An Outdoorsman’s Journal - 2023, A look back

An Outdoorsman’s Journal

Mark Walters sponsored by

Hello friends, When I complete this column, my 22-year-old daughter Selina and I are heading down to Rolling Forks, Miss. to camp and hunt hogs and deer in the Delta National Forest. This is the 34th time I have written my year in review column, and it was an active one.

January 2023

Tanya Kotolowski is the administrator of Necedah Public Schools. We are good friends and one year ago she asked me if I would help her create a club for people of all ages, the Necedah Outdoor Adventure Club (NOAC) that would bring members of our community together in an outdoor way. I am the president of NOAC and we are kicking butt. In 12 months, we have built a beach, had several fun campfire events at my house, a fishing picnic, two beach parties with music and we always have food. Every other week I write a post for a community Facebook page and it has really helped to bring people together and secure finances. We are currently creating an ice skating rink with lighting and hoping to create a disc golf course this summer.

While I am on this subject, Kids And Mentors Outdoors (KAMO) is a statewide organization that is a large part of my life and we just completed one of the most active years of its 16-year existence.

May 2023

The process of creating a pond in my front yard began. I had no plan of putting a pond 25 feet from my front door, but $10,000 later and 360 man hours into it, I have a 14-foot pond that just last week I ice skated on. This spring the creation of habitat both in and out of the water will begin as well as fish stocking. There are very few nights when I am home that I do not have a campfire on my beach and the view is about as pretty as it gets from inside or outside of my house.

My pups, there is a story inside of a story. On June 15, 2021, I lost the love of my life, Michelle Chiaro and multiple times every day her loss affects me as I am sure this happens to millions of people on this planet. My golden retrievers Ruby and her pup Red are my never- ending companions, and they need me as much as I need them. Red will be two in April, and I have decided she is ready to have pups. I am currently looking for a tough as nails stud for her that has it together mentally as well.

If you know of a good stud or are looking for a pup let me know.

June 2023

The group of people that make up our duck and deer camp as well as many other fun events in a years’ time headed north of the border for our annual fly-in fishing trip. My dad started this back in 1982 and myself, as well as my brother Mike, were there then and still are. We have so much fun that it is almost unbelievable. The scenery and total isolation are right up our alley. I got my start as a writer back in ‘89 while I was working in this industry for the same fly-in, Chimo Lodge and Outposts.

October 2023

Montana elk hunt! I have to admit, I am now also addicted to the mountains and elk/mule deer hunting. I returned this past October for nine nights in the mountains of chasing elk, being very physical and loving every moment of it. Very bad luck came my way when on opening morning of my hunt a pack of six wolves moved in to the mountain range that I was hunting and after that I did not see a sign of an elk. With snow on the ground and elk leaving a large track, each day it became more obvious that I was hunting something that was not there.

November 2023

Deer camp is like duck camp, which is like our Canada trip. A large group of people get together that really enjoy each other and give it everything that they have to harvest as many bucks as possible. From northern Juneau County to parts east, west and north a wolf population that is unmanaged is taking out members of the deer herd in the deep forests and marshes. Our group of 21 hunters harvested one 4-point buck.

December 2023

One of the proudest periods of my life. Selina graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a degree in fisheries and aquatic sciences and another in water resources. She also obtained a minor in soil science. Selina also earned the Chancellor’s Leadership Award which, until I was at the ceremony the night before graduation, I had no idea how big of a deal it was.

In closing, there were 36 trips that I did not write about. My health is excellent and, like when this column started back in 1989, I just keep moving forward.

Sunset