(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh308/okeejohn/Teresaweddingx-mas08pics341.jpg)
Okay if you want to call that a picture of an Eagle. That's fine with me. Although it does have a striking resemblance to smoking cheese!! Hope the wing gets to feeling better.
Here ya go...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/acesandeights/DSC_1757_edited.jpg)
Mature Bald Eagles are beautiful birds. In the past decade they have been returning to the area. These days I see them often along the Hudson River.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on January 16, 2009, 01:25:12 AM
Mature Bald Eagles are beautiful birds. In the past decade they have been returning to the area. These days I see them often along the Hudson River.
Yeh, I agree. Love seeing pics of them. I have some pics, but nothing very good of an eagle yet. Most are from Alaska, in not so good light - so not particularly sharp. 15 years ago built a hacking tower on my bosses property and as a result, we now have them back in our area also. Month ago on my favorite river, one flew up river going right over our boat. I had purposely brought my camera and long lens just tp get of pic of an eagle, but I was in so much awe, I just stood there looking up. Years ago, was up out of Ketchikan trolling for salmon, when we came up on a small island with just 2 trees on it. On one of the trees, it looked like it had some weird foilage. As we got closer we found out that it was covered up in immature eagles. I counted up to 35 and stopped, but there was perhaps that many more in the tree. Awesome sight.
Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Air
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh308/okeejohn/th_PICT0853.jpg) (http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/hh308/okeejohn/?action=view¤t=PICT0853.jpg)
(http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh308/okeejohn/PICT0853.jpg)
Got a bunch of 'em coming back out here on the Missouri River, too.
beauitful pictures of Eagles... thanks for sharing
I do not have any great eagle photos like the ones that are being posted but I have got a wild turkey photo.
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/JULY2007TOJANUARY2008494.jpg)
I think they may be conjoined ;)
Carolyn
Cool pics......I love pics of wildlife. I never get to see them here in Indiana but got to see a bunch of them up in Northern Ontario. Incredibly majestic bird. Additionally, if memory serves me correctly, there was some talk way back in the day of making the wild turkey the national symbol of the US (although I could be wrong about that). Those are some great pics of the turkeys.
Carolyn, wasn't it you that posted those pics of the grizzly as well? Those were some incredible pics! I had some really good ones of some extremely huge whitetail deer both in the sparring state as well as the mating state. Unfortunately, those disks I had them on were destroyed in the fire :'(
Great eagle pic, okeejohn! Where was that taken?
Cool turkeys, too! They're even in step with each other!
Thanks!
I didn't take the grizzly pictures SD, but I wish I had!
I think you're right, I heard somewhere that Ben Franklin wanted the wild turkey for the national bird.
We have a group of them that comes around here to be fed, there's even a white one that we named Moby.
Carolyn
We got some of these majestic birds up here in Maryland Easter Shore. Quite a few up here. Lots of open land big fish and smaller creatures. There is one adult that roams the area around where we life, we see him frequently in the fields roadside of Rt 301, Major road up here. Either in the fields eating or dive-bombing for prey or chasing other birds. Its great to catch sight of them. We saw one over on the lower shore in the back side of a campground up in the trees around a marshy area with a huge fish in mouse and other birds near by hoping for any leavings.
No grizzly's but a few black bears roaming around also, got lost coming down from PA, they have been spending the last few months eating bird seed from folks backyards. Hopefully they made it up back north or somewhere else. Not much food and shelter around here. No hills.
Quote from: Habanero Smoker on January 16, 2009, 01:25:12 AM
Mature Bald Eagles are beautiful birds. In the past decade they have been returning to the area. These days I see them often along the Hudson River.
They have been returning to CT also. Weather permitting I am hoping to see some on Sunday. There is an observation area at the Shepaug Dam on the Housatonic River & I have reservations. Last year they averaged 7 eagles on the visiting days. I'm hoping that I can gets some pics but will be happy just to see some.
Here's another i took in Homer Alaska - Kummock's home town. This was out on the Homer spit and i call the picture "Burp" because it looks like this eagle just got done with a big meal.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/acesandeights/eagleathomer2.jpg)
By the way, the "Homer Eagle Lady" died this past week - she was quite a character. Here is an article about her in our local paper...
http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/011509/new_280356317.shtml
Great picture An8!
Thanks for sharing the Homer Eagle Lady with us, too.
Carolyn
Debs, a few have been introduced here along the Housatonic also. They are beautiful to see.
Beautiful pic A&8's
The turkeys showed up for breakfast this morning and I took a picture so I could show everybody the white one.
He's not an albino or domestic turkey but he is a throw back to some domestic blood that was introduced somewhere along the line by fish and game.
Well, that's what ID F&G told me when I asked them.
Carolyn
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_5699.jpg)
Do they come around like that during turkey season, Carolyn? ;D ;D ;D
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! They do SD! ;D ;D ;D
But we don't hunt them.
Carolyn
Okeejohn, great eagle picture, you really captured it! A&8's nice eagle also. Will have to look around here and see if I can locate a few good pics. We have one picture somewhere that you can count 17 eagles in one tree, we counted 51 eagles total in that spot. Sometimes in the winter and early spring we get quite a bunch below the house on the beach. When we get deep snow life gets hard for everything and available food draws a crowd. It's kind of fun to watch the progression of birds and the pecking order. Often the sea gulls find the food first but the crows will move them off the food even though they are smaller. The crows give way when the ravens show up and of course the other birds make way for the eagles. Having said that I have watched crows tug on the the tail feathers of the eagles and have captured it on film with my camcorder. I have also watched crows mob lone eagles and drive them off. Nice pics all, really enjoy the birds!
Quote from: Caribou on January 17, 2009, 01:17:18 PM
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! They do SD! ;D ;D ;D
But we don't hunt them.
Carolyn
Can I? :D
MMMMMMmmmmm Wild Turkey and not the liquid kind. ;D
Quote from: Caribou on January 16, 2009, 08:31:17 AM
I do not have any great eagle photos like the ones that are being posted but I have got a wild turkey photo.
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/JULY2007TOJANUARY2008494.jpg)
I think they may be conjoined ;)
Carolyn
Don't feel too bad Carolyn, the turkeys taste better than the eagles and there are more recipes! ;D ;D
Beautiful pictures!
This is what I did this morning. About 20 degrees & snowy. Saw two adults and missed the two immatures....
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk234/deb415611/eagles/shepaugdam11809022cropped2.jpg)
Shepaug Dam, Southbury CT
Okeejohn and A & 8's, this picture doesn't have the detail of your pictures but shows a little eagle convention on the beach below the house.
(http://)(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq170/threelanes/IMG_1297.jpg)(//)
How many can you count?
Nine possibly ten if you talking just the eagles.
My count is 11 :)
11 it is! At one point there were 17 either in the air or on the ground. If you look close you can see a salmon in the talons of one eagle and there were other smaller pieces scattered around the beach.
Awesome pic! Man, I'm envious of you guys. My degree is in wildlife biology............I never get to see as much as I would like.
Keep the pics coming........this is my idea of crack cocaine!
SD
Hey SD! Since you have the degree in wildlife biology, maybe you can help us identify this woodpecker we saw sitting up in one of our trees. ;) :D
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_4375.jpg)
Thanks!
Carolyn
(In my best Cliff Clavin impression): You see, what you've got there is your lesser pileated woodgoose. It's a very rare breed indeed. It doesn't last very long in the wild tough as they still haven't evolved enough so that their bills are still rounded and thus cannot put holes in the wood to get the tasty treats they desire. They will do a heck of a job scraping the bark off of the tree though. ;D
Way to go Cliff. :D :D
Here is one for you SD. This was our backyard in NH, about 6 years ago.
(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk234/deb415611/eagles/6picturecollage.jpg)
Great pics, Deb. We don't get to see many of those out our way. Occasionally, I'll see one while bowhunting but with the loss of pheasant and rabbit habitat in these parts, those critter seem to have thinned out as well. Ironically, I've seen more coyotes in these parts than I have fox. Great pics of the little ones as well.
SD
Quote from: Caribou on January 18, 2009, 03:16:56 PM
Hey SD! Since you have the degree in wildlife biology, maybe you can help us identify this woodpecker we saw sitting up in one of our trees. ;) :D
Thanks!
Carolyn
Those are one of my favorite woodpeckers. A rare sight indeed. I didn't know woodpeckers could climb trees. If that bracket had a seat on it, I'd think it was the season opener on human. ;D
The only thing it's missing is a little jewelry on his legs and neck ;D
Hey Duck, didn't know you were an ologist. Tell you what move on up and go to work for Uncle Sam up here, I will put you and your family up in my basement (fully equipped with fridge, freezer, grinder, sinks, ovens, stoves, crab cookers, you name it. All I ask is that you bring that custom smoker with you all! Will supply the eagles and what not, you take the pictures.
SS,
That's a great offer! I have a degree in wildlife biology and another in natural resources. I've never worled as a biologist though. When I graduated from college (wow, 20 years ago now), I tried to get on with the PA Game Commission but it was very political and I had no connections plus, I wanted to follow in my forefathers tradition, so joined the military. Then when I got out, went to work in pharmaceuticals. Would love to get into the wildlife biology field but I'm afraid it's passed me by. So, now, I live vicariously through all you guys with your great pics! I still may take you up on your offer though ;D
SD
Hey SD...I mean Cliff! ;)
You did so well identifying the woodpecker, thank you!
Now I saw this in my front yard....could this be a coyote??
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_4260.jpg)
Carolyn
Well, Carolyn, I suppose with enough moonshine, it most certainly could be. But, it looks to me to be about 850 pounds of sweet meat!
You know, I should start my own online animal identification service.......I'm 2 for 2 right now ;D
Remind me to tell you of my bowhunting moose story sometime.......it was pretty funny and pretty scary at the same time.
SD
Tell us your moose story! Please.....
I am a bit of a moose-a-phobe myself.
I am more worried about moose than any other animal when I am out stomping the woods around here. I had an angry cow moose try to get up close and person with me when I was out morel hunting on our place a few years back...I was never so scared in my life! I'll never forget the sounds she was making either!
Carolyn
Quote from: Caribou on January 18, 2009, 07:33:12 PM
Tell us your moose story! Please.....
I am a bit of a moose-a-phobe myself.
I am more worried about moose than any other animal when I am out stomping the woods around here. I had an angry cow moose try to get up close and person with me when I was out morel hunting on our place a few years back...I was never so scared in my life! I'll never forget the sounds she was making either!
Carolyn
I promise that I'll tell it tomorrow........I'm going to have to draw up some stuff on Powerpoint to give you an idea on it. It's a story that I'll never forget and will probably tell it when I'm 90 and can't remember my name.
I understand the moose-phobia thing........when the rut is in season, I'm more worried about bull moose than I ever would be about a bear.
SD
Hey, we had one of those coyote things in our back yard, too! I was wondering what that was... ;D
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v504/acesandeights/DSC_2229edited.jpg)
A-n-8s!! That is beautiful picture! Great lighting, too.
Your Alaska-Yukon moose makes my Shiras moose look like a coyote! :D
Carolyn
Quote from: Smoking Duck on January 18, 2009, 06:32:39 PM
SS,
That's a great offer! I have a degree in wildlife biology and another in natural resources. I've never worled as a biologist though. When I graduated from college (wow, 20 years ago now), I tried to get on with the PA Game Commission but it was very political and I had no connections plus, I wanted to follow in my forefathers tradition, so joined the military. Then when I got out, went to work in pharmaceuticals. Would love to get into the wildlife biology field but I'm afraid it's passed me by. So, now, I live vicariously through all you guys with your great pics! I still may take you up on your offer though ;D
SD
I grew up dreaming to be a marine biologist - then I graduated with a construction degree - go figure. Put food on the table, but 30 years of knowing this was not my calling! My great uncle was a game biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife. He was the MAN to me!
Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Air
I started out to be a biologist than realized that about half the people I worked with on a commercial construction crew had biology and/or teaching degrees. I left construction and the biology classes and never looked back!
Got a moose story too. I may be one of the few people who can claim to have wrestled a moose and lived to tell about it. Used to be a young male moose at an unnamed zoo, the wife and I had followed his progress from the time he was a calf and used to drop in to see him on a regular basis. We were at the zoo one fall morning and this young bull was really kicking his heels up. Running around his enclosure, shaking his head, pawing at the ground and in general spoiling for a good fight. He would run over to us after making a circuit of his pen and stretch his neck out to where I could rub his nose, (old friends, we had done this many times in the past). His antlers still had some velvet left on them. I told my wife this poor guy has some itchy antlers and wants to fight. Reminded me of steers that can be pretty playful at a certain point in their lives. Eventually I reached down grabbed his antlers and gave his head a good shake or two. He loved it! Would run around the pen kicking up his heels then come back for another shake! This went on for about half an hour then other people started showing up so we left. I should say that the pen was situated so that the moose was completely below our level and really had to reach and stretch for me to get hold of him. I would not suggest this method with any other moose. Sure made for a fun morning and a memorable experience though!
Only moose story I have (not too many moose in Texas) is being scared to death when walking along the Snake River near the Grand Tetons (Love saying that) and I found myself between a cow and her calves. Froze and backed up and nothing happened. I do have a giraffe story though. Used to be a wild animal farm near school (Texas A&M) that I would frequent - they let me go places others couldn't. There was this "tree house" that overlooked the ostrich. One day wanting to get an above ostrich eye-level photo of some of their dusting behaviour, I snook up into the treehouse. Being totally engrossed in taking photos, I was oblivious of what else may have been happening around me. When all of a sudden something warm, wet, and slimey wrapped itself around my face at mouth level. After browning my underwear, I turned around and saw the biggest head I have ever seen - I had just been french-kissed by a giraffe!! :o :o I must say though after a couple of years of not finding anyone who would go out with me at college and missing my girlfriend back home, it really wasn't such a bad experience. She ended up liking having her "horns/antlers" scratched. Over the next year or so, I would end up in the treehouse (it was a feeding station for her I finally learned) often to repeat the experience - the scratching - not the kissing. The next year she had a baby. Got a good pic of the baby that I have recently done in watercolor. I'm gonna see if the local zoo wants the painting.
Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Air
OK, here's the moose story.
It was my first year in North Dakota.......they have a lottery system for moose tags. Never in a million years did I think I would get drawn as there are folks who had been trying to get one for 20+ years but I figured for a couple of bucks, it was worth the try and if I didn't get drawn, well, I would just be donating to the DNR. So, I filled out the application. Lo and behold, I was drawn. Now, here I was a kid who'd grown up in the east and while I had my widlife background, we never really got much into moose because we just didn't have them around. I can tell you everything you want to know about whitetails, but not much about moose. So, I rented a bunch of videos and thought I was ready.
Now, getting a tag in North Dakota is a once in a lifetime event. Once you are drawn, you can never hunt moose in North Dakota again, even if your hunt is unsuccessful. This fact would play into some of my decisions later. Also, the moose in North Dakota are a subspecies of the huge moose you would see in Alaska, Canada, etc. It is the Shiras moose and these do not get as big as the ones you usually see pics of. That being said, they're still huge animals.
Once drawn, I had to choose whether I would bowhunt or gunhunt as the two seasons are at different times. And, once you made your decision, you were stuck with that. Being a diehard bowhunter, I chose the bowseason as it was a month long and usually the rut fell into this timeframe. I also had to hunt in the area where they told me to hunt. I was up in the Turtle Mountain area which borders to Alaska and was about a 100 mile drive every day, each way. So, I bought a little truck and made the trip each and every day. I had more than enough leave stored up (I was in the military at the time) and was in it for the long haul, if need be.
Here is a map of the location:
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/BullMoose.jpg)
The rut did not kick in like it should have that year, so most of my hunting was spot and stalk, which is difficult to do since most of the times when I spotted them, they were out in an open field and there wasn't much cover to stalk and the wind swirls quite a bit up there, making scent detection rather easy for the moose. I had probably about 7 unsuccessful spot and stalks on bull moose that I thought were of decent size. I even once had a hunter harrassment situation with a couple from Canada. One of the nice things about North Dakota is that if the property isn't posted, you are free to hunt it and very few properties are posted. So, I spotted a pretty decent moose in a small bog-like pond. Drove up the road about 1/4 mile and began my stalk.....actually got to about 70 yards from the moose and figured I needed a minimum of 20 yards to feel comfortable with the shot (I had practiced quite a bit and got to the point where I could put 10 out of 10 arrows into a pie plate at 70 yards, but with a bow just didn't feel comfortable unless 50 yards in). So, as I'm making my way to this bull, a couple from Canada stop their vehicle and the lady jumps out of her car and starts running towards the moose, clapping her hands and yelling at it to run! Well, this was day 27 of the hunt and now, I was ticked. I was not far from the road at this point, and there were some large rocks on the side of the road where they were parked........so, I flung an arrow (it was nowhere near her) but it hit the rocks and they were aluminum arrows at the time and they pinged off the rocks. Next thing I see is her elbows and arsehole running as fast as she can back to her car screaming "He's shooting at me! He's shooting at me". So, while I was upset about the harassment, I giggled like a schoolgirl at watching her run and scream.
Back to the hunt: After that day, as I drove the 100 miles back to my house, I decided that I would try and set up a ground blind as I had watched a cow moose crossing this two track every single day. WIth 3 days left to hunt, I was gonna put some moose meat in the freezer. (See drawing at this point)
I arrived about 1.5 hours before daylight and set up a ground blind where I had been watching the cow moose cross into the woods every single day. The wind was coming out of the south that day, so I figured my scent would not be a problem. After setting up some branches and clearing the leaves from the ground, I awaited the time when I saw her every day. I had also been watching a nice 4x4 whitetail and had a tag for them as well, so figured I might get a shot at one or the other. As hunting luck would have it, the cow moose doesn't show up (like she had the previous 27 days). SO now, I'm thinking this was a waste of time and energy. Just when I'm getting ready to walk back to the truck to do some spotting and stalking, I hear something walking lightly to my west (I was facing south at this point). I think it's the whitetail because it was moving very lightly. All of a sudden, the animal starts thrashing a bush. Now, I couldn't see more than 5 yards in any direction other than south because the bush was really thick. But, when I heard it thrashing the bush, I just knew it had to be a bull moose. So, I try grunting, cow calling, everything and the moose never pays attention to me but continues walking behind me. It walks directly behind me about 10 yards to the north of me and at this point, I figured I'm busted because the wind is blowing directly from south to north. But, the moose never lets on that he knows I'm there. I'm still trying to call to him and nothing. There were a ton of leaves on the ground and trying to stalk him in the woods at that point wouldn't have worked. Finally, he stops again and starts thrashing a bush. So, I reach down beside me to a branch on the ground and start mimicking the sound he made. By this point, he was behind me and to my left, but starts walking towards me. Now, as he's walking towards me, I realize that I've got no shooting lanes in this direction. I'm on my knees and am able to get the bow drawn back without him detecting me (their eyesight is poor). This huge animal is getting closer and closer to me and I've got to wait until I've got a clear shot.
Finally, the bull gets about 8 feet away and I have an opening. I let the arrow fly and watch it go deep into the moose. Well, here I am practically face to face with this animal that weighs over 1000 pound on the hoof and I realize I can't get another arrow in him. When I hit him, he kind of rocks back on his back legs and that's when he sees me but good! I'm trying to find my knife in my BDU pockets thinking he's gonna attack me and I'm gonna have to try and stab him as best I can. Then he comes running right at me........I take my bow and throw it to the left hoping that he'll see the blur of the bow and then I tuck and roll to the right. Sure enough, the moose runs at the bow and stomps it once and then runs further into the bush. It was at this point that I realized that nobody had any idea where I was and if I'm hurt bad, I'm screwed. At this point, I'm shaking like a leaf in a 70 mph wind and then hear the bull crash. It had run about 40 yards and died.
You'd think that would end the fun there, but there was more. My friends (who lived 100 miles away) told me if I got one, to call them as they had a 4 wheeler and a big trailer and we'd haul it out rather than quarter it. Big Mistake! So, I decide to gut him before I made the call. Now, gutting a bull moose is a huge undertaking. I was pretty much completely inside the belly of the beast cutting and pulling and I'm covered in blood from head to toe. Eventually, I get it gutted but I didn't have a cell phone or anything, so I drive to the closest place I can find........the Border Patrol office. Just to clarify, at this point, I'm not thinking very clearly and I walk into the border patrol office in camo, completely covered in blood and ask to use the phone. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch as one of the officers starts reaching for his weapon! Realizing what this must look like, I quickly put my hands up and say, "Listen, I just shot a moose with my bow and only need to call someone to help me get it." After showing my military ID and drivers license, the officer believes me and then we're talking like we're old friends.
My friends finally arrive with a 4 wheeler and huge trailer and truck. So, in order to get this beast out of the woods, we have to wench the head of the moose about 4 feet up in the air and back the 4 wheeler up to the moose and tie his head to the back of the wheeler. Now, there ar no paths to ride back there, so we're breaking brush as we go. In order to keep the 4 wheeler from popping up, we've got one guy driving and two of us sitting up front on either side of the 4 wheeler. There were some places where we had to wench the 4 wheeler and moose just to get it moved but we finally gety the moose on the trailer. The best part was as you're travelling through the little towns of North Dakota, everybody stops you to see it and then buys you beer.
I finally get it to the processor and then realized, all I have is a refrigerator with freezer and what am I gonna do with all this meat? Eventually, filled my freezer, gave a bunch to friends and then a bunch to a homeless-type shelter.
The bull ended up with a 34" inside spread which is okay for Shiras, but it's a hunt I'll never forget. I only wish I had it on tape.
SD
What a great hunting experience! Thanks for sharing it with us. I got worried looking at the diagram before reading and thought maybe the moose ran to Canada....then died!
Boy did you keep your cool. 8)
Carolyn
Great hunt, great written story SD. You had me on edge all the way.
I enjoyed the part with the tree hugger. Crazy lady could have gotten herself in serious trouble with the moose.
How much meat did you finally get?
SS and Caney, really enjoyed your stories also. Great experiences. :)
Over 450 pounds........I only got to keep about 75 pounds and gave the rest away........I'll also say this: give me moose meat over venison any day of the week and twice on Sunday. I like venison, but moose meat is much better, IMO.
SD
Caney, I laughed out loud! I can totally see that long tongue snaking around your face! I grew up with livestock (ask my wife!) and have been surprise slurped a time or two.
Duck great story, lots of planning goes along with hunting the big boys the fun is all over once you shoot. A friend and his hunting partner had about an 850 pound moose materialize about 8 feet in front of them this year. Thick brush and they knew he was around just didn't know where. The moose had fighting and fornicating on his mind, luckily one of them had the space to get a quick shot off and was able to follow up before things got physical. Both said they were shaking the whole time and glad it was over quick. Had another friend who was scoffing at them but then told his own story of being face to face with a 7 x 7 bull elk this year (bow hunting, first time for elk). The elk was in range, the bow was pulled back but this was the first time he had been that close to a big bull and had the shakes so bad he couldn't get the shot off. These are all grown men and experienced hunters. I like moose too but would hate to choose between elk and moose.
I agree with SD...moose is the best!
here's my rating scale based on personal game eating experiences, best to worst:
Moose, elk, deer, pronghorn, rutty caribou..YUCK!
my hubbie shot a dall sheep and said the meat was wonderful.
wait I got to add raw beluga whale to the right side of my wild meat scale. double yuck!
Carolyn
Hey Carolyn,
My two biggest goals yet to accomplish are elk and caribou with a bow. I'd love to hunt grizzly with a bow (there's just something I love about hunting something that can hunt you back ;D) but don't think I'll ever get that chance. I may have to hang at your house a couple of days and see if you can get some animals to come to your backyard like you did the turkeys and I can just set up on your back porch!
SD
Hi SD,
I think my hubbie and you would enjoy sharing hunting stories. He is a rifle hunter and has been to AK a few times. His pride and joy is an AK/YK moose he got in 1990.
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_4293.jpg)
It's official B&C score is 244 and he just submitted last year. We got the B&C Fair Chase magazine and it is (so far) listed in first place for the 6 year award period which ends in 2010...even though it was from 1990.
Now we do most of our hunting on our own place...but not on the porch! :D
We have some decent whitetail deer, but not has nice as the one you posted in another topic.
We do have elk that show up on our place, but never on the seasons we think of buying an elk tag.
I have a great video of one of my steers challenging a bull elk!
Carolyn
Now, that is an incredible moose. Congrats to the hubby! That is an awesome trophy! I'll have to post a pic of my latest whitetail.......it was an awesome hunt......stalked him for about 400 yards through water, briars, etc but well worth it.
Dang, that moose is really an incredible specimen! Great taxidermy work as well.
Sd
Thanks SD!
I thought I saw a huge whitetail you posted somewhere in the forum, I was trying to show it to my hubbie but couldn't find it!
Please post it and make us drool!! :D
My hubbie is an artist and luckily befriended a taxidermist that wanted paintings. So, for each thing he had mounted he paid for it with a painting. We are not rich, he was just lucky that his boss loved big game hunting and sent him every year on a hunt for his bonus. We would never have afforded it, the taxidermy either! He has two full mounted grizzly bears, too. They are mounted.walking not standing, though.
Now that he is self employed he just boils his own deer skulls and makes European mounts of them.
Carolyn
Beautiful moose and taxidermy!
OK, Carolyn, here are the pics. It's not a world-class but definitely a trophy in my eyes. He scored around 158 and the pics don't do his mass any justice. It was a great hunt none the less and one I'll always remember. I had spotted him in my tree stand in a bean field and he was messing with about 10 does. I had to stalk him as I figured he wouldn't leave the does but that was the easy part. The hard part was moving without all those eyes and ears and noses detecting me!
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/IMG_0032.jpg)
(http://i322.photobucket.com/albums/nn436/msovik/IMG_0033.jpg)
I never did enter him into P&Y as I want my first one entered to be a REALLY big one. The funny thing was that I almost had a shot at two bucks who made this one look small but they never did give me a good shot.
SD
He's fantastic! My hubbie and I dream of even getting to see a buck like that!
We saw a nice buck this fall the evening after I filled my tag, but he wasn't near as nice as yours.
Carolyn
Thanks Carolyn! They kill deer alot bigger than mine out here all the time. The pictures don't do a good job of showing the mass that he has. I cannot get my hand completely around the main beam (G1) and what I really like is that mass goes all the way through to the G3 and G4 tines. Even the G2's (which I refer to as dog killers) are over 8" in length. I call them dog killers not because I like to see them killed but once watched a deer and stray dog go at it one time and the deer gored the dogs with them. Ever since, just called them dog killers. I gotta say that as much as I love dogs, I hate to see them chase deer and at that point, I root for the deer. That being said....I blame the dog owners (and I use that term loosely) for allowing the dogs to run amuck with no regards for wildlife, not the dogs.
SD
By the way, got my eye on one I saw this year (assuming he makes it to next year). He was an 8 point that was huge but had about a 10" drop tine on the right side. He was an absolute beauty and I sure hope he makes it to next year! Never did get a picture of him......my buddy got one of those pairs of binocs that come with a digital camera for Christmas.......hope to get some pics of him next year before he gets into arrow range but if he doesn't, I'll hopefully take pics afterwards ;D
Heck with all the moose.....as you can imagine, I see moose almost daily around here....had "mooseloaf" yesterday. Moose is as routine around here as eagles....nearly a zillion flying in front of my windows daily (well, maybe only a hundred or so, to be honest) What I'd like to see is more pics of that gorgeous interior construction that the moose is hanging on, Caribou!!
Here's a pic of another visitor at our place...... kinda fuzzy photo of this furry visitor. He was small yearling but don't let size fool you....the ground shook when he pounded it with his paws, warning our Newfy to keep his distance!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/th_IMG_0507.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/?action=view¤t=IMG_0507.jpg)
Nice rack, couldn't resist. ;D
Hey SD, there's nothing like having something to look forward to, esp. a big buck!
I want to see the same buck we saw after I got my little buck. We did see him after all of the seasons were over, so we are hopeful.
Thanks Kummok for the kind comments on our old house! It's just an old 70's rancher with a walk out basement, but my hubbie has worked very hard to give it character with his stone work and tile. Here is a kind of panorama of our living room....it's the best wall in the house! :D
ps thanks for the great bear pic and save some mooseloaf for us!
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_5715.jpg)
(http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/WindriverStudios/IMG_5714.jpg)
Now THAT is an awesome looking room, Carolyn. My compliments to the hubby! That's exactly what I'd like to do in my house but the wife still insists that all stuffed animals stay in my office. Slowly but surely, I will wear her down.......after all, she did eventually marry me ;D
Kummok..........how lucky you are to have eagle sightings and moose sightings as a very common occurance. That is certainly God's country.......great pic of the bear!
By the way, no luck yet on the Ligonberry but I have a couple of different networks looking for it yet. Hopefully, will find it soon!
Now THAT'S the kind of wall I could get "fenced in" with!! Some great mounts there! ThanX for sharing....gives me some ideas for our currently textured n' fauxed "mount wall"!
Thanks!
Think about Cultured Stone, it can go over regular walls because it isn't too heavy.
That's what my hubbie used, he even covered our brick fireplaces with it.
So it is faux in its own way, too. But it's applied with a specific type of mortor like bricks are.
Carolyn
Carolyn,
I would never leave that room! Well except for smoking and hunting and fishing. ;D
pens
Thanks Pens!
It is a fun room for kids to have sleep overs in, too.
My 6 year old daughter had one last night and they have a lantern, sleeping bags and pretend they are camping with the animals! :D
Carolyn
Carolyn, Your hubby did an outstanding job on that room. The upper level is magnificent. :)
I love the antlers of the caribou on the right, very distinctive with cool palmation.........they look great. Awesome bear as well. So caught up in the room that I missed the animals!
SD
Thanks everyone for the compliments!
Got a funny story about the bear.
A while back when my hubbie actually had a little extra cash that he wanted to keep to himself, he would roll up the bills and hide it (from me of course) deep in the bear's mouth. One day while he was at work, I was vacuuming and dusting and was just at the right eye level to notice the wad of cash stuffed in the bear's mouth. I laughed so hard I cried...then of course....I took the money and waited to see how long it took him to notice. It was really fun!
Later he moved his cache of cash into the frame of his weight set....I found that too.
Remember husbands, wifes have the Sixth Sense, they don't see dead people, they see $$$$$$!!!
Carolyn
Quote from: Smoking Duck on January 19, 2009, 02:48:10 PM
Now THAT is an awesome looking room, Carolyn. My compliments to the hubby! That's exactly what I'd like to do in my house but the wife still insists that all stuffed animals stay in my office. Slowly but surely, I will wear her down.......after all, she did eventually marry me ;D
I feel your pain Marc, my mounts all got moved to the basement when I built the new office down there. Not quite finished ran out of money. Number 5 is over to the right a bit more. Tenpoint 5
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd237/tenpoint5/MyOfice2.jpg)
Seeing some great mounts herein....ThanX to all for sharing!! I just finished drying drool from my keyboard and found these to post. The "hatracks" are "non-residents"! ;) ;D (Please excuse the remodeling dust, hanging wires, and trim paint...major remodeling going on here! ::) ) I really like Caribou's rockwall and thought that it might spruce up our mount wall up here....my wife thinks so also, but added that I should add a fireplace in the process....gotta love the forum for helping us spend money! :-\
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/th_IMG_1576.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/?action=view¤t=IMG_1576.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/th_IMG_1577.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/?action=view¤t=IMG_1577.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/th_IMG_1578.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/?action=view¤t=IMG_1578.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/th_IMG_1579.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/?action=view¤t=IMG_1579.jpg)
Great pics 10.5 & Kummock!
I think maybe the name of this thread should be changed from "Eagle Picture" to "Trophy Rooms"! ;)
Carolyn
Nice caribou, Kummok. I'd say nice woodie as well but am afraid someone would take that the wrong way :o
Nice racks, 10.5. I have a lamp very similiar to the one you have as well. Well, I'm hoping the wife will have a change of heart, but she always feels like the deer is watching if it's in the living room. She then freaked when I suggested our bedroom ;D
Quote from: Caribou on January 20, 2009, 12:55:58 PM
Great pics 10.5 & Kummock!
I think maybe the name of this thread should be changed from "Eagle Picture" to "Trophy Rooms"! ;)
Carolyn
Naw....THIS is a trophy room!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/th_01.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v728/Kummok/?action=view¤t=01.jpg)
Kummok!!! You have a walk-in gun safe?!?!
You must be livin' right! ;)
Carolyn
Kummok, now where do you keep the fishing equipment? ;D
I belong to an "Alaska Outdoors" forum - hunting, fishing and other outdoor stuff - and a guy started a tribute thread dedicated to Jeanne Keane, the Homer Eagle Lady. There are some fantastic eagle pics in this thread and i thought you all might enjoy them...
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php?t=46115
Aces and eights;
Thanks for posting that link.
Great web site A&8s!
Enjoyed the great photography very much!
Carolyn
Quote from: Caribou on January 20, 2009, 03:15:20 PM
Kummok!!! You have a walk-in gun safe?!?!
You must be livin' right! ;)
Carolyn
Not yet, Carolyn. I have many of the Winchesters shown in the pic (and the same book as shown!) but, alas, no Mod 86s like the ones shown. This pic was sent to me by a fellow collector when I asked him for gun room/vault ideas.....the vault and everything in it are, ( sorry to say :'( ;) ), his....... I am, however, trying to live a "right" life!! ;) 8)