PUTZING AROUND OUTDOORS
By Jerry Kiesow
Editor’s note: To keep track of what he is doing and where, to see his photos and read some of his other writings, including his book, “Tales of The Peshtigo Putzer,” check out his website: www.jerrykiesowoc.com.
Allow me to introduce myself,
I do more than fly fish
Hi!
Some of you already know something about me - I write a fly fishing column in our print edition of “On Wisconsin Outdoors.” It has been decided by the powers that be, that I also will be doing a short column for our website, several times a month. The subject? Anything I want as long as it is about enjoying the outdoors.
What does that mean exactly?
Well, let’s start with identifying just exactly what the word putzing means. In my book, “Tales of The Peshtigo Putzer,” I define this fictional character as, “... one who does many things - a little bit of this, a little bit of that - most of the time he has a little bit of this and that going on at the same time.” Someone, “... who gets by very nicely, for his own purposes, and above all, has learned how to enjoy the outdoors at least a little bit of every day ...”
That is what we plan on doing here, showing you, through tales and trivel, different ways to enjoy, via putzing, more of the outdoor world.
How? Well, of course, there will be some fly fishing stuff. I will use this space to answer your Q&A’s instead of the section we currently have. I will set up a series on timely fly patterns and how to tie some, the different knots I use and why, and any other subject you might want to hear about. I may do something about outdoor photography.
I will share experiences about many of the things I do outdoors - hunt, with gun, bow, and camera; go birding, wherever we are, including our backyard; cross-country skiing or snowshoe. I might tell you about some of the books and magazines I read - yes, there are others besides “OWO”; I might even give you a glimpse at how and what fish and game I cook - yes, I cook - many of my entrées are done on a grill, outdoors, year round.
So, I intend to share (with my wife’s permission of course, because she is, among many titles, my first editor - in a variety of ways), my life outdoors. Hopefully, these “adventures” (sometimes mis-adventures) will help you to enjoy God’s world even more than you do now.
As a quick example: On a recent Saturday, before the winds brought in the cold front, I ventured into a small woods that hold a fair number of squirrels. I had reduced that population of a couple grays a week or so before. However, on this day I was after two specific critters - big fox squirrels I had watched during the deer seasons.
One must be patient when hunting wise old squirrels. And camo helps to keep you from sticking out like a sore thumb. (Photo copyright By Jerry Kiesow)
I had become quite well acquainted with them. I knew exactly where they lived. How they emerged from their home. How cautious they were before leaving. I was sure that by the end of the day they would become the main ingredient for a favorite dish - Squirrel Italian (my own creation).
I never saw them. Three and a half hours I waited for them. They never showed a nose or a tail. I did see five grays.
Did I shoot any of the grays that day? No. Most were too far, and the one that did offer a shot was too small. (You will find that I get very choosy when it comes to killing critters.) No. I was after two specific animals. Was that odd? Well, not if you think about trophy deer hunters. They pass on bucks that I would shoot in a heartbeat.
This is the type of story you will be hearing. In more detail, of course.
These articles will not be long - 500/700 words. Quick reads that you can go to quickly, but will be easy to remember and enjoy. Occasionally, there might even be some useful knowledge here. Like there was in my favorite author’s stories - the late, great Gordon MacQuarrie. I do not pretend to be him, but I try.
Until next time, keep a good thought!
Jerry