Larry A. Smail's Blog

  Saturday’s weather front hit hard with howling winds. Today those winds were still present.       

I was disappointed upon seeing any trace of snow had melted here at home. The fifteen or so miles to get to the game lands failed to see snow, However, once I arrived to my hunting spot a snow blanketed the woodlands. The woods were white and any bear would be easy to see. However, tracking would be a little difficult. I wished for another inch of snow to aid in tracking.

I found some very old bear tracks rather quickly. I estimated they were made Sunday evening. The snows that had fallen completely filled any tracks to make determining direction impossible. Also, I checked tracks from Point A and Point B. I completely lost the tracks at both points. Apparently, at the time of the bear’s movements the snow wasn’t able to reach the forest floor because of the dense Autumn Olive and Multifloral Rose brambles. I circled around trying to locate fresher tracks, but failed. Existing snow was melting by mid-morning in places.

I walked from six in the morning until sometime after 1:00. I stopped to rest one time for twenty minutes. My leg was telling me from the beginning to stop, but I pushed on. I saw some deer, ringneck pheasants and turkeys, but no squirrels at all. The front may have affected their activities. I heard few shots anywhere. I didn’t see a single bear hunter in the woods.

And the winds howled!!!!