The old saying, “Mean as a wildcat” isn’t just a saying here in Western Kentucky, coon hunters and farmers alike find this statement to be true. This month in the month of January, In Hancock County, a coon hunter was out with his two dogs and heard what he thought were his dogs treeing a coon, minutes later, one of the dogs returned with his tail between his legs, while the other never return. The next morning the hunter went back out looking for his lost dog and found it mauled and dead. Suspecting a bobcat as the culprit, he set a trap and his suspicions were verified, trapping a 28 pound bobcat.
Bobcat taken in Hancock County
Here’s the picture of the cat.
Because of this increase of Bob Cats in Kentucky, The League of Kentucky Sportsmen have asked to
Bobcat track
increase the hunting season of bobcats to go on into February, instead of closing in January.
Bob Cats are found in every county in Kentucky, but in Western Kentucky, especially in the counties of Breckenridge and Hancock, more bobcats were harvested than anywhere else. In Breckenridge County alone, 34 were hunted and 21 were trapped. This might have to do with this year’s report (2012 Fur Market report) Bobcat pelts were being sold for $572.21.
Bob Cats are one of the most elusive wild games of Kentucky and can be found throughout the great Commonwealth. Unlike a deer hunter who may get lucky his first time out, the hunter of bobcats has to outsmart an animal which is stealth, climbs a tree, and has the hearing and eye sight of an owl. If you bag a bobcat, you are a true hunter!
It is time again for the popular State Parks Family Adventure Quest. Teams of 2-6 will work to complete various challenges and answer questions throughout the State Parks system. This is a great way for families to discover our Parks and have a lot of fun while doing it. Each State Park has its own unique character and history, and this is a great way to explore the Parks and learn more about them. There will again be prizes this year for teams that complete a required number of challenges. 20 out of 25 will earn you a $25 State Parks Gift Card, while completing all 25 will ne
t a $50 State Parks gift card.
While it may be called the Family Adventure Quest, it is also great for groups of friends and outdoor enthuasists. Visit the Family Adventure Quest website to see what other participants are saying & to get your team registered: http://www.parks.ky.gov/family-adventure-quest/default.aspx
So, it’s time to get your team rounded up, get out the camera and the hiking boots and take off on the 2012 Kentucky State Parks Family Adventure Quest!
A drop in the bucket.
article published in last month’s Kentucky Living Magazine that has me touting 5 places across the commonwealth as must see destinations. A “bucket list” stemming from an actual KFC tub I used to carry the paper around in. Dave Shuffett was kind enough to give me some airtime, well, page time and help plug Cumberland Falls as the top pick. Then came four other destinations across the state. As I had to be fair and pick locations from all points of the compass, I feel as though now I need a bucket of apologies for those that were left out of the pile.
Put yourself in my hiking boots for a minute. 158 hikes since April 2009. Yeah, we both read that right. Some places across the country, but most of it right here where the grass is blue and the horses are fast. How the heck am I supposed to narrow all those experiences down to just five? Or get west of the I-75 corridor?
Kentucky is not like West Virginia. There, the entire state is mountains until you get around Huntington. I mean it. In Kentucky, however, they evaporate into farmland about the time you get west of Somerset. Then the mountain fan that I am can get a little lonely wondering why the rest of the state isn’t as elevated with its landscape. Of course, we still have the lakes and rivers and forests that make the other two thirds a paradise still, but where’s the beef, er, elk? Still in that mountainous one-third.
And so, most all of my favorites are ultimately scattered about in Kentucky as noted, but my really favorite places are the mountain locales and especially those that feature a hemlock tree or a thousand.
For example, I left out the Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork. I left out Pine Mountain. I left out Carter Caves and Greenbo. I left out Bernheim, Buckhorn, Kingdom Come, and Otter Creek. Natural Bridge (and Arch). Dale Hollow and Duke Cumberland’s Lake. And I left out my secret place, Shanty Hollow Lake along with several others, not to mention our nature preserves and such. Looks like the bucket is a little bigger than we thought. Next time, I’ll ask for an upsize in article space. For now, I’ll reach into my bucket and pull out an olive leaf of peace and beg forgiveness of my park manager friends and fellow hikers across the nation. I know better.
Kentucky as a whole is in the bucket, how about that?
* * *
Off to an eagle tour on Kentucky Lake this weekend. If you have never taken part in this, there’s no better chance than now. Bald eagle populations are at an all time high in Kentucky, and you are pretty much guaranteed to get your money’s worth for a day on the water being inspired by our national symbol. For information on the tours, visit www.parks.ky.gov. Hope to see you there!
The last weekend in January is an exciting time to be at Carter Caves State Resort Park. This January 27-29 will be the popular Winter Adventure Weekend. The Winter Adventure Weekend is arguably the best time to visit the park all year. There are a host of activities that people can participate in: cave tours, rappels, guided hikes, float trips & a number of craft sessions and demonstrations.
This weekend is a great chance to get outside and stretch your legs during the winter months when most people stay bundled up indoors. All trips and workshops are led by knowledgeable guides with years of experience providing guided services. Those wanting to join in the fun need to pre-register to ensure their space on the trips. Registration information may be found at www.adventureweekend.com. Also, you will find tons more information about this exciting weekend, as well as pictures from previous years. Also, check out their facebook page where you can “like” the Winter Adventure Weekend & share with your friends. www.facebook.com/winteradventureweekend.
This will be one adventure you want to make sure you don’t miss out on. So, get your friends, family and fellow adventurers and plan to spend the weekend at Carter Caves State Resort Park.
Having coached both high school and college football, I’ve known coaches with such passion for the game that they’ll go to great lengths (i.e., pouring over magazine articles, newspapers, manuals, attending clinics, watching film for hours in one setting, etc.) to give themselves an edge on becoming a better coach.
Daviess County's Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count
The same holds true for a birdwatcher, and I am proud to call myself one such avid birder. And as comical as I look upon this activity as a “sport”, I also know birders who’ll buy every book, watch every film, and scour every part of the planet just to become a better birder.
In the upcoming two weekends during December, the Audubon Society of Daviess County and thirteen other Audubon society’s throughout Kentucky will participate in the 110th Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count.
The Audubon society is strong throughout Western Kentucky since James John Audubon himself lived in Western Kentucky. The Daviess County Audubon Society is very active and meets monthly. Its activities include having guest speakers and bird outings. But one of its more attractive features is that the club makes all members feel special – no matter whether or not his or her identifying skills are novice or expert.
Audubon societies are found throughout America with each member becoming quiet advocates for birds across our great country. The Audubon Society originated in Kentucky and bird counts have been going on for 110 years, join your Audubon society now and make sure it’s around another 110 years!
Obbie
Lake Malone
I was on a quest for three more hiking trips before the end of the year. Last year’s count was 57, and currently I sat at 55. Lake Malone State Park in Muhlenberg County was tapped as a choice for a late afternoon stroll close to the shortest day of the year. I was battling daylight to say the least. Having been to the state park several times over the past five years, I knew the 1.5 miles could be knocked out in ample time to avoid being left out in the dark.
I wanted to try something new and decided to take Interstate 65 south out of Bowling Green to Franklin and then highway 100 to Russellville, onward to 68/80 and 431 to Dunmor. But the road trip got off to a stall. Ten miles southbound from Bowling Green and traffic was stopped. The entire corridor threatened to back up clean to Chicago. Up about a quarter mile from where I sat was a u-turn opportunity, illegal as the sign may have boasted. I and a hundred other drivers took this and headed back to Bowling Green. Russellville Road would be my route instead.
On the way to Russellville I passed Amish furniture stores, signs to Shakertown at South Union, and multiple reminders I was passing Auburn, a casualty of the highway reroute several years ago. But the real treat is on 431 north of Russellville. It’s four lane for a while to accommodate the massive Logan Aluminum plant. Here’s a factory so big, it has its own fire department on site! A few miles north though and you’ll drive through tiny Lewisburg, proclaiming a status of “Purple Martin Capital of Kentucky.” I saw a mocking bird if that counts (but I’m not mocking…).
Baugh Station is where the scenery got good. Wait a minute though. Diamond Springs is the official name of the spot in the road. It hadn’t been named Baugh Station since 1901. All that remained now of the stagecoach stop namesake was a church with the title. Highway 431 from Baugh Station, er, Diamond Springs to Dunmor reminded me of the roads right outside Gatlinburg. Drive there and see for yourself. Tall ridges with a creek running near the road and tiny log cabins built right next to the steep hillside. The curves make a good handling car smile. I kept my hands at ten and two like the trooper suggested when I took a driving test 15 years ago. And within minutes, I was at the lake.
Lake Malone State Park is an awesome example of generosity in that it sits on land donated to the state by Mr. Malone and his wife in the 1960s. Fifty years later, the small park is still enjoyed by visitors from all over the region and continues to be one of my favorites. The blue water is comparable to Dale Hollow Lake, and the woodland trail close to the shoreline remind me of Grayson Lake State Park in Carter County. As per my hiking ritual by now, I walked the length, snapped a few pictures, and was soon enough back on the road to Corvette City by way of route 70 (that will have to be another blog).
Thanks Kentucky, for the Christmas Gift of a great December roadtrip!
Down in the Hollow
The woods post-fall present a different feel from any other time of the year. It almost seems like “woods forgotten,” or “woods left behind.” No crowd to content with on the trail. No bustling ecosystem full of spider webs and horseflies. Seems everything slows down to a babbling brook-like pace. My favorite time to come to the woods. Well, next to spring. And fall. And summer.
Shanty Hollow Lake was the locale for the post meal hike last Thursday. It was around 3 o’clock and the sun was beginning to cast shadows on the trail as it was making a late year retreat to blacken Friday. I looked at the white oaks reflecting in the lake. I thought about how good the Hollow looked in the spring, excited about another blossoming year, now all come to another end. It was like watching a child grow up and with bittersweet emotion seeing them go away for a season. It had been a good spring. And a great fall. Every year seeming shorter and shorter.
I made it back to the seasonal waterfall and it was flowing for the first time since May. No matter how many times I see the falls, the marvel I have for it never dries up. I’m sure I had seen something far better than anything a discounted flat screen TV could promise.
Till next trip…
A snowbird's view from the park's dining room.
Tend to get cabin fever? Do the doldrums of winter get you down? Brush off the stay-inside blues and head to Pine Mountain State Resort Park on the weekend of January 13-15 for an early-season hiking adventure.
Winter is perhaps the best season for hiking in the Southern Appalachians. Free of stifling humidity and summer crowds, the crisp air invigorates as leafless trees reveal stunning mountain views. All you need is a sturdy pair of boots and the will to explore.
On this occasion, you can join multiple, Naturalist-guided expeditions to hike a total of 8 miles on three guided hikes in one weekend. Gaze out across the Cumberland Mountains from Knobby Rock in the midst of the celebrated Blanton Forest, stand on the mountain peak where KY-TN-VA adjoin, feel the weight of history in the saddle of the Cumberland Gap Pass. Investigate a Native American camp in a sandstone rockhouse, re-live the folk history of the legendary Chained Rock, and examine a natural arch on the vaulted south slope of Pine Mountain.
Evening programs will feature an introduction to the adventure sport of Geocaching, a GPS primer, Leave No Trace Concepts, and a Backpacking 101 session.
Winter at Herndon J. Evans Lodge.
It’s a nice add-on that the event is hosted at one of Kentucky’s premiere natural history parks featuring a full-service lodge complete with cozy guest rooms and a dining room with a specatular mountain view. Rustic (but modern) log cabins with fireplaces are also available for those that prefer a more authentic winter mountains getaway experience.
If you’re looking to escape winter malaise and are up for a bit of hiking, Hike the Highlands Winter Getaway may be just what the doctor ordered. There may be no better opportunity this winter to blend travel, sightseeing, adventure, and a little exercise than a mid-january visit to Pine Mountain State Resort Park.
The park is offering special getaway packages for two that include accommodations, evening meals, a complimentary hiking stick, and admission to all hikes/programs. The non-package registration fee for participation is $20 for adults, $10 for youths 13-17, and children 12 & under is free. Pre-registration is required. To register or make a reservation, phone the park’s Guest Services Desk at (800) 325-1712 and mention the Hike the Highlands Winter Getaway.
How do you get there? From I-75 South or North, take exit 29 at Corbin onto US 25E, then travel south on 25E, approximately 34 miles to Pineville, KY. Continuing on 25E south, the park entrances that are located about 1.5 miles south of Pineville. Pine Mountain State Resort is located south of Pineville, KY on US 25E and 10 miles north of Middlesboro, KY.
During the month of November, what’s the most common title for a literature paper in a Kentucky high school English class?
Answer: “MY FIRST DEER!”
November is deer utopia month in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In all 120 Kentucky counties you’ll find majestically-mounted bucks hanging proudly throughout Kentuckians’ garages, restaurants and dens. And the deer found in Kentucky aren’t just the average deer found in other parts of the south – the Commonwealth’s deer weigh as much as 250 pounds. For example, a Western Kentucky motorist hit an elk crossing the interstate and reported it to their insurance company as a deer. Yep, that’s how big we grow them here in Kentucky!
A Kentucky child bagging his first deer.
In every county throughout Kentucky you can arrange hunting opportunities through local outfitters, hunting clubs, land leasing agreements, and public land set aside by our Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife. In 1950 we had approximately 300,000 deer roaming our state. Now, there are over 450,000.
We have so many deer in particular parts of our state that you can bag endless number of antlerless deer without getting into trouble with the authorities. And, if you bag a deer and don’t want to take it home, you can donate it to the Kentucky Hunters For the Hungry. In 2006 the KHFH had enough donated deer meat to feed over 2 million meals in the Commonwealth.
But for the true hunters, it’s not the antlerless deer we’re after; we’re after the big elusive buck. I have no idea how the Boone and Crockett Method is used in scoring big bucks, but I do know this . . . If I ever bag a deer with room enough for me to sit between the antlers, that baby is going to hang in my family room no matter what the wife says!
It’s my belief that we don’t see the forest’s true colors until the fall comes. Man, I need another cup of coffee or this blog is going nowhere.
But really! Chlorophyll has the woods wrapped in green as soon as leaves appear in the spring. The ambers and browns and oranges stay hidden until October. Perhaps my true colors stay under wraps until fall as well. I avoid the woods in the summer for the most part. Endure turkey mites and tics and mosquitoes enough and one enjoys looking at nature pics indoors when the weatherman uses dirty words like “heat index.” A midsummer trip to Cumberland Falls was about all I could muster. Then the temperature dropped. My happy face appeared as soon as frost did.
Driving to Bowling Green from my parent’s home in Fulton last week, I couldn’t help but notice the colors along the parkways. You know, parkways were called such because the route was supposed to be as scenic as driving through a, well, park. But the drive wasn’t enough and I needed a real park. Land Between the Lakes appeared on the brown signage ahead of me, and I pulled off for a drive down the Trace and a stop at Hematite Lake. Here was a trail I had seen in the spring, but had never been to in the fall. Wow. Here’s a trail for the entire family, with plenty of wildlife and continuous views of the lake. It was a quick hike with the sun beginning to set, but put me back in a mood to get outdoors for the rest of the year.
If you go, call ahead and get a seat at Patti’s restaurant. They have a pork chop bigger than your fist. Also, stop at the LBL visitor’s center and stock up on goodies and info.
Till next trip…
Home / Site Map / Sponsorship / Privacy Policy / Disclaimer / Accessibility
THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL
Capital Plaza Tower 22nd Floor, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, KY 40601
1-800-225-8747
© 2010, Kentucky Department of Travel. All rights reserved.
Web Design & Search Engine Optimization by Aristotle ®
