The Sun Journal Outdoor Column: Battling Cabin Fever
The deer and duck hunting season has come to an end for this year and with its end many nature lovers are experiencing the first stages of retreat. The symptoms are commonplace and pathetic. The typical sufferer sits and stares blearily at a television, occasionally muttering to himself as images of giant basketball players or twirling figure skaters flash across the screen. Every once in a while he might stumble upon an outdoor show like “Fishing With Roland Martin,” but that only makes matters worse, you could say he grinds his nose at it.
It doesn’t have to be like this. There are still things diehard outdoor men (and women) can do during the “frostbite months” instead of becoming couch potatoes. Below are some suggestions on how to get out there until the Spring Equinox signals the start of another fishing season. Each of them can be exactly what the doctor ordered for cabin fever.
(1) Go Paddling: In some ways, this is the best time to go canoeing or kayaking down a creek or other sheltered waterway. There are no insects, little motor boat traffic and it’s cooler. Additionally, since there are fewer people in the woods along a creek, you have a better chance of seeing a deer, a black bear, or some curious otters. (Just don’t forget your camera.) And remember, the water is cold, so you’ll want to avoid an unexpected swim. Just in case, submit a swim plan to a responsible person, carry extra clothing in a waterproof bag, and wear a life jacket.
(2) Take a hike: With fewer hunters in the forest, forest trails become more hiker-friendly. This is an excellent time to explore places like the Weetock Trail, which winds through the Croatan Forest between Maysville and Swansboro. Maps and guidelines are available from the National Forest Service office on Highway 70 east of New Bern. Another good place to check out is Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park on Broad Creek Road between Hwy. 55 and Fairfield Harbour. Look for the sign on the left side of the road.
(3) Shoot Trap: No, trap is not a weird little bird. It is a game in which a shotgun tries to hit clay targets (skeet) thrown by another person. The launcher can use a handheld launcher (available at sporting goods stores for under $20) or a portable mechanical machine. The difficulty and variety of playable shooting games is only limited by the imagination of the participants. The only downside is that “Clay Pigeons” cannot be eaten once bagged.
(4) Sporting Clays: If Trap is a little too tame for you, you will find what you are looking for on a Sporting Clays range. Dubbed ‘golf with a shotgun’, it’s both fun and challenging. A good place to start is Hunters’ Pointe Sporting Clays off the highway. 17 North of Washington, NC (phone number – 252-975-2529). They also have other target shooting activities as well as clay pigeons.
(5) Bird Watching: Late winter is a great time for bird watching in eastern North Carolina. Many different species pass through, including waterfowl, which reach their peak in numbers. For those who have never experienced it, seeing the flocks of tundra swans on the Pungo Lake portion of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge can be the thrill of a lifetime. The Vogelverein Niederneuse has members who are happy to steer you in the right direction. They meet on the first Tuesday of each month at Garbor Methodist Church in Trent Woods. Wade Fuller (252-229-8012) can give you more details.
(6) Beach combing, etc.: The number one activity on almost all beaches is beach combing – walking along the waterfront looking for unique shells, clean flotsam, whatever is there. One problem in summer is the crowds, and it’s hot. At this time of year, offshore storms send all kinds of neat shells to our shores, as well as a few other things. A friend of mine found a ball of marijuana on the shore of Portsmouth Island one winter’s day. (Yes, he turned it in.)
The beach is also a great place to fly a kite on a nice winter’s day. With few people and a constant breeze, even fools like me can get one up in the air with no problem. Pick a balmy afternoon and pretend you’re Ben Franklin — sans the flash, of course.
(7) Go camping: One difference between summer and winter camping in this part of the country is that the latter requires a good sleeping bag and reliable protection from possible wet conditions. Other differences, like the solitude of a winter forest and sky constellations that take your breath away when toasting next to a campfire, are the ones that make it worthwhile.
(8) Fossil Hunt: You may not be able to hunt deer or ducks this year, but you can search for the remains of animals that swam through this landscape millions of years ago, when the ocean covered much of what is now the coastal plain. Fossilized limestone (the kind of rock most people use in driveways and septic tank fields) is full of shark teeth, prehistoric whale vertebrae, and similar fossils. The Fossil Museum in downtown Aurora, NC is a good place to start. They have limestone (marl) piles right across the street and can help you identify what you find.
They can also point you to other potential “mining” locations. Call 252-322-4238 for directions and more information.
Regardless of where you go or what you do, this is a good time of year to be out and about in this corner of the forest. Just dress for the weather, use your common sense and thank god you don’t live in Fargo, North Dakota, where it was 21 below zero a few weeks ago.