Springtime adventures for Eastern Carolina sportsmen

Deer season and duck season have ended and, for a lot of outdoorsmen in this part of the country, it’s the worst of times. Sure, they can still hunt small game – squirrel, rabbits and quail – but the "big time" is over, at least till next fall. Fishing season won’t crank up in earnest for another month or so and a lot of canvas-clad men and women are walking around with vacant eyes, mumbling to themselves.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Like some great American philosopher once said, "It ain’t over till the fat lady sings." And that overly plump one hasn’t even started warming up yet. There are a lot of outdoor adventures to be enjoyed this time of year. The adventurers just have to get off the couch, turn off the television and head out. The following are a few outings that may appeal to sportsmen during the next few months. Most are free or inexpensive, and all can be enjoyed within a day’s drive of most places in eastern North Carolina. For the most part, they can be as physically demanding or as laid back as the participants prefer and can be extended in both time and scope. The adventures may be thought of as a sort of "bucket list" that can be completed this spring or in years ahead. The only requirements are to dress appropriately, carry a camera and have fun.

- Birding at Mattamuskeet: Located in Hyde County, the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge consists of 50,000 acres of water, marsh, forests and croplands. About 18 miles long and 5 miles wide, Lake Mattamuskeet, is a shallow basin that, at different times in history, has served as a hunting ground for Algonquian Indians, a unique agricultural experiment and a Mecca for migrating waterfowl.

The last function is the reason Mattamuskeet is such a wondrous place for wildlife enthusiasts. In the 1960s as many as 100,000 Canada geese and 200,000 ducks wintered there, funneling down the Atlantic flyway in waves. Today, the numbers are not that large but the lake is still one of the best places in North America to view waterfowl of all kinds. The ducks and Canadas are joined nowadays by huge flocks of tundra swans and snow geese, as well as other species such as bald eagles and osprey. There are numerous observation points around the lake and refuge staff are always available to answer questions and get visitors headed in the right direction. Birders and photographers are treated as special guests. Information about the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge is available by phone at 252-926-4021 or online at www/mattamuskeet/gws/gov.

- Bird dog field trials: One of the top venues in America for bird dog field trials is the J. Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds, located near Hoffman, NC. The site consists of 6,000 acres of rolling fields and open stands of pine on the Sandhills Game Land. Over the years it has been the stage for some of the country’s finest pointing dog competitions. Owners, handlers, judges and spectators convene at various intervals from early fall till the end of March to watch pointers, setters, Brittanies and other bird dogs soar across the picturesque landscape in pursuit of bobwhite quail – and slam into calendar-quality points when they find them.

Seven trials are scheduled at Hoffman between Feb. 6 and March 20, 2012 including the prestigious U.S. Shooting Dog Championship and NC Open Quail Championship. The trials are generally 3-day affairs with braces of dogs running in hour-long heats each day. Spectators may bring horses to ride in the gallery or hitch a ride on the trial dog wagon. Information, including directions and other details, can be secured from Paul Gadd (secretary of the NC Field Trial Assoc.) at 828-322-9223 or 828-310-6688.

- Sightseeing and fishing at Lake Phelps: One of the most impressive places I’ve ever been was the grounds of the Somerset Place plantation at dusk on a spring evening. The restored 1830s plantation home is located on the grounds of Pettigrew State Park near Creswell, NC. As the sun dipped below the trees on the far side of nearby Lake Phelps, a breeze whispered through the branches of towering bald cypress, tupelo gum and chestnut oaks, the sound evoking images of children playing in the lengthening shadows over 150 years ago. You could almost see Confederate General J. Johnston Pettigrew, who lived nearby, coming up the long drive on a horse-drawn carriage for a visit; and the folks who lived in the massive house standing on the porch in hoop skirts and satin waistcoats, waiting to welcome him.

Today, visitors come in automobiles to camp at the park and roam the plantation grounds as they wish. They also come to view the massive trees – some of the largest of certain species in the world – that survive around the 16,000-acre lake; or to fish for largemouth bass, bluegills or raccoon perch in its shallow waters. Early spring is prime time to catch the last and anglers who drift with live minnows or cast small spinners or jigs have a good chance to fill coolers with the feisty black and yellow fish. For information on visiting, camping or fishing at Pettigrew State Park, phone 252-797-4475 or go online to www.stateparks.com/pettigrew/html.

- Listen to turkeys gobble or bag a big tom: Wild turkeys have made a dramatic comeback in North Carolina over the last three decades thanks in large part to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and concerned sportsmen. Today they exist in huntable numbers in all 100 counties. However, the state’s largest turkey population is still found in the place where their reintroduction began – Caswell County. And the best place there to see or hear a big tom is the R. Wayne Bailey – Caswell Game Land, about 16,000 acres near the town of Yanceyville. It’s about a 3-hour drive from Craven County, north of Burlington, close enough for a day trip.

The spring season for hunting wild turkeys (toms only) opens on April 14 and the game land is an excellent place to bag one of the big birds. All a hunter needs is a valid hunting license, a game land permit and a little luck. No license is needed, however, to go onto the game land at any time and listen for a tom’s gobble echoing through the pine thickets or glimpse one strutting in one of the small openings in the woods. Personnel at the NCWRC Caswell wildlife depot can give advice regarding seeing a turkey or possibly bagging one. Their phone number is 336-694-9272. A map of the R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell Game Land is posted on the NC Wildlife Commission web site – www.ncwrc.org.

There are numerous other adventures to be enjoyed in this neck of the woods as we make our way toward the vernal equinox. Sportsmen who get out-and-about can catch striped bass in the Roanoke River, watch the sun come up over the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, hike the Croatan Forest’s Neusiok Trail or explore Pamlico County’s myriad creeks. They just have to get up, strap on their boots and head out.

In Season

Raccoon, Bobcat, Squirrel & Opossum – through Feb. 29 (note: no open season on fox squirrels in Craven Co.)

Striped bass – through Apr. 30 in the Neuse River and its tributaries

Controlled shooting preserves – through Mar. 31

Quail & rabbit – through Feb. 29

Calendar

Feb. 10-12 – The 17^th annual East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival and North Carolina Decoy Carving Championships will be held in downtown Washington, NC. The event will include a DockDogs competition, the Southern Classic Duck, Goose and Swan Calling Championships, over 150 exhibitors, and much more. More information is available online at www.eastcarolinawildfowlguild.com

Feb. 17 – Goose Creek State Park, off Hwy. 264 east of Washington, NC, invites star-gazers to come out at 6:30 p.m. and join knowledgeable guides as they take advantage of a waning moon to observe and discuss deep sky objects, including Mercury which can only be seen in the early evening sky during February. Phone 252-923-2191 for directions or additional details.

Feb. 26 – The first seminar in the Coastal Catchin’ Series will be held at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. The all-day event will feature Capt. Gary Dubiel, Capt. Dave Stewart, Bob Barwick and others explaining how to catch more striped bass in the Neuse and Pamlico river systems. Tickets ($25 in advance) are available at 252-249-1520 or online at captgary@specfever.com. Seating will be limited.

Ed Wall can be reached at edwall@embarqmail.com.