Sitting around on Thanksgiving Monday trying to make up my mind what to do with myself? Family are all occupied around the house(s), grandchildren running around acting like kids, decibel levels are slightly below a jet plane, son in law had to work and the snow has put an end to farming for a while.
I'm gettin' old I guess cause in my mind I was reminiscing about the "old" days at my Pa's hunting lodge when I was still a kid. I didn't feel like hunting but I wanted to putter so I grabbed my fav rifle, called my son in laws old Lab, fueled up the Husky and loaded everything on my quad.
We putted up to my north quarter and headed down the bush trails never exceeded 8 km per hour. The old dog was trotting easily beside me without hurting himself. Watched a couple of Whitetail does and fawns for a while then continued on our way. Stopped and fired up the Husky and cleared a big old poplar off the trail. Moved on down the trail stopping to clear a few downed trees off the trail along the way.
Turned off on one of the side trails and went down slope to the muskeg where I put up one of my cameras on a well used trail. Watched the famous Lab nose go to work so sat there on the quad and watched him throw circles. Sure enough a short while later I heard the Burrrr of wings as a couple of Ruffies took flight. He came back with a big ole Lab grin on his face and his tongue hanging out.
Just as we were exiting the small muskeg area a cow and calf moose walked out and stood there looking at us. A minute later a young paddle bull joined them. He was interested in her but she was having nothing to do with him and told him so with a hoof strike to his chest when he approached her. The calf was interested in us and had started to move closer so before things got tense I decided to fire up the quad and make some noise and movement. That did the trick and all the moose walked into the trees.
So much for the idea that quads and chain saws bother the game.
Came out on our back meadow, about 15 acres or so, and circled looking for sign. Lots of elk tracks and I could see where they had been tasting my hay bales despite 18 inches or so of good alfalfa re-growth still above the snow. I was mildly surprised that there were no poachers tracks in the new snow as this field is abused regularly.
When I left the field at the far end to head up another trail I cut a coyote track so I stopped and double checked the Browning. Tape still over the muzzle, scope still clear, mag in my pocket ready. If Mr Coyote makes a mistake and shows himself he is going to have a bad day. Found a couple of BIG poplars down across the trail. Ugh...this is going to be work! But my Husky was sharp, took my time, made the pieces small enough and threw everything off the trail. The Lab got tired of waiting for me and wandered off smelling his world. As I was sitting on the quad regaining my breath and cooling off he returned with that big old grin on his face again.
I decided to take a side trail that lead out to one of my hay fields to see if I could maybe catch that coyote in the open but when we arrived the only thing in the field was a couple of young spiker Whitetails. We weren't 100 yards from them but they had their heads down in the re-growth alfalfa and had no idea we were there. I finally started the quad and turned down a trail that took us to the top of a hill over looking some muskeg where it transitions to high ground. Always a good spot to see game but nothing today.
We finally headed down the trails for home, a bit cold, a bit tired, but feeling pretty good. I went slow cause the old dog was starting to feel his age but he still had that big old Lab grin on his face. When we arrived home I pulled the quad into the shop and the dog sat down beside the quad, first looking at me, then back at the quad. I told him "Yeah, I know old pard, I enjoyed it too,but it's time for supper. Let's go get some turkey."
All in all, a pretty good day.
I'm gettin' old I guess cause in my mind I was reminiscing about the "old" days at my Pa's hunting lodge when I was still a kid. I didn't feel like hunting but I wanted to putter so I grabbed my fav rifle, called my son in laws old Lab, fueled up the Husky and loaded everything on my quad.
We putted up to my north quarter and headed down the bush trails never exceeded 8 km per hour. The old dog was trotting easily beside me without hurting himself. Watched a couple of Whitetail does and fawns for a while then continued on our way. Stopped and fired up the Husky and cleared a big old poplar off the trail. Moved on down the trail stopping to clear a few downed trees off the trail along the way.
Turned off on one of the side trails and went down slope to the muskeg where I put up one of my cameras on a well used trail. Watched the famous Lab nose go to work so sat there on the quad and watched him throw circles. Sure enough a short while later I heard the Burrrr of wings as a couple of Ruffies took flight. He came back with a big ole Lab grin on his face and his tongue hanging out.
Just as we were exiting the small muskeg area a cow and calf moose walked out and stood there looking at us. A minute later a young paddle bull joined them. He was interested in her but she was having nothing to do with him and told him so with a hoof strike to his chest when he approached her. The calf was interested in us and had started to move closer so before things got tense I decided to fire up the quad and make some noise and movement. That did the trick and all the moose walked into the trees.
So much for the idea that quads and chain saws bother the game.
Came out on our back meadow, about 15 acres or so, and circled looking for sign. Lots of elk tracks and I could see where they had been tasting my hay bales despite 18 inches or so of good alfalfa re-growth still above the snow. I was mildly surprised that there were no poachers tracks in the new snow as this field is abused regularly.
When I left the field at the far end to head up another trail I cut a coyote track so I stopped and double checked the Browning. Tape still over the muzzle, scope still clear, mag in my pocket ready. If Mr Coyote makes a mistake and shows himself he is going to have a bad day. Found a couple of BIG poplars down across the trail. Ugh...this is going to be work! But my Husky was sharp, took my time, made the pieces small enough and threw everything off the trail. The Lab got tired of waiting for me and wandered off smelling his world. As I was sitting on the quad regaining my breath and cooling off he returned with that big old grin on his face again.
I decided to take a side trail that lead out to one of my hay fields to see if I could maybe catch that coyote in the open but when we arrived the only thing in the field was a couple of young spiker Whitetails. We weren't 100 yards from them but they had their heads down in the re-growth alfalfa and had no idea we were there. I finally started the quad and turned down a trail that took us to the top of a hill over looking some muskeg where it transitions to high ground. Always a good spot to see game but nothing today.
We finally headed down the trails for home, a bit cold, a bit tired, but feeling pretty good. I went slow cause the old dog was starting to feel his age but he still had that big old Lab grin on his face. When we arrived home I pulled the quad into the shop and the dog sat down beside the quad, first looking at me, then back at the quad. I told him "Yeah, I know old pard, I enjoyed it too,but it's time for supper. Let's go get some turkey."
All in all, a pretty good day.
