STANLEY TIRE IS PROUD TO SPONSOR

AN OUTDOORSMAN’S

BY MARK WALTERS

The Turtle Flambeau Flowage/ Three Days in Paradise

Hello'friends, So,' life' is' crazy,' lots' of' bad' in' came' my' way,' I'm' heading' to' the' Flambeau'to'heal!'This'past'week'I'loaded'the'canoe'on'the'old'Chevy' and'packed'the'truck'with'camping'and'fishing'gear'as'well'as'my'pup' Ruby'who'is'in'the'end'stages'of'a'false'pregnancy,'she'keeps'burying'her' football'in'a'nest'that'she'made.'My'goal'was'to'camp'on'the'Flambeau' Flowage,'not'hear'any'news,'paddle'troll'for'musky,'stare'at'the'sky,'the' water,'and'a'campfire'to'heal'my'brain'from'a'very'nasty'infection'that' just'kicked'my'ass!

Friday,'August'13

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High'81,'low'55 I' began' my' journey' at' Murrays' Landing' which' is' remote' and' most' people' that' you' see' are' in' a' canoe' or' a' kayak.' I' lucked' out' after' only' paddling'about'a'mile'when'campsite'40'was'available'and'would'find'out' that,'that'was'the'only'open'site'on'the'flowage.

'My'first'executive'decision'was'that'I'was'not'going'to'set'up'my'tent,' I'would'just'sleep'on'the'ground'look'at'the'sky'both'at'night'and'in'the' morning' and' a' big' red' dog' would' steal' my' pillow' both' nights.' On' the' Ruby'no'babies'deal,'so'I'assumed'she'was'pregnant'and'for'sixty'days,' I'cooked'up'rice'and'meat'for'her'and'she'consumed'large'quantities'and' gained'14-pounds.

I'now'have'Ruby'on'a'diet,'and'she'is'not'particularly'happy'about'that.

So'camp'is'complete'in'midday,'I'tried'taking'a'snooze'but'just'stared'at' things'which'was'very'good'and'then'the'last'3'hours'of'daylight'paddled' about'6'miles'pulling'two'musky'crankbaits'behind'me.''The'only'thing' that'I'caught'was'weeds'but'I'did'not'care.'I'got'back'to'camp'at'dark,' started'a'fire,'drank'two'beers,'and'went'to'the'ground,'I'mean'bed.

The' no' tent' plan' was' not' flawless' as' this' thing' called' the' mosquito' decided' it' wanted' my' blood.' I' would' listen,' kill' it' and' within' fifteen' minutes'its'friend'would'come'on'the'same'suicide'mission.'If'you'listen' and'let'them'relax,'you'can'kill'them'in'the'dark.'' The'problem'is'that'if'you'are'killing'at'least'30'mosquitoes'during'the' sleeping'period'of'your'day'and'in'this'manner,'you'are'not'sleeping.

At' 4:30' a.m.' it' became' a' bit' lighter' outside,' and' I' watched' the' sky' through'branches'of'the'white'and'red'pines'and'killed'skeets.'At'6:30'the' skeets'vanished,'and'I'slept.

I'have'camped'at'this'site'many'times.'One'time'in'late'September'I' was' here' for' a' week' of' bowhunting,' musky' fishing,' and' duck' hunting.' I' used' a' boat' and' a' canoe' and' one' late' afternoon' I' took' my' boat' with' my'hunting'gear'for'a'two-mile'ride'to'where'I'would'hike'in'to'hunt.'I' decided'to'throw'a'couple'of'casts'with'a'Suick'at'a'spot'that'I'had'caught' a'41-inch'musky'the'day'before.''' A'big'fish'hit'the'Suick'and'I'eventually'landed'a'47-inch'musky.'I'tried' to'revive'that'fish.'I'even'got'in'the'water'with'it.'When'it'was'obvious'it' was'a'goner,'I'headed'back'to'my'truck,'left'my'camp'for'the'night'and' went'to'Mercer.'I'went'in'a'tavern;'told'the'bartender'I'would'give'him'5' bucks'if'I'could'put'the'musky'in'his'freezer'and'proceeded'to'have'a'very' memorable'evening.'That'musky'is'directly'above'the'desk'I'am'sitting'at.

So,' this' afternoon' I' go' for' a' six-hour' paddle' trolling' expedition' but' today' I' chose' to' toss' a' chrome' bladed' bucktail' half' the' time' after' the' trolling'was'landing'me'nothing'but'weeded'up'cranks.'I'missed'a'dandy' smallmouth' but' was' super' surprised' when' what' would' be' a' 23-inch' walleye'hit'the'bucktail,'hit'my'net,'hit'my'cooler'and'hit'my'belly.'I'like' to catch 'and'release'but'since'Ruby'did'not'have'any'pups'and'my'Etec' went'to'heaven'this'poor'dirt'farmer'is'hitting'the'poor'house'and'thus'the' walleye'hit'the'skillet.

I'paddled'back'to'camp'in'the'dark'and'the'next'morning'went'for'an' 8-mile'round'trip'expedition'to'my'duck'hunting'spot,'lots'of'wildlife,'lots' of'ducks.'I'worked'with'Ruby'all'weekend'playing'fetch'in'the'water'and' on'land'and'this'is'where'I'will'be'for'the'northern'Wisconsin'opener.

Fifty-one'years'ago'my'dad'took'me'here'for'the'first'time,'if'I'had'the' time,'I'could'write'a'book'about'the'51'years'of'fun'that'I'have'had'here.' Quit'whining,'start'playing!'

The old Chevy Hotel got the job done once again!