I visited my nephew who wants to go hunting. I walked his property while he was driving home from work, and then I walked it again after he got home.
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A persimmon tree. In the north. Very strange. This tree was a girl and she had some fruit on her. There was another tree a hundred yards to the west.
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A deer trail running parallel to the edge of the field just inside the brush-line.
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A scrape
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A freakishly large hoof-print. I wear a size 11 shoe.
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Rubus strigosus? Small fruit that had small seeds and they tasted fine. Notable for fruiting on primo-canes and for its extreme vigor. It was the dominant edge vegetation and seemed to be everywhere.
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I showed him deer trails coming onto his property and crossing the soybean field. I showed him a scrape. I showed him a very, very large footprint. I pointed out a few unusual type of vegetation.
The current plan is for him to erect his elevated stand about 40 yards east of the eastern-most deer-trail into his property on his south property line. That puts 3 deer-trails within 110 yards up-wind of him and one deer-trail within slightly-optimistic cross-bow range.
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A few Scot's Pine with branches brushing the ground. This is a GREAT place to bust a deer or six on a blustery, snowy day.
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This nephew has a hard time sitting still. I suggested that he plan on two nights of hunting a week and to get on his stand at 4:30 PM and leave at 6:00 PM. With an ear-bud and his favorite music, maybe he won't fidget TOO much.
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I was going to say that large track was a feral hog, but it's front pointed hoof prints tells me very unlikely. Hog track are very rounded on both front - back edges.
ReplyDeleteThe blind location mentioned above sounds like a good place to collect some venison. Two nights a week - how long is the season in your state ? Maybe add in one half day (morning hunt) on the weekend if can be afforded. A fidgety hunter on stand for 1 1/2 hours sounds about right.
I need to get him to do some shooting from the blind before the season starts. He shoots from a lead-sled off the bench and his accuracy expectations need to be adjusted and his technique slicked-up.
DeleteDepending on how his lead-sled works, it could be beating the absolute tar out of his rifle and optic as well. Best practice for using a lead-sled is to throw it as far and as hard away from one’s rifle as one can, then learn how to either shoot unsupported using a sling or using sandbags, bipod, bags and bipod, etc.
DeleteNephew should consider attending an Appleseed shoot.
ReplyDeleteOne thing they do is run through the shooting positions. That would probably help nephew to focus.
Though I've not been in a tree stand, I have sat in blinds on water and land. I do not understand why one would plug their ears with music instead of listening to the great outdoors.