Outdoors
What's there to do in the great outdoors? Here we've got a bevy of local outdoor activities and destinations to explore.
Ephrata Youth Fishing Derby Saturday
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Lions Club will host its annual Youth Fishing Derby from 6 to 8 a.m. this Saturday at Ping P…
Animals around the Basin: Final thoughts about cougars
A few more thoughts about cougars are necessary. These animals could be anywhere at any time. Now, don’t let me put the fear of life into you and your family, …
Animals around the Basin: Be cougar aware
Situation: A family of four is on a hike to the Chief Moses campsite south of Highway 17 along Rocky Ford Creek. This is on the Ephrata side of the creek where…
Animals around the Basin: Cougars continued
How big is a cougar? Here is how Washington Fish and Wildlife describes the animal:
Animals around the Basin: Cougars
Are there really cougars in the Columbia Basin? Yes, there are cougars in the Basin. The cougar is also known as a mountain lion, panther, ghost cat, shadow ca…
Animals around the Basin: Coyotes
It would be difficult to talk to a Columbia Basin citizen who has not seen or heard a coyote. In fact, coyotes inhabit many residential areas and even downtown…
Bird count lists
Keeping a list of birds encountered by a bird watcher, also known as a birder, is a common activity. There are various kinds of lists, but all of them involve …
Websites assist birding education
Websites are informational and educational. One caution is to realize not all information on websites is correct. Still websites are useful for providing infor…
Christmas Bird Count
What is the Christmas Bird Count? The Annual Christmas Bird Count is an Audubon Society sponsored event taking place between Dec. 14, 2019 and Jan. 5, 2020.
Final thoughts about Deer Camp
We have explored several thoughts about spending time at Deer Camp over the past couple of weeks. Today we will discuss a few items which are nice to have, but…
Hunting for good eats: Deer hamburger soup
We have been discussing cooking wild game recipes at home, so here is a recipe for all hunters. One most or all of the family members should enjoy.
Items to remember from Deer Camp
Last week we spent our time living at The Hut and hunting Deer. Our hunting season is over. Here are some lessons or observations from our time at The Hut.
Deer Camp 2019
Halfway through my trip around the edge of my hunt area put me on top of a hill overlooking the north side of the sagebrush and grass pasture. Movement was spo…
Butchering the rest of the deer: What to do with the last bits of meat
Again, it is time for a disclaimer: Butcher is not my official title or unofficial title. Butchering the animals and birds is an enjoyable task for me. The res…
Butchering the hindquarter
There are two ways we look at our deer meat in my hunt group. We all save what is considered the prime cuts. Mainly these are the backstrap and the tenderloins.
What to do next with your deer carcass
We now have a deer carcass hanging in a cool place to allow the body heat to dissipate. This may be a shop, garage or walk-in cooler, but make sure the deer is…