It seems we have finally emerged out of the long white cover of winter. Over the last couple of weeks, I have posted pictures online showing signs of spring as a reminder that we are close and to hang in there. Now that the temperatures are warming to seasonal highs, the signs are becoming more numerous every day. 

If you have been near the Mississippi River lately, the signs are everywhere. The ice is gone, even in the back channels and sloughs. When that happens, ecosystems come alive. Birds of all kinds stream north quickly and not only fill the swamps, they fill your ears with chatter. Sandhill cranes rattle out a croaking call of the wild that can be heard for miles on a calm morning. That call is a stark contrast to the shrieking wood ducks whose calls pierce the air as they dive bomb their way in and out of the islands. Swans, geese, and other north bound migrators add color and even more diversity to both sights and sounds. 

Yesterday I heard a tom turkey gobble. It was unexpectantly close and startling. That call makes it onto my list of top five outdoor sounds. That list includes an elk bugle, a loon call, the chatter of a bald eagle, and nighttime howls of a coyote. The order of these can be debated but all of them make me stop and listen whenever I hear them. A spring turkey gobble is a welcome sound and a stark contrast to the cold white silence of the dead of winter. 

The sun is finally setting on winter. 

I could continue reciting all the awesome sights and sounds that come with the changing of the season. For now it’s enough because the message is that we have made it and are now being rewarded for completing another winter journey successfully.   

There was a time and place when I thought fall was my favorite time of the calendar year mainly because of my hunting interests, but as the years slip by I find myself more appreciative of the rebirth that takes place at this time of year. I am comfortable admitting that spring is now my favorite time of year.

We have distanced ourselves from winter in terms of both time and weather. It only gets better from here on out. Coming soon: may apples, turkey hunting, morel mushrooms, trout fishing, fiddleheads and so much more.   

Didn’t get enough Dave this week? Visit “Outdoor Trails and Tales with Dave Beck” on Facebook for photos and video of Dave’s adventures. You can share your own photos and video with him there as well, or by emailing him at dave@piercecountyjournal.news Also, check out OTT content on Instagram @thepiercecountyjournal