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.