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Tales From the Marsh By
Marshall
MacFarlane My
passion for hunting and fishing is a direct result
of excursions with my Dad and Grandfather, when I
was young. Granted, Gramp was never a hunter, but an
avid fisherman. Dad enjoyed fishing also, and I
think it was fair to say that he did hunt, although
I can’t remember him enjoying it as much as he did
fishing. It’s funny, the things that stay trapped in
your memory banks. When I recall fishing trips with
my Dad and Grandfather, I always seem to remember
the same “scenes”. I remember fishing along the
Clearwater Stream. In those memories are the smell
of Gramp’s menthol cigarettes, and Dad’s cigars.
Somehow, I always enjoyed the smell of their smoke,
mixed with the fresh air. I don’t think that one is
allowed to fondly remember tobacco smoke, these
days… I remember the Shiktehawk Stream, nestled
between the watershed of the mighty St. John River,
and that of the Miramichi River. I remember being
old enough to wade by myself, and how absolutely
frigid the water was. I remember Gramp and Dad being
ahead of me, around a bend, and being terrified
because I was “by myself”. I remember Gramp and Dad
teaching me how to flyfish, when I got older. A
skill that, although a little rusty these days – I
never lost. I recall a “big” trip, where we went to
Mount Carleton – the highest in New Brunswick, and
fished Nictau Lake. On that trip, I drank black
coffee from a thermos, ate corned beef sandwiches
with hot mustard, and fished from a boat extensively
– a first for me. We even visited the Ranger’s cabin
at night, which was close to our campsite. Some of
these sights, smells, and sounds are still with me
like they just happened yesterday. I want to thank
my Dad and Gramp for what they gave me – memories,
their time, and camaraderie. All of which helped lay
the foundation for the day when I would have a
child. My memories of time with them help remind me
to make time for my daughter – so that she can have
memories someday too. Memories of her first fish,
seeing her first bear or moose, or memories of the
first time she wasn’t scared of being in the woods.
Happy Father’s Day, not just to all fathers and
Grandfathers, but especially to my Dad and
Grandfather also. I hope that all of our memories
haven’t yet been made, and there’s still a few trout
and corned beef sandwiches out there, with our names
on them.. If you are a Dad or Granddad, make some
time for your kids. It will affect them for the rest
of their lives. Even
as spring turkey and bear hunts are wrapping up, the
fall regs are soon to arrive. Lots of new stuff this
year, due in no small part to the shenanigans of USO
and the 9th Circuit Court. Game and Fish
says that the regulations will be available online
around May 2nd, and printed versions
available at licensing outlets around May 20th.
Remember that there will be no online draw this
year! Applications have to be mailed in, and tags
paid for, up front. Also expect an increase in most
tag fees. This year, all applicants must buy a
hunting license, as well. On the bright side, a
loyalty bonus point has been created, and 20% of
tags will be set aside for those with the most
amount of bonus points. The application deadline is
May 27th, at 5:00 PM. It is my
understanding that on that day, the Game and Fish
office looks a lot like the Post Office on April 15th.
Cars lined up for blocks. AZG&F says that draw
results should be available online and by phone on
or before July 29th. When figuring out
your draw choices, remember that you can look the
Units over on the Unit Reports, found on the Game
and Fish website. If you’re the “volunteering” type
– Arizona Game and Fish has a bunch of volunteer
opportunities. According to their website, they
could use some help with wildlife rehab, office
work, and maintenance at their Wildlife Center in
Phoenix. They need instructors for their boating
classes, sport fishing classes, and shooting sports
classes. They need helpers for clean-up and habitat
restoration projects, as well as the construction of
water developments for wildlife. They also have a
variety of needs for volunteers throughout the year,
on various field projects and surveys. To learn
more, visit the Game and Fish Website at
www.azgfd.com
or e-mail
volunteer@azgfd.gov
Another
great volunteer organization is Arizona Hunters Who
Care. This group organizes garbage pickups in
affected Game Units along the southern borders.
Unless you visit these areas, or see the pictures –
the average person cannot comprehend how much trash
is being left in our beautiful deserts. During a
project this spring, the group picked up almost
50,000 pounds of garbage! The next clean-up event is
scheduled for October 22nd. If you can’t
attend, this organization is also looking for
various donations. Visit their website at
www.azhunterswhocare.org
or e-mail them at
AzHuntersWhoCare@hotmail.com
If nothing else, visit their site to see the
pictures of the garbage being cleaned up – it will
amaze you! Recently,
I was contacted by an interesting organization.
These folks run summer camps in Texas that are
oriented around both hunting/fishing and Bible
Study. Now, I remember going to Summer Bible Camp as
a kid, but never dreamed there would be a camp that
added hunting and fishing stuff as well. Daily
activities include various hunting and fishing
related classes, game preparation classes,
marksmanship classes, and finally – a bunch of
different classes on safety and first aid, poisonous
snakes and snakebites, wildlife management, fishery
management, laws and ethics, and the politics of
hunting and fishing. They do have scholarship
opportunities, and other programs to help offset
enrollment costs. They accept boys and girls, ages
10-16. For more information, visit their website at
www.coacamps.org
or contact their Director, Michael Marbach at
210-827-9802. You can also e-mail Michael at
mmarbach@mycoa.org
For suggestions or comments, please send e-mails to mmac@cenazcom.net
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