Fall season brings many changes

It's my favorite season of the year, fall, and it's officially here. The kids are back to school–much to the delight of moms and dads–and the Friday night lights at the football games are now lighting up the fall sky. When I take Sammy out for her early morning duty I can hear the band practicing at the high school; the Marching Jays fall classic is just around the corner. The days are shorter; the 90-degree days are over; the air conditioner is off; windows are open. A peaceful sleep is a welcomed event on the ever cooler evenings.

Birds of many varieties are a sign I always look for. Seagulls of all sizes have now invaded Waseca. Hundreds of them check in at the Grandstay Motel, take up residency on the roof, and paint the shingles white. Hundreds of them relax on the high school lawn while others roam parking lots looking for whatever they eat–maybe french fries in the McDonald's parking lot. Canadian Geese join them in numbers on large grass areas. The blackbirds have now gathered in large flocks; it amazes me such a tiny bird can migrate to Mexico or Central America.

The sumac trees are now a fiery red; you can observe them in any roadside ditch. Some of the trees are just beginning to show a shade of color. At the cabin we have been bombarded with acorns from our oak trees. They come down with an impressive bang: On windy nights they hit the roof with the sound of a hailstorm. Television weather forecasts have begun including the percentage of fall colors throughout our state. Many of us are busy now preparing a trip to the north shore or Red Wing to observe and enjoy fall colors. Any evening now our first frost could polish the landscape. Many people have sheets ready to cover any potted plants they wish to enjoy just a bit longer. I also have to mention that it's a myth: The leaves don’t change color because of cold evenings or frost. The change in color is strictly a result of less daylight.

In the insect world, monarch butterflies can be seen high up in the clear blue sky or resting in trees in the evenings in your backyard. The beautiful, orange butterfly is now on its migration route to Mexico. Crickets are chirping away, rubbing their legs. This could be a real nuisance in your basement or garage. Insects are cold-blooded, that means their body temperature is the same as the temperature outdoors. Have your fly swatters handy. Flies are now attracted to screen doors seeking indoor warmth, so you'll be getting a few of them in the house. Woolly Bear caterpillars are seen during the fall on driveways and houses. They are fat, hairy, little brown-and-black critters with orange stripes preparing to turn into Isabelle Tiger moths. It's said that if the woolly bear has large orange stripes it will be a mild winter. If it is mostly thick and dark brown, prepare for a long, cold, harsh winter.

The fall is prime time for hunters to hit the woodlands and countryside to harvest wild game for the sake of their favorite recipes. Pheasant hunters are getting their dogs in shape for the field. Duck hunters are setting up blinds and loading their boats with decoys. Deer hunters are busy setting up tree stands; bear hunters have headed north to pursue a black bear. A bear is a very smart, elusive animal. In order to harvest one, the hunter has to prepare a bait area, then sit and wait for one to come in.

A few miles west of town, Tom Kaiser, his sons Nathan Kaiser and Jonathan Gransee, along with Heidi Wiitanen operate a bear bait business. Heidi gave me a tour of Honey Hole Bear Bait– it was beyond expectation. Now in their second year, they market their product on Facebook and their website. The Honey Hole is the hunter’s version of Sam's Club or Costco to purchase interesting foods and goodies to bait bear.

The Honey Hole purchases the bait from businesses that have damaged or outdated products that don't meet the standards. The product is purchased at a discount, sometimes by the semi load. Buckets of frosting, dry granola, powdered sugar, fruity gummy candy, orange lemon slices, peanuts, trail mix, caramel, honey, cookies, licorice, molasses, and trail mix are some of the products the company searches for. They get grease for their mixtures from local restaurants.

Bear hunters can buy bait of their choice in a $70 barrel, a good sized $20 bag or a smaller $6 bag. The Honey Hole building is full of products the owners have put together. Heidi said that trail mix is the best seller–so much so that they were at least temporarily sold out. Shipping costs add a lot to the expense, so most clients take a trip to the Honey Hole to select their mixture of bait and pick up the order. The company has sold products to bear hunters residing in all areas of the state. Outfitters and guides have purchased from Texas, Carolina, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and even Manitoba. The Honey Hole is known in the bear hunting world for putting out an excellent bear bait product.

I asked Heidi if they still do business in the off season and she answered, “they do.” Last December she had a dad from Mankato come over and buy a barrel of bait for each of his sons for Christmas. They'd been drawn in the lottery to hunt bear the next season.

Yogi and Booboo no longer have to sneak around stealing picnic baskets in Jellystone Park. They simply have to call the Honey Hole at 507-461-0796 and put in an order for their favorite, delicious bear snack.