Out looking for meat again tomorrow

Saw two moose and a coyote last time out while glassing. 50MPH winds here today and mild. Fair bit of sign around. The coyotes are thick this year. So are the hares. I guess that's related

Most of my pics this week are blurry as can be seen here. Don't know whats up with the camera. Those pictures are from earlier in the week. Boxing day I think. I have next week off for moose hunting but the weather is looking iffy. I have a bull only licence and can't get into the remote areas now. Snow is not the problem ice is. Many of the bulls now have dropped the racks now as well. I don;t care about racks but it makes identifying a bull more problematic. I should have spent more time chasing moose in November but with me the dogs come first. Sure could use the meat though. Will keep plugging away until the end of January. I can also take a calf but I am not keen on that

Merry Christmas

To all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Today at work

Out today doing trials for rescue offshore
Photos courtesy of coworker T.W.

Two posts of a few pics below.

All were taken roughly two weeks ago. We had some snow and a then a thaw with wet mild weather. Its frost again here. Access to the backcountry by canoe is gone for the winter now. I have two weeks more leave coming. I worked a great deal of OT last winter and am taking it as time off. After Christmas day I am going to spend two more weeks in the woods hopefully

Sometimes even in the woods things go wrong

The world is far from perfect, even in the woods. I lost my first big game animal last week. I did the best I could and still lost it. Its bothering me a great deal. In bed at night I play everything over and over in my mind. I may be a long time before I shoot at another moose. I always felt for the animal at the kill but I really appreciated the meat. If you like and respect animals though, to hit one and lose it leaves an awful sensation in the pit of the stomach. Probably finished with the blog for a while as well

I repeat this post once or twice a year

and its good. I love this. Working with some leftover moose at the moment . I cook this twice a month or so in the colder months. Works with moose ,snowshoe hare or ptarmigan. It is my favourite meal in the cold months. See Hanks page below.
If you love good food you have to try this. Cooking it now while waiting for the snow to start

http://honest-food.net/2011/10/02/spanish-chilindron-stew/

Copy and paste link not working for me

I have been back to work a week and 1/2 now

Was supposed to be weekends only now.
I went moose hunting this weekend passed. It was blowing a gale so I couldn't get up the lake. The season has been opened a while now and there is a big cull on so I saw no moose or sign near the road. I don't have much of a chance with just weekend hunting.
I have a fair bit of leave accumulated so managed to wrangle another week off starting Friday. Going to give it an honest shot in the backcountry if the weather holds. Cool and clear here now. It is not hard to kill a moose here. The problem is for a solitary hunter that won't use a quad is to get a moose where he can manage it hence the freighter canoe or packframe. I also despise road hunting. When you are talking moose you don't want to use the pack frame once you are passed 50. A couple of weeks ago I could have killed them in my yard

Moose hunting tomorrow

Heading up country in the morning

Weekend hunting from here on in

Back to work tomorrow after 9 and a half weeks off. Today is the last day of the ptarmigan season in my area but for me it finished Thursday.
Today is a pretty nice day but I don't hunt on Sundays as that is a family day.

I will try the rifle the week to check that it has held zero and will now be out with a rifle every weekend until I get my moose or the season closes.

I hunt some big lakes by still hunting along the shore and also by spot and stalk. I glass morning and evening and on windy days I still hunt. I have to get my moose fairly near the shore so I can recover him by canoe or boat as I am a solitary hunter. Looking forward to it though and I truly appreciate the meat.

Shown above is an area I hunt moose.
Hate to leave the dogs home though!

Daughter just before Remembrance Day Service

I am proud of her. She is in the Royal Canadian Army Cadets.

Lest we Forget

time for birds is getting short

But am starting to look forward to moose hunting. Mid November is about the time to lay down the shot gun and pick up the rifle. Birds are getting white. Windy day today birds where wild. Getting edgy for the rifle. Looking forward to heading up the big ponds in the canoe. It will be nice to get into the woods where you can get a break from the wind

I no longer have a cell phone

threw it in a pond....laptop to follow

pup coming along nicely

lunchtime

I am spending so much time alone with my dogs

In the woods and barrens that I am getting spoiled. I may never be able to deal with bull crap again.I saw some beautiful moose today. I am soon going to leave the shotgun at home and take the rifle. I hate doing that to my dogs though. The pics above show the country that I will be hunting for moose come November

pup pointing wild birds

Best kind of Roadtrips

birds in the roaster. Local carrots, turnip in the pot

Not long home, Dogs tired, hunting 4 days straight , shotgun cleaned, another brace of birds chilling in the fridge, drinking a rum and coke. Another great day in the world that God made. I am working tomorrow then off for another 3 or 4 weeks. Got to appreciate these days.

I am appreciating this

There were times last year when I had doubts we would all make it especially the dogs.
We are appreciating this. When I was 17 I quit university to go bird hunting and a year or two later picked a career that would allow me to take the falls off. Now in my 50's I know life is just a flash. Had a great couple of days with the dogs. Living for the day

pups day out

The first picture below is about 12 Kilos from my house, looking back at my community. The next is at roughly the same spot looking west. I don't normally post pics of dead birds but do now and then. They with hopefully, a moose, will get me through the winter. Some people email me and ask if there is any forest in Newfoundland so I have included a pic of the track up into the country. Lots of ruffed grouse there and you can see one in between the ptarmigan on the freezer.

It will soon be time to look for a moose

few pics

my legs hurt

I just took two birds out of the oven(ptarmigan) with a small pot of turnip and carrots. I am home about an hour. I had a day in with Sam my English yesterday and got a few birds but had a day today with Dunc my older Gordon which will help get me through the winter. He is an old dog at 12 but he gets it done without any flash. Today was one of the best days I ever had on the barrens. I walked a lot the past two days and climbed some big friggen rocks today with a 12 y/o dog that doesn't know the meaning of quit. I also saw one of the biggest bull moose that I have seen in a long time and am going to have a look see tomorrow with my rifle. A few pics maybe tomorrow.
Its an old cliché but life is good. And some people chase money

I would love to win an atv,argo or off road machine

So I could burn the dam thing. Hate'em
If I can't walk I won't go.

In just about everyday

Beautiful spell of weather. Birds for supper tomorrow. Pup is starting to find out what its all about.