Thursday, December 31, 2015

(Hunting) Seasons Greetings

 Spicing up the holiday scene with a zebra skin - naturally.
We were blessed this year to have all four of our grandchildren with us for Christmas.  Tommy, Charlie, Lucy and Elliott. There was a groundswell of demand to go to the farm after Santa came to the house.  It happened to coincide with the two day bonus gun season.
 Lucy wanted to show Mickey Grandpa's reindeer.
 Grandma got cozy on the couch.
Eric and I went to stands for the afternoon hunt.  Doug decided to just go to a stand to observe.  Of course you know where all the deer showed up.
It was pretty stinky weather with a front moving in right at power hour.
 I saw nothing in the main field all night.  Eric saw nothing and as light was going, he started to pack up.  He uncapped his gun, put the binos in the pack, and looked up to find 4 deer 30 yards in front of him.  One of them a shooter buck.  He got his act back together but it was pretty dark and he decided to pass.  Doug saw about 12 deer in the barn field including one shooter buck.  No shots taken.
 Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Lucy and Tommy were playing with markers.
 This is why adult supervision is necessary.
 This doesn't qualify as adult supervision.
At the office, we had Secret Santa. Larry drew my name and came up with the innovative idea of giving me some live quail as breeding stock to get a population established.  Not only did he obtain them, he delivered too.  Here we are heading out to release them.
 Five pairs of just maturing quail.
 Peek in the box.
Here they are just before busting out like a covey of quail are known to do.  They should find a good home in the sorghum field until I can get the prairie grass established. The video of the release ends just before they bust loose - I thought I was going to have to flush them and I stopped filming.
 
 We did hunt on Tuesday morning too.  Really windy and nothing moving.  Here I went on a mid-day walk.
 Doug found the remains of the deer under the pond house.  It was mostly bones now and an arrow was visible.  Not from our property.  I'm guessing that a neighbor wounded a doe and a coyote got it and dragged it under here.
Sunrise Tuesday morning.
15 to 20 mph winds.  Not good for hunting.
 I spent a little time in the ladder thinking they might move up that valley out of the wind.  Nope.
 Breakfast back at the cabin.
 T2 and T3.
 Trying out the "big tractors".

 I did get the keys back from him.

 Lucy wanted a turn too.  We took a fun spin in the Kubota and left tire ruts in the mud.


 Doug and Charlie.
The three amigos.  Elliott must have been napping.
Grandpa with Tommy and Elliott.
There were a number of rides to inspect the property.
And Doug helped with the camera runs.

We got Jeni out for a spin this trip.



 The cameras had some shots from before Christmas with DDGG.
There was some nerf hunting going on then.
Watch out - shots from the Ranger.
 Candy (the dog) made the tour.


Dave coming in from an archery hunt.

Ok, we have 4 days of black powder season and a couple weeks of archery left.  The pressure is on - we've never been skunked.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Poachers, Trespassers and Theives Beware!

The farm has taken security up a notch.  Now we have the tools to track you from the sky.  Armaments are the next iteration. If you are on property without authorization, you are no safer than an Islamic terrorist riding in a jeep in Yemen.

This is the Phantom Advanced quadcopter.
 Maiden voyage recently after a morning of hunting.  I used the 200 yard shooting bench as the launch pad.  There is a dot in the sky in this photo.
I'm in the orange vest with Doug and Lucy bravely assisting me.
 Joan taking cover on the porch as it ascends and hovers.
 First a low altitude spin around the barn.

Then a little higher and over it.

Ok feeling a little more confident.
Higher and farther.
Over to the other side.
 Back again.

Looking back at me.  Doug and Lucy getting bored.
Let's come down and see how they're doing.
Oops - there's power lines and trees over here.
 Looking over the orchard to the main field.


 Ok, let's go down to the barn field.


 Didn't venture down into the valley yet.
Let's go over to the ponds.
Pond hi-rise stand.
It streams live video to my phone as it flies.  I can take stills (like these) or record video.  Maiden voyage a success.  Two takeoffs and landings, no crashes.  Success.

Terrorists beware.