Blade Outdoors

Birds a money magnet for Erie shoreline

Over the course of the next two weeks, more than 70,000 people are expected to visit Northwest Ohio to search for birds. They're not hunting or looking for pets. They are bird watchers from all over the country, and across the globe. Each May, hundreds of thousands of songbirds funnel north from their wintering grounds in South and Central America, headed for their nesting areas in Canada and beyond. The birds gather in the marshes along Lake Erie before crossing the lake. This phenomenon offers the best opportunity to observe many species of birds that are seldom seen the rest of the year. Black Swamp Bird Observatory stages "The Biggest Week in American Birding" from May 4-13 with events, lectures and special birding tours, and local hotels and restaurants do a booming business. A story on the birding extravaganza runs in Tuesday's Blade.

 

 

Maumee vs. Perrysburg fishing fest postponed

The threat of rain has led officials at Maumee and Perrysburg schools to postpone Saturday’s fishing tournament between the two rivals until May 5. With the postponement, the deadline for entering the tournament has been extended. All teams must be registered at one of the participating high schools by the end of the school day on Thursday. Students, staff and friends from Maumee and Perrysburg are eligible to participate in the tournament, which will be headquartered at the Rotary Pavilion at Side Cut Park on West River Road. The tournament will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 5 and is open to an unlimited number of two-person teams. Details and information are available at the Perrysburg schools website.

Longnose gar crowd into spawning grounds on Portage River

Maumee vs.Perrysburg get-together no riverdance

Perrysburg schools employee Brett Queen hatched an interesting idea recently when he proposed that the Yellow Jackets challenge their rivals on the opposite side of the river over in Maumee to a fishing tournament. The superintendents of the two systems have an amicable relationship, even though the two football teams do not, so the bosses pushed the concept forward. On Saturday, it will be Maumee vs. Perrysburg for the umpteenth time, only on this occasion the combatants will splash around in water that is not enclosed in a swimming pool. Maumee High School has had an active fishing club for years, so the Panthers cast confidently. Perrysburg expects to prevail, and then insist on renaming the river. Look for a story on the latest escalation in the Maumee--Perrysburg rivalry in Tuesday's Blade.

Wildlife officials fishing for angler info

Fishermen in the Buckeye state are being urged to make a stop at the www.ohiodnr.com/creel  website and take part in an online angler survey. The Division of Wildlife is seeking input on a wide range of topics, such as hybrid striped bass fisheries, D of W fishing maps, and the “no-wake/idle speed” use of motors with unlimited horsepower on small lakes that currently have 10 HP or electric motor-only restrictions. All responses will be kept confidential and the survey will be available through the end of July. The state uses the information provided by Ohio fishermen in formulating its management of Ohio's fisheries. Fisheries biologists review the survey data and biological information on fish populations in order to identify methods of improving fishing on Ohio's many waterways.

The howl of U.P. deer hunters should subside until predator study ends

In Sunday's Blade, we took a look at the first phase of a long-term study of the impact of various predators on the deer population in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Deer hunters have consistently pointed the finger at wolves, claiming that the increase in the number of wolves has resulted in a corresponding drop in deer herd size. While on the surface that seems to make a lot of sense -- more of a predator means less of the prey -- but the formula in the U.P. is more complicated than that. Differences in terrain, snowfall and the presence of livestock all figure into the role wolves play in culling the white-tailed deer herd. Three years into the study, coyotes have been the number one predator of deer, with wolves ranking fourth. Those numbers are expected to change once the complete study is on the books in six years or so. The jury should hold off on reaching any kind of verdict until the big picture is laid out in front of us.

 

 

Mushroom hunters challenged by their inexact science

Ohio has more than 2,000 types of wild mushrooms, and spring is the time that many of them pop to the surface and become part of the crowded mosaic that is the forest floor. Mushroom hunters are used to timing the start of the season with their first trips into the woods each spring, but the blast of summer in March that we experienced in 2012 has upset the usual sequence of events. The morel, with its characteristic spongy top, is Ohio's most coveted wild mushroom and one that is most abundant right now. Mushroom hunters are reporting that the morels appeared about two weeks earlier than normal this year. The real veterans in the corps are also hoping that some rain over the weekend, followed by a couple of warm days, should bring on another burst of wild mushrooms. They also caution any inexperienced hunters to make certain they properly identify the safe varieties from the poisonous ones. There are a number of well-illustrated field guides that help in the identification process.

 

 

 

 

 

There's critters in those pools & puddles

Spring brings rain and the rain fills the low spots in the woods, inviting creatures of all kinds to emerge and inhabit the watery space. On Sunday, April 15, Van Buren State Park will host a "Vernal Pool Expedition" at 2 p.m. The tour will give you a very close look at the wet areas that come to life when spring arrives, and examine the role vernal pools play in Northwest Ohio’s ecosystem.  A short intro will be followed by a walk to one of the park’s mini ponds to search for frogs, salamanders, and critters called macroinvertebrates. Dress for off-trail hiking, with waterproof foot wear and long pants required. Meet at the Nature Center, Shelterhouse No. 2 and be prepared to get muddy. Need more info? Contact park naturalist Natalie Miller at Natalie.Miller@dnr.state.oh.us, or the park office at Mary Jane Thurston State Park at             419-832-7662      .

Wise words on walleyes worthwhile

A lot has been written about the walleye run on the Maumee River -- some of it fact, some of it fiction, and some of it just the stuff that makes good fish stories. Michigan-based author Brian Miller has crafted a book on the run that some believe is the new mini-bible for the serious walleye run angler. Miller's "Fishing the Maumee River Walleye Run" is as direct as its title. In its 18 chapters, 220 pages and more than 100 photos and illustrations, the text conveys a wealth of solid information on the nuances of the run, which is the largest of its kind anywhere on the Great Lakes. Miller's book is available online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and several other online book stores, and has recently been stocked on the shelves at Netcraft on Briarfield Blvd. Early reviews are calling it a keeper for anyone who fishes the run.

Border creates some confusion over fishing regs

A few fishermen have inquired recently about the legality of taking fish in both Ohio and Michigan on the same day, and keeping in line with the rules on both sides of the border. The simplest answer is: pick one state, fish it all day, then start fresh someplace else the next day. But some anglers expect to bounce back and forth, and they want to stay clear of trouble. A couple of basic rules for border-hopping fishermen: 1. if you reside in Ohio, you may leave from the Ohio shore, take a limit in Ohio, and  return to Ohio's shore. You may not then leave from the Ohio shore, travel to Michigan waters, take a limit, and return again to Ohio waters in the same day. That would put you over the possession limit for the day in Ohio.  2. you may leave from Ohio shore, fish Michigan waters and return to Ohio water with walleye caught in Michigan, but you may not be in possession of more than the allowed daily limit of walleye in Ohio. Obviously, make sure you are licensed in both places, and fishermen need to be very aware of the daily possession limits in both states -- that's where you can get yourself into trouble.