Happy new year!

I had planned on taking Tuesday, December 29th off to go hunting.  The weather had other plans for me so i worked on that day and took the day off on New Year's Eve.  I met with Greg and Amil and was told that, despite the cruddy weather on Tuesday, the hunting was great.  They said that there were very few guys and a ton of birds.  FIGURES!

This wasn't the case today.  The parking lot was full, it's the last day of the season.  We started in the fields and it's amazing that there were no birds.  Nothing!  We did end up getting 4 but they were late birds and, for the most part, from walking the edges of the fields on the way back from two bridges.  I shot like crap...couldn't hit anything!  It was fun though and the weather was nice.  When we got back to the trucks we had a celebration beer to end the season.

Need some peace

So, after having 18 people over on Christmas Eve and 18 people over on Christmas day, I need some time in a tree!  I went, for a quick trip, behind my company.  I was only there for 3 hours but it was nice to have some peace and quiet.  I saw nothing but enjoyed it a lot.

Quick stop

So, on my way in to work I made a quick stop at Black River.  Despite the amount of cars that the parking lot holds, it never feels overly crowded.  I managed to get a flyover hen (a harder shot that the one I missed on Saturday...this stuff just doesn't make sense sometimes).  I walked around for a bit and then got to work.

Skunked.

For the first time this season I got skunked while bird hunting.  Greg was already away so it was just Amil and I.  There seemed to be a lack of birds this time.  It was more like the stocking of old.  At the end of the first field, Chase put up a bird in the hedgerow but it was flying through the trees and I just flat out missed.  Amil and I both got a shot at another bird in the Honey Hole but he and I both missed.  We both should have gotten it.  A great day, however.

Granddaddy!!

It was opening morning of 6-day firearms season.  I went to the club where I met Greg and Tony at the gate.  They told me that Jeff was at 13 and so I went to 4.  As I did on opening day muzzy, I sat at the rock in the morning and saw nothing.  After nappy time I went to 4 and brought my stand in.  I set it up a little up from 4, actually right next to old 4.  At around 3:00 I saw movement coming from the thicket but all I could make out was a butt as it walked away.  Then, at around 3:30, a buck walking through the field up towards the pine.  It was a spike on one side and a nub on the other.  A sad looking deer but a decent body.  I was surprised to see him walking through the field, to be honest.  I decided that I should probably keep an eye open in the field from now on.  So, at around 4, I saw coming from the pine and walking diagonally through the field a huge deer.  I was shocked.  I put up the range finder and saw that it was 108 yards.  I thought to myself, "no way I'm going to get this but i'll never have an opportunity like this so you better shoot".  And I did.  I quickly put up the gun and made a noise.  He stopped and puffed up and I squeezed off a shot.  I saw him take off like a bat out of hell.  Of course I missed...how could I not.  I got down from the tree to make my way over to where I shot just to make sure.  As I started walking towards the spot I noticed, coming from over the hill, an orange hat.  I couldn't imagine who that could be.  As I got closer I saw that it was Tony.  He put his thumb up, I'm assuming to ask me if I got a deer.  I got closer and he said "you got the Granddaddy of the property".  I was in shock!  I asked if his was kidding me and he said "would I be here if I was".  He heard the shot and then heard the deer crashing.  He said that it was so loud he figured that it was a bear.  I walked over to the deer and started to shake.  This doesn't happen to me!!  I started to dress it but Tony did the honor instead.  I was happy!!