Man, the woods were DEAD this weekend. Nothing. Not even any tracks. What do you do to stay sane this time of year?

Same way up here . I found and killed one hog Sat without seeing another blessed critter .I didn't even spend the night or go back this AM .

I need to post a pitcher of the hog since it was kinda interesting .

Passed up a small buck Saturday evening.......last 10 minutes of archery season......sure was good to get out one last time.

Whatever it is it ain't working....(grin)

Friday before dark.

Involes the wife.

I think it has to do with the extreme cold. It was 52 there today.

Go to the range until it gets too hot. Go swimming. Work on my suntan. Drink lots of cool libations. Rejoice I'm in Arizona.

Ice fishing, but there's too much snow to get on the lakes with any machine I have. If it gets much worse I may break out the snow shoes, if we get a few reasonably warm days without it snowing. Not a particularly bad winter but loooong, the way the fronts are moving through.

Finished my season yesterday with 8 does in the food plot, and one got shot in the neck. My freezer is going to be full.

I trap coyotes.

Beer and church..

Not necessarily in that order..

Tons of hockey.

Think we're still into archery here. With a couple feet of snow and highs somewhere around 10, sometimes around zero, my right shoulder refuses to work. Maybe by next season. A friend was sitting out last week and had to pass on a doe. Made it to full draw but was too shaky for a good shot. And his shoulders still work right. But then it was 8 below.

IF you are from Minnesota or Wisconsin you would be doing this.....snow snorkeling

Is that ND?

Ain't you got any empty cat'ridge cases ?

Either him or Fluffy...

No that was actually ltpowell at our Wyoming get together last June at Cheyenne's cabin!


just kidding!

Nope. Got a bunch of full one's that need shootin' though.

I'd like to take credit for that.

There is a sledding hill across the street.

Somebody just got stuck(again).

Ltppowell: Reloading ammunition, Coyote & Fox Hunting, tying fishing flies, ice fishing, watching the Big Game herds, catching up with my reading, gun trading, snow skiing, running the dog, sharpening knives, oiling Hunting boots, switch the scopes back to my Varmint Rifles that I had on my Big Game Rifles, sight in any Rifle that needs it, repairing Hunting and fishing gear, photography, making use of my free long distance calling, take in a good movie (like True Grit!) and trying to catch up with the inside the house "honey-do's"!
Lots to do it seems.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Rode the Harley yesterday, raining today. There's a lot of work on the loading bench. Edited a manuscript. Walked the dog. Set beef shortribs to cooking for dinner. Made taboulli salad. Watching the game. Thinking on pouring a finger or two of single malt. Life is good.

working secondary to pay for a deer lease, an elk hunt, some trips to texas.

rabbit hunt and hunt some beaver.

Up to January, even if it's cold it's all good, 'cause you got the holidays. It's 'sposed to be cold during the holidays. Then you got January. In Kansas, if you can make it through January, you're usually golden. Unless you get the abnormally bad weather early, in December or November, or you get it in February or March, you're GTG. You get into February and usually you get some warm spells and you can look forward to Spring. Even though March and April can be cold, it's all about your mindset. January sucks.

I waited around for the Plumber for three days last week and then they came out and pronounced it fixed and by about three hours after they left, it is effed up again. So I guess now I can look forward to waiting around the house for another three days to get them back here. Then I got other stuff to do around the house, fix things, etc. After the wifey gets home so there is somebody who can be around if they show up, I go down to the woodpile and saw some up. There it is. 'course this is all besides your everday chores.

Thought it was probably Redneck after loosing a bar bet in "up nord" Wisconsin.

plus one...

What, winter came and I missed it?

Anyhoo... here's the secret as per lots of wooded areas within the San Antonio City limts.... don't ever shoot them hogs and you'll have LOTS, everywhere... and whole areas that look like someone was digging holes with a rototiller.

Best of all, if ya NEVER shoot them they get sorta trusting

Heck, I was yelling at a bunch just yesterday. I dunno if it was the same ones that ate my student's rottweiler.

Birdwatcher

-4 degrees this a.m.......good time for a caribean vacation

Yeah, I ran out of empties too
So i went to the range and made more!

I'm always huntin beaver.
I will oil up your avatar for ya!

I'm looking forward to working up a load for my new .243. I've got a bunch loaded, but between the wind and the rain, no opportunity to try them out.

As luck would have it I had a bird count to do today, and being how the feral hog is THE most common wild mammal inside the city limits ('cept possibly for squirrels) I took some pics.

Here ya go, I believe a hog or three passed this way recently...



Musta been grubs or something that set 'em off rooting in the pics below. Actually for the life of me I can't figure out how they can make a living this way: Enormous amounts of energy expended over a few roots and such, seems like they'd burn off more energy than they take in doing this.

But, obviously not.

Anyhow, hog rootings, with my 30lb heeler/sheepdog mutt to add a sense of scale...





Birdwatcher