The River Runs Straight Through It

50 years ago, “A River Runs Through It” by author Norman Maclean was published. A semi-auto biographical take on his life in Montana, it brought trout fishing as a near religious experience to new audiences.

In 1992, Robert Redford put the book on the big screen. With Brad Pitt in focus and the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, it struck the imaginations of thousands that would never pick up an issue of Field and Stream and had never heard of Orvis, and changed trout fishing in the American West forever.

In Ohio, the Mad River has become the premier cold-water fishery in Ohio. But it has taken some work. For years, point source discharges were a major factor in water quality. From inadequate public and private sewage treatment facilities, past livestock farms south to industrial plants in Springfield, the Mad received a steady deluge of everything no one else wanted. 

Today, the challenges are different. 

Read the complete column here:

How Ohio's Mad River became the state's premier trout stream

How you can help

Check out the Trout Unlimited Mad River Chapter website for details about these upcoming events.

Mad River Water Quality Monitoring 
9 a.m. - West Liberty Park

• August 22, 2026
• October 10, 2026

International Fly Fishing Film Festival (IF4) (fundraiser)

Nocterra Brewing in Powell, Ohio 

Time: 5:30 p.m. October 16, 2026

Mad River Cleanup 
9 a.m. October 17, 2026

Meet at the US36 bridge over Mad River. Teams will disperse to pickup litter at assigned sites from the north side of West Liberty Park in Logan County to Mad River Gorge Park in Clark County, west of Springfield.

Trout Unlimited Mad River

https://tumadriver.org/

Smoke, Fire, Haze, and Regrowth

 You couldn’t miss it. Either inside on the news or outside on the horizon, the haze created by northern wildfires hundreds of miles from Ohio was unavoidable. While often reports on events are over blown, that wasn’t the case this time. Fire has always been a shaping force on the environment, and that was definitely happening in Canada and Minnesota.

Fires from lightning have been a natural part of the environment forever, and have been started by people for thousands of years. Ecosystems have developed alongside them, creating a rhythm of growth and renewal. In the west, for example, stands of ponderosa pine trees relied on a burn cycle of one every 5 to 25 years. That frequency at a relatively low burn intensity cleared grasses and smaller trees enough to create mixed-age forest stands. 

Read the complete column here: Wildfire Haze Carries Lessons

Participate and learn more about fire and wildlife habitat in Ohio.

The Five Rivers Metroparks and Ohio Division of Wildlife, along with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, are hosting "A Day in the Uplands Workshop Series." The next event, Prescribed Fire & Pollinators, is scheduled for 9 a.m. - 2 pm Saturday, August 15. It will include a 1.5 mile walk through high-quality habitat with a discussion of the methods used to achieve. The event is free but registration is required. 

https://events.pheasantsforever.org/events/prescribed-fire-pollinators---landowner-workshop/a64dcc87-0a42-4904-923e-64cca89fc357 

Additionally, Pheasants Forever recently created Habitat University, a collection of free online courses related to habitat and land management. The Five Rivers Metro parks offers a variety of classes throughout the year, including prescribed fire instruction. 

Resources and Events

Conservation for Kids- presented by Mercer County Pheasants Forever

8:30 a.m. Saturday, August  8

Celina, OH

Field Dog First Aid Seminar Presented By Mercer County Pheasants Forever

3 p.m. Saturday, August 15

Fishing Patience Doesn't Have to Be Passive

 I get it. Fishing might seem boring to some people. The historic image of a man in a straw hat napping on the shore with a bamboo pole seems about as close to doing nothing as one can get. I think there's a time for that.

At the polar opposite are modern big-money fishing tournaments with triple-digit horsepower motors pushing purpose-built boats to the next casting spot. The mission there is “more and faster.” There's a time for that as well. But neither of these methods teaches one of the greatest lessons in the outdoors: patience.

Read the complete column here: Patience is Fishing's Lesson

Challenge for America’s 250th

When this country’s first 13 colonies declared independence from Britain 250 years ago in 1776, it probably didn’t make the local news here in the “Ohio Country” as the colonists would refer to it. Indigenous people, including Shawnee, Delaware, Mingo and Wyandot, were the only inhabitants and they likely had other things to do. But they would be impacted soon enough, as the area and alliances were drawn into the war.

Read the complete column here: Hike into Ohio's Past

Hiking Ohio 250

To celebrate the country's 250th birthday and the history of hiking in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) presents the America Hikes 250 Challenge. It offers two go-at-your-own pace ways to participate by hiking at one of the areas managed by the ODNR and tracking activity through a mobile app. There’s a family-friendly 25-mile version and a “this will take some doing " 250-mile option. Now, roughly halfway to the cutoff date of Dec. 31, 2026, there is still plenty of time to plan for and accomplish the goals.

For more information and to find the app, visit the ODNR website and search for Ohio State Parks OuterSpatial Digital Passport Challenge https://ohiodnr.gov/

Wild areas near you

If you haven’t been to an Ohio State Park recently or ever. You should. There are all types of trails available that cover all types of terrain and difficulty. Here’s a quick list of potential options to start the challenge or just enjoy. I didn’t do all of the math, but it should be possible to complete even the 250 challenge without leaving the area. 

Buck Creek State Park

Multiple trails up to 7.5 miles

Caesar Creek

Multiple trails up to 15.3 miles

Cowan Lake

Recommended Route- 1 Mile Loop

East Fork State Park

Multiple Trails up to 33 miles

Grand Lake St. Mary's

Multiple trails up to  1.7 Miles

Great Council

Recommended Route- Blackfish Path

Hueston Woods

Multiple trails up to 2.2 miles

Indian Lake

Multiple trails up to 3.5 miles

John Bryan

Multiple trails up to 3.5 Miles

Kiser Lake

Multiple Trails up to 3.3 miles

If that gets you motivated to explore more, there is also a challenge to visit all 76 Ohio state parks available in the app or in a printed booklet version. On June 13th, Cyndi Griffith became the first person to complete the digital version of the passport. 

For more information and to find the app, visit the ODNR website and search for Ohio State Parks OuterSpatial Digital Passport Challenge https://ohiodnr.gov/

European Starling - Not Wanted - And on the Worlds Worst List

 

The summer solstice had barely passed, and we were within the first week of July when I saw them. It was July 7th this year, to be exact. The first day I noticed what I take to be a sign of Autumn: multiple family groups of European Starlings, or a “murmur” as a flock of starlings is called. It was way too early for me to think about fall. But here they were in early July, in the hundreds blanketing the neighborhood. As the name, European Starling suggests, they’re not native to the US, but they are certainly here. I wish they would pack up and just go.

New York, New York, if they can make it there … 

There is debate about whether their introduction was inspired by a desire to ensure every bird mentioned in Shakespeare's works was released in the United States. But for sure, eccentric New York pharmacist Eugene Schieffelin, was involved at some level. Part of the American Acclimatization Society, a group of wealthy New Yorkers who sought to trade and introduce European flora and fauna, he released 100 starlings into Central Park in 1890. Unfortunately, releasing new species onto the landscape that were deemed “useful or interesting,” or that just reminded them of the homeland, was a common practice at the time. There wasn’t a full understanding of the impact they might have.

Read the complete column here: You've Probably Seen this Noisy Invasive Bird

Resources

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/European-Starlings-WDM-Technical-Series.pdf

https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-1533.07

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Acclimatization_Society

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_of_the_World%27s_Worst_Invasive_Alien_Species

Download Starling BB Gun Target Here

Eagles Soaring Over Ohio

“I know something you don’t know,” isn’t the gleeful greeting you expect from someone well past elementary school, never mind retirement. And in reality, there are a lot of things I don’t know and I expect that everyone knows things that I don’t. But it didn’t bother me because it was too big a secret for them to hold very long. That’s kind of typical with that phrase.

Read the complete column here: National Symbol Soaring High in the Miami Valley

Where to see Bald Eagles

You could see an eagle literally anywhere in Southwest Ohio. Immature Bald Eagles can be difficult to differentiate from a Golden Eagle, but there’s no mistaking the adults. 

• C.J. Brown Reservoir 
• Great Miami River near Carillon Blvd
• Any major body of water

Little Miami Conservancy Bald Eagle Nest Cam - Live YouTube stream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHOdKaPsFk8

Resources

https://ohiodnr.gov/ and search for eagles

https://www.history.com/articles/how-did-the-bald-eagle-become-americas-national-bird

Better Sunsets

 I love watching the sun rise and set. The color shifts and ombres are unique. I’m always glad that I can see them, and miss them when I can’t see them, to the point that at times my digital photo folders are too full of sunset pictures.

I also feel a little sorry for those who can’t see them, and slightly jealous of creatures that see them better, even if it’s just imagining what they see. It all comes down to the number of light-sensing rods and color-detecting cones.

Read the complete column: The Science Behind a Great Sunset

Beavers - Reshaping Edges and Water

 KERSPLASH!

We were quietly casting jitterbugs after sunset towards the shore of what was an Ohio Power (now American Electric Power (AEP)) pond when it sounded like someone had lobbed a bowling ball into the water towards our jon boat. We were fairly remote, and there weren’t any other campers around. Flashlights didn’t reveal Bigfoot on the bank. No trees had fallen into the water. Back to fishing, working our way around, and it happened again. Then again.

We retired for the night, knowing something was out there. But it was the 1970s, and there was no internet available to search “big splash at night.” Also, no cellphones to call for help if it were an escaped convict or locals trying to scare us away from their favorite lake. ’70s TV and Scooby Do will make a kid think that way. Turns out it was a local family trying to scare us away — a family of beavers.

Read the complete column: Beavers Making the World a Wetter Place

New Tick in Town

Being outdoors in southwest Ohio has its blessings. While we don’t have snowcapped mountains or sweeping oceans, it’s also relatively safe. Walking outside doesn’t mean prepping against a host of lethal things trying to stick, sting, bite, or eat you immediately. There are no alligators in the pond. Poisonous snakes are rare. Maybe an occasional bear wandering through. For the most part, we deal with minor annoyances that have existed for centuries, probably led by mosquitoes.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be cautious and prepare for what is out there. In Ohio, it’s often not an immediate, imminent danger that gets us; it’s the later consequences of insect encounters. Lyme disease, carried by blacklegged or deer ticks, has been around for centuries and has become more common as deer and human populations have grown and shifted. I’ll go ahead and throw honeysuckle amur under the bus with that one as well.

Read the complete column here: Lone Star Tick

Summer Fishing School

 

Sometime during my elementary school years, a guy built a pond on his land in the middle of our neighborhood. I don’t know all of what was said or discussed about having a pond in the middle of a neighborhood, but I’m sure it was a lot. But he did it anyway. And there it was.

It was private property, in complete view of his house and anyone driving by. If someone was fishing, you’d see them, but there never was. Rumor was that it was stocked with fish, but no one was allowed.

One of those things turned out to be true one summer.

Read the complete column here: Local Events to Get Kids Fishing

Quiet Neighbors - Grey Rat Snakes

“If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you.” That’s great advice and a truism for almost all wildlife, something even a four-year-old can recognize. It’s especially true for Ohio’s longest reptile, the Grey Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus), previously called the Black Ratsnake. Recent advancements in genetic research have led to a deeper understanding of snake evolution and the differences between the 10 recognized species in North America, and a subsequent name change.

The young are light gray with a series of dark brown or black markings on their back. As they mature, they turn to solid black or dark gray with a lighter or yellowish belly. They are commonly found between 42 and 72 inches long, but can reach 8 feet. That will get anyone’s attention.

Read the complete column here: Average Guys Outdoors: Why Ohio’s Grey Ratsnakes are good neighbors

Side note: getting bit by any wildlife will stick in a 4-year-old or even younger child's mind for a long time. Just so you know. 

Resources

If you’ve never seen one and want to, local nature centers are a great place to guarantee a sighting. The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery has one, CJ, that celebrated its 15th birthday last July.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/reptiles-amphibians/gray-ratsnake 

Boonshoft Museum - https://boonshoft.org/ 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Reptile Field Guide  - https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/wildlife/documents-publications/backyard-wildlife-documents 

https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Pub%205354_Reptiles%20of%20Ohio%20Field%20Guide.pdf 

Miles for May

 It’s been technically “spring” for weeks now, but we’re just now passing into the frost free zone in Southwest Ohio. The morning chill is less biting and the afternoon highs haven’t pick up the humidity to come later. Tucked beneath a canopy of trees or out an in an open meadow you, you’ll find relatively pleasant temperatures. You can also find the nations largest paved trail network - more than 350 miles across the Miami Valley - as well as hundreds of miles unpaved routes through a variety of local, county, and state parks. 

The Miamivalleytrails.org website detailing connections and the miles and miles of trails, many of which were part of the rails to trails program. Those routes follow former railroad tracks now turned into paths for public use. With relatively minimal grade, they make for easy walking or peddaling while connecting local communities throughout the area. From short walking jaunts downtown to extended cross-county cycling journies, they offer low resistance, self-propelled travel options, and show the areas dedication to the outdoors.

Read the complete column here: 

https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/average-guy-outdoors-miami-valley-touts-350-miles-of-trails/article_2bfec1a1-b732-5e1f-846b-3d069b8587f5.html

SW Ohio Trail Events

If you like your events more social, or sociable, and with rewards, you’re in luck. There are a variety of options, much more than I can list here. Check local websites for details, but here are a couple that standout. 

America Hikes 250

To celebrate the countries 250th birthday, the Ohio Department of offers the America Hikes 250 Challenges. It has two go-at-your-own-pace options of completing 25 or 250 total miles before Dec. 31, 2016. Participation is through the outerspatial app and you choose the routes and dates. https://ohiodnr.gov 

Five Rivers Metro Park - 2026 Trail Challenge

Throughout Montgomery County, Five Rivers offers 28 new trails to explore an win prizes at your own pace. Tail length varies from 0.5 to 5.5 miles, and must be completed before Oct. 31, 2026. https://www.metroparks.org/trailschallenge

Twin Valley Trail Challenge

Looking for bigger challenge? Go long with the Twin Valley Trail challenge, on Saturday, June 6th, hiking anywhere from 1 to 28.7 miles. Preregestration required. 

https://www.metroparks.org/twin-valley-trail-challenge/

Fishing Update - What they’re hitting

Matching river conditions now is key. Shaun Gardner used a slow approach with jigs, tubes and ned rigs to land 81.25 inches of fish, winning round 2 of 2nd NAPRA Elite Stage 2 event held on Greenville Creek on Sunday, May 3. 

Morels Are Where you find them

“If you get out, you’ll find them.”

That’s what Clark County morel mushroom hunter Jim Neff told me. It’s great this year, with the big yellows starting now. If we get some rain, they will really pop,” he said. “But I bet if you go look right now, you’d find some.” If you haven’t looked already, the time is now.

What’s the big deal?Backing up just slightly, Morel mushrooms are easily identified seasonal mushrooms. They are commonly referred to by their top colors. The stalks are always light in color, white, cream or beige. The tops of true morels are attached to the stalk at the base, making them complete and hollow if cut in half lengthwise.

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/morel-season-is-here-how-to-find-and-identify-the-prized-spring-mushrooms/article_d4ca0067-88d2-411f-a10e-c832a758c4b0.html

Missing Disturbances

They blocked out the sun. That’s a phrase writers in the 1800s used to describe several natural events, including migrations of passenger pigeons, Carolina parakeets, and Rocky Mountain locust. All of which were extinct a relatively short time later.

The environment is always changing, going through a series of contractions and renewals. Change happens; the problem is when the contraction of one area goes too far to allow a following expansion. If the landscape gets too fragmented or a population of a species becomes too small, the cycle can’t be completed. The result is visibly less diversity, but the impact on the future could put even more species at risk.

Read the complete column, Creating Natural Positive Change

Photo: https://www.audubon.org/sites/default/files/boa/illustration/plate-62-passenger-pigeon.jpg

My nest box brings all the birds to the yard

Spring is officially here, according to the calendar. While the weather in Southwest Ohio will do what it does, meaning whatever it wants, the changes outside are going to progress rapidly.

In just a blink of an eye, trees will be filled with leaves and freezing temperatures behind us. Now is the time to take care of outdoor chores to benefit both the environment and so that you can enjoy the outdoors later.

Get those bird houses and feeders ready: Spring brings the feathered friends to the yard

Nest Box Plans from Ohio Division of Wildlife

Resources and events

Pearmegeddon - Butler County

https://bit.ly/4sqf1w3 

Signs of Spring - Five Rivers Metro Parks - Montgomery County - Conservation Kids Series Mar. 28th 

https://bit.ly/419q1BX 

Wildflower Wander - Clark County - National Trails Parks and Recreation

https://bit.ly/4sQr5Xl 

Fullmoon Hike at Hisey Park - Warren County

https://bit.ly/4sPXLQG 

Beautiful Blooms Wildflower Tour (Adults) - Centerville Parks and Recreation, Mar. 28

https://bit.ly/4169f6K 

Wildflower Walk - Greene County

https://bit.ly/3N5Y6ja

Jeepers Peepers

Image credit: https://ohiodnr.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/f9f984f9-0e28-4586-9c15-b841fd03de19/northernspringpeeper1-HERO.jpg?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE.Z18_JQGCH4S04P41206HNUKVF31000-f9f984f9-0e28-4586-9c15-b841fd03de19-pIvo2PS

 I’ve heard, or more accurately, read, that you can hear a lion’s roar from 5 miles away. That’s pretty impressive. At 114 decibels, it’s in line with heavy machinery or a rock concert. At or close to 500 pounds for males, there is some mass behind the sound. At the other end of the size-to-sound spectrum are Northern spring peepers. 

These tiny amphibians weigh in at a minuscule 0.11 to .18 ounces and can probably sit on your thumbnail, but they give the king of the jungle a run for their money for decibels per pound. One of the first harbringers of spring, peepers can hit 90 decibels across the leafless landscape, allowing the sound to carry a great distance. That’s 4 + pounds per decibel for the lion, .002 pounds per decibel for the little frogs, if you’re keeping track. They’re like modern stereo speakers compared to the giant old hi-fi stereo speakers: small but mighty. I recall one spring several years ago. They were in a woodlot more than a ½ mile away but you’d swear they were just across the street. 

https://youtu.be/lXfmubmx-qw

Read the complete column here: These tiny frogs are ‘like modern stereo speakers’ 

Resources

March 14 - Part of Conservation Leaders series - Woodcock Walk

7:30pm - 8:30pm

AGE: 10-17 | $3.00 | Financial Assistance

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=V76&api=programs&type=program

March 21 - Part of Conservation Kids series - Woodcock Exploration

7:30pm - 8:30pm

AGE: 3-13 | FREE

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=V78&api=programs&type=program 

Resources

Lion’s Roar

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1WXqfwCNlzqwLTQfMTDSgY5/nine-roar-some-facts-about-lions 

Bellbrook Sugar Creek Parks

https://www.bellbrooksugarcreekparks.org/education/spring-peeper

Ohio DNR - Frogs

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/reptiles-amphibians/spring-peeper 

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/reptiles-amphibians/gray-treefrog

Rain, Rain, Flow Away

Spring can be the most frustrating season outdoors. Aside from really testing the theory of “no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes,” it has a way of putting what we want out of sync with what we have. The temperature might be perfect, but there’s rain. If there’s no rain, it’s cold and windy. When it’s sunny, the ground is saturated and the rivers are high and muddy. Some years the cycle seems to repeat over and over until June. If you’re looking for an excuse not do something, you’re in luck. But then there’s always a couple of days when everything is just right. Take advantage of those, but go outside whenever you have the chance. 

Ready for the Worst

While weather patterns across the country seem altered recently, thanks to the community response to the devastation of the Dayton flood of 1913, local worries about the massive flooding on that scale are tempered. From March 23rd to March 26th of that year, 8-12 inches of rain fell on Southwest Ohio ground that couldn’t absorb any more. The Great Miami River came out of its banks, destroying levees, and rising to 20 feet above normal in downtown Dayton. When the water receded, more than 360 people were left dead and scores of buildings and property destroyed. Almost immediately, engineer Arthur Morgan was hired by local leaders to design a regional flood protection system. His design won awards, and more importantly, protects the area. Records of top events show that even the biggest flows barely test the capacity of the systems in place. The Taylorsville Dam for example, has only been pushed past 10% of its capacity once since it was created. 

https://www.mcdwater.org/flood-protection/taylorsville-dam 

Read the complete column here: Rainy Season Is Here, You're Protected in Dayton

If you’re interested in learning more about the largest drainage in our area and what’s happening, the Five Rivers Metro Park is hosting an EcoTalk series that will address Fisheries and Wetland Research on March 10th. 

EcoTalk: Fisheries and Wetland Research

Mar. 10 6:00pm - 7:30pm

AGE: 12 and up | FREE

River and Floodplain Restorations in the Great Miami River Watershed

by Donnie Knight, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

Fish Management and Research in Southwest Ohio

By Mike Porto, Fisheries Biologist, ODNR - Division of Wildlife

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=V212&api=programs&type=program 

Resources

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/16/texas-flooding-houston-climate-change-disaster?CMP=share_btn_tw 

https://www.mcdwater.org/blog/history/exploregreatfloodhistory

https://www.mcdwater.org/flood-protection/englewood-dam 

https://www.mcdwater.org/maps/taylorsville-metropark 

First Robin of the Year VS First Robin of Spring

"Honest as a robin on a springtime windowsill," sang Randy Travis in the hit song, "Deeper than the Holler." Turns out the robin isn't an automatic harbinger of spring. However, that little bugger singing on your windowsill at 6 in the morning isn't a liar either. 

Some of the earliest migrators to return back to Southwest Ohio from southern climes and establish breeding territories, they’d follow food sources back. The early bird gets the worm - and the prime location. We know and associate robins and worms. At least that’s what I was taught and thought in grade school. Turns out seeing a robin after New Year's is about as good a predictor of the coming spring as a groundhog seeing its shadow, meaning not very good at all. Where they actually spend the winter is more complicated than the temperature and the calendar. 

It’s true, robins often migrate great distances. Some have been documented flying from Alaska to Mississippi. It’s also a fact that robins are found in all 48 continental United States year round, and some barely migrate at all, maybe 60 miles, maybe less. They even spend winters in Minnesota and Canada. But they don’t show up at traditional backyard winter bird feeders. When we don’t see them hopping around yards, it’s natural to assume they all flew south. The truth is, they follow the food, like just about everything else.

Read the complete column here: Seeing this bird doesn't mean winter is over

Resources

Audubon Field Guide - Hear calls here - https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/american-robin 

Are Robins Really a Sign of Spring

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/ask-kenn-are-american-robins-really-sign-of-spring

Robin Migration

https://explorer.audubon.org/explore/species/1055/american-robin/migration?_gl=1*1s8l2jj*_gcl_au*NTU3NjgyNTU1LjE3NzE4Nzk4NzY.*_ga*MTU5MjIxMTI4My4xNzcxODc5ODc3*_ga_X2XNL2MWTT*czE3NzE4Nzk4NzckbzEkZzEkdDE3NzE4ODA1NTAkajYwJGwwJGgw&layersPanel=expand&legend=collapse&zoom=2&x=-757140.2805500003&y=3649623.827899999&range=0.2346%2C0.2546 

Ohio DNR - American Robin

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/birds/american-robin 

A Starling in a Pear Tree

https://ecommons.udayton.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1346&context=uhp_theses 

100 Years of Cunning Super Genius Canis Latrans

Years ago, (let’s say late 1990’s) I was taking an early spring morning walk on the edge of a fenceline with my German Shorthaired Pointer, Eva. When a coyote popped out in front of us, maybe 60 yards from me and 30 yards from Eva, I wasn’t sure what to expect: Eva had never took a step backwards in her entire life. When the coyote bolted, she took off after it and made up the 30-yard head start in less than 100 yards. Calling her back was to no avail, so I ran too. 

I learned two things that morning. First, coyotes aren’t nearly as fast as I had expected. No wonder Wile E. Coyote can never catch the roadrunner. And two, I didn’t worry as much about encounters with single coyotes and my medium-sized dogs anymore, at least not ones traveling alone. Coyotes are survivalists, and tangling with hunting dogs isn’t smart for that objective. My perspective would change if the dog were smaller and alone, or multiple coyotes were involved.

A Century of Coyotes

Coyotes weren’t Ohio residents at the turn of the last century. The first sighting was around 1919, a handful of decades after wolves were extirpated from the state. At a time when many other wildlife populations were just beginning to recover across the state, whitetail deer for example, they walked in at an average weight of 35 pounds as the new apex predator on the block. Read the complete column here: This cunning predator has called Ohio home for 100 years

Sweet End to Winter - Maple Syrup

According to Buddy the Elf, the fourth and most natural (least processed) of the elves’ food groups is syrup.

Judging by the movie scenes, it’s maple syrup — that’s what people mean when they say syrup. It doesn’t need additional description unless it’s not maple.

And while some states to the north of Ohio have a reputation for great syrup, Southwest Ohio is no slouch. There are a number of local producers available. Starting soon or now is the time to begin tapping maple trees and collecting syrup. While I’ve never done it, it’s something within the reach of anyone with access to some maple trees, some basic tools and some time, at least according to the Ohio State Extension Office and the internet.

Check out details and a list of events here: Events highlight the local maple syrup making process

Feb. 14: Maple Celebration and Backyard Bird Count at Armco Park: warrencountyparks.com

Feb. 21: Maple Sugaring for Beginners at Caesar Creek: ohiodnr.gov

Feb. 21: Maple Sugaring at Carriage Hill Metro Park" metroparks.org

March 14: 59th Annual Maple Syrup Festival at Hueston Woods: ohiodnr.gov

Hobby maple syrup production: ohiomaple.org/documents/Hobby-Maple.pdf