I got my hearing checked this week - guess what? Time for hearing aids. So, do you think it was the rock concerts, motocross racing, work in steel mills or the various gun sports? Or is it possibly age related?
Aging, lets see - baldness in 30's, glasses at 43, basal cell skin cancers in 50's (could that have been my lifeguarding?). Hearing aids at 64. What next? Let's not go there.
I've been pretty careful with hearing protection in recent years. After hunting in South Africa with a borrowed rifle, I've come to believe that US laws on suppressors are stupid. They are treated like fully automatic weapons under the law. The reality is that they would save a lot of people's hearing if they were more readily available. Here's a recent article on that subject.
Hunting With a Suppressor
So I got out for a walk this week. I was looking for shed antlers and just enjoying being out.
I can see the deer trails easily at this time of year and the underbrush is generally passable.
We've had a lot of rain so the creeks are running pretty full.
As I was walking around, I was thinking about Junior. He's a buck that we have been watching for a couple of seasons.
Dave had a shot at him in December and missed. He showed up on camera around Christmas time but I haven't seen him since. I haven't been real good with the cameras in the last month or so. This week I discovered that I accidentally left two of them off.
Anyway, this is Junior. It's hard to get an appreciation for him from one angle. He's quite wide with a mutant left antler. I've been hoping to get more photos of him or find his sheds.
On the walk, I started encountering signs of a carcass.
Clearly the coyotes have been to town on it.
Could it be Junior?
Jawbone.
Uppers.
This looked like the chewed remnant of a skull.
Turned it over - smooth skull plate. No pedicles. I was relieved that it wasn't Junior. I suspect this wasn't even this season - not sure.
Poop of the week.
The pellets that I put out last week were apparently a big hit. Unfortunately, the camera was off at two of the locations.
But they cleaned it up.
This camera was on and had 600 shots.
This was the only decent buck that showed up. I've seen him all season.
He's a young (3 1/2?) 10 point. He should be formidable next year.
There are some running around without antlers already. One of these could be Junior.
Mother/Son.
A bunch of little bucks.
Still sparring.
Dropped.
Bobcat. No coyotes this week. Is it denning season?
New dogs?
Regulars.
Only the red bellied woodpecker braved the howling winds.
A couple more articles of interest:
Coyotes and Pheasants
Botswana Hunting Ban - Lift It?
