Another Great Evening

           I was not planning on following up with a post so quickly but I got some pictures that I had to share. I went hunting again for deer, but because I do not have a buck tag I was able to get some great pictures of deer I would have otherwise been looking at through a shotgun scope. I sat down beneath some brush with 2 hours of daylight left and was able to capture some awesome pictures. Enjoy!

A flock of geese at a wildlife preserve.

Time For an Update (Pictures)

If possible, click on each image to see the pictures on larger scale.

 I am keeping each picture smaller to save space!

Nature's beauty and destruction captured in the same frame.

Look very closely on this one. You should see four of them, Ghosts of the Grass.

Look closely at this one too and you might see a rainbow.
I need to do some research to determine what caused this. If you know leave a comment!

Time For an Update! (Text)

*Look at the above post for pictures referred to in this post*

        

       As my first semester of college came to a close I became a little preoccupied and was not able to add anything to this blog until now. I have had three outings since I last posted anything, each of them taking place in a very different location. The first is from a state park near Alexandria, Minnesota. Minnesota made it free to enter any of their parks on Black Friday and so I went out for a little hike and found myself lost in quite a beautiful scene. To start with I began walking through the woods on a series of trails. I had noticed that I had yet to see any animal sign so I went and looked at a depression where water collected to see if I could find anything. I quickly found deer tracks in the dried mud and while I was kneeling down to observe something (I cannot remember what I was looking at) I realized that leaves were breaking underfoot of something nearby. I whirled around and was surprised to see an older gentlemen running through the woods (not on the trail). I got up and jogged back towards the trail unaware of what was happening around me! I saw the man's figure escape behind a pile of fallen trees. I watched that area for something to reappear for several moments but when nothing did I began to proceed on my way. Just as I did, the man began running again from behind the pile of trees! He had been watching me I believe, this time I sprinted up towards the pile and I caught a glimpse of the man moving through the trees far away. I looked for any sort of sign or tracks that would have indicated the man's presence but could not find anything there. I watched in the direction he had gone and saw two figures walking on a trail quite a ways off, it was a man and a woman. Who knows what happened!

          I continued on and came across a horse trail that led away from my vehicle, there was only about an hour of daylight left but I decided to head that way anyway. The first thing I found was a dead deer, a spike buck or a one and a half year old. He had been dead for a while because the birds had ripped his back end open, torn fur from all over his body and his eye was missing. Moving on I saw a big bird flying towards me. A pileated woodpecker stopped to drill into a dozen or so trees offering me great photo opportunities. This bird is nearly the size of a crow. It flew off and I continued on once again. I started walking towards this perfectly golden field when I saw a flash of white, I instinctively knew it was the tail of a deer. I began jogging into the field in hopes of getting a picture but the deer were gone. I noticed the sun was reflecting off of the grass in the most brilliant shade of gold that painted the canvas that was this prairie I stood in. As I continued to take pictures I saw the deer off in the distance, 4 in total. I got a few pictures and headed back towards the car. 

       Part two sent me to the same county park that I was at for my last blog. I was headed else where but a deer hunt kept me from staying there. I was able to see a couple deer and I attempted to sneak up on a pair of rooster pheasants that were cackling the afternoon away. I was able to get within 20 yards of the birds before they flushed. As I mentioned in a previous post I was planning on getting a new camera, a DSLR, and I did! This outing was the first with the new camera.

I'm sitting at home now, back in Iowa writing this. My last final was yesterday and today I went out shotgun hunting for deer. Although I did not see any deer in the field I was able to get some shots with my camera as I hunkered down in the woods for an evening sit to escape the gusting winds and single digit wind-chills. The only animals of great interest that I saw today was a coyote as he was trotting away from me about 100 yards away and some geese. Normally I would not think much of a couple honkers but as I was walking back to my car right after sunset I heard these birds before I could see them off in the distance. Before I knew what was happening a gaggle of geese that seemed to stretch a half mile long flew across the sky directly above me. It was an incredible sight to see based on the sheer number that were in the sky. I spent today on the same farm that I began this whole blog at nearly a year ago now! It's where my passion for capturing moments of nature with a camera really came about. It's where I had my first successful solo turkey hunt and countless memories in His creation with my father over the last several years. It was really great to be able to get back to this farm after being in Minnesota since August. 

I understand that this is a lot of writing, for those of you who read this far down thank you! All of the pictures that are in post above correspond to one of these three outings.

Another Beautiful Day

               Temperatures finally stayed below freezing for the first time this weekend but I could not let that stop me from getting outdoors. About 10 O'clock this morning I hit the road for a county park North of the Cities called Elm Creek Park. After driving around trying to find a place to park my car and stretch my legs for a couple hours I ran into a little dirt parking area. I pulled out my cold weather gear, got my camera ready and headed into the woods. As soon as I broke into the forest the consistent crunch of leaves underfoot sent two bedded does high-tailing it across a ridge top. I realized that there must be good reason for deer to be on high-ground (the ability to look for predators and the sun is best felt there) so I climbed the hill where I found a perfect path to walk on. The landscape consisted of all sorts of deciduous trees with their millions of dead leaves covering the forest floor and a bright blue sky which was nearly cloudless.

            As I continued my hike I realized that all around me were trails that seemed to snake back and forth nearly everywhere. There were no leaves on them and packed as hard as rock. They were for mountain biking but I could use them to my advantage. While staying on the trails I could move uninhibited and with making virtually no sound because of the lack of leaves. In places I found low points in the trail where water and mud collected. Here I could tell who had been the most recent visitors before me. Many places I saw deer tracks, some raccoon, or the occasional boot print or even the slightest sign of a previous bike rider from a week or so ago.

           At one point the trail suddenly veered left and I found myself standing in the sunshine surrounded by grasses waist high. As I moved on I found one pine tree standing all alone in the grass about 30 feet high. I stood there looking at it as chickadees flittered around and the sun filtered through the pine needles. I moved passed the tree and headed up the hill through the grass. As I reached the top I stood there admiring His creation. The sun reflected of the prairie grass in every direction in the golden hue that only late fall and early winter can give off. I heard dogs barking a mile away where I had seen a dog park. After walking through the "prairie" I started on my way back towards the forest and ultimately my car.

            On the way back I heard some movement not 20 yards from me, a doe was moving through the brush but I heard her stop. It was amazing how hard it was to spot her through the thick undergrowth even though she was close. I tried to get into a position that I could get a picture of her but she did not stay still and I flushed her out the woods and she shot up and over the hill. I kept moving along the trails hoping I knew where I was. I realized that the cold, yet sunny weather had the squirrels working in over time, they were everywhere! I finally found the original ridge where I saw the first two deer on and I headed back. I looked up and saw a doe (probably the same one) standing 30 yards away. I was amazed that I had time to get my camera out and get a couple pictures of it before she went the opposite direction. I was thrilled to finally get another decent picture of a deer as it had been a while since I've had time to really pursue the opportunity of seeing deer up close. I'm assuming next time I post on here you'll be seeing a lot more white in my pictures. Winter cannot be too far away at this point.

       Notice how the deer's ears are facing back towards me where the potential threat lies.

This picture gives an idea of what some of the landscape I walked through looked like.

Lake Land Exploration

            It has been far too long since I've had some time to myself in the woods so I decided today I would attempt to do that. I woke up this morning at 5:20, hurried some warm clothes on, got my coffee and went out the door. Today was the first time I can remember seeing frost on the ground and ice forming on standing water. Winter is almost here. After a 30 minute drive I made it to a preserve that had 5500 acres of public land and water access. There was a chain of lakes within the preserve which covered a large portion of the area.

           The first "parking lot" that I pulled into looked like a perfect area to go for a stroll in the woods until I saw a sign that said "archery deer management hunt in effect". I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to have someone spoil your hunt, so I decided to try to find another area to go to. I crossed the highway where there was a welcome center, a camping site, and a network of trails. I parked my car at an public access point where you can take your boat in and out of the water. It was still well before sunrise but I noticed that there were already vehicles here. Deer hunters obviously. I found a paved trail that I assumed the hunters would want to stay away from because of the foot and bike traffic on there.

I walked on.

            I slowly began to walk through the darkness, constantly on the look out for any sign of a bowhunter. I tried to look at every tree to see if I could pick up a man in a stand, and I told myself that I would leave if I saw anyone at all. Within the first few hundred yards I heard the sharp 'quack' of a duck pierce the still air. I instantly recognized the sound to be that of a mallard. I looked towards the whistling of wings and saw a flock of about a dozen birds rising from the swamp and circling into the air until they could clear the treetops.

I walked on.

            I continued my way to the East when I heard some rustling in the cattails. Quietly I walked towards the sound but could not make out the figure. By the amount of noise it was making and the marshy area it was in I assume it was a beaver or even more likely a muskrat.

I walked on.

           I began to notice more and more color coming from the Eastern horizon as time passed. Finally I could not help but notice a stand of coniferous trees that were silhouetted by a beautiful dark pink.

I walked on.

             At one point as my trail became adjacent to the lake that I parked by, I heard something that caught my attention. It didn't seem natural. Could it have been the sound of an arrow as it releases the string of a bow and the smack the arrow makes when it reaches its target? I could not be sure. I was hesitant to continue on, what if a hunter was just around the corner trying to finish off his kill? (I have found over the years that when I am unsure of my next move in the woods I just stand there. Its as if I believe that if I do not move the answer to my question will find me. Well in more cases than not, the woods provide the answer.) I stood there for a couple moments waiting for some sort of sign on what to do. Suddenly, a bird began to sing its warning song to the forest critters, I had been caught evidently. I listened to the bird and the sound it made as it moved through the trees. I realized he made the same sound as the one that made me stop in the first place.

Surely I was free to walk on.
         
               I took one step and stopped once more. Through the maze of tree trunks I made out the shape of a goose, and then a second, and a third near the lake shore. As I watched the geese I heard human voices. Right next to the geese were three hunters on the shore of the lake with their decoys out in front of them. I remained still, wishing that they would invite me to sit with them and watch them work the birds into their deadly setup. No such thing happened. I decided I did not want to spoil a duck hunter's morning either.

I turned around and I walked on.

             On my way back I could envision ducks answering the calls of the men, curling their wings and setting up to land with their fake brothers and sisters. Suddenly a shot rang out followed by a second of the same gun. I walked on. When I reached my car I realized that the other vehicles in the lot had boat trailers and that people were setup all around the lake trying to persuade a bird that their landing area was better than the others. I started the car to warm up my legs as all I was wearing were jeans. I looked out the window to see about a dozen mallards heading towards the lake. I instantly turned off the ignition opened the car door and listened.

               The birds were coming from directly behind the hunters, they had no clue they were coming. I could imagine the hunters in the grass continuing on their conversation and realizing a flock of ducks were 50 yards away. Just as I expected, a chorus of hurried, artificial quacks came from the hunters. The birds began to turn around! Would they fall into this deadly trap? No. They flew right past the hunters and dove out of the sky and into the swamp that I had initially spooked them from before the sun came up. Truly both mine and the duck's morning expedition had come full circle.

The Stunning St. Croix

           It has certainly been a while since I have made any sort of post. It has been a pretty hectic time starting school in another state and getting situated to a new setting. Yesterday, some friends and I decided to take the day to go visit the St. Croix River along the Minnesota and Wisconsin border. There are some beautiful state parks along this bluff country. We started by taking a hike on some state land on the Wisconsin side of the river. There was a path that looked more like a game trail than a hiking trail. We immediately came upon some land that was extremely different than the land that I am accustomed to in Central Iowa. Where we hiked was where both lava flows and glaciers moved through millions and thousands of years ago respectively. The rock formations were very unique and provided plenty of areas to explore. There were creeks running through the steep valley walls and areas of thick brush and others where tall trees dominated the landscape. I noticed that this area exemplified where the deciduous and coniferous forests attempted to outcompete one another. One small change that also stood out was the constant presence of pine sap. Everywhere you walked you saw or felt the sticky substance on plants, branches, and the ground. It stood out to me because I rarely experience this in the environment I usually find myself in. I also saw a change in the water clarity when we walked on streams. In Iowa where I spend my time mostly around agriculture areas, the water is full of much more soil and other nutrient deposits. Here where very little farming occurs in the localized area, the water was much "cleaner". We saw relatively few animals for the time we spent in the woods. We had encounters with a deer, a garter snake, a couple toads, we saw a fish, and plenty of insects as well. After being stuck in a dorm for the most part of a month and a half it was very refreshing to get outdoors and enjoy His creation.

The second part of our adventure found us just on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix. The state park is situated directly on top of the bluffs where you can climb over rocks and trees, down to the river and up dozens of feet. We saw areas that were formed by glaciers thousands of years ago that left some of the deepest potholes in the world. It was a great time to spend with friends in some stunning country.

This tree here had been "drilled" out by a woodpecker. Inside we were able to find spiders which found this to be a perfect home protected from the elements. 

Update

        Its been a while since I have been on here and quite a bit has happened. I've been putting in around 50 hours a week at work which leaves a lot less time to be outside. I've spent quite a few nights on the dock catching fish as the golden sun lights up the blue waters. I catch quite a few crappies and sunfish along with some largemouth bass and rock bass. One day I went down to the lake to fish and the whole time I saw an incredible number of minnows filling the water like I have never seen before. When I would run my lure through the school they would jump clear of the surface in many cases. I spend a little time biking and being able to get fresh air as I circle the lakes is incredibly relaxing. As I was working in a motor home last week I looked out into the crop fields to see eight turkeys, 4 hens and 4 toms, walking around and feeding. The dominant gobbler was in full strut and was trying to get the hens attention even though it was mid-June which I found surprising. Hopefully I get to keep enjoying the beautiful scenery that is all around this incredible area as the summer goes along.

Attached are some of my favorite pictures from this summer so far:

Minnesota!

After taking a few days to get situated into this new lifestyle I was able to get out to the lake tonight to do a little fishing. It had been windy all day but had died down as the sun went down. I took to the dock with a pole set up for small panfish and another for larger fish such as largemouth bass and northern pike. The sunfish were spawning in the shallow water and I quickly had little nibbles on the jig. I put a bobber on in the jig and quickly caught a sunny full of eggs. I decided I was after something a little bit bigger so I put a chartreuse twister tail on my other line and sent the green jig flying through the air towards the middle of the lake. After a few casts I was reeling the bait in when I noticed a dark figure following inches behind my lure. I recognized the fish as a pike, probably around 18 inches. How I would have loved for him to take the my line but that was not to happen. I kept fishing as lightning lit up the Western horizon when I got a phone call from a friend. I put the phone between my ear and shoulder and kept casting, praying I didn't lose the phone to the lake. Another several casts later while I was still on the phone and as the lure splashed into the lake I quickly felt the weight of a fish on the end of my pole. This was the first fish on this rod and reel and I had to adjust the drag and worry about my phone call. I kept saying how great it would be to catch this fish in such a fashion!! Halfway in, the fish jumped clear out of the water and I saw it was a decent bass. As I continued adjusting the drag I found myself looking at the line going underneath me and the dock. The line quickly wrapped around one of the poles in the water. When I unwrapped the fish I attempted to reach down to grab the fish because I was not confident I could lift him out of the water. Without warning the bass shook his head like all largemouths do and the hook lost its hold. I quickly told my friend how this was all his fault! Only  caught one little fish but had a couple great encounters, I have some high hopes for the summer as far as fishing goes.

The ecology of this part of the country is so different than back in Iowa and seeing these contrasting environments makes everything a lot more exciting.

Continuation of this Blog

         As the course that I initially started this blog for comes to a close I will plan on periodically updating it with my outdoor experiences in the future. I have no plan as to how long I will be doing this or how often, but the positive response that I have received makes it well worth the effort. Keep checking for new posts about my time in the outdoors in Minnesota as well!

Thanks for reading over the past several months.

5/9/15 Hunt

        I was finally able to get a turkey for the freezer today, but it didn't occur the way I expected it to. I got out to the field late this morning and was afraid I might have spooked some birds on the way out. When I was walking in I heard a deer snort at one point and saw one running away that was within 40 yards or so. I set up along the fence line that I had seen the tom, hen, and five jakes yesterday to eliminate the problems that I had. The first thing I noticed this morning was the lack of gobbles from where I was expecting them. I always heard the toms to the West other than today and that worried me. Right after sunrise, a little after 6 o'clock, I looked to the East and saw three coyotes trotting across the field. They certainly stood out because I have seen so few this year and they do not usually travel in groups of three or more. A while later I saw two of them go back across the field. I sent out a quiet turkey call to them to see what their reaction would be. They obviously knew something was unusual and they quickly took off. Unlike yesterday when the turkeys were talkative for hours, I heard very few gobbles after 6:30 which I did not like near as much. As I said, I set up along a fence line. There was a very large, thick bush and I sat down where I could see a little bit to the East, but only if they came in to the North of me where my decoys were. Due to the fact that I had not heard any turkeys responding to my calls, I was not paying full attention to my surroundings, I would call out about every 5 minutes or so. I looked up at one point to be surprised to see two turkeys walking away from me, 20 yards away. I saw the short beard of a jake on one of the birds and I grabbed my gun. When I did so, the bird on the right, I believe it was a hen, saw something was up and looked around. The young male looked up and presented a shot. I lined up the bead and squeezed the trigger. The bird dropped immediately and I saw three more birds fly away that were on the other side of  the bush. Once the turkey expired for good I was able to inspect this one year old jake. After putting so much time and effort into being able to glance or try to call one into range, being able to see my work pay off makes it all worth it. Having the opportunity to gain first hand experience is what makes this class so unique. I have learned so much more than what I could have in a standard classroom setting. I am so thankful for every moment I have been able to spend in nature this semester.

Here you can see the bush that I sat next to. The turkeys came from the right side of this picture.

5/8/15 Observation

           I had another interesting day in the field this morning. I knew that I would not be able to stay out too long, but I still wanted to get out while it was nice. I was walking under the moonlight to my blind at 5 O'clock this morning, an hour before sunrise, and had everything for the hunt set up by 5:30. Not long after I heard the morning's first gobble and they never stopped after that. Everything seemed pretty ordinary as the morning progressed but as I was putting one of my calls down I noticed something a little ways behind my decoys on the other side of the fence. A hen turkey had come in from behind the hill and was feeding about 50 yards away. I suddenly had a great feeling about today. I continued calling and I peeked out the back of the blind to see two turkeys a couple hundred yards away in the field. Even with the binoculars they were too far away to determine whether they were male or female. I sent out a couple calls their way and immediately got a response but not from them. The gobble had come from in front of me not far away. I gave out another series of calls and saw a red head in between the old corn stalks. With ever call I made the bird gave a gobble and took a few steps closer. My heart was pounding. Every once in a while he would put his fan halfway up and continue walking towards me. I realized that from his angle he would have no way to see my decoys when he was around 50 yards away he refused to come closer. After a little while he started walking away and my mind raced with all of the things I could have done differently.
            After pondering my mistakes for a while I started getting my head back into the hunt. At one point I looked back again to see the two birds that were behind me (which I eventually realized were hens) and one was chasing a crow across the field. A few minutes later I saw a couple male birds appear from the grass by the river. I continued calling and suddenly started hearing responses to the North where I had not seen birds before. I was preparing my next move when something else appeared where the tom had been before. One after one five year old jakes appeared with their short beards. They acted like they were looking for the source of the calls but once again my poor decoy placement sent the birds off in confusion. I knew I did not have much time, the birds would not stop gobbling this morning it was pretty incredible to hear the birds all around. As I was packing up I saw six more birds by the river and in the field. It was hard to have to walk away with so much activity so close. As I was walking along the edge of the woods I had another tom jump up in front of me around 30 yards away and run off. I should be able to get out again tomorrow with hopefully a little bit more luck.

The Bird Flu

          Recently a new outbreak has occurred across the state that could impact hunters, our economy, and forced the governor to declare a state of emergency here in Iowa. The avian influenza or the bird flu has recently made an attack on chicken and turkey farms across the state. According to experts up to 25% of the chicken population will be killed during this outbreak. This can also spread to wild turkeys, which is what relates to this subject. Thankfully, turkey flocks are usually spread out far enough so that the disease cannot have a widespread impact. Small numbers of birds are expected to contract the disease but it should be contained to small areas. According to the Des Moines Register, there is no health threat to humans but hunters are asked to keep an eye on wildlife for any sign of the spread of the disease. It is believed that the flu is spread by migratory birds flying up and down the Mississippi flyway. In my opinion it is everyone's responsibility to take any steps to prevent the spread of this disease if given the opportunity, at the same time nature will take its course.

5/4/15

            I was able to get into the woods again today, but in a completely different setting than normal. Yesterday, I got my bike out and went for a ride by the Des Moines River and up past the Saylorville dam but there were people everywhere. I figured today would be a little different being a Monday morning, and it sure was. The only people I saw were a couple dog walkers, a biker and a mushroom hunter. For the first half of my ride it was just me and the forest, as I took my time riding along the trail parallel with the river. It was a perfect spring morning with the sun poking through the treetops, shining on the bright green undergrowth, the forest could not look any better. I was hoping to come across some deer while on the trail, (I can cover a lot more ground on a bike than if I was hiking) but saw none. There were squirrels chasing each other off of their territory, all kinds of birds winding their way through the trees, robins, bluebirds, cardinals. On my way back I saw a pair of geese with their young in between them swimming against the current in single file. At one point a pair of robins jumped into the trail and started doing some sort of mating ritual. The most surprising sight of the day came when I was just leaving my house and driving down the block. An opossum ran across the road right in front of my car, I guess no one can keep from getting out on a morning like this.

5/3/15

      I went out into the field today but I did not know how to register everything that had changed in the last few weeks. First of all, it was not 35 degrees right before the sun came up, today I went out in the afternoon in 80 degree weather. That means I could ditch the insulated coveralls and two coats for a pair of camo pants and long-sleeve t-shirt. Another major difference was the amount of greenery. No longer could you stare far into the depths of the colorless forest, today the light green leaves stopped any line of sight at the edge of the woods. As I sat down along a fence line with my turkey calls and shotgun (I was hoping to discover where the turkeys would roost for the night) I remembered two annoyances winter relieved us of: bugs and poison ivy, and I am afraid they both got me. After an hour and a half of listening to song birds, crows, pheasants and more I could sense rain in the air. I looked up and the sun was disappearing behind clouds. I pulled out my cell phone and the radar showed rain all around me. I did not see the point in getting wet today, my chances of seeing anything there were slim to none anyways. I walked back to the car keeping my eyes peered for any movement out of the ordinary but saw none, I could only smell a skunk who was in the area no doubt.
           Back at the car I decided to check the other side of the farm for anything. As I walked along the property line I saw some small animal sneak behind a bush, probably a turkey or opossum. A couple minutes later I saw another small animal digging something in the dirt 10 yards away. I knelt down and tried to get the camera out while it was distracted but when I looked up I saw that it was a raccoon as it hustled away. I walked a little further but did not see anything. Back at the car I began to put away my gear when I looked across the road just north of one of the houses and 6 deer were feeding in the field. As I crossed the road one by one they slowly ran up and across the hill towards safety.
        On the way home I saw another dozen deer and a turkey in the field. I hope to get out again soon but I only see one of the next ten days without storms in the forecast. We'll see though, the weather channel has not been to accurate lately!

After viewing the  pictures that I took of the six deer I realized that many if not all have antlers that are only 1-3 inches long. I have not seen to many bucks with growth this small.

Look closely at the middle deer and see the beginning of antlers on this buck.

This little thing decided to climb along my gun stock.

"My Life as a Turkey"

         Today I am watching another PBS documentary. This film tells the story of a man who becomes a mother to turkeys. In 1995, Joe Hutto, who lived in Florida was given a bowl of turkey eggs which he immediately put into an incubator. He planned on doing a science experiment and act as the parent to the young birds to gain insight into the life of a wild turkey. During the incubation process he followed exactly what a hen would do in the days leading up to the hatching. He would call to the young birds and immediately would hear a response from inside the eggs. When the poults finally hatched, Hutto called to them and one by one they came to him. Hutto says that when the birds first responded to him he knew this would not be a science experiment but something much more profound to him. It did not take long for him to realize after being with the birds the first few days that if he committed to this, it could very well be his life for the next several months.
         Hutto went inside to make a sandwich when the birds were about 10 days old and left them alone in a pen. When he came back he discovered a rat snake had swallowed one of the poults. Then and there he knew that he would not leave the birds again until they could fend for themselves. Only a few days later, Hutto took the birds into the woods to let them do whatever these birds do and he began to fall asleep as they walked around. He woke up suddenly to see a hawk land on one of the birds. When the hawk saw Hutto it flew away but left the poult dead on the ground. This shows just how imminent the threats to these birds are. Now Hutto had lost two birds and had 14 left.
         As Hutto wandered through the forest each day he realized that not only is he able to get close to the turkeys but somehow he can get close to the other wildlife as well when he is with the poults. During their first month of life Hutto was able to notice distinct characteristics between each of the individual birds. For example, two of them had a fascination with squirrels while another went nose to nose with a deer. The animals are born with a knowledge of who is friend and foe. He also discovered that the birds had a specific call for when they saw rattlesnakes. Almost everything that Hutto witnessed here was knowledge unknown by humans of these turkeys.
         At one point Hutto points out that even at two months of age, these birds' understanding of the forest was not only so far advanced than his, he could not even comprehend what these birds knew. It might be important to note that Hutto has been walking through these same forests for over 20 years. One day as they were all walking, they came across a stump that had been cut 20 or so years ago. The turkeys approached the stump with extreme caution but were fascinated by it. Even though it was very old, the birds still knew something was not right and they wanted to learn from it. It is extremely obvious these birds are so curious about everything. One way that Hutto shows just how intelligent these birds are is through their highly diverse vocabulary. He has discovered over thirty calls that have completely different meanings.
         At five months of age, two more of the birds died for unknown reasons. Hutto noticed a distinct difference in the turkey's behavior after this happened, which showed their affection for one another. On another day the turkeys were playing an actual game of tag with a fawn deer and squirrels. Hutto said that their was no doubt in his mind that these turkeys experience joy in their lives which I found especially surprising.
          All in all it was quite remarkable to have some insight on what is going on in our world that we really have no idea about.

Outdoor Podcast

         This past year while I was preparing to get out for my first bow hunt, I came across website called bowhunting.com. Throughout the year they film a couple dozen videos all about the entire process of bow hunting, mostly deer. During the spring the videos are about shed hunting along with some turkey hunting. The way that the website makes videos is they take clips from people all over and then discuss what they see going on. The reason I love watching these videos is because it gives me a whole different perspective when I can see what others are doing. There is always something that I can learn from watching these guys go into the woods while they are hunting or preparing for an upcoming season. Also, it is great just to be able to see others enjoying nature and see what their view of the woods is.

Recent Outings

             I was hoping to be able to get into the field a few more times but do to weather and other events I have not had much time. The one time I got out was to go for a morning turkey hunt. As I pulled into the field to park my car I saw a pair of headlights following close behind me on the gravel road. The truck pulled in right behind me and I went over to talk to the man. He was getting ready to go down into the same property as me but a few hundreds yards away. He told me that he had gotten out the day before and had bagged a jake and was looking for a second bird. I immediately noticed one advantage he had over me. An ATV. While I was trying to pick my way through the grass and mud and avoid fences I heard the rumble of his four wheeler. Once again there was an incredible amount of gobbling and other noises coming from the birds who were still on their roosts soon after I had set up in the blind. It did not take long for me to hear the distinct calls coming from where the man had parked his ATV. After the first hour of sunlight the real birds calmed down and the only response I got to my calls were his.
           I stayed in the blind for a couple hours, knowing that I had to get back to school before long. Around nine o'clock I heard the distinct sound of the man riding back towards his truck. Even though I did not see any turkeys or deer I enjoyed seeing and listening to the birds that assured me spring was here. I had a pair of sparrows searching through the grass a couple of feet from my blind for several minutes. A woodpecker landed on a cornstalk and started searching for insects. Cardinals, blue jays, robins, and bluebirds could be seen flying around without a care in the world. Early in the morning the owls gave out their some vicious calls that I only hear every once in a while, not your ordinary hoot. Geese constantly flew back between the river, ponds, fields, and a nearby lake. Even though the day was uneventful, it was nice to sit down and enjoy nature as always. I hope to be able to get into the field several times this week to do a little more hunting, the weather looks great.