Archery Opener - Pumpkin Marauders

The plotsaver tape was down in two spots when we arrived this week.  We've had terrorist attacks in the pumpkin patch.

They just go in there and take a few nibbles out of the biggest and best pumpkins.  Just enough to breech the skin which means that they will rot.  It's hard to explain why the deer are at all interested at this time of year when there is so much other good stuff available. I was able to harvest a few un-nibbled specimens.

There are lots of squash and gourds yet to harvest.  The big carving pumpkins are the shortage this year.  They've been nibbled, went rotten, got outcompeted by weeds and had various other maladies.

I also harvested a few apples.

Some persimmons available now too.

I have had repeated problems with my gate locks.  I have a lock and so does the power company and the water company.  People can't seem to get them back on in the right order.  I have arrived several times to find myself locked out.

So I've gone with a new strategy. This device should keep them straight.  You can find them on Amazon but I bought it direct from the company - they shipped it to me right away which I appreciated.  Gatekeeper

My friend Marc just took this nice black bear on a hunt in Maine. Actually, I didn't look closely enough - this was Marc's friends bear.

This was Marc's.

Doesn't this squirrel look big?

Joan was out on the zero turn again.

Violet and I were out for a walk this morning. Here's a short clip of her running.  She gets excited when she cuts a deer trail.  Violet on a Walk

We found this rub near a big white oak tree.  So we put out a camera on it.

A customer on the first night out.

And this doe seems to have already busted the camera.

This is the remnant of the block that I put out last week.  It's 100 yards down the hill from the stump where I had it.  Wonder who did that - didn't show on camera.

Asters on our walk.

I tried to get the stands in shape.

The major task is getting rid of the wasps.  I did it without getting stung.

View from the main stand.

That's my attempt at a mock scrape down there.

The plot that I planted in oats last week.  No action yet.  We did have almost 2" of rain this week.

This brassica looks pretty good.

It was the archery season opener and I was out with my new crossbow.  I saw about a dozen does (some of them may have been repeats).

I could see one shooter buck thru the binoculars in the brassica.  Beautiful evening.

A doe convention.

Lots of turkey activity.

I ran into a couple gaggles of them on my walks this week.

The three amigos.

I believe that this is a bobcat.  Seems like a small one.

And, of course, the coyotes.

Shooting With Friends

Our friends Lori and Matt came by and we had a chance to get their son Quinn some time on the range with crossbow, pistols and rifles.  I had intended to also shoot some clays but time got away from me.

We started with some touring on the Ranger where Lori got several nice face-fulls of spider webs.

We shot the crossbow and graduated to the 22 from up at the porch.

We also tried out the 17HMR but the iron sights weren't a favorite.

Then we went down to the pond range and tried the 22 pistol.

Quinn was really a pretty good shot.  The 40 S&W was a bit much for him.

Back to the 100 yard bench where we went thru the 22...

Then the 223...

And eventually the 6.5 Creedmoor.  We delivered this deer block on the way in.

And we picked a few pumpkins, gourds and apples.

I also did a few chores this weekend.  This was my annual warm season plot.  I didn't really prepare it very well for planting.  I mowed it a week ago and disked it this week.

I was in Rural King and saw these oats - it was an impulse buy.  We'll see how they do.  Supposed to be about 2" of rain this week.

I also decided to plant a cedar post to make a mock scrape.  2' deep enough?

I didn't put any scent down yet - we'll let them get used to it being there first.

Violet and I did the camera tour on foot.  I saw several deer but she didn't see them.  When we cut their trail, she picked it up and got pretty excited.

Eventually I called her back off of the trail.

She was pretty tired after all of that activity.

This trail sign had fallen down - another chore checked off the list.

My best clover plot.

Brassicas doing pretty well in spite of the weed competition.

A turnip example.

Hammer for size reference on the plants.

In the woods we found lots of acorns down already,

Somebody has also been opening and eating the walnuts.

I found this feather - too small for turkey.  The Seek app said it was in the pheasant/grouse family - it couldn't resolve.  I haven't seen or heard grouse for about 10 years - maybe they're back?

And a trailcam showed this - could that be a grouse?

Lots of turkey activity.

The usual predators - haven't seen a bobcat in a few weeks.

And, of course, the deer.

What did this guy get tangled in?

Last of the velvet coming off antlers on the right edge of this shot.

Look at the coat difference between does and fawn.