Whether you're out in the wilds or fishing along some overpopulated lake shore, you never know what will be around the next bend.
That happened to us just the other day, when we were trolling for walleyes on Goodyear Lake.
Just after landing a good three-pounder, we swung the boat around and started to head back up the lake. We were fishing in our favorite spot right between the flag pole and the umbrella, as usual.
Anyway, as we waited for the next hit, I noticed a bald eagle slowly flying down the river toward us. Suddenly, the wide-winged raptor turned and started circling just a few yards from our boat.
She went round and round several times before diving down, extending her sharp talons into the water. The big bird came up empty-handed but continued its hunt on down the lake.
Of all the times to be without a camera, I thought.
A few minutes later, the dark brown eagle with its stark white head and tail flew back up and passed us with a large perch tightly in its grasp. She was close and we could see the fish _ head into the wind _ being carried aerodynamically back toward the Stump Lot. That fish was probably going to be the dinner for a couple of young fledglings in a nest.
Sometimes you don't see what's there, but you can hear what nature has to offer.
While hiking the Northville-Placid Trail a few years ago, I could hear a bear sniffing by my ear just on the other side of my tent's very thin nylon wall. I never saw him, but the tell-tale signs were around my camp in the morning.
I was a little disappointed that I never saw that bear. After all, it's always a thrill to see one wandering around in the wilds.
The other night, we were camping by my pond up on the hill. Many of our friends were there for a cookout and evening campfire. Up above the swamp in the darkness of night, a group of coyotes started to howl. They weren't very far away as they yodeled and sang, calling loudly to one another.
After a few minutes of their wonderful serenade, all was quiet once more. I always enjoy listening to their melodious songs and wonder what they are saying. Were they just calling to each other? Were they getting ready for the hunt?
After a few minutes of silence, we knew what they had planned. Suddenly, there was a blood-curdling, howl-like scream from something in extreme distress. I immediately knew what it was. For several days, we had seen a mother deer and her two spotted fawns feeding and frolicking in the meadow. One of those fawns had just become their dinner.
We were appalled at the thought of the coyotes killing that poor, defenseless fawn, but that's nature. Coyotes have to feed their young just like the eagle that caught the fish to feed her young.
I thought it was neat to see the eagle diving into the water after a fish, but I think most of our friends would have been upset if we had seen the coyotes kill that fawn.
What's the difference? Was it nature at its best or worst?
Rick Brockway writes a weekly outdoors column for The Daily Star. E-mail him at robrockway@hotmail.com.
Local Sports
Nature at its best may seem a little gory
- Local Sports
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O-State, Hartwick women keep rolling
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AREA COLLEGE ROUNDUP ... Senior Samantha Szkotak scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second half to help Oneonta State pull away for a 63-40 SUNY Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over visiting Oswego on Friday.
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Big fourth quarter propels SK boys
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL ROUNDUP ... Trevor Holdridge finished with 13 points and held Roxbury's Kyle Ciaravino scoreless in the fourth quarter of South Kortright's 68-48 Delaware League boys basketball victory over visiting Roxbury on Friday.
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Cooperstown girls earn share of division title
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL ROUNDUP ... Not only will Cooperstown take a 15-3 record into the Section Three Class C-2 tournament next week, the Redskins also are getting healthier. The Redskins' girls basketball team defeated visiting Waterville, 63-29, and earned the co-championship in Division III of the Center State Conference on Friday. Cooperstown and Hamilton each finished with 9-1 league records.
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High School Wrestling
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Oneonta third-grader earns shot at state title
YOUTH BASKETBALL _ 2012 ELKS HOOP SHOOT ... Tanner Russin of Oneonta is looking to hit Glens Falls with his best shot. Center Street Elementary third-grader Tanner made it three in a row Feb. 4, when he won the 8-9 boys age-group title during the 2012 Elks Hoop Shoot State Semifinals at Herkimer County Community College.
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Teams set for United Way's Bowl-A-Thon
LOCAL BOWLING ... The United Way of Delaware and Otsego counties will host the 30th annual Pro/AM Bowl-A-Thon on Sunday at Holiday Lanes in Oneonta.
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Section Four Skiing
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Area Sports Briefs
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High School Basketball Statistics (as of Feb. 7)
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High School State Rankings
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Weekend Datebook
- Friday, February 10, 2012
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Sidney senior, Unatego junior look to go out on top
HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING _ SECTION FOUR DIVISION II TOURNAMENT PREVIEW ... Area wrestlers have a lot to prove this weekend at the Broome County Arena in Binghamton. That's especially true for the ones who fell just short of the championship round of last season's Section Four Division II Tournament.
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Davenport girls clinch 10th straight division title
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL ... Double-doubles from Sarah Haight and Sam Maidens helped Davenport clinch its 10th consecutive Delaware League Upper Delaware Division championship as the host Wildcats downed Hunter-Tannersville, 45-35, in a winner-take-all girls basketball game Thursday night.
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UV boys top Greene in overtime
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL ... David Anderson hit 3 of 5 free throws in overtime, including his last two with 16 seconds left, as Unadilla Valley earned a 57-54 boys basketball victory over host Greene in a semifinal of the Midstate Athletic Conference 5-8 Tournament on Thursday.
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Wick water polo falls to No. 9
AREA COLLEGE ROUNDUP ... Hartwick College scored first Thursday, but ninth-ranked San Diego State answered with five straight goals en route to a 16-6 women's water polo victory.
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Today's Datebook
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If you're going on a winter hike this year, be prepared for the worst
OUTDOORS COLUMN BY RICK BROCKWAY ... On Wednesday, we went skiing at Belleayre Mountain once again. As my friend Rich and I crossed over the hill on Route 28 below Andes, we looked at the mountains in the distance. There wasn't a drop of snow to be seen. Rich made the comment, "Maybe we should have brought our hiking boots instead of our skis."
- Thursday, February 9, 2012
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Pats win fourth straight East title
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL ROUNDUP ... Kyle Jaquay and Isiah Montgomery had 18 points each as Cherry Valley-Springfield's boys basketball team won its fourth straight Tri-Valley East Division title with a 68-38 road win over Worcester on Wednesday.
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Oneonta High girls cruise to road victory
HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP ... Natalie Vanderlaan-Meyering had 10 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocks to lead Oneonta High's girls to a 51-34 Southern Tier Athletic Conference basketball victory at Chenango Valley on Wednesday.
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Hartwick men ranked first in East Region
COLLEGE ROUNDUP ... Hartwick College's men are the top-ranked team in the initial East Region basketball poll that was released Wednesday.
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