Random Shots At Long Ridge

 On the move!

Random shots from LRDC. Lots of creatures and nature taking her course. As usual, never mind the dates on the pictures. I do not correct the cameras continually. As I sit here it is August 8th, and I can feel the summer beginning to wane. The timothy hay below is taller than I am (first time ever) but is now all brown with mature seed. The field remains unmowed until August 15th, so that all the late field nesters are sure to be gone. The field will then seem so much bigger than it does now! Only the milkweed will stand into late September. You all know why...and this year once again we will have apples and acorns. Tons of each. Good for the wildlife and good for us.

I love this bear sitting up and busy. This is at the Western log landing. Check that big belly!

These pictures range from late winter through this summer. Smaller bucks are on camera, but nothing breathtaking.  Serious numbers of bear. Serious maintenance of electric sheep fencing.

This is the sole bobcat I have seen this year. Coyotes are moving back in, as can be seen in fawn loss (although the bears take more).

The picture of Kalie below is just to mollify us all in this summer heat and humidity. It will go, and the snow will come. I can hardly wait.

So happy with the log project. Watch the game move in! It looks to many that the forest is decimated. The loggers brought out whole trees to the landing, and then used a huge machine to limb and log them. Huge piles of branches were then grappled back into the wood and spread on trails, and skid roads. I was concerned so I checked with both biologists and Extension, and was glad to find that best practices were in place.

So, this week we begin to work on trails and tree stands for the coming season. Some stands are virtually inaccessible due to the logging and need paths cleared to them. Food plotting begins this month, and so does archery practice which I am a month behind in. Oh, the shame!

Coming up, I have purchased my third 10 mm pistol for hunting. Springfield came out with an XDM and I could not resist, remembering my fondness for the striker fired XDM 9mm. I traded the big Ruger which I liked, but was happy to part with because I am quite finished with the 1911 pistol platform. Review to come! In the meantime enjoy the water, the heat, and your good health if you have it, because fall is almost here. 

As always comments and barbs welcome!

jackzeller@myfairpoint.net

Long Ridge Deer Camp Coming Back

Sorry to have been absent for so long...My fall and winter were tied up on family business, sheep issues, and a huge logging operation that just ended. We did have some great camps in the fall though, and even managed to bring in a few deer! No bucks seen or taken on the farm this year, and that is a first. While I did begin my deer census station on time, and initially felt we were running about 14 deer per square mile here, once the logging started it jumped to 35 or better. Way more than the land can sustain once the logging is over. But great fun to ATV up into big bunches of deer. I don't think I have seen less than seven or eight deer on morning pup walks. 

 Below are some happy and fun camp shots. As you can see, hunters share their chairs with Kalie.

Without fire it just would never be the same.

East Ridge tree stand view.

We feel very well watched over.

Freezers do actually get filled.

Deer census station at work.

East plot bear this fall. Never mind the camera dates, too much work to change each time batteries go dead.

A Far Field buck. No one got him...

Same buck, but love crazed.

A brave raccoon.

A gorgeous fox on the East Plot.

Frozen whiskers.

here's hoping your winters passed uneventfully! Blogs coming with more pictures and some pistol evals are in the making! Stay tuned. Comments and jabs cheerfully accepted!

jackzeller@myfairpoint.net