Iowa Second Deer Shotgun Season Opener

Iowa saw another shotgun deer season open on December 13th. My day started off with a short walk at 5:45 A.M. into the North pasture to sit beside a pile of wood to await the legal shooting hours to arrive. The weather wasn't too bad with temperatures in the 30's and low breezes to start with. On my initial trip out, I came across an adult deer by the sound of the snort as it left it's feeding on acorns, before I entered the pasture. Then I woke up a doe with two fawns on the east side of a draw, a path frequented by deer often. The only light at the time was the brilliant moon. The time seemed to pass slowly...I kept writing mentally a research paper for my computer literacy class...then some blogposts. Too bad I didn't have my notebook and a penlight. Hmmm, maybe the pen wouldn't have worked from the cold? It wasn't to long before I heard the crunching of snow behind me. The sound of one deer hopping the fence, coming my direction, then another after a time. I knew that I shouldn't be doing to many fast movements ,even with the light still not bright enough to legally shoot. The first deer, a fawn , came around to the west end of the wood pile and got a visualization of me. Still I didn't move . I could see by the body language, ears pulled back, meaning it wouldn't be long before it would be taking flight. Both deer took off on a different path back to the neighbor's timber they had exited not long before. Sunrise brought sightings of deer everywhere...out of range. My day ended with sitting inside the fallen hickory,in the funnel I have spoken of before.Temperatures had warmed up into the upper 40's melting the snow off somewhat.The deer remained just across the ravine, south of where I was stationed. The wind had been coming out of the south all day. Deciding as the daylight was waning to go back into the house, gunshots moved a couple of groups of deer across the soybean field to the west of my location. The first group consisted of does and fawns. It looked like a doe had been injured, so I began my approach to see if I could take advantage of the situation before the sun totally set for this opening day. As, I walked toward the group they seemed to be curious,they stood for the longest time. Getting closer I alarmed them little by little. The one I thought was injured was the last to take off but she headed over the field, fence, pasture into the cornfield to the north with the rest of her group. So, ended my first day, of the Iowa Second Deer Shotgun season that runs from December 13th - 21st. ;)

Shotgun Deer Season One

Shotgun Deer Season one opened here in Iowa last Saturday, December the 6th. The season runs from December 6th - 10th. As you may have heard from Darrell over at AlphaTrilogy - Iowa experienced some high, cold winds, for those brave enough to head out to try their skill at bringing down a deer or two. Checkout his hunting experiences with friend Dana and Dana's cousins.

This year I didn't have my license on day one. It wasn't until the evening of Sunday, day two, I went out to wait for the deer to come through with the "normal" evening routine. Which didn't turn out to be routine. Nobody showed up on cue. Not even an orphaned fawn or two scratching under the Oak trees for acorns. Of course, earlier in the day, there was a mixed entourage touting their presence in our front yard and just beyond the fence of the North pasture. It wasn't until my mentor/ neighbor went through his field, that there were any signs of the much hunted animal, at a distance to great for my shotgun to do much good. Several bucks and does were headed for the cornfield north of our North pasture. Monday, day three, I spent some time in the funnel area I worked on this fall. Saw a fawn resting...it would get excited and move just a little further away when I would stand up occasionally to assess the situation. As the chill started to set in from inactivity I went on a search. Looking in a tried and true location it brought an adult sighting, but with a loud exiting snort it wasn't going to stay around to become a target. The story goes if you wait long enough the deer will return to the same spot it left. I didn't wait for it to return. Gun activity in the surrounding countryside drove some does to run across open territory into the safety of the tree line seperating our tilled fields. Very majestic leaping as they swiftly ran for what they perceived as the corridor to safety. Merlin, my mentor, has gotten a doe and button buck so far. Last night, day 3, I heard a couple of shots ring out around 5:00 P.M. pretty close to my house. It was Merlin, he was chasing a deer I had moved along from my yard after my return from scooping our drive in the preparation for another round of weather. He said he had a chance at a 10 point buck and let it walk because he thought the venison would be too tough. I encouraged him to get that guy if the opportunity repeated itself. The technique in cooking older animals is low heat for an extended period from the reading I have done. Today, day 4, we have frozen rain built up on the surfaces with snow changing to blowing snow by the end of the day. If I don't get out today or tomorrow, onto season two from December 13th - 21st. I bought two landowner tags to tempt fate... or the weather. ;)

Sadie Says - Ith a Curth!

OH dear friendths! There is thomething I juth found laying behind Mom's couth. My mouth ith only half working 'cauth part of it ith stuck to this black thingy with sticky stuff ALL over it. Ith a CURTH! ITH a CURTH!!! That was the first time around. Mom pulled it out with just a few lip hairs. Then a little while later in my explorations I found another black thingy on the other end of the couth. Ith a CURTH! ITH a CURTH!!! Mom thought it was pushed far enough away from the edge and various other obstacles in place that I wouldn't be able to get to it. HA HA HA! Guess she still doesn't know the power of SUPER SADIE the wonder Springer... Let me explain, very early this morning Mom was up and around. She heard and saw a couple of little squeakers. Soooo C-u-t-e those little timber mice. She was just havin' a cool , calm, and collected matter of fact discourse on "Well, it's that time of year again..." Maybe, now you have an idea what I'm being tempted by. The second time I wasn't as fortunate as the first. That black thingy with the sticky stuff ALL over it got stuck on my upper lip again.Tried to get it off with my foot. Then I grabbed it with my mouth to get it off my foot. Help ME! It is firmly fixed to my right front foot. Ith a CURTH! ITH a CURTH!!! Now Dad is out of bed - I gave him something to laugh about while he was getting ready for work. Mom got the scissors out to take off the biggest share of the black thingy and sticky stuff. Then she got out the creamy peanut butter she got for the grandkids....started massaging my stuck foot. Little by little it loosened up until it dropped away. The Curse has been lifted. At least for today, because I know where there are three more to play with. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving !

Free Comments and Graphics Wow! Thanksgiving has arrived...It can mean different things to different people. One thing I hope that it means to everyone is to share the day with those you hold with high regard. It might take you miles from home to visit loved ones, or maybe down the street to a mission to serve those less fortunate a good meal they might not otherwise get to eat. Wherever life takes you today, Hubby and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving from Timber Life.

Sadie Says - Let Me at 'Em

Let me at 'em. Just let me at 'em!!! Paws moving briskly across the keypad. I was able to get it commandeered A-G-A-I-N.(with a maniacal giggle) Mom is really falling behind here lately. I need to start getting things back on track. Don't want her blogging buddies to think she has forgotten them. Looks like I need to help her get the words out. For some reason she got these two long sticks out with a long rope that she plays with alot these days. As if she doesn't have anything ELSE to do...She acts like nothing matters, but playing with the two sticks and long rope.

Says she is making a scarf for somebody across the Mississippi, way off in Illinois. Gettin' cold over there she says. Got to RUFF about that cause it is gettin' cold here too. Where's my scarf? Talk about being ignored!!! An 8 month old puppy can only take that for so long...HRUMPH! Finally looks like Mom made it to 100 blog posts the other day,with my help. Yeah, uh huh with my Yelp.(as I slide across the kitchen floor in jubilation) Goodness, who would have ever thought she would get that far in a year?!? Sometimes it is just like pulling teeth to get her to stop and think. Ahhhhh, now that I have gotten somethings off my back , I can rest a little easier, knowing everybody has heard my rambling barks another day.....;)

Thanksgiving Write About the Good Challenge

Thanksgiving is right around the corner...I have many things to be thankful about. However, I would like to take the time to be apart of the Thanksgiving Write About the Good Challenge. Kristine over at Hunt Smart Think Safety has ask us to write about a mentor that has influenced our activities in the great outdoors. It is my extreme pleasure to tell you about the gentleman that enabled me to go after the abundant Whitetail. A neighbor of 74 years young, that has hunted in our area since he was old enough to carry a gun and a year round fisherman. He learned of my desire to be out stalking when I mentioned how I would like to see what the gunshots on my property were bringing down. The next season, he came bearing a well used Remington 20 gauge which I used for a couple of years, before I got my new Remington 870 Youth Express. Last year during Shotgun Deer Season he was going through Chemotherapy for Prostate Cancer. He went hunting anyway, and took down his limit for each gun season, processing them on his own. This summer after receiving a clean bill of health he has been very busy living each day to the fullest. His name, Merlin Klaas, a hunter-fisherman that loves the Outdoors. An inspiration to to all that have the opportunity to know him.

OH Deer!

We are all probably becoming witnesses to the rutting behavior of the Whitetail deer if you spend anytime at all in timber, or field,at this time of year. This young buck seemed intent on making an impression on the young doe that led the way...The doe appeared to be around 1 year old, there was one fawn following in close proximity. I would put the buck between 1 1/2 and 2 years. In reading over at Huntingnet.com I discovered why his antler development isn't really very impressive at this point. They say that his bone structure and body mass is getting most of his energy right now. Antler mass becomes more impressive when the whitetail buck reaches 4 years old and beyond. However, I would like to keep an eye out for him in a year or two to see how this little guy will mature.

Eating Green

Eating Green??? As I hear the question echoes coming in from the blogosphere. We are hearing alot these days about the Green Revolution. The contruction of buildings both commercial, and residential,fabrics we use for our clothes, cleaning formulas, energy to power our every day needs and last but not least our transportation. However, today I am not going to be addressing any of the afore mentioned topics. What then, you say is all this about, "Eating Green"??? The answer happens to be a huge head of cabbage in the 15+lbs. range. It happened my way when my brother, an owner/operator of an 18 wheeler, delivered a load of these members of the brassica family to a grocery warehouse. Now, I am thinking of all the ways to use it up. A very sweet Fall treat considering it's size. Thanks brother Ed! ;)

Sadie Says - It's Snow!

Mom rousted me out of bed shortly after 5:00 A.M. and asked if I wanted to go outside. I acted as though I didn't hear her for a second or two. Yawning....Picked myself up, curled my back towards the ceiling, stretched my right front leg, then the left. After my oxygen promoting morning routine we headed out the back door. With the door opened, and the light switched on to illuminate the darkness, I saw these things floating in the air. Bugs! Millions and Millions of BUGS! I'm in heaven as my head went from side - to - side trying to grab them up. Hmmmm, no crunch. How disappointing... I was havin' such a great time! The snow has stopped and warmth in the ground has started making water out of what fell.

Before it started to melt, Mom was quick to grab the camera and look out the back after daylight arrived...

Wind Turbines in the Wetlands

In Iowa we are finding more and more ways to incorporate some valuable resources provided by the natural geography of the land. The area pictured above runs along the famous Lincoln Highway. An optical illusion has the the wind turbines looking as though they are apart of the Don Mangels Wildlife Area,a public hunting spot developed by Story County and the local Pheasants Forever Chapter . Actually, the turbines are just beyond the perimeter. As time passes we are finding ourselves becoming host to fields full of several sources for energy production of one source or another. Beginning in Northern Iowa , the first to be groomed by the now defunct Enron Corporation years ago, miles of the alternative wind turbines were erected. In recent years those first turbines have seemed to sprout co-workers to assist in the growing demands of our electrical needs. Whether it be from the winds that blow reliably, or the corn in the field that could be directed to the ethanol plant within 15 miles from this location . We are one State of many working to gain alternative sources of energy, so lack will not cause us to wish we had planned ahead.

Hubby volunteered to do a fly over of the turbines straight north of our homestead eight miles, to give us a bird's eye view of the Fall landscape. ;)

Buck Rub

It is the season for the mighty whitetail buck to start leaving more evidence of his secretive summer presence. This is the second rub in a weeks time that I've discovered in the close vicinity. The Hawthorne trees seem to be the focus of the rubs. That is a fact I will have to keep in mind when looking for other rubs, and scrapes, to see how common it is in this timber. Yesterday, this rub did not exist in an area I have begun to groom as a resting spot behind my garden. This little cul-de-sac has been a very popular meeting place for deer of all ages in the past. It is to the south of the hickory that fell a few months ago.The perfect spot to create a funnel for the upcoming shotgun season in December...

Pheasant Opener

Tomorrow morning, October 25th, here in Iowa, hunters and their four legged friends will be taking to the field in search for what is being considered the scarcely populated upland bird, the pheasant. Forecast for success by officials still has a positive outlook for those who put in a lot of time in their hunt. Presently, we are in a cycle where large groups are not apart of the landscape. Standing crops in fields may provide barriers to what could already be a challenge for the first day. Opinions heard from an avid resident hunter supported hunting as usual. He was going to take his dog out for some exercise with his friends to see if they could find a few of the Ring - necked Roosters. As for me this season - I only plan to listen for activity and observe. The general consensus of our immediate area is a serious shortage. The Iowa season runs from October 25, 2008 - January 10, 2009.

There is Hunting Happening Here

Visibility was limited this morning.The fog being brought to this neighborhood by changing temperatures. The guns started going off a little before 7:00 A.M. according to the clock. Early Muzzleloader started this past week and a second Duck season started this morning. I had the opportunity to make an acquaintance yesterday. Spoke with our districts Conservation Officer, Bill Fribley. He has a wide territory to cover in his responsibilities of enforcing the Department of Natural Resource's regulations. Made a contact with him because of some activity I felt was outside of the guide lines for hunting the Whitetail at this time. According to the renter of the property next to us he has only granted hunting rights to one individual, but the two individuals here this week didn't include that person. So, I am wondering today if that is the same scenario with the Muzzleloader activity that has taken place. I don't open up our timber to hunters from the outside because of past dealings. However, according to the law an injured animal may be retrieved off of our property. It would be best if those hunting on the bare field would let us know they were going to be there. Of course they don't seem to have the same train of thought... Sadie and I have been serenaded by gunfire on a few of our treks outside. The 11:30 A.M. jaunt seemed to herald in another barrage of blasts. The fog having lifted has left us with a cool and sunny day. It is now early afternoon, there is still a lot of time for both the deer and hunter to regroup to try everything all over again. When the day comes to an end we will go see how many of those blasts ended a deer that had to be field dressed,like the one on Thursday night, on the Timber Life side of the fence...;)

Sadie Says - Ruff, Ruff, Ruff, Rough!

Things have been a bit rough around Timber Life. Mom keeps letting me outside to use my sniff and chase reflexes when the squirrels are mining underneath her car. Chewing whatever they chew...Those little red tree rats really give me a great workout. Anything with legs that move - I'm ON IT! Anyway, some times those creatures take off into the timber where Mom doesn't mow, or spray chemicals. Over the years animals have brought some really sticky seeds into my close to home running range.

You should see how the long hair on my beautiful ears gets twisted - no need for styling mousse these days.

OH NO! Here she comes again! Two brushes in hand. I get to chew the green brush handle when she is going at me with that blasted wire thingy. Mom and I are both going to be extremely happy when the snow finally comes to cover those prickly stickers over for this season! Pssst! Ya know what's funny? I get to snicker, cause Mom has to peel those pokies off herself tooo...;)