Slow day at the club...

I took the day off of work to see Gianna play basketball in the Holiday Tournament and then head up to the club with the muzzy.  The game was exciting and fun.  They won in overtime.  The club...much less exciting!  It was a very windy day...getting colder and there was nothing moving.  I went to the Cadillac and sat against the far wall.  I saw a squirrel and a raccoon.  That's it.  Was nice to sit in the woods, however.

Miserable day in the woods

It had the makings of a beautiful day.  The weather was great, only in the 50's although a little windy.  I went up to the tower.  At 2:30 two kids on ATV's drive by and went up the hill.  It was the same one from the last time.  At 3:30 they headed back down the hill...this time they saw me.  They weren't happy and as they passed they revved their engines and started talking loudly...I think they called me a hand job.  At 4:40, as it was prime time, a guy walking a dog skirted my perimeter until dark.  I have a funny feeling it was one of the same kids from the ATV or at least someone that the ATV kids told I was there.

Last day for Pheasant but the best day!

Due to the October snow storm damaging the Rockport Farms pheasant facilities and letting so many pheasants escape....either that or killed them...the state wasn't able to stock any more birds.  Needless to say, it was crowded.  Greg didn't show up, so Dani and I started out on the first field.  We walked to the back and I was able to shoot a bit...again, missing a whole lot!  Bacci, at one point, must have been frustrated with me as well because a bird went up, I shot and Bacci took off after it.  I called and called and called for him to come back but he didn't.  Then, he made his way back with a bird.  Someone else shot the bird that he put up that I missed so he took their bird and brought it back to me.  Well I took it from him and gave it back and continued on.  More birds, more missing.  We doubled back and went up the hill and then over.  Dani and I worked the field on the other side of the field and while we were, there was a guy working a bird so she and I hurried along.  The bird went up and they got it.  Then they put up another that flew into the hedgerow and landed in the tree.  The guy next to it said that he had all his birds.  Dani and I continued to walk down the field and they must have hit a hole with 4 birds in it because they all busted.  One of them flew right towards us and I got him.  The guys all moved on and I asked Dani if she wanted to shoot a bird.  She did so we walked to where the bird landed in the tree.  I saw it but if she got it I wasn't sure how to get at it so I told her we would walk to the other side and if it was still there she should shoot it.  We got to the other side and found the bird.  I can get to it from this side so I went over some last minute safety stuff and how to do it.  She lined up the shot and bang the bird fell.  Dani was so excited she didn't know what to do.  I went in the hedge to get the bird and brought it back out to a gleaming kid!  She was thrilled and I was happy and proud.  We made our way back to the truck and on the way back Bacci found a wounded bird.  He tracked her down and killed her.  So I took her but on the way back to the truck I decided that I didn't want to get caught with an extra bird so I set it down besides a tree.  On the way home I got a call from the Division of Fish and Game...I had a heart attack.  I thought, how in the world did they know that I let Dani shoot a bird or that I took an extra (which I left and didn't take).  He was actually calling because someone lost their gun, saw my truck and thought I may have found it so they called the division.  What an awesome last day of pheasant...one that I'll never forget.  Here's a picture of Dani with her first pheasant ever!

Foxy day...

Went up to the club for the last day of 6-day.  I first texted Tony to see if they drove the club in the morning and he said that they didn't, that they just did it on Tuesday.  I got to the club and I was alone (which is always nice). I decided to sit in the field of 10.  While I was sitting there, with about 2 hours of light left, a fox came from the 10 side and walked right towards me.  It got across the field from me and headed into the middle.  It walked around there for a little bit and then started stalking...then suddenly it pounced on something and ate it.  Then it sat in the middle of the field and just took a nap.  I sat there watching it for a good half hour until, from the corner of my eye I saw movement.  It was another fox, talking the same route.  It walked right towards me as well and this one decided to chill out right in front of me, literally about 20 yards away.  It was great to watch.  I didn't see any deer this day but I loved hanging there with my fox friends.

Had to call the cops...

I went up to the tower today.  It was a beautiful day and I hoping that during 6 day gun season that I would be able to have the woods to myself thinking everyone else would be out with the gun.  I got in my stand and at around 2:30 I heard a quad.  There were two guys and they rode right under my stand and went up the hill.  They were in camo and carrying a shotgun on the front.  They aren't allowed to do that.  At around 3:30 i had a beautiful coyote walk right under me.  Then a little while later a fox walked by me to the other side.  Somewhere around 4:00 I heard a gunshot up into the mountain.  Those damned ATV kids.  Right before dark I had a really nice buck walk to within 80 yards from me but he never came close enough.  After I got out of my stand and back into my truck I called Dan Gallagher of the MP police and let him know about these guys.  He said that he's heard of complaints about them before (but apparently didn't care too much)

I forgot!

I was going to go down south today and go hunting with Danny for quail but he had to work.  Instead I went up to Flatbrook for pheasants.  I got my stuff together and headed out.  It usually takes me about an hour and ten minutes to get there.  I was about half-way there when I realized that I left my gun at home!!  So I turned around and back home I went.  Well, by the time I got back to the Flatbrook it was already passed starting time.  Everyone was already in the woods.  I went through the first field and then to the end of the second.  I decided to turn around and head a different direction.  When I was halfway through the field I heard my name.  It was Greg and Amil.  I hooked up with them and started to walk back towards the trucks.  We were on the edge of the swamp with Amil's dog, Harley in the swamp edge and Bacci in the edge of the field.  About 3/4 of the way through Bacci locked on point.  I went down to him and he had a hen pinned down.  As I approached she took off and I got her.  Wonderful!  We all headed back towards the trucks and then up the hill behind the parking lot.  It was now about 45 minutes since starting time.  As we got to the top of the hill Harley flushed a cock bird and Amil got it.  Separated only by about one minute, Bacci went on point and as we approached a hen took off.  She flew to my left and rather than turning, I only turned my body and I missed.  Greg, behind me, also missed.  We continued on through all the fields, further than I had in a while.  When we were quite a way down, Bacci went on point near the edge of a hedgerow.  I approached and saw the cock bird tucked in.  I circled around behind to try and force it to fly towards the field and Greg did the same.  Amil stayed in the field.  The bird took off and Greg shot first and missed, I shot the second one and he folded.  We continued through the fields for a while.  We walked the hill near the trucks on the way back and just as we were coming back to the truck, a cock bird took off from the top of the hill and Greg got him.  We all limited out (Amil more than just limited out).  It was one of the funnest days pheasant hunting that I can remember and it started with me forgetting my gun and starting late!