For the hunting and fishing enthusiasts, we’ve hit that brief period of the year where most of our hunting is about over; it’s too cold to wade a local stream with the fly rod, and it’s just now getting cold enough to make ice for the hard-water gang. Yes, we can still hunt deer with a flintlock or archery equipment until the seventeenth of the month, but many have already gotten a deer, or the enthusiasm level is fading. Of course, if you are still anxious to get out on a hunt, there’s always a nighttime coyote hunt; calling in a coyote on a snow-covered landscape on a cold winter’s night offers its share of excitement.
At the other end of the spectrum are the winter fishing opportunities. I know most “normal” fishing enthusiasts forget about fishing until spring, but if you are really a diehard, you can still pick up some trout on any number of streams with your favorite trout rod and even a fly outfit. Speaking of stream fishing, I know of a number of guys who have been hitting the streams in the Erie area, and they are having pretty good success with trout and steelheads.
As you already know, I am a dedicated ice fisherman, and with this recent cold snap, it appears that my ice-fishing buddies and I may well be on the ice by the time you read this piece. While I’ve been writing in greater detail the past few weeks about what you need to get into ice-fishing, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to stress the importance of safety when heading out onto the ice, especially if you are new to the activity. Don’t assume that all ice freezes equally — far from it! My ice-fishing gang and I were checking several lakes last week, and while there was an inch or two in some places, there was still open water as well. To be safe, wear a life jacket or invest in one of the suits that will keep you afloat even if you go through the ice.
Well, if some leftover hunting or the cold weather fishing doesn’t appeal to you, but you are an outdoor enthusiast, you are not left out of the picture. Coming up at the end of this month is the Early Bird Sports Show at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. The show takes place in the three connected buildings on the grounds. In 2020 the former owners of the show decided to call it quits, but fortunately, Jenna and Jarett Swartz, a couple that had been displaying their outstanding wood products at the show, stepped in and took over the show. The 2021 show was canceled due to COVID, but it’s back on track now.
As in the past, the show will feature many outdoor products of interest to the outdoors gang. There will be a couple of archery events that will appeal to archers at all levels and ages. The Orangeville Sportsmen’s Club will again offer a B.B. gun shoot, and of course, the Pennsylvania Game Commission will also be on hand. Oh yeah, there will also be a good number of food vendors on hand as well.
I plan to be at the show as well, not as a visitor but as an exhibitor; in fact, I have been exhibiting my wildlife artwork at the show for nearly the past twenty years. Each year the show offers a specially designed patch, and in 2004 I took over designing the patch each year. Many of the patches have become quite collectible, and only a few hundred are produced and sold each year. By the way, the show opens at 3 p.m. on Thursday, January 27, and goes to 8 p.m. On Friday and Saturday, hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Sunday, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is a $7 admission fee, and those under 12 and military with credentials are admitted free. Seniors 65 and older only pay $5 on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Come by and say hello. If this isn’t enough to keep you busy, don’t worry-we’ll probably have plenty of snow and ice to deal with for a while.
