Season End

It seems that deer season came and went so fast this year. We had many rain days that the dogs could not get a good trail going, and the snow that came in before Christmas kept everyone confined to a tree stand.
With my bad back, and other problems from my auto accident limiting me as to what I can do anymore, the weather put me out of the game more than I wanted, but as you can see, My son, and basset hound Thelma, and I managed to get in on a few drives.
This is what we do when all the others are down in the woods waiting for the dogs to run something past them.

If I do have to get out of the truck and get across a field, or drag a deer, or try to head off dogs, we just hop on the Honda 4X4

I live in an area full of history, and the place where we have hunted since I was a kid is here in Menokin

Besides the time I get with my boys, they get to hang out with their friends. I was sitting back near the wood stove and watched the guys plan a raid on the fridge back in the kitchen to get a mountain dew

I was taught early about life and death, taught how to hunt, and how to handle a gun.

To have respect for any firearm, respect for the outdoors, and respect for the people that owned the land that we hunted on.

I learned to listen to the old guy's when they told me something, and found out that they really did know more than I did

This season I started to realize that I am becoming one of those old guy's

Sad Sad

Here are the leftovers from our last crab feast of the season.

A sad day.

We have had some frost, and the water temps are dropping, and for the recreational crabber, you can't catch enough in the 2 pots and the short line you are allowed to use to make a good meal now, so it is time to wash it all down and put it up for the winter.

Bow season is in now, and black powder comes in on the 31st, so I will be in my stand Saturday morning.

Later in the week, I will post about my new 50 caliber black powder rifle, so check back in a couple days.

as for now, I did pick some of the leftover crab meat, so It is crab cake time : )

In The Woods

My boys and I decided to do some squirrel hunting this past Saturday.
What this means to us is ride the trails where we deer hunt, clear away the brush and fallen branches, and maybe take a shot or two if the dogs get a good chase going.


We look around for scrapes, and deer trails and check for tracks




And sit back and enjoy the outdoors

After some scouting, and following some rub lines, we find some choice spots to attach our tree stands.

Black powder season starts in a few more weeks, so with our stands up and trails cleaned out, we enjoy the 4-wheeler paths for the last time until we are ready to hunt

All this week, the surrounding fields will have the corn harvested and with the cooler temps, and the full moon, Rut should be in full swing

FREAKIN SNAKES !

My brother and I put up a tree stand last night, and I mean last night. We had a gathering at my uncle's Sunday, and afterwards he came by my house at around 8:00 and we marched through the woods with my 2 young sons in tow and assembled and attached his tree stand for next Saturday's bow hunt. I wanted to go out there today and get some pic's of the spot he picked out, but when my boy's and me got close to the stand, a snake dropped off the ladder. I HATE SNAKES ! so armed with only my camera, I decided to go back to the house and grab a shovel.

Off again, back to the stand, and before we could get into the trail, here comes the snake. I thought it would be a good idea if I got the boys back into the house and handle the situation. I got them to the front door and heard my wife scream because he had followed me to the door. That was all I needed, it was on now

I got him to the edge of the grass put him out of my misery

After I got a good look at it, I found it was some kind of pine snake or something, supposedly harmless, but how harmless can it be if it could cause me to break my leg running from it, or staring my brother in the face when he climbed up into his stand with his flashlight in his mouth and they met eye to eye ?

I will try to get some pics on Tuesday

Tree Stand Spots

He's out there
So is she, and I have been watching for months where they go and where they hang out

I have been watching the woods, and the soybean field to find where they travel the most

I have found all the openings they use to get in and out of the field

I know where the rub lines are, and know from these that there are several bucks that travel from the pines and into the field to eat. They are starting to establish some territory.

I found some deep tracks that tell me there are some heavy deer in here. The ground is fairly dry, and the deeper the track, the heavier the buck

My brother checks in here from time to time to see what I am up to, This pic is for him. I took it on the path that he wants to set up his tree stand. Karl and his friend will start hunting here first with compound bows. After that, black powder season comes in. The last mud bog of the season is coming up, and I am sure that when it is done, I will see him and the guy's every weekend