Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Thanksgiving

Come and gone for another year.  Weather was too hot up in the day to hunt but it was good early.  On Wednesday James and I went hunting.  He wanted to go.  As we sat in the Spaceship, a stand made from an old feed bin that Jay had made, James looked for deer.  It is a good stand for hunters that can't be real still, if you know what I mean.  We watched a hawk try to catch a bird, then it swept over and over the field looking for others.  We looked at all the mountains around us and part of that time we played with Legos.  James was seriously looking for deer.
At about 4:40 pm a deer came out at the edge of the field.  James said, "Shoot it" but I told him I had to look at it and when I did it was a young buck.  I told him that it was too small and it would grow and someday he might get to take it.  He got the binoculars and watched it until it left the field.
The next morning I took out one of our predators.  There were two and one got away from me.
I had to bring it home so James could see it.  He was impressed by it.  Selah liked seeing the blood.

 I enjoyed hunting with Nathan and Abby.  Russell, Doug and Pawpaw hunted about ever morning also.  Nathan saw several does and a six pointer.  We just could not see any big deer, that will come at the end of December and into January.
One morning we spent more time tearing out beaver dams than hunting.  It was so good being out in the woods with them.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Week Of Meetings

This week has been a week of meetings, next week is going to be week of Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, here in Clay County we had our Farm City Week luncheon.  Our speaker was unable to attend so I put something together to share about the history of Thanksgiving.  There were several good comments about the presentation.  At the program we recognized and presented money to our poster and essay winners in the county.  The teachers of the winners also received financial awards to use in their classrooms.
The next day, Wednesday, I was in Montgomery at a Farm PAC meeting where we decided which candidates we would support in the March election.  We listened and questioned State School Board candidates, Civil Appeals Court Judges, and Alabama Supreme Court Judges.  We voted on those we were to support in the election including US Congress candidates.  Endorsements can be seen at www.alfafarmers.org.  I did not get home until 9:30pm, long day.  On the way down about two miles from the ALFA building we did get to see a tornado form.  Rode down with David Farnsworth, Claude Friday from Talladega County, and Alton Jenkins from Clay County.
Today Lisa (Felicia) and I went to Prattville for a State Tree Farm Committee Meeting.  We met for business then got a tour of the Alabama Nature Center.  This is a great place that helps educate children and adults about what we take for granted.  They have school children there just about everyday.  They usually allow children to fish while there; it was told how many have never been fishing before, this broke my heart.
We were provided four-seated golf carts and rode fast through the park to see everything.  It was a fun day!

Tomorrow deer season starts.  Maybe we will have some good stories to tell this season!
(Below are some pictures from Alabama Nature Center.)

This is the home of the brother to the first two governors of Alabama, the Bibb brothers.  This is where we held our meeting and had lunch.  The house and the property for the Nature Center is now owned by the Alabama Wildlife Federation.

Some of the committee members at one of the ponds.

In the Cypress Swamp on the boardwalk.  It was not easy maneuvering these rides on these walks.

Committee friends, Dr.Salem and Dianne Saloom, former National Tree Farm Family winners from South Alabama, navigating the boardwalk. Notice the cart in front of us, it is being pushed.  This cart quit and we were laughing at those committee members having to push.

This was a boardwalk in the trees.  I want to do an observation stand on our property so visitors can get a feel to what it is like being up in the trees.  Mine will not be this large but it gave me some ideas.

Monday, November 7, 2011

This And That

Mountain Chestnut Oak Acorns
Scarlet Oak Acorns
The acorn crop this year is unbelievable. When you drive on the roads they crack under the tires and at times when you are walking in the woods they will crack under your feet.
Mattie, on her first day of working in the forest putting up tree stands with her Mom, Dad and Granddaddy. 
She loved riding the gator through the woods on the woods roads with Granddaddy, the weather was kinda cool.
We put this tripod up in a good location.  Now we have two more latter stands to put up soon. We have too many deer that are does on the property and wildlife biologist have told us we need to take some does off the property.  This takes skill and time to identify mature does, not to shoot small bucks.  
Jay got this one with his bow last Saturday evening.

Other pictures added to the tabs: Family, and Wildflowers.


Thursday, November 3, 2011

Predators


Coyote 
Bobcat

This week has been a week where we have pictures of large predators.  The fawns have done fairly well this time even with the pressure they have felt from the predators.  I am including a few pictures here but more can be seen under the wildlife tab.