Author: leaddog

Polecat and Toucher go down early!

Leaddog did it all by himself!

Leaddog even dragged it out! No Ken Doll award this year!

Southern Zone Style!

Southern Zone Style! II

Southern Zone Style! III

Woodshed

Leaddog with his 5 pointer 130 ponds

Leaddog bags buck. Details to follow…… sorry Al!

Ok, I’ll try to update but my memory is getting foggy. It must be reported that the Leaddog was in Horicon assisting the Search and Rescue efforts for the lost hunter for two days, so no official “Week Five!” report was created.

Friday:
We all hunted for Toucher’s mule – again. Toucher, in the woods at dark once more sits and see’s a doe at his watch – I think. The gang crawls throughout the lands, with no results. We can’t keep this pace as is in this location, the backcountry calls!

Saturday:
The gang hunts Toucher’s hill – again. Part two of the day results in an attack of the hill behind camp. Reluctantly, and under orders Leaddog and Steven climbs into their watches. After yet another heart pounding climb, Leaddog stumbles into his watch. Attempting to regain any type of regular breathing pattern, a mule appears to be standing 75 yards away – which looked as if it had horns! As always it’s behind a tree blocking the view. 10 minutes pass, and finally the mule steps out and begins to vacate the area. One shot is sent hitting the beast, two more follow- just because! The mule goes up a small knoll and is out of site. After a wait Leaddog follows the path taken, and there on the knoll lies the mule – who then attempted to run but couldn’t. The kill shot was delivered and Ftroop has it’s first buck of the year!

Sunday:
I honestly can’t remember what we did! But I’m sure it resulted in running around the woods aimlessly!

Snowed in grouse.

It’s all fun and games until sploosh-cat shows up!

Dr. Pork makes his yearly visit!

First Vly

Nice Scrape!

Friday:

Four Rangers and members of the FAMHC gather the eve before to make plans for the next days hunt. Those plans didn’t include the torrential downpours and high winds that all woke up to. After the warmy-changy rains ceased, all heads for the hills – which most likely included Icicle Al. 😉 The AOI was covered in fine fashion, with more scrapes and rubs being found. Steven joins the gang and sees what all have seen – nothing.

Saturday:

With eight FTroopers now present, including what was most likely and was later confirmed to be Icicle Al, the gang hunts locally. The rains and winds of the day prior have ceased, and now has turned into 3″ of winter wonder, with visibility limited to less than 75′. The ninth member of the gang was found by Digger on the hill and was reported as a “little turned around” in the snow. Yeah – sure! 😉 (it must be mentioned that Digger now holds the badge for “Most Number of Icicle Al Sightings). After pointing him the correct direction – yeah, right, sure – Digger resumes his quest for the beast. Toucher sees a doe up high, tracks abound everywhere. Dr. Pork, and “Wally-hood” who was sporting his nifty Hunger Games crossbow shows up a bit later in the day and gets into the mix! A final drive was completed and all heads back to camp. Leaddog and Steven arrives at camp first, barely in the lot when a frantic call from the Chipster was heard. Apparently a buck has just sneaked by both just 200yds from camp and goes up the hill. No shot could be taken due to Chip removing his bullets (as told) from his shootin’ iron. At the cable. Half a mile from camp. Safety first Chip! ARRGH!! LEAVE BULLETS IN GUN TILL DONE!

Sunday:

A beautiful day of warm and sun is on order, which melted most if not all of the 3″ of partly cloudy. A local drive was performed with does as usual, being pushed as usual, by the usual pushers. Steven sees two slickers down low, and all heads back to camp to quit deer hunting – until next Friday. An interloper’s tracks was observed from the day prior. Was it the “stealth ninth member” who keeps popping up of the gang? If this keeps up, we’ll have to consider charging him dues!

Sunset on marsh

Leaddog makes it across safely

Friday:

Toucher shows up in the dark, dons headlamp and works his way to the Area Of Interest (AOI). Stealthily he sneaks into the AOI, only to find to his surprise an intruder sitting in a treestand! Not to let this intruder interfere with his preplanned hunt, he makes his presence known. Leaddog shows up at graydawn and gets on the trail to assist the Toucher. Plans are rearranged, and both hunt away from said intruder, who most likely thought he had the entire woods to himself. Sorry there out of state interloper, not the case! In the following order, the members of the esteemed FAMHC attain CHU’s and remains active with said membership: Steven,Lindy, Robba and Digger, but no Polecat. In an attempt to not push any mules to the interloper the crew hunts back towards camp, with no results.

Saturday:

A strong crew is now present, and a push of a local hill is in order. Watches are manned, with drivers moving about. During the drive, a bear flies by Leaddog at 100mph, 50 yds away in the trees – who then takes two shots – just because. The bruin runs right into Chip, who offers three shots. A change of Chip’s panties was in order! Chip earns his “I found Icicle Al badge”! Part two of the day results in a push over Liz to Piney Knob. Digger and Leaddog climbs into the sky just to drop off the other side, but encounters the interloper in his tree stand on the way. Playing through his watch must have left him quite befuddled, and he also claimed via interrogation that the bear ran right under him. Polecat and company waits for the up-top crew to get up-top, then as always asks them for a hoot to locate said cloud splitters. That hoot sent a mule that was only 20 feet away in the pines from the up-top crew, down the other side. All pushes down hill to Piney Knob and closer to the beer!

Sunday:

The crew has had enough of the interlopers and decides to make its presence known. Drivers are driven to a starting point and only one vehicle is present, and does not belong to the interlopers. Feeling much better about the lack of others a big push is in order. Towards camp the highguys travel, and finds much sign. Lowguys find the tree stands unoccupied, but still left in the woods. Lowguys hunts to the low watchers, and the highguys finally runs into mules. ToucheR actually saw “horns glistening in the sun” but could not get a shot. This beast occupies a well known haunt, and will be the focus of next weeks hunt!

PRIORITY ONE, CLASS A RANGERS WILL CONVENE AT CAMP THURSDAY EVE TO READY FOR THE FRIDAY HUNT!!

Friday:

Leaddog arrives to earn his FAMHC CHU’s to a closed camp, Robba was found waiting for a item to store his snowmobiles in – which didn’t show up until late afternoon. Polecat soon arrives, but doesn’t earn any FAMHC CHU’s as well. Five more Friday’s remain in which to earn the required CHU’s.

Leaddog hunts somewhat local, (earning required CHU’s) but the leaves that still remain hampers the views. A few scrapes were observed, but no mules. Robba informs the crew that he will not join the gang in the weekend hunt – he has to put his kid on the school bus! 😉

Saturday:

The crew (without Robba) hunts familiar territory, not all that far from camp! More scrapes are found, but now in the mix is a rub on a telephone pole sized tree! The hills are combed for the maker, but no mule who made such is seen. All bets say that if Robba was indeed present, there may have been a chance to connect with said mule. This should place Robba in Taz mode……

A fine fare of mule steaks and yet another “Class A Probie Approved Gravy” was consumed by those present.

Sunday:

The gang awakens to yet another installment of three inches of partly cloudy. Since there was much sign of a monster beast that was found on Saturday, the gang is directed to hunt elsewhere. As in the past, why – we will never know.

Four (not three!) attacks the hills, with two being placed on watch. Polecat sees a big flag Digger up top in the notch has a miniature doe looking for teets to suckle, practically jump in his pack. Leaddog takes Robbas route, and sees nothing. The last hour of the hunt resulted in everyones gear getting a soak test.

The Obligatory First Vly Photo of 2015

Mr. October!

The Ol’ Farts hugging the wood stove!

Saturday:

An energized crew arrives at the Sacred Hunting Grounds the night prior to discuss the next days adventure. After a awesome meal of grilled sausages and mac n’ cheese, plus of course the consumption of a few adult beverages, plans were set for the opener. A push to watches below the Meadows resulted in a glorious day observing the very dense and still green and yellow foliage. Obviously the warmy-changy thing has convinced all of the trees to hold on to their leaves for now. Not to have .01% visibility conditions hamper the gangs plans, all performs their assignments as directed. Part two of the day led the gang to the other side of the creek and a push back to camp was accomplished, with not one mule being seen.

Sunday:

Waking up to monsoon conditions, the crew decides to hunt “local”, which in reality isn’t. All donning what was once dry gear, which is suppoda keep them dry – the crew heads to the hills to thoroughly test said gear. Most succeed in their quest to stay dry, and some gets soaked. not one mule is seen until the very end of the drive, where Digger trips over a bedded mule which disappeared quicker than the couch when Spike arrives to camp.

Everyone seems to have found their stuff as left the season prior, and brings it all home wet.

Next week, the first Friday hunt – and for those in the esteemed FAMHC, the earning of the CHU’s to maintain membership.