Short version, you know it was 50 degrees here last week, right strange for the 2nd week in Jan 2006
Long version.
Well cause of the usual life type stuff I missed out on
the first 2 weeks (when I had the time the weather
was crappy and when the weather was nice I didn't have
the time). But I made up my mind
that I would get out for a couple of times last week.
First day out was Monday, took the morning off and headed
up to the State Game lands on top of the
mountain behind the shop here (the same one I went swimming
on last year!). Got there around
9:00 or so and it was in the high 30's and was 50 by
the time I called it quits around 12:30.
Didn't see a dang thing. Maybe one set of
tracks in the mud that looked sorta fresh. Now this area does
get worked pretty hard during all the previous seasons.
Plus the fact that 1/2 the mountain top is Game
Land, the other 1/2 is private and posted so the deer
all know where to head. Even the small game was
not to be seen, although this area is very thinly wooded.
Was timbered off a number of times over the
centuries, and there was pretty nasty fire went through
back in the 60's
The next and last day out was Thurs. Now after doing
back to back 5:00AM get ups and 11:00PM get
to bed's on Tues an Wed (one of those benefits of being
self-underemployed), the old body like
sorta refused to move till around 9:00. I had decided
to check out another Game Land, this one
is about 20 miles or so from here along the Blue Mountain.
The Appalachian Trail runs right down
the center of this area. And while I get
close to this area a couple of times a week, I had never made
it back to the Game Lands. What should have taken
10 minutes to find the parking area, took me
a good 40 minutes. Finally hit the trail around
10:30. Another 50 degree day and right gorgeous.
We had some pretty heavy rains on Wed and there
were fresh tracks to be seen in the mud along the
service road on the way in. Thought I heard a couple
moving around to the one side, but there was pretty
heavy thicket of scrub and white thorn and no way to
navigate around it. Did see some squirrel but
that wasn't on the look for that day (small game season
runs into Feb here). Took the service road up
about 1/2 way, then picked up a trail and walked till
I got right close to the top of the mountain (I went
up a good 500 feet in elevation). Finally headed
back to the truck around 1:00 or so and called it a day.
While I was driving around to find the place I did come
upon 4 pheasants a wandering around the road.
PA stocks pheasants and you could tell these birds
didn't have much in the way of good or woods sense.
I could have opened the truck door and probably
reached down and grabbed one!
Saturday, well that started off at 50 deg with nasty thunderstorms
at 5:00AM and continued to rain
on and off till the temp dropped and it changed to snow.
It was 20 degrees with wind chills below 0 this
AM at the flea market. Still January.
I do plan on getting out for small game a couple of times
at least. I did kinda get figured out as to
where I need to go with the spot I was at on Thursday
and that looks to be promising.
I did pick up one of the reversible weskits from Ohio
Valley Peddler and I am pleased with it. I got the
orange and green, he did say that they come in blue &
orange as well. Very warm and comfortable.
I also hear that Larry at Barktown Sutlers has
an orange weskit for those who might be interested.
Well enough of my rambling for one night. Got work to do (as always).
