Post by Marc Gray on Sept 1, 2012 9:09:27 GMT -5
Loaded the dogs up (Daisy, Ranger and Rosie) and hunted about an hour this morning. Tried out a new spot (classified)
At first the temperature was decent but a little muggy. Toward the end there was some light rain. I somehow got off of the road I was supposed to be on when I was on the way there but ended up close to where I wanted to be. After driving around a little bit, I ended up dropping the tailgate right where I had intended.
The area has quite a few pines but they are relatively mature and not too dense. Somewhat open understory. The type of place that if they ran a low ground fire through it, it would make some decent quail hunting.
As is fairly common in the industrial timberland areas of VA, there are interspersions of hardwoods around areas sensitive to erosion. I walked along a low ridge toward a river. The wide trail ended on a downhill this was an area with some nice hardwoods with pine mixed in. Not a ton of den trees but oaks big enough to produce acorns.
In total, we had 5 trees in the hour and saw some new country in the process. I really do like exploring with the dogs. Made the first tree about 20 minutes into the hunt because I was somewhat early at 7:00 am and the squirrels were not stirring yet. Ranger backed Daisy on another tree shortly after cutting them loose and it timbered and I lost track of it. There was a nice patch of hardwoods in the fork of the trail intersection right there.
The squirrels really started moving about 7:30-7:45 which is when I knocked out the one I came home with over Daisy as it timbered out through the mixed timber. The both treed on a red oak that had about 5 leaders/trunks in it and it was too leafy for me to find. Daisy treed on a tulip poplar and I had some good shaking options but no squirrel was seen. The next tree over (a squirrel could easily make the jump) was a snag - perhaps it was in there? Had another tree from all the dogs in another pine but they were acting confused and circling a handful of trees when I got there. I waited a bit but HAD to get back to the truck and get home. So, I called them off and we headed back with our one young boar.
Got home and showed the squirrel to Nellie. SHE LIKES IT! Did a little hang-up work and teased her with it a bit before I skinned it. Gave her the hide to run around and play with.
At first the temperature was decent but a little muggy. Toward the end there was some light rain. I somehow got off of the road I was supposed to be on when I was on the way there but ended up close to where I wanted to be. After driving around a little bit, I ended up dropping the tailgate right where I had intended.
The area has quite a few pines but they are relatively mature and not too dense. Somewhat open understory. The type of place that if they ran a low ground fire through it, it would make some decent quail hunting.
As is fairly common in the industrial timberland areas of VA, there are interspersions of hardwoods around areas sensitive to erosion. I walked along a low ridge toward a river. The wide trail ended on a downhill this was an area with some nice hardwoods with pine mixed in. Not a ton of den trees but oaks big enough to produce acorns.
In total, we had 5 trees in the hour and saw some new country in the process. I really do like exploring with the dogs. Made the first tree about 20 minutes into the hunt because I was somewhat early at 7:00 am and the squirrels were not stirring yet. Ranger backed Daisy on another tree shortly after cutting them loose and it timbered and I lost track of it. There was a nice patch of hardwoods in the fork of the trail intersection right there.
The squirrels really started moving about 7:30-7:45 which is when I knocked out the one I came home with over Daisy as it timbered out through the mixed timber. The both treed on a red oak that had about 5 leaders/trunks in it and it was too leafy for me to find. Daisy treed on a tulip poplar and I had some good shaking options but no squirrel was seen. The next tree over (a squirrel could easily make the jump) was a snag - perhaps it was in there? Had another tree from all the dogs in another pine but they were acting confused and circling a handful of trees when I got there. I waited a bit but HAD to get back to the truck and get home. So, I called them off and we headed back with our one young boar.
Got home and showed the squirrel to Nellie. SHE LIKES IT! Did a little hang-up work and teased her with it a bit before I skinned it. Gave her the hide to run around and play with.