You Don’t Have to Look Far to See Wildlife

Many people move around the landscape and just see cars, people, and signs of places to surrender their legal tender. Unless there is a snow-covered mountain peak, palm trees by a white-sand beach, or a herd of bison charging through the snow, they’re bored. They think nothing is happening. I feel bad for those people. While they might not see it, they’re is always something happening outside, even on the coldest days of winter.

Wanna bet? If you’re reading this in Southwest Ohio, no matter where you are, I’ll bet real money that a Whitetail deer has been within ¾ mile of you in the last 24 hours. That’s hedging my guess because I think ½ mile is the real number. Although it varies by specific locations, with estimates of deer density at 16 deer per square mile, it’s almost a given. That also means just a few days ago, somewhere nearby, a pair of bucks were fighting in the woods. In the spring, does will give birth to and raise their fawns within earshot of humans and passing cars. 

Read the complete column here: Wild Neighbors: How to Spot Wildlife Living Near Your

Aviation Trail - The Pinnacles

https://www.aviationtrailinc.org/additional-trail-sites 

Spring Valley Wildlife Area

https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/spring-valley-wildlife-area 

Field Guides and Backyard Guides

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/wildlife/documents-publications/backyard-wildlife-documents

Deer Density

https://www.bestdeerfences.com/blog/deer-population-in-us-by-state/ 

Straight Shooter for Safety

“Why?” said a deer hunter I was talking to from Missouri a few years ago, as he was baffled by an Ohio deer hunting regulation. “Why would they do such a thing?” he asked. I was talking about Ohio’s change 10 years ago to allow straight-walled rifle cartridges, a big step in accuracy and consistency from shotgun slugs, pistols, and muzzleloaders. But throughout most of the country, not allowing shouldered cartridges, including some of the most traditional calibers, the 30/30 and 30/06 for example, would feel alien to deer hunters. He couldn’t fathom hunting deer without them.

What is a Shouldered Cartridge?

Image from Ohio Department of Natural Resources 2025-26 Hunting Regulations https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/laws-regs-licenses/Ohio%20Hunting%20and%20Trapping%20Regulations%20ENGLISH.pdf 

I touched on this topic more than a decade ago, but apparently, Ohio hunters couldn't wait for the change. Sales for straight-walled cartridge rifles have soared. Cartridges available aren't just the standard high-power revolver options, but a range of new offerings created specifically for the purpose, as well as the grand daddy of them all, the 45/70. As of last year, the newly allowed rifles were second only to crossbows, which have a much longer opportunity with the number of days allowed. The numbers dwarf those taken with shotguns. Handguns are just for those looking for an extra challenge now. And hunting accidents continue to decline. You can read more in my column, Ohio hunting regulations prioritize safety — and accidents are declining.

Legal Ohio Deer Hunting Firearms

Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition).

Muzzleloading rifle: .38 caliber or larger.

Muzzleloading shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller using one ball per barrel. 

Handgun: With 5-inch minimum length barrel, using straight-walled cartridges .357 caliber or larger. The barrel is measured from the front of the cylinder or chamber to the end of the barrel.

Straight-walled cartridge rifles in the following calibers: All straight-walled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50. Shotguns and straight-walled cartridge rifles can be loaded with no more than three shells in the chamber and magazine combined.

Ohio Deer Harvest 2024-25 by Implement

Crossbow: 78,254 (33%)

Straight-walled cartridge rifle: 77,027 (32%)

Shotgun: 34,338 (14%)

Vertical bow: 30,839 (13%)

Muzzleloader: 17,092 (7%)

Handgun: 587 (less than 1%)

I don't currently personally have a straight-walled cartridge rifle and I'm not in the market, but these would be on my short list for reasons that don't extend out of my head into actual experience.

Marlin 1894 in 44 Magnum

Savage 110 Trail Hunter in 350 Legend

Ruger No. 1 in 45/70 Government, (if they ever make it in that caliber again)

A (New) Traditional Bird

 Rooster! Wild ringnecked pheasants were not present on the first Thanksgiving Day table. Nor were they on the menu for anyone in North America returning home after the Civil War. It wasn’t until the late 1890s and early 1900s that pheasants were introduced across the country. With the right environment, their populations took off, quickly becoming a favorite in the field and on the table from coast to coast. Thanksgiving Day pheasant hunts became a family tradition in many homes. This was especially true across the agricultural center of the country during the middle of the last century.  The number of phesants has declined significantly since then.

There are a lot of variables in nature. Weather, predators (including humans), all play a role. But given the right habitat, wildlife populations can bounce back. This is especially true of pheasants. Polygamous roosters and relatively large brood sizes can repopulate areas quickly. Across the country, we saw numbers increase in correlation with the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) through the late 1980s to mid ‘90s. That program pays farmers to take highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land out of production. Pheasants probably liked it more than farmers. The program moved the landscape closer to that 50/50 grass/crop land and bird numbers responded. When the program was reduced or the land was not reenrolled, numbers dropped. It’s a pretty simple equation. 

Ready for a Comeback

Iowa has gone through similar swings lately, pulling back to the positive slide dramatically with back-to-back best seasons in more than two decades. The right habitat, combined with a mild winter, dry spring to aid ground nests, resulted in a 43% increase in observed pheasant numbers in one year. Of course, it takes pheasants to make pheasants, but given the right circumstances, they can take care of it. 

Read the column in its entirety here, This bird used to be plentiful in Ohio, now it is harder to hunt 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Pheasant Status

Pheasants Forever Upland Forecast

Ohio Pheasant Releases

Ohio Private Land Hunter Access

Sleep Champions

“I haven’t slept for 10 days, because that would be too long,” said comedian Mitch Hedberg. Sleeping for 10 days straight might be excessive for humans, but I think I know some people willing to test that theory, especially with the time change, less sunlight overall, and the deep grey of winter approaching. For some wildlife in Southwest Ohio without a holiday to-do list to prepare for, retiring to their favorite sleeping chamber for an extended period is the only thing on their schedule. It’s how they survive. While many think of hibernating bears, true hibernation is just one strategy to avoid the relative cold of Ohio winters.

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/not-just-bears-these-are-ohios-true-hibernators-and-winter-survivors/T4XVWFQQMFDIZELAZGHZXBLW4Q/ 

Witness Ohio's Sleeping Champion - the Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel - in a non-sleeping moment. 

 

Resources

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/mammals/woodchuck-goundhog  

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/animals/mammals/thirteen-lined-ground-squirrel 

https://championcitysupply.com/blogs/news/story-behind-the-crow

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

While Black Bears are known for hibernating, it’s a strategy to beat the weather. Bears in Florida, for example, don’t hibernate. They have other weather to worry about. 

How to Not Hit a Deer

Comedian Ron White had this to say about deer hunting: “If you ever miss one, it’s because the bullet is moving too fast. Slow that bullet down to 55 miles per hour, put some headlights and a little horn on it, and the deer will actually jump in front of the bullet.”

Sometimes it seems that he might be right. Like every other mammal, there are
surely varying levels of intelligence and road-crossing ability among Whitetail deer. But it might go out the window during the fall. Deer car collisions are no joke in Ohio, especially during November. According to the Ohio State Patrol, 47% of deer vehicle collisions in our state happen from October to December. November alone accounts for 22%. 

Read the complete column here, Deer Collisions Rise in November, Here's How to Steer Clear

Ohio Deer Strikes by County

dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/statepatrol.ohio.gov/DeerCrashBulletin_2024.pdf

Deer Harvest by County

dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/wildlife-management/020225deerharvest.pdf

Photo by Greg Byman on Unsplash

Outdoor Sports Equinox

The Sports Equinox hit U.S. sports fans last week with overlapping seasons and same-day games across leagues. In what used to be an infrequent occurrence, the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and MLS all had games.

For sports fans, it was both a dream and a conundrum — which to watch? With the current mix of broadcast and streaming, changing TV channels wasn’t as easy as a single button on the remote.

While the technical fall equinox happens in September, where equal hours of sunlight and darkness shine on the equator, for outdoor enthusiasts in Southwest Ohio, the “outdoor equinox” of overlapping opportunities happens reliably in the first week of November. It's the greatest time of the year.

Read the complete column here, ‘Sports Equinox’ hits outdoor enthusiasts, too

My Favorite Week

If it isn’t clear by now, the first week of November is top of my list of favorite weeks in the year.. Whatever your passion, I hope you make time to get out and enjoy what Southwest Ohio has to offer. 

I guess “best week” could be up for debate. But for me in Southwest Ohio, the first week of November is near or top of my list, for a number of reasons. 

1. We’re usually past the first frost, and typically the weather is crisp. Cool enough for the dogs to put in a good shift, especially in the morning. It means you only sweat if you want to work up a sweat.
2. It means fewer flying biting bugs, but you should never let your guard down about ticks. 
3. There is some color left to the trees, but vistas are starting to open up to a golden hue. In other words, before “stick season,” when everything is just brown. 
4. It’s a great time to knock out fall chores before the holidays and winter weather sets in. 
5. It’s election week,k and we get to vote. 
6. I don’t love the time change; it puts a sense of urgency to the evenings and gives a little extra light before most of the civilized world is moving, especially on weekends. 
7. A bonfire at night makes sense.
8. Pheasant and bobwhite quail seasons open. Grouse and woodcock seasons are still open. 
9. If you’re a deer hunter, archery season is open and the rut is about to peak.
10. You can still go fishing if you want, and fish are often in the biting mood. 
11. Hiking is best with crunchy leaves and a forest that looks like a world of Fruity Pepple cereal.

Freshwater Barracuda

Apex predators capture the imagination of the outdoors wherever they’re found. We humans have tipped the scales in our favor through brains and tools to stay on top and out of the jaws of everything from lions to grizzly bears to sharks. But we recognize their dominance in their environment.

In the freshwater reservoirs and streams of Ohio, that top-of-the-pyramid king is the Muskellunge, Esox Masquinongy, or just muskie.

Often called the fish of 10,000 casts, it could take that long to hook one. Or it could be the second cast, like Audrey Porto pictured with her father managed at C.J. Brown Reservoir. 

Read the complete column here: The apex predator hiding in Ohio waters — and how to catch one

Resources

Fish Ohio

https://ohiodnr.gov/buy-and-apply/hunting-fishing-boating/fishing-resources/fishohio-program

Muskie Log

https://apps.ohiodnr.gov/MuskieLog/welcome.aspx

Woodcock Keep Moving

The first woodcock I ever saw while holding a shotgun launched from near my feet to eye level in a Champaign County woodlot and flew straightaway. Since it was early November, we were focused on cottontails.

Nobody in our party of four was quite sure what it was, or if it was legal to shoot. So no one did.

It wasn’t a pheasant. It kind of looked like a snipe (the real kind). It was still years before the National Harvest Information Program had started, so we hadn’t declared we were after any migratory birds when we bought our license, or were asked if we’d be hunting woodcock.

While it hadn’t done any of the swervy acrobatic things that the woodcock I had read about were known for, and that made them difficult targets, we decided that that’s what it was.

Read the complete column, Hunters might be able to catch this migratory bird in the next few weeks

Get a New Perspective on Fall

 The changing seasons are one of the best things about the Midwest. The cool and crisp air makes us want to get out and about. But it takes balance. Looking at the fall foliage should be on everyone’s list.

But how? 

The “Sunday drive” in a car seems wasteful and mundane by modern standards. Sure, you could pass by a lot of fall foliage, but would you really experience fall? Part of fall is the smell and feel of it. You miss that in a car. It’s also not the best for pictures, and we know that’s important to some people.

Walking or hiking can seem limiting for time and effort expended. You could see some color. You can stop for pictures. But you might always wonder what was around the bend or hill that was too far that you didn’t see.

Getting some assistance down a trail on a saddle of one kind or another might well be the perfect answer for southwest Ohio. If you’re looking for a different perspective this fall, southwest Ohio has several options.

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/experience-autumn-in-the-region-from-a-new-perspective-see-it-on-horseback-rail-bikes-and-more/KFFBDIWWPNE4JBVZDHSCLSBPFM/

Dem Bones

Photo shared by reader, Maureen Sharib

 Halloween has taken over yards and department stores in full force. It’s a rare drive now to anywhere these days where you don’t pass under the looming shadow of a 15-foot-tall skeleton or inflatable monster of some kind.

While the fake bones abound, you might be walking across the real bones of ancient creatures. Southwest Ohio is prime ground for fossil hunting. In fact, scientists come from all over the world to search for them. All you have to do is get out.

Read the column in its entirety here: ht
tps://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/forget-halloween-decorations-ohio-has-real-bones-to-find/WE4U23UPEREXTOX4QZU4IXR2FI/

Leaf it Be

 There’s a reason for falling leaves. It might look like the colorful beginning of the end (winter) to many, but like the three other seasons in Ohio, fall is just a necessary transition to the next. If spring is the “growing” season, fall is more than just harvest season; it’s the “replenishing” season.

That means we don’t just take things out of the fields or gardens. What’s left behind is important to native plants and animals, which depend on these cycles for survival.

Before you send the kids out with rakes and demands to see green grass under the newly fallen leaves. And before you start cutting everything down, piling things up, and shipping things away, take the weekend off, and think about the wildlife and the environment we call home.

Read the complete article here: Before raking leaves, know the role they play in natural process for plants, animals

MORE INFORMATION

Huffman Prairie Flying Field Habitat Day

Saturday, Oct. 4, 9 a.m. - noon

All ages. Free registration is required to get a headcount for light breakfast, full lunch, beverages and door prizes. A variety of tasks to encourage native plant growth and support biodiversity, including gathering seeds from native plants for overseeding in other areas, targeted removal of invasive species, and assisting with selective herbicide application.

events.pheasantsforever.org/events/huffman-prairie-flying-field-habitat-day/1973782f-e0b9-4b03-b039-526b39c846d4

Prairie Seed Collecting - Part of Conservation Kids series

Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 - 11:30 a.m.

AGES: 3-13 | FREE

From the Five Rivers website: “We need seeds to care for our already existing prairies and to help us establish new habitat for pollinators. Join us on a seed-collecting extravaganza to help ensure the future of our biodiversity! Weather dependent.”

metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=U94&api=programs&type=program

Natural Gardens

ohionativeplantmonth.org/plant-a-pollinator-garden

ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-odnr/division-parks-watercraft/sustainability/pollinators

nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2023/Fall/Gardening/Fall-Gardening-Tips-Pollinators

fws.gov/story/how-build-pollinator-garden

Benefits of Leaving the Leaves

hgtv.com/outdoors/landscaping-and-hardscaping/what-does-leave-the-leaves-mean-and-why-you-should-do-it

Whitetail Deer Thriving - But New Threats?

It’s easy to think that the grass is greener somewhere other than Ohio. We can’t spot an elk up a mountain in Ohio. Or land a giant tarpon after a short boat ride. But when it comes to whitetail deer, Ohio could well be the heart of it all. Whitetail deer love Southwest Ohio. Opportunities for both quantity and quality abound at least for right now.

What a deer needs

Like everything in the world, deer need food and shelter to escape from predators and raise their young. After being nearly extirpated at the turn of the last century, the elimination of large predators in Ohio and the introduction of hunting regulations have made life much less precarious.

New threats on the ground

Unfortunately, there is a new potential threat to the landscape for Ohio deer. According to the ODNR website, “Chronic Wasting Disease is a fatal neurological (brain and central nervous system) disease that affects members of the deer family, including whitetailed deer, mule deer, elk, moose and caribou.”

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/hunting-season-is-nearly-here-when-it-comes-to-whitetail-deer-you-cant-beat-sw-ohio/LPIQYKDUL5FCVLQKDLOVK7DCX4/ 

In addition to CWD, an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) in SE Ohio has claimed upwards of 8,000 deer in just a few counties this year. The disease is spread by midges and common in states to the south of Ohio. There the population has developed immunity. That's not the case in Ohio. Read more from the Columbus Dispatch here: Ohio hunting season starts amid deadly deer disease outbreak

Resources

Buckeye Big Bucks Club

Hunting Regulations

Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

Feeding and Baiting Wildlife

The Compound Bow

The Beatty Buck

Leaving Town - The Great Migrations

 If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

I’ll sort of paraphrase for wildlife ... if the food you need isn’t in the kitchen, find another kitchen. Or if you or your preferred food can’t stand the cold, head south if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere.

For eons, that’s exactly what animals have done through migration. When you’re looking for motives in human behavior, they say, follow the money. If you’re looking for wildlife, follow the food.

Migration was always a perilous time for land mammals. River crossings and predators, then humans (well before cars and interstate highways), made journeys treacherous. To date, there aren’t any major migrations of mammals in or through Southwest Ohio.

Read the complete article here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/flyover-country-birds-bats-and-butterflies-migrate-through-our-area/KW6QFEI25ZCYREJO2A2YQILPYA/

Migration Vs Roaming and Expanding

Different species roam in and out of Ohio, but they’re not migrating. The black bear that passed through the area recently wasn’t migrating, just looking for a new home. Similarly, deer, coyotes and bobcats can move great distances as individuals sometimes, but they’re not migrating.

And it’s just a matter of time it seems, before the nine-banded armadillo becomes a regular full-time resident in Southwest Ohio. Once common only in Texas and the South, they have expanded dramatically north and east in recent years.

They are in Indiana and headed this way.

Pawpaws - Taste of the Tropics

Quick — can you name the official native fruit tree of Ohio?

If you thought of Johnny Appleseed and said the “apple” you’re wrong, If you thought Buckeye, wrong again. That’s Ohio’s “official tree” and hopefully you know not to eat the nuts.

The answer is the Pawpaw.

It’s indigenous to Ohio, has existed globally for more than 30,000 years, and has held its designation in Ohio since 2009. It could grow almost anywhere in Southwest Ohio, and yet it’s unfamiliar to many people.

Local and different

When you think of flavors of the Midwest, two words that rarely come to mind are “light” and “tropical.” Yet that’s exactly what the Pawpaw offers. It’s unique because it’s the only fruit tree member of the tropical Annonaceae family to live in temperate regions.

Read the complete column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/this-tropical-tasting-fruit-is-a-local-delicacy-but-many-dont-know-about-it/TVYYVQKDSJHMRF63AFJGRF6LXI/ 

RESOURCES

Where to Go

Cox Arboretum - Ruth Cummings Mead Woodland

There are two groves of Pawpaws on this trail, note that removing the fruit is against park regulations.

metroparks.org/places-to-go/cox-arboretum/

Pawpaw Fest Albany, Sept. 12-14

ohiopawpawfest.com/

Pfeifer’s Orchard

I saw them here once, no guarantees.

peiferorchards.com/

Supporting Pollinators

Greater Dayton Pheasants Forever Fall Banquet, Sept. 13

events.pheasantsforever.org/events/greater-dayton-pfqf-third-annual-fundraising-banquet/a002f684-e7da-4eb8-be3e-9e255a8cbfaf

Resources

ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/pawpaw-asimina-triloba

vnps.org/paw-paws-and-the-zebra-swallowtail-butterfly/

ale8one.com/product/pawpaw-ale-8-12-pack-bottles/

littlefishbrewing.com/beer/pawpaw-weizen/

Good for the Goose

 

We pushed prairie chickens out of the way and to the west. We were too late for the passenger pigeon. We overlooked the Carolina parakeet. Everybody got it wrong with the Heath Hen. But by the 1940s and 50s, we started to figure things out.

And boy, did we knock it out of the park with Giant Canada geese.

Changing views

As hard as it might be for some of us to believe now, not everyone at the turn of the last century believed in science or humans’ ability to impact nature. Crazy, I know. Some thought species could never go extinct. Many species were lumped into one of two buckets: valuable or nuisance. There wasn’t any middle ground.

In that time, Giant Canada geese were extirpated from Ohio in the late 1800s. Market hunting and egg collection gave them value, but the loss of habitat through the draining of wetlands was considered a good thing if anybody cared. After that, if you saw a Canada goose in Ohio from 1900 to the 1950s it was likely just passing through on annual migration from the James Bay region of subarctic Canada to somewhere warmer. But with 10-12 distinct subspecies that vary greatly in size but subtly in markings, it can be difficult to identify them, especially on the wing.

So why can't we just "shoot them all" as some have suggested?

Read the column here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/goose-gone-wild-ohios-conservation-success-story-gets-messy/ADFUBYYZNVAIVMCEUMNISSXSE4/

Season:

Have a goose problem?

Consider Cincinnati Company,  Away with Geese

They solar solar-powered lights that they don't like - selling over 36,000 units with a 97% success rate. 

https://www.awaywithgeese.com/

Summer Bug Music Fest - No Ticket Required

 

While the volume of annual cicadas is slowly fading during the day, the 33 reported different species of crickets, grasshoppers, and katydids are ready to keep the concert rolling into late summer and fall.

I’m sure that there are a lot of people who just lump all of the species producing the seemingly continuous noise into “some bug over there” or “the crickets are really loud this year.” The facts are a lot more individual and interesting than that for the trio of singers: crickets, grasshoppers and katydids. 

Read the column in its entirety here, Summer bug noise: Three species keep the volume high into fall.  You'll learn how to tell the difference between the three and a sort of common "mercurial" trait they share.

Water. The Reason is Clear.

When the band America sang in the song A Horse with No Name,  “The ocean is a desert with its life underground, And a perfect disguise above,” they were somewhat right about rivers. Maybe. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but there’s a lot of life that goes unseen and disguised beneath the water’s surface. The reality is more connected and complicated. That hidden life underwater is directly impacted by many factors, including those under, around, and especially “above.” 

Read several ways that departments are helping to ensure clean water and how you can participate in my Dayton Daily News column here: Leave it Better than you Found It

Get Your Feet Wet in August

 I’m known to say, “I’ll do cold. And I’ll do wet. But I don’t do cold AND wet.”

While that hasn’t historically held 100% true, it has for sure put a nix on my duck hunting to date. That and my inability to sit still or wanting to force or watch a dog be still for very long. But real cold is not an issue in August in Ohio.

That’s why wet wading — wading without boots or waders that keep your lower extremities dry — is one of my favorite ways to fish for a number of reasons.

Read more in my Dayton Daily News column, ‘Wet wading’ a good way to fish for a number of reasons

Golden Days of Summer

The golden days of summer mean different things to people. Maybe it’s nostalgic mornings of soccer practice or evenings relaxing on the porch. Maybe it’s the rush of the last slow days before fall activities kick in.

Maybe it’s the earlier sunsets and rising sun.

Or maybe it’s just the literal color that seems to abound this time of year with American Goldfinches and Goldenrod flowering.

Stay golden and read the complete article here: https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/what-are-the-golden-days-of-summer-look-at-the-feathers-the-sunsets-and-the-plants/HOWZG4JT4RHBHGD7KJ2QOEVX5I/ 

We're Talking About Practice

For many, the first week of August brings back sweaty memories of high school practice for the fall season. Early morning practices, sprints, pushups and swearing that you can’t wait until it was all over.

But it was all part of the process.

If you want to get the most out of your fall season, it’s time to get moving, just like coach said.

Check out some things to do now to get ready for fall seasons in my Dayton Daily News column, Your preseason hunting checklist starts now

Meet the Sunrise Outside

 From bobcats repatriating the area (they’ve recently been seen in Clark and Greene County) to bluebirds nesting in boxes and bobwhite quail calling, the most unique outdoor experiences require being outdoors. While I love a good sunset, starting the day with the sunrise is my favorite time to be out for a number of reasons.

I wasn’t always that way. Now I try to see the sunrise whenever possible, and summer versions rank high for a variety of reasons.

https://www.daytondailynews.com/what-to-know/early-morning-is-the-time-for-unique-outdoor-experiences/N75FYY4QP5B6JOUCL733VH6K5E/

Climbing to the Top

When people think of mountain climbing, absolutely nobody thinks of Southwest Ohio. The lack of mountains makes the reason kind of obvious.

When you say rock climbing, a lot of people still think of mountains and Ohio still isn’t on the list of places. If you say “bouldering,” expect a complete blank stare.

Mountains aside, there are accessible outdoor climbing opportunities in our area. In and around Springfield especially offers several options. Get the low down on climbing up in my Dayton Daily News Column, Rock climbing is possible right here in Southwest Ohio

See where you can get more information, resources, and meetups. 

Pints, Pheasants, and Public Land

While the proposed legislation that would have sold millions of acres of our public land is dormant for now, our land and habitat always need our attention. Our uplands and prairies are disappearing at rates that would cause global uproars if they had the broad visual appeal of forested mountains or the romance of the rain forest. Less than 4% of the original 170 million acres remain. The truth is, that prairies are better at turning CO2 into oxygen and at sequestering carbon than rainforests. They just don’t have the “charisma mega environ” of these other landscapes. Unless you’re interested in pollinators and upland birds

Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever (PF/QF) is one of the most dedicated organizations to restoring those habitats and lands wherever they are found. On Thursday, July 10th, the Greater Dayton chapter is hosting a Pint Night, with a percentage of sales benefiting the chapter.

Greater Dayton PF/QF Eudora Pint Night

Thursday, July 10 at 5 p.m.

Eudora Brewing Company - 3022 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, 45429

Support Out of the Shadows for Bats

Bats are some of the most interesting creatures among us. In addition to natural struggles, they are victims of massive “charismatic megafauna bias.”

In other words, our tendency to support and care more about big, cuddly-looking animals with big eyes and soft fur than other valuable critters. Such as bats.

Ohio is home to at least ten different bat species. They’re not rodents. The’re not related to shrews either. Four of them are currently on an endangered or threatened list of one kind or another. But the real truth is we don’t know a lot about their habits and needs.

You can read the complete article in the Dayton Daily News digital edition: Bat Population on the Decline 

Resources

Amazing Bats - National Trails Parks and Recreation Administration Building

Ages 6 & Older, Friday, July 11, 8 – 9:30 p.m.

Learn why bats are important and which ones live in Ohio during this fun program with Marne Titchenell from Ohio State University Extension. Learn how bats find their way in the dark, and then we’ll head outside to look for bats in the wild! Kids must come with a grown-up.

https://ntprd.org/amazing-bats/

The Mysteries & Science of Bats - Five Rivers Metro Parks

Ages 10-17, Saturday, July 26, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., $3.00 | Financial Assistance

Discover the unique behaviors, diverse species, and ecological roles of these incredible nocturnal mammals. Learn about bat echolocation, their diets, habitats, and the important ways they support ecosystems. Weather Dependent.

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=T134&api=programs&type=program

Bat Roost Monitoring - Five Rivers Metro Parks

Ages 3-13, Saturday, Aug. 29, 8 - 9:30 p.m.

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=T159&api=programs&type=program

Take part in an Ohio Division of Wildlife study to assess bat populations, and learn how you can help bats. Weather Dependent.

Build a Bat Box

Create a summer daytime roosting area for bats

https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/backyard-wildlife/Nest%20Box%20Plans%20pub419.pdf

About Bats ODNR

https://ohiodnr.gov/search/?search_query=bats

Bats in Homes

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/land-water/issues-for-landowners/nuisance-bats

Bat Conservation

https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/wildlife/wildlife-management/Ohio%20Bat%20Conservation%20Plan.pdf

Public lands: Land of the Free

 We live in a land with great public resources and opportunities. And choice. If “conservation is the state of harmony between men and the land,” as Aldo Leopold wrote in The Land Ethic, as a nation, we’ve no doubt hit some off-key notes.

It’s taken a lot of work, pressure, and patience to get to the state of balance where we are now. It will take ongoing effort to maintain and add to it moving forward.

Read the complete column here: Public lands: What is free? The importance of buying a license to hunt, fish and more in Ohio

Roadless Rule Rebuke

   

Pulled from Outdoor Life. I miss the "big three" outdoor magazines as they used to exist, but Outdoor Life does a great job on the conservation and legislative information front: 

USDA Revokes Roadless Rule Nationwide to Increase Logging Efforts

“Southeast Alaska’s logging industry became heavily subsidized,” he observed in 2023. “In the past 40 years, taxpayers have lost $1.7 billion dollars ‘selling’ Tongass trees. The clear-cut logging practices were devastating for streams and wildlife. That must have come as a surprise to some of the supporters of the ‘it’ll grow back in a few years’ theory.”  

https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/usda-revokes-roadless-rule-nationwide/

Ohio's Power Berry - Black Raspberries

 Like most things in the outdoors and life, you’ll find the most excitement and interesting examples on the edges. Black raspberries love the successional edges of wood lots and fence rows.

Making way for berries is yet one more reason to remove honeysuckle. Native to the area, they could be almost anywhere. Where you probably won’t find them is in the grocery store. If you want some in your bowl or on your plate, you’re probably going to have to pick them yourself.

For whatever reason, the black variety of raspberry is delicate and doesn’t transport as well as red raspberries or blackberries. They have a short window of production, typically 3 weeks give or take, and they yield comparatively less fruit.

Read the complete article in the Dayton Daily News: Ohio's Black Raspberry Packs a Powerful Punch

Recipes:

https://www.food.com/recipe/raspberry-liqueur-172114

https://dishesdelish.com/black-raspberry-ultimate-margarita/

https://gardenandgun.com/recipe/raspberry-pie/ 

National Pollinator Week 2025

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

Beat the Heat - Take me to the River

As summer arrives and things heat up, we'll all be looking for ways to cool down. Heading for the water is a good bet. Area reservoirs typically offer a steady breeze and, of course, plenty of water. But if you’ve ever spent an entire Southwest Ohio summer day on a boat on any of the larger bodies of water, you know the sun can be a beast. 

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

https://barefootcanoe.com/

Sources

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/us-kayaks-canoes-sports-equipment-market-report#:~:text=Kayaking%20has%20surged%20in%20popularity,87.3%25%20from%202010%20to%202022.

https://www.facebook.com/ohiodnr/posts/on-world-rivers-day-ohioans-have-a-lot-to-be-proud-of-did-you-know-that-ohio-was/994754482695427/ 

https://clevelandhistorical.org/items/show/63 

Top Three Least Favorite Biting Bugs of Summer

 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

Lightning in a Jar

 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

Schools In for Summer Fishing

“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. 

Read the Complete Article in the Dayton Daily News here: Schools in for Summer Fishing

They're Baackk

 “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/ 

Local Walks and Hikes

 “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/ 

Spring Time is Crappie Time

The first fish I ever caught on an artificial lure was a crappie. It hit a Hildebrandt black and yellow spinner bait cast from a green metal Johnson Century reel mounted on a solid fiberglass rod with a cork handle. It was about this time of the year, a crisp morning followed by a warm afternoon. And it was a keeper. Yes, I forget important things, but I remember this. After having spent what seemed like a lifetime watching mealworms under bobbers while my dad cast interesting lures and caught bigger fish, I felt like I had graduated to the advanced class. Crappie started as and still are one of my favorite fish. You can read my complete article here: SW Ohio boasts good waters for crappie fishing: What to know about this freshwater species

Resources

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife has used that to anglers’ advantage, creating numerous fish attractors at local lakes using old Christmas trees and pallets to create and enhance structure and angling opportunities from shore and by boat. The location for the fish magnets can be found on the ODNR website, https://gis.ohiodnr.gov/MapViewer/?config=Fishinglakes 

Backyard Cocktails for the Birds

 

“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.

Read the complete article in the Average Guy Outdoors column on the Dayton Daily News website here: Mixing Cocktails for Backyard Birds and Insects

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

https://www.thespruce.com/hummingbird-feeder-placement-385956#:~:text=Keep%20in%20a%20Shaded%20Area,it%20from%20the%20hottest%20temperatures.

Home Roots

Photo by Trac Vu on Unsplash

“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets,” said Aldo Leopold in A Sand County Almanac. “But humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel.”

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