Basecamp Dispatch: What I’m Carrying This Week
My weekly check-in from the woods, the homestead, or somewhere else with spotty cell service
Summer is settling in. Here are some things that are taking up space in my head this week.
Currently writing…
an article on bank fishing for bass for MeatEater.
I’m also honing a memoir chapter about killing my first turkey. I have serious misgivings about calling this thing a memoir. Whenever I tell people in real life that’s what I’m writing, there’s usually a brief pause followed by what feels like an invisible eyeroll before they change the subject. So mostly, I don’t tell people.
Lately I’ve been wondering if I should just call it a collection of essays and see if the eyeroll still shows up.
Currently reading…
Will Brantley’s Skinning Catfish in Mary’s Kitchen.
I’ve hunted with Brantley, and he’s a damn fine woodsman (which is surprisingly rare in this industry). He’s an even finer storyteller. What strikes me most about the book is how much ground he covers without ever sounding like he’s trying to say something important. It’s proof that the best outdoor writing sneaks up on you instead of trying to beat you upside the head with a message.
Currently worrying about…
Iran firing ballistic missiles at U.S. troops in Kuwait. I still don’t know where my son, Silas, is. It is quite probably Kuwait.
I’m also worried about squash bugs destroying my zucchini plants, though that feels like a ridiculous thing to worry about next to everything else.
Currently excited about…
a day trip this week to NC’s Outer Banks. It may involve surf fishing. It may just involve me reading Brantley’s book on the beach while soaking up sun and negative ions. Whichever happens, I’m planning to follow it up with a poke bowl dinner.
Currently noticing…
the pair of wood ducks nesting in the willow oak outside the second-story window of my writing studio. I’ve caught the hen disappearing into a hollow knob several times over the past several weeks. I’m intrigued. This tree is a good quarter mile from the river, and that hollow knob is a solid 40 feet off the ground. That’s gonna be a helluva trip for those ducklings.
Currently carrying in my truck…
several sets of binoculars. I’ve already started coasting backroads and glassing fields to spy on bucks in velvet. This is one of my favorite summer pastimes. No scouting agenda. No trail cameras to check. Just seeing who’s around and imagining what they might look like come September.
What’s taking up space in your head right now? Shoot me a message or a comment.
Where else I showed up this week…
”Stop Abusing Your Gear in the Offseason” (MeatEater)
Hunters and anglers like to strut around in well-worn gear like they’ve earned a merit badge. Worn gear may tell a story, but mildew and battery corrosion just tell on you.
I did watch a video this morning on a different way to clean a catfish. My Aunt Mary taught me years and years ago to put a big nail in a tree and hang the catfish and remove the skin. The man I watched this morning was fileting them like you would bass. He also fileted gar and carp that way. I am sticking with my aunt's way.
Spring Turkey Season ended Sunday, gear washed and put away. Garden needs tending, painting needs to be done and life needs to be lived. Also, Monday night shoots at the Attica R&G Club start next Monday.....