Posted in Early Flintlock, Wildlife on October 25, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I hunted with an inline muzzleloader for two days for Black Bear only. I failed to see any. I hunted the third day for bear and deer. I failed to shoot; however, I did have the crosshairs on one doe and had difficulty deciding to shoot or not. I elected to not shoot for the deer was in high grasses and I wasn’t totally sure of the size.
Black Bear track
Chestnut
Posted in Hikes, Wildlife on August 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
From past posts here, the reader will remember of a huge oak falling down near my house. The crew took three days to clean up the massive tree, but I had a number of issues I would have to deal with. I had to cut out and replace bricks, erect a new exterior light pole and split wood to sell and give to some friends.
My time was busy as one might imagine. I am presently finishing up repairing and re-erecting a front deck. The root pushed the deck out-of-whack, so to speak. I originally built this deck over thirty years ago. Joice hangers had rusted in places and the upheaval from the roots snapped them. As I type this the deck should be completed by tomorrow.
I still managed to get out for some walks and photo-taking. One noticed subject were the deer. I saw a lot of deer on my excursions with plenty of pics. I am including some on this post.
Notice this doe’s winter hair coming in.
Posted in Hikes, Wildflowers, Wildlife on July 22, 2023| 2 Comments »
I have been dealt a stressful 2023. With that in mind, once I heard of early morning temperatures in the fifties, a hike was in order. I donned a light flannel shirt and off I went to enjoy some time to reflect.
I had only walked less than a quarter of a mile when I spotted the bear at about eighty yards. I quickly snapped some photos in the early morning woods not expecting super quality photos, but what can you do but attempt to get clarity. I shot several shots before the bruin walked away. I attempted to circle and close the gap but no bear was to be viewed.
I did see a hen turkey with five fist-size poults. She must have lost her first clutch for these birds were very small for late July. I saw several deer as well.
Dog-bane Beetle
Black Cohosh or Bugbane
Almost the end of the cycle for the Mayapple.
Bee Balm
Posted in Fishing, Wildflowers, Wildlife on June 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I captured some minnows and went early to catch hundreds of fish on the Allegheny River at Lock Number Seven at Kittanning, PA. I didn’t catch hundreds of fish in fact in the two hours I did not have a bite. Yes, I was skunked!
Interestingly, a Great Blue Heron flew past and settled below the dam to catch some fish. I noticed the bird catch and devour three fish up to about a foot in length.
Since I spent time watching my rod tip for movement, it is quite possible the heron may have ingested more than three fish. I am thinking of trading my rod and reel for a long sharp beak!
Eventually, I quit and walked the shoreline to see what I could find. I found a fisherman’s net. As to be expected by me, I did search for early summer wetland wildflowers along the river’s edge. I took photos and I included the Pickeral Flower above.
Native Rhododendron
Posted in Wildlife on June 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Close to a month ago, I was setting on my deck when I gazed upon the back forty and saw a hen turkey walking about the yard. She stopped at the bird feeding station and filled up on spilled over seeds. The interesting part of this event is that the hen is still around. I have seen her a number of times in the back yard landscaping and bird feeder.
I do not know if she is nesting among my landscaping since it appears as a natural woodland area even having Skunk Cabbage that I planted years ago. I have watched for poults and haven’t seen any.
Yesterday I walked down the lower deck to the yard and startled her at about ten feet. She was feeding behind lots of flowers and ornamental grass by the bird feeder. She moved away into other thick areas. I continued my movement to the fire pit. In a short time, she appeared again and walked across the yard unafraid of my presence and back to the bird feeder. I circled around to return to the house, and she continued feeding.
I hope to soon see some poults, but I do not know if she has nested at all. Time will tell.
Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildlife on June 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I caught this little one thinking it was safe by remaining still.
I waited for over an hour waiting for this Box Turtle to come out of its shell to play with me.
Scarlet Tanager
Female Scarlet Tanager
Gall
Fire Pink
Common Grackle
Wild Columbine
Yellowthroat Warbler
Wild Geranium
Jack-In-The-Pulpit
Posted in Misc. Nature, Wildlife on May 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Yes, this is my back yard landscaping!
I have hunted few hours this spring gobbler season. The mornings I hunted were short due to coughing. However, I almost closed the deal twice on the few times I hunted. Both times were thwarted by the interference of real hens. The one time I had the shotgun leveled across my knee expecting to see that gobbler at any moment.
That story goes along well with this story. Recently, I was setting on the back deck when I noticed a hen turkey walking around the back yard. The bird walked about casually sometimes in the grassy areas and other times amongst my natural landscaping. I crept inside and called Laurie to see the turkey. She was visible for around an hour. I thought this viewing sure was interesting. I wondered if she may be nesting here. I did get plenty of photos of her.
Today she reappeared again in the yard. She stayed close in a grassy area, and I wondered what the attraction was with that spot. Eventually she wondered off stopping at the creek for a drink.
I looked around and didn’t see any poults or eggs, but I am convinced she must have a nest , possibly among the Skunk Cabbage and wetland vegetation across the creek. I will be watching for baby turkeys.
Posted in Wildlife on April 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Fishing, Wildflowers, Wildlife on April 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I discovered this nesting hen.
I had some worms and I decided to spend a little time on Buffalo Creek to see if the trout were biting. No luck. There was an insect hatch, and I would occasionally see a swirl as a hungry trout gulped one down. I fished approximately thirty-five minutes before my morel-hunting hike began. Along the stream I saw a pair of kingfishers fluttering back and forth emitting their rattling calls. I saw a pair of Canada Geese flying over. As I used a leaning tree for support while casting, I notice a Wood Turtle submerged along the shoreline. I managed one photo before the turtle entered the tree’s root mass.
Wood Turtle
The walk began upslope on a township road before diagonally walking through the woods in search of morel mushrooms. Eventually along the horizon line I would see seven deer in total, three Jakes and a longbeard.
The view from the summit.
I turned downward and reentered the woods. Here I would spot the nesting hen. I didn’t get too close for fear of disturbing her. I took some various wildflower photos while descending the hill. By ten o’clock the temps were hitting very warm degrees.
Coltsfoot seed pods.
The blossom of our native Wild Ginger. This blossom is always at ground level.
Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, Wildflowers, Wildlife on March 4, 2023| 2 Comments »
Recently, another spring-like day was being forecasted. A hike was definitely needed, and I elected to do so along Mahoning Creek.
Although the day was to reach into the sixty degrees even seventy degrees the early morning was frosty.
Teasel backlit by the early morning sun.
A most interesting view occurred early when I was able to observe a flock of turkeys fly across the waterways. I had to wonder why they flew across for the very same food supply was on both sides. They are turkeys and turkeys do what turkeys do.
The walk was somewhere between eight of nine miles in total and my old knees and lower back were aching by the time I returned back to the jeep. I had hoped to see a Bald Eagle and I may have seen two immature ones far upstream flying from the trees. I heard a lone gobbler gobbling across the Mahoning but high up the slope.
First Coltsfoot blossom of the year.
Skunk Cabbage
Over the past two weeks I have noticed the Killdeer, Common Grackles and Red-wing Blackbirds are filtering back from their annual migration.
Larry A. Smail's Blog 