DirtTime

That's a wrap. Group of hikers running around taking glamor pics so time to pack it up.

Heard scurrying under my brush blind, look down expecting to see a chipmunk and see a mouse. It got a pass, no one out here to help me drag that beast out of the woods.

In. Humid again.

Waiting for coffee to finish for the thermos, then heading out. Different location today, time for a change of scenery.

No worries. No offense taken here. It could be worse than giving a crossbow a try, I could move to NYC and start wearing skinny jeans and a man bun.

Would you look at that. I never knew this was a thing. Did you know due to something you'd like to share with us?

I've shot them in the past. I've just never had that feeling of a crossbow being an implement I wanted to get into. I love my vertical bow, and love my firearm hunting a little more the past couple years. I guess this gives me a chance to see if I'll even like hunting with a crossbow without spending a bunch of cash if it's not my thing. I did find it odd that at 195 pounds, it's only pushing the bolt 260 FPS, give or take. My compound is faster at 56 pounds.

Buddy was pretty set on me giving a crossbow a try this year. So he loaned me a Barnett Wildcat to use once the season opens here in the SZ. I got it dialed in with FP’s and have shot a few BH's to make sure things are on point. Grouping 3 arrows inside 3" at 30 yards, and single BH shots inside the 3" at the same distance. So that's all good. I'm not certain how this will pan out, I can't say I don't enjoy shooting it, but it's not my compound. The Summer of 2021 I had considered buying one, or upgrading my compound, but ended up going the inline ML route when all was said and done. Then, there's if I take a deer with a borrowed crossbow, I'm going to want to buy the silly gun with a string.

Foggy, damp and chilly out here this morning.

I have more than a few areas I hunt that are about an hour or more out. I like hunting north whenever possible, and where I live now that's a minimum of an hour and a half one way with very different weather than down here. The apps I use on my phone are AccuWeather and The Weather Channel app. Of those, I prefer the former. I still can't get into the hunting apps, of the few free ones I've tried, every time they update the software I lose all my saved data, so I gave up years ago. The places I hunt close to home are crazy. I can leave my house to make a 30-minute drive to one area, and it's sunny here and snowing or raining over there, so I do have to pay attention even close to home. One thing I learned today, it doesn't matter what direction the wind is blowing, eating ribs and baked beans for supper and hunting a popup blind the next morning, the aftermath lingers a long time.

Not so much anti-tech, more like anti wrong. I can watch three TV stations for weather with three different forecasts, check three apps on the Roku box, and the two apps I have on the phone, walk outdoors and none of them are right LOL. Heck, I actually put out a trail camera again this year. It's not a cell cam, but I never used to like using cams, so I'm making progress.

I use this old school app, it's called taking the dog out to do his business before I leave for the woods. It's free and no ads.

I will not comply!

Flock of geese flew by a little while ago. Nothing else so far, quiet. Guess it's time for a coffee.

Back in the blind. Not feeling it today but........

Not many still do the backcountry camping the way you guys do. Most rent or own a cabin, or rent a motel/hotel room. I've done the tent thing a few times when I was younger up around Benson, enjoyed it then, and could probably do a weekend in a hot tent, but these old bones probably wouldn't take a week of hot tenting anymore. Now, I rent a cabin and the two areas I hunt are about 5 miles down a bunch of winding back roads. Enjoy your trip, brother! If you would, please post up some pictures of your camp, so I can live vicariously through your group.

I got a case of poison ivy. Arms, one leg, and some on my hands. Must have gotten it on my clothes last weekend and then on my skin. I don't purposely roll around in the stuff or set up in it.

Stayed put. Doe just walked through the brushline in front of me.

Buddy says he seen a buck between his blind and my spot. Might try a stalk.

In and set, poison ivy and all. Sitting the corner of a feild this morning.

Leaving on the 18th to hunt up there for a week. 4 hunts with the ML, and then Saturday and Sunday with a rifle if weather cooperates. West Canada Lake Wilderness and Siamese Ponds Wilderness. Last year was great, weather was good and hunted everyday we were up there, hoping to do the same. Good luck to everyone heading up for early ML opener.

That's a wrap for this morning.

Congrats to those who got it done. A fox, a raccoon, and a few squirrels so far. Buddy found his release on the way out yesterday, 20 yards from his blind.

Wanted to hunt a field edge, wind and feeling like crap so back in the blind I was in yesterday.