Fitz's 2011 Season Journal (*semi-live)

Great Journal. Love the POI view from camera mount. Looking forward to following this all season.

 

Dan, I have stands in that area. Right now I am here....



I was hoping the clump of trees in the swamp to the N would be more mature, too bad. But this ridge is kick a$$!

 

I just fell in love!!

 

Gotcha! Thought you had never been anywhere on that side before.

 

Love the bog woods! Looks nice! I'm assuming you walked in there through that funnel between the two marshes? Is that where the trees were less mature than you were expecting?

 

So I made a big swing through a couple areas I wanted to check out. One was a bust, the other is awesome!!

The yellow x is where I was hoping to find a nice high hump the the swamp with some mature trees, but it just wasn't the case. However, the beaver pond in the swamp to the south was full of moose & Whitetail sign!




And here's a better shot of the pond...



It was a great way to spend a crappy day.

 

Gotta love locating new spots and sign, good luck fitz

 

Very cool Fitz. I really like your idea of this journal, I will definitly be back reading it.

Good luck to you this season.

 

Alright, conditions are favorable, so Hunt 4 is about to commence. Just need to shower and throw my camo together.

I'll be headed back to the beaverdam crossing. Anxious to see if the rain over the last few days brought the water level up in the creek!

 

Go get um Fitz!!!

 

Cruising now. With calm waters I can even leave a wake

 

Good luck man! I'm jealous! I miss the big woods right now..........

 

A grouse scared the ever livin' piss out of me on my way in. Must have held to 7yds before he flushed. That'll get your heart pumpin'.

Now, I wonder if I'll see mr alces alces this evening?

 

I had a pheasant hold till like 3 or 4 yds once. NOT fun stuff. Good luck tonight!

 

Hey Fitz
Sure looks like Moose country right there, I'll be out all weekend,hoping to call in a young bull for the freezer. Good luck tonight !.
Rocky

 

So not fair you're out right now, while I still have to wait another week:D

 

Alight, I had too much to type and too little down time in the stand to type on the phone, so I elected to wait until I was back at my computer. Here are the highlights.

1- grouse scared the crap out of me on the way in (already covered this)
2- guests were fishing just off shore from me (coughing, yelling, dogs barking... it was magical )
3- Eagle cruised up the Creek at treestand height and about 25 yds out (very cool!)
4- Had a small flock of some sort of warblers under my stand all night (fun to watch, but noisy digging through the brush)
5- Loons went on a 15 min calling spree (awesome)
6- heard something 45 yds to my W, saw the unmistakable gate of a wolf bearing SSW (sweet to see from the stand!)
7- 15 seconds after wolf sighting, deer blows once from ~100 yds to the north (presumably at said wolf?)
8- watched a kingfisher catch 3 little minnows out of the beaver pond (he was 3 for 3!)
9- saw a bird perch high atop a dead ash tree @ 60yds. before I could get my bios up it leaps off and glides in my direction. I mean right at me, straight on at my face until about 5' before impact, then it takes evasive action to my left and perches in the tree behind me. It was a kestrel I believe (we had locked eyes right up until he turned, it was way cool!)
10- heard a beaver slapping away in the pond upstream (same wolf perhaps?)
11- on my way out a raven leaps from its roost in the tree above me (scared the crap out of me!)


So, it was one of those nights. Not a deer in range, but there was never a dull moment. That's one of the reasons I like that stand, there's always something to watch!

I was happy to see that the creek level hadn't changed much. If we get too much rain, the deer stop crossing there.

 

Last minute change if plans. Sara got home early so I'm headed out !

 

Alright, Internet is down and I don't want to type all of this on my iPhone, so here's the punch line....

 

Congrats!