Monday, January 16, 2012

Hillsdale Lake, Hillsdale, Kansas

Hillsdale Lake

I received a telephone call last night from a friend who told me that he had spotted an eagle nest at Hillsdale Lake.  Now, with this being January, I was not expecting the eagles to be using the nest.  I was however hopeful that they would still be hanging around the area.  I trudged out this morning on a scouting trip to find the nest.  I did find the nest, and did see the eagles (two adults and two juveniles).  They did not feel like cooperating with the length of my camera lens, so I was focused on shooting other things. 

I noticed that the water was lower than normal, and slugged my way out into the open mud flats.  The wind was kicking up some waves, but it was not unbearable as a warming front was moving in.

This is a lake that holds hunting memories for me of my dog, Cody.  It holds hunting memories of past duck hunts that went well, and many others that ended without a shot.  I guess that is why I was so concerned when I started to notice the hand of man around me.






I can understand maybe loosing a decoy, or the accident of dropping something.  I can... it has happened to me.  But the wholesale, short sightedness of just throwing things into the lake?  Most of the guys and gals that I hunt with are awesome at taking care of the land we are privileged to use.  One part of the hunter safety coarse that I learned some 30 years ago was to leave the land BETTER than what you found it.  Why is it that more people can not do this?  

Why is it that certain "outdoorsmen" can not take care to clean up after themselves?  

I picked up what I could, and will have to resign to trying to pick up more the next time I go out.

  Will you?






3 comments:

  1. I noticed the same thing, last time I was at Shawnee Mission Park. Unbelievable!

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  2. Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. ~Chief Seattle, 1855

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