Weekend Report

The activity is heating up ayt Bollingbrook as the rut approaches. I saw quite a few deer this past weekend. At least 10 deer on two seprate hunts. We seem to have alot of young bucks as well, everytime I've sat in a stand I have seen at least one buch, however, most are about the same size and age as the two pictured above. Nevertheless, as the rut appraoches, the big boys will start moving more.

First Published Photo

Great News! A photo that I took at the farm was recently published in the University of Florida's IFAS Extension Gardening in the Panhandle Newsletter. This is very exciting because it represents my first published photograph. It looks like I am on my way to being a full time wildlife photographer and blogger. Ha, yeah right! Nevertheless, I am very excited for my early fall whitetails that made the newsletter. Hopefully this is the first of many. Honestly, it motivates me to get out there and take more photos. check the link below to read the newsletter, not only does it have Bollingbrook Plantation whitetails in it, but its also a very informative publication.
http://santarosa.ifas.ufl.edu/documents/November-DecemberColor.pdf

Spring Creek Lodge

The photos above were taken recently at a neighboring farm called Spring Creek Lodge which is owned by Nick Collins. Along with having a beautiful place, Nick is a great story teller, and serves good strong drinks. In other words, he's my type of guy. Great photos and great looking bucks as well. I'm getting excited about this weekend.

Photogentic Young Buck

This young guy was photographed by my father yesterday afternoon. Obviously he's a young deer, but he looks healthy and in a couple of years could be a fine buck. I'm always amazed at how relaxed young bucks are and how much they change as they grow older. Catching a photo of a mature deer would be quite a feat, but for this guy its no big deal. In fact, when I retrieved my trail camera this morning, the display screen said I had 1200 photos. Not suprisingly the same buck was photographed hundreds of times. I won't bore you with duplicates, but I will say this young buck needs to wise up if he wants to survive the winter. I can't garauntee our neighbors will be as benelovant as we are.

I had a fine morning hunt today: 1 seven point, 2 six points (not Mr. Photogentic), 5 does, 2 montpillier woodpeckers, and 10 squirels. The cherry on top was the covey of 20 quail I flushed on my way back to the house. Being able to see the variety of wildlife that lives on our farm in one morning is one of the most rewarding things for me.

Duck Pond: Update

As I write this entry there are two tractors and one bull dozier creeping along in a clockwise pattern. Each one taking dirt from one area and depositing it in another. At its deepest point the pond is 12 feet deep, at least. It measures 175 feet long and 225, just under 1 acre. Its amazing how big it looks though. The tractors are dwarfed inside the pond. The well is in place and now we are waiting for the completion of the earth movers.

Weekend Doves

I was not able to make it to Bollingbrook this past weekend. My son's first Halloween and a Halloween party planned by my wife kept me close to home. I was able to slip away on Saturday afternoon for a dove hhunt at a friend's house in Baldwin County, Alabama.
A very cool morning gave way to a warm and sunny afternoon, I spent the afternoon on the edge of loblolly pine plantation overlooking a wheat field, with my lab jeb at heel. As it is with most dove shoots, its more about the food, and visting with frieds that the actually shooting. Nevertheless, I bagged a hanful of doves, and was delighted that Jeb's first day in the field this season was an absolute success. He made bee line retievers on all of my birds, and helped one another shooter on three more. Jeb's manners and abilities always make me overestimate my training prowess. Jeb is a natural, I am not, we both had alot of fun though.