Turkeys, Bobcat, and Other Items of Interest

 It's been a couple weeks since I was able to check cameras.  I expected to find some interesting stuff.  I wasn't disappointed.  This is about the 5th photo capture of a bobcat on this property

About 200 yards away I found the remnants of a turkey meal.  Is it a coincidence?

There are some teeth marks in the feather roots.

There are also red and grey fox.

 And always coyotes.  But I suspect the bobcat as most capable of capturing a mature turkey.

 Doesn't this guy look like an old war-horse?  I wonder what his antlers looked like.

 Another buck that has shed (or same one?).

 The turkeys are strutting.

 And we have some nice mature gobblers.

It's still about a month until turkey season opens.

 The valley stand is in complete disrepair.  Roof caved in and floor fell thru.  I decided to let it go a year or two ago.  It wasn't a great location.  Will eventually have to do something with it.

 Found this rotten log on the walk.  Who is tearing it up?

 I doubt if woodpeckers are doing it from underneath.

 The deer trails are obvious at this time of year - no shed antlers found though.

 Poop of the week.

 I saw this blog post about invasives.  Blue Jay Barrens on Invasives  I clearly don't have them under control like him.  This is multiflora rose - I've got a ton of it.

 I believe that this is honeysuckle.

 More of it.

 Not sure what this prickly stuff is.  It's mixed in with what I believe are raspberries.  Or maybe it's just the red ones mixed in with the black ones?

 I suspect that this is a trespasser covering the camera as he passes.  May be why I am not finding shed antlers.  It's posted - I will prosecute.

We had our only real snow in March.

Still sporting antlers on the 19th.

 Big crowd.

 More photos of interest.

Starting early on the minerals.

Shed Antler Info

These are sheds that I found in 2015.  So far this year, I've only found a couple of small ones.  I haven't had much time to look since the big boys dropped theirs.

Here are a couple of interesting articles from the QDMA on antler characteristics.

Age Versus Mass By Geography

Estimating Age From Shed Antlers

Bloomsky Sample

Here's a look at what the weather station reported for March 15, 2017.

This is the data from the Sky instrument.  I put the cursor on 2:00pm(ish) on both screenshots.

And this is the data from the Storm instrument.  It is the first time that I saw wind over 10mph.  Also,  the time lapse video of the sky for that day should be just below.

New wheels just picked up yesterday.  Went from Ford to GMC.  Radical.

Anti-Poacher Drones

Another interesting article on wildlife from the New York Times.  Sounds like the drones need to be armed.  NYT Article on Drones vs Poachers

New Cameras, Mule Deer, Late Shedders, A Dusting of Snow

 This was an impulse buy when wandering thru Dicks - on sale for $104 - down from $170.

These are the two that I retired.  They had become unresponsive recently.  I really have a couple more on their last legs.

Speaking of impulse buys, I booked a muzzleloader mule deer hunt for September.  I hunted elk with these guys in Utah in 2011.  R&K Hunting Company  They sent a notice "only 12 hours left to get tags, several spaces available".  I bit.

 I think this was the first real snow dusting of this winter.  Crazy.  Didn't last long.  60F today.

 Location for one of the new cameras.

Should get traffic into the driveway field.

 I found one tub of minerals at Tractor Supply.  Thought that I'd get an early start.

 Coming into fawning time and won't be long until antler growing season starts.

 This was some over-seeding of clover last week.

 Got a new sprayer and tried again with dormant oil on the fruit trees.

 Out for a walk.  This tree has caught my eye before.  Doesn't look like one of those trees from the Hobbit?

 Woodpecker work.

 One of the bigger/older trees on property.

 Checking mineral consumption.  Yup.

 The Squid is still wearing headgear on March 4th.  Seems late.

 He's not alone.  Many still haven't dropped.

 Mutant Jr.

Turkey parade.

Beards

Jakes?

 Coons

Foggy

 Bossy

I ordered my pumpkin seeds.  C'mon Spring.