(This column was written for springtime publication, since snakes are more active, then. However, young rattlesnakes hatched during the summer begin to prowl their new habitats in early autumn and are frequently encountered. Beware!) The times have changed. And I’m glad of it. After completing First Aid training during high school, I thought I knew […]
Author Archives: John Jefferson
Well, it’s started. A post on a neighborhood chat site read: “Baby fawn in our backyard – how do we take care of it?” Earlier this spring, I decided against writing another “Don’t mess with the fawns” article. The number I’ve previously penned could almost be measured by the song, “How Deep Is the Ocean?” […]
(The following is published with permission) By Elaine Kolodziej, Publisher Wilson County News, Floresville, Texas Popular longtime outdoor author and writer John Jefferson won first place in the Excellence in Craft competition at the Texas Outdoor Writers Association’s 63rd Annual Conference in February. The winning entry, “A Man Took Time to Mentor Me,” was published […]
Dateline: Almost Anywhere in Texas. A December 2020 press release from Texas Parks and Wildlife stated that a mountain lion was seen and confirmed near Rowlett, in eastern Dallas County, not far from Lake Ray Hubbard. Do I believe it? Or am I just trying to be an alarmist? Heck, yeah, I believe it. I […]
A recent survey showed that kids without mentors seldom grow up hunting or fishing. Makes sense. Like any other activity — kids need someone to show ‘em how it’s done. Alexander Pope described it centuries ago: “As the twig is bent the tree’s inclined.” When I was seven, my father died in a military hospital […]
STATE PARKS RE-OPENED! Most State Parks opened last week for day use only. As encouraging and commendable as it is, does this mean the beginning of the end of COVID-19? I don’t think so. And that scares me. Maybe you’ve read about the 1900 Galveston hurricane. They were unprepared and inadequately warned. No television then, […]
DEER DELUGE! As deer hunters, we should be careful what we wish for. Granted, the 100-degree weather we had in September is far from the ideal hunting weather, but the last week in October and first part of November – including Opening Day – in the thirties? Sheeesh! And, the weathermen hit his prediction. Hope […]
I asked a new friend if he was a hunter. “I am,” he said, “but not a deer hunter.” “I prefer squirrel hunting,” he added, “or maybe quail hunting. I grew up in Arkansas and prefer sports where I can move around and hunt with my dog, instead of just sitting in a blind waiting […]
Baseball lost a legend this week. Yogi Berra died September 22 at age 90. It’s fitting – at least to me – that my first Blog would be about a great and fabled baseball player. I grew up wanting to play for the Yankees. One summer, I played baseball every day and lost so much […]