It's going to be duck season soon (if it isn't already) on the river,
and I've always loved this picture of my dad hunting on it, some years ago.
Showing posts with label Hunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hunting. Show all posts
Sunny Sunday
It's a sunny Sunday morning here in northeastern Minnesota, and the sun is something we haven't seen in quite a few days! It's been grey, grey, grey and dreary. True to it's name, it's been a Bleak November so far. It's also been unseasonably WARM. Based on the early snowfalls of last month, I would have made a high-dollar bet on there being snow for deer opener (last weekend) . . . but I would have l-o-s-t! Temperatures have been in the high 40s, and we didn't see freezing temps at night until, finally, last night again. Weird.
Although, Tom and I did have a conversation about how the two weeks & three weekends of deer season almost always map a huge shift in the weather: the beginning being mild and the end finally feeling like winter has arrived.
Numbers for the deer harvest seem to be down this year, and many are saying that that's due TO the weather. In milder weather, deer tend to curl up under a large tree and nap. Or so I'm told. Tom went out both days last weekend, 1 here on our property and 1 on a friend's. We have nearly NO deer in our area, but Tom really enjoys the time outside having a good "excuse" to get to know our 40 acres better and better. He spent a rain-soaked yesterday walking miles and miles around here and didn't see any deer sign until he got to the road at one point and saw a set of tracks walking down the middle of it! Go figure. Today he's heading down to the friend's property again where the deer are thick. Whether or not they'll be moving, though, is another story entirely.
I was really hoping to have at least 2 deer in the freezer this year for the dogs and Annie Blue, alone (good dog food is getting SO expensive), but perhaps that plan "jinxed" things, huh? But, there's still time: this is just the 2nd of 3 weekends, and there's all next week, too.
Little Mr./Ms. Porcupine is still a resident of Swamp River Ridge but also one resident whose time has come to be relocated, I think.
Tucker discovered his "other", his when-he's-not-in-the-corner-of-the-woodshed, sleeping spot on Friday. We have the canoe turned over and leaning against the far side of the woodshed, and that provided a dry little haven for the little guy . . . until Tucker scooted underneath to shout, "Play with me! Play with me! Play with me!" That's when our little friend gave a light little warning slap at Tucker's schnoz, embedding just three quills. I was able to pull them out with my hands - didn't need a pair of pliers - so it wasn't bad. But, for both his safety and the dogs, I think it's time.
I tried to get him in a face-forward (in relation to me) position so that I could grab him on the soft end, but, of course, he'd have none of that and kept whipping his little tail and backside around when he saw what I was up to. I ended up with three quills in my heavy, insulated leather glove, too, but only 1 went all the way through. Before long, he'd scuttled around the woodshed and up into his little "spot" there with his face wedged in the corner and a backside of sharper-than-needles quills the only thing showing.
I hate having to stress him out until I've come up with a plan that I'm sure will work, so I let him be for the rest of the day. He wasn't in the spot yesterday, though, nor was he under the canoe, so maybe Friday's antics were enough to send him on his way? If not, I think I'll first try to scoop him up in the metal-mesh long-handled dip net (for smelting) and then, as a last resort, use the live trap. I would have tried the live trap long ago, but my concern is that if it happens at night or some time when we're not around, he'll struggle and really injure himself in his efforts to get out. At any rate, I'll keep you posted.
With the holidays fast approaching + two art festivals & the expectancy of a baby whose arrival I have been asked to attend and assist with (I cannot tell you HOW over-the-moon I am about that one!!!!), I am considering putting the blog on hold for a while. I'd probably still post pictures and videos now and again, but I don't want to feel the added pressure of writing during such a busy time . . . particularly when no one is reading. I've only received 3 comments in my last five posts, and two of those were from my mother. So, I can only surmise that due to reader busyness (or my lack of writing anything of interest?) . . . there ain't nobody out there reading. Let me know if I'm wrong . . . or don't be bummed if it's quiet around 'This Is Our Life' for a while.
Although, Tom and I did have a conversation about how the two weeks & three weekends of deer season almost always map a huge shift in the weather: the beginning being mild and the end finally feeling like winter has arrived.
Numbers for the deer harvest seem to be down this year, and many are saying that that's due TO the weather. In milder weather, deer tend to curl up under a large tree and nap. Or so I'm told. Tom went out both days last weekend, 1 here on our property and 1 on a friend's. We have nearly NO deer in our area, but Tom really enjoys the time outside having a good "excuse" to get to know our 40 acres better and better. He spent a rain-soaked yesterday walking miles and miles around here and didn't see any deer sign until he got to the road at one point and saw a set of tracks walking down the middle of it! Go figure. Today he's heading down to the friend's property again where the deer are thick. Whether or not they'll be moving, though, is another story entirely.
I was really hoping to have at least 2 deer in the freezer this year for the dogs and Annie Blue, alone (good dog food is getting SO expensive), but perhaps that plan "jinxed" things, huh? But, there's still time: this is just the 2nd of 3 weekends, and there's all next week, too.
Little Mr./Ms. Porcupine is still a resident of Swamp River Ridge but also one resident whose time has come to be relocated, I think.
Tucker discovered his "other", his when-he's-not-in-the-corner-of-the-woodshed, sleeping spot on Friday. We have the canoe turned over and leaning against the far side of the woodshed, and that provided a dry little haven for the little guy . . . until Tucker scooted underneath to shout, "Play with me! Play with me! Play with me!" That's when our little friend gave a light little warning slap at Tucker's schnoz, embedding just three quills. I was able to pull them out with my hands - didn't need a pair of pliers - so it wasn't bad. But, for both his safety and the dogs, I think it's time.
I tried to get him in a face-forward (in relation to me) position so that I could grab him on the soft end, but, of course, he'd have none of that and kept whipping his little tail and backside around when he saw what I was up to. I ended up with three quills in my heavy, insulated leather glove, too, but only 1 went all the way through. Before long, he'd scuttled around the woodshed and up into his little "spot" there with his face wedged in the corner and a backside of sharper-than-needles quills the only thing showing.
I hate having to stress him out until I've come up with a plan that I'm sure will work, so I let him be for the rest of the day. He wasn't in the spot yesterday, though, nor was he under the canoe, so maybe Friday's antics were enough to send him on his way? If not, I think I'll first try to scoop him up in the metal-mesh long-handled dip net (for smelting) and then, as a last resort, use the live trap. I would have tried the live trap long ago, but my concern is that if it happens at night or some time when we're not around, he'll struggle and really injure himself in his efforts to get out. At any rate, I'll keep you posted.
With the holidays fast approaching + two art festivals & the expectancy of a baby whose arrival I have been asked to attend and assist with (I cannot tell you HOW over-the-moon I am about that one!!!!), I am considering putting the blog on hold for a while. I'd probably still post pictures and videos now and again, but I don't want to feel the added pressure of writing during such a busy time . . . particularly when no one is reading. I've only received 3 comments in my last five posts, and two of those were from my mother. So, I can only surmise that due to reader busyness (or my lack of writing anything of interest?) . . . there ain't nobody out there reading. Let me know if I'm wrong . . . or don't be bummed if it's quiet around 'This Is Our Life' for a while.
Changing of the Guard
Tom and I experienced a rhetorical Changing of the Guard last night, although it wasn't a particularly terrific one . . . for him. I am FINALLY coming out of this horrible crud that has kept me sick since October 18th (one week sick, one week healthy [or so I thought], one week r-e-a-l-l-y sick). But he, now seeing that I can take over the homestead responsibilities for the both of us, has gone d-o-w-n. Fortunately for him, when he's sick, he can sleep (I can't). So, he generally recovers faster than I can in the same situation. Let's hope it's the case this time, anyway.
Even though the dusting of snow for opener* this morning is the perfect opportunity to get outside, Tom's comment of just an hour or so ago of, "I'm gonna go lie down. And find my gun," had me plenty worried! ;) Somehow, those two things just shouldn't be uttered together! So, I just poured some cough syrup down his throat, and he's nestled in the sick bed upstairs. I, meanwhile, will bundle up and head outside to get chores done (albeit late). Tag, I'm it!
* Around "these here parts", there are only two things that the word 'opener' can refer to: fishing opener in May and deer (rifle) season in November. Growing up in the southwestern Minnesota corn belt, Tom was always an avid hunter . . . bow and arrow, primarily. Living a fairly urban life for 20+ years in The Cities put all of that on the back burner. But now, he's gone hunting two years since we moved up here in 2000, but never "seriously". (And, not so coincidentally, he never bagged a deer.) But now, this year, he was (is) going "to hunt". So, of course, he's sick. But, there's plenty of time, so I know he'll get out. With prices (of EVERYTHING) the way they are right now, we're hoping to put enough venison in the freezer both for us (even though we're not huge meat eaters) AND for the dogs (and Annie Blue) to eat very well for the next year. With dog food at $50 a bag, the little bit of work to chop venison up for them each morning will be time WELL spent (not to mention even healthier for them!).
Even though the dusting of snow for opener* this morning is the perfect opportunity to get outside, Tom's comment of just an hour or so ago of, "I'm gonna go lie down. And find my gun," had me plenty worried! ;) Somehow, those two things just shouldn't be uttered together! So, I just poured some cough syrup down his throat, and he's nestled in the sick bed upstairs. I, meanwhile, will bundle up and head outside to get chores done (albeit late). Tag, I'm it!
* Around "these here parts", there are only two things that the word 'opener' can refer to: fishing opener in May and deer (rifle) season in November. Growing up in the southwestern Minnesota corn belt, Tom was always an avid hunter . . . bow and arrow, primarily. Living a fairly urban life for 20+ years in The Cities put all of that on the back burner. But now, he's gone hunting two years since we moved up here in 2000, but never "seriously". (And, not so coincidentally, he never bagged a deer.) But now, this year, he was (is) going "to hunt". So, of course, he's sick. But, there's plenty of time, so I know he'll get out. With prices (of EVERYTHING) the way they are right now, we're hoping to put enough venison in the freezer both for us (even though we're not huge meat eaters) AND for the dogs (and Annie Blue) to eat very well for the next year. With dog food at $50 a bag, the little bit of work to chop venison up for them each morning will be time WELL spent (not to mention even healthier for them!).
This -N- That
Well, I'm feeling a bit better for the moment. I overdid it yesterday, I guess, and really felt bad last night . . . but had a great massage tonight complete with lymph work & reflexology, so I'm feelin' pretty good right now! My husband, on the other hand . . . . Let's just say that his hacking up his left lung kept us both up for quite a while last night! He took the day off today, and has been laying low this afternoon and evening. Blech. EVERY BODY'S sick right now! A dear friend of mine has a son home sick with this bug PLUS a 102° temperature! Poor pumpkin.
It's overdue, but the NOAA weather forecast that I just checked FINALLY has those pretty little white things pictured. From Saturday night through Monday, there is a "chance of snow showers". I still have a few perennials to get into the ground, though. And that "end of the summer" lawn mowing I was going to get done. Hmph. Getting sick never comes at a good time, does it?
I came upon a moose truckin' down the middle of the road on the way home from my massage tonight. Tried to get some video of it, but it might be too grainy to post. I'll letcha know if it's worth peeking at.
Speaking of ungulates, deer season is coming up. Tom's going to hunt this year, in (somewhat) earnest. The acreage just down and across the road from us that was logged last winter would provide an excellent (and handy!) site, although the deer are not particularly thick in our part of the county (which is better suited to moose). On one of our walks this spring (April 20th, to be specific), we spied this blind that someone had built. Again . . . handy! This is the side that the deer would see (vs. the side Tom would set up on).
This is the side that Tom would be positioned on - overlooking the river valley (this photo was taken May 31st):
Now, there's no segue here - other than me doing a little fall cleaning of my My Pictures folder - but take a quick trip with me if you will . . . down the trail of Girl Scout deceit! ;)
This first picture is of a full box of Tagalongs.
This next picture is of the same "full box" of Tagalongs - the same amount of cookies. Little bit of a rip-off, no?!
I remember when these cookies came in two foil-wrapped "stacks". And, guess what? The stacks were the full length/height of the box of cookies! But then, some wise-acre came along who said, "I know how to package these so that the consumer still THINKS they're getting a full box of cookies WHEN IN FACT they're getting juuuust over 1/2 a box."
Rat bastahds.
Will I stop buying Girl Scout cookies? Nope. They're too darn good. But, at least I'll go into it next year with my eyes wide open!
It's overdue, but the NOAA weather forecast that I just checked FINALLY has those pretty little white things pictured. From Saturday night through Monday, there is a "chance of snow showers". I still have a few perennials to get into the ground, though. And that "end of the summer" lawn mowing I was going to get done. Hmph. Getting sick never comes at a good time, does it?
I came upon a moose truckin' down the middle of the road on the way home from my massage tonight. Tried to get some video of it, but it might be too grainy to post. I'll letcha know if it's worth peeking at.
Speaking of ungulates, deer season is coming up. Tom's going to hunt this year, in (somewhat) earnest. The acreage just down and across the road from us that was logged last winter would provide an excellent (and handy!) site, although the deer are not particularly thick in our part of the county (which is better suited to moose). On one of our walks this spring (April 20th, to be specific), we spied this blind that someone had built. Again . . . handy! This is the side that the deer would see (vs. the side Tom would set up on).
This is the side that Tom would be positioned on - overlooking the river valley (this photo was taken May 31st):
Now, there's no segue here - other than me doing a little fall cleaning of my My Pictures folder - but take a quick trip with me if you will . . . down the trail of Girl Scout deceit! ;)
This first picture is of a full box of Tagalongs.
This next picture is of the same "full box" of Tagalongs - the same amount of cookies. Little bit of a rip-off, no?!
I remember when these cookies came in two foil-wrapped "stacks". And, guess what? The stacks were the full length/height of the box of cookies! But then, some wise-acre came along who said, "I know how to package these so that the consumer still THINKS they're getting a full box of cookies WHEN IN FACT they're getting juuuust over 1/2 a box."
Rat bastahds.
Will I stop buying Girl Scout cookies? Nope. They're too darn good. But, at least I'll go into it next year with my eyes wide open!
Deer Opener
Today is a day that a great many northern Minnesotans have been waiting for: the opening of deer hunting season. Deer hunting is the biggest of the hunting seasons up here, and many people rely on their stock of venison in the freezer throughout the winter and into next summer's months. Tom used to be a big bow hunter down in southwestern MN where he grew up, but the hunting is much different up here (thick forests vs. wide-open corn fields). Last year he went out but didn't have any luck. To be fair, though, the area he went to was not a high-density deer area, and he went more to enjoy the Great Out-of-Doors than anything. If we weren't so busy this year I think he would have gone out with more of a mission. Next year.
So, for us, all the season entails is reversing our down jackets to their blaze-orange side and putting Maisy's orange reflective vest on her. Hunting season can be a dangerous time if you don't pay attention to the rules. And, as an aside, Swamp River is not a high density deer area: where there are moose there tend not to be many deer and vice versa (due to what they each prefer to eat). So, because of the type of forest/plants/shrubs we have, we have many more moose than deer.
We had a good little storm Thursday night - rain down here by the lake but snow in the higher elevations. That made yesterday's trip to Canada a little sloppy in the morning, but the plow and sanding trucks were out in full force. Since the nearest big city is in Canada, that's where we go for a lot of our errands - yesterday the main stop was a very-overdue grooming appointment for Maisy.
The find of the day was a utility sink for the new house. The utility sink we currently have in this house is just a junky plastic thing on wobbly, tacky legs. But, it was the only thing we could find. I was determined to find a good, solid, old-fashioned stainless steel one for the new house, though. But, we managed to do one better than that! We found one that sets into a base cabinet (so I'll have storage underneath) and is white - very nice looking (if a utility sink can be called that). I guess sometimes you have to go to another country to find just what you want!
Tom's up at the property already this morning for a full day of work. He's been working on installing an LP heater in the battery room to keep the batteries warm and at a full-functioning level this winter, and that is now ready to be fired up. Then, today's project will be insulating and finishing the walls for that room - a heater doesn't do much good with no walls! He already has the electrical wiring, outlets, and light switches installed - now for the sheething and insulation.
I'm still sanding, sanding, sanding the shiplap for the ceilings. As soon as we have a good day that doesn't threaten some sort of precipitation we can put that on. But, time is dwindling: we have to have it done by the 17th when the panels are still scheduled to arrive.
So, I'd better get my rear in gear. Hopefully I'll have a chance to do more photo journal catching-up tonight.
So, for us, all the season entails is reversing our down jackets to their blaze-orange side and putting Maisy's orange reflective vest on her. Hunting season can be a dangerous time if you don't pay attention to the rules. And, as an aside, Swamp River is not a high density deer area: where there are moose there tend not to be many deer and vice versa (due to what they each prefer to eat). So, because of the type of forest/plants/shrubs we have, we have many more moose than deer.
We had a good little storm Thursday night - rain down here by the lake but snow in the higher elevations. That made yesterday's trip to Canada a little sloppy in the morning, but the plow and sanding trucks were out in full force. Since the nearest big city is in Canada, that's where we go for a lot of our errands - yesterday the main stop was a very-overdue grooming appointment for Maisy.
The find of the day was a utility sink for the new house. The utility sink we currently have in this house is just a junky plastic thing on wobbly, tacky legs. But, it was the only thing we could find. I was determined to find a good, solid, old-fashioned stainless steel one for the new house, though. But, we managed to do one better than that! We found one that sets into a base cabinet (so I'll have storage underneath) and is white - very nice looking (if a utility sink can be called that). I guess sometimes you have to go to another country to find just what you want!
Tom's up at the property already this morning for a full day of work. He's been working on installing an LP heater in the battery room to keep the batteries warm and at a full-functioning level this winter, and that is now ready to be fired up. Then, today's project will be insulating and finishing the walls for that room - a heater doesn't do much good with no walls! He already has the electrical wiring, outlets, and light switches installed - now for the sheething and insulation.
I'm still sanding, sanding, sanding the shiplap for the ceilings. As soon as we have a good day that doesn't threaten some sort of precipitation we can put that on. But, time is dwindling: we have to have it done by the 17th when the panels are still scheduled to arrive.
So, I'd better get my rear in gear. Hopefully I'll have a chance to do more photo journal catching-up tonight.
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