The Fall Side of Things
Fall activities have been in full swing for awhile now. We’ve been dabbling in the turkey hunting, the deer hunting, and the duck hunting. I missed the duck opener this year but the rest of the season is off to a solid start. Can we get some more of this early November cold front please! I’m watching it snow out the window right now after scratching some birds out this morning.
The old dog has been out a few times although an ear infection kept him out for a week and then today’s 21 degree weather. But I think he gets to hunt tomorrow! There are actually quite a few birds around and quite the variety around right now. Killing them is a different story and I’m still waiting on that shell burner hunt. I’ve shot mallards, wood ducks, and green wing teal so far but I’d like to switch tactics soon and pursue some divers.
The deer hunting has been entertaining. I missed a big chunk of the season to the incredibly warm temps we had in October. I guess I’m picky about what temps I’m going to kill a deer in and I really didn’t get big buck fever enough to get out there. We ate the last of last years 5 deer this week so it is time for a freezer refresh. I did get a few exciting hunts in though including one ground spot and stalk that almost paid off. With the recent cold front though I’m choosing ducks over bucks and I put the compound bow away. Time for the 450 to come out this Saturday.
One of the more fun activities this fall has been the turkey hunting. I have a little hunting buddy now and Mabel has put in the time to make it happen. We’ve had some close calls but in true turkey fashion the turkeys never do exactly what they are supposed to. We also got to experience our first miss. An awesome spot, stalk, and calling sequence. Brought a big group within 10 yards, unfortunately she could see them because she was hidden on the wrong side of the tree. My fault! But I thought they were going to her side and it was the only thing we had to hide behind. Regardless pulling off a sequence of events like that with an 8 year old was pretty fun. Our miss was while the turkeys were on the way out and was a good lesson learned. I don’t know if we will make it out again before the season closes but I am proud of her efforts and it was fun to see some deer while we were out there. I did score my fall bird at least and we all appreciated some turkey tenders for dinner last night.
Going forward, filling that freezer and duck hunting will be the priority. I’m sure there will be some more big lake fishing too. If you’ve been keeping up there are a couple of recent reports. I am ready for some fast lake trout action soon.
