The Harrier Hawk Covert

Thicket and I took a preseason run yesterday through the Harrier Hawk Covert in search of woodcock.  A reclaimed stripmine with islands of aspen with a goldenrod understory and some spruce trees and autumn olive bushes scattered in. I found this covert last year and had several good hunts with Emma. Yesterday Thicket could only find a young turkey which she pointed handsomely. Once the flights start I hope this cover will again hold some woodcock.

 

The cover.

 

 

A happy dog.

 

 

Thicket's turkey point.

 

 

Back at the truck, tired but happy.

 

 



Signs of Fall

Everywhere I look I see signs of Fall.

 

 

 

Goldenrod always brings back memories of my youth. Hunting weedfields and grown over fence rows with my beagle Queenie, my first hunting dog.

 

 

A Hawthorn bearing particularly large fruit.

 

 

The signs of fall are signs of days to be spent afield making memories of hunts that are special not because of filled gamebags but because of the moments spent with a special dog and a special gun.



Liberty apples

I picked my Liberty apples this week. They could have hung on for another few weeks but the birds had found them and were taking more than their share.  A little tart but still a great tasting apple which should mellow after a little while in the refrigerator.

The bees were also liking the taste of the Liberty apple.

 



 

 

Liberty has a natural waxy "bloom".

 

 

Which easily rubs off and gives the apples a very shiny skin.

 

 

This is the second box the bear has torn down in this location.  Time to move it somewhere else.

 

 

I had company in the orchard.  A fawn who had just about lost his or her spots.

The Deerfield

I made it out fishing one evening last week with Russell on the Deerfield section of the river.  Named after the herds of deer I used to see in the immense field than lays between the road and the river last week we saw only 2 deer on our walk out at dusk.

Last week we had fished 1/4 mile upstream with poor success, but this night the Fishing Gods smiled upon us and we had an enjoyable evening catching Smallmouth bass and Rock bass.

 

 

I lost the biggest fish of the night, a Smallie probably 15 inches or so, as I was trying to land it, but it was still a very satisfying evening with a good number of 10 to 13 inch Smallies and several large Rock bass.

 

Hopefully we'll be able to make it out several more times before the Hunting season enthralls us.