Outdoors: Journal entries a valuable tool for the outdoorsperson

Journal entires can spark some good memories.

I have always kept a journal. Be it fishing, hunting or trapping, it was interesting and nice to see if fish and animals returned to their same haunts each year in a river or lake system. Most of the time they did, and once the outdoor person learned, they stayed pretty much the same on all bodies of water.

I taught the young lad this also. Methods used in hunting and fishing are about the same. But one never knows when things might change. Again, the journal.

I have had veteran trappers contact me on how to flesh a beaver, skin a coyote and an otter. Someone had to show me, and this keeps the trapping fraternity going.

To make a dog-proof trap that stands out, paint a golf ball the color of yellow field corn. Place this in a cubby or pipe. You can then add any scent you think you will need as an attractor.

Early in the squirrel season, mosquitoes can be very bad. I have even had them follow me out in the boat. Place Vics VapoRub behind your ears. Mosquitoes don’t like the smell, and it will repel squirrels from a bird feeder as well.

Try milk carton cooler ice. Clean empty cardboard milk containers, fill with water and freeze. As the ice melts, the clean water can be drunk or used for cooking. The empty cartons make great fire starters as well.

La Salle County Pheasants Forever

Sunday, August 7 there will be a trap shoot at Coonan Hunt Club. For direction and times for this event, call Jeff Grubar at 815-488-3545. Please make a note of it, as this is just over a month away.

Hunting report

There are very few mushrooms left in the woods. There are a few big asparagus plants. With the mushrooms, we will have to wait until fall. Have fun fishing until then.

The wild turkey harvest was good or bad depending on what part of the country you were in.

Fishing report

Area rivers are starting to produce catfish in fair numbers. Cooling-lake action remains very good for bluegill and channel catfish. Again, La Salle is king for numbers. Wax-worms are best for the cooling lakes.

Check ahead for lake conditions at La Salle by calling 815-357-1608.

• Fred Krause is a Shaw Media correspondent.