Nothing to report thus far. Our regular firearms season for deer came in on October 18th, but I haven't found the motivation to really hunt this year. My main reason for hunting years past is because dad enjoyed it and spending time with him, but I rarely saw anything to get a shot in. Normally I might one a year out there but it was worth going to hang out even if I got nothing.
It's 1.5 to 2 hour drive to the lease from my house so not running back and fourth. It's head out on Friday afternoon and stay the weekend or until I get something. That limits (eliminates) my getting out to scout during the year. It's sitting on the spots that dad finds and thinks looks good, but due to his physical limitations, he couldn't do it either. Since he isn't there it's hard for me to want to spend the weekend out there, especially knowing that I'm not likely to see anything to get a shot in anyway. Went opening weekend and the next, but only thing I saw was a coyote. Considered shooting the coyote, but wasn't going to mess up a chance at a deer.
Have tried to "hunt" my back yard a couple of times since I live in an area suitable for it, but so far no luck there either. Last week or so I've been about ready to go knock my neighbor over the head. I definitely have deer traveling through my yard. Spook them up a lot of times when I leave for work, see them traveling through the yard when I get home late. Don't know what times they move, but since I have to work most of the day the couple hours before sunset are really the only opportunities I have. My neighbor who is retired and home all day seems to choose that same period to start working on something out in the yard. Working on a small engine, doing yard work, grinding and beating on something. Pretty much anything you can think of that an older handyman would do to make noise he does it in the few hours before dark. It isn't even like he's anti hunting or guns, one of the noises he occasionally makes is target practicing in his back yard.
Likely letting the club membership go after this year. For the most part my ties to the place are gone. Dad (and me by extension) had been members there for over 30 years, but I never really got connected to any of the other current members. Likely wouldn't be in now, but dues were already paid and it's going to take time to get everything packed up and moved out. Also wanted to see if I retained much interest in continuing to hunt there (or at all). So far, little interest in hunting there, but I will try a few more times before the season is out in January. As for hunting in general, maybe... I honestly don't have a lot of patience for it, but I do like the deer meat and hunting is the best/only way to get it.
Think I have a line on a property much closer to home. It's owned by an unrelated "aunt" (if that makes any sense) who doesn't have children, who's blood related nieces aren't interested in it (except possibly the money from selling it) and who wants it to stay natural for as long as possible (bordered by a sand mine that would like it). If it works out I'll have 50+ acres of natural hardwoods (not timberlands like the lease), and some cleared power line area that only has me and my brother-in-law hunting it. Not sure how much I'll hunt, but it'll be there and available, it'll also be a close place to go shooting or just hang out int he woods. It's only about 20-30 minutes from my house, 15 or less from my mom and sister's houses. We've already been using it some and dad had a makeshift shooting range setup on it. Only reason that we don't hunt it or spend more time there is that we have had no legal control over the property and and couldn't stay down there long enough to keep trespassers and poachers off. If we own or have a binding lease agreement for the hunting property I'll have the legal authourity to run trespassers/poachers off and, if it's the only place we're hunting, I should be able to be there enough during the year to keep them off. If it works out that I can actually buy all of it there is an 8-10 acre parcel (88 acres in total) separated from the hunting area that I could build on and be within walking distance of the deer stand.
You weren't asking for my story, so... As for other game...
Don't actively hunt small game. Squirrel, Rabbit, Fox, and Bobcat all have seasons with squirrel conveniently overlapping deer season. Opossum and Raccoon are open year round on private land. Coyotes, armadillos, and beavers are all unprotected speciaes here. Since I'm not eating them I'm not actively hunting them. That said, if I'm waiting for deer and a squirrel, armadillo, or opossum is annoying me, I'd be willing to get rid of it. Hasn't been unheard of for me to carry a suppressed 22lr with subsonics into the stand for that very purpose, but have only popped a couple of armadillos over the years.
If invited, I'd be willing to go on a bird hunt just to do it, but got no interest in keeping the game or trying to get into it myself. I'd really need to pull out the clay thrower and do some practice too. Dad hunted turkey some when I was younger. We pretty much decided that it wasn't worth the work considering how easy it is to get one from the grocery store. Could definitely harvest some during deer season on the current hunting club, it's almost annoying how many there are and how noisy they are. Unfortunately deer and turkey seasons don't overlap.
Pigs, no limit and no closes season, I'll shoot as many as I can. Don't even care about eating them, just getting rid of a nuisance animal would be enough. Unfortunately I haven't been in good places to see any to shoot. Goes back to not doing adequate scouting as mentioned above, them and deer tend to gravitate towards the same areas and sources of food.
Having a lifetime sportsman license I'm covered for pretty much anything in the state that I'd hunt though I do still have to get get the federal stamp for some birds. I typically get the stamp even though I know I'm not going ot use it, it's worth it for the fgew bucks that coe into conservation efforts. I think that the only thing we have a real quota for it Gator, but got no interest in hunting it. There's quota or lottery for a few WMA areas, but I don;t live close enough to mess with them anyway.
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