Summer is still here, and I am already talking about Winter!? Pioneers predicted winter now. By observing nature and where they lived, they would prepare for a mild or harsh winter based on their data.

Here are some Pioneer signs of Winter!

• Pigs gathering sticks
• Early departure of waterfowl
• Thicker than normal corn husks
• Woodpeckers sharing a tree
• Early butterfly departure
• Thick hair on a cow’s neck
• Mice chewing to get indoors
• Lots of crickets
• Spiders making bigger and more webs
• Racoons with thicker tails and more bands
• Heavy and numerous fogs
• Ants marching in lines and not meandering
• Abundance of mast crops like acorns and nuts/seeds.
• Muskrats and Beavers making burrows higher along riverbanks.
• More active squirrels
• Frequent halos and rings around the moon and sun.
• Wooly bear bands. Narrow bands mean snowy, and wide means mild winter.
• Early arrival of Snowy Owls.
• The abundance and height of hornet and wasps’ nests.
• More precipitation in the Summer and Fall than normal.

Based on several of these signs, it looks like another long, cold, winter!

Montana Grant

For more Montana Grant, find him shivering at www.montanagrantfishing,com.