OUTDOOR Adventures

Just Dabbling

By Brian G. Schommer

To dabble is to take part in an activity in a casual or superficial way which means a dabbler is one who is not deeply engaged or concerned about that activity, at least according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. If that is the case, then the “beer dabbler” corner at CHS Field in St. Paul, home of the St. Paul Saints might just be a bit misnamed. Many of the patrons that I have observed sitting in said area of the ballpark are anything but casual in their approach to taste-testing the various craft brews that are available. Is anyone else missing baseball yet? By the time this hits the newsstands, the World Series will be complete and the off-season for all will be in full swing. I guess it is time to dabble in other activities, if not in somewhat of a casual or superficial manner.

I have heard through the grapevine that the duck hunting season has been quite hit and miss for many. The usual suspects I chat with who are extremely avid duck hunters have reported a good level of success while the more casual waterfowlers say that their luck has been sporadic. As it says in Second Corinthians, chapter nine, verse six, “…whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” Like most things in life, you will get out of it what you put into it. That is why my report is zero on the duck harvest this year. I have yet to get out to the slough, although even if I had, there is still a possibility that I would be reporting a “ZERO.” I tend to miss more than I hit when it comes to ducks.

Pheasant hunters have also been reporting a mixed bag of success, except for the folks who have been going to area game farms, as they have been doing great. Some might say that heading to a game farm, while good work for the dogs, is not really hunting. Granted, you know there are birds in the fields being driven as they were put there prior to your arrival. You still must find them which entails plenty of walking and maintaining contact with your pups. When a bird does flush, you are right back to hit or miss which is never a guarantee. If you do drop a bird, your dog still needs to find it in the cover provided by the land which you are… dare I say… hunting. We live in a world where if something is not fully agreed upon, an asterisk is added. We can just add another one to game farm hunting. Either way, with the corn almost out of the fields, the wild pheasant hunters should be able to report a higher rate of success very soon, depending on how much they dabble in the fields.

Speaking of another common outdoor dabble at this time of year, bowhunters have been out in abundance in hopes to harvest a nice deer before the firearm season arrives this weekend in the State of Minnesota. As one should expect, the more time people have put into getting out into the stand and waiting for an opportunity to draw back on some freezer fodder, the better their chances are to put venison into the icebox. The bowhunting dabblers who have only been out a few times are more likely to fill the freezer during firearms season, that is, if they hunt with firearms as well. No matter how you dabble… if you dabble in hunting of any type of game, please be safe. It is difficult to dabble if you are hurt or worse.

Now to change directions completely, as I tend to dabble in a lot of different things. When this edition goes to press, not only will the World Series be done, but so will the election. Some of you will be happy, some will not. Either way, if you are able, go for a walk and get some fresh air. Take time to dabble in the things that make you happy. Look at the leaves on the trees that seem to be clinging on for dear life. Should they fall, you can dabble in raking or mulching or whatever way you choose to deal with them. Just take some time to be outside because before you know it, the season will once again change, creating the need to dabble in different ways to get your outdoor adventures in. Get Out and Enjoy the Great Outdoors.