Seasons change

Well Big E and the Crosbys finally got their moose Friday night at 5:00pm of the first moose season. It was a small bull, 600 pounds, but everyone is happy and that for the most part is all that counts. Mornings began at 4:00am and they didn't get back until 9:30-10:00pm each night. Linda Crosby, who held the permit is on kidney dialysis, therefore she had to go for treatments Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and they didn't get out of camp until after noontime on Tuesday and Thursday. On Wednesday they saw 3 bulls, much larger than the one they finally got, however extenuating circumstances could not get a shot at them. It rained throughout most of the week which made the long days and long rides on the not so best roads a little more tiring. Friday morning they saw a nice bull on the run, again no shot opportunity. Therefore when they saw the young bull that late afternoon , they were all in agreement that he was big enough!! Linda had thought they were going to end up with no moose at that point, so she was quite happy to put this critter down.
The Crosbys have been friends of ours for 24 years, and we have known them even prior to that. This is one of those things when you live in small communities. We have been on 6 moose hunts together and can at least say they have all been successful, filling the freezer with excellent meat for the winter.
We have only been out partridge hunting a couple of times, limiting out the first time. Just can not get enough of the tasty birds!!! With the coming of winter hinting in the air, we are trying to concentrate on completing the chores of preparation so that we can trap and deer hunt without guilt and the fact that the longer we wait to get things done, the colder it gets. There is nothing worse in my book than trying to nail up the banking with numb fingers!!!! We have been cutting our firewood which has the ability of warming us several times over: first when you are cutting it, second when you are loading it, again when you unload it, then again when you split it, heating us up when we pile it and then twice more as we lug it into the house, and fill us the stove!! How many BTUs is that??!!
I have walked our new lot a couple of times seeking that special spot for my treestand in hopes of bagging a nice buck this fall. The deer population in our region is not in the best shape with declining numbers due to harvesting practices, harsh winters and the predator situation here in Maine. In our Wildlife Management District there have been no doe permits for a few years in a effort to help the herd, however it has not been enough to make any real difference. I plan to go out coyote hunting and Big E will start trapping for fox and coyote on the 18th with the special early trapping season to try to cut down on the exploding predator populations in our area. It is common to hear coyotes yodeling every night. When I was out on one of our bear stands, I had coyotes working around me and was able to pattern them to the point that I feel quite confident that I will have success in taking a few of them out. One old dog has the deepest howl I have heard in a long time as usually the sounds are sharp and high pitched. He will be a target as he should be a very large animal and a breeder for sure.

The leaves are falling coating the ground like a blanket and it seems it has been raining more than clear lately. We have not had a frost yet, but it will not be long. Many folks think that because we had such a hot dry summer, that we are going to get blasted this winter. One never knows in Maine, as they say, "If you don't like the weather, just wait a minute, it will change."