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.

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.

THE WHOLE INTENT OF THIS ADIRONDACK BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE

     My intent is to keep each post approximately within the length of the first post and this posting. I will also post articles from my weekly outdoor column that has first appeared in Lake Champlain Weekly magazine and that are appropriate to the post of the day.

(canoeing on one of our lakes)

     There is always room for dessert! If you are like me, you love to view photographs from others. Photographs will also appear to augment the writing.
     I am an outdoor writer. This means that I write on all aspect of the outdoors. I certainly write on the hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing and skiing that our region has to offer, but also realize that I write on hunting, fishing and all other aspects of the outdoor activities our mountains and lakes have to offer.

(Granddaughter panfishing)

     I am a firm believer that all outdoors men and women can pursue their chosen sport and coexist peaceably with one another. We all stand to lose way too much if we allow dissension among ourselves.

(small game hunting)

  

 That being said, however, I also believe there is room for lively, respectful discussion among us on many different levels and topics. I look forward to your comments. I do not look forward to dealing with any swearing, vulgarities, sexist remarks, disrespect, inappropriate comments, name calling or anything I deem offensive.

(backwoods deer camp)