Outdoors: Meet the turkey vulture, nature’s cleanup bird

About 30 years ago, I started gardening. It was a great hobby and really provided some great table fare. I learned a lot from an old shooting buddy about gardening and used to go to his house to listen almost every night. He taught me how to fertilize, control pests and trim plants to get the largest fruit.

He also taught me how to make a compost pile. A compost pile is a combination of leftover food, fish cleanings and spoiled fruit. All of this combination, when spread on a garden, contributes to very good crops. Sometimes after spreading I got invaded by critters such as raccoons and opossums. I never minded this, as most of the critters didn’t bother most plants except sweet corn when it became ripe.

I used to cage trap them and deport most of them miles away, hoping they would find their way back. Today this is illegal, as the deported raccoons create a problem for someone else. All problem animals must be dispatched now, and this is a note that is included on one’s nuisance permit.

Well, this year I had another visitor to my compost pile. After a fair walleye and sauger season, I had quite a pile of fish cleanings accumulated in the pile. Instead of the usual raccoons and opossums, I awoke to some heavy noise near the garden. Thinking it was the aforementioned critters, I got dressed and went out there.

To my surprise, two huge turkey vultures were fighting for a piece of the action.

I don’t know if they can smell decomposing fish, but somehow they knew it was there. Being somewhat timid, they both flew away together. They must not like an intruder during lunch, as they have never returned.

I really didn’t mind the vultures in my garden. They really do us a great service. Years ago, any carcass, be it livestock, garbage or dead fish, stayed on the river bank until insects consumed it. Today, the vultures clean up any dead fish or animal carcasses in less than a day. No more smelling foul odors while you are boating or fishing.

Hunting report

Again, this year most hunters who hunted the Illinois River valley didn’t score on a wild turkey. I have no idea where the birds went. It could be a food issue, because they feed on insects early and the bugs are scarce. I don’t miss the mosquitoes though.

Fishing report

Cooling-lake action has been great for bluegills and channel catfish. La Salle reported a fish kill early in the year, but it didn’t affect the bluegills. Hybrid striped bass are hitting chicken liver and shad imitators. Braidwood has been good for bass and small catfish.

Some fishermen reported good catches of crappie at Heidecke Lake in Grundy County.

River systems have been on and off. One day we have caught many white bass and some sauger on the Illinois and Fox. The next day it can be tough. Hardly anyone has been fishing the mouth of the Fox near Ottawa.

• Fred Krause is a Shaw Media correspondent.

Fred Krause

Fred Krause

Fred is an avid outdoorsman who has been writing about his passion for decades.