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Posted By: Ted Schefelbein My season is over. - 12/31/21 03:23 PM
I snuck out to a WMA I have hunted for 50 years yesterday. This spot was where my Dad hunted pheasants, and we often hunted it together. I used his Beretta Silver Snipe both times I made the pilgrimage this year, it has a single trigger that allows for the use of gloves. It was the first time this season I didn’t move birds. The temp was a reasonable 24 degrees, but, the wind was blowing pretty hard out of the northwest, perhaps 15-20 with gusts to 30. I have a heck of a time moving birds in those conditions. Gave it three or four hours, if I hadn’t needed the exercise I would have called it quits, sooner. I have a tired and scratched up dog, and never fired the gun. Saw nothing, save pheasant tracks in the snow. The previous week I saw 8 pheasants, 5 deer, and a fox squirrel, I wasn’t squirrel or deer hunting, but, I enjoy seeing them, anyway. The birds at this point are survivors, uninterested in dog bells or holding for a point, for the most part. The slews are all frozen solid this year, which makes it easier to get around. You can cut across ditches and cattail slews and cover ground that was impossible back during opening weekend. I can hunt until the 2nd, but, the weather coming for the weekend will feature sub zero temps, and brisk winds. There was a time, but, that time isn’t now.
Hope you guys had a good season. As long as I’m still having seasons, I’ll be happy.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: Karl Graebner Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 03:36 PM
Ted,
Still a good way to end the season! Grouse season ends on the first, and I usually finish that way providing the weather cooperates. Seems like a good way to end the season and start the New Year.
Hope the coming year is good for everyone here.
Karl
Posted By: craigd Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 03:54 PM
You never know Ted, if the wind lets up for a bit, the solitude can be satifying and enjoyable. With encroaching civilization, congrats for having a throw back spot that's still birdie. Happy New Year.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 04:08 PM
Ted:

My season is over as well here. Very stiff and sore this morning and a big winter storm seems to be bearing down also here as well (about time!). Hunting those old coverts with a loved one's gun is a special moment. Sorry you didn't connect with any game but with your writing I had no problem fully picturing your experience. It seems that we live in very troubled times(!) so... maybe these little side-trips help us in ways we'd never expect? Looking backward before turning to look forward is something I find myself doing a lot lately. 2021 has been a challenging year for many of us here, but it hasn't been without it's blessings. The greatest for me was having the time and opportunity to spend it doing so-many hunting related activities with old friends and family this Fall. Never had this sort of luxury before now.

My only child turned 18 yesterday as we were coming home from his first big game hunt. The rifle he was carrying was his grandfather's and the ammo he was using were handloads created by it's previous owner. I've found dies for it but still haven't found any brass, so he's only shot it once before this trip. I had some concerns about his level of experience and preparation because he'd not entirely-embraced some of this hunting stuff (lots of distractions for young folks anymore). Cars, school, social-life (girls?) and work have seemingly been fairly consuming, so my expectations were accordingly muted. I shouldn't have been so-concerned...

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

My hopes for the coming year (& years) are in a better place now. May they be the same for you.
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 04:53 PM
My goal has been to find birdie places that are closer to home. I’m down to Lloyd as a hunting buddy, when he is in town, and sometimes, like this year, our schedules don’t match.

That means, I’m alone, for the very most part. I don’t have a cell phone, and, the places it wouldn’t work are full of birds, places where I really like to be. Thusly, no great loss. But it concerns a few folk, greatly. Me, not so much. I been at this a while.

This spot is centered between Steele and Waseca counties, in the middle of farm country. The DNR has owned it for perhaps 60 years, maybe more, and it will always be rural, and, have birds. But, it is a wild little tangle, hit hard during deer season by the locals.

Dad was in my thoughts both days. He had a lot of fun at the spot, with an Irish Setter named Paddy, Mom’s Dog, technically, but Dad’s when it was time to go pheasant hunting. A show dog that would hunt 120 lbs, or so. I have Dad’s shotguns, this one was slated to be my Son’s, but, he so much prefers the autoloaders, an A5 and a SBE, that he gave it back to me:

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

My brother sent my Dad’s A5 my way. A diabetic amputee has little need for bird guns.
My Son will blast away at our trap course, but, he is a fair weather hunter at this point. He does not seem to be a meat eater, neither was his grandfather, really. He would eat a piece of meat about 1/2 this size of a pack of cigarettes, and call it enough. He loved to hunt, though.

We all soldier on.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: Daryl Hallquist Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 05:10 PM
Ted, nice story. My season is over, too. A few minutes ago I took a couple of pics off of the west deck of the house. It is zero degrees F, now, but scheduled to get much colder as the day wears on. The deer are filling up in preparation for the cold night.

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Posted By: ellenbr Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 06:16 PM
Oddly enough, our waterfowl season has just started, or maybe midway, and most other chasing of game will bleed over into February if not till February's end. I will say this cold weather that is being experienced will be to the betterment of our hunting period.

Serbus,

Raimey
rse
Posted By: skeettx Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 06:59 PM
Lloyd3

What caliber?

What gun?

Have you found some brass yet?

Mike
Posted By: 16 Shooter Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 07:34 PM
Like Ted I have hung up the pheasant hunting season as well for the year in my part of southwest Minnesota, Renville County. They are talking -40 F windchills tomorrow and Sunday for this part of the state and I see the pheasants outside my grove out in the corn fields picking and struggling to survive the cold so I figure it's time to hang it up for the season as well. God willing I will be ready to go at it again next October.
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 07:48 PM
Originally Posted by 16 Shooter
Like Ted I have hung up the pheasant hunting season as well for the year in my part of southwest Minnesota, Renville County. They are talking -40 F windchills tomorrow and Sunday for this part of the state and I see the pheasants outside my grove out in the corn fields picking and struggling to survive the cold so I figure it's time to hang it up for the season as well. God willing I will be ready to go at it again next October.

I have hunted around Marshall MN when the wind was blowing so hard it sounded like a jet. One of the few times in my life I was actually hypothermic, temp was in the high teens, wind was off the charts.

No birds, that trip, either.

I do remember my host leaving the car unlocked, and the keys in the ignition. Theft wasn’t a problem in that part of the world, and in weather like that, getting back to the car and warming up was going to be kinda’ important.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 08:06 PM
Skeettx: 1903 Springfield custom pictured earlier here (Another grampa gun) chambered in .308 Norma Magnum. New Norma brass is available to the tune of ~$4/ea. I know it's silly and I'm probably going to have to bite that bullet eventually, but I'd been holding out for some 1x stuff. Until this trip it just didn't seem all that important. You know, it's funny....he wouldn't let any of us help him cary that rifle out, even while he was dragging a sled loaded with over 250lbs of meat. It was all quite unexpected (at least for me). He's been pretty stoic since the funeral but... I guess he misses his Grandad in ways I didn't know about.
Posted By: Parabola Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 09:11 PM
Can you fire form .300 Holland and Holland Magnum to the .308 Norma chamber?
Posted By: Der Ami Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 09:42 PM
Lloyd3,
You can make cases from most of the different belted cases but the most convenient would be the mid length ( 06 length) ones. Those less than 30 caliber may be a few thousandths short after fire forming, but would be ok. If that bothers you, 300 Winchester can be trimmed to the precise length after forming. The most available would likely be either 300 Win. Mag. or 7mm Rem. Mag. The full length cases like 300 H&H can be used but would be more work.
Mike
Posted By: skeettx Re: My season is over. - 12/31/21 10:51 PM
Great cartridge and great action
Well done, well done.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/913217296

So you do have ways of feeding the rifle, good.
Do not suffer in silence.

Mike
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: My season is over. - 01/01/22 03:13 AM
That looks like a winner Skeettx, thank you! Parabola and Der Ami, thank you as well. Nice to know I have options here. Apologies for the late response.
Posted By: Hal Re: My season is over. - 01/01/22 05:56 PM
-24 this morning with about 18" snow on the level, but packed into the cattails and shelterbelts in drifts many feet deep. Going to be tough winter for wildlife in ND this year. Last time this happened I had over a hundred whitetails move into my 26-acre tree and shrub planting and tried to survive on browse. But the once-rare "January thaws" have become more frequent the last few decades, so who knows what will happen?
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: My season is over. - 01/01/22 11:25 PM
Much as I didn’t want to, I ran the dog just before sunset tonight. -9 degrees F, and the light breeze of 7-10mph out of the north, the same one that keeps you comfortable in the summer, and the mosquitoes at bay, becomes a nasty little witch, this time of year. We say the wind has teeth when the temp is below zero.
2 miles was all I could take. The dog is joyful, no matter the temp.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: HomelessjOe Re: My season is over. - 01/02/22 12:53 PM
Sub zero....sheww.

Ted you need some global warming.
Posted By: Owenjj3 Re: My season is over. - 01/03/22 06:18 PM
Gentlemen, It has been too hot to hunt for the last few weeks in the Southern Appalachians. Temps were 70+ for a good stretch. A friend and I released some quail he raised, 2 batches of 20, to keep the dog sharp. Harvested about 1/2 of the quail with some hopes for future discoveries. Now we have a proper snow on the ground and some cooler temps for the final two months of our grouse season...while you gents are propping up your feet!
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: My season is over. - 01/03/22 08:35 PM
Season opened here in early September. Yes, it was far too warm, then.

Enjoy the rest of your season.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: keith Re: My season is over. - 01/03/22 11:21 PM
Ted, we don't get the minus 30 to minus 40 temps you get in Minnesota, but we do get occasional sub-zero weather. It was minus 22 F when I left camp on the morning I shot my first deer with a flintlock. Deer guts never felt so good. I never minded the cold much except when the wind is also howling. I've had mild hypothermia several times, but like you, the worst by far was with the temperature in the low teens.

The day started out with temps in the mid 20's, but around 9:30 am, a front moved through causing the temperature to fall and the wind to ramp up. I had shot a deer with my flintlock, and it went down as if struck by lightning. It began thrashing a bit as I reloaded, which I was certain was just nerves. Then, while ramming a patched roundball, I watched it jump up and take off, just as snow began falling faster. I hurried to track it because the scant blood trail was getting covered, and it took me through pure hell, and an area that was laced with other deer tracks. I had to give up after a couple hours because the tracks became impossible to follow due to the drifting snow. That was the only deer I ever wounded and lost, and I still feel bad about it.

Rushing so much through wooded ravines and thick brush caused me to perspire, and my damp hunting clothes combined with the driving cold wind caused me to start shivering almost uncontrollably. I tried everything to warm up, but by 3:00 we were in full blizzard conditions and I decided it was time to quit. It was very hard to even find my way toward the road where I parked. The last 1/4 mile across an open field was brutal, with visibility almost zero, and stinging sleet and snow blowing horizontal. I hoped I was heading the right direction. Much to my relief, I finally found the car. My fingers quit working, so getting my keys out of my pocket to unlock the door took forever. I kept dropping the keys, and had to use both hands to hold the key and get it in the lock. The door locks became stiff to operate, and I was afraid I was going to break the key in the lock. I finally got in, but I was driving my old Ford Tempo diesel, and although it had a pretty good heater, it just wouldn't make heat until you drove it under load. I hit the glow plugs twice to make sure it started. If it hadn't started on that isolated dirt road far from any farms, I'd have really been up shit creek without a paddle. Of couse, with blizzard conditions, the windows were totally iced up, so I had to stick my head out the side window and drive a couple miles until the defroster finally began working. When I got home over an hour later, I was still shivering very badly, and got into a hot bathtub to thaw out. That was one out of three times in my life that I quit hunting early. You are 100% right about wind making a difference when it gets cold.
Posted By: Lloyd3 Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 12:33 AM
Pretty sobering story Keith. When it gets really cold, trouble is never too-far away it seems. When hunting alone in extreme conditions it's all to easy to find yourself in an escalating situation. Ted, would it kill you to buy a "burner" phone so your bride wouldn't have to worry so-much? They're dirt cheap (even the homeless have them here in Denver). Cell phones can be pretty darn useful when things get sticky, and even when coverage is spotty texts seem to still work. Look at it this way....it's pretty nice to have someone who actually worries about you a bit.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 12:40 AM
Dang, Keith. From someone who's "seen the elephant" ............ be careful, please.
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 01:04 AM
Keith,
Been there, done that. Youth isn’t always an asset. 30-40 below usually brings bright, clear sky’s from the high pressure it takes to drive the temp that low, and no wind. But, it is still cold enough to get in trouble.

Lloyd, I’ve tried a bunch of phones in southern Minnesota bird country, short of a satellite phone, they are dead to the world in that area. Having an EPIRB on hand seems to be overkill, but, as I posted, I’ve done this before. More precautions, later starts, and shorter trips when I’m alone. 4-5 hours is plenty if the weather is OK, wife knows exactly where I’ll be, as I’ve written it down, and told her about when I’ll be home. I’m pretty close on time at this point in my life.

Might get an EPIRB when I’m old/retired. Like Lonny.

Best,
Ted
___________________________________________________________
That dude should have one when he goes out for a smoke on his porch.
Posted By: Stanton Hillis Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 01:29 AM
Originally Posted by Ted Schefelbein
Might get an EPIRB when I’m old/retired. Like Lonny.

That's my laugh for the night. Thanks.
Posted By: Grouse Guy Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 02:15 AM
Ted:

Nice account of your outing to a place of paternal nostalgia and early hunting.

I enjoy hunting alone quite a bit myself, though I try to be more cautious as the weather and terrain increasingly challenges my all-day abilities. Getting a rooster every time wouldn't make it so much the challenge.

Happy New Year!

Ben
Posted By: keith Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 02:49 AM
On the other end of the spectrum, I got out of work a couple hours early while on midnight turn about 20 years ago to go hunting on the last day of flintlock deer season. I was hunting along Bullion Run, in Venango County, very close to where Lloyd grew up. The day was crisp and cold, but sunny and clear with no wind. Around noon. I paused to eat a sandwich an apple, and a candy bar, and then resumed still hunting. About 1:00 pm, I became very tired and the thought of a little nap in the woods seemed like a great idea.

I soon saw a large deadfall tree that had a big limb sticking out of the trunk at a suitable angle. I thought, "That looks like a Lazy-Boy chair to me." I brushed off the snow and climbed onto the trunk and leaned back for a 20 minute nap. I pulled the bill of my hat down over my face, and cradled my rifle so I wouldn't drop it. Then I quickly nodded off.

When I woke up, it was very dark. I had to grab my flashlight to see my watch. It was 6:30 pm, over an hour past sundown. I thought, "Well crap... deer season is over." I was totally covered with about an inch of powder snow that had fallen some time during my siesta. I got up and brushed myself off, and hiked about a mile back to my truck. When I arrived, I unlocked the door and put my rifle and possibles bag inside. Then I started the engine. The radio had been on and tuned to a local station, and the first thing I heard was the tail-end of the weather report. The announcer said "... current Oil City temperature is minus 5 degrees"

I was pretty shocked because the temp had fallen faster and further than the prediction I'd heard that morning. But mostly, I was surprised that I had been napping very comfortably outdoors when it was below zero. I really enjoy the cold and snow for deer hunting, but that was unusual. In that case, being properly dressed and having no wind or perspiration dampened clothes made all the difference in the world. And DuPont Thermax long johns under good wool is pretty good stuff too.
Posted By: Cameron Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 03:20 PM
My last outing for game was New Years eve. I had a cow elk tag that ran until Dec 31st. Unfortunately, we've had a ton of snow here making it almost impossible to get off the plowed county roads. Did see some shootable cows, but unfortunately, they were on tribal ground, and I didn't buy a tribal license since they raised the cost almost 300%.

Been there and done that in the cold and windy temperatures, when I was living in AK. Broke through some ice on a slough where it entered the large river while on my sno go, out fox calling. Fortunately, the ski's caught on the edge of the ice and I was able to climb out and pull it back onto the ice. I did lose an 870 12 ga Wingmaster, which was sitting across my lap and slid off into the water. I beat cheeks about 3-4 miles home on the sno go and fired up the sauna I had in the house when I got back, shivering and freezing cold, probably on the verge of hypothermia. I cringe when I think about that and what could have happened had it gone, more wrong!
Posted By: ClapperZapper Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 03:34 PM
Stuff sneaks up on you in a hurry.

I’ve had hypothermia many times, it comes with the territory.

The biggest surprise was we were crappy fishing one year in early April, and the morning started out at 50°. A squall came through soaking both of us while we were catching fish hand over hand. I think anybody can see where this went, the backside of the front was 30°, and in short order both of us had progressed past intense shivering to what is called “dumb brain”. Which means that your ability to reason and coordinate your movements is impacted by the lower core temperature.

It was pretty scary. You just don’t expect to get hypothermia spring time crappy fishing.

Took several hours in a lukewarm bath to bring my temperature back up.
Posted By: GLS Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 03:52 PM
The Garmin Inreach Mini is not just a satellite enabled gps emergency locator beacon, it also has text messaging and email capability. It weighs a quarter pound and is smaller than a pack of cigarettes. I have the minimum cost plan which runs about $20 a month which can be suspended and restarted without additional cost. It doesn't depend on cell phone coverage. I also have an emergency extraction/evacuation/rescue insurance policy through Garmin on an annual basis which will cover the costs. Not all rescue teams and first responders provide services for free. The mini can be bought off Amazon Prime for $329. Gil
Gil
Posted By: Cameron Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 05:31 PM
My daughter has that or something similar. She does a lot of back country hiking and if she's home, some of her hiking forays are into grizzly country and what I would consider treacherous terrain. It definitely seems as though it could be a life saver.

A few years back, she was hiking up near the Canadian border in N ID and texted me a photo of a huge pile of bear scat, loaded with huckleberries asking me if was lion poop! I told her, no it wasn't, rather bear scat and the only way to tell if it was black or grizzly scat was to taste it! She wasn't buying what I said but I did tell her, she'd better have some bear spray or a firearm for protection. She indicated, she had bear spray in her hand and was being cautious. There is no cell phone coverage in that area, so I know the app she has works for sending texts. I believe it also has the emergency locator beacon.
Posted By: lonesome roads Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 11:12 PM
Originally Posted by Stanton Hillis
From someone who's "seen the elephant" ............ be careful, please.

You sure that wasn’t a catfish?


Originally Posted by Ted Schefelbein
Might get an EPIRB when I’m old/retired. Like Lonny.

Maybe get your little buddy somwers in Jawja some water wings.


____________________________
You could do some serious sand railin’ where Argo went on vacation, eh Sanford? Way cool!
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: My season is over. - 01/05/22 11:53 PM
Originally Posted by lonesome roads
Originally Posted by Stanton Hillis
From someone who's "seen the elephant" ............ be careful, please.

You sure that wasn’t a catfish?


Originally Posted by Ted Schefelbein
Might get an EPIRB when I’m old/retired. Like Lonny.

Maybe get your little buddy somwers in Jawja some water wings.


____________________________
You could do some serious sand railin’ where Argo went on vacation, eh Sanford? Way cool!




From a guy who’s season never started.

Best,
Ted
___________________________________________________________________
House cleaning mix. Uber gay.
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