Worth Mathewson
Active member
This May I didn't make my trip to Australia for waterfowling for the first time since 2002. Several reasons: It reached the point I couldn't stand the air trip down and back. Some people can sleep on a plane, but I can't. But more important, while I truly think they have some of the best duck hunting on earth, the years started to be much the same. I have money for two large trips each year, and want to do different things with the years I have left.
So I decided that instead of Australia I would do something that somehow got stuffed at the end of my "to do list" for the past 30 years or so. That was: To expand my life list of birds seen, and try to learn the many various warblers. I booked a seven day birding trip to Ontario, Canada. I was with a party of five and a guide. I haven't enjoyed myself as much in years! And was able to add 89 new species to my life list, which now stands at 342. Best, I was able to see 28 species of warblers.
The trip started at Point Pelee on the northern side of Lake Erie. This is a wooded spit jutting out into the lake, and the small migrating birds stop to rest after their flight over the water. It is truly amazing the number of different species that can be seen there, right along with the number of people gathered to watch them. On one of the three days we were there, there were over 3,000 other birders! From there we worked our way north, stopping at Rondeau and Long Point. I shot ducks in both locations several years ago with Mark Rongers and The Mighty Layout Boys. While at Long Point I stopped in to say hello to Ron Banks.
As one might guess, I had concerns about being in with some anti hunters. I certainly wasn't. One couple from Corvallis, Oregon both hunt. And remarkably, since they are in their mid 70s, they still chukar hunt. Marge and I gave that up in our early 60s. The husband of the other couple is retired from the Washington Department of Fish & Game. He is an avid waterfowler on the Washington side of the Columbia. The remaining member of our group was an older woman from New York with eight cats, which she firmly stated didn't cause much harm other than in nesting season. I more or less stayed clear of her, other than to remark that I hoped the bears she talked about around her house ate her cats.
Again, all very good stuff. In the coming years I am going to split my trips. One for hunting, the other for birding. I want to reach 500 species. As for hunting this year, I will be going back to Scotland for wood pigeons over decoys. It will make about the 8th time I have done this. It is very hard to select just one type of wingshooting as tops, but those wood pigeons over decoys rate very, very high for me. Best, Worth Mathewson
So I decided that instead of Australia I would do something that somehow got stuffed at the end of my "to do list" for the past 30 years or so. That was: To expand my life list of birds seen, and try to learn the many various warblers. I booked a seven day birding trip to Ontario, Canada. I was with a party of five and a guide. I haven't enjoyed myself as much in years! And was able to add 89 new species to my life list, which now stands at 342. Best, I was able to see 28 species of warblers.
The trip started at Point Pelee on the northern side of Lake Erie. This is a wooded spit jutting out into the lake, and the small migrating birds stop to rest after their flight over the water. It is truly amazing the number of different species that can be seen there, right along with the number of people gathered to watch them. On one of the three days we were there, there were over 3,000 other birders! From there we worked our way north, stopping at Rondeau and Long Point. I shot ducks in both locations several years ago with Mark Rongers and The Mighty Layout Boys. While at Long Point I stopped in to say hello to Ron Banks.
As one might guess, I had concerns about being in with some anti hunters. I certainly wasn't. One couple from Corvallis, Oregon both hunt. And remarkably, since they are in their mid 70s, they still chukar hunt. Marge and I gave that up in our early 60s. The husband of the other couple is retired from the Washington Department of Fish & Game. He is an avid waterfowler on the Washington side of the Columbia. The remaining member of our group was an older woman from New York with eight cats, which she firmly stated didn't cause much harm other than in nesting season. I more or less stayed clear of her, other than to remark that I hoped the bears she talked about around her house ate her cats.
Again, all very good stuff. In the coming years I am going to split my trips. One for hunting, the other for birding. I want to reach 500 species. As for hunting this year, I will be going back to Scotland for wood pigeons over decoys. It will make about the 8th time I have done this. It is very hard to select just one type of wingshooting as tops, but those wood pigeons over decoys rate very, very high for me. Best, Worth Mathewson
