Along the Timberline: Meanwhile...

Recently I was accused of only liking to hunt animals sporting antlers and not keeping my blog updated. I took it as a compliment; however I felt the need to show that hunting deer isn't all I like to do. In fact, in between deer hunts this fall and winter, we found time to squeeze in some other outings including bird hunts, mushroom hunts, some crabbing, some trapping, and even wet a line, or one of my favorites, just watch my children play outdoors.

Now that waterfowl season is over, and steelhead season is winding down I have a goal to stretch my legs and walk my worries away in search of freshly shed antlers. You see, there's at least a good solid 2 months where I'm not too interested in antlers!

Here's a compilation of some outdoor photos from the last few months.

Christmas Eve Umpqua River duck hunt with Hartmans

Early season geese with Tod Lum, aka Goose Slayer

Limited out and birds still cupped in!

Salt mist, rhythmic swells,smell of ocean life, and hopes of high tuna numbers and a calm stomach

Roo at Dean Creek trying to impress her dad

In a heavy fog setting, the distant sound of honks grow louder. The flock sounds hungry, excited, but we know they're wary. They appear out of the fog and set wings, my finger slides across the trigger guard and finds the safety switch, and I wait for the command.

Clipped fish from the Siuslaw. I fished with Trapper and we had a 9 fish day.

In December, Hunter and I set-up some trap equipment for a bobcat that had recently killed a kid goat. The day Hunter killed his second buck we got a phone call from the landowner about a bobcat trapped. We went to check the equipment and Hunter caught the female in his trap set. Yes, it is December and he's wearing shorts...kids.

A gunny sack of flavor

Target shooting on top of the world

Tuna trip with the Godfreys

A pile of walnut logs to hide in, a good retrieving dog, a warm cup of coffee, and lots of decoy action. What a morning.

Corrine spending a day with dad in the mountains just driving around listening to her radio stations.

I don't ever come out of the woods in the fall or winter empty-handed as long as their are pods of gold littering the forest floor.

The girls were pretty excited to get to see this bobcat. (The girl on right is Roo's friend Emma)

You know Roo doesn't feel good when she isn't talking. I noticed I hadn't heard her voice for a few seconds, so I turned around to find her and this is what I see. She never chummed to the crabs, but I took her to the docks shortly after.