Farmer’s Almanac lacks believability

I’ve never been much of a believer in The Old Farmer’s Almanac and its long-range weather forecasts. Founded in 1792, it claims an 80 percent accuracy record for forecasting.

I get it that the woolly worm gets a little more woolly when cold weather is approaching. Nature has a way of predicting and preparing. But what I don’t believe is some almanac printer can read and report the signs with any degree of accuracy ... months ahead.

Just curious, mind you, I decided to see what the almanac had to say about the upcoming winter in the Dayton area. Here’s what I found:

“Winter will be warmer than normal, with slightly above-normal precipitation and below-normal snowfall. The coldest periods will be in early to mid-December, late December, early January, and early and mid-February. The snowiest periods will be in mid-December, early February, and mid-March. April and May will be cooler and rainier than normal. Summer will be hotter and slightly rainier than normal, with the hottest periods in early July, early August, and mid- to late August. September and October will be rainier and warmer than normal.”

Wow, those folks can predict the weather for next summer and fall! There you have it. All the TV meteorologists can take the next several months off.

I can understand how old farmers back in the day (don’t you hate that phrase?) would read and believe the almanac. Once the Sears catalog was used up, it might have been their only reading material. And I’m sure more than one farmer planned his planting schedule from what he “learned” in the almanac.

But what if a year’s prediction falls in that dreaded 20 percent? I guess that’s when the almanac goes the way of the Sears catalog.

Get permission: Now that archery deer hunting is in full swing and the gun season is approaching, hunters should be aware of a situation they might encounter. Here’s the Division of Wildlife’s take on it:

“Every year, officers field several questions about retrieving and tracking deer. While it is well known that hunters need permission from the landowner before hunting on private property, it is often a misconception that hunters do not need permission to simply retrieve deer — but this would be considered trespassing. No matter where you are hunting, if you shoot a deer and it moves to someone’s private property, you must first obtain permission from the landowner before retrieving it.” For more information, visit wildohio.gov.

Nature spot: If you are looking for a spot to get in some prime wildlife watching don’t forget Spring Valley Wildlife Area. South of Xenia, take U.S. 42 to Roxanna-New Burlington Road and follow the signs. You can bring your canoe or kayak now because there is a new launch site.

It’s also a great place for a nature walk. More than 230 species have been identified along the 2.5-mile observation trail that circles the marsh and provides relatively dry walking. A boardwalk also extends 655 feet into the marsh, ending in a 13-foot-tall observation tower. For more information, call 937372-9261.

New pool: There will be a new swimmin’ hole for visitors to the Grand Lake St. Marys State Park campground next summer. And it has nothing to do with the lake. The state has announced it is building a swimming pool that will be ready in time for summer 2018.

Contact this contributing writer at jmorris99@frontier.com.