Another scouting trip made

[Jimmie in Ky]

Met Semp around noon today and we went for a nice long drive in the country. Beautiful day in the LBL for it. Ground just right to take and hold plenty of sign.

Good news is numbers are no lower than last year. Bad news is they aint a whole lot better. Major food sources are once again diferent fruit crops such as possum Grape, persimmon and the good old Honey locust pod.Since the numbers are not too high there is plenty of this high protien mast available and the coyotes are eating mainly that. A mouse or two and one deer found their way into the inventroy but they are doing the veggy dietr once again.

Found an interesting scat down near th Duncan Lake refuge, snow white and about a day old.Took a bit to figure out the why of that one but once again fish was the main part of it. There were about fifty Bald Eagles in there according to the wildlife Photographer I called a birdy for. She got some really nice shots of a banking bird They are picking up the scraps the birds leave from feeding there around the lake.After seeing the dozen Eagles in the trees on one side of the lake I wished I could have gotten high enough to see what was resting on shore near the levee!But there is no entering the area so you won't disturb the big birdies I am stuck with watching them from th road.

I had a good time out there with Semp today. We didn't do a setup like I would have liked but we managed to learn about a new area I had not been in yet. It looked very good to me and the best part was more cat sign to learn from. I plan on hiting that area next week to see what is there and see if kitty will keep up with the skunk fest this year. Jimmie

[KySongDog]

WOW! I had a great time with Jimmie.  It is soooo much more helpful to go in the field with someone who KNOWS what they are doing! 

When Jimmie called that eagle back for the lady photographer, I thought she would fall over her monopod camera! "What is that sound!?  Sounds like something DYING", she said.    

Lots and lots of coyote tracks and more that a few cat tracks were seen.  Again, it really helps to know where you're going and what to look for!  Thanks, Jimmie!

I'm ready to go again anytime!

Semp

[FinsnFur]

We gotta get Jimmie a camera for Christmas 

[Jimmie in Ky]

Dear Santa, please hock donner rudolph and blitzen for a new pentax camera with a lens about 18 inches long and as big around as a coffee can, I could also use a few carving gouges. The 12 piece two cherries set would be very nice but will settle for henry isles 12 piece set. I will be waiting at the fireplace with hot cocoa and cookies.   



Any setup within a few miles of this area could net a fellow some great photos. I didn't know there were that many birds moving through the state let alone the LBL. If there were fifty birds in that area then there could be as many as a hundred scaterred throughout various places in the LBL.

We will do it again Semp fairly soon I hope. We just need the right conditions to hit that area. And if we don't I know another spot or two   Jimmie

[sdLBLhunter]

Have you checked up around the Duncan Lake area for birds?  Last winter one of my professors saw at least 35 roosting in a few trees within view of the lake.  LBL is becoming a hotspot!

[zapper223]

                 Hi Ya'll,
                            Im new to this site, as I just ran up on it during my surfing. Looks like a good one. The reason I posted on this thread . Is I believe I've met a guy , who goes by Jimmie in Ky, before. LOL .

                            Hows life treating you Jimmie ? Had much luck this year? Im up to 4 , but have just started .

                                                                                     zapper223

[Jimmie in Ky]

I thought that might be you Zapper when I saw the handle of the newest member. Life aint all bad but I do believe your a few up on me this year. I have only been out twice so far and this one was a learning trip. Didn't see anything that would make me want to do a setup until late in the afternoon.Helped my neighbor with some remodeling last night and heard all but one of my local groups . Only one of those sounded like it was short a few but that female is still pretty young yet to be raising a big litter. At least tomorrow all these black powder hunters will be out of the woods and let me go to work around here.

Sd, that was the Duncan lake refuge where I saw all those big birdies. Makes me want to take a look around a few of the other sanctuaries. I know there are quite a few birds in the Duncan bay area because I have called some in from there as well. I am thinking the one straight across from there on Barkley lake woudl be holding a lot of birds too since the waters are so shalllow there and good fishing for them. Those flats draw a lot of big carp on warm days. Friend of mine limited out on crappie wed., thurs, and Fri. of last week. Jimmie

[sdLBLhunter]

I've spotted several birds on Hematite and Energy as well, but Duncan seems to be the main roost....I've never seen 30+ birds roosting there, its just what I heard from my ornithology prof., but I've seen the majority of my birds in and around Duncan Lake:)

I drove the entire trace this friday night....it was pretty warm (around 50 I believe), but there was a lot of predator activity.  I saw 3 coyotes from the road, one that I almost hit :(.  And I got a spot on a nice pair of red fox!!  I'll be making a few stands on for them in the very near future.  I didn't hear a lot of animals calling, but I didn't spend a lot of time stopped...I had to hurry back home.  I'm gonna spend this next tues., wed. and thursday hunting zones 1, 2, and 3 (before trapping season comes in).  and I'll prolly scout some other areas but not hunt further south.  If any of ya'll are out there, look for a little white SUV   Maybe I'll see some of ya'll out there.