Rain, rain, go away
I am writing this on Friday and the general hunting season starts one-half hour before sunrise tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how many hunters are out beating the bushes. I will not be among them. As I approach 80, I am not the enthusiastic hunter I once was, but I do usually go out on the first day. Not this year.
It seems like it has been raining forever and maybe we should be thinking about building a boat instead of thinking about hunting. Not really, of course, but everything is so wet and it looks like a rainy weekend so I will hunt from my recliner and keep an eye on the meadow. Hunting, for me, is not all about needing meat but about having an enjoyable walk in the woods.
Even though the weather may keep some of us old guys inside, I am sure there will be plenty of folks out there. Here are some reminders:
1. It is the hunter’s responsibility to know where he is hunting. You must have written permission to hunt on private property if you are not with the landowner. This is true whether the property is posted or not posted. Violation could result in the loss of any game, loss of hunting license, plus a cash fine.
2. Immediately tag any animal killed. This includes cutting out the month and day on the tag.
3. Be safe! You are responsible for anything your bullet hits.
While the focus may be on hunting there has still been a lot of North Fork activity. The Forest Service attempted a prescribed burn west of Polebridge, but wet conditions made it too difficult. After a several thousand dollar attempt, the burn was canceled until next year.
Private landowners have had more success with piled brush and most of my neighbors have rid themselves of all brush piles done this summer. This is an annual effort to manage fuels, protect homes, and develop a healthy forest as well as providing safe ingress and egress for landowners and firefighters in case of a wildfire.
Everyone is pretty much aware of the black bear that has been a nuisance around Polebridge. It broke into at least two vehicles and was seen frequently around homes. Apparently, this bear has been a problem since August but was not reported until it broke into a vehicle where there was no food. I suspect the bear did get human food more than once and decided buildings and cars were his best bet for a meal.
When a bear becomes habituated, it is almost certainly doomed. If a bear is reported early it could still be moved. Multiple depredations leave FWP no choice but to kill the animal. Keep a clean camp!
Larry Wilson’s North Fork Views appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.