Wednesday, December 22, 2010

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. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

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.