Hunting, Fishing and Watching Wildlife – Even in Quarantine

For those of us who want – need – to be outdoors right now (likely most of us here in Paradise), this additional month of “stay home, stay healthy” is a bit disheartening, if not disorienting. Washington State fishing was finally poised to open, along with shed antler hunting, turkey pursuing, birding (in this season of mating displays), and trips around the Kittitas Valley for the first wildflowers. All of that is again on hold – at least on the state-managed ground that largely surrounds us.

Truth be told, since that additional month (now into May) was added to our shelter-in-place (SIP) sentences, I have spent considerable time looking for alternatives. Last week, in this Inside the Outdoors discussion, we caught up with a number of homeys, and reminded ourselves of all those off-season chores we could manage to ready ourselves for the gardening, fishing and hunting seasons ahead. After learning that the spring versions of those fishing and hunting seasons (and a planned pig hunt in Texas) were on a longer hold, I spent a while contemplating my navel.

Given that it has seen easily twice as many challenging outdoor years as I have, I spent an extended moment or two communing with my 150+ year-old sourdough starter. Hoping for wisdom and insight from that old friend, I was rewarded with a certain level of re-found peace and joy (a tale for another time). In that quiet time with the sourdough, however, I was reminded of all the times it had accompanied me afield (in one or another raw or cooked form) for fishing, hunting, camping or whatever – and then something else.

I was reminded that our outdoor activities are essentially solitary, whether or not we are “with” other folks. Yes, we gather to share our moments and experiences, laughing or whining over the outcomes. But when we are tied into a fish or focused on some wildlife moment or about to pull the trigger after a careful stalk and prayer, the world is only us and the object of our attention.

That very individual one-on-one focus stirred me to develop a 1980s hunting and fishing radio/TV show; “The Rockies Outdoors.” The shows were good, but too far ahead of their time; syndication never met expenses. With the growth of the internet and rising availability of relatively inexpensive and high quality video gear, however, times have changed. No doubt because of that one-on-one relationship with wildlife, the popularity of intimate fishing, hunting and wildlife videos has skyrocketed over the last decade. Thousands of five- to ninety-minute online videos will carry you vicariously into any outdoor dream you have. With your tablet, smart phone, or at your computer, you – and you alone – can be inside any YouTube hunt, fishing trip, outdoor skill training, or wildlife observation you choose.

Thus, I prescribe the following for temporary relief of the pain from postponed (or missed, if SIP timing does not align with Mother Nature’s spring cycles) hunting, fishing and wildlife watch. Here in Paradise, and across the US, we cannot, at this time, be sure that any of our sacred outdoor pursuits will happen this year. As we wait, there are abundant armchair options.

Hunting?

Go, or not, bear and turkey hunting seasons are scheduled or already open, but unlikely to happen on state ground anytime soon. But, punch into your search engine any combination of “spring bear hunting,” “spring bear hunt preparation,” “turkey tactics,” or “turkey hunting,” for any season or any state, and you will find dozens of coaches and hunts. Wild pig hunting – as sons James and Chris and I had planned for Texas this spring – is as close as a keyboard, and available for night or day hunts, from the ground, a blind, or a helicopter.

A deer hunt with any shotgun/rifle/bow/crossbow, for muleys/whitetails/blacktails/Coues/Sitka or any exotic deer, for meat or for trophy, in any habitat, in any state or in any country, is three or four words and a couple clicks away. The same holds for elk, moose, bighorn sheep (any subspecies), caribou, and any other critter you want to hunt.

Fishing?

Will it or will it not happen this year? Be hyped and ready. Punch in “fishing (wherever) for (whatever),” click a link or YouTube video, sit back, and go fishing. Enjoy and learn. You will literally find all you want to know about fishing the Yakima or Columbia Rivers, Lake Roosevelt or Chelan, or the potholes. Go to the Amazon River, or the Zambezi. You will find that each little movie story will open to another. It’s all at your fingertips.

Wildlife watch?

So blessed we are. In many of these videos and live wildlife cameras, you will literally feel that you could reach in and touch some bird, animal or fish. Feel free to start with the camera sites here, or punch “(fish/wildlife/bird species/type) camera” into your search engine and enjoy. For North American critters try www.wildlifeforever.org/home/conservation/critter-cams/, or www.nps.gov/subjects/watchingwildlife/webcams.htm, or www.doi.gov/blog/4-wildlife-cams-you%E2%80%99re-guaranteed-love, or Audubon’s potpourri at www.audubon.org/news/top-10-wildlife-web-cams.

Something exotic? Try these Africa sites: explore.org/livecams/african-wildlife/african-watering-hole-animal-camera, or blog.rhinoafrica.com/2017/08/22/5-best-live-cams-africa-wild/, or check out www.africam.com/wildlife/.

I deeply understand the itch – the need – we have for genuine, tactile outdoor experiences. And I get that armchair adventuring doesn’t fully scratch that itch. Still, it’s a good option while we are all mostly sheltering in place.

I continue to be amazed at the number and quality of outdoor videos available today. In so many ways, even with today’s quarantines, our outdoor lives are well celebrated.