Grouse Hollow Journal for March 9, 2017 by Greg Koelker

Grouse Hollow Journal for March 9, 2017 by Greg Koelker

It is midday Sunday.  Ellen and Scout just sneaked in from a walk up on the ridge and surprised me surprising Ellen by washing windows.  They had a good walk and saw a number of turkeys.  In fact, while we were talking on the patio a couple of the big birds flew across the Oak Hollow up behind the tobacco shed.  Ellen had a good report at the clinic this week where they restored her driver’s license, let her walk up the ridge and shovel some snow, and let her get back to volunteerring with the First Grade at Stoddard Elementary.  Anyway, Ellen said that on her way home from church this morning she saw four big toms strutting their stuff for a big flock of hens over in valley to the north.  The farmer there has been regularly spreading a fresh feast of smelly stuff that turkeys love.  Our neighbors will start that soon enough.  

I spent much of Saturday getting the Mississippi Queen river worthy, fixing a leaky fuel line, cleaning up a corroded battery, and getting all the trailer lights to operate (only two trips to town were necessary).  This morning Vince and I took the MIssissippi Queen down to Genoa.  While purchasing some minnows at Captain Hook’s, owner Mark Clements told us the Clements Fishing Barge will open Saturday.  He was heading out to work on the float as we spoke.  

The sun was shining when Vinny and I motored up behind the float near the dam and tried angling for perch.  That time is coming I think, but it was not this morning.  We drifted along the railroad rocks north of the power plant for a bit and then tried fishing around the barge cells.  We hooked stuff, but not fish.  Vince said smoke was coming out of my ears while I tried to think of another idea for fishing.  The sun left us soon enough with clouds and a rising breeze.  I told him that I remembered a day when Kevin Withey schooled my nephew Jason and I south of Genoa.  He was trolling upstream along the sand bar below the northern Twin Island on the Thief Slough side, catching one walleye after another - and tossing them back in the river.  Like any good teacher, he told us how he was fishing, then he showed us what he was using, a lead head jig with a purple twister tail, and then we were on our own to practice the lesson.  Jason and I made tackle and got in line along the sand bar and commenced  watching Kevin catch and throw back pike.  I made a subtle suggestion that he could throw a few of those fish dinners into our boat, but he just laughed and didn’t.   Anyway, Vince and I had pretty much the same luck this day although the water is higher and no one appeared to be catching much of anything where we were or had been.  

Finally, we did as we so often do and chose the better part of valor - that is we went for breakfast at The Thirsty Turtle.  Their weekend only, breakfast was good: biscuits and gravy, home fries, eggs over easy, toast and bacon.  Today was the second day in a row I have eaten at The Turtle.  On Saturday Ellen’s three sisters: Barb, Kathy, and Lori drove up to visit her (and make sure I am taking good care of her I am pretty sure).  We all went down to The Turtle for lunch, and Chad and Meg served us the usual good stuff.

Ben and his partner Drew Rouse are working at the Iowa Deer Classic in Des Moines representing REEL Game Calls.  They said the show was going well and sales were good.  They will be in Scottsdale, AZ for the big Sportmen’s Expo on March 25 and then Madison the next week for the Wisconsin Deer and Turkey Expo.  Ben texted they will head back to Colorado this evening.

Last week, a group including George Meyer of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and Mark Clements of Genoa all representing many thousands of outdoors types visited with Senator Van Wanggaard in Madison regarding the onerous railroad trespass law.  The group presented over 5,000 signatures from petitions to the legislature from citizens around the state.  Not sure where this stands, but we need to keep letting our representatives and the governor know how we feel about this ridiculous law.  Remember, this is not a safety issue.  The fact is that almost 100% of train track fatalities are not people trying to access the thousands of miles and acres of Wisconsin’s natural lands, but suicides, drunks, and foolish people trying to beat a train.  According to statistics, almost all of these deaths happen at already marked crossings.  Also, tell your elected representatives that this issue is not going away until it is fixed, even if that takes a change using  the voting booth.  

Speaking of being heard, join me at the Wisconsin DNR and Conservation Congress Spring Hearings  at 7 PM, Monday, April 10 at the Viroqua High School Commons, 100 Blackhawk Drive.  (There is hearing in each Wisconsin county at the same time if that doesn’t work for you.)  Come and weigh in and hear others on the issues being considered and vote on them.  Several proposals that caught my eye include a proposal for a slot limit and smaller bag limit on walleyes on the Mississippi River, allowing the possession of shotgun slugs while hunting outside of a firearm deer season, and raising some stamp and license fees.  

I just got in from a walk of my own.  Scout and I went up the Grouse Hollow path.  I didn’t hear any grouse, but there were owls calling, mating calls I bet.  There are deer and turkey tracks.  Some clover and other greenery is trying to peep out in the Christmas tree food plot.  Sadly, everywhere I look there are dying ash trees.  They seem to go faster than Dutch elm trees even.  I also saw many recently dead elms - mushroom trees we call them.  One has to give the Dutch elm tree credit for tenacity.  Whenever a couple die in an area, many more spring up nearby, giving hope to morel mushroom hunters anyway.       

Until next time, get out - mark your calendar for the benefit for the Gina Nickelotti Benefit on Saturday, March 18 at 3 PM at the Retreat Sportmen’s Club.  Finally, I always say, you can’t catch ‘em if you don’t go.  What I don’t usually add is that I often mutter under my breath that some of the time, you can’t catch ‘em even if you do go.  Oh well, we’re having cedar planked grilled salmon with raspberry chipotle sauce for supper tonight.  Enjoy.