Deer Season 2009- What a Year

It’s been quite a while since I sat down at this computer long enough to catch my blog up on this last deer season.

A lot of public lands in this part of the country have closed their gates and started charging in order to back off the crowds some and because of the economy, people are trying to find ways to make their land pay. When you get too many people hunting on your land there is always some knuckle head that just has to tear up your fence, throw trash around or sneak in without permission and damage a building or injure your livestock. I guess it’s just natural to want to recoup the cost of repairs. It leaves farmers and ranchers like me in a quandary. We don’t really mind people hunting if they respect our land and livestock. I personally have always allowed people to hunt if they will just come to my home, introduce themselves and ask for permission before each season. As a young man, I would have not been able to enjoy hunting near as much as I did except for the fact that farmers and ranchers allowed me to hunt. I always asked each season and always respected them and their property. I am just trying to pay back some of their kindnesses. I have made some great friends over the years and have had the honor to see some great sportsmen in the field. This year, I was flooded by requests and said yes to most of them. WE had a few too many hunters and I may have to back off that some next year but we didn’t have any problems. Everyone got along well and there were no accidents.

The season did produce the most ever bucks taken from the farm in a single season. There were ten taken altogether. Two four points, three three points, and five forked horns. The most amazing part is that it didn’t hurt the deer population. Two days after the end of season there was a four point and a three point grazing in a field fifty yards from my house. I have seen several other bucks since then so I know there are plenty left.

All in all, it was a great season and I met some new friends that I look forward to seeing again next season. I hope you’ll be sure and gather some of your hunting buddies together around a camp fire, roast hot dogs, marshmallows and trade tales of your hunting season. I certainly intend to.

Until next time, hunt safe and enjoy life in the great outdoors.

Feeding The Wildlife

Turkey season is now history for this spring. We saw some nice Toms leave the farm headed for family dinners and we had some really nice visits with old friends and hunting companions. I have hunters that use guns and others that use bows. The compound bows are awesome. They all bring their blinds in early and set them up for what ever season is at hand. It is always fun and a good time.

As is the case every time we get together, our talks turned to how the wildlife seems to be getting along. One of my buddies ran into a small herd of elk that stays here on the farm most of the year and he commented on how great they look. Really filled out, nice coats and just looked healthy as heck. They graze in our grass fields and on the leaves of the trees when they can reach them. There are lots of fruit trees scattered around the farm that we rarely pick from so they get the apples, cherries, plums and believe me, lot’s of black berries. We have a creek that runs the full length of the farm that headwaters here and lots of natural springs that have a year round flow so there is always water available even in the middle of hot dry summers. In the winter time they continue to graze the grass and there is the addition of tons of oak leaves that fall as well as acorns that they love.

The deer population is abundant and they also have the same feeds available so they look great as well. And I might add that the elk and deer have a very fine flavor without the “wild” taste that you get in some areas. I think it is more from all the fruit that they eat than anything else. You can enjoy hunting these guys and enjoy eating them as well.

Gene, one of my long time hunting buddies mentioned how many wild turkeys and deer he sees in yards down the road from where we live. Everything below our gates is inside the city limits. The city annexed everything below us a couple of years ago. They are building apartments and homes in what used to be really great farm land. Too bad! The problem as I see it comes when people start moving into land once used by wildlife is they think they are doing wild animals a big favor by feeding them and getting them to hang around like pets. I don’t like to see wild animals turned to pets. It is not doing them a favor. When winters get hard or coyote and mountain lion populations build they don’t know how to survive as well as when they were free to run nature’s course. I think it is fine to help wildlife make it through severe winters, floods or famine but to continually feed them just to have them decorate the yard just doesn’t seem right to me.

Well, I’ve rambled on enough for today. I hope that you enjoy hearing about what’s happening here on the farm. I enjoy visiting with you. If you have a little time to spend I hope you will drop by my website and see the changes that occur there as well. And right now my friends over at Impact Guns have a great sale on assault type rifles that are great to hunt or spend time at the firing range with. Drop on by and take a look.

Turkey Season Has Come and Gone

This turkey hunting season has been really different. This is the first year that we have allowed anyone to hunt turkeys here on the farm. They were stocked about six or seven years ago by fish and wildlife and they have made an amazing come back. There are so many now that I decided to start allowing them to be hunted.

Some of my friends came up before opening day and set up their hunting blinds and tried out their favorite calls. They did manage to get some Toms to talk back. That is always a thrill. One of the fellows uses a compound bow and is really good at it. I’ve seen him take a deer at thirty yards that didn’t take but a few steps before falling. He gets that point directly in the boiler room. For turkeys he decided to try a tip called the Magnus Bullhead. What a wicked looking broadhead. I have had very little time to hunt this season. I have noticed that as I get older I have a tendency in the winter to put off jobs that I need to get done and then come nice spring weather I have to run like mad to try and catch up. No Toms for me this year.

The season just ended this past weekend and we saw 5 big Toms leave the farm. Great hunting guys! Remember those Magnus Bullhead tips I mentioned? Yep, Fred lopped a Toms head right off with that thing!

If you look in the Gallery you’ll see three fellows that I caught sneaking out from behind a barn, headed for brush. I didn’t have my gun but I always have my camera. I’ll show you some more next time.

Hopefully next season I will get some time to go hunting myself. My kids (my youngest is 38) keep telling me that geezers are supposed to slow down. I hope not.

Fair weather and great hunting to you!

Harless

I want to give you a nickle!

Hi, the other day I promised that in this post I would tell you about an old shot gun that My Mother-In-Law gave me. Well I’m going to keep that promise but first I want you to take a look at my Gallery page. Our Spanish goats started kidding and the first two babies (twins) got here yesterday. They are really healthy and cute. Thought I would share their picture.

Sorry about that interruption but this is my first time to watch babies being born. It was super!

I thought that perhaps this might be a great time to tell you that if you are considering buying a new shotgun this year that there is an honorable dealer online that even has a layaway plan. You might check them out, but first, finish my article please. I enjoy visiting with you. The link is in the Blog Roll bar on the right side of the page.

I have enjoyed hunting all my life. When I was young I hunted with a compound bow at times. I enjoyed that bow more than I can tell you, and during off seasons I shot archery at a local range. I was never good enough to shoot apples off anyone’s head but I managed to get a few of my arrows in the right place. As I have aged I kind of moved away from archery and gravitated toward guns. Which brings me to my Mother-In-Laws gun.

Mom is a little steam engine and goes ninty miles an hour all the time. She is barely 5′ 1″ tall and you would never guess that she is 85. She has been one of my best friends for the 45 years of my marriage to her oldest daughter.

I was visiting one fine spring morning and we were having coffee together at her dining room table. Through her huge windows you can see for miles and miles out over the valley below. On clear days you can see Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson and it seems that you could reach out and touch them. Beautiful and you absolutely have no need for binoculars. Mom looked at me with an almost startled look and announced, I want to give you a nickle. And she vanished out of the room and down the hallway. I could hear the rapid tap of her shoes on the wooden floor.

I sat there kind of stunned, my mind turning to a confused mush; Why would she want to give me a nickle. I know that since I retired I have been pretty frugal but surely she doesn’t think….

As quick as she disappeared, she re-appeared and in her tight little fists was an old, odd looking shot gun. She pushed it into my hands and said, This was my husband’s.( My father-In-Law passed away twenty five years ago from cancer) He hunted pheasant and quail with it. I want you to have it.

I gratefully accepted and as I turned the gun over and around I found that it is a Winchester model 12 – 20 gauge, Full Choke, Nickle Steel pump shot gun. The old thing looked to be in pretty good shape. It has a hardwood stock and the same hardwood adorns the pump slide. There is a very small amount of pitting and one tiny crack in the stock. Like I said, pretty good shape. I thumbed the release on the left side of the trigger guard and brought the slide back. It moved smoothly with almost no slop in the action. The inside of the breech was clean as a whistle and it did not look as old as it really is. The side to side push safety still has a solid click. As I left to head for home I thanked her for the gift. I could not express to her how much it meant to me.

Several days later my curiosity got the best of me. I bought some twenty gauge 2 3/4″ shells and took it to the back of the farm. Wow, this old gun handled like it was new. The shot pattern was tight and there was almost no recoil.It is light and comes up fast and easy. It was fun. It now lives in the top of my gun rack. Above my Ruger 243 and My Remington 700. As I step back and look at the rack, my guns, and the different wild life and predator calls hanging off of it, many fond memories flash back before my eyes and I don’t feel 65 any more. I am young again.

Fair weather and great hunting to you!
Harless

Rainy days of spring.

It has been pouring rain here in Oregon for the last several days. Beyond having to get out and and take care of the livestock, cabin fever can begin to set in pretty quickly. I find that this is a great time to get out my guns and clean them.

My hunting rifle for about fifteen years was my Remington 700 auto. It is a 30-06 with a fantastic Leupold VXII scope. It was a present that my wife gave me after my Remington 25-06 was stolen. The only reason that I stopped using this gun is that as I get older, weight becomes a factor and my auto is heavy and although I don’t break the scale I have noticed that as years have over taken me so has something else that seems happy resting right on my belt line. I needed to go to something lighter so last year I made the heart tugging decision to give up my old friend and went shopping.

After looking at, holding, driving gun dealers crazy and my wife even more crazy, I settled on a Ruger M77 MKII with the first composite stock that I have ever owned. This particular gun is a 243 caliber so I can use it for deer, coyotes and other predators. I am a product of the old days when bigger was always better so this 243 is a new experience. What it lacks in muscle, it more than makes up for in speed and distance. My old 30-06 will probably find it’s way back into the field with me come elk season however. When I hit those big fellows I want them to do more than smile at me.

My new Ruger is much lighter, comes up smoothly and eyes in fast. It has very little “kick” and with 95 grain rounds opens up my range of accuracy for shooting fleeing coyotes with one of my wife’s chickens held firmly in it’s teeth. The gun came with a mounted Tasco World Class 3-9x 40 scope and although it is nothing like the scope on my Remington I have chosen to leave it for now.

In the process of building my online shop, My Hunting Supply Shop I have developed some great and lasting friendships. I have always been picky about who I hang around with and at 65 I haven’t changed. I stumbled across the folks at Impact Guns and found a gun dealer who is honest, knowledgeable, friendly and is dedicated to making sure that you are happy with your purchase. You should give them a try.

Well, I’ve jabbered long enough today. I’ll let you folks get back to your chores while I finish cleaning my guns. Next time around I’ll share a really old unique shot gun that was a present from my Mother-In-Law. Good hunting and fair weather to you!

Harless

Hi, It was a super day to get out and run around the farm. The weather was a really nice 68 degrees. I saw one Jake turkey that managed to slip away before I could get a picture of him.

I am placing a picture of my 15 month old Great Pyrenees puppy in the gallery. Little guy weighs in at just below ninty pounds. Took him to a checkup at the vets and she says he is in great shape and will probably weigh in around 120 when fully developed. Wow! This guy goes through dog food like you wouldn’t believe. He is a really great livestock guardian. He already knows his job and does it with very little direction from me.

These dogs have been bred for several thousand years. They originally came from France. They have been livestock guardians from the beginning. They don’t make great pets although they do love to interact with people. They are very non-aggressive until they feel they are in danger and they react quickly. They are not afraid to defend themselves against coyotes, mountain lions, bears, etc. My pup (Big Foot) lives mostly with our cattle and goats. They ignore him and he just roams around the pastures watching. He doesn’t miss anything. He sees and hears things long before I do. My hunting buddies have learned to bring along a couple of very large milk bones for him. It is his toll fee for allowing them to walk through his territory. None of them have tried to get away with not paying his fee.

Have a really great day, a super hunting season, stay safe and enjoy the outdoors.

Harless

I just spent a couple of hours visiting with a friend that got his turkey today. He hunts on the same farm that I do and he really rubbed it in. All in good fun though.

He said he spent several hours calling in four different places before he got a Tom to answer and he didn’t answer to his call. He carries a small hammer and a piece of metal that he whacks. The sound he makes is very similar to driving T-posts into the ground with a driver. I’ve never tried it before but John swears that it works every time if there is a Tom in hearing range. Once the Tom talks John begins using his box call. He demonstrated for me and I have to say that the sounds he made were exactly like a hen calling that big fellow in.

It’s something that I will try next week end. If you want to see a call just like John’s click here.<a href=”Primos® The Box Cutter™ Turkey Call“>

I am adding several more pictures to the gallery today. Hope you enjoy them. See ya next time.

Harless

Hi, well I tried to upload my pictures of the farm where I hunt and sure enough my folder was missing. I think it probably got trashed during my hard drive spring cleaning. I went back around the farm today and shot some new pictures that I will put into the gallery.

I was visiting with one of my friends that hunts where I do and his luck this turkey season has been as bad as mine. I did get a picture of his blind that he’s using right now. It’s pretty simple but very effective. He has it tucked awa in a brush line next to a stand of scrub oak. There is also quite a bit of poison oak around and if you get into it you are going to itch for days.

I have used Ameristep blinds for years and the one I have been using lately is a great, light weight three panel blind that is easy to carry and pops open easily. It’s great for setting up in the edge of a brush line quickly and quietly. I use mine for Turkey hunting. I have a couple of different blinds that I use during deer and elk seasons. If you want to see what my turkey blind looks like, just click on the link.
<a href=”Ameristep Jakehouse Ground Blind (Realtree Hardwoods Green Camo)“>

Well, I guess that’s it for today. Hope that your turkey season goes well.
Harless

Today has been really great. The temperature was 83 and a super day to get outside and get some much needed work accomplished. I rototilled my wife’s 2500 sqft garden space, mowed lawns and several other honey do’s.

I was looking through some of the pictures I have taken on the farm where I hunt and came across the pictures that I am adding to the gallery today.

Didn’t get a chance to hunt for my Tom, I was just too busy and at my age by the time I get my chores done I need a nap. That’s what we geezers do best.

Hope your turkey season is going better than mine. Keep your powder dry and the camo handy!

Harless

I spent a large part of this afternoon watching a small herd of Elk. There were seven cows and one mature bull. He was a big fellow with a perfect 5×5 rack. Where was he this last hunting season. Usually on the farm where I hunt, the cows have separated from the bulls by now and started the process of calving.  It was great to sit there watch and day dream about this big guy next season. I wonder if I will find him.

Turkey season is in full swing. Started here last Wed and runs for six weeks. The hens are off nesting and hatching this years offspring. The turkey population  has grown rapidly and successfully since Fish and Wildlife started trying to renew their presence here locally a few years ago.    There’s lots of Jakes and Toms around. Just haven’t called in the right Tom yet. I don’t know about you, but I believe that a lot of the fun of hunting comes from being very selective. I don’t shoot the first eligible anything unless it happens to be a really great bag.  That is rarely the case. I am looking forward to great days in the field. I have 5 1/2 weeks left in this season.

Regardless of what you hunt, you have to have a great knife that you can depend on. For more years than I can remember my old faithful has been my Old Timer 1250 T by Schrade. I got that knife as a present years ago and had to retire it after deer season this last fall. I tend to be hard on things and it was starting to look pretty beat up. Being hard on things is why I spend a little more money and get something of value that I am sure will last. That’s why I chose the Buck 393 Omni Hunter.  It has a solid super sharp blade and gut hook. It slides easily and smoothly  into it’s companion sheath and rests nicely on the hip. I can tell that I am going to enjoy this knife for many hunting seasons. You can see one just like it here-<a href=”Buck 393 Omni Hunter 12 PT Fixed Blade Hunting Knife (Oak Winter Camo)“>

Well, that’s all I have for today. Thanks for reading my blog. Tomorrow I will add some pictures from the farm where I hunt. Have a great evening and an even better hunt!