This Just May Have Been Our Best Fall Yet!
What an amazing fall we have had here at Wilsons On Moosehead Lake! Sadly it appears that it is has come to an end, but not to fear winter is here! With 6-8 inches of snow in the forecast for today and even more by the end of the week, we officially called it quits on fishing season yesterday. It’s always a sad day spent deflating rafts, putting away frames, and tidying up the drift boats for next spring. Although it’s over, the fishing this fall left us with absolutely no complaints. Mild temperatures through October and November and a huge run of spawning fish combined to make one of our best falls ever! Extremely low water allowed us to be the only boats on the river with the rafts, giving us plenty of fish to choose from. The fishing is normally great in late fall every year, but most years it takes a very dedicated and well-prepared fisherman to endure the below freezing temps, frozen guides, and otherwise miserable weather. This year it felt a lot like September, but with spawning fish visible everywhere!
One little conservation note I would like to touch on: PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! When you are wading in late October and November, be very mindful of fish on their spawning beds. Unlike the rest of the year these late fall fish seek out gravely areas, lots of times in only 6-12 inches of water, to lay their eggs. Walking through these areas can be devastating to the spawning habitat. Not to say you can’t fish these areas, just be mindful of them and try your best to land your fish as fast as you can and handle them very gently… they are our future!
Aside from the fishing, we have had an excellent deer season as well! The same moderate temps made for unfavorable hunting weather, but good herd numbers combined with what appeared to be a very active rut put a good amount of deer on the game pole! On the first Thursday of the season, Cullen and Colby headed out the door after school in search of Cullen’s very first deer. It wasn’t long at all and the office phone started ringing. Looking at the caller ID and seeing Colby’s number I thought to myself, “Jeez, what could he want, they just left!” It became quite apparent after I answered the phone that something big had just happened! Barely able to hear Colby through the sound of his shaking hands slapping his phone off his cheek I was able to make out the words “CULLY SHOT HIS FIRST BUCK! HE GOT HIS FIRST BUCK!” The next ten minutes were quite the flurry of activity as I relayed the news to Alison and flew out the driveway. Slamming the Jeep in park and running through the woods I could see Colby and Cullen standing over their prize. Lying in the grass was a beautiful crotch horned buck. I’m can’t tell a lie, at this point me and Colby were equally as excited if not more excited than Cullen was, being the cool cat he is! Soon the rest of the family arrived. High-fives, hugs, a very proud Scott, Alison, and Wayne, and a whole lot of smiling pictures! Whether you’re an avid hunter or not, the memory of a kid’s first deer is something you will never forget! Now the pressure was on, the youngest of the camps had filled his tag, while we were all looking at tag soup! It didn’t take long though! The next day Colby tagged out while hunting with his grandfather with a beautiful 5 point buck. On Saturday I myself even managed to scrape up an 8 pointer! That’s a full game pole for three days!
Not to be beat, Caleb put in his time and put the smack down on a gorgeous 3 pointer while hunting with his dad, next year after he turns 16 he will be able to hunt all on his own and if I were a deer in the Moosehead region I would be some scared!
Sitting in the office typing this, watching the snow fall outside, I’m reminded why we love this place so much. It’s not always about who caught the biggest fish, who caught the most fish… who shot the biggest buck or who shot the first buck. We tend to get a little competitive at times but when it comes down to it, it’s all about the memories made with friends and family. Memories made to last a lifetime. We’re sad to see this amazing fall go, but that’s okay. Coming right up are a million memories of ice fishing, snowmobiling, and other winter activities and we can’t wait! Happy Holidays and we hope to see you all soon!
-Justin
