Digi what?

A good friend of mine is an avid birder. He is so involved he's considered an expert by many. Jerry Jourdan. His web site info is in my links page, or go to http://jerryjourdan.blogspot.com/. He's a photography expert both for work and for pleasure. His passion for bird photography has caused him to pursue the art of digiscoping, or photographing birds through a spotting scope using a point & shoot camera, and an adaptor to connect the camera to the scope. This new technology has enabled him and other birders to get involved in a previously expensive pursuit. The cost of cameras, lenses, film (old style) and assorted other equipment used for taking pictures of birds, even common ones, is very prohibitive for many people to consider for a hobby. One could easily spend $10K to $20K for camera equipment, and still have to call in the bird, or get lucky to get close enough then wait for a perfect shot. Sometimes this can be more torture than hobby.

Digiscoping allows Jerry to get much higher magnification images, is much less costly and gives more range so as not to alarm the bird. With any new endeavor there are many problems to deal with but the birders are finding out how to do this and sharing their info. His other blog is devoted just on this topic: "the how's and why's of digiscoping" - http://jerryjourdan2.blogspot.com/. Check out his sites and you may catch the bug yourself, I know I have. I just bought an adapter from Cabela's to get me started and maybe I'll be able to get pics like this...

From 2011-12-31

Just like Jerry.

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Hot Time at Snow Daze

With Daisy hot footing it with the dulcimers at Lake Erie Metro Park it was a perfect ending to the day.

Dulcimer Daisey

The dog sledding was a hit, thank you Hiekkie Lunta, and if you'd like to try it contact Becky at trailboss29@yahoo.com. During times like these you may get a ride on a go cart behind the dogs but if there's enough snow a sled will be in order.
Mike the wood carver was there carving fish decoy bodies. He does a lot of other carving and the signs were very nice. He's in Taylor and you can call him at 734-442-4134
Mary Spun a Little Lamb was there showing how to spin yarn and make rope all from her pet rabbit. Yeah it was a little hairy but the rug she made was from recycled t-shirts. Contact her at meslonie@hotmail.com, 734-243-2852
Jerry did his yearly ice carving.

;

Snow snakes were thrown.
The Huron River Fishing Association was there tying flies and teaching others to do so.
The Ford Astronomers were there as well as Dan Hovater the flint knapping expert.
Along with the displays from the nature center they also had crafts which were over the top. Making a snow snake pillow, painting a chickadee face and dressing up a muskrat. A very busy day.

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Elk on Hoof

A local hunter recently bagged the elk of a lifetime. It wasn't a record breaker but it was collected in Michigan and that usually means one and done. Especially since his dad has already been drawn for an elk a few years back what are the odds of that? The way Ron hunted was also unique in that he was guided on horseback to find the prey.
You may have seen Ron on his hunt on the Michigan Out of Doors TV show a few weeks back. That show has gotten a lot better this year, I've really enjoyed their content. The show was more about the outfitter and the fact he took out 3 hunters on his horses to find elk. Find elk they did but connecting had some problems. Even Ron had a problem racking shells for a follow up shot. His first shot was true however and he collected a nice cow right next to an access road. The elk was on a knoll and when a truck backed up to it the cow almost slid into the bed by itself.
So it was a great hunt all around and one that may not be offered again. It seems that the MDNR wants to charge Vern a lot more for a guide license and make sure he carries many hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance in order to keep such license. There aren't enough hunting opportunities or hunters to help pay these fees so like many other unique things to do hunting elk by horse may pass by us like a ship in the night.
Vern Bishop, Ray Andres and Ron

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Snow/No Snow Daze

Hiekki Lunta

This was to be a big weekend at Lake Erie Metropark but old man winter isn't cooperating. A lot of the activities are geared toward winter temperatures having been here for a while. The main casualty has been the ice fishing demo, no ice no demo. I was really looking forward to that, Bill from Bottom Line really likes to cater to the kids and enjoys it more than the kids when they catch fish.
All other activities are still a go and should be lots of fun. The weekend is geared to traditional and non-traditional winter activities, including snowsnake and atlatl throwing, Tundra swan watching, flintknapping and fly tying. Short programs will be held both days on winter animals, tundra swans, ice age animals and winter bird feeding. The Ford Amateur Astronomy Club will present an indoor winter starwatching program at 4 p.m. Saturday, followed by observing the sky through powerful telescopes from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A bonfire will help keep everyone warm between stargazing sessions.
Jerry is busy carving his ice sculpture so you'll want to see that and to help the dogs run more comfortably we'll need more snow so I want everyone to join me in evoking Heikki Lunta, the Finnish snow god, to let it snow. Heikki Lunta, Heikki Lunta, Heikki Lunta, Lunta, Lunta, Heikki Lunta, Heikki Lunta, Heikki Lunta, Lunta, Lunta, repeat refrain for as long as you can stand it. Hopefully this will bring snow for the weekend.

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Good Omen?

Ross Robertson caught this huge walleye in the glow of the city lights of Cleveland. It's late for lake trolling, although they're still doing it up in Saginaw Bay, and the bigger fish are usually found over by the Huron River in North Central Ohio. With the muddy water the cleaner water is farther east and that's where Ross was hunting them.
It'll only be about 60 days until we start catching hogs in the river. Maybe another like John Kinkead's from last year. We can only hope...
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Ultimate Fishing - Last Call

The UFS is going strong and today is the last day to attend. We got there about 1 pm and stayed for 3 hours and didn't even look at half the exhibits. With the Auto Show going on at the same time it's hard to believe how many people were there. A resolve as to how fishing and the outdoors are to Michigainians. It was very family oriented with many activities for kids including a mini zoo. There was also some live entertainment involving WRIF and some trout.

Fly Tying

Kids Casting

Simulated fishing

Trout Pond

It'll take me a week or two to go thru all the hand out info I picked up but one stood out because I didn't know a place like this even existed in Michigan. It's Brookhaven Lake near Clare, A new concept that allows you to fish for giant brook trout and the once prolific grayling. Yes, grayling, the fish that's been eradicated from the state since the big corporation loggers wiped them out. I've always wanted to catch one of these fish, a kind of bucketlist thing. Since the paddle fish is checked off the grayling may now be in my sight. In the pamphlet they allude to the fact a trip to places that hold grayling can cost $2K or more. They're offering a chance to fish for their young population of fish for a days charter fishing cost. Guaranteed to catch fish but not to keep. Check them out at http://www.brookhaven-lake.com/
As far as entertainment there was the fish bobbing contest sponsored by WRIF as well as all of the many fishing seminars. With the football games fast approaching the seminars were out of our picture but we did catch the bobbing.
Someone did grab a nice sized trout between their teeth and haul it out of the tub to win a musky charter on Lake St. Clair. From using teeth to catching teeth the circle becomes closed.

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What a day for ice fishing

That is if you're in the UP. There are still trollers fishing the mouth of the Saginaw River near Bay City. No ice fishing here but a day on the boat was greatly enjoyed. I did get some tanning time in for about an hour then the guide wanted to move again. All I have to show are some tan lines from my glasses and the straps from my bibs. After the move the wind picked up so tanning was out of the question. We did stay warm, however, by just using the windshield on the Lindberg Flash's Crestliner. The wall of bone wind blocker was set up but we never needed to put up the tarp on it. It's a nice design that keeps you still fishing in nasty wind.
You can see from the photo the bones are 1+1/4" pvc and they fit nicely into the rod holders. The tarp is secured inside the boat and weights are attached to the outside by the grommets. You know what they say about fishing, if it's nice out the fish don't bite , if it's nasty they won't stop biting. Thanks Mike for your idea and for your idea you win a free pass to the Ultimate Fishing Show this weekend. If anyone else is going the Downriver Walleye Federation is asking you to go to Mark Romanack's Super Walleye Clinic at Novi Ultimate Fishing Show on Saturday, January 14, 2010 at 2:30 PM – Stage A. Mark will be donating $5 back to the club from the $25 entry fee. If you're a DWF member Mark will leave a free ticket for you at will call.

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Chase Nature At Oakwoods Park

This weekend we'll be taking our Grand Daughters to the Oakwood nature center. The eldest of three, Stella, has been torn by staying with Ms. Jennifer or going to the older kids group, the Explorer's club. All the girls really love Ms. Jennifer and it was hard to convince Stella to change but it was time for her to move on up. The month before she decided to move I notice a table in the fireplace room that had a display of mushrooms on it and I asked how long did it take to collect all of them.
About 48 hours was Chase's reply. He had it down to hours and a few of the specimens were some I'd never seen before.
The next month Stella attended the Explorer's group and immediately got involved in Chase's discussion about beavers. Soon he had given out treats for correct answers and had a member of the group dressed as a beaver with a can of WD-40 and a deodorant applicator attached to the back, it all made sense at the time. Next we took a short walk to a site where beavers were chewing down their favorite trees, aspen or poplar. Wait did we just get beamed up north by Scotty? No we're just a couple miles west of Flatrock. Amazing.
Last month Case announces to the group we will be starting camp fires and boiling eggs. These are 6 - 10 year olds and the thought of each of them starting a fire seemed far fetched even if their name was Blue Tip. Much to my surprise each had a fire going in short order with the supplies provided. From dryer vent lint and shaved wood for kindling to bigger twigs and branches each kid started their own camp fire. The out came the 5 foot 2 x 2s and tin cups with wire handles on them. Soon eggs were boiling in the set ups and after about 10 minutes of this the eggs were cooled and thrown at a wood target. All were hardboiled or very close to it and smashing them on the wood was icing on the cake. A very interesting start to the weekend.
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Happy New Year

   Yes it's that time of the year when we remember back about the old year and are relieved to start a Happy New Year. I tend to remember the really impressive things or the negative things and not much else. I think there was a lot of negativity to remember from last year so next year has to be better. I was reminded of a ride I took in a department store by my Sister-In -Law, Donna, Roger's wife. This was many years and pounds ago in Grand Rapids. Seeing me crammed in the ride must have impressed Donna because she still remembers and couldn't believe I have no recall. I couldn't see myself and nothing bad happened so there was nothing there for me to remember.


   I recently saw a flock of between 50-75 turkeys on Ostrander road just west of Maybe in Monroe county. I thought this to be very impressive and I'll remember this for a while. I've only seen flocks that big in the thumb area never this close to home and that reminded me of the turkey me and my boys saw just on the shore of the Detroit River. This was a few years ago and it was about the same time my neighbor said he saw a turkey sitting on our fence and a coworker told me a turkey had traffic bottled up at Pennsylvania road and Biddle in Wyandotte. You must admit these are amazing things that anyone would remember for a long time. Then there are the "other" memories, like the truck and boat floating in the river, that are better left for another time.

   Some things to put on your calendar to remember:

The last weekend in Jan. Ray's Prime Meats in Taylor will be making their venison bacon so if you were lucky this year this is a real treat to use up some of you deer cache.

 The Ultimate Fishing Show Jan. 12-15 at the Suburban Collection Showplace

There will be a NRC meeting in the Hyatt Regency, 600 town Center Drive, Dearborn, on Feb 9th.

  This is your chance to make your voice heard by those making the decisions on your hunting and fishing.

Along those lines in you received a deer hunting survey complete it and if you hunted turkey in the fall go to the DNR website and complete the hunting activity report, even if you didn't get one.

Get Outdoors Downriver.