I have been in rehab mode since my little event. All is well. Thank you for all your good wishes. I am humbled.

I have always walked at the Activity Center and the track down by the motel. I figure outdoor walking is beneficial, so I have bundled up and hit the road. I have hunted in cold weather all my life, so it shouldn’t be a push to exercise a bit outdoors. I found it easier than I expected – except when the wind blows. I’m just not as tough as I used to be. Ha!

The air is dead calm. I can hear my sneakers crunching on the walk. I can feel my lungs expanding and my legs getting stronger. Never underestimate exercise. A tiny sound starts to penetrate my hearing. It rapidly becomes a spear of sound that I recognize as snow geese going out to feed. We have followed these birds to the fields where they feed and then set up in that spot to hunt them the next morning. They tend to repeat locations like that. Isaac and Zane Prosser invited me a few years ago to hunt with them just north of Hoisington. The Hanzlick clan has hunted me all over and we have celebrated birthdays and other events with fabulous hunts. I will never forget these families and the memories we have made. We have put some birds on the table. These birds generally don’t fly very high – they are focused on finding grain or wheat on the ground and gathering in large groups to feed. Snow geese used to be simple to hunt. We put out paper plates for decoys and they would come in. Now, they have wised up and it takes hundreds of decoys in precise layouts to work the snows. They are over populating their breeding grounds in the north, and bird flu is decimating lots of birds right now. The success of snow geese in recognizing and adapting to hunting pressure and calling techniques (it is legal to use electronic calls) is one of the amazing things in our natural world. They are beating the odds with all the hunters all over the world and increasing their numbers. When you think about the species we have lost to over-hunting and such, it makes the snow goose saga even more amazing. They are one tough bird!

I finished the first mile of my walk and started on the second. Nobody else is on the path at 7 a.m., so it is just me and myself. Sometimes Steve and Duane are there – walking friends are so precious! I very seldom use earbuds or listen to music – the natural world keeps me entertained and I can sometimes see and hear things that I would otherwise miss. I start to hear a very raspy call way up in the sky. I have to stop and look really hard to see the sandhill cranes floating their way north on the thermals that they manage so majestically. Their slow wing beats are deceptive. They are so high that it is difficult to see them. They are big talkers and must manage their flight path with vocal contact. If you ever get a chance to go to the Platt River in Nebraska and see the thousands of these birds in their migration process – don’t miss it. Jane Goodall has a lodge there and there are blinds out in the river where you can spend the night. It is an unparalleled photographic opportunity. Dan Soeken and  Mike Blair live in the flyway and get to see and hear these birds every day. What a gift!

Go to the Bottoms and Quivira and soak up these sights and sounds. It will give you peace and hope for our great outdoors, and our people. Never take it for granted.

Doc

Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.