It's beginning to look a lot like...

...the end of the pheasant season.  The birds are bunched up in the good cover and wary as heck.  They've been given the week off, at least from us.  We'll celebrate Christmas in the Black Hills over the weekend, and then next weekend give'em heck when the family arrives.  Here is a few pictures that I managed to snap this morning while out and about.  I had no problems finding pheasants, and a few other wildlife, but couldn't manage to get any good pics of much other than the pheasants. 

 A rooster takes refuge in a tangle of frosted trees. 

 A roadside ringneck.

Two roosters pick'in and grin'in.

The flock leaves it's winter sanctuary.

A little snow is scheduled to fall over the next several days, but it doesn't sound like it's going to amount to much.  We'll have a white Christmas either way.  Merry Christmas to all of you and a Happy New Year.  Best wishes in 2011. 

Coming out of retirement

We managed to talk her into dusting off the old boots and shouldering the gun again for the first time in about four or five years.  Jamie helped Bob and Jahn of PA corner a few ringnecks for a fun afternoon hunt.  She managed to bag one solo bird and miss a few others, but what can you expect.  All the girls used to hunt, but lately it's been only Abby the last several family hunts.  Jamie hung her hat up once Kellen was born, but we drug her along the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Stacie was "citified" or something shortly after she left for college. Not sure there's a better way to spend a beautiful Sunday afternoon in November than shooting a few roosters, especially when the temps get into the 50s.  It hasn't been the same since, but nothing to really complain about either.  It is December for crying out loud.  It looks like we'll get into the 40s once again, and then a chance of snow for the weekend.  Two more weeks jammed packed with hunters, and then things start to slow down.  In less than a month the season will be over.  Didn't we just get started?

It's been good, and it looks like things will be good through the end.  Who knows what "Old Man Winter" will bring, but so far so good.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Cordie failed to pull the trigger on a buck this year, so it's tag soup until we shoot some does for camp meat in the extended anterless season.  Plenty of them around so it should be a good, fun hunt.

Plethora of Puppies

They're here.  Brandon, John Wayne, and I made the trip to pick out our new pups.  Not much choice in my case since there was only one male in the litter. I was plenty happy though.  John Wayne was actually picking for Frank, and Brandon didn't take much time latching onto a cute little female that picked him.  We're still working on names, but my family has pretty much decided that ours will be called "Trigger", and I can't seem to come up with anything better, so it will most likely stick.  Brandon was also undecided, but probably got some help once he got home.  A few weeks of whining and potty training, and then we can move on to the more serious stuff.  Before we know it we'll have them in the field next year retrieving their first rooster.

Kellen and Claire latched on quickly as most kids do.  I'm sure when he starts knocking them down and chewing on their ears they'll have a little different perspective on that cute little ball of fur.  All the pups seemed to be in great shape, so we'll do our best not to mess them up and bring them up right.  That's all we can do along with getting them in the pheasant fields for tons of fun.  Lots of things to look forward to.

Venison Victory!!

Sure I didn't have to fill my tag on the opening day of rifle season, but I saw an opportunity and took it.  Besides that who knew if I'd get another one.  Not a great buck, but definitely respectable and a mature deer.  He attempted to fool me and other hunters by bedding down in some waist-high CRP, but I got lucky and happened to walk right up on him after failing to find him in the binocs.  He took off running leaving me with one shot.  Not one I usually take, but it was my only choice in this case.  I was lucky once again and rolled him with one shot.  Kellen held a leg while I field dressed him, and asked when we could eat him.  I sent him to the locker plant for summer sausage because of time constraints, but more tags will be filled, and soon we will have fresh backstrap on the grill. 

There's a lot of good deer in the country and Cordie, John Wayne, and Brandon have tags to fill yet, along with an archery tag for me.  A couple more does with either the bow or rifle and the freezer should be full.  The rut is in full swing, and the weather is turning more winter like which should provide for a good setting on bagging a big one.  We'll keep you posted.

What have you done lately?

I know, I know.  It's been a long time coming and finally after 28 days of the regular season, I'm sitting down to update the blog.  It's been busy and that's good.  The bird numbers have been great.  Not sure if better than the last couple of years, but close enough to not be able to tell the difference.  The weather has been great too.  A little warm a few days and only two days of rain, with a day of blowing snow mixed in.  Other than that it's been a perfect season.  If the next 40 days are as good as the first part of the season, we'll be blessed.  Today is one of those rain days, but everybody is in the lodge already where it is warm and dry.  A preserve hunt may be in order, since that is what most have been doing to fill the time.  It looks as though some more seasonal weather is upon us, but we're ready for it, and so are the dogs. 

Speaking of the dogs, they're all down to their fighting weight, except for maybe Copper who seems to be holding on to a few extra pounds.  Maybe he's just big boned.  Some new pups are on their way, and Brandon, Frank, and myself are set to get them around Thanksgiving.  I'll do my best to keep everyone updated, but I can't promise anything. 

Deer season is just around the corner, so hopefully we'll have some big buck pictures after this weekend to post.  Thanks for keeping up with us, and we look forward to seeing those of you who are set to come in yet.  A big thanks to those of you who have been here already to make this a great year.

On the Road Again

The Snake Den crew has been busy the last couple of weeks preparing for the upcoming barrage of guests, but we have managed to slip in a little fun here and there.  Last weekend, Cordie and Marlys traveled with Brandon, Abby and Jack to the Twin Cities to visit Johnny and Stacie.  While there they took in a Twins game on Saturday, which they won, and then watched the Vikings lose on Sunday before they headed for home.

This past weekend I was able to travel to Lincoln, NE with some friends and watch the Huskers take on our very own SDSU Jackrabbits.  We were fortunate enough to be traveling with a former Husker player and were given a tour of the football and athletic facilities by former coach Tom Osbourne.  We were also traveling with a former Jackrabbit, but he did us no good in the sea of red.

When I returned home on Sunday, Cordie, Marlys, Kellen, and I headed west to Rapid City.  Monday morning we were up bright and early headed for Custer State Park and the annual Buffalo Roundup.  It was quite the experience from the off-the-beaten-path route that I took, to waiting in line for a couple of hours just to park, to watching the herd crest the hill headed for the corrals.  A cool experience overall.  I encourage you to do a quick search and watch one of the many videos out there that capture the sights and sounds of the Roundup. 

Tuesday we made a trip to gather supplies, and the rest of the week will be spent preparing for hunters that will arrive on Friday.  We're looking forward to getting in the field again.  There should be even more birds that will be identifiable, and the weather looks pretty good for a pheasant hunt.  It's also opening weekend of the antelope season, so we'll see if we can slip out and put a little meat in the freezer.

Snake Den Firsts

Last week at the Snake Den we encountered several things that had never happened before.  On September 1st, the opener of the Preserve season we were in the field with the first group of the year.  It felt good to get out early in the morning, and have that first rooster flush underfoot and fall to the sounds of autumn.  There were actually a lot of roosters that flushed and flew away unscathed because they were still too young to identify.  Eventually, we found enough older birds that we had a dozen or so in the bag, and it was time to head in for lunch.  That concluded the first day of the season with many more to look forward to.  The boys headed to the River to meet Brandon for an afternoon of fishing.  Six walleyes in the bag, and 30 mph winds switched the plans to the next days hunt

The second day began like no other had as we headed to the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation for a buffalo hunt.  Jared was looking for a young bull, and it didn't take long to find one.  Jared's guide picked a young bull out of the herd and got Jared into position for a shot.  One shot from the rifle and bison dropped to the ground.  Jared was unsure of his shooting abilities with a borrowed rifle and the adrenaline rush that he was experiencing.  One buffalo down, a couple bites of liver (Dances with Wolves style), and a dozen pheasants to go, so off we went. 

It was a little breezy the second afternoon, so the shooting was a bit of a challenge, but we managed to bag our birds and head in for the day.  The third morning was similar to the first, and before we knew it the first group of the season was in the books, and headed down the road.  Definitely a great way to start the season.

Shipping and Handling

A few changes to discuss for the upcoming season at the Snake Den.  First we'll discuss shipping of firearms.  The information on the website will be updated soon, but until then here is the procedure to follow.

The Snake Den does have a Federal Firearms License now, so we can receive firearms from hunters prior to them arriving.  Firearms can be shipped via FedEx.  The box/case should be addressed as such:

"Firearm Owner"
c/o Snake Den Lodge
110 E. Medicine Creek Dr.
Presho, SD 57568

The FedEx carrier must be informed that you are shipping a firearm, but the box should not be labeled as such.  The gun must be unloaded and shells can not be shipped.  When you are done hunting you will ship the firearm back to yourself.

Another change we will be looking at is how we clean and ship/transport birds.  The State has changed the rules regarding what must be left on a bird for identification.  As a wildlife processing facility we are able to remove all plumage, legs, head, and wings for storage and transportation.  Hunters may take home just the breast  and legs if they desire.  The Snake Den is recommending that if hunters wish to have their birds cleaned this way that they should bring with them a collapsible cooler which would easily hold nine to 15 birds and be allowed as a carry-on bag for air travel.  This will be something new for everyone, so it may take some time to get the kinks out, but it should make it easier to get the birds home and in the frying pan.  We're looking forward to seeing everyone for another great pheasant season.

And the survey says....

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks released their brood route survey over the weekend, and as expected things look pretty good for the upcoming year.  You can read the full report here. 

Overall, the state showed a modest increase of 3%, but local trends increased 22% depending on which region you want to look at.  We have two routes in Lyman County that are considered part of three different regions.  The Pierre region saw a 22% increase, while Chamberlain and Winner showed 12 and 26 % decreases.  The number of broods counted and brood size did increase which will have the biggest impact on our season.  This correlates pretty well to what we have been seeing in the field. 

After a little harder winter we are happy with what we are seeing, which will be very similar if not better than the last two years.  The number of birds/mile in one route across the county nearly doubled, while the other decreased slightly.  We're looking forward to getting out there and kicking around.  We take out the first group tomorrow for the opening of the Preserve season which will be a good tune-up before the regular season.  Fall is here, and although we can't put up the concrete tools completely this is a step in the right direction.

Big bangs come early

I mentioned that we've been battling Mother Nature, but for the most part we've been fairly lucky in Presho.  Even after the storm went through on Saturday evening and all of the damage was taken in, we still have to say it could have been worse.  It's been worse in other parts of the state and other states also, but we take it in stride and clean up and move on.  Not the best way to spend the 4th of July holiday, but we can't control everything. The pictures tell the story.  With grain bins emptied in anticipation of harvest the straight-line winds made quick work of the sheet metal.

This office may have saved ours.

Rural grain bins laid to rest in some of the near harvest wheat.

A true lumberjack couldn't have placed it any better.

Future perch spawning habitat.

As I write this the rain continues to fall, but once again we've missed out on the hail and tornadic activity.  We'll continue to do our best to live right and count our blessings.

You and me against the world

So far so good.  We finished mowing trees last week and planting food plots.  Mother Nature has tested us this year, but so far things are looking good.  Kellen and I had no problem finding a pheasant chick to take a quick picture with.  While mowing there were plenty among the trees causing us to stop often while they scurried in and out of cover.  We even found hens that were still nesting, so that means more to come.

 

We've been seeing broods of all sizes ranging from a few per hen , to as many as 16.  In about a month the SD GF&P will begin brood counts, but it looks as though we could be in for some high numbers. 

Speaking of high numbers, the State released their survey numbers for the 2009 pheasant season.  Lyman County was second in pheasants harvested with over 90,000 roosters taken.  Over 1.6 million birds were harvested throughout the state.  If things continue down this path it should be even more in 2010.

They sure do grow up fast...

Everyone has heard this especially if you raised kids of your own, but no where is it more true than in nature.  I happened to bump into the set of whitetail twins that I found nearly a month ago.  Quite a difference between those first days when it was difficult for them to even get up and keep their legs under them, but now they're up and running covering 40 yards quicker than even the fastest athletes.  What a difference thirty days can make. They still know their best defense is to lay motionless and stay close to where their mother leaves them.  Mother does know best.  Not even a deerfly bite in the eye can make them flinch.

The pheasants seem to be growing just as fast also, but we'll be running into quite the variety.  I've seen a couple broods that have grown nearly as big as a partridge, and some have not even hatched yet.  No pictures yet, but I'll try to roust up a few and capture them as they develop into that long-tailed cackling rooster.

Who gives a hoot?

We do.  With all the rain that we've received lately it's been a little tough to plant food plots, but we did manage to find some time and some land that was dry enough on Fathers Day.  The majority of the planting is done although we've still got plenty to do. With another shower on Sunday night the new plantings got a good soaking (not that they needed it), but the rest of the planting will be pushed back a few more days. 

While Cordie planted away I managed to slip out and look for some photo-ops, and found this young great-horned owl in the pond on "Old 16-North" as we like to call it.  It's sibling was sitting nearby on another downed, and drowning tree, but was hidden by the grass.  As I snuck closer for a better shot they quickly took to the air and a drier and safer spot in one of the still standing Cottonwood trees.   One of the parents perched nearby and with more of my annoying movements they all soon took to a different area.  

If I don't blink, you can't see me.

  

Stripes and Spots are in this Spring!!

I'm no fashion expert, but from what I gathered while mowing trees last week was, that if you're a baby animal born in the month of May or June you better be wearing stripes or spots.  They all look pretty cute right now, and we seen everything from pheasants to ducks to whitetail deer, and even some rabbits.  We were lucky enough to catch a pheasant nest hatching out, and although I kind of muffed the pictures you get the idea.  I may have another chance since we marked about 25 nests.  This weekend Cordie counted and we still had 14 hens sitting on anything from about 6 to 20 eggs.  I counted three different broods that were already hatched while I was mowing between the trees at K&M, and saw at least six chicks in one and eight in another. 

The ducks should have a good year also.  This small mallard brood followed its mother everywhere she went.  We've got two other duck nests marked- a pintail, and blue-winged teal.  They should be hatching any day also if they haven't already.  June is the primetime when nests can pop at any minute.

This whitetail fawn lay motionless as I snuck close to take a picture with my phone.  After going by it the several times with the tractor and mower it had had enough and moved to a more peaceful place.  It's twin sibling lay only a few trees away down the same row, but didn't have the nerves of steel to let the tractor pass by.  It too scurried away on shaky newborn legs for another shady spot under a tree.  Momma wasn't too far off and had rounded the two up within a couple of hours of me leaving the area.  I spotted a third fawn in a different tree row that also found a more peaceful hiding spot.  All in all things are looking good for the fall. 

It needs to dry out a little before we can start planting food plots, but the chance of rain everyday this week, may not help us there.  There's still time, and everything else is top notch so we're not worried.  Once we do get them in the ground they should come up quick and thick with all the moisture.  Plenty of things to look forward to.

First Fish...

...of this year, of course.  Kellen and I got to spend a little time fishing and checking out the ponds while we mowed around the trees at K&M.  It was a successful outing with a couple of bass being caught along with one bluegill.  The fish seem to be in good shape, and it looks like the bass had a good spawn last year after we placed them in the pond. Lots of little LMB were spotted in the shallows.   I spotted several bluegills setting up their beds to spawn so they seem to be getting along fine also.  Not sure about the perch pond, but their is definitely life.  We haven't managed to catch anything yet, but their is plenty of food in the form of the minnows that we put in there last year.  We had a few bites, but nothing officially hooked and landed.

I've been thinking about adding a thing or two to the ponds, but as of now they seem to be in pretty good shape.  We'll continue to check on them as often as we can and keep everyone updated on any exciting finds.  I guess when it comes to fish patience is the key.  Don't forget to take a kid fishing.

Turkeys Win!!

As close as he would come.

It's been a while, but we did manage to get one day of turkey hunting in.  Armed with our bows this nice gobbler was not giving us a chance, but some others did although we managed to let those opportunities slip through our fingers.  Since the season closed Sunday we'll have to wait until next spring, or at least until this fall.

You lookin' at me?

Maybe it was the intimidating jake that kept them away, but I think it had more to do with the cool, wet spring, and that the turkeys were mostly bunched up.  Any attempts at calling were met with some pretty aggressive calls from the boss hen in any group that came close enough to check us out.  The one single gobbler that came in to kick this jake's butt hesitated slightly, but eventually faced him and was met with an arrow from my bow, but the hit was not fatal and I failed to recover him.

A dancing duo.

This pair of toms also visited our setup in late afternoon, but after several minutes of cat and mouse they managed to pass on the backside of our blind.  Due to some errors in decoy and blind placement we were never offered a shot.  I did manage to snap a few pictures, but not exactly what I had in mind.  It was a good time, but with no more opportunities both Cordie and I will be eating tag soup.  Dalton, John's son, did manage to kill a bird with his bow, so we were not completely skunked.

I also managed to slip south into Nebraska, but things didn't go much better there.  We encountered many of the same problems with bunched up birds and gobblers not interested in coming to a call.  We did manage to scratch out two birds between six hunters, so a poor percentage for turkey hunting fools.

By the way...

I recently changed the settings on the blog to make it easier for readers to comment.  I was not aware that this was possible, and I had several people tell me that they would comment if it wasn't such a pain in the butt.  I finally figured it out, so I hope everyone can feel free to leave a comment now and then.  We're currently on the road pouring concrete, but with the weather forecast it looks like we might get some farming done when we get back home.  Hope all is well. 

The Roundup

Cowboys roundup the herd at Custer State Park.  photo courtesy of www.travelsd.com

If you're looking for a way to enhance an already great South Dakota pheasant hunt, how about watching the roundup of 1500 wild bison.  Every year the the roundup occurs at Custer State Park as a management practice to control the herd size.  Nearly 1500 bison, or buffalo are gathered to be sorted, vaccinated, and a certain number auctioned off. It's another great opportunity in SD to view nature in an up-close and personal capacity.

This year the roundup will occur on Monday, September 27, 2010.  The roundup caps a three day festival celebrating western and Native American culture.  At the Snake Den we view this as a great way to either end or begin a pheasant hunt at the Lodge.  For those interested, transportation can be provided for the event. 

The hunt would be conducted on the preserve which consists of nearly 800 acres of land intensely managed for the best pheasant hunting found anywhere.  With over 70 acres of food plots, 50 acres of trees, and over 200 acres of grassland and upland habitat, the ringneck pheasant reigns supreme.  The property also boasts two ponds filled with bass, bluegill, and perch.  Additional opportunities are available for sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chickens, as the grouse season opens September 18, 2010. 

Email (schlomer@kennebectelephone.com) or call (605-895-2452) Cordie to book your Snake Den adventure.

Spring Chickens II

Here it is, about a minute of video taken from about 20 minutes of video which could have been over two hours long. It was a great experience that the video doesn't do justice, but at least you get the idea. The blind was located on the Fort Pierre National Grasslands, and this particular blind happened to be donated by the Audubon Society. Reservations can be made through the Forest Service Ranger Station in Ft. Pierre. There are three blinds located on the grasslands, and the birds should continue to display through May. The peak is nearly over though, as most females should be nesting shortly.

Spring Chickens

A male prairie chicken displays to attract a willing female.

I spent Saturday in a grouse viewing blind, watching one of the best spectacles in nature that South Dakota has to offer. Although the temperature was below freezing it didn't seem to have much of an affect on the grouse, or more specifically the prairie chickens, in this case.

Which will she choose?

I entered the blind an hour before sunrise, which happened to be about 5:20 AM. It wasn't long and I was inundated with several "booming" males getting a jump on the sun and setting up their territories. It was something else to here all the chatter, but not be able to see a bird. It wasn't long and their bright orange air-sacs could be seen through the early morning light.

You wanna fight about it?

Males dance and "boom" to attract a mate, or two.

The "booming" ground is called a lek, which about a dozen males showed up to this weekend. Only three females came in to check them out, but I was too busy trying to watch everything that I missed any actual matings. Generations of these chickens have most likely been coming back to this site for years. It was a great opportunity and I encourage everyone to make an attempt to sit in on this spectacle if they ever get the chance.

I also took video of the morning events, but have not figured out how to put it up. As soon as I figure it out you can find it here.

Hit'em high, hit'em low

One of the projects we have completed so far this spring is the concrete work and construction of a high house and low house for the new skeet range, which was overlaid at the existing trap range. It is a nice addition to the area and we look forward to using it once the weather straightens out. It will also give the guys here in the fall something to do for a few hours if they feel so inclined.

We just returned from our first grain bin pour near Wall on the edge of the Badlands. We got to drive through the park in the morning and afternoons going to and from the job site. Where the buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play as the song says. We also got to see the grouse do their dance, along with prairie dogs, coyotes and other wildlife. Many of you have taken the Loop so you know what I'm talking about. We even tried to convince Robert that the yearling buffalo would be nice, but he wouldn't quite go for it. A little less work, and another SLAP or two and he might have went for it. We completed the project just in time for it to receive some rain and even possibly some snow.

We also managed to get another 2500 trees replanted, and some of the food plots worked. It looks like it could be a while before we're in the field again. Looking to get a chance at checking on our fish also, but the weather needs to straighten out for that to. It will all get done in time, and soon enough we'll be talking about how hot and dry it is, and that we can't wait for fall/winter.

Cordie and Marlys have also moved into their new house. Nearly everything is complete with a few minor things here and there. Some time this summer we will get the deck attached, but for now I believe they're happy to be situated. The additional rooms will also be finished this summer when we get some time.

Jack's First Hunt

Some people might say we start them a little young, but I'd like to think that's not possible. Jack and Brandon shared their first hunt together as Brandon took out a couple pesky rabbits and a beaver. Oh sure it's not pheasants, but that will be soon enough. Abby is sure there will be plenty more to come. We'll look forward to sharing those memories with you also.

Other than that things have been cool and wet for the most part. It's raining as I put this together and they're predicting nearly six inches of snow for the NW part of the state. We're looking forward to a little warmer drier weather, but we're still getting some things done, so we can't complain too much.

To Jack!!

A tidbit of great news from Brandon and Abby. Congrats!!

Jack Bradley was born on Thursday, March 25th at 6:01 pm. Abby tried waiting patiently for Jack to arrive, but when he was four days late, she decided to get the ball rolling. Jack weighed in at 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 ½ inches long, which was actually much smaller than they told us he was going to be!

We have already had a bunch of visitors over in Reliance, including his cousins Kellen (3 years) and Claire (7 months). We have decided that Jack could be the luckiest little grandbaby around because he has two sets of wonderful grandparents to spoil him… hopefully not too much ;)

Brandon

They're Back!!

After a couple month leave of absence, the turkeys have returned. We're not sure where they've been, but we're happy to have them back. We noticed a couple of months ago that the bunch of turkeys that always hung around were gone, all but one of them anyway. Pretty soon there were none. Recently though three birds returned, two toms and one jake, and then the other morning I found these seven. Four more hens showed up, and the boys were puttin' on a show near the lodge. The jake was keeping his distance but was doing his best to shake what he was given. I'm hoping that I can see the two big boys throw down some day, but I'm not sure it will happen. I'm a little afraid that this group is abstinent and they're just a bunch of pretenders. Time will only tell.
Cordie and I were unsuccessful in drawing our Lyman County spring turkey tags, but we can pick up an archery tag, which is what we hunt anyway. The season opens April 10, and it looks like it could be cool and soggy. These birds will most likely remain safe unless we get real desperate.

Golf Anyone?

Pictured is Hole 4 at the Medicine Creek Golf Course. For those of you who are familiar with the Course will notice that the creek is much wider than normal. The teebox is in the foreground where you must hit over the creek. Usually the creek is not much to worry about since most golfers shank it right out of bounds over th road. It might be a little bit more of a distraction now, but the course probably won't be open for a few more weeks. The slightly warmer temperatures are finally causing some snow to melt and the rain that we received last week are dumping quite a little runoff. The creek has risen quite a lot causing local flooding, but many areas of the state are getting it much worse. The White River, which is Lyman county's southern border has had several large ice jams and is flooding many area farms and ranches, homes, roads and bridges.

Cordie: John, you sneak through the culvert and hide behind the dam grade until we come around from the South.

John: Sneak through the culvert? Under the Interstate? Hide behind what?

How many of you have heard that before? Pictured is the culvert that runs beneath the Interstate that many of you gun-toting pheasant hunters have traversed before. If you plan on doing it now, I hope you brought your kayak. I'm assuming that most of the pheasants that are normally in this little honey-hole have found higher ground, but they will return once the water recedes and the cattails provide them cover once again. We'll hope the culvert dries out for the next lucky hunter who gets put in the sweet spot.

All the runoff is also causing Brakke Dam to run over its' spillway. I haven't checked for a few days, but Cordie reported that even more was spilling over a couple days after this picture was taken. There's still a little snow to melt and we've got a chance at some more precipitation on Thursday and Friday. Once things calm down and begin to warm up the pheasants will be ready to start their yearly breeding and nesting. With all the moisture the cover will be good for raising lots of little chicks. Things are looking good.

And the Winner is...

Congratulations to Hank Lind of Las Vegas, NV. He is our 2010 "Free Hunt" winner. We usually get this announcement out with our end of the year letter, but we forgot to mention it there. We did send Hank a notice that his hunt would be on us this year.

It seems as though there should be plenty of birds around when Hank arrives in the fall. Although it's been cold the weather has let up a little and Spring is just around the corner. We'll keep hoping for the best and doing whatever it is we can do to keep them healthy until next fall. We'll see you then.