01/16/2010

Location: Ohioville Gamelands/South Beaver Gamelands
Temp: 40 degrees
Wind: N/A
Weather: Snow melting, one inch in places, nothing under pines.

I went out for small game today. I wasn't very motivated, I just wanted to get out for a walk since it was a nice day. I went to the Ohioville Gamelands first. I had two squirrels running around, but did I really want to clean them? Nah, let them go. Hung out for awhile and had a bunch of birds flying around. Juncos, titmice (or is it titmouses?, i never know...), nuthatches, etc. but I forgot my binos so I was kind of pissed. Deer tracks all over my archery spot. I'm sure they're grouped up now and moving in packs of 10+ and were hitting the cut-corn.

Anyway, left there and went to South Beaver gamelands. No rabbits. I thought I might have seen some but had no luck. No coyotes but a ton of tracks. Also a lot of deer tracks. One was maybe the smallest track I've ever seen. I should have taken a picture. Oh well.

I did come across two bluebirds. I took the camera but I couldn't get close enough to get a good shot. (I'm hoping to get some shots of warblers this summer but with this camera it isn't gonna happen.) I did take a close up of the sumac drupes that they were pecking away at.


Until next time.

01/09/2010

Location: McConnell's Mill State Park
Temp: 20 degrees
Weather: Finished snowing, mostly sunny

My wife and I decided to take a walk on the trails between Eckert's Bridge and the Old Mill at McConnell's Mill State Park. The snow finally stopped and I was sure there would be some people who already hit the trail, so the walking should have been pretty easy. It was for the most part, minus a few slippery rocks/slopes.

We parked up above the Old Mill and worked our way down on a trail we never knew about and snapped a few photos.


We started on the harder side of the trail (the side where you need to cross the covered bridge by the Old Mill) and saw a lady taking photos of us across the creek. Well, as soon as she turned around, I snapped one of her.


Then we came up on a huge piece of ice that fell. I'm glad we weren't there when it happened.



Finally, on our way back we came across some of my favorite things in nature. Hemlock trees growing on top of huge rocks. Hemrocks, maybe?


We weren't able to get a picture of a few chickadees that were following us the whole time. The only time they got close enough was when I was coming out of the bathroom. Of course, I don't take the camera in there.

01/02/2010

Location: Old Bedford Pike (Elton, PA)
Temp: 15 degrees, -6 Windchill
Wind: WNW
Weather: Snowing, already 8 inches on ground.

This was the first Saturday of the New Year. Winds were high, snow was high, and I'm sure deer were not moving. So I decided to set out on foot with my bow and try to track a deer or catch some bedded down.

Nothing had really been moving all week so I headed to the big woods and waited until noon to start. It took me about 45 minutes to find my first tracks. And right when I spotted them, two small does took off running out of their beds. They were next to three small pines in a clearing. I should have known they would be there. Pics below:



The two deer split up and ran opposite ways. I tracked the larger one. It ran for about 200 yards where it met up with the other one. They trotted off and on (so the tracks showed), maybe seeing/smelling me, and then eventually ran onto private property. This stalk lasted about 45 minutes.


I walked to a good lookout spot and walked a ridge to look for bedded deer. Found nothing. No tracks. Nada. Walked some more to an old logging camp. I always knew of this foundation, but never knew if it was a camp, old home, or shanty. I read something this past winter that old logging camps used to plant apple trees right outside, for quick snacks. Well, there are plenty of apple trees around. I've kicked up a lot of grouse around these trees but never got a shot at one.


I decided to walk through a bunch of pine trees to a lower trail and head out right at dark. All the magazines say pines offer thermal cover for animals. Why didn't I see anything in them then? Wrong time and not a lot of food I guess. Most of the hemlocks were tall and old.


The next day I was packing my stuff up to head back home and realized I lost my hunting license. The holder was sliced apart by some sort of brier or sharp branch. So I had to sign up for a replacement license ($6.70). Not a big deal, but I planned to go out for the last day of archery (Jan 9th) and that can't happen now.

My goal...keep this thing going. It should be better than writing notes in an old binder!