Rabbit Huntin'

As I head out at sometime between 11 Am and noon, it's a bit chilly at 20 degrees. It's overcast with a forecast for snow tonight, but I doubt it will. I walk down the driveway with the Wincherster 1300 over my shoulder. The driveway is icy and a little slippery, but I'm getting decent traction. I think about video recording my walk down the long driveway...nearly a quarter-mile long, but decide not to.

Finally I reach the road...and I only need to cross it to reach the parcel of land I hunt on. I walk past the mailbox, reaching into my pocket for a few shells to load into the gun. "Opps, wrong pocket." I stop walking "Were they in the other jacket?" I search another pocket..."Nope, not in there." and then another.."Okay...we're good." I step into the woods and start loading as I walk.

The first thing I begin to notice are bunny tracks...snowshoe hare. My hope dims....they will be white and hard to see, but maybe I'll get lucky. This area of the property is loaded with hardwoods, and I mean loaded...you almost can't take a step without the possibility of getting a twig in your nose or an eye. I'm soon asking myself why I chose this route...and some smart-ass from within pipes up "Cause you didn't want to walk down the road with the gun and scare people?" Like anyone around here would be afraid of that!

The snow is mid-calf and crunchy. No silent approach is possible today. In fact, I'm pretty sure every critter in this neck of the woods knows exactly where I am. So I procede trying my best to make sure that every critter inside of two hundred yards could hear me.

About fifty yards in I see the first deer tracks. Two or three days old, for sure....(I was born in California...so sue me). I hadn't seen any tracks around this area before today, so...um...it's new to me. Note: The tracks run parallel to the pines before me but a good ten yards away from them. When I reach the pines there is another run of tracks....buck tracks..."Interesting". And then I come up on another set...actually, a pair of tracks from a doe and a yearling perhaps. This set runs past my tree stand, about twenty-five yards behind it...and then they step into the tracks I left on the last day of bow season. This scene was to play out over and over today. The deer have made good use of my old tracks. So, figuring that I would help them out some more, I walk in my old tracks too...just to make sure the trail gets nice and packed down. (I should leave a trail to my freezer.)

Anyways, I follow my tracks the rest of the way across East Creek and into the wood lot, where I decide to stray from my old foot tracks...and away from the deer tracks up to the top of the ridge. The small pines are in view but still roughly one hundred yards away. Then I notice a pair of tree trunks that have been scraped up pretty good by something...I get my camera out and take some pictures. I suppose it could have been a moose...but more likely it was a black bear...a nice BIG black bear.

I walk off the ridge and towards the small pines where I had seen rabbit tracks before and just as I reach them...a rabbit goes hopping away. Well, I'm not sure if its feet actually touched the ground but he was gone nonetheless....shotgun still sitting on my shoulder.

I continue on and enter the small pines down what I thought was a trail, until it ended, so I had to push through the pine in front of me...and then around another, and another, and another...you get the point...yeah...I was thinking "Where's the damn loggin' road" myself. And right about that time I found it. (Ask and you shall receive.)....someone once told me that. Anywho...

On the logging road I found my old tracks..and the deer tracks...and began following them. Atleast I knew I didn't walk through any more clumps of small pines last week, so I was good to go.

Trying not to alert the critters far off in New York that I was hunting rabbits in the crunchy snow, and feeling that the ones in the small pines surely must be deaf by all the nosie, I pressed on...tripping and stumbling over the sticks and logs under the snow. "Why do I do this to myself!? I should just go down to Alabama!"....some wishful questioning there.

See anti-hunters just don't ever see how difficult hunting is. How the heck are ya suppose to see a deer or coyote, let alone a little rabbit hidden under a dark little pine when you're constantly trying to catch your balance, or hopping up and down because a stick just road up inside your pant leggings and jammed into your shin? It should be legal to use grenades, right? Damn anti-hunters.

So, I reach a small clearing and realize that it was the same one that had the nice deer beds in it...yep, over by that small tree. Doesn't look like they've used it since though. "Hmmm...the wind has been blowing in the opposite direction as it was the day they made that bed. Perhaps that's why." I leave the beds and walk about ten yards....out of the corner of my eye I see something flee across a logging cut...but I could possibly have been delusional. I watch over the area for about ten minutes before pressing forward towards the point where the small pines meet the end of the swamp.

Well, having seen only one rabbit and then the blur walking through the pines, I decided I'd check out the thicket and see if there were any rabbits there....a hundred yards later...that answer is obvious..."no, they aren't using the thicket." But, I did find five deer beds at the same place I had seen the nice grey doe back during rifle season.

Since, at this point I was standing at the edge of the swamp I decided that I would try to navigate my way through it....as if I hadn't had my face poked enough already....and now I want ice, water and mud under my boots? What was I thinking!? Well, at least the mud wasn't deep. (Some of us are likely clinically insane...and we just don't know it.)

Finally, once I realized that I had followed the swamp all the way back to the wood lot, I departed the swamp...and decided I hadn't yet had enough. So, I walked down along the outside of the swamp...back towards the small pines. I find my old tracks again...filled with deer tracks, and start working along the line between the swamp and the small pines. There are some tracks, but not many. Lots of red squirrel tracks though. I continue walking until I reach the end of the small pines.

I find the tracks I left earlier and cross them venturing further up the ridge to the upper portion of the pines where...there are no rabbit tracks. I work my way back down the ridge as I work across all the frick'n-frack'n logs under the snow and finally find rabbit tracks. It appears they like to just hang out near the logging trails. No trail...means more and bigger logs under the snow...means no rabbits. I head back to the logging road, but first I have to walk around this fallen sixty-foot pine that just so happens to be between me and the road.

Reaching the end of the log also means having to plow through yet another clump of small pines before finally having to push through another. Yeah....my thoughts too. At this point..."What am I doing in the woods?" And, while I'm trying to get a piece of pine debris from my eye I'm thinking about what someone once said that "to be out in God's Glory." Believe me...I love God's glory....just not when it's scratching me on the inside of my eye-lid.

Okay...bark removed...I'm on the logging trail again. I decide to sit and just watch and see if anything comes hopping by. I sit...eat a candy bar...nothing. I'm a little crunched for time since my son should be arriving home at 5PM. But, I'm trying to be patient. A small flock of chickidees [sp] fly by. Twenty minutes to a half hour later (I left my watch at the house) I decide I had better get heading home.

And, basically, the return back to the driveway....was essentially the same as it was getting out to the small pines....tripping, crunching, stumbling, all the way.

I might go back out tomorrow, only I may be packing a first-aid kit and a bull-dozer. I'm figurin' that God's Glory needs some tidying up.

Archery 2009

This was to be my first year at a serious attempt hunting with a bow since 1982. I had grown up shooting archery since I was eight years old, had shot in numerous tournaments and won most of them, even placing second in four consecutive New England State championships. As a junior hunter you could often find me hunting squirrels and rabbits with my bow. However, after missing a deer at roughly fifteen feet, I hung up the bow indefinitely vowing never to pick it up again

Then, about five years ago (2004), my brother Paul loaned me an old Eagle III that he had laying around and a half dozen arrows. So, even as I started practicing in mid-September 2009, I still had the bow and those same six arrows.

Considering that the fall archery season was close at hand, I felt a little panicked. I needed to sight in my bow, add string silencers, and build my confidence in shooting again. So, I began practicing nearly every day and just as my confidence was growing, I did it. I tossed an arrow over the target and it was gone, hidden somewhere beneath the autumn leaves...and I was down to five.

Complicating matters was the old 1980s bowhunting sight which required the horizontal and verticle adjustment for each pin. Eventually, I replaced the sight...after losing another arrow. I was frustrated though, that 35 yards would be my maximum..."Heck I used to shoot fifty and even out to eighty yards!" But, the season was upon us and like it or not I had to live with the prospect of getting within the range of my pins.

I can honestly say that I was less than one hundred percent confident of my shooting, perhaps around sixty percent. I was also less than happy with my hardware on opening day, but I was going to give it my all.

Throughout the season I continued to practice and learn. I replaced my quiver and bow sight, and got my bow tuned-in. I was far more excited when the late archery season opened in December than I was when rifle season opened in November. I also feel blessed with the many things I learned through the 2009 archery and rifle season about myself, the area I hunt, and most of all an understanding of why I have failed on so many hunting trips in the past. I have regained my enjoyment and confidence with archery as well as the desire to pursue it further, and I'm happy mostly for that. It is a great source of fond memories from my childhood, and perhaps it will prove to hold many more. In fact, I'm sure it will.

Pursuit Info - Ridge Lines & Watershed

Unfortunately, the ridge lines don't appear too well in the above illustration. But, an important thing to remember is that the terrain is sloping downwards towards the creeks. As shown, there are sub-ridge lines (minor ridges) between the Primary Ridge lines and the creeks. The sub-ridges are only very well defined by the terrain in the areas located in the photo.

Now, at first glance one might think that these creeks flow towards the reservoir in the bottom left corner. This is not the case however. The West Creek is actually fed by the reservoir as part of the lake's natural spillway. East Creek and the field spring flow northward towards the Lower Swamp. This is all due to the terrian, since the property is on the north face of a small mountain.

East Creek

East Creek is pretty much as it shows in the photo, a small babbling creek. West Creek, Field Spring and both swamps are literally that...narrow, mucky bogs. They are prominently identified by thick stands of tall pines throughout.

Pursuit Info - The Small Pines

This stand of small pines no doubt holds some hidden secrets, some of which were revealed following a recent heavy snow. Rabbits, fox, red squirrels, as well as the deer have been using the small pines for cover. The photo above shows how the limbs of the pines cover the ground beneath them pretty well and even more so in other areas. This photo, taken on 13 Dec. 2009, shows evidence of a deer bed which was quite likely used the night before. No deer trails have been discovered at this point running through the pines. But, I hope to clarify this in future posts. The deer may be using this stand of pines as morning bedding areas, but I have yet to prove that either.

The stand of small pines borders much of the primary wood lot to the south and serves as the boundary to the fields surrounding Mark's home. But, despite its relatively small size, it is still a royal pain to navigate even with two logging trails passing through it. The logging trails are strewn with debris as well as rooted stubs of small trees that have been trimmed down. I can't tell you how many I tripped over as they were hidden in the snow. There is also a small muddy creek that runs from Marks property through the further-most western end of this stand of pines.

Pursuit Info - The Thicket

The Thicket is another area of the property that was previously logged, but has had a few years of growth. Although there are pines shown in the photo above, the pines are actually standing along West Creek. The thicket largely consists of the young hardwoods you see in this photo as well as briars, raspberry, and many other types of deciduous vegitation.

Much like the wood lot, the thicket also contains numerous standing trees, piles of limbs, and fallen timber. It's tough to navigate through, but thankfully there are logging trails that divide up the thicket and provide a means for accessing different parts of the thicket fairly easily.

The thicket is located on the north side of West creek opposite of the woodlot. It is bordered on the east by East Creek and the west by another woodlot and standing trees. The north side of the thicket I have yet to explore but it appears to be more standing timber and pines similar to that found along East Creek. The thicket also encompasses a prominent ridge like that found in the wood lot...and running parallel to West Creek.

Prior to the 2009 early fall bow season I was actually unaware that the thicket even existed. Since two other exploration trips onto the property resulted in nearly getting lost after dark, I was taking the exploration slowly. It wasn't until late November 2009 that I began to explore the thicket more and more and then on the last weekend of the December archery season realized that the Thicket, I am convinced, is the Ticket. Most of the deer sign tracks, droppings, scrapes, and deer sightings were all in the thicket. I know that the deer are bedding in the thicket during the day, but what about the pre-dawn hours? Hmmm....I'm still trying to figure that out.

Again, these are just introductions to the various areas of the property I'm hunting. I will likely be updating these posts with actual overhead photos depicting these areas.

Pursuit Info - The Wood Lot

The Wood Lot was actually the feature that first caught my attention on this property. After not seeing deer sign in nearby fields, I felt the wood lot, with it's ample cover and browse, could be helping the deer avoid exposing themselves in the fields. (The fields around this clump of land have no agricultural crops, just simple grasses.) The wood lot also provides "edges" that white-tails are drawn to, and these edges are far removed from normal roadways, unlike the fields.

The wood lot is encompassed within an area of roughly 55-65 acres and is bordered on the north by a creek (West Creek) which is actually a narrow swamp. A stand of young, dense pines borders the wood lot on the south and west, and a stand of tall pines and hardwoods and another creek (East Creek) to the east.

The wood lot was harvested in 2007 and 2008 so it should prove to draw more deer as young browse develop and take over the open areas. Already the white-tails have claimed the logging trails through the lot as their pathways, abandoning older trails that once navigated around this section of woodland. This is true for all but one deer that still seems to use the old trail as an escape route. It's quite possible that this is an older deer that knows the old trail and feels secure using it.

As you can see in this photo, not every tree was harvested for sale, and there are soft and hardwoods still standing. The only negative aspect of the wood lot are the piles of limbs and fallen trees littering the forest floor. There is literally no "silent" way of getting across the wood lot. And, when covered with a blanket of snow, the hazards are merely hidden from view and make for a tiring if not treacherous hike.

A key feature of the wood lot is a sub-ridge that runs parallel and to the south of West Creek. Although I have yet to see any bedding activity on the ridge, I have spooked feeding or migrating deer (not sure what they were doing) off the ridge in late morning. I have also found that most of the deer sign and activity has been found on the ridge, at crossing points along West Creek, and various spots in the western half of the wood lot.

My intentions at this point will be to seek permission to clear a pathway for myself through the wood lot so as to avoid twisting an ankle or breaking a leg, and for a more silent passage way to thw western side of the wood lot. In this effort I will also be making "natural" blinds with the limbs and downed trees as stopping points for still-hunts through it.

Pursuit 006

Went out this morning and not ten minutes in the tree stand and I had a black bear scoff at me. I couldn't see it though because it was still dark. I listened to it rummage about for twenty minutes or so before it got out of range of my ears. I heard other movement in the woods, but again, I just could not see anything. Again, I didn't use any attractors this morning. I'm going back out after lunch probably back to my tree stand but will make a few mock scrapes and put out a doe estros stick or two...and see what happens.

Was damp and chilly in the stand this morning even though the temp was supposedly above 50. It's 58 right now according to WeatherBug...but the dampness makes it feel much cooler.

Later I tried using the estros but I realized once I got up into my tree stand that it was a little closer to the tree than I wanted it. I left it though…I don’t think it mattered either way at that point. I anxiously sat still for three hours, the only critter scurrying about was my little buddy Grey, the red squirrel that visits me in my stand, as he was trying to defend his territory from some of his neighbors. At dark I called it quits.

Pursuit 005 - Opening Day Rifle Season

I awoke at a quarter to four in the morning and began getting ready. An hour later I was fully ready to step out the door. But, that would mean I’d be in the blind by five AM, with shooting hour not for another hour and forty minutes.

I decided that I’d try to get a bite to eat and check the weather before heading out. With breakfast finished, I checked the weather only to find out that rain is moving into the area. And, right at that moment, I hear the drip..drip…drip of rain onto the metal roof outside the window. So, I run out onto the deck and grab my outter wear, jump into them before they got soaked and jump into the truck. Immediately, I was beginning to have doubts on my day. I’ll have the disadvantage of not being able to use my ears for today’s hunt.

After arriving at my parking spot, I gathered my gear and go to lock the door, but hit the horn button…”There ya go, Justin! Way to keep your hunting experiences consistent!”…as the horn sounds off four times. So, disgusted with myself, I head across the yard through an opening in the stone wall and stop to spray down with “Scent Killer”. I flip on the flashlight, load my gun, safety ON, and head across the field and into the woods.

It was a relatively quite walk through the damp grass and leaves, but once I entered the blind I realized that not only was the sound of the rain upon the leaves going to be an issue, but also the endless pitter-patter on the top of the blind.

It was pretty uneventful in the woods...but at least I was out there trying. A few squirrels, a hunter, and an owl that nearly flew inside the ground blind, were all I saw. I didn't bother putting out any estros scent or buck scrape scent...figured it probably wouldn't matter much. I don't think too many deer were in the area I was hunting, I think they remained largely within their bedding areas due to the rain. I don't think the mountain got a lot of pressure either. All of today I only saw two other hunters…the one that walked past my blind and another back at the road.

I called off the morning hunt at around nine-thirty and headed back to he farm to tend to the animals and check on my son. I’d hit the woods later in the day, but later that day the rain was even heavier so I didn’t bother going out again. Instead, I re-washed my clothes in preparation for the next day.

Pursuit 004

Unable to get out to set up the blind until today I quickly ran out to finish the search for an ideal spot for the blind. Unfortunately, I was in a bind for time since it was now noon, and I had to pick up my son from school at quarter till three.

As I reached the creek I noticed many new deer tracks along the creek. Were they now using the creek more since it was getting closer to winter? I decided to just pick up my blind and chair and continue searching the ridge for a spot to over-look both creeks…and if I didn’t find anything, I’d just pitch the blind across the creek from where I found the tracks. And, as it turned out, that’s exactly what happened.

After clumsily fettering with the blind and getting it set up, I sprayed it and the chair down with scent eliminator, tossed some leaves and small branches on top and ran out of the woods to pick up my son…leaving the blind to air out until opening day.

Pursuit 003

Since the end of Oct, I had picked up a ground blind and a new sight for my bow. So, over the last few days I had been getting the bow set-up again, which I found much easier with the new sight. The next thing I wanted to do was get the blind set up in a good spot for rifle season which was to open in just nine days.

At around half-past three in the afternoon, I headed out with my blind and folding chair to look for a good spot. I didn’t want it to be near the tree stand, so I entered the woods about two hundred yards north where my friend Karen and I had entered the woods on that initial exploration a couple years ago. I wasn’t too concerned about seeing game, I just wanted to get in, find a good spot along East Creek, set up, and get out of the woods.

As I approached the creek and crested the top of a small knoll in the woods, I heard movement to my left along the creek. Peering through the dense under growth ahead of me I spot the movement of two deer walking along the creek. I knelt down trying to see them again and then they appear passing through a small opening in the pines roughly thirty to thirty-five yards away. I never saw their heads but one was obviously much larger and much darker than the other.

I was a little troubled with the size of the larger deer and was actually questioning whether it was a deer at all. I had seen giant whitetails in North Dakota, but not here in the northeast. “Perhaps a moose?” I thought. But, the other was definitely a whitetail as I had seen it’s tail flicker as I watched it passed.

After I figured that the deer were gone, I stood back up and walked down to the creek where they had passed. I didn’t see any distinct trail, so I backed out away from the creek. I felt it would have been a decent area to put the blind but the location wouldn’t have allowed me to see the point where the two creeks met. A small ridge separated the creeks. I just had to find a good spot on the ridge.

As I worked my way along the creek I was unable to see much of the ridge through the thick pines. Shooting lanes would certainly be an issue no matter where I put the blind. Eventually I came upon the point where I normally cross the creek when exploring the wood lot, so I crossed it and started walking back down the creek along the ridge. However, as I reached the end of the ridge I realized that it was getting darker and the trees were getting denser. No way was I going to get the blind set up before dark, so I decided to hang my blind and chair on a tree and leave it there for the night. I’d be back out tomorrow to continue the search for a good spot.

Right I was too, to call it quits. Without a flashlight, I reached the car in the dark. Thankfully, the last couple hundred yards was through the field and not the dark woods.

Pursuit 002 - October

This little fella to the right is "Grey". I felt I should mention him for every time I was in my tree stand he would make his way across the forest floor to see me. Yes, I know it's actually a red squirrel. Oddly, and thankfully he never made a warning call to let the forest know that I was around. He'd just sit on the limb he's perched on in the photo, looking at me, and perhaps trying to figure out what I was or what I was doing up in a tree. Perhaps I'll go out and gather up a pile of pine cones for him to mess with during the winter.

From the Journal:

10/29/2009

"Did some scouting this afternoon out beyond my treestand. I had been out there a couple of times and knew there was a wood lot, but didn't want to get lost as I did the first time I explored the property. I had never really taken a good look at it though, so I just walked around. Found plenty of deer sign in one part of the logged area in the form of droppings, tracks, and trails. But, no rubs or scrapes yet."

"I also spooked something that was in the swamp (West Creek). Not sure what it was but it sounded too big to be a deer of the size I have seen around here. Had to have been a bear, moose, or a giant deer. I'm leaning towards a moose (they make me nervous). I'm not sure who owns the land that was cut, but I'm gonna try and find out tomorrow."

"On the way out from the logged area I tracked my way towards my tree stand and find fresh deer tracks right down the trail my stand overlooks...just 20 yards from my tree! The bugger! Not that I could have done anything today...the season is closed.

10/30/2009

"I called the family who owns the area that was select-harvested (the wood lot) last year and got permission to hunt the remainder of the property. It is essentially one-half square mile per my estimation, and includes the wood lot, pasture lands, swamps, and lake boundary area. She advised that I pick up property maps from the town and bring them by so she could define the boundary lines for me, if needed."

10/31/2009

"Scouting was a somewhat productive day. I determined that moose are indeed using the swamp. I saw one adult bull, numerous tracks and droppings. Saw some deer sign around the swamp, but not much. The wind has been blowing crazy all day with gusts over 40 mph, trees snapping off too. It was also warm today, around 65 degrees F and was difficult to keep from sweating."

Prior to Oct 29, I had permission only to hunt a small area of the property...a total of about 25 acres. My initial surveys of the property lead me to believe the deer may be using the area surrounding one of the homesteads and thus I decided to put my treestand at an area where the forest transitioned from hardwoods into pines along East Creek (an edge within the standing timber). I had found a point where two deer trails met and put my stand up to overlook the junction. My first half dozen hunts from the treestand revealed nothing, except that deer weren't passing through while I was sitting in the stand.

View of the left-hand trail passing my tree stand.

During October, my main objective was gaining access to the land and practicing with my bow and getting it re-tuned. I was sad that the early season was over, but there were times as I sat in the tree stand where I wasn't confident that I could hit anything anyways...and it bugged me. So, in the off-season I continued practicing and exploring more and more of the property.

Even at this point, I began to feel that my tree stand could be in a much better location, such as over looking the wood lot. I just didn't know where exactly to put it.

Pursuit 001

Well, since it was only misting rain this mornin', I rolled out of bed and hit the shower, and started gettin' ready for a wet sit in the tree, including my old military gore-tec jacket.

Now, of course this time I remember EVERYthing, including snacks so I load up the car and drive to the neighbors house. They won't be around until early December so I'm sure they won't mind me parking in their driveway....the rain picks up to a drizzle.

As I cross the field the ground feels like soaky moss, and though wet the field grass snaps like crisp Doritos. Finally, I reach the wooded edge and step to the wet leaves which are silent..thankfully...and then I notice a subtle babling sound..."Eh? That sounds like water." Immediately, I'm a little concerned as it sounds closer than the tree stand.

A couple of minutes later, I realize that I won't be making it to the tree stand today as a creek is now before my feet, and though it's raining, I'm not looking to get my feet soaked before sittin'. So, a quick change in plans and I'm sittin' under a small pine which is also sheltered under a larger one, just thirty yards from my tree. It's dark as I turn off the cap-light.

Almost immediately I can hear something moving but it's still too dark to do anything but sit still. The new creek is making it nearly impossible to hear anything but crisp snaps of twigs...I sit still.

A gust of wind in the tree tops was my warning...which I blankly missed. Another gust bows the tops of the trees. I only know they are swaying from the sound of knockin’ limbs. The roar in the tree tops dampens even the sound of the creek…only briefly. In hind-sight, think this was God trying to tell me “You got a few minutes to reach the car.” But, in the moment, I’m still thinking I'm better off sittin’ here under these trees than swaying in my tree-stand. The wind roars the tree tops again…and then it’s silent…with the exception of the creek, and light is just beginning to beckon through the trees.

It’s still twenty minutes before legal shooting, I’m nearly frozen with anticipation and excitement. My hands damp and pruning from the light drizzle. Then, it starts…rain. Well, first it’s just rain but it’s soon replaced by a waterfall of drenching bombs of liquid cold. So….I run, (and I didn’t waste a second to consider it),…all the way back to the car…completely soaked, and happy I wasn’t sitting in the treestand. I hop into the car putting the bow into the front passenger seat and that’s when I noticed the bow string. The previous morning I had heard what sounded like a single guitar string plucked. It appears that a couple of strands around the peep-sight may have made the sound…not sure exactly, but that is my suspicion.

Anyways…it’s pouring friggin’ hard outside the car…I’m soaked to the bone.. Even my buttcheeks feel the soggy cold. I head home, dump the clothes on the deck and run inside with just my boxers. Ah…warm. A towel and a new dry pair of boxers and I’m back in bed. Then I’m up again…gathering my wet clothes and tossing them into the wash. One more day left of bow season…so long as it’s not raining…I’m goin’ in the morning.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog!

Here, I'll be writing about a variety of interests, more as a way of keeping a journal, or simply sharing my own perspectives (we can never know enough of them).

The "Pursuit (nnn)" blogs will be a series of posts describing my little adventures into my new hunting area with particular attention to the wildlife, namely the White-tailed deer. This will be a learning process for myself, and perhaps others who are learning new hunting areas, so I am open to hearing your input on the habits of the White-tail or perhaps strategies I should try in the future. It's been a long time since I spent any time consistently hunting deer, and I have certainly forgotten much about their habits and tendencies. So, don't be surprised if I spout something that is common sense to other hunters. I'm relearning. Hopefully, I'll be able to add photos and maybe videos along with the blogs for eye-candy.

I will also be posting blogs about hunting, fishing, and snowboarding outings, archery lessons, recipes, and perhaps a political or spiritual writing on occasion. Just to warn you in advance, though, I am politically conservative (very anti-"big government progression", anti-"big commerce/business government", anti-lobby, anti-union, anti-Federal Reserve, and the list goes on, and perhaps I can further specify in a future blog). I am also a staunch but non-judgemental Christian. (Staunch only for myself. I'm not here to save humanity....sorry.)

Again, WELCOME to my new blog! I hope you find enlightenment through my brilliance or even entertainment out of my absurd stupidity...both of which I possess.