Shotgun Therapy

 Another trip to Corps land to have a look at a possible body of water.  It was there, it was dry, it was hard to get to.  I think that it might be accessible by moving into the woods and then over to it.  I'll have to try that another time.  I didn't have the energy at the moment.   I did notice that the ponds I found earlier were fed by a creek, and that there was water moving in it.  Since we hadn't had rain in I don't know when, I tracked it back and it appears the Corps can feed water to them.  No idea why they are not now though.  It would be nice if they did. I didn't see any dove, although I did call for squirrels.  As you can see, nothing in the game bag, unless you count my hat, which I refuse to eat except in emergencies.   No success unless you count the newly constructed truck gun box. Closed Open I have to say, it made getting away from the car and back into it faster and more organized.   I'm ready...

 Ever notice how you always see wild game when you're not actually hunting them.  This new camo combination makes the game think to themselves "there's no way this moron is hunting us!" AND THEN Take that you ungulate!  I think they've copyrighted it as "Tie Die Toke."

 The outing on Tuesday was so successful that on Wednesday I asked my son if he wanted to go squirrel hunting the following Saturday.  He enthusiastically said yes.  While he's not a shooter yet, he wants to call the squirrels in with the squirrel call.  That is probably the best way to introduce a youth to hunting.  Let them call.  It keeps them from getting bored, and they know that they are actively contributing instead of being a tourist.   My body had other plans.  Wednesday night I couldn't sleep because I got cold.  The house got down to 66 degrees, which is cold considering we'd been having highs in the 90s the previous week. It was in the lower 40s outside. Thursday night, at my son's theater rehearsal I got chills.  Everyone else was in shorts and t-shirts, while I was in jeans with a long sleeved shirt, a sweater, a jacket, and a wool broad brimmed hat.  After rehearsal we picked up dinner, ate (I could only eat half...

Well, it didn't quite "begin again" on my supposed time frame.  I was sick on October 11th, so I stayed home.  By Tuesday I felt way better, and after dropping my son off at school I took to the field in a strip of public hunting land just across the border in Oklahoma.   As I got out of the truck, a flight of teal wheeled overhead, and headed north. This made me suspect there were small bodies of water near-by.  More on that later.  I headed south instead to have a look, as I searched for an easier path to test my still recovering lungs. It wasn't much more than an armed walk in the woods.  I was listening and looking more than anything.  I kept my squirrel call put away and looked for signs of game.  There were lots of game trails, deer and hog, and the understory of the tall oak, elm, pecan, and ash trees looked like it is probably hot with squirrel activity, and perhaps woodcock.  There are adjacent open areas where woodcock could pe...

 It's been a few years since I did any hunting of relevance.  I don't think I've purchased a hunting license in three years.  Time, opportunity, and motivation have been wanting, but now.... A couple of months ago I went into the hospital.... Twice!  Double pneumonia!  This happened while I was building a barn, and just after I had finished fencing off about 4 acres for my goats.  All in the summer heat.   I've got a bit of a road to recovery because I have a comorbidity, and it has caused some reflection on my part.  I wouldn't say that I almost died, but it was a possibility, and spending all of your time working (either at your regular job or your ranch job) doesn't seem like the best way to spend your life.  It's especially poignant since I have a 10 year old who I hope to take hunting in the next couple of years.  So I have done some reassessing, and I've come to some conclusions about some things I need to do/change. 1.  ...