Cedar Creek Lake near Stanford, KY, to become new trout fishery

         Cedar Creek Lake in Lincoln County will become a new Kentucky trout fishery as part of a three-year program to make more trout fishing opportunities available in the state.

Cedar Creek is a relatively new lake. The attractive 784-acre facility was dedicated a decade ago, and original fish management was aimed at the impoundment being developed as a trophy largemouth bass lake.

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), the lake remains an “excellent” largemouth lake. “Relatively high density of large fish (17-22 inch) gives anglers a good chance for a trophy fish.  A trophy regulation of a 20-inch minimum size limit, one fish creel limit is in effect”.

The lake also offers good fishing for bluegill and channel catfish.

This week, the KDFWR was scheduled this week to stock 12,000 rainbow trout at three sites: the ramp at the dam; the ramp on old U.S. 150, located in mid-lake; and at the fishing access area in the upper lake, located adjacent to the KY 1770 bridge. Each site will receive 4,000 trout.

Cedar Creek is located between Stanford and Crab Orchard along U.S. 150. It is little more than an hour drive southeast from Bardstown.

    "The trout look great," said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. "They are about 10 inches. Because of the popularity of Cedar Creek Lake, we expect to see good returns for anglers."

    According to a KDFWR news release, another stocking of 9,000 trout will follow in February.

    "We should have these fish all the way into June of 2013, when the water grows too warm for trout," said Jeff Ross, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Cedar Creek has three boat ramps, plus has bank fishing access off Kentucky Route 1770, near the south end of the lake.

    Fisheries personnel plan to conduct a creel survey on Cedar Creek Lake and a concurrent angler attitude survey. They also plan to tag 600 of the trout to determine angler utilization of the fish.

    "We strongly encourage people to return the tag if they catch a tagged trout," said Dave Dreves, fisheries research biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. "We have four metal boxes around the lake where anglers may get an envelope on one side of the box, fill out the information and a slot on the other side of the box to deposit the envelope."

    The boxes will be located at the stocking sites and also at the Cowan Road boat ramp. The envelopes are postage paid. Anglers may take them home to fill them out, then send them back to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. Anglers must include their name, address, phone number and whether they kept the trout or released it.

    "Those who participate will receive a pewter fish pin," Dreves said. "They also are entered into a monthly drawing for cash prizes."

    A total of nine drawings will be made each month: one $100 winner, one $50 winner, two $25 winners and five $10 winners. "You stay in until you win," Dreves said.

    Buynak also encouraged anglers who catch these fish to harvest them.

    "Adult anglers must have a trout permit to harvest trout," Buynak said. "A trout permit is included in the senior/disabled license and the Sportsman's license. Buy a trout permit and take these fish home and eat them. Trout will likely die after catching and releasing them."

    These stockings will be conducted over a three-year period. After three years, the program will be reevaluated to determine whether to continue the stockings.

New fish & wildlife area open in west-central Indiana's Putnam County

Deer Creek Fish & Wildlife area has an information and check-in station just north of U.S. Highway 40 in Putnam County.

Outdoor folks are always looking for new areas to hike, hunt and fish, and a new area is now open in west-central Indiana.

Deer Creek, Indiana’s newest fish and wildlife area, has nearly 2,000 acres of woods and rolling agricultural land for hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities.

The new fish and wildlife area was part of the old state penal farm, now the Putnamville Correctional Facility, located in the western part of Putnam County about 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

Several years back, the military wanted more land at the facility at Camp Atterbury. After some negotiations, the state agreed to swap some of the land it owned at the camp for the nearly 2,000 acres at the Putnamville facility.

At one time, the state farm was a large working agricultural operation, but over the years most of the acreage was no longer used for producing food or training inmates.

The Department of Natural Resources took possession of the land in 2010. The Deer Creek FWA consists of two or three blocks of land, one located south of U.S. 40 and the current correctional facility, and the other is located north of the highway. A Putnam County road separates the two northern blocks.

The FWA has areas of rolling interspersed agricultural land  and mature oak and hickory dominated woods. In the northern section, there is a four-acre lake, which offers fishing for bass, bluegill and catfish. There is ample room for bank fishing.

There is no auto or bicycle traffic on the FWA; only foot traffic is allowed. There is a parking lot off County Road 75, and one can hike to the lake. There is a bush hog trail and then an old road which leads to the lake.

Mark Huter, Deer Creek property manager, says since the area is limited to walk-in traffic, “it usually is pretty quiet around the lake...There usually are only a couple fishermen per day.”

Deer Creek, from which the area gains it’s name, meanders through the southern portion of the FMA. Although the water level has been low this summer, at times Deer Creek can produce some nice smallmouth bass as well as panfish. 

Located along State Highway 243 a couple miles south of U.S. 40, there is a parking area for the southern portion. There also is a drop box for dropping permits and harvest/use information.

The property is open to public access only on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and closed the other three days.

While fishing is limited at Deer Creek, there is ample opportunity for hunting. Deer, quail, rabbit, turkey, squirrel, dove and waterfowl are available on the property. Turkey, dove, deer hunts are available through the state computer draw system. Quail and rabbit hunting is only on Saturdays.

According to the Deer Creek FWA brochure, in addition to a hunting and/or fishing license, permits are required for the following activities:

Permission to hunt on Deer Creek FWA must be obtained before entering the field. Daily hunt permit cards must be in possession of the hunter and recorded through established sell-service procedures outlined at the check-in station, located just north of the correctional facility about a quarter mile. Self-service drop boxes are located at several places.

Collecting permits are required from the property manager or DNR for the collection of anything except nuts, berries and mushrooms.

While currently, there is a maintenance facility on the property, there is no office. However, Huter says future plans call for an office, which also would serve as the office for several other properties in west-central Indiana.

Huter currently works out of an office in Linton. Addition information may be obtained by calling 1-812-659-9901 or the DNR in Indianapolis at 317-232-4200.

Tips for starting youngsters in waterfowl hunting

When it comes to teaching youngsters the basics and traditions of hunting, often squirrels or rabbits are the game that usually come to mind for the initial outings.

Squirrels are a good choice because many of the basics learned apply to other types of game, like deer and turkey. 

My first hunting was for rabbits. Almost by accident I shot one with a BB gun when I was about 10 years old. 

While rabbits are good for learning, however it seems these days there are fewer and fewer rabbits to hunt. Most farmers have eliminated their fence rows and many also fall plow. Much habitat has disappeared.

The PR folks at Delta Waterfowl sent me information about starting youngsters hunting waterfowl. I’ve always thought of waterfowl hunting as difficult and challenging. The best hunting usually requires crawling out of a warm bed about the time many people go to sleep, and it also often requires waiting for birds in lousy weather. The worse the better.

However, the information from Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson is interesting and worth passing along for would-be waterfowl hunting. Many of the recommendations apply to any type of hunting, and even relate in general to fishing.

"I really believe you can't start'em too early," said Olson, who hunted ducks and geese with his father well before he was old enough to pull the trigger. "One important thing we've learned with our First Hunt program is that hunting participation soars in families where parents hunt. The more you can nurture the culture when they're young, the more likely you'll have a kid who hunts over their lifetime." 

Olson recently took his son Benjamin, 4, and nephews Petey, 8, and Joey, 6, to Delta to hunt ducks. "They had an absolute blast, and we didn't even shoot at a single bird," said Olson. "In many jurisdictions across North America, there are age restrictions on when kids can start hunting waterfowl. Restrictions or not, there is nothing stopping you from bringing the little ones along for a hunt. My advice is to just do it. You can't imagine how rewarding the experience will be—for you and the kids." 

Here are 10 tips Olson recommends considering when you take youngsters into the field: 

1. Keep it short. "It's like training a young Lab—short is always best," said Olson. 

2. Pick the right day—this isn't the time for a tough, cold day in the marsh. 

3. Make it fun. "Keep the focus on the kids and make sure the experience is fun and upbeat," said Olson. "Bring a football in case the birds don't cooperate." 

4. Start teaching some basic skills, but concentrate on safety. 

5. Bring lots of calls, and let the kids blow them as much as they want. The outing isn't about bagging birds. "Bring some ear plugs too, because it's probably going to get loud," Olson said. 

6. Bring lots of snacks. "Kids always want something to eat," said Olson. 

7. Bring a dip net. Yes, a dip net. "If the birds aren't flying, switch it up to a frog or water bug hunt. It doesn't matter to them." 

8. Take a lot of photos. They are certain to become family heirlooms. 

9. Bring a change of clothes because your kids are likely to get wet. 

10. Get your kids to help clean the birds, and eat them that same day. "If you do, they'll get hooked on eating game," said Olson. 

From this old outdoor writer’s experience, don’t worry about getting wild game. Make sure the kids have a fun experience. It’s about the kids and not the adults.

Persimmons among Mother Nature's fall food bounty

Persimmons make good puddings and make tasty wine.

Mother Nature produces a fall harvest of good things to gather and eat. Persimmons are one of those good things that can be found on a hike in the woods or on a special trip just to pick them.

Persimmons are one of the most popular items harvested in the fall, although other fruits of interest include the pawpaw, wild grapes, elderberry, and wild cherry. These can be picked while on a fall hunting trip for squirrels or a fishing trip, or they can be hunted and picked on any fall outing.

And besides the items thought of as fruits, there are nuts, walnuts, hickories and others. They are tasty in baked goods and other recipes.

Unfortunately this summer's drought has impacted some fruits and nuts, but in places they can be found.

The persimmon tree has gray, fissured bark. Once you learn the tree, they are easy to identify. I've never quite figured out persimmon production as to whether it will be a good year or no-so good year. Similar weather years don't seem to always produce the same amount of fruit. With the dry, hot weather, it will be interest to see the result. One way or another, it will be fun to get out and check the trees.

Persimmons should be picked from the ground and not the tree. If picked from the tree, they may be what we always have called “puckery”. One not fully ripe will leave the inside of your mouth with an awful taste and make the inside feel as though it puckers. Some people shake the persimmons from smaller limbs, but there is a danger of getting some puckery ones included in your picking.

Persimmons can be used to make wine. To process them is easy. You just look them over in the kitchen. Wash them off and make sure they are clean. Then squash and drop skins, seeds and all into the container where you make your wine.

However if you plan to use them to make persimmon pudding, cookies or pies or to save and freeze for later, much more work is involved. The biggest problem is getting out the seeds. They are sizable, but difficult to easily remove. The skins and stems also must be separated. They need to be run through a colander or Victoria strainer,  and that is a work of love, but one well worth doing. I love persimmon pudding. It is always a part of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Here is a persimmon pudding recipe::

Ingredients -- 2 cups persimmon pulp, 2 cups sugar (granulated), 2 cups milk, 2 cups flour, 3/4 stick of margarine or butter, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Melt the butter and stir it into the pulp. Then stir in flour, sugar, cinnamon in that order and stir it well.

Pour the mixture into a nine by 13-inch cake pan, and bake for one hour in an oven that has been preheated to 350 degrees. It can be served with shipped cream, or it can be cut into squares and eaten with the hands, although you may have to lick your fingers afterward.

There are a number of other recipes. My mother-in-law always made a pudding that was less like a cake and more like a soft pudding to be eaten with a spoon. Either way it is delicious.

If you want to enjoy eating a few raw persimmons while on a hike or baking a tasty pudding, this is the time of the year to give them a try.

Photo of beautiful sunset can bring joy, and also save fond memories

Sunset at Cedars Resort on Central Lake, MI

Last evening after dinner, it was time to take my rat terrier Tyler for a walk on the grounds of Cedars Resort, located on the Antrim Chain of Lakes in northern Michigan.

During the day, it had rained and the temperature began to drop, but as the day began to fade, the sunset became brilliant. As the sun dropped over the hill on the far side of the lake, I thought I should have my camera. It was beautiful. But, I figured by the time I walked the short distance to the car for a camera, it would be too late for a good picture. When the sun sets, the light rapidly disappears.

But, I decided to give it a shot, and headed for the car. Tyler couldn’t figure out why his normal walk was being disrupted for a quick trip to the auto.

To my surprise, when I arrived back at my viewing spot of the sunset, which was bracketed between a number of handsome cedar trees, the sunset had turned even more golden in appearance.

I snapped about a half dozen shots with my old Nikon digital as the sunlight left for another day. Several of the resulting shots looked as though they had been shot through a filter, but they weren’t. I was just lucky.

One thing about photography I learned long ago, is take a lot of pictures. If you take enough, you often will get a shot you like.

Small town of Falmouth, MI, offers several pleasant surprises

Wonderful surprises in a small town. That’s where you often find them.

While traveling in Northern Michigan, we visited our winter Florida neighbor Dennis Daniels, who lives just outside of Lake City. His wife, Jean was visiting family in Ohio, so when time for lunch came around, he suggested a short road trip to Falmouth.

I once ran a road race in Falmouth, MA, but wasn’t aware there was a Falmouth in Michigan. However, the Michigan version is just as scenic as the Atlantic namesake.

Dennis suggested we wait a few minutes before heading out to lunch. “Right now, they’re busy with the farmers,” he grinned. “Let’s wait a few minutes...And there is a dairy right across the street.” He wasn’t kidding.

With a population of less than a thousand, the small town has a wonderful restaurant, specializing in home cooked (and baked) food. The place is Duane’s. and the food isn’t fancy, it’s great. The places bakes it’s own bread, pies, cookies and other pastries.

Another surprise is behind the restaurant, it’s Ebel’s General Store, which has been around since 1920. Today, Ebel’s located in a modern building with large basement, and if the store doesn’t have it, you don’t need it. You can buy anything from a tractor, to clothing to an extremely large selection of meats and foods. There is a large selection of jerky sausages, including one variety containing locally grown cherries.

If you ever are in the area, a trip to Falmouth is well worth your time. Your taste buds will like it as well.

And after we said goodbye to Dennis, we stopped briefly in Lake City at a local shop that makes pasties. a northern Michigan specialty. It’s sort of a pie filled with meat and vegetables. The shop had several varieties of pasties, and the lady working in the store recommended one with rutabaga and beef.

It was a fun day visiting a friend and neat small town places.

9-11 memories still strong in my head; seems like yesterday

(I wrote this column a number of years ago, and today after thinking about that awful day again, I decided to post the recollections on my blog.)                

       My head is filled with thoughts related to 9/11. They are numerous and difficult to organize. That may be the case for many Americans.

I know exactly what I was doing when the first twin tower was hit. My wife Phyllis and I had made plans to attend an outdoor writer’s conference. We planned to take our motorhome, so I had scheduled some minor maintenance at a Tell City automotive garage.

When I arrived at the garage with the motorhome on the morning of 9/11, a radio was playing in the back of the shop. A newsman was talking about a plane crashing into a World Trade Center tower.  A short time later, the second plane hit. Being an old news guy and retired Air Force officer, it didn’t make sense. 

The rest of the day, and for several days, I was glued to the television and radio. It was hard to believe. I couldn’t get enough information.

The thoughts and mind-pictures from the scene poured into my head, and my heart. I felt for the victims, their families and their friends. And to me, the physical loss of the buildings also was like losing a friend.

For four years, I rode the train from Mt. Lakes, NJ, to Hoboken, then boarded the PATH (Port Authority Trans Hudson). Rode under the river to the train station in the basement of one the Twin Towers. Each evening, I made the reverse trip.

I can still see the escalators which carried me daily up from the lower level station. There were sandwich shops and restaurants. I often visited them for lunch.

There also were other restaurants higher in the building.. And if I remember right, in the early days of CNN, the network had an office there that covered Wall Street. I sometimes worked with its reporters.

Windows on the World was a wonderful restaurant atop one of the towers. The food was good, but the view was even more spectacular. I remember attending a Christmas party there. The view at night was breathtaking.

I worked about a block and a half away in media relations for AT&T. It still is hard for me to imagine or believe the towers are gone.

One day a wacky guy using suction cups on his hands and feet decided to climb one of the towers. Fred Heckman, the former news director of WIBC in Indianapolis, was a good friend. He called me and asked it I could see the climbing guy, who I think called himself,”The Human Fly.”

“Sure,” I said. The next thing I knew I was live on WIBC providing an account of the nutty guy’s climb. In fact, I did several reports for Fred.

I have many memories of the now missing beautiful buildings. I still see them in my mind.

Had the timing been a bit different, I could have been in one of the towers.

My fear is that something similar will happen again. It is hard to protect against people who have no respect for human dignity, for life, and freedom.

We do the best we can.