Early snow at least beneficial for hunters

In recent years the general hunting season has started with bare ground covered with dry leaves and it was impossible to track anything smaller than an elephant. Not this year. As I write this on the Friday before hunting season starts, there is nearly two inches of snow in downtown Columbia Falls and more than seven inches at Trail Creek. Plenty of snow for tracking and being quiet. Unless it thaws and then freezes making the snow crunchy. A great start for hunters and perhaps the start of a really long winter. I am going to be an optimist and predict that this storm is going to pass and warm weather will return. At least I hope so — I am not mentally prepared for a winter that starts in October and then lasts until April or May.

While hunters may enjoy the snow, everyone, including hunters, need to be careful on the roads. Many folks have not mounted their snow tires and it seems like there are more slide ins and fender benders during and after the first snow of the year. Apparently some folks have to learn how to drive on slick roads every year.

At least the politicians are keeping us well provided with fire starters. My post office box in town is filled every day with slick fliers filled with half-truths or outright lies. Like former Montana Secretary of State Bob Brown, I wish folks would act more like Marc Racicot who advocated disagreeing without being disagreeable. At any rate, I will be glad when the election is over and I appreciate the folks in both parties who have filed and campaigned for local office. These jobs pay very little considering the amount of whining and complaining these officeholders have to put up with to serve their community.

National and some state office holders seem more inclined to be after money or power or both, so I have less admiration for them. I suspect that Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, political enemies that they were, would be disgusted by national politicians today.

A reader found a ring of keys lying on the North Fork Road last week. The ring and some of the keys are quite distinctive so if anyone calls me at 892-5951 I would be happy to reunite them with their owner. I would only ask that they identify the tag on the ring and maybe one other item not usually found on a key ring. If I don’t answer, leave a message and I will get back to you when I get back to town.

Maybe I will brag a little if I shoot an elk.

P.S. Fire season is over, but you still need a permit to burn brush piles.

Larry Wilson's North fork Views appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.