drive to the farm every week... :-(

Just found out that sometime this year my job is moving to a new office another 20 miles away. So I might be spending 12-15 hours in a car every week.... just venting.... sigh

MN Hunting leases

Just in case anybody is interested in leasing Potlatch land for hunting in MN...

http://recreation.potlatchcorp.com/mn/tracts/

Prices aren't too bad if several guys went in on it.

Farm update

Finally had a chance to spend a couple of days at the farm, being a working stiff really cuts into my spare time. I did get the food plot down in the big slough planted yesterday, I just planted between the rows from last year, and then sprayed to kill the weeds. The planter bar pretty well knocked down the old stalks, and in the entire plot, I saw 2 ears of corn. Every thing else had a bare cob hanging from the stalk. I'd say the pheasants and deer had pretty good eating all winter. I hope to have someone lined up to pick the two other plots next weekend, then I can get the rest planted.
I had a "slight" disagreement with my renters, and unfortunately, I let them have their way. (I'm just too nice a guy) They denied that I had told them I wasn't going to rent the pastures this year, so they will still have cattle on them this year, and probably chew them right down to the roots, just like last year. Therefore, we won't have the extra corn and grass to hunt on, at least for this year. They are also planting much more soybeans, and much less corn acres.
Next fall, they will get written notice of cancellation of the present lease. I'm not sure what I will be doing, but I will have much more active involvement in management, if not actually farming part or all myself.
Pistol Pat, are you free for the summer, or still tied to the academic scene?
Later, the old farmer

Gun auction

Well, I went to the DNR confiscated gun auction on Saturday. Turns out they haven't done this in about 4 years. I estimate there were about 1000 people there and only about 300 guns. They did about a gun a minute. I'm glad I didn't have any money, I could see how its easy to get caught up in the excitement. I looked over a lot of the weapons and the vast majority were in pretty rough shape. People were spending WAY too much money on some. I saw one basic Remington 870 pump go for $300... you can buy a NEW one for less. There were a few good deals though, I made my buddy bid on a nice Savage .22 which he got for $200. Hardly been used. I saw a Tika T3 decked out with scope and all go for $1000 even, and a like-new Marlin .45-70 govt with a Leupold 3-9x scope go for $650. The only one I saw that I was interested in was a Stainless Browning A-bolt in .338 Win Mag (I could really reach out and touch something with that!), but when the price went over $700 I new I was out... actually when the price started out at $400 I new I was out, HA! And oh what a crowd...

Mr. T

I pity the fool who doesn't do his civic duty!

My brother had jury duty with Mr. T this week in Cook County IL.

Can Killer

If you look close you can see the brass ejecting! This girl was murdering soup cans at 70-80 yards... The new pea shooter is a damn accurate little gun. We saw 5 flocks of turkeys and estimated about 80 birds total... all on Marylin's cousin Ray's farm. Two nice Toms strutting their stuff for the hens.

BTW, if anybody is interested the MN DNR is having their confiscated firearms auction in Zimmerman on May 2nd. They're supposed to have a list of all 300 weapons on the website soon... http://www.hillerauction.com/. I guess out of 570,000 hunters, 300 confiscated guns isn't too bad.

Can you ID these deer?

One of these has a nice rack and one is a real ass... Can you tell me which is which? :-)

The Devils Piss

Gentleman
I now can say for a fact. I would rather put my ass on an electric fence than get sprayed in the face again with pepper-spray!

Old Farmer to answer your questions, first we had to do the spray in the face then run through a fighting take down and cuffing scenario. The pepper really hurts after the adrenaline goes away. Since you and I both have been through it do you think I should bring my can to the farm next year so Pat, Ryan, and Topher can try it?
As for my area the FWC is sending me back home to Palm Beach County so we don't have to move or do anything different. I will be on a 50/50 squad 50% of my time on the Ocean and 50% of my time out in the woods and swamp.
If yall want to check out my agency go to myfwc.com

Random notes

Dad says there are a group of goose hunters staying at the farm this week. Sounds like they're having a good time.

We had some snow flurries here this morning... BRRRRR snow in TX in the end of March is crazy...

Dad took the rifle back with him to see if he can try out the predator call and shoot some coyotes.

Hello!!!!! Is anyone there????

Predator Call

Dad bought a new predator call at the Fremont Pheasants Forever banquet this weekend. He says it is supposed to be a pretty good one. Can't wait to try it out this year.