4732a6f3-1199
Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve
Following 2 miles of the Little Miami State and Scenic River as it cuts a narrow canyon through bedrock near Clifton. Clifton Gorge State Nature Preserve offers 268 acres of unique flora and fauna. Always noticeably cooler than much of the surrounding area, the north-facing slopes “provide a cool, moist environment for northern species including hemlock, red baneberry, Canada yew, arbor vitae and mountain maple,” according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources website. https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/clifton-gorge-state-nature-preserve
See more and read the complete article here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/take-moms-advice-and-go-for-a-hike-check-out-these-interesting-sw-ohio-paths-and-trails-within-minutes-of-anywhere/AZGFNRXUOZEXNPHMEB6KBJ5CX4/
“Where’s my drink?” That’s what my neighbor said, in what I interpreted as an accusatory tone. “I left it here,” he said. “It’s always here, you #@$% slacker.” That’s when I knew it was time to fix my thirsty visitor his favorite cocktail and hang the hummingbird feeder by the deck for the season.
To say that hummingbirds are unique in the avian world is an understatement. We’ll start with the physical attributes. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbird species native to Ohio, are small. Adults weigh less than an ounce with a body length between 3 and 3 ¾ inches. Their wingspan maxes out at 4 ¾ inches. There are native insects with a bigger profile. They are a sort of olive colored back and wings, with a lighter belly. Males have a prominent red patch on their throat, hence the name.
Resources
Hummingbird Migration Tracker
https://www.hummingbirdcentral.com/hummingbird-migration-spring-2025-map.htm
Identification and facts
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/birds/ruby-throated-hummingbird
What to Put in the Feeder
Make a simple syrup of sugar and water at ratio of 1:4 respectively. DO NOT PUT DYE OR COLORING IN YOUR NECTAR.
Where to put the feeder
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| Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash |
Or maybe a rake. Or even a stick. The creation by planting Leopold spoke of isn’t limited to trees, and you don’t need 80 acres in Wisconsin or to wait decades for a stand of pine trees. Yes, large blocks of acreage matter and are necessary. We need those. That doesn’t mean that smaller spaces don’t matter or that they can’t contribute to the end goal: increasing habitat. That forgotten corner of a field or backyard, or even an ignored flower bed can make a difference, even this year.
Learn more in my column on the Dayton Daily News site: Celebrate Earth Day by preparing your own yard to be a habitat
Find plans
Ohio Native Plant Month - https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden
Pheasants Forever offers a free PDF download of instructions for organic site prep for any season: https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/resources/64/organic%20site%20preparation.pdf
Find seeds
https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/store/items/OH/
https://www.gardenia.net/guide/great-pollinator-plants-for-ohio
Resources
Register your pollinator garden to help Ohio studies and research https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden
Find Events
Marianist Environmental Education Center - Gardening with native plants hands-on workshop. April 26, 9:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m.
Carolyn Kimes Tree Seedling Giveaway at 2nd Street Market - Free deciduous and coniferous tree seedlings, first come, first serve while supplies last. April 26, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=S165&api=programs&type=program
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| Photo by Alexandria Szakacs on Unsplash |
Back to Balance
Over centuries and millennia, through weather events and changes, environments have developed interdependent cycles of life. From soil to plant to pollinator to prey, one doesn’t exist without the other, including humans. Invasive plants can be a stick in the spoke of the local cycles, throwing things out of balance and wrecking the natural order. Often showing up earlier and staying later in the seasons, invasives can take over any available space and crowd out our original neighbors. Three of the most notorious offenders in Southwest Ohio are garlic mustard, amur honeysuckle, and Bradford (callery) pear.
What can you do? Check out this article in its entirety: Garlic mustard, honeysuckle, Bradford pear: Invasive plants need to be evicted
Upcoming Events and Other Ways You Can Make Way for Ohio Plants
April Ohio Native Plant Month
https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/
April 14th - Garlic Mustard Challenge
Fill bags of garlic mustard and earn swag from National Trails Parks and Recreation
https://ntprd.org/garlic-mustard-challenge-2025/
April 19th - Carolyn Kimes Tree Seedling Give Away
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the 2nd Street Market https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=S54&api=programs&type=program
List of Ohio Native Plant Suppliers
https://www.ohionativeplantmonth.org/native-plant-sources
Don’t Plant/Get Rid of These Invasive Plants List
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/invasive-plants/callery-pear
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| Photo by Olivia Brewer on Unsplash |
Adding Up the Challenges
Hunters have to not only convince a gobbler to leave his harem, something he’s not want to do, but to come into effective shotgun or archery range of around 35 yards. They have to remain virtually motionless to avoid detection by some of the most powerful eyes in nature while those same eyes are searching for the source of the sound to add to his harem. Other than calling, they must remain silent and undetected by other turkeys in the area, lest they sound the alarm. Lastly, they have to position themselves for a shot without being detected.
Nearly Lost
Change was the word at the turn of the last century. In 1903, as the Wright Brothers were taking to the skies, populations of some birds were decidedly not. The last wild passenger pigeon was shot in 1900 in Southern Ohio. Heath hen numbers hung by a thread in the low hundreds on the east coast. And in 1904, through lost habitat and over-harvest, wild turkeys were eliminated from Ohio. Fortunately, turkey habitat came back, better regulations were established, and reintroduction by the Ohio Division of Wildlife began in the 1950s. By 1966, a limited season was allowed in nine counties. In 1999, wild turkeys were found in all 88 counties, and the spring season was open statewide in 2000. It has been open across the state since.
Get Ready Now
The 2025 Turkey season in southwest Ohio kicks off with a weekend youth season on April 12 and 13th, followed by the general season opening April 19th and running through May 18th. The limit is one bearded gobbler per year.
Read the Complete Dayton Daily News column here: Talking turkey — months before Thanksgiving
Getting Started Hunting Turkeys
National Wild Turkey Foundation
Barry Bales - Obsessed Turkey Hunter
Side Note: Myth Busters
Not the Founding Father’s Other Choice
Morel mushrooms, properly “Morchella” are fungi that appear in the spring across the northern hemisphere, but especially drive “mushroom hunters” near mad in the Midwest. Trespassing. Camouflage. Cash under the table. Missed work.
Because they’re delicious. They’re prized by French and Catalan chefs. Here in SW Ohio, if you’re in the right spot at the right time, they can be plentiful and not too difficult to find. The right place at the right time is the trick. While you might get an experienced morel hunter to help with the timing, don’t expect directions or holding hands to their best spots.
Read the complete article here:
Morel mushrooms, nature’s spring morsels, drive locals crazy
Image: creative commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morel_Mushrooms.jpg#filelinks
It looks innocent. Just a mid-size bushy shrub with arching branches 6-20 feet, with white flowers in early spring, red berries in the fall, and holding green leaves into near winter. I’m sure that’s why the Amur honeysuckle (honeysuckle) was brought from Asia and Europe in the 1800s as an ornamental plant and arrived in Southern Ohio in the 1950s. Growing quickly and easily nearly anywhere they find an opening was also seen as a positive. It’s not. It needs to be locked up in Ohio and organizations are calling on citizens to arrest the spread. And you don't need anymore authority than Gomer Pyle had in Mayberry.
Honeysuckle in Ohio creates a variety of issues for native plants, animals, and even people, making it a multiple offender. Their ability to proliferate through birds carrying fruit coupled with a fast growth rate means that they can take over an area in the blink of an eye. They’re the classic example of if you give an inch they’ll take the fence row. And that’s what’s happening.
Don’t look now, but if they say you’re always within (pick some arbitrary distance) of a spider, here’s another example of animal proximity that's an actual fact. At some point between now and May you'll probably be within 15 minutes of a swimming Rainbow trout. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources annual spring trout stockings started last week and continue into May, releasing 85,000 Rainbow trout across Ohio including 20 different lakes and ponds in SW Ohio.
The goal is to provide enhanced fishing opportunities and access to fish with “high rates of angler success and harvest.” The bodies of water were chosen for the accessibility that they offer residents. That means no matter where you live in the area, trout are already in or coming to a waterway near you.
Read the complete article in the Dayton Daily News here:
https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and-apply/hunting-fishing-boating/fishing-resources/trout-stockings
ADAMS LAKE, Adams Co., 3/14/2025
RUSH RUN WA POND, Preble Co., 3/17/2025
DARKE WA POND W4F3, Darke Co., 3/20/2025
PATTISON PARK, Clermont Co., 3/21/2025
ENGLEWOOD NORTH PARK POND, Montgomery Co., 3/21/2025
COWAN LAKE YOUTH POND, Clinton Co., 3/22/2025
SYCAMORE STATE PARK POND (SMALL), Montgomery Co., 3/25/2025
SYCAMORE STATE PARK POND (LARGE), Montgomery Co., 3/25/2025
TAWAWA LAKE, Shelby Co., 3/26/2025
RESERVES PARK, Butler Co.,, 3/27/2025
TAYLORSVILLE POPLAR CREEK POND, Montgomery Co., 3/27/2025
CLARK LAKE, Clark Co., 4/3/2025
DEER RUN-SYMMES TOWNSHIP POND, Hamilton Co., 4/12/2025
HOME OF THE BRAVE PARK POND, Hamilton Co., 4/12/2025
ROCKY FORK SOUTH BEACH POND, Highland Co., 4/12/2025
CRYSTAL LAKE, Preble Co., 4/12/2025
DAVIS LAKE, Auglaize Co., 4/14/2025
HARMONY LAKE, Highland Co., 4/26/2025
CAESAR CREEK YOUTH POND, Warren Co., 4/26/2025
MOUNTS PARK POND (SMALL), Warren Co., 5/3/2025
District Location Directions
Adams Lake (West Union): From West Union, follow SR 41 east/north 1.5 miles to the Adams Lake State Park entrance on the left.
Caesar Creek Youth Pond (Waynesville): From Waynesville, take OH-73 east about 3.5 miles to the Caesar Creek State Park entrance and turn left and follow the signs to the Youth Fishing Pond.
Clark Lake (Springfield): From the Springfield area, take I-70 east to the US 40 exit. Follow US 40 east for just 0.1 mile, and turn left (north) on Bowman Road. Follow Bowman Road about 1.2 miles to Old Columbus Road. Turn right (east), and follow Old Columbus Road one mile to Vernon Asbury Road. Turn left (north) on Vernon Asbury Road, and the entrance to Clark Lake is ahead on the right.
Cowan Lake Youth Pond (Wilmington): From Wilmington take US-68 south/S. South Street, in 6 miles turn right onto US-350 west, turn right on Beechwood Road, turn left onto Yankee Road, turn right on the next road and follow to the parking lot adjacent to the Park’s Storybook Trail.
Crystal Lake (Eaton): From the Eaton main intersection of Main Street (US-35) and S. Barron Street (US-127) take S. Barron Street South, turn right on W. Wadsworth Street to Water Street. Pond is directly ahead.
Darke WA Pond W4F3 (Greenville): From Greenville take US-36 east about 5 miles, turn left on New Harrison Bradford Road, in 0.6 miles turn left into wildlife area to parking lot adjacent to the pond.
Davis Lake, (15500 Saint Marys River Road): From US 33 and SR 66 in St. Marys, head north on SR 66 for two miles. Turn left onto Glynwood Road. Follow Glynwood Road. for two miles, then turn left onto St. Marys River Road. The entrance to the lake will be .5 mile on the left.
Deer Run – Symmes Township Park Pond (11600 N. Lebanon Road, Loveland): From Loveland area head west on West Loveland Ave., turn right on North Loveland Drive, turn right into Symmes Township Park.
Englewood North Park (500 Old Springfield Rd., Vandalia): From I-75 take US-40 West for 8 miles to Frederick Pike, turn left on Antioch School Road, turn right on Kley Road which turns into Old Springfield Road, turn left into park, pond on the left (east side) is trout stocking location.
Harmony Lake-Liberty Park (201 Diamond Drive, Hillsboro): From Hillsboro (US-50/Main Street and US-62/High Street) head north on US-62 for 2.5 miles to Diamond Drive, turn right and follow road past the Highland County YMCAto the pond.
Home of the Brave Park Pond (Loveland): From Loveland area head west on West Loveland Ave., Turn right on North Loveland Drive, turn left into Home of the Brave Park, follow road to the back parking lot.
Mounts Park Pond (4851 Stubbs Mill Road, Morrow): From South Lebanon take SR-48 South to East Mason Morrow Millgrove Road and turn left, in 2 miles turn left on Stubbs Mill Road, in 0.5 miles turn right into park, the trout are stocked in the smaller pond just West of the baseball fields.
Pattison Park Pond (2228 US-50, Batavia, OH 45103): From Batavia take OH-132 north for 1.7 miles, turn left on Benton Road for 1.4 miles, then turn right onto US-50 east for about 0.5 miles to the park entrance on the left.
Reserves Park Pond (5119 Grandin Ridge Dr, Liberty Township): From Hamilton take OH-129 east, take exit 21 for OH-747 toward Middletown/Springdale, turn left onto OH-747 N, turn right at the 2nd cross street onto Grandin Ridge Drive, park entrance will be on the right.
Rocky Fork – South Beach Pond (Hillsboro): From Hillsboro take OH-124 East about 6 miles, turn left onto Chestnut Road, in about 2 miles turn left onto Blue Ribbon Road which ends at the pond.
Rush Run Wildlife Area Pond (Somerville): From Germantown, follow SR 725 west to Gratis. Continue west on SR 725 another 3.7 miles to Wayne Trace Road. Turn left (south), follow Wayne Trace Road 3.5 miles to Northern Road. Turn right (west), follow Northern Road about 1.5 miles to gravel parking. Follow posted signs from gravel lot along path to the pond. No parking in the Wildlife Area Office/maintenance building area.
Sycamore State Park Lake & Pond (Dayton): From Trotwood, take Wolf Creek Pike west about 2.8 miles to Diamond Mill Road. Turn right (north), follow Diamond Mill Road about 0.5 mile to Providence Road. Turn left (west), follow Providence Road about 0.5 mile, and turn left into the entrance for the Overlook Picnic Area.
Tawawa Lake (Sidney): From I-75 and SR 29 interchange, take SR 29 east about 2.2 miles to downtown Sidney. Follow SR 29 east across the Great Miami River. Turn left onto SR 47 East/North. Follow SR 47 one half mile, and turn right onto Tawawa Drive at Tawawa Park.
Taylorsville Poplar Creek Pond (7790 Johnson Station Road, Vandalia): From I-70 take Old Troy Pike (SR-202) south, turn right on Taylorsville Road which turns into Rip Rap Road, turn right onto Little York Road, turn right onto Johnson Station Road (S Cassel Road), park entrance is about 0.5 miles on the right.
Did that big buck make it? That’s what many wildlife watchers and deer hunters want to know as winter ends. Did the buck they were watching make it through the season? Finding an antler can answer that question.
Whitetail deer throughout the state typically cast off or “shed” their antlers beginning in February and accelerating through March. Their heads are bare until later in the spring when they start regrowing their annual headgear. Before that growth starts, it can be hard to identify individual animals, especially at a distance. If you have the antler, you know he is still around. Finding that can inspire wildlife watchers and fire a hunter’s dreams with plans for the coming fall. Searching for them gives a spring walk purpose, so much so that it’s become a hobby for many.
Read the complete article on the Dayton Daily News Digital site here:
Humans have been actively working to increase the odds of the fish being where they are for years. In Ohio, what is now the London Fish Hatchery was built in 1896 by the Ohio Fish Commission, a predecessor to the Division of Wildlife. It’s the oldest of six hatcheries managed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
According to a recent news release, in 2024 the division introduced 46 million fish into Ohio lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. When you’re planning fishing trips, up your chances by going where the fish are.
Search where Ohio Hatcheries have stocked fish here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/data.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/data/view/ohio-fish-stocking-records__;!!JZyed81S!ljd7cS-WIUH8qPYyw9iK1CjLrcsvD_fUDftX-0UcEtP9lLLdSxOhU4irzZQu1h6wx2wNcwRo-gGaAzeEOZTP$
You can read more in the complete article here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/fish-where-the-fish-are-hatcheries-have-multiple-purposes-in-ohio/GUJPNWBMMRCBXOZAI3MO3MV6XI/
Learn more about Ohio Fish Hatcheries Here:
https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/fish-management/State%20Fish%20Hatcheries%20pub011.pdf
Cardinals. Robins. Sparrows. Most birds have a lot of similarities. They have a recognizable shape. They whistle, sing or chirp. The fly from branch to branch and live a pretty ordinary bird-type of life. Then there's the American Woodcock. Although not rare, they are strange.
.jpg "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_woodcock_in_Bryant_Park_%2854062%29.jpg")
The preceding was an excerpt from The American Woodcock is an exotic bird visiting Ohio, published in the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News Sun, and Butler Journal.
Resources:
https://www.woodcockmigration.org/migration.html
https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/program_number=S39&api=programs&type=program
https://ohiodnr.gov/home/news-and-events/all-events
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97nnyyvXzmA&t=100s
Interesting American Woodcock Nicknames:
We know, or think we know some things about how birds navigate using magnetic fields and possibly smells. But the magnetic signals are really weak, and birds without it still manage. Scent we're not sure. Here's a fascinating listen into another possible way migratory birds might navigate. I have to say that I like the idea of calibrating their system with the sunset ... I think Andrew Huberman might agree.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7gk2iSvGmVw0tLnCrCR1zA?si=27a1d51b86d0457a
The following is an excerpt of an article originally published in the Dayton Daily News, Springfield News Sun, and Journal News.
Some of my favorite annual outings used to be the tail end of Ohio’s October-to-February Ruffed Grouse season. I’ve seen reports that hunter success was greatest in October and February in that stretch. This hunter’s efforts were not an additive factor to grouse mortality.
A snowy weekday outing stands out in memory. We left with an empty game bag, but an exhausted dog and a satisfied hunter.
That’s not an available option anymore. Beginning from a peak in the 1980s, Ohio’s Ruffed Grouse jumped the track on the bust of a 10-year boom-bust cycle and never boomed again. In 2009, the month of February was dropped from the season. Later changes were made eliminating most of January.
This most recent season was confined to one month — from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1 — with a daily limit of 1 bird, in select counties only. There were questions if there should be a season at all. In this way, the Ruffed Grouse has followed a very similar path in Ohio to the Bobwhite Quail.
Read the complete article here: Ignore the cold weather and get outside: It’s Cottontail rabbit season and fish runs in the local rivers start soon
Resources Cited in Article:
