Hunting Winnebago Valley

After scouting out John's property in Winnebago Valley the previous night, we decided to head there this morning. Got an early start but overshot the house because of our lack of familiarity with the location. Jim headed for the hill on north of the road whil I headed south, crossing the creek at a forth.


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Lots of gobbling all around, but none of them seemed interested in making my acquaintance.



Headed back to the car and had a funny experience when crossing the creek: in the soft mud by the water I saw one set of fresh boot tracks not matching my own (as well as the tracks of a turkey). I wondered and puzzled and mused until I remembered that I had worn my waders on the way in (still dark), not wanting to risk wet feet. When I returned I decided to keep my knee-high rubber boots, which, it turned out, afforded ample protection from the creek.

At noon we headed for Crooked Creek to fish. Roles were reversed today and I had the most frustrating time losing fly after fly and not getting any strikes while Jim caught a lot of trout, including a 14-incher.



Scared up several great blue herons (Ardea herodias). Saw what I think to be a northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis) hopping around by the creek and several muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), very close and quite unafraid, as well as a sunbathing roadside woodchuck (Marmota monax, of the alive, non-roadkill variety, the latter being present, too).