BUCK SEASON IS UPON US!

A very traditional date this year for the start of hunting season, October 1st! The weatherman is teasing us with forecasts ranging from mostly cloudy to chance of showers, to all-out rain! Which will it be? And will it be enough to move some deer around these thick, brushy woods? We shall see! In the meantime, we can always dream of the big one walking down the trail past our favorite spot to hunt, like this dandy that wandered through Sunshine on the 16th of September in the middle of a sunny afternoon! Now that's worth waiting for!

Privial Pursuits

Last year we had the privy pit "rejuvenated" by vacuum extraction of many years of use. This year, a new look!

A once in it's lifetime (so far) interior paint job by Jason and Pepper started the ball rolling, followed by replacement of the old vinyl floor coverings with slate tiles and cedar trimming. Not only does the privy look better, at certain times it actually does smell better!

Not quite recommended for liesurely reading of the Sears & Roebuck catalog, but certainly an improvement! Bon de terlit!

LEWIS & ANGALEE FRIEND

On Friday, April 29, 2011 Lewis and Angalee were joined in marriage on the banks of Union Creek amidst a snowy but sunny landscape! Congratulations!

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree!!!

We had good weather, good food, twenty-two people, seven dogs, and six vehicles on our Christmas Tree foray the day after Thanksgiving. Six trees were felled and hauled home for decorating (ours is still in the back yard!) for Christmas. Tis the season!

2010 Muzzleloader Elk Season

What an outstanding year we had for muzzleloader elk season! Opportunities abounded all week long. Not every day, but often enough to keep the excitement and anticipation level high. Everyone saw elk...everyone had a shot at a bull. Some operator errors led to weapon "mal-function" which allowed bull escapement. The weather was so much better for hunting than October general season. It started with old snow (several days old) that pretty much disappeared after a few days of mild temperatures and some rain, but was replaced starting Wednesday evening with fresh, new snow. If new snow had arrived a day or two earlier I am sure we would have brought home more meat. As it turns out an opening day 3x3 bull was the one tag filled.

Friday, November 26th marks the opening of Christmas Tree hunting season. We are looking forward to another fun family outing looking for that perfect evergreen specimen to fell by saw or axe, tag it, drag it, haul it, trim it, enjoy it!

Deer Hunting 2010

So far the season has been pretty slow, with just two bucks taken (Allen B. and Ernie P.) after 63 "hunter days" during the first 12 days. We had one day of freezing morning temps and two days of light rain. The second and third days after each "weather" event produced greater numbers of deer seen, but no parade of migrating bucks as might be expected.

Currently the General Elk Rifle season is in progress with only three or four hunters making the effort this year. With the number of elk seen during deer season you might expect some success this year. I guess after two years of pretty much seeing nothing, even seeing some elk this week could be considered success.

Muzzleloader elk season is still three plus weeks away, but as the nights are getting colder (at least in the high 30's in the valleys) anticipation builds in hopes of good hunting weather.

Here Kitty Kitty!

This note from our neighbors at A-2 from August 18th!

Dear Neighbors,

Wednesday evening, around 9:00pm, a cougar was sited at the outhouse of the Janz’s cabin by an adult family member who was going there. The person returned to get his flashlight, shinned it on the animal and it was a cougar, staring back. This is what I have been told, I believe it. And it is down right scary!

It has been reported to the Prospect Ranger Station, and the wildlife biologist said there is a trapper hired by them to find the cat. Apparently, this cat has not gone north. He likes our area.

If you see the cat, please call Cricket, the trapper in charge, at 541-326-5401. Cricket, has asked that we call him if we site the cat.

Thank you,Rachel Lee Hall A-2