I'm calling it quits for the season. I've got some venison in the freezer and there's 8 inches of snow in the woods making moving around difficult on my knees and hard on my back. The thin layer of ice underneath doesn't help either.
Oh, the deer are still around. I saw tracks through that new snow when I hauled the carcass out to the back field. A regular set of highways heading right up the hill toward where I normally sit. Don't let anyone tell you they shy away from a gut pile either. A couple sets of tracks went right to that pile. For all I know, they were eating the stomach contents (lots of partially digested grass) just like northern caribou hunters will run for their spoon when they knock an animal down. (Lots of good vitamins in that stuff...or so I'm told.)
All day Thursday was spent clearing the driveway and parking area of that 6-8 inches of snow that fell Wednesday night. Friday was spent recovering from that labor, hauling the bones out to feed the wild critters and feral cats that might wander by, and just poking around the house doing some chores.
The sun has disappeared and the clouds have been spitting flurries for two days. The temperatures hae ranged from a low of 22 all the way up to 24 degrees. Thankfully there has been virtually no wind to speak of or those temps might get uncomfortable fast.
Flocks of geese have decided to head (mostly) south having found the farmers' fields suddenly covered with snow. (I say "mostly" because today, they seemed to be heading more southwest. Perhaps their leaders' magnetic senses are a bit scrambled.) My feeder birds are going through sunflower seed like crazy. I'm sure some of the seed's getting stashed away in little nooks and crannies in the trees somewhere because those nuthatches, titmice and chickadees are returning much too quickly to be carrying seed out to the trees, spending time cracking open the seed and eating the heart of the seed. There has to be a stash being filled someplace. There have been a dearth of squirrels so far this year. Last year we had as many as 12 at a time all trying to feed on the deck. This year we've, at most 3 or 4. I wonder if they've migrated, decided to stick with the acorns--of which there was a fair crop, or got hit by a disease.
Saturday I'm going to be cleaning my rifle and putting my hunting clothes and gear away. At least this year I got to use one of my tags.
Oh, I'll probably be watching the Army-Navy game on TV, too. This weekend, as they say, "it's the only game in town." Navy's got some cool looking new uniforms from the folks at Under Armor. Lots of color and flair. While not as good a team as the last couple of years, they should still be able to handle Army...again.
In ten days, Terry and I will be flying out to Anaheim to spend Christmas at/in Disneyland with our kids. I'm really looking forward to it. Not the flying part, the Disneyland part. Sure, the kids are in their 30s and I'm 65, but what does age have to do with going to Disneyland.
Showing posts with label Deer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deer. Show all posts
Friday, December 12, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Hunting Season: Days 8 and 9
(No Hunting!)
Terry and I sat around all day yesterday waiting for the snowmageddon the forecasters were harping about. Never happened. Not here anyway. We had fog. Lots of it, too. Occasionally it would lift enough so we could see more than half a mile. Sometimes it would be pea soup thick and seeing the burn barrel (25 yards away) was an invitation to eyestrain. Needless to say, with all the fog, we had no breeze of which to speak. The thermometer would hover around the freezing mark; as low as 28 and as high as 34. All day the radar showed snow and/or ice to the east of us lined up just on the other side of Route 220 between Sayre and Towanda. That's as far as it got--the middle of Bradford County about 40 miles east of the Aerie.
I had decided to sleep in and not go out hinting because of the weather forecasts. Although the temperatures were fine and there was no precip to speak of, the fog would have made it extreemly difficult to spot anything more than 30 yards away. So Terry and I sat around the house waiting for the snow. And waiting asa the Photography Club meeting in Wellsboro was cancelled and reports were coming in from eat and north of us about how bad it was and weather forecasters were wetting their panties in glee over the WEATHER!!!! And nothing continued to happen here. Finally Terry decided she had had enough and went to the Ladies Guild dinner down in Mansfield. I stayed home and monitored the weather (and watched some TV). When she got home at 9 PM the snow still hadn't arrived. (Monday night the forecasters were saying it would be snowing by 6 AM Tuesday.) And it was still not snowing when we went to bed at 10 PM.
This morning we awoke to a light dusting of fresh new snow on the deck.Perhaps as much as a quarter of an inch.
Having hung the little button buck outside for two days, I decided it was time to do some butchering today. I skinned out the deer behind the house and then quartered the carcass in front of the garage before moving inside to debone the critter. Terry assisted with the deboning and removal of fat from the meat and then with the packaging of same.
This wasn't a huge deer by any stretch of the imagination and when we got done with removing all the inedible parts, we were left with about 45 pounds of very lean filet, roasts, steaks, stew meat and chop meat.
Julie the cat helped with the clean up as she helped herself to some of the ground venison sticking to the meat grinder and various bowls I set aside to wash. She normally doesn't eat raw meat and will ignore chopped beef, but she really, really likes venison!
We had closed the garage door while we deboned the deer and were a little surprised to see it was snowing pretty good when we went in to the kitchen to process the meat. Not much in the way of accumulation...yet, but there was every indication it would continue for a good while.
Saw on the news that Syracuse and the hills on I-81 in that area were getting/had gotten hammered. There were reports of a 5 hour delay on I-81 and a foot of snow in Syracuse. Even the Bolt Hole is getting upwards to a foot of snow. We won't see anything quite that drastic here at teh Aerie, but the folks at weather.com are still speaking of 1-3 inches tonight and another 1 inch tomorrow. We shall see.
I had decided to sleep in and not go out hinting because of the weather forecasts. Although the temperatures were fine and there was no precip to speak of, the fog would have made it extreemly difficult to spot anything more than 30 yards away. So Terry and I sat around the house waiting for the snow. And waiting asa the Photography Club meeting in Wellsboro was cancelled and reports were coming in from eat and north of us about how bad it was and weather forecasters were wetting their panties in glee over the WEATHER!!!! And nothing continued to happen here. Finally Terry decided she had had enough and went to the Ladies Guild dinner down in Mansfield. I stayed home and monitored the weather (and watched some TV). When she got home at 9 PM the snow still hadn't arrived. (Monday night the forecasters were saying it would be snowing by 6 AM Tuesday.) And it was still not snowing when we went to bed at 10 PM.
This morning we awoke to a light dusting of fresh new snow on the deck.Perhaps as much as a quarter of an inch.
Having hung the little button buck outside for two days, I decided it was time to do some butchering today. I skinned out the deer behind the house and then quartered the carcass in front of the garage before moving inside to debone the critter. Terry assisted with the deboning and removal of fat from the meat and then with the packaging of same.
This wasn't a huge deer by any stretch of the imagination and when we got done with removing all the inedible parts, we were left with about 45 pounds of very lean filet, roasts, steaks, stew meat and chop meat.
Julie the cat helped with the clean up as she helped herself to some of the ground venison sticking to the meat grinder and various bowls I set aside to wash. She normally doesn't eat raw meat and will ignore chopped beef, but she really, really likes venison!
We had closed the garage door while we deboned the deer and were a little surprised to see it was snowing pretty good when we went in to the kitchen to process the meat. Not much in the way of accumulation...yet, but there was every indication it would continue for a good while.
Saw on the news that Syracuse and the hills on I-81 in that area were getting/had gotten hammered. There were reports of a 5 hour delay on I-81 and a foot of snow in Syracuse. Even the Bolt Hole is getting upwards to a foot of snow. We won't see anything quite that drastic here at teh Aerie, but the folks at weather.com are still speaking of 1-3 inches tonight and another 1 inch tomorrow. We shall see.
Monday, December 08, 2014
Hunting Season: Day 7
I went out this morning at 6:30 AM when it was 15 degrees. Luckily it was not breezy at all and, except for the ice falling off tree limbs, totally silent. I sat for 2-1/2 hours and heard nothing and saw nothing.
Around 9 AM I thought I'd take a walk-about to see if there were any signs of activity. As I walked I heard a couple of shots w-a-y off to the south on the sunny side of the ridge, but they were too far off to have any impact on the area I was hunting. The ground was still covered with a crust of snow and ice and the trees would shed some of their ice cover when the breeze kicked up. I moved when the ice fell hoping the clatter of ice on ice would cover the sounds I made.
It hardly mattered. Aside a set of fresh dog/coyote tracks there were no fresh deer tracks. I did see a couple of gray squirrels and a pileated woodpecker and a couple of chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches but nothing else was stirring...not even a mouse.
I got back to my "usual" seat around 11 AM and settled in for the afternoon. I was just trying to decide if I wanted to have my sandwich when I spotted three deer coming down the trail at the bottom of the hill. None of them had antlers. I silently stood and rested my rifle on a tree nearby and focused on an opening near tot he one through which I had missed the buck last Monday. The first deer moved through that opening too quickly for me to squeeze the trigger. The second deer stopped in that opening and I squeezed off a shot. The deer kicked out like a mule and dashed off into the Norway spruces on the other side of the field. I swung to the first deer which had stopped in an opening a short distance down the trail. I squeezed off a second shot and that deer fell where it stood with blood spurting out onto the snow.
Thinking I had filled my two doe tags, I headed down the hill to put them on the deer's ears. Problem is, I missed that first shot. I found the spot where the bullet hit...directly under the deer's belly. That's why she bucked and ran off. The second deer lay dead on the trail. The bullet, quickly aimed and fired, had missed the heart and lungs but took out the neck. I searched the track of the first deer and found no blood sign...and a .270 Winchester would have left some blood trail within 50 yards. And with the snow on the ground, it would have been easy to spot. *sigh* Terry reminds me that I'm still doing better than most baseball hitters. One for three is .333. More practice is in order for next season, however.
(BTW I'm pretty sure the regs say I was supposed to "remove one tagged deer from the woods" before shooting the second although I can't seem to find that in the compendium. As I was on my own property, I thing I could argue that I HAD removed the deer from "the woods" (it was on my land) before shooting the second.)
Disappointed that I had missed on the first shot, I still had to tag and dress out the second deer. Turning it onto it's back, I realized I had shot a button buck. Checking it's head there were indeed two tiny bumps above its eyes. Dressed out, I dragged it down the trail to the Aerie where I hung it up in the back of the house. I saved the liver and heart and Terry sliced up and packaged them for me (she won't eat the organs). I also took out the backstraps which we will have for dinner tonight.
I may, or may not go out tomorrow morning. The forecast has become slightly worse according to one of the two BIG names in weather. One is saying we'll have snow by 8 AM while the other says to look for flakes after noon. Both are talking anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of snow...and ice.
Around 9 AM I thought I'd take a walk-about to see if there were any signs of activity. As I walked I heard a couple of shots w-a-y off to the south on the sunny side of the ridge, but they were too far off to have any impact on the area I was hunting. The ground was still covered with a crust of snow and ice and the trees would shed some of their ice cover when the breeze kicked up. I moved when the ice fell hoping the clatter of ice on ice would cover the sounds I made.
It hardly mattered. Aside a set of fresh dog/coyote tracks there were no fresh deer tracks. I did see a couple of gray squirrels and a pileated woodpecker and a couple of chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches but nothing else was stirring...not even a mouse.
I got back to my "usual" seat around 11 AM and settled in for the afternoon. I was just trying to decide if I wanted to have my sandwich when I spotted three deer coming down the trail at the bottom of the hill. None of them had antlers. I silently stood and rested my rifle on a tree nearby and focused on an opening near tot he one through which I had missed the buck last Monday. The first deer moved through that opening too quickly for me to squeeze the trigger. The second deer stopped in that opening and I squeezed off a shot. The deer kicked out like a mule and dashed off into the Norway spruces on the other side of the field. I swung to the first deer which had stopped in an opening a short distance down the trail. I squeezed off a second shot and that deer fell where it stood with blood spurting out onto the snow.
Thinking I had filled my two doe tags, I headed down the hill to put them on the deer's ears. Problem is, I missed that first shot. I found the spot where the bullet hit...directly under the deer's belly. That's why she bucked and ran off. The second deer lay dead on the trail. The bullet, quickly aimed and fired, had missed the heart and lungs but took out the neck. I searched the track of the first deer and found no blood sign...and a .270 Winchester would have left some blood trail within 50 yards. And with the snow on the ground, it would have been easy to spot. *sigh* Terry reminds me that I'm still doing better than most baseball hitters. One for three is .333. More practice is in order for next season, however.
(BTW I'm pretty sure the regs say I was supposed to "remove one tagged deer from the woods" before shooting the second although I can't seem to find that in the compendium. As I was on my own property, I thing I could argue that I HAD removed the deer from "the woods" (it was on my land) before shooting the second.)
Disappointed that I had missed on the first shot, I still had to tag and dress out the second deer. Turning it onto it's back, I realized I had shot a button buck. Checking it's head there were indeed two tiny bumps above its eyes. Dressed out, I dragged it down the trail to the Aerie where I hung it up in the back of the house. I saved the liver and heart and Terry sliced up and packaged them for me (she won't eat the organs). I also took out the backstraps which we will have for dinner tonight.
I may, or may not go out tomorrow morning. The forecast has become slightly worse according to one of the two BIG names in weather. One is saying we'll have snow by 8 AM while the other says to look for flakes after noon. Both are talking anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of snow...and ice.
Sunday, December 07, 2014
Hunting and Weather Report
It rained all day on Saturday...except when it turned to snow around 3 PM. This morning the trees around the Aerie and above were coated with ice. Ice that glistened in the sun when it finally rose above the hill. And it was a clear, sunny day today.
I took a ride after lunch and found there was no snow at all just 200 feet down the hill and that the ridge road above the house was still icy and the trees still glistening. The temps down on Route 6, about 1000 feet below, were up to 35-36 degrees even when those around the Aerie were still around 28 degrees. It later got up to 34 degrees...for about an hour...when the full power of the sun hit the Aerie.
I also noticed that all the hunting camps below and above the Aerie were vacant. Looks like I'll have the whole mountain to myself tomorrow. I just hope that doesn't include an absence of deer! I've two doe tags and a buck tag still burning a hole in my pocket. And Terry's been careful to leave room in the freezer...just in case.
The weather forecast for this week is on the iffy side. Winter weather warnings have gone up for counties to the east of here with a possibility of 8 inches of snow starting Tuesday into Wednesday. We're not included in the warning and are forecast to receive "just" 3 or 4 inches. Enough that I'll be busy with cleanup on Wednesday. But then there are snow showers (around 1 inch each) forecast for Wednesday night, Thursday and even Friday. Sounds like an interesting week ahead.
I took a ride after lunch and found there was no snow at all just 200 feet down the hill and that the ridge road above the house was still icy and the trees still glistening. The temps down on Route 6, about 1000 feet below, were up to 35-36 degrees even when those around the Aerie were still around 28 degrees. It later got up to 34 degrees...for about an hour...when the full power of the sun hit the Aerie.
I also noticed that all the hunting camps below and above the Aerie were vacant. Looks like I'll have the whole mountain to myself tomorrow. I just hope that doesn't include an absence of deer! I've two doe tags and a buck tag still burning a hole in my pocket. And Terry's been careful to leave room in the freezer...just in case.
The weather forecast for this week is on the iffy side. Winter weather warnings have gone up for counties to the east of here with a possibility of 8 inches of snow starting Tuesday into Wednesday. We're not included in the warning and are forecast to receive "just" 3 or 4 inches. Enough that I'll be busy with cleanup on Wednesday. But then there are snow showers (around 1 inch each) forecast for Wednesday night, Thursday and even Friday. Sounds like an interesting week ahead.
Friday, December 05, 2014
Hunting Season: Days 4 and 5 (maybe 6?)
I spent Thursday (Day 4) in the woods waiting for a deer (in particular a buck) to come past. Never happened. I did see two deer when I decided to take a brief walk about between 9:30 and 11 AM. They went zooming past heading up the hill at about 150-200 yards. I couldn't hear them despite the ground being covered by a frozen, icy crust of snow. If I hadn't been looking in the right direction, I wouldn't have known they were there. Those two deer, and two or three gray squirrels were all the mammals I saw.
The weather cooperated with temperatures in the mid 20s all day. The sky was mostly cloudy but not threatening and the air was fairly still. The little breeze that would occur from time to time rattled the beech leaves still on the younger trees. I watched plenty of birds foraging about and/or flying over head. Chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers searched crevasses in all the trees around me. The blue jays would occasionally sound off, but I never saw one. Their calls have been alarms of something moving through the woods so I pay close attention. The ravens soared and danced overhead and their occasional caws, clicks and clacks could have been derisive.
I heard no shots anywhere all day long. The hunting camp next door is empty. They left on Wednesday morning. The neighbors don't seem to be out--or had to go back to work. I felt totally alone.
Early in the day I did hear the whoop-whoop-whoop of the windmills, but they feathered the vanes and the blades stopped spinning around noon. The loud thrum of the compressors/generators from the fracking pad just a little over a mile away was a constant--until 3:00 PM when it suddenly stopped and I nearly fell over. I fought to stay awake over the next hour as the silence descended.
Having seen nothing and heard nothing, I knew it was time to head back to the Aerie as the sun set behind the ridge to the west. There was enough light for me to see it glowing on the hills to the north-northwest and to see into the field to the north of the Aerie...where there were three or four deer in the snow-free field.
******
Friday I opted to stay in. There's little that's more frustrating than sitting, in silence, alone, waiting...and waiting...for a deer to show up and it doesn't. In the Adirondacks, I've 10,000 acres I can wander when I get bored. In PA I've only got 20 acres--unless I want to cross over onto other private property. The lands in PA aren't posted and I've got permission to chase a wounded deer, but I really do not want to strain any relationships before they are formed.
There were a couple of chores to do around the house with/for Terry. And she had made a killer bread pudding that I didn't want to leave alone with her.
After lunch (chicken fried steak and fires) and warm bread pudding, I went out on the deck to refill the bird feeders and seven doe came running across the street, between the Aerie and the hunting camp and headed straight back to the woods to the west. *sigh*
I couldn't shoot them today anyway. Besides, the forecast was for rain/sleet starting sometime after noon. (It finally arrived around 2 PM.)
******
The rain is supposed to get heavier during the night and through Saturday morning. It doesn't seem that anyone will be coming back to the camp next door.
Saturday is the last day in which I must shoot only bucks.Monday, does--of which I've seen many more--are legal game.
The weather cooperated with temperatures in the mid 20s all day. The sky was mostly cloudy but not threatening and the air was fairly still. The little breeze that would occur from time to time rattled the beech leaves still on the younger trees. I watched plenty of birds foraging about and/or flying over head. Chickadees, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers searched crevasses in all the trees around me. The blue jays would occasionally sound off, but I never saw one. Their calls have been alarms of something moving through the woods so I pay close attention. The ravens soared and danced overhead and their occasional caws, clicks and clacks could have been derisive.
I heard no shots anywhere all day long. The hunting camp next door is empty. They left on Wednesday morning. The neighbors don't seem to be out--or had to go back to work. I felt totally alone.
Early in the day I did hear the whoop-whoop-whoop of the windmills, but they feathered the vanes and the blades stopped spinning around noon. The loud thrum of the compressors/generators from the fracking pad just a little over a mile away was a constant--until 3:00 PM when it suddenly stopped and I nearly fell over. I fought to stay awake over the next hour as the silence descended.
Having seen nothing and heard nothing, I knew it was time to head back to the Aerie as the sun set behind the ridge to the west. There was enough light for me to see it glowing on the hills to the north-northwest and to see into the field to the north of the Aerie...where there were three or four deer in the snow-free field.
******
Friday I opted to stay in. There's little that's more frustrating than sitting, in silence, alone, waiting...and waiting...for a deer to show up and it doesn't. In the Adirondacks, I've 10,000 acres I can wander when I get bored. In PA I've only got 20 acres--unless I want to cross over onto other private property. The lands in PA aren't posted and I've got permission to chase a wounded deer, but I really do not want to strain any relationships before they are formed.
There were a couple of chores to do around the house with/for Terry. And she had made a killer bread pudding that I didn't want to leave alone with her.
After lunch (chicken fried steak and fires) and warm bread pudding, I went out on the deck to refill the bird feeders and seven doe came running across the street, between the Aerie and the hunting camp and headed straight back to the woods to the west. *sigh*
I couldn't shoot them today anyway. Besides, the forecast was for rain/sleet starting sometime after noon. (It finally arrived around 2 PM.)
******
The rain is supposed to get heavier during the night and through Saturday morning. It doesn't seem that anyone will be coming back to the camp next door.
Saturday is the last day in which I must shoot only bucks.Monday, does--of which I've seen many more--are legal game.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Company at the Aerie
Had a visitor to the yard this afternoon. I've had six or seven does running around the place at twilight, morning and night, for a couple of days. It was good to see this big guy show up.
The swollen neck indicates he's a participant in the rut. Maybe that's why the girls were so antsy this week.
Terry heard a noise out behind the garage a couple of nights ago. Enough that she decided NOT to take the car that was parked over there fearing a big, black bear might have been in the area. The next day I spotted a fresh rub on a small sapling in the area and thought it might have been a buck and not a bear. Perhaps it was this guy.
Now if only he'll stay around until rifle season starts on December 1st. In PA you need at least three points on one side for a buck to be legal, and he's got the required number on both sides being a 4x3. Nice length on the tines, too.
The swollen neck indicates he's a participant in the rut. Maybe that's why the girls were so antsy this week.
Terry heard a noise out behind the garage a couple of nights ago. Enough that she decided NOT to take the car that was parked over there fearing a big, black bear might have been in the area. The next day I spotted a fresh rub on a small sapling in the area and thought it might have been a buck and not a bear. Perhaps it was this guy.
Now if only he'll stay around until rifle season starts on December 1st. In PA you need at least three points on one side for a buck to be legal, and he's got the required number on both sides being a 4x3. Nice length on the tines, too.
Monday, December 09, 2013
Seventh Day of Deer Season (?)
Or is it Eighth? PA doesn't permit hunting on Sunday so it's the Eighth day since the beginning but the Seventh legal hunting day. Let's call it the Seventh Hunting day.
No matter, I'll not be venturing forth today. It's 26 degrees and the wind is howling to judge by the trees. (It's actually relatively calm on the deck, but up above...ooohh boy!) I've a few things to do before the guys come to drill a new well tomorrow so I believe I'll be staying around the house today and probably until the drilling is finished later this week.
I enjoyed seeing all the snow that was falling in Philly (and Baltimore and Pittsburgh) during yesterday's football game but wondered if we were due some of the same. Nope! All we got was a half inch or less. This despite the warnings of 2-4 inches. Didn't even get the freezing rain they forecast to cap the snow off as it stayed too cold.
BTW, there are fresh areas of the lawn that have been scraped up so as to reach the grass. *sigh*
No matter, I'll not be venturing forth today. It's 26 degrees and the wind is howling to judge by the trees. (It's actually relatively calm on the deck, but up above...ooohh boy!) I've a few things to do before the guys come to drill a new well tomorrow so I believe I'll be staying around the house today and probably until the drilling is finished later this week.
I enjoyed seeing all the snow that was falling in Philly (and Baltimore and Pittsburgh) during yesterday's football game but wondered if we were due some of the same. Nope! All we got was a half inch or less. This despite the warnings of 2-4 inches. Didn't even get the freezing rain they forecast to cap the snow off as it stayed too cold.
BTW, there are fresh areas of the lawn that have been scraped up so as to reach the grass. *sigh*
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Sixth Day of Deer Season
They were (mostly) wrong. We only got about 1 inch of snow/sleet over night. It was much colder this morning so they got that right. It was also a little windier on the hill since the wind now was out of the northwest and there's really nothing to protect me from that direction for miles and miles...maybe somewhere in Canada.
I went out anyway. Going up the hill in the dark was pretty easy as that little bit of snow really lit up the landscape. Flashlights were not needed even though it was overcast and no moon or stars could be seen. I was on stand by 6:40 AM--less than ten minutes after leaving the house. I took my seat and waited.
Some shots were fired from all directions around me between 6:45 and 9 AM but nothing really close to me. Dogs barked down the hill at something. Beech leaves rattled and spilled snow in the wind. A tiny shrew scurried from under a seedling hemlock and dove into the leaves next to a small rotting log. Chickadees and titmice (and that workaholic downy woodpecker) moved through the woods. Otherwise, things were quiet. Very, very quiet. Still I sat and looked around me and took note of any sound. THings can happen quickly. Sometimes. The sun finally appeared through the breaking cloud cover around 11 AM. An hour later, I headed back to the Aerie.
I saw no deer. None. Zip. Zilch. And no tracks in the woods or along the upper driveway.
That's because the deer had been digging in the snow to get to the grass of the Aerie's lawn. Looking down from the deck, I could see several spots--areas 2-3 feet square--where at least one deer had pawed down to nibble on the grass. True, they could have been there in the dark before I went out. Or these could be New Jersey deer. You know, those that have learned to live in suburbs by bedding between houses during the day and coming out at night to eat your flowers (especially hostas and tulips!). After dinner tonight, I went out on the deck to get the bird feeders and a deer spooked from under the pine behind the garden--between the Aerie and the hunting camp down the hill. *sigh*
I went out anyway. Going up the hill in the dark was pretty easy as that little bit of snow really lit up the landscape. Flashlights were not needed even though it was overcast and no moon or stars could be seen. I was on stand by 6:40 AM--less than ten minutes after leaving the house. I took my seat and waited.
Some shots were fired from all directions around me between 6:45 and 9 AM but nothing really close to me. Dogs barked down the hill at something. Beech leaves rattled and spilled snow in the wind. A tiny shrew scurried from under a seedling hemlock and dove into the leaves next to a small rotting log. Chickadees and titmice (and that workaholic downy woodpecker) moved through the woods. Otherwise, things were quiet. Very, very quiet. Still I sat and looked around me and took note of any sound. THings can happen quickly. Sometimes. The sun finally appeared through the breaking cloud cover around 11 AM. An hour later, I headed back to the Aerie.
I saw no deer. None. Zip. Zilch. And no tracks in the woods or along the upper driveway.
That's because the deer had been digging in the snow to get to the grass of the Aerie's lawn. Looking down from the deck, I could see several spots--areas 2-3 feet square--where at least one deer had pawed down to nibble on the grass. True, they could have been there in the dark before I went out. Or these could be New Jersey deer. You know, those that have learned to live in suburbs by bedding between houses during the day and coming out at night to eat your flowers (especially hostas and tulips!). After dinner tonight, I went out on the deck to get the bird feeders and a deer spooked from under the pine behind the garden--between the Aerie and the hunting camp down the hill. *sigh*
Friday, December 06, 2013
Fifth Day of Deer Season
It was raining when we got up (late) this morning. The cats let us sleep in until 7 AM! The drizzle gave me an excuse to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then run a few errands with Terry.
The rain ended early and by lunchtime, I was getting antsy. After all, you can't shoot a deer if you aren't out in the woods. So, I donned my gear and headed out intending to shoot a deer or stay until the wintery mix forecast for late afternoon showed up.
There was a light breeze blowing out of the north and the sky was overcast but there wasn't any precipitation until around 3 PM when a smattering of sleet started pinging on the leaves of the beech trees and bouncing off my clothing. It wasn't enough to make me quit and I sat until it started coming down harder around 4:15.
Like Sgt. Schultz, "I saw nothing." Just a few chickadees and a very industrious little downy woodpecker who must have gone up and down every tree in front of me--some of them more than once.
They are forecasting 2-4 inches of snow tonight. That could mean more movement tomorrow. Along with the ability to legally shoot antlerless deer starting tomorrow, which could mean a few more hunters in the field, might make getting up early and getting out there worthwhile.
******
Got the word that the well drillers will be here on Tuesday of next week. They're talking drilling a new well (not cheap!) rather than drilling the existing well deeper. While their company drilled the original, it was so long ago that the current folks have no memory beyond what's on the little 3" x 5" in their files.
It's going to take them at least two days to get the well drilled to 350-400 feet or so. That's going to put a dent in my hunting next week but having clean water would be worth it. As for that depth they hinted at, they drilled a new well across the street a year or so ago and that well went down about that far. Hopefully, they won't need to go that far.
The rain ended early and by lunchtime, I was getting antsy. After all, you can't shoot a deer if you aren't out in the woods. So, I donned my gear and headed out intending to shoot a deer or stay until the wintery mix forecast for late afternoon showed up.
There was a light breeze blowing out of the north and the sky was overcast but there wasn't any precipitation until around 3 PM when a smattering of sleet started pinging on the leaves of the beech trees and bouncing off my clothing. It wasn't enough to make me quit and I sat until it started coming down harder around 4:15.
Like Sgt. Schultz, "I saw nothing." Just a few chickadees and a very industrious little downy woodpecker who must have gone up and down every tree in front of me--some of them more than once.
They are forecasting 2-4 inches of snow tonight. That could mean more movement tomorrow. Along with the ability to legally shoot antlerless deer starting tomorrow, which could mean a few more hunters in the field, might make getting up early and getting out there worthwhile.
******
Got the word that the well drillers will be here on Tuesday of next week. They're talking drilling a new well (not cheap!) rather than drilling the existing well deeper. While their company drilled the original, it was so long ago that the current folks have no memory beyond what's on the little 3" x 5" in their files.
It's going to take them at least two days to get the well drilled to 350-400 feet or so. That's going to put a dent in my hunting next week but having clean water would be worth it. As for that depth they hinted at, they drilled a new well across the street a year or so ago and that well went down about that far. Hopefully, they won't need to go that far.
Thursday, December 05, 2013
Fourth Day of Deer Season
I took the Third Day of Deer Season off so as to be in the house when a representative of the well drilling company came by. We (again) explained our problem with really, really red water appearing at the end of a pumping cycle and discussed the probable need to either redrill the existing well to deepen it or drill a new, deeper well. Our current well, drilled long before we bought the property, is just 132 feet deep with just 24 feet of casing and a recharge rate of 2 gallons a minute--that's slow. Across the road, they've gone down almost 300 feet.
While we await word on when they can drill, we tried shortening the cord on the float switch so it would start and end the cycle a bit sooner. Didn't work. When we tried to fill the cistern later in the day, we got red clay near the end of the cycle which means it would still be in the pipe from the well when the next cycle started. We really, really need to get the well down deeper and keep the pump off the bottom a little further.
The guy who showed up was one who was here to install a new pump protector a couple of weeks ago. He was surprised to have been sent out to do what he was instructed because he knew I had tried all those solutions. He was also surprised that our 1 micron filters were still allowing clay material through. "Not much gets through those suckers!" Well, quite a bit gets through ours. This clay is extremely fine.
******
I did get out this morning, Day Four of the season. It was warm all night with the temperatures in the 40s so all the snow had disappeared. The ground was wet and walking made no noise at all. THere was a wind blowing from the southwest according to the clouds and windmills, but where I was sitting it was predominantly blowing TOWARD the southwest. This was because the wind coming over Armenia Mountain was drawing the air out of the valley. This was good as the ceiling down there was about 1500 feet while I was at 2200 feet and should have been IN the clouds but they were being lifted over the ridge leaving a little zone of higher visibility where I was. Still, the trees were gleaning moisture out of the air and there was a constant drip, drip, drip to go along with the shaking, rattling beech leaves. Those were the only sounds I heard as, once again, there was no shooting going on.
The forecast out of the Elmira-Corning airport was for rain to start around four o'clock and I intended to sit until it seemed to arrive.That turned out to be a little after 1 PM.
Still, I did manage to see a few deer. At 9 AM I had a single animal come down the logging road from the other side of the cove. When I lifted my rifle and looked through the scope, I immediately saw it was a young spike buck whose antlers were just 2-3 inches long and didn't even project beyond his ears. This made him one of the protected class--along with any antlerless deer--for this day. (PA requires a buck have at least three points on one side for it to be legal.) To rub this status in even further, he turned and came up the hill right toward me. I watched as he came closer and closer and those antlers didn't magically grow one bit. He stopped several times and presented my with broadside shots at 50, 30, 20, and 15 yards. He looked right at me a couple times and presented those little horns like they were his get-out-of-jail-free pass. And they were.
At 1 PM I saw several deer rush into the field to my right. They were a long ways away and through much brush so I couldn't tell what they were and I was sure they were going to cross the field and disappear. Suddenly one of them popped into the woods where the young buck had earlier. It was a young antlerless deer and it kept looking back toward the field trying to figure out where the others had gone. I also wondered where the rest of them were as it stood there for several minutes before heading back toward the field. I saw it get to the field and then lost track of it.
That's when the rain seemed to be getting real so I packed up my gear and headed back to the Aerie. Instead of following the upper driveway back, I took a shorter route through the woods and intersected the logging road near the yard. As I got there, 10 deer suddenly took off running toward the road. I saw lots of bounding animals, white tails and no horns. Some of those deer looked like they should have had saddles on them. They were huge!.
The rain did continue for an hour or more before it stopped--for the time being. Tonight we'll get more rain and the temperatures will be falling. By tomorrow morning, they forecast, we will be getting snow again. They say we'll get 1-3 inches before it stops sometime in the afternoon. Could be a good day to go out but I won't rush it. Starting Saturday does are off the list of protected class. (The spike buck is still going to be protected, but if there are NO horns, it's fair game.)
******
BTW, going up and down the hill in wet, slick conditions was no real problem for my knees.
While we await word on when they can drill, we tried shortening the cord on the float switch so it would start and end the cycle a bit sooner. Didn't work. When we tried to fill the cistern later in the day, we got red clay near the end of the cycle which means it would still be in the pipe from the well when the next cycle started. We really, really need to get the well down deeper and keep the pump off the bottom a little further.
The guy who showed up was one who was here to install a new pump protector a couple of weeks ago. He was surprised to have been sent out to do what he was instructed because he knew I had tried all those solutions. He was also surprised that our 1 micron filters were still allowing clay material through. "Not much gets through those suckers!" Well, quite a bit gets through ours. This clay is extremely fine.
******
I did get out this morning, Day Four of the season. It was warm all night with the temperatures in the 40s so all the snow had disappeared. The ground was wet and walking made no noise at all. THere was a wind blowing from the southwest according to the clouds and windmills, but where I was sitting it was predominantly blowing TOWARD the southwest. This was because the wind coming over Armenia Mountain was drawing the air out of the valley. This was good as the ceiling down there was about 1500 feet while I was at 2200 feet and should have been IN the clouds but they were being lifted over the ridge leaving a little zone of higher visibility where I was. Still, the trees were gleaning moisture out of the air and there was a constant drip, drip, drip to go along with the shaking, rattling beech leaves. Those were the only sounds I heard as, once again, there was no shooting going on.
The forecast out of the Elmira-Corning airport was for rain to start around four o'clock and I intended to sit until it seemed to arrive.That turned out to be a little after 1 PM.
Still, I did manage to see a few deer. At 9 AM I had a single animal come down the logging road from the other side of the cove. When I lifted my rifle and looked through the scope, I immediately saw it was a young spike buck whose antlers were just 2-3 inches long and didn't even project beyond his ears. This made him one of the protected class--along with any antlerless deer--for this day. (PA requires a buck have at least three points on one side for it to be legal.) To rub this status in even further, he turned and came up the hill right toward me. I watched as he came closer and closer and those antlers didn't magically grow one bit. He stopped several times and presented my with broadside shots at 50, 30, 20, and 15 yards. He looked right at me a couple times and presented those little horns like they were his get-out-of-jail-free pass. And they were.
At 1 PM I saw several deer rush into the field to my right. They were a long ways away and through much brush so I couldn't tell what they were and I was sure they were going to cross the field and disappear. Suddenly one of them popped into the woods where the young buck had earlier. It was a young antlerless deer and it kept looking back toward the field trying to figure out where the others had gone. I also wondered where the rest of them were as it stood there for several minutes before heading back toward the field. I saw it get to the field and then lost track of it.
That's when the rain seemed to be getting real so I packed up my gear and headed back to the Aerie. Instead of following the upper driveway back, I took a shorter route through the woods and intersected the logging road near the yard. As I got there, 10 deer suddenly took off running toward the road. I saw lots of bounding animals, white tails and no horns. Some of those deer looked like they should have had saddles on them. They were huge!.
The rain did continue for an hour or more before it stopped--for the time being. Tonight we'll get more rain and the temperatures will be falling. By tomorrow morning, they forecast, we will be getting snow again. They say we'll get 1-3 inches before it stops sometime in the afternoon. Could be a good day to go out but I won't rush it. Starting Saturday does are off the list of protected class. (The spike buck is still going to be protected, but if there are NO horns, it's fair game.)
******
BTW, going up and down the hill in wet, slick conditions was no real problem for my knees.
Monday, December 02, 2013
First Day of Deer Season
Got up bright and early this morning to don my hunting clothes and weapon and head out in hopes of bagging a buck on PA's opening day. I was well layered as I headed out in 30 degree weather with anticipation of being nice and toasty all day as the temps were forecast to reach the 40 degree mark. Didn't happen. It was overcast and dull all morning with no sign of sunlight until around 2 PM. At that point it DID reach 39 degrees on the Aerie's deck.
Me? I was shivering. I should have been warm but I wasn't and I place some of the blame on having lost 20-25 pounds after the knee surgery. No personal insulation.
Before I left the Aerie I noticed that the bear had been back and knocked down on of the bird feeders I had carelessly left on the deck. Paw prints were all over the fresh dusting of snow and the metal hook upon which the feeder hangs was laying on the deck. (I would find out later that the feeder was intact and that the bear had chosen the lawn instead of the woods as its bathroom--again.)The knowledge that the sow and her cubs might not have denned up yet would have my head on a swivel whenever there was a louder than usual noise form snow falling from the pines and hemlocks.
Going up and down the hill on layers of ice, snow atop shale was no more difficult than it was before I had my knees replaced. Might have been easier, in fact. The loss of weight and the physical therapy may have made the climb less stressful.
I didn't get my buck, either. Though I did see four deer between 12:10 and 12:20. Two went up the hill on the other side of the powerline right of way and, though I could see through my rifle scope that neither had horns, I had no shot through the web of beech brush on each side of the cut. Just as they went out of sight to my right, there was a stomp to my left and I turned to see two more antlerless deer standing 10 and 25 yards away. The closer animal was stomping it's forehooves and sniffing the air over an unfamiliar smell (me) but had no idea I was standing so close as there was a 12 inch diameter tree between us.The more distant critter was looking right at me and, after a brief staring contest, I must have blinked. It decided it was better to be THERE than HERE and bounded off down the hill and across the cove. The puzzled nearer animal followed its pal.
The days shooting commenced a bit before the legal hour when someone fired at 6:45 AM other shots soon followed from a variety of directions. As most were single shots, I assume people were getting their deer. (Old Indian saying: "One shot, deer. Two shots, maybe deer. Three shots, no deer." There were a couple cases of "three shots" today but not many in those opening minutes.) Things got really quiet after 9 AM and there weren't any shots at all from 1 PM through 3:30 PM when twilight began to seep up from the deeper coves and valleys. I returned to the Aerie with the same number of shells as I had when I left. Hey! Ammunition is expensive!
All I saw, besides the four deer, were three grey squirrels, lots of birds and one hunter coming down the wood road on the other side of the cove. He came down around 9:30 AM and turned toward the homes to the northwest of us. For most of the day I had this song by Paul Anka running through my head.
Me? I was shivering. I should have been warm but I wasn't and I place some of the blame on having lost 20-25 pounds after the knee surgery. No personal insulation.
Before I left the Aerie I noticed that the bear had been back and knocked down on of the bird feeders I had carelessly left on the deck. Paw prints were all over the fresh dusting of snow and the metal hook upon which the feeder hangs was laying on the deck. (I would find out later that the feeder was intact and that the bear had chosen the lawn instead of the woods as its bathroom--again.)The knowledge that the sow and her cubs might not have denned up yet would have my head on a swivel whenever there was a louder than usual noise form snow falling from the pines and hemlocks.
Going up and down the hill on layers of ice, snow atop shale was no more difficult than it was before I had my knees replaced. Might have been easier, in fact. The loss of weight and the physical therapy may have made the climb less stressful.
I didn't get my buck, either. Though I did see four deer between 12:10 and 12:20. Two went up the hill on the other side of the powerline right of way and, though I could see through my rifle scope that neither had horns, I had no shot through the web of beech brush on each side of the cut. Just as they went out of sight to my right, there was a stomp to my left and I turned to see two more antlerless deer standing 10 and 25 yards away. The closer animal was stomping it's forehooves and sniffing the air over an unfamiliar smell (me) but had no idea I was standing so close as there was a 12 inch diameter tree between us.The more distant critter was looking right at me and, after a brief staring contest, I must have blinked. It decided it was better to be THERE than HERE and bounded off down the hill and across the cove. The puzzled nearer animal followed its pal.
The days shooting commenced a bit before the legal hour when someone fired at 6:45 AM other shots soon followed from a variety of directions. As most were single shots, I assume people were getting their deer. (Old Indian saying: "One shot, deer. Two shots, maybe deer. Three shots, no deer." There were a couple cases of "three shots" today but not many in those opening minutes.) Things got really quiet after 9 AM and there weren't any shots at all from 1 PM through 3:30 PM when twilight began to seep up from the deeper coves and valleys. I returned to the Aerie with the same number of shells as I had when I left. Hey! Ammunition is expensive!
All I saw, besides the four deer, were three grey squirrels, lots of birds and one hunter coming down the wood road on the other side of the cove. He came down around 9:30 AM and turned toward the homes to the northwest of us. For most of the day I had this song by Paul Anka running through my head.
Sunday, December 01, 2013
Week 19:The Knees Please Me
A Hunting We Will Go!
Monday marks the 19th week I've had my new knees and I must say that they have been pleasing me no end. They're doing extra fine on flat surfaces and even on the ice and snow covered slanted driveway and up stairs. The only trouble has been going down stairs--and that's getting better.
Monday morning they will carry me up the hill to sit during the opening day of rifle season for whitetail here in PA. With any luck, all the other hunters from the suddenly occupied camps will send a nice legal buck my way. It will only take one with three points on one antler to make me happy. In the zone I'm sitting in a buck with at least three points is the only thing you can shoot during the first week. I've not seen one in the yard with those requirements. Does? Yes. Bucks? No.
There have been several antlerless deer passing through the yard and even eating things off the compost heap. I've seen as many as six during one evening. Among the antlerless deer is at least one button buck who is not considered legal as a buck and, until the second week of the season, illegal as it has no antlers just little bumps on its head. (It and its sister are small to boot, having been born this spring. Not much meat on their bones.)
I have some hope that there's a larger buck out there. There are several saplings that have been rubbed by a buck trying to get the itchy velvet off its antlers. And there are several spots along the logging road where a deer has scraped the earth and nibbled the branches directly above leaving its scent behind to mark a territory. All I need is to have that larger buck come back to its "safety zone" when other hunters start moving about.
The weather has been really cold but it's supposed to warm up starting Monday. In fact, the temperature has been rising much of Sunday evening. There's a layer of icy snow on the ground so things will go "crunch" as they walk and any blood trail--if I need to follow one--should stand out on the white.The chance of new precipitation during the day is given as 30% but it's supposed to be overcast all day.
Monday morning they will carry me up the hill to sit during the opening day of rifle season for whitetail here in PA. With any luck, all the other hunters from the suddenly occupied camps will send a nice legal buck my way. It will only take one with three points on one antler to make me happy. In the zone I'm sitting in a buck with at least three points is the only thing you can shoot during the first week. I've not seen one in the yard with those requirements. Does? Yes. Bucks? No.
There have been several antlerless deer passing through the yard and even eating things off the compost heap. I've seen as many as six during one evening. Among the antlerless deer is at least one button buck who is not considered legal as a buck and, until the second week of the season, illegal as it has no antlers just little bumps on its head. (It and its sister are small to boot, having been born this spring. Not much meat on their bones.)
I have some hope that there's a larger buck out there. There are several saplings that have been rubbed by a buck trying to get the itchy velvet off its antlers. And there are several spots along the logging road where a deer has scraped the earth and nibbled the branches directly above leaving its scent behind to mark a territory. All I need is to have that larger buck come back to its "safety zone" when other hunters start moving about.
The weather has been really cold but it's supposed to warm up starting Monday. In fact, the temperature has been rising much of Sunday evening. There's a layer of icy snow on the ground so things will go "crunch" as they walk and any blood trail--if I need to follow one--should stand out on the white.The chance of new precipitation during the day is given as 30% but it's supposed to be overcast all day.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Dinner Company
I had company for dinner tonight. When I returned from the vet with Miss Kitteh, I sat down to surf the web for a bit. Around four-thirty, I got up to fix some dinner. I looked outside and spotted a doe standing just past the burn barrel nibbling on some greens growing out of the earth pile next to the compost heap. I watched her for 10 minutes and then she started moving out onto the lawn. For the next half hour she fed on the grass as she slowly moved closer and closer to the deck.
Muzzle loader season ended last Saturday but the smoke pole was still loaded in the garage. My bow was also in the garage and I was sorely tempted to try to sneak out the front door, but I let that itch pass and just watched. Eventually she worked her way to within 10 feet of the deck and I started thinking of the knives in the drawers.
Eventually I walked away and so did she.
Muzzle loader season ended last Saturday but the smoke pole was still loaded in the garage. My bow was also in the garage and I was sorely tempted to try to sneak out the front door, but I let that itch pass and just watched. Eventually she worked her way to within 10 feet of the deck and I started thinking of the knives in the drawers.
Eventually I walked away and so did she.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Up North for a bit
Up north at the Bolt Hole for the first time in a long time.
I don't hear any mice rummaging about but that's probably because they ate all the soap in the bathroom.
The temperature will be in the upper 30s here in the southwestern Adirondacks tonight. It was 50 when I arrived at 6 PM. Luckily I was able to start a fire in the wood stove.It's supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow but that will bring some showers on Wednesday. Or so they say.
I plan on closing the place up (draining the water lines and emptying the fridge) for the winter. Usually I spend some time hunting here, but my buddy Mark reports there have been virtually no pictures of deer on the game cameras for a month. Bear have left the area, too. Yet, this evening at about 7 PM I went out to the truck ans spooked at least 4 deer from the road in front of the cabin where they must have been looking for dropped apples. I couldn't see any horns on those I got a chance to get a peek at. They weren't in any hurry to leave, either.
I brought up a couple of rifles and a shotgun (slug gun) I haven't shot in more than a year. (I did point the .270 at a couple of deer in PA last fall, but they didn't have the requisite horns needed to become legal targets.) I'll set up a target in the back tomorrow and check to see if the scopes on two of them (the bolt action .270 and the slug gun) are still okay. The lever action .30-.30 has iron sights as does the muzzle loader, so I'll be firing them just for fun.
I seldom have a shot over 50 yards in the woods I hunt in PA so my concern is just how accurate I am at that distance. If I want to stretch things out, I'll have to go to the range in Mansfield where they have distances to 200 yards laid out. I keep telling myself I have to go over there anyway to get a better feel for the M&P .40 and the Super Redhawk in .45 magnum. (But, damn!, that ammunition is expensive!) I couldn't bring the pistol and revolver up because, as a PA resident, that would be a major no-no in NY State.
In any event, I'll be here until Thursday when I head back to the Aerie. (The Tundra goes in for an oil change and inspection on Friday afternoon.)
******
Terry stayed home with the pussycats. We've got someone coming tomorrow afternoon to take water samples from our well. Seems there may be some gas drilling (Shell) within 3/4 of a mile from or property and they wish to establish a baseline on the water quality before they start.
We've got the name of the property owner on whose land the drilling is to occur but it doesn't help us much in figuring out exactly where. The land belongs to a hunting club that has many, many acres on the top of the hill. Some of those acres abut our property and some already have clearings where the wind farm folks did some testing prior to installing windmills. And there are windmills on some of the clubs property, too.
Anyway, should they sink a well and it produces, we may end up collecting some royalties. Not as much as Jed Clampett--or even some of the other folks around the area, but some. And that thought makes me 8-)
I don't hear any mice rummaging about but that's probably because they ate all the soap in the bathroom.
The temperature will be in the upper 30s here in the southwestern Adirondacks tonight. It was 50 when I arrived at 6 PM. Luckily I was able to start a fire in the wood stove.It's supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow but that will bring some showers on Wednesday. Or so they say.
I plan on closing the place up (draining the water lines and emptying the fridge) for the winter. Usually I spend some time hunting here, but my buddy Mark reports there have been virtually no pictures of deer on the game cameras for a month. Bear have left the area, too. Yet, this evening at about 7 PM I went out to the truck ans spooked at least 4 deer from the road in front of the cabin where they must have been looking for dropped apples. I couldn't see any horns on those I got a chance to get a peek at. They weren't in any hurry to leave, either.
I brought up a couple of rifles and a shotgun (slug gun) I haven't shot in more than a year. (I did point the .270 at a couple of deer in PA last fall, but they didn't have the requisite horns needed to become legal targets.) I'll set up a target in the back tomorrow and check to see if the scopes on two of them (the bolt action .270 and the slug gun) are still okay. The lever action .30-.30 has iron sights as does the muzzle loader, so I'll be firing them just for fun.
I seldom have a shot over 50 yards in the woods I hunt in PA so my concern is just how accurate I am at that distance. If I want to stretch things out, I'll have to go to the range in Mansfield where they have distances to 200 yards laid out. I keep telling myself I have to go over there anyway to get a better feel for the M&P .40 and the Super Redhawk in .45 magnum. (But, damn!, that ammunition is expensive!) I couldn't bring the pistol and revolver up because, as a PA resident, that would be a major no-no in NY State.
In any event, I'll be here until Thursday when I head back to the Aerie. (The Tundra goes in for an oil change and inspection on Friday afternoon.)
******
Terry stayed home with the pussycats. We've got someone coming tomorrow afternoon to take water samples from our well. Seems there may be some gas drilling (Shell) within 3/4 of a mile from or property and they wish to establish a baseline on the water quality before they start.
We've got the name of the property owner on whose land the drilling is to occur but it doesn't help us much in figuring out exactly where. The land belongs to a hunting club that has many, many acres on the top of the hill. Some of those acres abut our property and some already have clearings where the wind farm folks did some testing prior to installing windmills. And there are windmills on some of the clubs property, too.
Anyway, should they sink a well and it produces, we may end up collecting some royalties. Not as much as Jed Clampett--or even some of the other folks around the area, but some. And that thought makes me 8-)
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Good Morning!
This morning's wake up call came courtesy of a couple of snorting deer in the brush to the south of the Bolt Hole.
The increasing volume and cadence put me in mind of the "Dueling Banjos" tune of "Deliverance" fame. The clamour finally caused me to get the hell out of bed and get dressed. By the time I got down stairs, they had STFU and departed. Bastards! (Or bitches, as the case may be.)
Yesterday it was a single doe with her twin fawns out back. The kids must have been romping about int he apple trees while Mom checked the ripeness of the fruit (still very, very green) and nibbled alternately on apple twigs and tall grass. The twins got Mom to stand still for a few minutes and nursed enthusiastically before the trio wandered off and out of sight.
For a secluded area with only distant neighbors, this is one noisy place. Bears and deer crashing about in the brush and--in the case of the bears--climbing trees in the night, an unknown something (not a deer or canine as far as I could tell--fox? possum?) bleating in the area between Mark's cabin and the Bolt Hole during the night, White-throated sparrows singing their high-pitched, sweetly whistled "Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody" song also in the middle of the night, and, of course, the early morning/late afternoon chattering of the red squirrels.
There are considerably fewer red squirrels thanks to a little 3x scope on a .22 caliber Marlin bolt action rifle, but there are still red squirrels. Don't know if Nature's Law of Vacuum or just a very, very prolific sex life of both squirrel and pine tree that makes the small area immediately behind the Bolt Hole loaded with red squirrels, but DANG! I've disposed of at least 10 within 50 yards of the house so far in June and July, yet they just keep on appearing. Peeled and striped pine cones are everywhere inside and out.
******
Got a call from my buddy Joe yesterday. He's heard from Caesar's and we are good to go on our August fishing expedition to Quebec. He reminded me of the balance due, reservoir fees, and fishing license costs so I will be able to bring enough cash with me. We talked about what gear to bring, who's truck we would take (mine) and how his menu/food planning was going.
We'll drive out of the Aerie on August 8th and head north on I-81 crossing the border at the terminus. Through Ottawa, and up towards the small town of Clova and we fly to the northern end of Gouin Reservoir from there.
Looking forward to it!
******
Terry called yesterday to complain about the blankety-blank ground hog she spotted in the garden eating green tomatoes. Either she's go to learn to shoot or I'll have to make the fence more critter proof. Maybe a few Claymore mines would help.
Later she called to tell me there was a standoff at the screen door between Julie and some stray beige cat that just wanted to get out of the rain. They sat on either side of the barrier sort of rumbling at one another while Chester and Shadow sat silently a couple of feet behind Julie as observers/supporters. Terry closed the class door just so no one got the idea to go barreling through the screen or claw it any further. Stray kitteh was NOT to be allowed in the house!
Well, that's about all for now.
The increasing volume and cadence put me in mind of the "Dueling Banjos" tune of "Deliverance" fame. The clamour finally caused me to get the hell out of bed and get dressed. By the time I got down stairs, they had STFU and departed. Bastards! (Or bitches, as the case may be.)
Yesterday it was a single doe with her twin fawns out back. The kids must have been romping about int he apple trees while Mom checked the ripeness of the fruit (still very, very green) and nibbled alternately on apple twigs and tall grass. The twins got Mom to stand still for a few minutes and nursed enthusiastically before the trio wandered off and out of sight.
For a secluded area with only distant neighbors, this is one noisy place. Bears and deer crashing about in the brush and--in the case of the bears--climbing trees in the night, an unknown something (not a deer or canine as far as I could tell--fox? possum?) bleating in the area between Mark's cabin and the Bolt Hole during the night, White-throated sparrows singing their high-pitched, sweetly whistled "Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody" song also in the middle of the night, and, of course, the early morning/late afternoon chattering of the red squirrels.
There are considerably fewer red squirrels thanks to a little 3x scope on a .22 caliber Marlin bolt action rifle, but there are still red squirrels. Don't know if Nature's Law of Vacuum or just a very, very prolific sex life of both squirrel and pine tree that makes the small area immediately behind the Bolt Hole loaded with red squirrels, but DANG! I've disposed of at least 10 within 50 yards of the house so far in June and July, yet they just keep on appearing. Peeled and striped pine cones are everywhere inside and out.
******
Got a call from my buddy Joe yesterday. He's heard from Caesar's and we are good to go on our August fishing expedition to Quebec. He reminded me of the balance due, reservoir fees, and fishing license costs so I will be able to bring enough cash with me. We talked about what gear to bring, who's truck we would take (mine) and how his menu/food planning was going.
We'll drive out of the Aerie on August 8th and head north on I-81 crossing the border at the terminus. Through Ottawa, and up towards the small town of Clova and we fly to the northern end of Gouin Reservoir from there.
Looking forward to it!
******
Terry called yesterday to complain about the blankety-blank ground hog she spotted in the garden eating green tomatoes. Either she's go to learn to shoot or I'll have to make the fence more critter proof. Maybe a few Claymore mines would help.
Later she called to tell me there was a standoff at the screen door between Julie and some stray beige cat that just wanted to get out of the rain. They sat on either side of the barrier sort of rumbling at one another while Chester and Shadow sat silently a couple of feet behind Julie as observers/supporters. Terry closed the class door just so no one got the idea to go barreling through the screen or claw it any further. Stray kitteh was NOT to be allowed in the house!
Well, that's about all for now.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
PA Hunting: Days10-13: Thur, Fri, Sat.
The Wednesday snow meant I had to clean up on Thursday, which I did and then relaxed for the afternoon. With a dump truck in the ditch just up the hill and the attendant noise associated with getting it out and moving, I didn't feel I missed much going up the hill.
I heard no shots fired anywhere near the Aerie Thursday afternoon...or all day Friday. I did take a bit of a walk Friday and saw just one set of deer tracks made sometime during the night. Those tracks passed up the logging road and on out the southwest end of the property. With no other signs I was discouraged enough not to go out on Saturday--the last day of the rifle season.
Apparently, no one else saw anything either. There were no shots fired anywhere near on Saturday.
The season ended with a whimper and not a bang.
So, of course, this evening--the day after the season ended and a Sunday when PA doesn't allow hunting and after dark when hunting is not allowed--I stepped out on the deck and heard/saw at least four deer coming down the hill and crossing the road. I'm telling you, deer can read the compendium, the calender, and the clock.
I heard no shots fired anywhere near the Aerie Thursday afternoon...or all day Friday. I did take a bit of a walk Friday and saw just one set of deer tracks made sometime during the night. Those tracks passed up the logging road and on out the southwest end of the property. With no other signs I was discouraged enough not to go out on Saturday--the last day of the rifle season.
Apparently, no one else saw anything either. There were no shots fired anywhere near on Saturday.
The season ended with a whimper and not a bang.
So, of course, this evening--the day after the season ended and a Sunday when PA doesn't allow hunting and after dark when hunting is not allowed--I stepped out on the deck and heard/saw at least four deer coming down the hill and crossing the road. I'm telling you, deer can read the compendium, the calender, and the clock.
Friday, December 02, 2011
PA Hunting: Day 5
With the weather supposed to be decent I opted to head out to the woods once more. When I went out at 6:30 it was still 30 degrees with a promise (by the usual suspects) of it reaching the low 40s. Any snow showers were supposed to be confined to the Southern Tier of New York State. So I chose to leave the heavy cold wear in the house and only put on some heavier socks and insulated boots.
I got to the stand at 6:45 and settled in as silently as possible to wait for a buck to show up.
I'm still waiting.
I sat and stared around me for several hours with only two gray squirrels and several ravens for company. Both squirrels came from the same direction and were heading for the same thing--my bird feeders.
One squirrel took the ground route. It's amazing that a single squirrel can one moment raise such a ruckus kickihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng up leaves as it moves across the forest floor and, the next moment, be totally silent as it hits the logs and rocks along its route.
The second squirrel took the aerial route. It saw me and decided its safest path would be overhead. I watched as it navigated from tree to tree and from thin, fragile-looking branch to even more fragile-looking landing twig. I marveled at the daring little devil as it would back up on a skinny little branch, turn, and then race to the end before leaping. Landing on a tiny little twig that shouldn't support its weight, it would race to the thicker portion of the branch and continue on its way. Finally getting sufficiently past me that it no longer worried about me, it descended to the ground and went on its way.
As for the ravens, they performed their usual aerial ballet. And accompanied it with plenty of chatter. I don't speak Corvus and these rude birds weren't speaking English in my company, but I imagine they were commenting on my hunting. I do believe I caught on word, however. It sounded like, "Nevermore!"
A little after noon, I saw another hunter emerge from the spruce woods on at the bottom of the cove. He turned and walked the logging road up the other side. I don't post my land and neither do two of my immediate neighbors so I wasn't too surprised to see a human. I was disappointed, however. I had been thinking of going up that way myself after I ate my lunch. Worse, the guy didn't kick up any deer.
When I did finish my sandwich, the flurries that were supposed to stay north of here, started to fall. It would spit snow for the rest of my stay. I already knew it wasn't going to get over 40 degrees. The sun never made it over the hill before the cloud cover intensified keeping the temps in the mid 30s. I was regretting not wearing the heavier pants and jacket as bouts of shivering were starting to plague me. By 3:30 they wouldn't stop. And the helicopter--the one that flew up the power line right of way next to me, circled overhead to check something out and then flew back down the way it had come--made up my mind. I headed in.
Tomorrow I'll be able to legally shoot a doe as well as any buck with three or more points on a side. Thus, I'm sure to see a bunch of spikes and fork horns. (If I wasn't so ethical, I'd already have a doe in the freezer. But I read the laws and when they say no does in the first week, well, what can you do?)
I got to the stand at 6:45 and settled in as silently as possible to wait for a buck to show up.
I'm still waiting.
I sat and stared around me for several hours with only two gray squirrels and several ravens for company. Both squirrels came from the same direction and were heading for the same thing--my bird feeders.
One squirrel took the ground route. It's amazing that a single squirrel can one moment raise such a ruckus kickihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng up leaves as it moves across the forest floor and, the next moment, be totally silent as it hits the logs and rocks along its route.
The second squirrel took the aerial route. It saw me and decided its safest path would be overhead. I watched as it navigated from tree to tree and from thin, fragile-looking branch to even more fragile-looking landing twig. I marveled at the daring little devil as it would back up on a skinny little branch, turn, and then race to the end before leaping. Landing on a tiny little twig that shouldn't support its weight, it would race to the thicker portion of the branch and continue on its way. Finally getting sufficiently past me that it no longer worried about me, it descended to the ground and went on its way.
As for the ravens, they performed their usual aerial ballet. And accompanied it with plenty of chatter. I don't speak Corvus and these rude birds weren't speaking English in my company, but I imagine they were commenting on my hunting. I do believe I caught on word, however. It sounded like, "Nevermore!"
A little after noon, I saw another hunter emerge from the spruce woods on at the bottom of the cove. He turned and walked the logging road up the other side. I don't post my land and neither do two of my immediate neighbors so I wasn't too surprised to see a human. I was disappointed, however. I had been thinking of going up that way myself after I ate my lunch. Worse, the guy didn't kick up any deer.
When I did finish my sandwich, the flurries that were supposed to stay north of here, started to fall. It would spit snow for the rest of my stay. I already knew it wasn't going to get over 40 degrees. The sun never made it over the hill before the cloud cover intensified keeping the temps in the mid 30s. I was regretting not wearing the heavier pants and jacket as bouts of shivering were starting to plague me. By 3:30 they wouldn't stop. And the helicopter--the one that flew up the power line right of way next to me, circled overhead to check something out and then flew back down the way it had come--made up my mind. I headed in.
Tomorrow I'll be able to legally shoot a doe as well as any buck with three or more points on a side. Thus, I'm sure to see a bunch of spikes and fork horns. (If I wasn't so ethical, I'd already have a doe in the freezer. But I read the laws and when they say no does in the first week, well, what can you do?)
Thursday, December 01, 2011
PA Hunting: Day 4
I took the day off today to do a few things around the house and give my knees a rest.
I regretted it a bit, as today was the nicest yet. It was a chilly (and icy) 28 degrees at 7 AM and, without a cloud in the sky, it got up to 50 degrees this afternoon. Dressed for cold, I would have been striping in the woods. A beautiful day.
Tomorrow I'll be back in the woods early in the morning. It's supposed to be slightly cooler but just as clear--according to weather.com. AccuHunch says there may be snow flurries in the afternoon. Somebody must have flipped a coin and had it land on edge.
******
Got a call from my buddy Joe. He and some of the old Jersey crew were hunting in eastern PA on one of the guy's uncle's farm. They tagged two 7-pointers and a doe during the first three days.
I regretted it a bit, as today was the nicest yet. It was a chilly (and icy) 28 degrees at 7 AM and, without a cloud in the sky, it got up to 50 degrees this afternoon. Dressed for cold, I would have been striping in the woods. A beautiful day.
Tomorrow I'll be back in the woods early in the morning. It's supposed to be slightly cooler but just as clear--according to weather.com. AccuHunch says there may be snow flurries in the afternoon. Somebody must have flipped a coin and had it land on edge.
******
Got a call from my buddy Joe. He and some of the old Jersey crew were hunting in eastern PA on one of the guy's uncle's farm. They tagged two 7-pointers and a doe during the first three days.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
PA Hunting: Day 3
Much cooler (can't say "cold" since Rev. Paul would die laughing) today. The day started at 32 degrees and pretty much stayed there all day long. The sky cleared last night and the wind shifted to come from the west.The shift brought the temperature change along with a cloudy sky. I headed out anyway.
I got to the area of the tree stand as light arrived. I stayed out of the tee stand because some of the rain from yesterday was forming ice on the deck of the Aerie and I thought the same might be true of the steps and platform of the tree stand. No sense taking chances. Instead, I sat on the ground. And waited.
And waited. Around 9 AM the cloudy sky started spitting snow. It would continue to spit snow all day. Nothing accumulated because the temperature was just at or above the freezing mark. More troubling was the steady winds which were blowing right in my face. I had (nearly) dressed appropriately. When the snow began, I put on my rain jacket which served as a wind breaker as well. One more layer on the legs would have been better but I had left that part of the rain suit in the house.
And I waited. It was pretty quiet out there. Very, very few shots were fired anywhere in the area. Not unusual as the bulk of deer are taken on opening day and those that have to take time off from work to go hunting usually are in the field only on the first two days. But my friend the turkey didn't show this morning either. Nor did the pileated woodpecker. Or wood frogs. A couple of gray squirrels wandered by but not much else.
But I waited in the spitting snow and wind. And as I waited I got chilly. And wet. When a snow squall--not just a little spitting--arrived at a little after 3 PM, I decided I had had enough for the day and headed back to the Aerie.
Some hot chocolate and a big helping of shrimp gumbo helped restore my core temperature. But my spirit is struggling. Getting up at 5 AM, out in the woods at 6:15 AM, and sitting in the wet, fresh air--and seeing nothing--is taking its toll. I believe I'll sleep in tomorrow. Or at least as long as the cats--who have gotten used to being fed at 5 AM--will let me.
It will be slightly warmer and lots drier the next few days. I'll be back out either Thursday afternoon or early Friday morning. I'll definitely be out there on Saturday when some of the other unsuccessful hunters will be back in the woods and when it's permissible to shoot does in this area.
I got to the area of the tree stand as light arrived. I stayed out of the tee stand because some of the rain from yesterday was forming ice on the deck of the Aerie and I thought the same might be true of the steps and platform of the tree stand. No sense taking chances. Instead, I sat on the ground. And waited.
And waited. Around 9 AM the cloudy sky started spitting snow. It would continue to spit snow all day. Nothing accumulated because the temperature was just at or above the freezing mark. More troubling was the steady winds which were blowing right in my face. I had (nearly) dressed appropriately. When the snow began, I put on my rain jacket which served as a wind breaker as well. One more layer on the legs would have been better but I had left that part of the rain suit in the house.
And I waited. It was pretty quiet out there. Very, very few shots were fired anywhere in the area. Not unusual as the bulk of deer are taken on opening day and those that have to take time off from work to go hunting usually are in the field only on the first two days. But my friend the turkey didn't show this morning either. Nor did the pileated woodpecker. Or wood frogs. A couple of gray squirrels wandered by but not much else.
But I waited in the spitting snow and wind. And as I waited I got chilly. And wet. When a snow squall--not just a little spitting--arrived at a little after 3 PM, I decided I had had enough for the day and headed back to the Aerie.
Some hot chocolate and a big helping of shrimp gumbo helped restore my core temperature. But my spirit is struggling. Getting up at 5 AM, out in the woods at 6:15 AM, and sitting in the wet, fresh air--and seeing nothing--is taking its toll. I believe I'll sleep in tomorrow. Or at least as long as the cats--who have gotten used to being fed at 5 AM--will let me.
It will be slightly warmer and lots drier the next few days. I'll be back out either Thursday afternoon or early Friday morning. I'll definitely be out there on Saturday when some of the other unsuccessful hunters will be back in the woods and when it's permissible to shoot does in this area.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
PA Hunting: Day 2
Day two was a short one. The forecast was for widely scattered showers in the early AM and then some heavier rains after noon.
I went out at the usual time and climbed into the tree stand at 6:30 AM while it was still dark. The leaves were damp and moving was semi-silent with only the occasional roll of a rock or snap of a twig. While I was tying my rifle and backpack to the haul string I thought I heard something move down the slope below me. It was still too dark to see anything, however.
Once in the tree stand and with the rifle and backpack hauled up, I sat down to await the arrival of light. As the light increased, so did the rain. It started at 6:45 and continued off and on for a couple of hours. By 8 AM I was pretty well damp (not soaked—it wasn’t raining that hard) and hadn’t seen or heard anything except a turkey fresh from its roost looking for its mates. No other birds, squirrels, deer or hunters were making any noise.
The rain was mildly uncomfortable and made me want to kill something. Mostly the weatherman who said we would have much if anything before noon.
I decided to get out of the tree stand when it seemed it was going to continue raining. Of course, it stopped as soon as I hit the ground. So I sat for an hour and then took a walk to the southeast corner of the property. No signs of deer or other hunters. There was one shot over half a mile to the west. After my little walk, I went back to sitting. And eating my lunch.
At quarter to 12, the rain started again. This time it seemed to be serious so I opted out and headed back to the Aerie. Terry had a bowl of turkey and rice soup ready when I walked in the door. While we were eating, the rain did indeed start falling in a serious manner. Glad I decided to come in.
******
I mentioned that there was a turkey calling this morning shortly after 7 AM as it was getting light (sunrise is listed as around 7:10). It was there yesterday, too. My guess is that it was roosting in the hemlock trees and then foraging in the area where we had logging done a few years ago.
We have had turkeys around the Aerie since before construction began. Even as we worked to raise the walls, we would have a turkey fly in over us and land in the area of our second driveway right behind the construction site. And turkeys DO fly, contrary to what you may have heard on WKRP, Cincinnati. They fly very well and in defiance of gravity and the physics of aerodynamics.
A turkey’s primary means of escape is running but if startled or pushed, they will take to the air. They also fly up to and out of their roosting trees and across deep ravines or road cuts. It can be a shock to be traveling down the road and have a turkey fly across the road just over your head!
From my observation, a turkey prefers to flap its wings just enough to get airborne and then go into a glide. Seeing a turkey glide is reminiscent of watching a C130-Hercules in flight. You look at the size of the thing and say, “THAT can’t possibly be flying!” But it is.
******
Sitting in the tree yesterday and again this morning I heard a frog calling. Thinking about it, there had to be several in the area since calls came from different locations.
Strange to hear a frog at the end of November. Stranger still since there’s no water nearby except for a small weep 2-300 yards away. When I got out of the tree to sit yesterday, I actually kicked up one of those little frogs. It turned out to be a wood frog. Only about an inch long and maybe a ¼ inch thick, this little frog was a pale tan that blended in with the fallen leaves. I’ve found similar frogs (along with leopard frogs) in the grass both here at the Aerie and up at the Bolt Hole.
******
In addition to the turkey(s) and wood frog(s) I had the company of a pileated woodpecker. It was hammering away on some nearby trees when I put the tree stand up and I could hear it still working on some dead tree and calling from various positions not far away from where I was set up. Still doesn’t come down to the bird feeder very often, though.
That's about it for now. Got to go renew the ice packs on my aching knees and get the hunting clothes out of the dryer.
I went out at the usual time and climbed into the tree stand at 6:30 AM while it was still dark. The leaves were damp and moving was semi-silent with only the occasional roll of a rock or snap of a twig. While I was tying my rifle and backpack to the haul string I thought I heard something move down the slope below me. It was still too dark to see anything, however.
Once in the tree stand and with the rifle and backpack hauled up, I sat down to await the arrival of light. As the light increased, so did the rain. It started at 6:45 and continued off and on for a couple of hours. By 8 AM I was pretty well damp (not soaked—it wasn’t raining that hard) and hadn’t seen or heard anything except a turkey fresh from its roost looking for its mates. No other birds, squirrels, deer or hunters were making any noise.
The rain was mildly uncomfortable and made me want to kill something. Mostly the weatherman who said we would have much if anything before noon.
I decided to get out of the tree stand when it seemed it was going to continue raining. Of course, it stopped as soon as I hit the ground. So I sat for an hour and then took a walk to the southeast corner of the property. No signs of deer or other hunters. There was one shot over half a mile to the west. After my little walk, I went back to sitting. And eating my lunch.
At quarter to 12, the rain started again. This time it seemed to be serious so I opted out and headed back to the Aerie. Terry had a bowl of turkey and rice soup ready when I walked in the door. While we were eating, the rain did indeed start falling in a serious manner. Glad I decided to come in.
******
I mentioned that there was a turkey calling this morning shortly after 7 AM as it was getting light (sunrise is listed as around 7:10). It was there yesterday, too. My guess is that it was roosting in the hemlock trees and then foraging in the area where we had logging done a few years ago.
We have had turkeys around the Aerie since before construction began. Even as we worked to raise the walls, we would have a turkey fly in over us and land in the area of our second driveway right behind the construction site. And turkeys DO fly, contrary to what you may have heard on WKRP, Cincinnati. They fly very well and in defiance of gravity and the physics of aerodynamics.
A turkey’s primary means of escape is running but if startled or pushed, they will take to the air. They also fly up to and out of their roosting trees and across deep ravines or road cuts. It can be a shock to be traveling down the road and have a turkey fly across the road just over your head!
From my observation, a turkey prefers to flap its wings just enough to get airborne and then go into a glide. Seeing a turkey glide is reminiscent of watching a C130-Hercules in flight. You look at the size of the thing and say, “THAT can’t possibly be flying!” But it is.
******
Sitting in the tree yesterday and again this morning I heard a frog calling. Thinking about it, there had to be several in the area since calls came from different locations.
Strange to hear a frog at the end of November. Stranger still since there’s no water nearby except for a small weep 2-300 yards away. When I got out of the tree to sit yesterday, I actually kicked up one of those little frogs. It turned out to be a wood frog. Only about an inch long and maybe a ¼ inch thick, this little frog was a pale tan that blended in with the fallen leaves. I’ve found similar frogs (along with leopard frogs) in the grass both here at the Aerie and up at the Bolt Hole.
******
In addition to the turkey(s) and wood frog(s) I had the company of a pileated woodpecker. It was hammering away on some nearby trees when I put the tree stand up and I could hear it still working on some dead tree and calling from various positions not far away from where I was set up. Still doesn’t come down to the bird feeder very often, though.
That's about it for now. Got to go renew the ice packs on my aching knees and get the hunting clothes out of the dryer.
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