Out To Play With The Dogs.

Off to play with some dogs...

I headed out to see if I could nail some coyotes in a gravel pit owned by my wife's family. I snowshoe hiked in the back way along on some defunct railroad tracks. the road to the pit isn't plowed so I figured the tracks would give an opportunity at some game on the walk in.

What's that light colored thing behind those clouds? I forgot what it's called.

Only a half of a mile left to go!

I was dismayed by the lack of fresh coyote sign while trekking across this railroad grade. In early winter this area was crawling with coyotes.

Sign of my quarry's quarry.

I reached the pit and to my dismay, there were some snowmobilers that were trespassing in it. I watched them for a while a took a photo of them. I was fully camouflaged and they never had a clue I was watching them. I silhouetted myself on the pit's skyline and it took them about 5 minutes to notice I was there. They seen me and I heard the bubble heads yammering to themselves while pointing at me and they took off, post haste. I figure a guy wearing snow camo with an AR-15 watching you from a distance can have that effect on trespassers.

"I see you."

All to myself now.

This pit is pretty huge. I was hoping the presence of the sled heads wouldn't screw up my hunting. I figured coyotes are probably used to hearing the snow machines all winter long so I was hoping their activity would seem too out of place. Even so, I 'shoed along to the far end of the pit and gave the area some time to settle down.

I found my perch in the middle of the secondary pit area on a high mound overlooking some good terrain front and back. 

I decided to make a set of field expedient, African PH style shooting sticks.

To make these, you just cut off two saplings ot branches to the approximate height you need. Then trim any protrusions. Lay the two sticks together and bind them with cordage. Once the bind is complete, run another bind of cordage in between the sticks running vertical to the previous wrap that holds the two the sticks together. Then spread the sticks like you are making an "X" with them. You now have an instant shooting stick or bipod.

With that set, I decided to make a decoy too. I just used another sick, a turkey feather and some fishing line. Simple, cheap, and effective.

I set up my decoy and settled in to start calling.

After 30 minutes of different calls and sequences I had no action.

I hit two other old pits along the tracks that were overgrown with brush. These pits had NO human activity of any kinds and nothing came to my calls at those spots either. There was no sign of coyotes either. No fresh or old tracks of any kind. Once the snow got too deep and the deer migrated out of the region, the coyotes seemed to have moved out with them. Many times they stay put but small game is scarce this year so that might be why they left the area.

I packed up my gear and started the trek back out to my rig before darkness fell.

Maybe I'll get a dog next time. Thanks for looking!

Snowshoe Hare Hunt

 It was time to once again strap on the snowshoes and head out for the elusive snowshoe hares that have been evading me thus far this season.

 It was a great day because I finally got to see that thing in the sky that is bright and gives warmth...I forgot what it's called though.

I can't quite tell if I'm hunting rabbits or "The Thing"? Either way, I took my short barreled Remington 597 along for the ride today.

Today's kicks: 1970's era USGI magnesium framed snowshoes (Michigan style of course!) In my opinion these are the best bang for the buck in snowshoes you can buy. My area averages 200 plus inches of snow a year and I have used over 8 different kinds of snowshoes in my time so far, and these offer the most for the cash you'll shell out by far. I snagged these unissued, for $25 on sale about 6 years ago. If you can currently find them in the $40 range they are still a steal. Snag then up while you can. They have coated stainless steel cable for webbing and I have only cracked off the tips of the "I" beam tails, These shoes are about as rugged as you can get. A cool bonus benefit is that fact that you scrape shavings from the frame and light them to start a fire if you really need the help from the magnesium shavings. How cool is that?

I didn't care for the GI bindings so I swapped them out for this version that Faber makes. The toe stirrup is made of kydex and the nylon webbing is suburb. So far the heavy duty plastic quick release buckles have held up.

Right off the bat I can into some coyote tracks. I have some .223 rounds I need to send his way.

Crossing the marsh to get the swamp edge.

Something else had the same idea.

Today's gear load out.

The Ontario 499 PSK (aka "The bolt knife") This is my modified version of the famous USAF pilot survival knife. It's a rugged, no nonsense blade. I've been carrying it for all of my outings so far this winter, and I've been impressed by it's utility. This is an unusual version of Ontario 499 the knife. It lacks the fuller and sharpened swedge on the clip that the standard models have. The absence of the swedge grind makes for a stronger tip in my opinion. The obtuse factory grind has been re profiled into a convex grind with a scary sharp edge.

Me pretending to do what I wish I was really doing...shooting at game.

Walking through some tag alder jungle goodness. But where are all the rabbits? Probably laughing at me, unseen from 20 feet away.

I seen one grouse, a hairy wood pecker, nuthatches, chickadees, and one red tree rat. For racks I seen grouse, fox, coyote, snowshoe hare, and squirrel. All in all it was a slow day devoid of almost all game. But that's okay because I enjoyed the time out and the fresh air did me good. I still can't believe I haven't shot a rabbit yet this year and thought for sure I'd get at least one today, but My time is coming. That's why they call it hunting and not shooting!

Thanks for looking!

Winter's Icy Grip Holds A Wonderland Within It's Grasp.

Winter. Most life in my area revolves around this season. It's the hardest time for everything, humans included. This season of desolate cold and ice over shadows all others and makes it's presence felt for a good 5 months of the year.

 Every living thing spends it's time preparing for it. The bear forages non stop from mid summer through the fall to prep for it's long slumber as the world freezes over it's life now suspended in animation. Deer too, put on fat with browse and mast consumption. Unlike the bear they have to push on and survive in the harsh elements of the season. Some don't make it and succumb to exposure, starvation and predation. And what of the predators? Nature plays no favorites. They also can starve and sometimes the prey they need is hidden by too much snow, sometimes game migrates making the search for food a never ending struggle in the deep snow. Sometimes the food sources just die off in a specific area. I once found a hawk frozen, talons clutched to a tree a limb where it had died in it's sleep during a wet, winter storm.

As far as man is concerned, he too has to prepare. Some people cut or buy wood if their homes are heated with it. Expenses rise due to increased energy consumption to heat dwellings. Commutes to and from work involve icy road ways, poor weather conditions and early mornings out removing snow well before the sun ever rises so one can leave their house. Doing most things outside are a chore in it's self and the cold breaks down both man and machine. Infrastructure fails as water lines burst or snow laden trees that can no longer bear the strain of their load cause outages as they topple onto power lines. Vehicles break down or won't start. Life in the north is not easy for anything.

December started out mild, but subzero temperatures soon crept in and took an icy stronghold over the land. For most of December and early January, Michigan's Upper Peninsula was colder than far north Alaska.We are finally having our first warm up now with temperatures climbing back into the 30's and higher.

Lake Superior makes an almost perpetual cloud that envelops this land in the winter. The relatively warmer water from the lake reacts to the colder air and turns it into a cloud and snow generator. It's not uncommon to go for well over a week with out ever seeing the sun. At this latitude the sun rises late and sets early making for dark times when coming to and going from work.

"Why live up here?" That's a question Northlanders are often asked. It's a very good question and everyone has their own answers. My answer is this: Because of the raw awesomeness of nature it provides. That's right. This cold and oppressive weather weeds out the weak of will and mind leaving only those with stubborn fortitude to live within it's frigid realm. This naturally creates a land with a low human population, which in turn, says relatively undeveloped.

Although the season can seem cruel and punishing, I love the sheer beauty that winter brings with it. This region abounds in picturesque Hallmark Card images and provides sights that can only be found in places where few tred. The region is transformed into a veritable wonderland. Here are a few things that I like and find interesting about my world as it becomes changed by the depths of winter.

Fresh fallen snow can make an area that you know like the back hand seem like you have been dropped off into a totally alien world.

Ice. Lake Superior becomes a still life in the coldest years. The turmoil of the lake is trapped in time and for a while it sits placid in a state of suspended animation.

Strange patterns become locked into it's icy matrix. Some look like sheets of paper.

Others are comprised of bubbles frozen in time and space.

This ice appeared to be at least 3 feet thick.

The shoreline of the lake contains some fantastic "sea caves". Some of the best of which are located in the Apostle Islands National Park in northern Wisconsin. The greatest of the Great Lakes works it's magic here, sculpting nature's art like a woman possessed by an unquenchable urge of creativity.

It gives birth to magnificent forms and features such as these formations along the winter ice caves...

Some of the caves harbor amazingly delicate ice crystals

Living near this magnificent lake always brings many opportunities to see nature's raw beauty and this body of water never fails to deliver. It's moods in the winter months make for some magnificent viewing in and around it's rugged shore line.

The great north woods never lack visual wonder either.

Fantastic vistas, amazing landscapes and natural ice sculptures make putting up with the harshness of winter all worth while. At least for me it does. Many people stay indoors for much of the winter and complain there is nothing to see and do. All one has to do is venture out into the cold to witness this amazingly beautiful and ever changing landscape that I call home.