Pumpkin Harvest

 It's harvest time.

 Luckily, I have machines to help.

 I got the best out of the field but there's much more to go.

 No monsters this year but many nice carving size.

 Joan has started the fall decorating.

 I mowed a few paths into the pumpkin patch.

I dipped a line.  In spite of some equipment problems, I managed to land a decent bass.

I found a shed snake skin in the pond bottom.

 The prairie is looking ok.  I forget what this flower is, but it was in the mix that I planted.

 These thistles are naturally occurring.

I think that this is a sunflower variety.

 A little more shooting in warm up for the Utah Muzzleloader hunt.  Not too bad.

 Many bucks on camera.

Checking out the camera.

Very nice looking.

 This is a new camera location on the beets and radishes in the barn field,

 Turkeys like the beets.

 Equal opportunity.

 Coyotes.  More in background.

Fox. 

I had one camera inadvertently on video mode so I attached a couple videos.  If you are on the email distribution, you may not see the videos.  You can always just  go to the website.   tomsfarmblog.blogspot.com        

Weekend Activities

 We had one good rain shower this week.

 My new main field plot is a loss.  There may be some clover in it but it's mostly weeds.  This interesting excavation showed up in it.

 I don't know who dug it but I wonder if they were chasing whatever made this 1" in diameter bore hole.

 The oats and brassica at the other end of the same field look pretty good.  The only exception is the sprouts of pigweed mixed in.

 The prairie plot has some late blooming flowers.

 This is the barn field planted in a mixture of brassicas.

 It includes radishes.

Also turnips and sugar beets.  This plot is very popular right now.

 My Utah muzzleloader mule deer hunt is coming up.  I did some shooting to prepare.  I've been thru a big learning curve with his gun.  I now know that I have to clean it after every shot.  I have been having some trouble with it not cocking and I found some online advice about the 209 primers.

 Anyway, the Winchester primers caused the lock up/cocking issue.  When I switched to the Remington ones, that problem went away.  I was hoping for a cleaning improvement based on the packaging claims but I didn't experience that.  Sorry I rotated this photo - not sure why it undid itself. 

 Here's my 100 yard groups off sticks.  I was making some scope adjustments but the groups were pretty good.

 This is 150 yards sitting off sticks.  Not sure why my group blew up unless I was just tired.

 I did ring the plate a couple times too.

 I spent some time in the pumpkin patch.  The squash bugs are active but there are many good pumpkins.

 I pretty much just harvested around the edges of the plot.  Much more to do.

This is last week's harvest as a centerpiece.

 I remembered about the paw paws and thought that I might like to try the fruit.  They are all gone.

Many persimmons still ripening.  I'm not seeing a ton of acorns.

 I think that this is spicebush.  Whatever it is, there's a lot of it around the property.

 Here's one of those grass carp that I stocked 10 years ago.

 A few random portraits.

 And some buck photos for this week.

Switching from minerals to attractants at the licks.  Archery opens in two weeks.  I guess that I should get my bow out (and clean out the stands)...