Countdown to the End

Hi everyone! Thought I would stop by and let you all know that I have been busy using my domestic skills. My husband asked me to make "Pumpkin Bars" after Thanksgiving. The twist being instead of pumpkin I used "Hubbard Squash". It takes some processing to get the squash ready to be added to the other ingredients. We discovered when I made the first batch of "pumpkin bars" a few days after Thanksgiving that the hubbard squash made for a tasty substitution. He ingested the whole baking sheet full on his own one bar at a time, of course the freezer was a big help in the freshness factor. He thought they tasted so good he asked me to repeat the recipe to help provide dessert for

his Experimental Aircraft Association Christmas Party on December 14th.

Back to the topic of our blog entry for the day. Yes, time is swiftly coming to a close for our last shotgun deer season of 2006. The deer continue to make their presence known. They start having a pattern to their behavior and repeat visits to various locations , as soon as you get it figured out they change it again. Today, I sat for an hour and a half in the fore-noon in one spot. A lot of activity all around . Not far away a " very young deer" stood watching me. I saw another head peering out from a space to the left of the first deer. Thinking it was the same "very young deer" I continued to remain seated in my three legged chair. My legs needed to stretch after being crunched in one position for a long time. As I rose from my chair a rush of sorts erupted from the rose brush. The group of young deer that had taken refuge took off running in a wide circle in the opposite direction, not to be seen again in the same place later . Returning for another 2 hours in the afternoon to what I thought should be a good place for activity because of the buck rubs , bed, and well worn deer trails ended up without seeing anymore creature activity of any kind. Yet again I went into the house to warm-up and catch-up on some e-mail. The end of the day was fast approaching. The deer knew not to get to close...stay in the open. Friday the 15th ends without the use of either of the 2 landowner tags I purchased to help the Iowa DNR try to keep the population in check . Better luck tomorrow ?

Learning Curve

Today has been another day of learning. Maybe, I will get closer to the goal of getting my first deer. I learned that when the gun fires my aim isn't true. It will be to my benefit to find a tree to lean against or get another means of support to help steady my arm. Having a strong wind can be a problem in making an exact target hit as well. A few things that I need to keep in mind to make a difference in my hunting skill. To the seasoned hunter my woes probably seem elementary. Each year I learn a little more but have not made the commitment to stay outside ALL day to wait for my prey to saunter across my path. My attitude is changing. Earlier this morning I was tempted again by the multitude of deer I stirred from their hiding place. Oh YES! You have heard about the "Trophy Buck" ? I wish I had been close enough and had the camera at hand. The vision of that majestic animal bounding away is etched in my minds eye. He was among a large group of mixed aged kin. His antler rack stood high above the crown of his head. What a sight!

The picture of this majestic Iowa Buck was donated by a friend who saw him in a very unlikely setting....What a sight ! To repeat my self again. Important Points to Remember

1. Temperatures are dropping, the wind is picking up. Ah, guess I need to be in the opposite direction from the prevailing wind so scent won't carry.
2. Hide! That is another point that needs work on my part, be invisible.
3. Be patient . Stop thinking about everything else that I could be doing.( I know you never have anything else to do...)

Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer . Soon this deer season will be over and I will have gained more knowledge. Just need to learn to put it to beneficial use ...