The last day of pheasant for 2008! :-(

It was the last day of pheasant stocking today. The weather started out cruddy, it was lightly raining and with the snow on the ground made for a very foggy start of the day. When we were lining up, it was nice though...just me, Greg, Joe, John and Jojo and Amil and Harley were in our parking lot! There was one other guy that was near us towards the river and then a few at the river. So there weren't many people...or birds! We walked in the first field and didn't push out anything, so we turned and hit the point. Someone else was just hitting the hill and they flushed a hen that came over us and Joe shot it. We worked the hill next and I think Joe got another from the hill...to be honest, I can't remember Joe's second bird. We walked the river all the way back. There was no one around... and just at the end Bacci went on rock solid point. As we approached a cockbird took off over the river while we were still some distance away, I took a shot and Greg nailed it. It was a really far shot so I was impressed. It landed across the river and it was a real pain to get to, but we did...then we worked the other side of the swamp towards the road. It was nice, never saw that side before. When we got to the road we worked the woods side of the road back. Then we crossed over and worked the roadside going back...just when we were about to give up, on the way back to the truck, right near the cars a hen took off...I barely saw her but I did see where she flew...so off we went to find her. After some time, we did manage to...when I say we, I mean Bacci, found her hunkered down on the river's edge. Another rock solid point. We approached and she rocketed off across the river...I gave her some time to cross the river because getting her out of this part of the river would have been impossible, it was like a rapids. By the time she crossed, I shot, it was too late, too far, somthing...I didn't get her. We saw where she flew and went to find her again. We backtracked across the river and to the other fields...we never did end up finding her again. All in all it was a very fun day, I was exhausted because we walked non stop for 6 hours but it was sad to have it be the end of the season.

Crunchy snow sucks!

Today was a good day, it wasn't overly crowded, it wasn't overly cold, but the snow on the ground was certainly hard to walk on. It's the kind that supports your weight for a second, then gives out...that's the kind that will throw out your back (God, I'm getting old). So...it started off by me going through the point. Bacci didn't put out anything there. We walked through the first field and Greg got a bird (I wish I could remember where he gets his, because it's Bacci's work that makes it happen most times, but I can't remember). At the end of the first field, we turned around and skirted back towards the woods on the hill. There were guys on the hill so we picked our way across trying to avoid them. We went to the other side of the hill and Bacci got birdy on the edge of the field. Greg went to the outside while I stayed on the inside. As Bacci was sniffing, I saw a bird walking down the hedgerow. Bacci caught up to it, the bird saw Greg, and it took off. I shot, and it fell...woo hoo!!

We continued picking our way up the hedgerow towards the road when we saw a cockbird flying overhead. It went to the same place that we heard the cockbird last week...we circled around and saw a bunch of guys working that way. So we decided to stick to the middle hedgerow and work our way down towards the swamp. We figured we would hear those guys push the bird out. They didn't. As we got into the swamp, I saw a bird walking along. As Bacci got on to him, he took off. It was a far shot, through a lot of trees. I shot twice and thought I missed, but he didn't fly too far so we went to kick him up again. To my surprise, Greg found him dead...I got him and didn't know it. I was shocked. That was about all the action of the day.

Snowy day of pheasants (aka "the one that got away")

It was a really nice day of pheasant hunting today. Daniella came with me and it was cold and there was a layer of hard crusted snow on the ground. We started off and there were a bunch of birds on the point that some guys kept pushing out...one hen flew right at my head and as she passed I took her. Then we walked on along the river. As we were walking, we saw a cockbird fly into it from being shot at...as we approached he was on the ground and couldn't fly. Bacci, of course, got up to him and got him for Greg. We walked to the end of the hedgerow and as we were on our way back talking, we got to the end of the second field. Bacci was messing around at the hedgerow and locked up. I ran around to the other side because the birds were running and I didn't want it to run out the other side. As I got closer a hen took off and Greg got it (I also shot, but a millesecond too late).



Later, we were walking around on the hill behind the cars and as we crested the field we heard a cockbird cackling from a few fields away. We went to find it, walked the hedgerow along the big mountain and couldn't find him. We doubled back through the field and Greg was on the other side of the hedgerow. He saw the bird running in and out of the hedgerow. As we got to the end, Joe saw him on the edge near the road. We circled around him and as Bacci went in, he flushed right over my head. Greg and I both shot and thought we hit him..not hard, but he came down in the hedgerow again. So again, Greg went on one side, Joe on the point and me on the other side. Bacci worked inside and for about 10 minutes he looked. Greg saw blood so we know we hit him...I kept an eye out to see if he would run out. Bacci eventually popped out of the hedgerow about 40ish yards away...as I was about to tell him to get back in, the bird expoded out of the hedgerow. I shot twice, Joe shot and we both missed. He headed towards the parking lot. This bird has been missed 8 times!! He deserved to live! It was a lot of fun. Here is a picture that Joe took of me and Bacci...he gave it to me framed (really nice of him).

Last day of 6-day

Date: 12/08/07
Season: Deer - Muzzleloader
Location: Club
Conditions: Warm for this time of year.
Summary: I decided to just to an afternoon post and as I was the only one there I went to the big feeder again. I saw three foxes, but other than that, not a deer. It was a nice post though.

MY FIRST BUCK!!

Date: 12/5/2007
Season: Deer - Muzzleloader
Location: Club
Conditions: Cold and light snow.
Summary: YES! I finally did it...finally broke the buck dry spell. I got to the big feeder from work (worked a half day). When I got there I saw Tony walking around. We chatted for a while as I got dressed and then I went across from the feeder at about 2:00. Tony was on the other side of the pit from me. At 2:50 he walked in from the pit, out of nowhere! He walked straight towards me, looking at me the whole way. I sat and waited and he eventually turned to feed. I put up my gun, put the crosshairs on him and waited for a broadside shot. He moved broadside and I sqeezed the trigger. A huge puff of smoke and when it cleared I saw him lying there on the ground. My heart was racing and just then he lifted up his head. I must have hit him high, in the spine. I reloaded my muzzy so I can deliver the final blow and the bullet got stuck an inch short of the breach plug. I pushed hard but couldn't get it to budge. I walked out of the woods to my truck hoping to do the repair work and return, but I couldn't get it to move. I called Tony and asked him to come and help me when he could. As I was in my truck I heard Tony shoot and he finished my deer who was lying there, unable to move all but his head and his front legs. I hit him really good, just a little high. It was about a 45 yard shot. Here's my first buck ever!!

6-day firearms opener

Date: 12/03/07
Season: Deer - Muzzleloader
Location: Club
Conditions: Pretty warm and wet.
Summary: Opening morning for shotgun and there's no one at the club?! I started out in the hedgerow at 16 and there was no one there. I did hear a bunch of shots around me but didn't see another sole. Sat in the afternoon at the same spot and althought I didn't see anything, while I was driving out of the woods there was a deer walking down the middle of the road...I think she had her middle hoof up at me!