doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT: More snow headed your way Ted.

I started work at 5 this morning, a good thing, as traffic was snarled later in the day. The wind was the devil himself, and made for a bit of a white knuckle drive. I never cease to be amazed at the trouble people get themselves into behind the wheel of a car, in a snowstorm, in Minnesota. If you were a truck driver, who was unfortunate enough to be coming back into the twin cities with an empty 40 foot trailer from the south side of the state, you likely didn�t make it home for dinner.
The storm should be wrapping up tonight, perhaps a bit of icy roads to deal with for the next 24 hours, but, warming into the 40s this weekend, and mid 50s for temps, next week.
This has been one of the tougher winters I remember over the last 50 years. It didn�t start that way, but, it will be good to see it go. The area around Marshal, MN. has been known for excellent pheasant hunting, and the storm hit that area, hard.
Hope the birds did OK.

Best,
Ted

Never worried about snakes. Hardly ever see one.
Gil, turkey population is so bad in my neck o the woods, I would feel guilty killing more than one. And actually, I was ready for some beach time and fresh seafood.
JR

Got off the phone with my son a few hours ago, whom I called to wish a Happy Birthday! Unbeknownst to me he was in the Twin Cities to visit friends, and family on my wife's side. He flew from Phoenix to MN and told me it was close to 90 when he left AZ and snowing in MN and "the snow sucked"!

No big thing. Snakes are out here in Iowa. They are crawling out of hibernation and my grad student released the 20+ that he over wintered this year. Spring is sprung.

I didn't imply it was a "big thing". Snakes, to include cottonmouths, canebrake rattlers and copperheads are a way of life for me. Just a part of everyday work. I only mentioned it as a comparison to what Ted is enduring.

I disced 101 acres of weedy fields today. Prolly chopped up a few.

SRH

Very minor problem with poisonous snakes in Iowa. That being said, when I first started writing outdoor articles, my editor assigned a story about a guy who lived over along the Mississippi, hunted rattlers, and sold them. I interviewed him in Jan or Feb IIRC. Wasn't that excited about going on a rattlesnake hunt.

One of the main reasons I haven�t hunted the west, is, my dogs aren�t snakeproofed, and have never had to deal with cactus. I always wonder about timber wolves, but, no issues to report personally so far-that doesn�t mean it hasn�t happened, here. I saw some trail camera pictures of a wolf near Backus, MN., in March of this year, that clearly showed a 150-185 lb animal. It was huge.
That and encounters with porcupines and skunks are about the biggest troubles MInnesota/Wisconsin/South Dakota will throw at you.

I know a few folks who have lost good dogs to snakebites. It didn�t happen here.

About 45 degrees and sunny outside as I type, ran the dog, blessed with no ticks for the time being. Most of a foot of snow remains, and that should be the end of it.

Best,
Ted

I went turkey hunting this morning with an old buddy about 30 miles from here. He pointed out a house near his property that had horses. Last week, one was attacked by a Florida Panther and was sliced up badly by the big cat's claws. Despite veterinary care, the horse died two days later. In the same neighborhood, a cow had been attacked but survived. Apparently the big cats come up from Florida along river corridors and I-95's wooded corridor. Telemetry collars have indicated their presence in our area for sometime. Gil

I have seen panthers here for many years. There seems to be a "crossing" on the county highway, about 1/4 mile from my house, and they are seen from time to time there. Some are black, some are brown. Never heard of one attacking domestic animals. That is a new one on me, and an interesting report, Gil. I'd like to hear the details on that incident.

SRH

The guy who took the trail cam pics of the big wolf reports he has seen mountain lions and their paw prints in the snow. But, I have never heard reports of people or their animals having trouble with them in Minnesota.

Different story out west.

I saw a good sized Pine Marten one winter day, near Orr, Mn. I actually didn�t see him long enough to distinguish him as a fisher, or, a marten.

He wasn�t that threatening.

Best,
Ted