Ebbs and Flows of Nature

[leechlake]

I was reading a post below from Jim Almquist, "I give up, Uncle." from June. At the time I felt the same way, it get's frustrating.

As I type my lawn which has an irrigation system is looking pretty brutal, for the first time in years I can tell where there isn't great coverage even though I run it every other day. We need rain and it was supposed to last night and we got nothing (NW Suburbs).

Grouse numbers have a cycle, I remember years of plenty of deer and years where it was sparse in my thirty years of deer hunting probably 3 cycles of each, walleye fishing on Leech Lake has gone from great to average to terrible to great again. Every March we all start guessing on ice out, this year since we had an early ice out the theories were that the walleyes would be in non-normal patterns on opener in Minnesota. Then it was cool once the ice went out and it was normal. The list goes on and on.

The one constant that I've witnessed in my 45 years (I count in years not months like Bobby Bass and today is...yes...my birthday) is that there is no constant there is no "normal." I like it just like that. Maybe that's why I live in Minnesota not San Diego. I don't know how I would handle 68 and sunny every day. I love 68 and sunny but it needs to be framed in a world of 95 and humid and -10 and brutally cold (throw in a perfect 55 degree October day too!!!)

So next time I see a post questioning the present situation, whether its rain, snow, duck numbers, deer numbers, fish numbers, invasive species concerns I will give it a little chuckle because I know that mother nature will ebb and flow but ultimately figure it out and we will be fine.

[reinhard1]

Happy birthday!!!. same with fishing excuses and i've had my share. to calm, too windy, north wind [one of my favorites to use] or east wind, high pressure, and bluebird sky's ect. as you get older your just happy to be out there fishing, even though the fish are lock jawed. or out hunting when the only thing you see is a wiskey jack or an anoying red squirel.

wont be long and the ist ice prediction thread gets going [if not already] and then the ice-out predictions. i think we get close at times but hardly on the nose. go with the flow and make the best of it i guess. good luck.

[Bobby Bass]

First off happy birthday on you 540 birthday that if I remember right is a big one! Once you get pass your 500th birthday you do start to see the cycles. I have a few lakes that I have fished for so long that they have gone from bass to northen and then back to good bass lakes. I can remember days of walking through coveys of grouse with my gun across my shoulder, not bothering to lower it because we had shot at enough birds that day. We all remember the good old days but what troubles me is that for our kids today, today for them may be the good old days and they are not that good when compared to ours.

[Jim Almquist]

Now if we could just get a inch or 2 of that rain today

It is what mother nature dose best and that is keep you guessing.

I am one that will not ever fish memories. I have seen hot spots go cold only to become hot spots a few years later. I have also seen hot spots that just never really produced again. Every year is different and that is the way you need to approach any fishing or hunting trip. Start from scratch and find out whats working and go from there...

[Kyhl]

The one constant that I've witnessed in my 45 years (I count in years not months like Bobby Bass and today is...yes...my birthday) is that there is no constant there is no "normal."

That's the funny thing about averages. They tend to average out.

A warm winter followed by a warm summer. I expect an early winter this year to even out the average. As you pointed out, it probably will not be the same trend as the last year.

The geese and squirrels have been in fall mode for a few weeks. Geese are flocking up and heading south. Squirrels in the metro have been very active for the last couple weeks.

My dogs have noticed this too and last week took two squirrels that ventured into our fenced in yard. More to come I suspect.