I’m fine with the whole concept of having cougars in Michigan.  After all the hype about them for the last couple of years, it was good to finally see some proof  that vindicated many people’s claims, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they knew what they were talking about.  I know they can be hard on livestock – and people – but I think having a population in the state is pretty cool.

Having Asian Carp in the Great Lakes, though?  I’m not okay with that.   I’ve wrote a post about exactly where I stood on the whole issue, and now the situation is much more dire.

Yesterday, an Asian Carp was discovered in Lake Calumet, on Chicago’s South Side, only six miles from Lake Michigan.  I’m very concerned, and I think John Rogner, Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said it best with this quote:

“The threat to the Great Lakes depends on how many have access to the lakes, which depends on how many are in the Chicago waterway right now.”

I completely agree, but the problem is we don’t know how many are in the Chicago Waterway right now.

At first, everyone assured us they hadn’t made it past the electric barrier put in place to keep them at bay.  Then they found Asian Carp DNA beyond the barrier.  Then they told all of us that just because there was DNA didn’t mean any actual fish made it past the barrier.  Oh, but wait, because now, after all the reassurances and testing, they find a live carp beyond the barrier and in an area that was poisoned in order to kill off any carp that might be present.

Interesting!  Is anyone, like me, starting to not trust all the speculations and promises?

I’m starting to lose a little faith here, and I’m starting to wonder if Michigan, and the surrounding Great Lake States, is on the verge of  a complete ecological disaster.

And no one is doing anything to stop it.

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As I get older, I think my outdoor fortunes are changing – for the good and for the bad.

There used to be a time when I could step in a boat, put a few hours in with rod and reel in hand, and actually land a few fish.  And there also was a time when I would spend hours upon hours in the deer woods, and never put meat in the freezer.

The last two years, though, I’ve put meat in the freezer – I was lucky enough to arrow a few deer, and even luckier to down a few turkeys.  But this year, on two different trips, I’ve put almost 8 hours behind a rod and reel, and haven’t been able to put one fish in the boat.

What gives?

The worst part of it all is that some of it isn’t my fault.  It isn’t my fault that two of the bass who decided to feast upon my top water offering this morning must have cataracts.  I didn’t change the tempo of my retrieve, or change the angle of the retrieve, or anything – these fish just plain missed; they hit a big mass of stirred up water, and left my buzz bait and Jitterbug to continue on.

Thankfully, we still have a lot of bass season left, so maybe I’ll be able to put one fish in the boat before it ends.  I’ll just keep telling myself that I’m about quality, not quantity.

Yeah, that’s it.

And I’ll keep wishing for deer season to come back around.  At least then – maybe – I can find the quarry I seek.

*Sigh*

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“Dolphin Safe Tuna” – I’ve always had a problem with that particular phrase.  I mean, isn’t it weird that nobody cares about the tuna, only that the dolphins are safe?  I think dolphins are cool too, and very intelligent, but why isn’t anyone concerned about the tuna?

And when was the last time you heard an organization standing up and demonstrating against turkey hunting?  But why would they?  I mean, turkeys are kind of ugly.  And, to go back to the tuna for second – oh yeah, they’re ugly too, so nobody cares.

And if you doubt me at all, when was the last time you saw a celebrity spokesperson gracing your television screen in order to save the Angler fish?  It isn’t going to happen, because they’re ugly – whether they’re endangered or not.

I truly believe that the cute-and-cuddly factor definitely has an impact on what animals are deemed worth an effort to save, and what animals are not.  And, particularly, I think it definitely has an impact on the animals that organizations decide to help/promote.  Also, I’m sure that the cute and cuddly factor is playing a huge part in the wolf debate that is beginning to grip a big part of the United States.  Let’s see, if the wolf looked like a turkey, would there be so much of an outcry?

And because these organizations only pick easy-on-the-eye animals, I think it puts a feather in the caps of hunters.  We promote and protect habitat, which sometimes help to save animals, and other times allows them to flourish – and we don’t care how those particular animals look, or how photogenic they are; we just simply care about animals.

But many organizations – the ones who “help” protect polar bears, emperor penguins, dolphins, etc. – only care about the good-looking animals, and leave the other “ugly” ones to fend for themselves.  Rational thinking and scientific facts get thrown to the wayside, because they’re just so darn cute and cuddly.  Right?  Not dangerous.  Not destructive.  Just cute.

Not us hunters, though.  We want to see the turkey flourish, as well as the cute and cuddly Whitetail deer.  We’re not prejudice when it comes to what animals we want to protect.

And if you doubt the cute-and-cuddly factor, here is a study about just such a thing.

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It’s been way too long since we posted a new video for everyone to enjoy.  So, without making anyone wait another minute here are two new videos for everyone.

Pick your poison: You can watch kids catching night crawlers, and then a father/son duo using those worms to catch some nice bluegills.  Or you can watch Jeff and his buddy, Luke, trying to put a gobbler on the ground with a bow.

Whichever one you choose, I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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As all of you know, SimplyOutdoors is Michigan-based.  Every person on the SimplyOutdoors’ Pro Staff was born and raised in Michigan – and we’re proud of it, I might add.  We all are very fond of Michigan’s woodlots and wetlands, and we have immersed ourselves in Michigan’s out-of-doors our entire lives.

But, if we want to venture into reality-ville for a second, Michigan currently has the worst economy in the country.  All of us worry about our livelihoods on a daily basis and thank God that we are still employed as the weeks and months go by.  With that being said, though, if an opportunity presented itself in another state, I don’t think there is one of us who wouldn’t contemplate moving to a state with a stable economy – especially if it meant a more stable life for our families.

Hawaii, anyone?

Matt, a born and bred Michigander, who spent some time in Wisconsin and South Carolina over the years, and who recently moved back to Michigan, is headed to Hawaii.  His family has been presented with an offer they can’t refuse, and they leave this weekend for white, sandy beaches.

Of course, Matt will still remain a member of the SimplyOutdoors’ Pro Staff, because Hawaii will still provide him with ample hunting opportunities.  Plus, his outdoor experiences in the Aloha State will provide everyone on this blog with a completely different perspective; I think it will be pretty cool to document his outdoor experiences there.

We’re hopeful that, once he settles in to the new routine, he will pursue some Rio Grande turkeys that inhabit the state, as well as slay a few porkers (wild pigs) that roam the nearby woodlands; his In-Laws live on the island, and hopefully he’ll have an opportunity to help control the pig population around their property.

Of course, if he really wanted to get crazy, he could try some spear fishing; or try his hand bowfishing for sharks (I think).  Those blog posts could be pretty amazing.

And, even though all of us will miss him and his family, we still wish them the best – and we’re looking forward to hearing all the stories that are generated from living – and hunting and fishing – on the islands.

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