Woodpeckers are common birds that inhabit most of North America. Downy and hairy woodpeckers are some of the most common, but there are also red-headed woodpeckers, red-bellied woodpeckers, northern flickers, yellow-bellied sapsuckers and several others.
The westernmost portion of Gulf Islands National Seashore lies in the city limits of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. The National Park Service runs a campground at this location, and Susan and I found ourselves surrounded by RVs after we pulled the Sienna into our site.
The unique thing about saltwater fishing is that there are a multitude of baitfish available for predatory fish to feed on. Finger mullet, pinfish, pigfish, croakers, pilchards, and menhaden are frequently on the menu. If it swims in saltwater, it lives a life of fear from being devoured by bigger fish!
Most fishermen around here have caught their fair share of sunfish. Although there are many species of sunfish, some anglers never learn the differences. That’s a shame, because different species of sunfish have their own distinctive color patterns and their own fascinating behaviors. Green sunfish are one of the more interesting sunfish.
Florida can boast of a river that behaves in a most unusual fashion. The Santa Fe River starts at Santa Fe Lake, flows towards the Gulf of Mexico for a while, and then disappears into a large sinkhole at a place called River Sink. Suddenly it's gone!
In the spring, crappie spawn in great numbers around shallow structures such as standing timber, logs or stumps. When crappie congregate in small places, anglers can enjoy a fun day fighting them one on one.
Everyone is familiar with honey bees, right? They make honey! And who doesn’t love honey? Actually, honey is just one of the substances produced by honey bees. They also produce beeswax, bee bread (eaten by young worker bees) and royal jelly (for the queen bee). Typically, though, just the honey and beeswax is harvested from honey bees by humans.
When my high school friends and I were high from beer, pot, or both, one of the topics of conversation was, "If you only had a year left to live, what would you do?" When you're 17 or 18, that topic seems very remote. In May 2019 (long past 18 years old) I was diagnosed with an incurable lung disease called pulmonary fibrosis. Didn't like hearing this, but didn't expect to live forever, either. Susan (best friend and spouse) and I bought tickets to fly to Europe. BAM! Pandemic hits! No Europe until who knows when.
The fish catching ability of lead-head jigs is legendary. I’ve caught fish in freshwater and salt with lead-heads. I’ve caught fish with lead jigs so small they could be flicked with a fly rod and so heavy they could be classed as a lethal weapon. Many experts opine lead-head jigs to be the numero-uno fishing lure of all time. They are probably right.
So why the title of this column: “Is lead dead?”
Monarch Butterflies are one of the joys of summer. These beautiful orange and black butterflies are known as “milkweed butterflies”, which simply means their larvae only eat the leaves of milkweed plants. However, the common monarch is not as common as it was a decade or two ago.
Coyotes are common throughout the United States these days, and it is not unusual to hear groups of them howling and barking in the distance on a cold winter evening right after dark. They often travel in pairs or small family groups as they hunt, usually covering a distance of two or three miles during the night.
Everyone loves sunfish. Just about all fisherman, whether they are young or old, have caught their fair share of sunfish over the years. Sunfish are a staple for kids of all ages; these small fish always seem to be hungry and are usually eager to take a baited hook. Perfect for beginning anglers!
