Cisco Sonar

 

I am currently starting to organize the 100’s of Cisco Sonar columns I have written since 2003.  It is a daunting task to put them into a book form that I am not sure I will ever finish.

 This is a random column written on Oct. 28, 2009.  It will give you an idea on what I am up against.

Currently there are a lot of Trumpeter and Tundra swans moving through.  They are the largest waterfowl and are stunning with the white feathers against the blue water of Bear Lake.  The gray ones are juveniles.  They will hang around until the lake starts to freeze.  As usual the Bonneville whitefish will start to bite just after Thanksgiving

As I write this column, I am watching the snow fall outside as the first early winter storm to hit Utah on a statewide basis.  The weather forecasters predicted it and everyone has worried looks on their faces as they head back home in the snow.  It might just be my imagination, but it seems people worry a lot more lately about driving in bad weather.  I don’t know why because we have better vehicles, tires and snow removal than we have ever had.  Everyone is worrying about something.  It may be the H1N1 flu, the economy, invasive species, real estate sales or next year’s lake levels.

I have to admit that I do not look forward to winter as much as I used to.  It is a lot of work just to stay warm and keep things moving.  But I do look forward to the duck and goose hunts, fishing when the fish are actually biting which usually is in the winter and coming home, getting warm and eating a bowl of soup.  This storm will pass and we will have some more nice days, but winter is surely on our doorstep.

Bear Lake continues to come up.  I watch the beach area just south of Gus Rich Point slowly go underwater. I think of the thousands of people that I have seen playing there over the last seven years.  I am not sure where they will all go but I will be somewhere around the lake.  Locations change as the lake levels move.  I personally will be glad to see the lake get back to a normal elevation to churn all the existing vegetation and trees back into nutrients for creatures in the lake.

Rich County has been in the news a lot the past two weeks.  There was the six point bull elk that was wrapped up in miles of barbwire by a stack yard in Round Valley and couldn’t get out.  A hunter who had limited entry muzzleloader elk license passed by and after checking with the landowner shot the bull at point blank range.  It was a successful hunt and trophy for a guy in a strange sort of way.   Then there was the deer hunter up New Canyon who shot the mountain lion that was supposedly stalking him.  You hear these stories many times but every time I have seen a lion, it is just the tail, twirling as it heads out of sight.  And finally, there were the ranchers who cut too big of swath through the hills building a lay down range fence.  I feel sorrow for these guys because I have experienced the frustrations of dealing with governmental regulations and the inability they have for flexibility in the face of common sense.  My biological background tells me that the swath will provide “edge” habitat for wildlife, production of food and travel zones for animals and people.  It may not look so hot but it will not do the damage the talking heads on the television are professing.

If you are still with me, you can see that my mind is wandering today.  I am looking toward the future whether it is snowy or not.

As always, I appreciate comments or questions at cisco@cut.net and keep our beautiful lake clean, clear and blue.

Bryce Nielson

Cisco’s Landing