Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[Fields Mountain Farm]

I'm so bummed. I lost my only 55 Flowery cockerel to a raccoon attack this morning. I heard a ruckus around 5 AM. It pulled his head through the welded wire and ate it. How it got that close to him, and why he was standing so close to the fence I do not know. But i am quite frustrated, upset, sad... ugh!!!

Im so sorry!

 

[sourland]

I'm so bummed. I lost my only 55 Flowery cockerel to a raccoon attack this morning. I heard a ruckus around 5 AM. It pulled his head through the welded wire and ate it. How it got that close to him, and why he was standing so close to the fence I do not know. But i am quite frustrated, upset, sad... ugh!!!

Sorry. I think they spook the birds in the dark, and once birds freeze against the fence they are ready targets. I raised pheasants as a kid. Pen tops were a large mesh wire. Horned owls would get the birds flying at night and behead them as they were at the pen tops. Smaller mesh wire solved that problem.

 

[sourland]

I agree. Best to keep it at home.

 

[LittleLakePhil]

I don't see any swamp, either, unless swamp water is white in the U.P.

You'll find water if you step in the right place..... is not a Loiusiana style swamp.... is a cedar swamp...... this swamp I'm hunting.... I'm on the edge of a 20 mile long swamp.
And I'll bet there are places no one had ever stepped foot in.... or at least in a long time.
I know of a lot of places around here where I'm the only person to step foot for the last 35 years...

 

[LittleLakePhil]

Morning Pond Paddlers!

Great score!!! That's what we need!!!! Don't have the dollars for new and nobody up here lets go of one until they die (machine or person).
Sorry I didn't catch too much else, I was just too far behind, so I'll just say that I am sorry for the losses, congrats on the sales and I hope everyone is safe from the fires, storms and hunts. Love all the pretty pics.
No one got a deer up here over the weekend but it was a good time none the less.
Was able to take a deep breath and relax Sunday pm, even got in a little quality time with my chooks and then back at it yesterday. 5 dozen more Deer Camp cookies, the holiday version (dried cranberries added and switched walnuts for hazelnuts), got the cranberry sauce made and the pumpkins roasted and processed for the pies.
The daughter and family will be arriving tomorrow afternoon and can only stay until after dinner on Thursday so today is get ahead of some outside chores, a touchup or two inside and maybe start the pies. Tomorrow morning will be finish the Thanksgiving dinner preps and get the mulled cider and the clam chowder on the stove since they will most likely be arriving just in time for an early dinner. Hmmmm, just had a thought. Wonder if I'll be able to squeeze in time to make some fresh bread? Haven't done that for a while and the house smelling of warm bread would probably be welcome when they arrive since the outside temps will only be in the teens.
Ok, enough of me rattling on, how are everyone else's holiday plans coming along?
Whether peaceful or hectic, I'll say a little prayer that all my pond mates have a wonderful safe and blessed one!

It's da second week of deer camp.....
.... and all the guys are here.
We drink, play cards ,and shoot the da chit.....
... but never shoot no deer.

 

[WVduckchick]

Had it not been a diesel, & a Kubota besides, I probably wouldn't have bought it. It's a 2003 B774. Haven't quite figured out the blade, though; it goes up, down, & to the left, but I can't get ot to go to the right. Trying to find an Owner's Manual online somewhere.
I saw it advertised on Ebay, for $7k+, 20+ miles from here, just over the PA line; close enough that I could go look at it before buying it, & haul it home myself, although shipping was free. After trading emails for a while, he said $6350 was the best he could do. Then he said he could go $6150 if we went outside Ebay; wasn't right, but I wasn't about to insist on paying more than I had to, and he's the one who stood to be banned from selling on Ebay, not me.
The guy has a decent-sized facility, where he sells used heavy equipment mostly, & a shop to work on it. He trades under the name of kurtztrading, if you find yourself able to get something down the road. FREE SHIPPING.

Awesome! And I don't blame you. Being so close in vicinity, you could have seen it sitting in his yard with a For Sale sign on it.

Just helped my friend Dylan hang his buck.
Another Little lake Buck. Dylan is hunting a few miles to the south closer to McFarland. View attachment 1595133 View attachment 1595134

Nice!

I've had similar BCM "boy" experience. .. they were, at least, tasty.

I actually sold him with 6 of the girls. I told the man about him. He wasn't totally mean, but had his moments, ya know?

Well the first day, he attacked the wife, then the man. I told him to eat him, but he said so far, they had it out, he whacked him with a 2x2 a couple times, and they carried him around by the leg upside down. He said he's been a perfect gentleman ever since. I feel bad, but this dude was a big ole "old school" country man, so I have no doubt, if the rooster doesn't behave, he will become dinner for them.

I'm so bummed. I lost my only 55 Flowery cockerel to a raccoon attack this morning. I heard a ruckus around 5 AM. It pulled his head through the welded wire and ate it. How it got that close to him, and why he was standing so close to the fence I do not know. But i am quite frustrated, upset, sad... ugh!!!

Makes you want to slap them on the head and say "Get away from the fence, stupid!"
I'm sorry

 

[orrpeople]

Sorry. I think they spook the birds in the dark, and once birds freeze against the fence they are ready targets. I raised pheasants as a kid. Pen tops were a large mesh wire. Horned owls would get the birds flying at night and behead them as they were at the pen tops. Smaller mesh wire solved that problem.

Yeah, welded wire is on the shopping list for today... but I'm thinking, there were 11 hens and only 1 cockerel... what are the odds?

 

[WVduckchick]

It's da second week of deer camp.....
.... and all the guys are here.
We drink, play cards ,and shoot the da chit.....
... but never shoot no deer.

 

[kwhites634]

Several years ago, we hardly needed to bother with orange either, but lately there are lots more folks out on our ridge. I don't worry much about COs, more worried about other hunters finding their way onto our property accidentally.
Hubby in his orange as we were headed out to our stands.
View attachment 1595088

How sweet it is! Little underbrush for easy, quiet walking, not too bad of a drag, & plenty of trees for deer to feel reasonably safe, even if you have to pick your spots. Only thing I'd do to it for now would be to maybe open an ATV trail to cut the dragging down as much as possible. It didn't used to bother me, either.

 

[LittleLakePhil]

You gotta dirty mind.... that thought never occured to me.......