Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    
    Jerry,
    
    You still seeing the sheep?  If you don't mind...how about sending
    a snapshot to me via interoffice mail...?
    
    I'll pass it around to a bunch of the Northeast Gang to eyball>>
    
    P>S>  if you can't, no big deal...
    MKO1-2/J38  RICK PAPPALARDO
    

>>          <<< Note 1430.1 by 31803::PAPPALARDO "PCBU Mfg/Logistics" >>>

    
>>    Jerry,
    
>>    You still seeing the sheep?  If you don't mind...how about sending
>>    a snapshot to me via interoffice mail...?

They were there yesterday.  I'll try to get over there today or tomorrow
and take photos.  Been meaning to do that anyway.

Jerry

    
       	Well I took my new hunting student out squirrel hunting on saturday
    he bought his own shotgun on the 14th, he has been useing mine when I 
    would take him along hunting, his dad doesnt have the time to take him
    and doesnt really like to set in the woods in the cold and
    rain/snow/sleet for the sport of hunting, but this young lad seems to 
    have taken a big interest in the sport, and as most people know I dont
    very often say no to going hunting.
    
       Anyways this past saturday it was cold/wet and raining but he wanted
    to go hunting anyways, we didnt leave till ~10 am, we went to the area 
    where I got the spike during ny archery season. for the most part I was
    doing post season scouting while showing mike things to look for, we
    set in an area that had a nice mix of grape vines and oaks, with a few
    beechnut trees thrown in for good measure. about 10 minutes after
    starting with the squirrel call I notice mo's (my lab) ears perk up and
    he is stareing at a tree about 30 yards away, loe and behold there is a
    nice fat grey squirrel climbing up to get a better look for that other
    squirrel that is scolding so much.
    
        Mike finally got a clear shot at the squirrel and made a nice clean
    kill, to say he was happy is an understatement, after that we were
    pretty much soaked through so he headed home I cleaned the squirrel for 
    him and fixed the tail to be put on a board along with the first shell
    used to take a game animal from his very first gun that he bought with
    his own $ and that he picked out on his own. for only being a 14 yr old 
    he has matured alot since he started hunting, I think that being
    instilled with the fact that you HAVE to be RESPONSIBLE to be a hunter
    has flowed over into his day to day life as well. he has shown an
    interest to bowhunting, since ny state doesnt allow gun hunting till
    the person is age 16 if he wants to hunt deer he can only hunt with a 
    bow? where the heck that logic came from is beyond me, but anyways I
    told him that if he wants to bowhunt that I would be glad to show him
    the ropes, and maybe if his parents allow we can get his Pa license and
    he can go with me there to hunt deer.
    
       As far as the scouting findings go, there seems to be a very good
    supply of acorns and beechnuts left in the woods here, of course it
    will vary depending on the amount of game in the area, the place we
    were on saturday doesnt have a high turkey population where as the area
    that I gun hunt has a huge turkey population so there will probably be
    less acorn left over there. but for the most part we have had virtually
    no snow on the ground all season, just a few days here and there and
    then back to bare ground, and as we all know it has been extremely warm
    for most of the winter so far. I think that the deer herd will do very
    well this year, unless we have a really heavy snowfall and bitter cold 
    that lasts into april.  There was some decent deer sign around,
    although with all of last falls leaves down trails and tracks are
    harder to find, but they are there. 
    
                                                        Lee
    
      P.s. 8 weeks till turkey scouting season. yeeeahhhhhhhhhh
    
    
    
                                         

    Hey! does this count?
    
    I rubbed the nose of a 6pt bull elk on sunday.  Came right up to me,
    still has his rack. I even got a picture.  Seems everybody likes this
    old boy and he is used to humans.  
    
    Course it helps that he is only 1/4 mile from my office
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    In Elk Grove villiage, IL. (suburb of chicago)
    
    

Ive always heard Chicago was a zoo..

	just kidding...

Joe

    Elk in Chicago?  I was there last Monday and Tuesday for some training.
    I wish I would have known, I would have driven out there to take a
    look.
    
    Wess

>>          <<< Note 1430.1 by 31803::PAPPALARDO "PCBU Mfg/Logistics" >>>

    
>>    Jerry,
    
>>    You still seeing the sheep?  If you don't mind...how about sending
>>    a snapshot to me via interoffice mail...?
    
Done.

Let me know when you get them.

Since I posted the original note, I have learned that these are
Desert Bighorns, and were imported from New Mexico several years ago.
At one time, the herd was bigger (I have never seen more than 5), but
someone shot a bunch of them (illegally, that is).

This bunch is pretty tame, but it's still neat to see them.

Jerry

P.S.  For any of you cxo folks, I have pictures in my office today only
(Friday, Feb. 17).  I'm at pole 2H3.

    
    Jerry,
    
    I got the pictures you sent.....Thank-You!!!!!! These are great
    
    looking animals.....that one big-boy has a real nice curl....
    
    They all look very healthy.......
    
    Thanks again......!!!
    
    I'll pass them around to the other folks as well.....
    
    See ya..
    
    Rick.
    
    

    Guys,
    
    On the way in to work this morning I passed over a wetland and saw a
    45-50lb beaver lying dead on the road.  I stopped and picked him up.
    Talk about a whopper!  I am going to skin him out and try tanning him.
    I have a muzzleloading accessories pouch made out of beaver and am
    thinking about making something else now.
    
    
    Wess_who_always_gets_lots_of_beaver

           <<< Note 1430.9 by 35186::VANDENBARK "Makes me happy!" >>>
                                 -< 45-50lbs >-

    Guys,
    
    On the way in to work this morning I passed over a wetland and saw a
    45-50lb beaver lying dead on the road.  I stopped and picked him up.
    Talk about a whopper!  I am going to skin him out and try tanning him.
    
    
    Wess_who_always_gets_lots_of_beaver


	Wess,

		45 - 50 lbs ???? Come on, fess up. It was really a german
	shepard with a road skwished tail....;-)


	Red

    Red,
    
    I swear he weighted at least 45lbs!  I skinned him last night and put
    the hide in the freezer.
    
    
    I have a german shepherd.....humm?
    
    
    Wess

    Anyone out there do any turkey hunting this spring?
    
    
    
    Wess

    
    Wess,
    
    I almost nailed a jake a couple weeks ago with my car. Does that
    count? The bugger flew right in front of me and landed in someone's
    back yard. He knows where it's safe.
    
    Walt

    Walt,
    
    To bad it wasn't my back yard!
    
    
    I went last month in Ky and here is what happened.
    
    Arrived at my Dad's farm the day before season and roosted 4 turkeys in
    one bunch and two others about 100 yards from them.  The next morning I
    eased in between the two bunches an hour before daylight and setup.  At
    daylight a boss gobbler gobbled his head off for about 30 minutes about
    70 yards over the hill from me before flying down.  I gave him a couple
    of yelps...no answer.  I waited about 10 minutes and gave him a few
    more...no answer.  I heard him gobble again, but this time it sounded
    like he was 150 yards and moving away.  I decided to get up and try to
    head him and the hens off.  I went over the hill in a hurry to see him
    in full strut with his tail up blocking his head about 40 yards from
    me.  I just about died.  I pulled my gun up and crouched, but he
    wheeled around and saw me.  He was a nice one!  I decided to shoot,
    knowing it was a little far.  At the shot he laughed and took off like
    a rocket.  The hens all laughed and walked off.  I hooked back around
    the hill and saw the 3 hens again.  I was pissed.
    
    Next moring I hunted down the ridge while it poured buckets.  About
    10am I headed back to where I had seen him and just missed him.  He
    gobbled 3 times going across the bottom into the neighbor's place.  The
    neighbor's hunt but are on good terms with my dad so I hooked around
    and went on in.  I was about to call when yelp...yelp... A neighbor was
    calling him about 40 yards from me (never saw me) with a box call and
    he liked it.  He ran out of legal shooting time....ha.
    
    Next day I was back on Dad's where I had seen him opening morning.  He
    gobbled on the neighbor's for over an hour.  I decided not to go over
    there figuring that guy was working him again.  He kept gobbling and 
    gobbling.  I asked God what he wanted me to do and the turkey gobbled
    again!  I jumped the fence and made a wide hook around and above him. 
    I pulled out my box call and gave him 4 yelps, he gobbled about 80
    yards from me.  I answered him immediately with 3 more yelps and he
    gobbled again.  I pulled my 12 ga up and got ready.  About 5 minutes
    later I yelped 3 more times and he gobbled about 40 yards and closing.
    It was thick where I was setup and I could see about 30 yards max.  
    Just then I saw him pop his head up staring my way!  I eased closer
    turning his head from side to side trying to find the hen.  As he moved
    closer one step at a time I thought he would see me breathing, my heart
    was really pumping.  He moved behing a big tree and I pulled the gun up
    and he immediately popped his head back around to see if he could catch
    me moving.....The only thing he caught was a 2 1/4oz load of
    penetrators between his eyes. 
    
    21 1/2lb field gutted.
    10 1/2-11" beard
    1 1/4" spurs.
    
    Wess
    

    
    Nice bird Wess! Sounds like it was an exciting time for you.
    Can you take more than one bird per year in KY?
    
    Walt

    Walt,
    
    We are allowed 2 gobblers, but I didn't have enough time (or maybe I
    wasn't good enough).
    
    I will try to zip one with my bow this fall.
    
    
    Wess
    Who is headed for KY Lake!

    I went in western MA. I saw a wild turkey every day! Did I get one you
    ask...  NO!  Damn birds are tough to get. My best chance came as I was
    just sitting hope'en one would walk by. Sure enough 3 jake came walking
    in but they were on a mission and my calls could not pull them in. They
    just kept on going.
    
    The next best thing was I did manage to put one to bed. Went there in
    the morning and set up. Saw him, a hen and a jake fly down. I didnt
    think he would tolerate the jake being around but he didnt mind. They
    were all on a hill side about 70-80 yds away. I watched him do her. I
    watched them all eat and just do turkey things for 2.5 hours. I could
    not get him to leave her though. Finally I think she saw me move, she
    gave the warning putts and walked off quickly. I called with a cackle
    and that kept the Tom hanging around. I thought to myself, ok you're
    mine now. 10 min later a hunter walked into the area and spooked the
    Tom. Oh well.
    
    In hind sight I did a lot wrong. But there was a lot of birds out there
    with this mild winter we had. Last year I didnt see or hear a thing and
    I thought it was because of the harsh winter that year.
    
    I'll try again this fall.
    Don