Might be the last time...I hunt for elk and deer this year.

[Ugly Sauce]

The ten inches of snow was a bit tiring to walk through, and there is only until 12-8 when season closes. This could be it, unless I take to the snow-shoes, which are a work out to walk in. (as you may know!)(other than "groomed" snow shoe trails...where you don't even need them) Anyhow, my lunch break today. 23 degrees but I was plenty warm and stayed out all day. Jumped up some deer who snuck around behind me. Don't think there was an elk for miles...but I would not have missed a minute of it. Weapons of choice? Well the Little Brat and the Rose of Alabama of course!


Found this froggy-fresh deer bed, on top of a little rocky hill-thing, tricky devil could see almost 360 degrees, and at least 200 yards in any direction. There's a heavy game trail/path/old logging road directly below. !!! May have jumped him up but never saw him. My lunch spot was just another 20 yards from here...me and that deer must think alike. Lots of tracks today, deer coyote, and of course Bruce the moose seems to have been everywhere. Never saw him though. The Tricky Buck (suspect it's a buck), the Little Brat, and Rosie all say: "Thanks for listening"!

 

[Wolfshead]

I’m envious of your hunting grounds!
Sometimes I feel it is more work to wear the snow shoes than it is to just trudge through the snow.
Hopefully you’ll be able to get back out again
Best wishes on the rest of your season!

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I’m envious of your hunting grounds!
Sometimes I feel it is more work to wear the snow shoes than it is to just trudge through the snow.
Hopefully you’ll be able to get back out again
Best wishes on the rest of your season!

Thank you. Yes, there is a fine line between when the snow is deep enough, or the condition of the snow (powder, hard crust, etc.) to where the snow shoes can be as much as a work out as trudging. Walking like a high-stepping duck is not a walk in the park. I find them best when the snow is deep, but not too powdery. Deep snow with some crust is the most easy going, which is never really easy. Snow shoes are a work-out under any conditions, but enable one to go, where no man has gone before...without shoes. !!! The best situation is when you have two or three other guys, and can rotate in and out of the lead trail breaking position, and into tail end Charlie. That makes for easy going.

If I don't get back out to hunt, I'll put on the shoes, travel lighter than when I'm packing a rifle, and find a spot to make a fire, drink some coffee, and just..."be there". But for hunting, probably not, I have some big trees to cut down, wood to split. That kind of stuff...the stacked and split wood piles I have are shrinking at a fearsome pace! And...snow removal... snow lingers just over the horizon! Among them clouds. Long driveway...parking areas...trails to the splitter and the wife's chickens...it never ends!

 

[stillquietvoice]

The ten inches of snow was a bit tiring to walk through, and there is only until 12-8 when season closes. This could be it, unless I take to the snow-shoes, which are a work out to walk in. (as you may know!)(other than "groomed" snow shoe trails...where you don't even need them) Anyhow, my lunch break today. 23 degrees but I was plenty warm and stayed out all day. Jumped up some deer who snuck around behind me. Don't think there was an elk for miles...but I would not have missed a minute of it. Weapons of choice? Well the Little Brat and the Rose of Alabama of course!
View attachment 1118842
View attachment 1118844
Found this froggy-fresh deer bed, on top of a little rocky hill-thing, tricky devil could see almost 360 degrees, and at least 200 yards in any direction. There's a heavy game trail/path/old logging road directly below. !!! May have jumped him up but never saw him. My lunch spot was just another 20 yards from here...me and that deer must think alike. Lots of tracks today, deer coyote, and of course Bruce the moose seems to have been everywhere. Never saw him though. The Tricky Buck (suspect it's a buck), the Little Brat, and Rosie all say: "Thanks for listening"!

Nice area glad you got out, hope you can get out again. I have 1 more weekend of regular season then 8 days of ml foll I we'd by 6 day special ml season. Didn't get out this weekend at all, caught a cold or so.ething opening g weekend and all I want to do is sleep, wife caught it too. Still going to work, but quite fatigued. Hopefully it'll be over next weekend.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Thanks!

Oh dang! Get well soon! About a month ago wife and I both got something, it was bad. Yep, all I did was sleep! Recovery was slow. And the wife almost never gets sick. Some super power alien immune system or something.

My work at home is piling up fast, so I don't think I'll be out again. Snowing again right now, and as mentioned the stacked and split wood is going fast. Lots of stuff I should have done this summer, but didn't. But who knows, maybe I'll catch up a bit, season open until the 8th, and I'll put on the snowshoes and give it a try. Did see some decent deer sign only about a mile or so in last time, I could get that far on the shoes. We'll see!