BLACK POWDER OPENER FOR 2011

We woke to wet conditions. It was not promising for a day in the deer stand. Some did make their way out and had some success.

            I was out during the afternoon session with my daughter, Ramona, accompanying me. We were greatly entertained by the local bird life but didn’t see any deer until just about 15-20 minutes before sunset.
            We had erected a ground blind at the end of one clearing and sat watching the changing weather as we waited for deer to appear. There was rain, wind, clouds and a dropping thermometer during the two and half hours we were there.



(view from our blind)

            As I said, we saw bluejays, robins, chickadees, crows and a ruffed grouse during the afternoon. We had chickadees about two feet outside the window of our blind.

            When the deer finally did appear, they came out about 125 yards distance and then like often happens, they turned and headed straight away from us. This was slightly farther than I wanted my daughter to shoot and so we watched three different deer as they made their way down an old grass filled road toward a distant apple tree.

            It was still a good time hunting and look forward to getting out again this week.

REPLACING OF AN OLD FAVORITE

Every once in awhile you make a mistake! It happens to the best of people. Some mistakes are devastating and others are just plain disappointments that stick with you for a time. I have made my share of mistakes just as you have.

            One mistake I have long regretted making is the sale of a particular rifle. Back a number of years I did not have much extra cash to buy a lot of hunting rifles or much else for that matter. At a gun show I picked up an old Swedish Mauser in 6.5 x 55 caliber. Having a father and grandfather that were both gunsmiths, I naturally had to customize it. But the end results was that it turned out to be a sweet shooting and accurate little rifle. I hunted with it for about six or seven years and took over a dozen deer with that rifle.



(the replacement for my original)

            As often happens, you get to the point where you think you have outgrown a particular item or just want to upgrade to something perceived as better. I too was guilty of that. I sold my Mauser to friend who was really interested in it, so that I could pick up a proper deer rifle. Well to make a long story shorter, that rifle I traded up for has been long gone, as well as a number of other rifles as well. All during that time I always regretted the sale of the 6.5 X 55. So I began looking for the replacement of it.

            The first thing I noticed was the rise of the sticker price. One of the reasons I had originally purchased that rifle was that it was well within my budget. I paid less than seventy-five dollars for the original one. Now they can’t be touched for much less than two hundred. Their popularity has grown tremendously, partly because it has been found that they can be easily customized to smaller hunters that might be sensitive to recoil of heavier calibers. They also are a very accurate gun and are a part of history as well. Besides, they are just plain fun to shoot.  

(top view of the rifle)

 

            So the last gun show I attended, I was pleasantly surprised to find a nicely worked over little Mauser on the end cap of one table. The sticker shock was still there, however, and I knew that there was going to have to be some dickering if I was to go home with it. That is just what happened. I paid about three times what I had initially paid for my first one, but the good part is that I wouldn’t have to do a thing to the rifle because it was well worked by the previous owner.

            Hopefully I won’t be foolish enough to make that mistake again. This is a nice rifle to take out on a rainy, snowy day. It has a receiver sight that can’t get fogged up because of wet weather. It is light to carry and I have never had a problem in the cartridge doing what it should when shot. The longest trailing job I ever had in over a dozen deer was bout fifty yards. I am looking forward to getting out with this rifle a couple of times this year.

PUTTING UP WINTER WOOD

During the past week I worked on a few chores trying to get them out of the way before the fall hunting seasons begin. One such chore was the splitting of some of the winter wood. 



(tools of the trade)

               I usually use a hydraulic splitter, but this year decided to split, at least some of the wood pile, using sledge hammer and wedges. It is not because I am particularly fond of physical torture, but thought this might be an alternate form of physical exercise. Since much of my work does not entail physical labor, it was a nice change in routine.

            Most of the wood pile is hardwood that has aged about a year now. Just right for splitting and ready for burning as fuel. There is a bit of softwood in the pile as well, but that burns too.



(block by block, the stack grows)

          Once you begin such a task, you often fall into a rhythm that allows for some philosophical thought. Unlike the hydraulic splitter, where you had better keep you full attention on the work at all times, with the wedge and hammer you are able to let your thoughts wander a bit while splitting.

            I don’t recall coming up with any earth shattering thoughts but it wasn’t long before I noticed that my pile of split wood was growing. All total, I think I split a little over a cord of wood in a very short period of time. The best part of the experience was that I didn’t have any aches and pains usually associated with such labor. I think I will finish up, this one wood pile anyway, with the hammer and wedges. It was actually fun and I got that much needed exercise.  

LOOKING FOR DEALS ON GEAR

During the yard sale season, many good finds can be picked up for a song and dance. I didn’t do much of that kind of thing this summer but I did come up with a few good pieces of equipment.

            First, I found a light weight tent that looked interesting. This was at a moving sale and it was marked ridiculously low to begin with so when I asked the condition of the tent, the owner immediately said “It should be alright, but I’ll make you a deal. Take it for a dollar.” What could I do? For a dollar I at least had another set of tent stakes, even if the tent was no good!

(tent picked up cheap, yet a good find)

            Once I got home with this find, I set the tent up in the front yard to check out its condition. Pleasantly, I found it to be in quite excellent shape as far as the fabric, zippers and netting goes. The only problems I see is that the collapsible poles are a bit worse for wear. Someone must have bent them a bit farther than was intended for them to go because two sections were split. But for just a few bucks, new poles can be had and it is certainly a roomy tent. Its light weight also makes it good for moderate weather backpacking.



(cook set picked up for one dollar)



           

Second, I also found another cook set that was in mint condition. If ever used it wasn’t used more than a single time. This excellent set consisted of a shallow cooking pot with a cover, a dish and a metal drinking cup. Although a little large to use backpacking, it will come in handy on any fishing and hunting camping trips in the near future. I believe I spent a total of one dollar for this as well.



(inside contents of the cook set)



            Not all items go for a dollar. The third item picked up was a rifle scope with a mil-dot reticle. This will work well on any number of rifles and although a bit more in money, it was still way less than shelling out for a new one. Of course it will mean making another trip to the shooting range to sight it in, but sacrifices must be made!

            Not only did I find these additions to my gear, but a couple of friends also found a number of useful items. Each one found a ground blind for less than half the price of new cost, and neither blind had been set up more than once or twice. The original blazing white tags were still on them. Add to that camo seats and stools, fishing equipment, plus a number of other items and you get the idea.

            Although I would not look in this direction for items that my life might depend upon, it still shows that some very useful camping and outdoor items can be found second hand. Don’t over look the opportunity next time your spouse suggests another yard sale trip.

SUMMER FISHING AND TRAVEL

As you can see I have not been able to write for some time. My wife and I have been involved with her mother’s needs over the past six months. My Mother-in-law was 95 years old, living on her own still until March 2011 and then she went on to be with the Lord just a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, that left my wife and me to deal with her last physical belongings, such as her home and furnishings. Michele is finally home here in the north country and we are trying to get things back to normal.

            In spite of the hectic spring and summer, I was able to get in a few fishing excursions. Both saltwater and freshwater fishing was good each time I went out. While on Long Island, I did get the chance to fish for both Blues and Strippers. Both were migrating through the inlet where I was and they seemed to be quite hungry. 



(cocktail size - just right for table)

            Only caught a couple of the strippers and they were released because they were short, but they still put up a fight. I did see a couple of forty plus inch strippers, one being taken by a scuba diver and his speargun.

            The Blues were much more accommodating! We caught them from snapper size on up to cocktail and chopper size. Needless to say, we had a number of fresh fish fries this summer. My grandkids enjoyed catching the snappers. The two middle grandsons are both becoming quite proficient with the spinning rods and reels. They are about 7 and 9 years of age. They were both able to throw the snapper poppers out with no trouble and then land their own fish.



(grandsons with snapper blues)



            Back up here in the north country, I only got out a couple of times. But the action has been pretty good this year. Frank Abel Jr. and I went out in the narrows of the Chateaugay Lakes looking for bass. We found a few, a couple that might have pushed the legal limit. They all went back in of course. We did find a few eager yellow perch.

            On one cast, Frank hooked into a big fish and the battle was on. He fought the fish for a few minutes before it came around the bow of the canoe to where I could see it. I saw immediately that he did not have a bass on his line. 

(Frank's first Northern Pike)

            After about ten minutes of battle, he finally landed a nice Northern Pike. This was the first pike that he had ever caught and, for a first one, it was nice. So there was some success in the fishing department this summer. In spite of heat waves and humid days, we still had some fine fishing.

            Talking with a number of my fishing buddies, they all report they had quite a bit of success this summer. Hope you had the time to get out on the water as well.

TROUT FISHING SPRING 2011



(One stock trout taken this spring)



It has been some time since I have been able to commit time to this site. Family concerns have kept me from writing but I have still been able to find limited time on the trout waters this spring. The fish are there even though we have experienced some up and down water conditions this year.

            DEC has apparently done quite a little stocking of trout in our local waters. The average trout caught has been between ten inches and twelve inches in length. There were some a little larger but not many that have been much smaller. On a couple of occasions I have tied into a large brown that, so far, has eluded my best efforts to land. Twice now he has struck my lure and I have had him on the line for a few seconds before he shakes the hook. He has given me a good look at his size and coloration each time so that I know he is in the eighteen to twenty inch range. Perhaps there will be another encounter yet this year.



(A few trout added to the creel)

            The bugs have been thick at times on the water but not so over whelming that they can’t be tolerated. A little insect repellent is in order if you really want to enjoy your outing. A number of the other bugs have been hatching out as well, such as mayflies, and the trout are rising regularly to the surface to take these bugs.

            It is a good time for the dry fly fisherman to be out. There hasn’t been a large influx of fishermen in our immediate area so far and therefore the fish have not been fully educated at this time. You should find some very receptive trout waiting for your fly.



(Hatchery trout taken during high water)


           On the few outings I have taken this spring, I would say I have caught and released between two and three dozen trout. That does not include the eight or nine I have put in my creel for the table. It has been an enjoyable trout season so far. The only problem is that you need to watch the weather patterns closely in order to hit the water during the most ideal conditions.

TROUT FINALLY HITTING

We finally got into trout fishing last week. Previously all we were catching were perch in some of the rivers we were trying. Last Tuesday, although we did pull in a number of good sized perch, we also landed one good brown trout.


(brown caught by Leo)

 Fishing with Gary and Leo, we tried a number of places with no success. The weather has still been very up and down in temperature and snowfall or rainfall. Water levels have been fluctuating quite a bit the past week or two. We had snow at least two days last week and rain most of the rest of the week. The one good day we had we got out fishing.
We ended up in one large fishing hole just below a local dam and started catching perch once again. We had pulled in about a dozen of these fat bellied yellow perch and were just deciding to quit for the day.


(another view of brown trout)

 As Leo began a retrieve of his line, a trout suddenly struck and put on quite a nice show. This brown went aerial about three times and gave him quite a fight before he was able to land a 15 inch brown that weighed in on the digital scale at 1 pound and 3 ounces. It was a beautiful fish.
That was the total excitement so far of trout fishing, but at least the trout are there and are starting to cooperate. At the end of the week Leo saw another fisherman had pulled out another trout about the same as his, from that same pool.
We should be seeing marked increase in the trout fishing as of this week.

2011 SPRING TROUT OPENER

Despite dire predictions of significant snowfall for April 1^st, here in northeastern New York we had a relatively nice opening day of trout season. The skies were overcast and it was a bit cool, temperature wise, but no snowfall during the night or morning and the rain held off until later in the afternoon. The weathermen, however, had many believing that we might expect a foot or more of snow and I think they did receive significant snowfall south of us. Probably that prediction of snow was what kept many fishermen from even attempting to get out on opening day.
I hit a few of my favorite fishing holes on opening day and found fish, but not trout. The yellow perch were hitting quite aggressively in one place I fished and after landing about a half dozen or so, I headed for another spot. I never was able to connect with a trout that day.


(An  early April trout from 2010)


The second day of the season, a couple of fishing buddies and I hit the water again. It was a cold, windy day and a storm front was coming through the area. We didn’t connect with any trout that day either, but we at least got some interest in our offerings.
We had a few tentative strikes at a couple of different fishing holes but not enough to hook and land a trout. One of us did have a real small brook trout attack his worm, but I think the worm was bigger than the trout. He didn’t get hooked at any rate. When Tim held up his fingers and gave a chuckle, he indicated a fish about three or four inches in length. 



(Early April trout from 2 yrs. ago)

 The beginning of this week didn’t treat us any better. There has been temperatures ranging from the 40’s down to freezing and either rain or spitting snow on almost everyday. It has salvaged a bit of the maple sugaring season, but it hasn’t done anything for the trout fishing.
Last year, by the time of the opening day, there was no snow on the ground and the lakes and ponds were already beginning to open up. This year we still have a good foot of snow in the woods and the lakes and ponds haven’t even begun to see ice out here along the border.

TROUT OPENER RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER

We are just three weeks away from the spring Trout season opener. Of course just when our hopes start running high, we get dumped on with another two feet of snow. Winter just doesn’t seem to want to give up this year.
But it does give us a good lead time to get ready for the opening day of fishing. Who knows what the conditions might be on April 1^st. All I know is that I haven’t missed an opener in a number of years now and unless there are really severe conditions, I don’t plan to miss this one.


(fishing creel I made at a class by Mick Jarvis of Adirondack Basket and Heritage Design)

Last year was a real slow start. I fished a number of hours without a single nibble. When I finally got a strike, there was no fooling around with Mr. Brown Trout. He was a nice 17-18 inch brown that hit the spinner hard. I was using small trout worms for bait with a gold spinner blade that day. What a way to start the season.
I went on to catch a few more trout during the early season before starting on other species as the summer started out.
I bought a 7 foot single piece rod with a sensitive tip, specifically for trout fishing last spring. It was a joy to use and certainly helped a number of times when trying to detect those light bumps and taps on the line. Getting around in the woods and vehicles wasn’t really all that bad once you learn to watch the tip. This year I am also adding a new open faced spinning reel to complete the outfit.


(college friend, Don Mauer, with stock trout from Spring 2010)
(my new rod on right side of photo)

It isn’t that I don’t have a number of reels, but most of them are a few years old and don’t have the right balance for this particular rod. Once you balance rod and reel, you take a lot of arm fatigue out of fishing all day. Looking into my tackle box, I find need of a few more lures. Doesn’t every fisherman need another lure or two? Some new, fresh line on the spools and I think I will be ready for opening day.
Since I had some luck with walleye this past year, I am also looking for that opener later in the spring. I hooked into a rainbow trout and a walleye, both over 15 inches, in the same pool last spring on one of our local rivers. 

(large brown from 2010 opener)


Now is the time to get things in order. The openers will be on us in very short time. I have a couple of sportsman shows to speak at these next couple of weekends and then there will be just a little over a week until trout season. Sure hope it warms a bit more before that time!

SMALL GAME HUNTING SEASON WINDING DOWN

Got a break in the lousy weather of the past few weeks, just before this last storm hit. I took time to get out hunting the snowshoe hare.
This is always fun and even though I only had a couple of hours, I thought the dog would like the exercise. We went just across the road into a cedar-evergreen swampy area that usually holds a number of snowshoes.

(a snowshoe sitting )


I had seen the trail of a fisher going back and forth across the road, into the swamp a couple of times on my walks. I was wondering if there would be any snowshoes left in there, but shouldn’t have worried. There was plenty of sign and as the hunt progressed, a number sighted.
It didn’t take but ten minutes before my beagle jumped the first snowshoe. He started running and I could tell he was on the usual trail that would take him right past a funnel of thick stuff on the other side of the swamp. I hightailed it for that corner and sure enough, after a few minutes, got a glimpse of the hare streaking through the downfalls. I never got a chance to shoot.


(snowshoe taken on previous hunt)


I saw two more hare during that hunt, one in front of a strange beagle that showed up and then I found his hunter not long after. I was on my way out anyway, so I wasn’t upset that they might spoil my hunt this day.
I finally collected my beagle and headed home with no heavy load of snowshoes to carry, but there was the pleasant time listening to the beagle music and seeing a number of the hares.
It started raining soon after I hooked up the beagle to head out and I was a bit damp by the time I got back home. But I was content and happy with the hunt.

Only a couple weeks left of rabbit hunting.

SPRING SPORTSMAN SHOWS

My apologies for so long between posts. I have been doing some preparations for these two spring shows, plus getting ready for some of our spring openers.
There are a few sportsman shows coming up this spring. I am doing seminars on small game hunting at two of them. The first is this weekend at Altona, New York.


(A small show display at one sportsman show)

 I will be speaking on “The Forgotten Art of Small Game Hunting”. This deals pretty much with hunting the snowshoe hare, but I also touch on a couple of other species as well. There is a photograph presentation with the speaking. These are outdoor and nature photos that I have taken dealing with small game and big game animals and hunting.
I will be presenting the seminar on Saturday, March 12^th at 11:30a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and then again on Sunday afternoon, March 13^th from 1:30 p.m. - 2:30p.m. The entrance to this show is only $4.00 and there is much to see at this show. You can check out the show site at: www.altonashows.com


(another look at a display)

The Adirondack Sportsman show is the next weekend of March 19^th in Schroon Lake area. I will be doing the same seminar, on small game hunting, twice during the course of the afternoon. You can see the information on this show at their site: www.SportsmensDinner.com.


(sights you might see at a larger area show)

I hope you take the time to get to these shows or one of the many others in the area. They are great times to see some of the new things coming out in the outdoor sports and a time to swap a few tall tales with other sportsman.

MID-WINTER ACTIVITIES





(Nice perch from last years outings)



I have lost about two and a half to three weeks of this winter with sicknesses. Started out with a stomach bug and then moved onto a winter cold and then back to some stomach ailment. Not a way to start a new year. But with the severe temperatures and now today a major storm in the area, I probably haven’t missed a whole lot. Have been talking with a number of ice fishermen and they are reporting some good catches of fish this winter. Perch, as always, are being cooperative. Some have been catching nice numbers and sizes of lake trout as well. Pike are always available.

Ice conditions are good since we had so much cold, subzero weather. No matter what, you do need to always be aware of ice safety when going out on the lake or river ice. Under ice currents and springs here in our mountain areas can make for some local spots of thin, dangerous ice. Be smart about where you travel on the ice. One of the best ice fishing safety tips is to always fish with a buddy system. Besides, a fishing buddy makes for a more enjoyable outing.



(Some of our youth on an ice fishing trip on Chazy Lake)

 We are at the point where you are going to want a gas powered auger to get through the ice. Hand cranking through 20 or more inches of ice is good exercise but it slows down the fishing time tremendously. A light tipped rod with small jigs are needed for perch. A couple of maggots or wax worms on the jig will entice the perch a bit more and we often use perch eyes once we start catching perch. New York now has a statewide creel limit of 50 perch per day. That is just about enough fish to fillet, especially if they are in that 6-8 inch range. It gets a bit tedious when that small. Jumbo perch aren’t so bad, since you get a nice fillet when you are finished.



(Eight inch perch in a ten inch hole)

 Friday night perch fry dinners are very popular around our area at this time of year. It is not surprising since they are so delicious. One of the sweetest fish meals you will ever have (of course it is a matter of opinion as everyone knows). Hope you get out and spend some time on the ice this winter.
Another area I have been involved in, is preparing for a number of sportsman shows that I will be giving seminars at this spring. The first show will be the Altona show, right here in my own home area. That is in March. I then head down to Schroon Lake, NY for a show later in March. Both of these shows I will be speaking on small game hunting, in particular, hunting the snowshoe hare. Later into the summer months I will be speaking at a weekend men’s retreat in West Chazy, NY in June of this year. These five speaking times will deal with fishing, hunting, hiking and general outdoor activities. The is through a Christian camping association. I will post more information on these as we get closer to their dates.

A SHORT NEW HAMPSHIRE HIKE WITH GRANDKIDS

     Traveled over to New Hampshire to visit our daughter and her family. While there we took a short, snowy hike on a very cold, brisk day. I doubt that we covered more than about three quarters of a mile in distance, but we did have a very good time.
    The three boys enjoyed the snow, even though everyone did not get their choice of trails to follow. They have been hit hard with a number of snow storms this winter and actually have more snow in southern New Hampshire than we have here in northern New York. I almost wished I had thrown all my snowshoes in the car for the trip. Not that snowshoes were actually needed but the boys could have had more fun tramping around on them.

(exploring snow covered rocks along the trail)

     Saw some interesting sights along the hike. One man was out walking his two dogs, one a purebred red husky and the other was mixed breed. Beautiful animals and well mannered.
   It was a pleasant hike though short in duration because of the cold. Took a number of photographs. Despite the cold weather of late, make sure you get out and enjoy the winter months.

SNOWSHOE HARES AND HOUNDS

Deep in boreal forests, you can often hear the baying of hounds on any given winter weekend. The beaglers are out with anywhere from one, two or more beagles chasing the snowshoe hare. This is an exciting way to hunt the snowshoe.

(15 inch beagle at work)

Snowshoe hares seem to float across the surface of the snow at times. They have even been referred to as the Ghosts of the North Country, white rabbits and a number of other names. They have large feet with long hairs between the toes that gives them a buoyancy on many types of snow cover, whether soft and fluffy or heavy and wet.

At first glance you might think the diminutive beagle, it’s short legs and long ears, is not cut out for such speedsters as the snowshoe hare. But the beagle is, whether 13 inch or 15 inch, just about the right size to chase these hares through cedar, balsam or tag alder swamps. Hand in hand with their trailing ability, they also have some of the sweetest singing voices in the woods. There is no greater pleasure than listening to beagles on the trail of a snowshoe.

(Two rabbit dogs, one mixed breed and one purebred)

Over the years, I have had a couple of beagles, some mixed breed and some purebred. I never noticed a big difference in performance, although I am sure many houndmen would differ on that count. Let’s face it, I use the family pet to hunt with, while the beaglers are into a bit of a profit margin when it comes to hounds. It is quite difficult to sell mixed breed hounds, but purebred beagles from good lines can help pay some of the bills for your own pack of beagles.
Presently I am running a 15 inch male beagle that I got during a low cycle of the snowshoe hare population. He had a hard time learning to figure out those hares the first couple of years, but seems to be doing quite well now. If the hunter with him could either be at the right place at the right time or shoot a little straighter, we would probably come home with more game in the bag.
The keeping of beagles is not for everyone. They are a higher energy dog and need attention or they tend to get into mischief. But if you have a beagle or know someone with a hunting beagle, go out and try chasing the snowshoe hare. I am sure that you will be enchanted by the hound music and hooked on the chase from that time on.

(two purebred beagles, one 13 inch and one 15 inch)

On my first outing this season, my beagle hit a fresh track and I headed for an inside corner of the cedar swamp where I knew they often crossed. Standing there under a large evergreen, I listened to the progress of the chase as the beagle howled out his song on the trail. Suddenly I looked to my right and the snowshoe hare was just hopping out of a thicket just about ten yards away. I swung up the shotgun and promptly missed the shot as the hare zig-zagged through the brush. That is one that lived for another day.

(Mixed breed pup with her first snowshoe hare)

Not all my hunts end on such a low note. I usually do quite well in the shooting department and often have a couple of snowshoes for the pot. But that particular hunt I went home without game. Such is the way of hunting snowshoes with beagles.

FIRST SNOWSHOE HARE HUNT OF 2011

Following an extremely mild period of winter weather with temperatures reaching the 50’s, this week is back down in the area of 24 degrees and spitting snow again.
Decided to go out snowshoe hare hunting for a couple of hours. This particular time, I left the beagle at home. He is older and hasn’t been out running for awhile so I wanted to get him back walking and exercising a bit more before letting him loose.

(First snowshoe hare of 2011)

I was carrying one of my .22 caliber rifles, scoped with a 2-7 power variable scope. I was just slowly hunting through some cedar swamps looking for sitting hares. The first hare spotted wasn’t exactly sitting still. I had just walked around an uprooted clump of cedars and the snowshoe shot out from under the brush and was in other cover before I could get the scope on him.
I continued hunting with the light snow sifting down around me. I finally found another hare not very far from the first one sighted. This snowshoe I saw sitting under a bush in some pretty thick grass and dead weeds. There were plenty of openings to get a shot and since the hare didn’t seem alarmed by my presence, I decided to try to get it on video. I turned on the video camera and got the shot on camera, sort of. At the distance and because I had to have it on wide angle to minimize shakiness, I got the effect of the shot on camera although you can’t really pick out the snowshoe in the framing. White on white shows very little contrast while filming. But as you can see the approach and my hand picking the hare out of the tangle of brush, I suppose that it is the best I can hope for while trying to film my own hunt.
        I forgot my sling I usually use to carry small game out of the woods. So I improvised by cutting a small stick and rigging it like the photo shows, it is a relatively easy way to carry a rabbit without it continually slipping through your grip. I never like carrying them in a vest or game bag because of warmth from both the animal and your body.

(an easy way to carry small game)

(simple hand grip)

This is the first snowshoe hare of the year, although I did miss a couple earlier in the season. This one is one of last springs young. Not a real heavy one but certainly good and healthy. It will make a great stew or stir-fry meal.
Now I am looking forward to the next snowshoe hunt.