March On Camera At Long Ridge

I have not posted for a few weeks because I could not overcome a glitch in my computer...could not post pictures. I had over 200 pictures on my cams, but in reality, most are redundant. To make a short story of it, we have two separate herds of deer coming down off the ridges to find green. Though the ground is white today, we have lost most of our snow. Around the farm was clear, but  a few days ago I drove an ATV up to the Far Ridge, and got buried. I decided to take the John Deere up there to pull it out but could not make it up over steep icy trails. Come-alongs are Us!. Fourteen inches up there! Today, six. It is over!

I have placed three cameras out and below you see an owl doing a mouse, or vole.

 

 

Nice gray fox behind the Christmas tree plantation..

 



Preceded by a Red fox..

Several deer at ease...

 

These deer are up behind the house.

 

Mom AND Dad. They'll be whelping out n no time...

 

What was that!

On guard! 

 

Another Gray..

 

 

 

 

 

This is a good healthy doe! Twins on the way... 

Airborn...

 

Reddy again.

 

This is a healthy good sized coyote. That hide would sell!

 Nice rabbit tracks found on a walk.

WE are always advised by F&G to take in bird feeders by April 1st. Well, we did, and April second a bear came and finished up the seeds I had poured on the ground at deer camp. The shape of his body as he lay there, is huge. Then he came up to the house and did the bird feeder here in good shape...

Here is a coyote scat in the far field, and in it I find deer hooves.

Below are claw marks from the bear pawing seeds into his mouth.

 

So, I will try to be more timely with pics folks, and this month will see us out in the woods more, perhaps spraying food plots, cleaning up trails. Tell Long Ridge what YOU are doing!

jackeller@myfairpoint.net

End of Winter at Long ridge

Things are really thawing out here at Long Ridge and the deer are roaming widely again. I put out one camera March 1st, up behind an overgrown Christmas tree plantation and got some decent shots.

 

 Turkeys have left their tracks on this snow covered food plot.

My Trackometer tells me this deer would dress out at about 120 pounds. I will measure the hooves of the next deer I take and see how good this thing is. It's inventor sounds plausible.

I couldn't resist the beauty of this snow covered golden rod...

Not much bark scraping on young hemlocks going on this winter. It has been a light snow year and the deer have plenty of browse.

Next three shots are of deer digging down to clover and grass in a field and in the East plot.

 

On this day I hiked up a snowmobile trail toward the ridges in hopes of calling in a coyoye. No luck. Only saw one coyote track. A farm neighbor who slaughters cows has lured them his way, and really thinned out the pack. Bummer! 

More game camera shots below...

A gorgeous gray above...

 

Same fox I think... 

This maple has been savaged by deer. I cut it and left it at the edge of the Far Ridge plot so they could get the buds.

 

 



 It's back down to 18 degrees, but spring is only weeks away! In this part of the country, we'll lose the rest of our snow, get an 18 inch blizzard, lose it again, go to 60 degrees, then shear the sheep in April and watch the temperature drop to 5 degrees. Happens every time!

Let me know what you are all doing!

jackzeller@myfairpoint.net

 

 

Deer Camp Chores Mid-Winter

Not all are chores mind you, most of the things we do here at Long Ridge are fun, such as acheiving and measuring this .223 group I shot at the range a few weeks ago. Somewhere around a third of an inch, and I believe I have found the pet factory load for this rifle. It is a TC Venture Predator and for a 6+ pound rifle, it is a keeper for varmint hunting in rough country!

 Um...I guess burning brush piles from pasture or food plot forgings are not really chores either. Tons of fun, and warm work on a cold day!

 Below the three pictures show a twenty foot ladder stand I am dismantling to move to a new location. This used to be fun, but really IS a chore unless I'm doing it with pals. This day I was alone, and it was freezing. It was over a turnip plot (which the deer never glanced at) then once turned to clover, were all over it. But the stand is needed elsewhere...

Below you see the least chore-like work we do at LRDC, improving food plots and habitat (and filling the wood stove)...This is a 16 inch black birch that I completely girdled three years ago but it refused to stop growing. I also cut some big maples, but left them on the ground until the deer have finished off the buds (almost done).

 

 This was a stocking gift I received for Christmas. It came with a book of knowledge about deer tracks (I had thought I knew everything) and directions for use. Measuring the width of front or rear hooves (thus the two scales) will give you an estimated weight of the deer when dressed. Invented by a Vermont F&G commissioner and wildlife biologist, this trackometer will keep you busy in the woods! By sheer coincidence I met the inventor last week at a gun show in Barre Vermont, which I attended with a deer camp hunter pal.

 Below you can see the trails before snow. The freezing cold temperatures form deep (up to 15 inches) crystals of ice which are dangerous to walk on, so ATV's are necessary when traversing them. On this day, I arrived at the Far Ridge only to discover a flat tire caused by a 3/4 inch gash in the tread. Not sure what caused it, but made it back to camp on the flat!

 It's eleven degrees out, and this roof snow just gave up.

 Below is a trail that turned into a stream which froze solid (I know, moving water never freezes).
The ice, dusted with snow, is over a foot thick.

 Below is the same place in the trail after a bit of snow.

 

This last picture is the trail today. There is a foot of snow on top of the ice, and it is now serving as a snowmobile trail! Kalie and Luna love the easy job of hiking on firm snow!

 Let me know what is keeping you all occupied this winter!

 

jackzeller@myfairpoint.net