Hunting with Mike

Please enjoy this picture of one of the most unique creatures you may ever feast your eye’s on.  This moose was seen right here in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Gogebic County close to the town of Marenisco.  It’s located about 20 miles north of the Wisconsin border.  There were two normal colored moose with a group of four moose and, believe it or not, two albino moose.  To see one albino is next to impossible, but seeing two of them together is beyond belief!

The two normal colored animals were slightly smaller than this rare white moose, which makes me think he may be a bull.  I don’t know much about moose, except they taste good, so maybe some of you experts have your own theory.  Come on Gary and Sussie help me out here.

I have another picture of the two white moose together, but it’s hard to tell the size of the other one.  In the midst of all the uncertainty and distress our country is going through It’s nice to know our Creator hasn’t lost His touch for inspiration!“

I’ve been “Missing in action” lately due to a cold and a weekend stay in the hospital.  Nothing serious, but I am in a weakened condition.  I need some warmth and sunshine!

There is a family I’m getting to know from Anchorage Alaska.  There names are Mike, Jeri Ann, and Haley, Hunter, and Hannah.  I was in the military with Mike’s dad Alroy, and from the correspondence I’ve had with this family, ya gotta love em!

Recently I found out about an encounter they had with a brown bear while salmon fishing, on a local river.  They had taken their 4-wheelers down a path to the waters edge.  Mike, Jeri-Ann, her dad, and Haley and Hunter were having a blast reeling in some nice salmon.  Because of the noise from the rushing waters they did not hear a brown bear as it approached them from behind.  Jeri-Ann’s dad saw the bear, and everyone started yelling at it.  He even started up one of the 4-wheelers, but the bear was unimpressed!  The kids were screaming so loud that Jeri-Ann was afraid the bear would think they were rabbits squealing, so she told them to be quiet.  The bear came within 20 yards, before a round from one of the shotguns made him turn tail and vacate the area.  That’s why they make a thing called a scabbard so you can strap your bear protection to your machine, thus saving yourself and your loved ones.  The moral of this story is “Bear repellent: Don’t leave home without it!”

Mike

My brother in-law Pat has been seeing some coyote activity in his back alfalfa field, so two days ago I did a set-up.  I have an old rabbit hide that I put over a big spring that is welded to a metal base.  I have some 60-80 foot of wire that is attached to the spring.  When I call I’ll give the wire a tug and the rabbit (fur) moves for “special effects!”

I got over there yesterday morning about 45-minutes before daybreak.  I was totally concealed behind his Holland front end loader, and waited till I could see through my scope on my 22-mag.  When it was light enough to call I let loose with a series of distress rabbit calls, as I tugged on the wire, and got some movement from my decoy.  I had heard an owl hoot while it was still dark, but never dreamed he would attack my rabbit.  Sure enough he came swooping in, and if I didn’t have that wire wrapped around my rabbit hide, I would of gotten “skinned!”  Fur went flying in the air, but he came up empty clawed.  It must of rattled him somewhat cause he flew off, and I never saw him again.

About 20 minutes later a Red Tail Hawk comes flying over as I’m calling and making the rabbit move.  He lands in a tree about 60 yards away, and watches for several minutes, before he dive-bombs my poor old abused rabbit pelt.  He hit the spring and tumbled for a loop, squawking as loud as he could.  He jumped on the rabbit, but couldn’t budge all that metal.  He pecked at it a couple more times then flew off to ponder what just happened.

I never saw any coyotes, but enjoyed the morning just the same.  You never know just what will happen when you leave the confines of your house and venture into Gods creation.

Mike

This computer has been giving me some major grief lately.  I suppose its about time I broke down and bought a new one, as this hp is over ten years old.  All depends on how much the President is going to “stimulate” me!

Nevada state wildlife officials have announced a plan to kill more mountain lions due to the decreasing number of deer in the state.  The wildlife department estimates the current number of cats roaming the state at 1500-2400.  The states deer population has decreased by more than 50% over the last 10 years, and most hunters blame the increasing lion numbers.  Of course this has met stiff opposition from the animal rights activist who blame drought and development as the main culprits for the decreasing deer numbers.  Mountain lions are extremely efficient predators and have no problem taking down deer or elk for that matter.  The state plans on issuing more lion tags beginning March 1st.  We’ll see if the “antis” get their way on this one.

In other news, Texas has devised a  plan to allow wild boar hunting from helicopters.  State lawmakers want to encourage hunters to take to the air, and put some pork on the ground.  Currently some of the bigger ranches hire professional hunters in choppers to try and thin the fast multiplying hogs.  They eat anything and everything, are tearing up crops, and trampling fences all across Texas, but mainly in the western half of the state.  State wildlife officials are concerned that the millions of feral hogs could do irreversible damage to the delicate flora and fauna where they root and trample vegetation.  Seems like it would be cost prohibitive to me, cause it sure can’t be cheap to hire a helicopter and pilot!  Something sure needs to be done, and soon.

Mike