Late 'loader season...

...starts tomorrow. Guess I'd better get ready! Course, I'm always ready for huntin. Just a matter of last minute details...like the huge storm warnin for tonight an tomorrow! Probly a snow day fer the little ones. Guess I'll just have ta pack em all in a ground blind...er maybe get em ta drive the woods fer me...

Juba's big day

Well, It's time fer the hound to try and trail a coon that he hasn't seen runnin from him. I set a big ol' boar loose, cleared away the cage, and gave him a good head start.
I walked Juba towards where the coon was released, as if it was just a normal stroll. Right away he let loose! He was on the trail full bore, singin for all he was worth! Max, my airedale cross, and I had to hustle ta keep up.
That coon musta been chased before. It was all over the place! Finally we ended up at an old hunt camp. The dogs just kept circling it, but the coon was nowares in sight. The building was on a pad, so I know he wasn't under it, and the rest looked solid. The dogs started wanderin up and down a cut cornfeild, right beside the cabin. It was almost like he dissapeared at the edge of the field...I came up fer a closer look. Aha! The farmer just sprayed liquid manure. No wonder the coons scent trail disappeared...
I leashed up the dogs and headed across the field. That was fun. Anaways, when we got ta the other side, lil' Juba picked up on a trail. we follered it to a big maple, with a smaller maple leanin on it, half fallen down. Juba just kept circlin the trees, howlin but not tree barkin. He was confused. Old Max was pullin like a demon, so I let him go. Right to the roots stickin up on the leanin tree he went. He started snarlin and tearin at the roots, and tryna dig the frozen ground. Sure enough, there was a hole, with a coon inside! Only problem is Max can only fit his head in the hole...
Now here's a trick that I've used in the past. After pullin the dogs back, I lay on the ground sideways and stuck the .22 in the hole. When the coon lines up, give him a brain shot. When he does his "run ta Jesus", he'll kick himself right outa that hole.
Well, after the dogs had their fun, I took a closer look at that coon. Funny, it somehow turned into a small female...
All's well that ends well I say. Far as the dogs er concerned, they caught their coon. Sides, this one was alot lighter ta carry home...

O'l Trapper Tip

Got blood on yer fur? No problem- rinse in cold water.

This works better the sooner ya do it, before the blood sets. It ll still work later, but the fur may be tinged.

I've heard peroxide will work for blood that has set, but I've personally never tried it. If ya do it make sure ya rinse that fur good, ya may get a bleached blond...

Foxpro or Foxcrow?

So the neighbour down the road calls this morning saying there is a fox sitting outside her door, and she's scared ta let her dog out. I tell her not ta worry, a fox won't eat a dog (even a little foufou dog like hers...). I grab the new Foxpro I just got in the mail, and have been dyin ta try.

It's been rainin since I got it, and Foxpro doesn't recommend using it in the rain. And wouldn't it be perfect ta call a fox in on it's first time out?

So I set up behind her house (of course the fox is long gone) and put on the only fox sound, the pup distress. No luck, so I give er with the old standby, the sqweelin bunny. no dice.

I'm ready ta pack er in when I notice a bunch a crows in the distance.

Well, I think, lets see if the crows come in. I crank the volume on "crow fight" and "dyin crow".

Well, I'll say it worked! I've never seen so many crows in such a tight group, swirlin and divin at the caller (which I had set bout 50 yards in the pasture). Now I know they flock up this time a year, but this was nuts! The noise was deafening! I turned the caller full blast, but the real crows were blocking the sound. It was surreal.

Course, all I had was my .22, no shotgun er camera...

I'll do it again and try to get a pic. Man ya gotta see it ta believe it!

Freezer's full, it's buck time!

Well, I got motivated ta head out in the rain by Othmar , and what a day. Deer were movin everywhere. Was a little worried bout my keepin my powder dry, since I was usin my CVA Wolf smokepole. Nice little break open, and easy on the wallet. With a little lectrical tape, she was sealed tighter than my wallet.
Deer were causing a local landowner some problems with his market garden spread, so I figured id set up there. Wow. Sign everywhere.
Ya know, sometimes that works against you...too much sign, or too many food sources. Where to set up? Well, I found a good lookin inside corner and waited in the rain.
Bout sundown two does approached from downwind. Guess I didn't smell too bad, cause they just kept comin in. Rain can help wash away scent and keep it down. Double lunged her at fifteen yards. Guess that close I can't really brag bout the accuracy of the gun...
So, there it is. Butchered her up, the freezer is filled, and another tag is burnin a hole in my pocket!
Sorry no pics, didn't want my camera ta get all wet!

Danger!

Hunter Orange may attract Predators!

(Or, make that pumpkin orange!)

As you can see from this pic, this big coyote is tearing into some pumpkins leftover from Halloween...

These make great bait. The deer love em!

Ulu Ree-vu

The Suburban Bushwacker gave me the idea fer this...a knife review!

Saw a guy flesh a big bear last year using one a these and just had to try it. Its called an ULU knife (pronounced ooloo).

The ULU Factory says: "it is the most renowned knife in Alaska. Native people of northern Alaska invented this knife centuries ago. It is used for hunting, fishing, skinning, filleting and every other imaginable domestic cutting need by the Inuit (Eskimo) people."

Well, good enough for the Inuit, good enough fer me. I ordered mine at Halford Hides , which has great shippin prices on orders over $200-free! Needed some wolf traps anyways, so...

I ordered the 5" Alaska. Price was right at $14.80. I was a little surprised at how small it was, but man it works great! Know when yer skinnin, how you sometimes hold the knife by the blade for more control? That's the idea here. Lots of control over the cut. Make sure you pull the hide tight, and use a sweeping motion.

Here's a pic:

And on the job:

I think I may order the bigger "Inupiat" style and give er a try, prolly work real nice for caping...

Any deer a trophy...

Now, here's a man that knows what it's all about:

"Before getting to deep in this post, I have to explain something to you and it is the fact that I consider any deer a trophy..."

Kinda easy to get caught up in all the trophy huntin hype, but really, why are ya in the bush? Don't get me wrong, a giant rack is a great trophy. It represents the pinnacle of the species yer pursuing. It shows yer skill as a hunter (or maybe yer persistence!). But like the Rabid Outdoorsman says, it's not the most important thing. I would go one step further: just bein out there is better fer yer soul than the giant horns...

Weather

What's up with this weather. Last week I'm tracking critters in the snow, this week I'm out fishin in a t-shirt!

Now, don't get me wrong...I like fishin in a t-shirt...but not in November!!! I hate gettin home and havin ta skin all night cuz it's too hot ta leave em. They go greenbelly pretty quick in this weather. Deer aren't moving too much, either.

Gonna have ta shave if this keeps up!

Guns on the school bus...

"Daddy", says little bushgirl, "what would be the best gun for me to use while I'm waitin for the bus?"

"Why", I ask, "would you want a gun waitin fer the bus?"

"Well", she says, "I think I saw a big bear in the corn field, and I could a shot it I think."

"But sweety, the dogs are out there, no bear is gonna come close..."

"But daddy", she says, "the dogs'll chase it away, And bears my favrit meat!"

Ahhh, they grow up so fast. Why, just last month she was playin with teddy bears...

Dogs comin' along...

Lil' Juba is really goin coon crazy. These big boars we got up here are bigger than him! But then again, he's half Plott, which is a boarhound and he comes from a long line of bear dogs. He just keeps goin after em till they tree (course he's got his big buddy behind him!).

Not bad for such a young dog...