Craig Mountain

The Craig Mountain area is a roadless, non-motorized area in which I elk hunt. I prefer to hunt using my own two legs. Or the four legs of a horse if necessary. It is wonderful to hunt in an area which prohibits motorized access.

This canyon stretches down about 4000 feet to the Snake River.

In the wilderness, I find Nature's Cathedral. In the mountains I feel closest to God.

"In God's wildness lies the hope of the world - the great fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness." John Muir

It was a blessing to have the time to get out into the mountains. It is even more of a blessing to come home to my wife, my children, and my farm.

Hunting

I finally got my outboard motor back from the shop. I'm hoping to go duck hunting on Friday. The forecast is for a little bit of snow which can be a problem at the boat launch. I had to junk my four wheel drive truck. My small truck, with tire chains as a backup, should do the trick in a light snow though.

I have an elk hunt coming up in mid-November. I've been looking forward to it all year, but I have an injury in my knee and I'll just have to see how it goes. I plan on going up to the mountains and setting up camp. Then just seeing how it goes. If I get an elk and can't pack the quarters out on my back, I can call Jenny's father and he can bring up some horses to pack it out. I'm hunting in a roadless/non-motorized area which I prefer, but you kind of need to be healthy to do a good hunt there. I've never shot an elk, but I sure am looking forward to the opportunity. If nothing else, it'll be a good opportunity to camp in the snow for a couple of days.

So many wonderful things to do, so little time. I feel like I'm booked solid through November.

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Craig Mountain

I went on a solo hiking/scouting trip in the Craig Mountains yesterday. This is the area where I hope to be elk hunting this year. It is a roadless/non-motorized area in which only foot and horseback travel are permitted. I will be hiking or backpacking into the area to hunt.

Quick update

I don't have anything profound or philosophical to say tonight. I've discovered that caffeine and lack of sleep make my mood wonky. I took Tim, the 12 year old, out for his first turkey hunt last week. We went on two separate days. Both times we had a beautiful morning, but did not come home with a turkey. 12 year old boys have a hard time sitting still for too long. We saw several deer and an owl up close and personal. We heard lots of turkeys and managed to see a couple as well. Nothing close enough for a shot though. We've been hunting on the Youth Hunt. Regular season opens on Friday and I will be going out. I imagine Tim will join me. Bear is also open. I'm toying with the idea of Tim carrying a shotgun for turkey and me carrying a rifle for bear. We'd cover our bases that way. Who knows.

Caspian is feeling better, but it still walking pretty tenderly. I'll just keep an I on him. Our Sundays are very busy with church activities and I've been feeling socially worn out by the end of the weekend. I'm not really an extrovert. Either way, I've made a decision to take it easy on Mondays to recover from my family and social calender over the weekend. It's not that it's not fun, because it is. It just takes a lot of emotional energy for me to be social all day long.

Life is so full. Spring is on its way. Gardening and Spring hunting is taking up a huge amount of my time. The family life is wonderful. The farm life is wonderful. What a blessing.

Getting ready for turkey season

Well, one can wish can't they. Despite the fact that there is a foot of snow on the ground, it was beautiful, warm, and sunny today. The sun shining through the snow and ice on the trees was lovely.

We got out Tim's 20 gauge and practiced a little bit on a turkey target. Just getting ready for the youth turkey hunt in early April. Now, I am by no means an expert at turkey hunting, but I do know the land pretty well and I know where we'll at least see some turkeys. Finding a gobbler and getting a shot may be more of a matter of luck than any skill I possess.

The goats are loving having the boys here. We are hoping that both Whisper and Carissima are now pregnant. Carrisima is due, if she's pregnant, in May, and Whisper a little later. Still have to do the math on that one. In any event, I've been avoiding doing the blood tests hoping that they will start showing soon. I can't do the blood test on Whisper for another few weeks anyway as she was only bred in the last week or two.

It is such a blessing to have Jenny and the boys here. They are moving in full time next weekend. It is a huge transition for all of us, but we seem to be handling it with a little grace. Each day I feel more and more blessed for the wonderful life I've been given.

pleasantly exhausted

What a wonderful weekend it is turning out to be. Jenny is visiting with her boys. Today we cleaned the chicken coop. Ten willing (well, various levels of willingness) hands made it much easier a task. Nonetheless, it was still a backbreaking chore. It was really messy.

With the chicken coop cleaned, Tim, the twelve year old, and I went partridge hunting. No birds today, but yesterday he shot one. His first bird on his first time bird hunting.

We are having a game dinner of partridge, pheasant and mallard. It should be wonderful. We are going to perform a science experiment on the canned sauerkraut later. We will be testing the acidity of the kraut with litmus paper. Canned kraut is supposed to have a ph of 4 to be safe. (I actually tested it myself earlier and it looks to be right at 4.)

Although I have been teaching for almost 20 years, I have never had children of my own. I am not used to having them in the house 24 hours a day. It's been wonderful but exhausting. I have the utmost respect for parents everywhere.

I have lined up a "farm-sitter" for Jenny and I's retreat to a Benedictine Monastery. It will be wonderful weekend of prayer and togetherness. The retreat is over Valentines day and is focused on praying and meditating together as a couple. We are both looking forward to the weekend immensely.

We went as a family to a "Farmer's Mixer" last night. It was organized by the local food co-op and was a chance for local, small, sustainable farmers to meet and network. It sounds like there is quite a market for local, pasture raised beef and pork. Something to think about for the future. Both of those are possibilities for us. My property is fenced for cattle and it is possible that it could be modified for pigs as well.

Everything about this weekend has been such a blessing. Even my sore back and exhausted muscles. It feels good to get some good hard chores done. God is being such a "show-off". I am feeling truly, truly blessed.

Cowboy guns

I'm not personally into assault rifles although I don't mind if you are. I do like "cowboy" guns though. Here are three lever actions in classic calibers. A Marlin 45-70, a Winchester 30-30, and a Henry .22. I've hunted with all three at various times.

So many hunters are using guns that are scoped to shoot at 300 yards, but I've rarely shot at game more than 50 yards. Only this year's deer at about 125 yards and that was barely within my comfortable range for an ethical shot.

I'm doing some late night cleaning and may even get around to canning some pickled Brussels sprouts. I enjoy them in some V-8 juice. Minus the vodka please.

I had a major gas leak last night. I couldn't get in touch with the propane company, so I eventually called the fire department. They said one spark would have blown the whole place up. I was pretty stressed out. I usually don't stay stressed for long, but last night just threw me for a loop. Luckily I was able to talk with some good friends both last night and this morning. Said a few prayers. A little "please" and a lot of "thank you."

I calmed down by this morning and was able to go and teach for a while. It was good to get out of myself and focus on helping someone else. Nothing like being of service to get your head on straight. It is such a blessing to have a job that allows me to be of service to others in such a clear-cut way.

I am so blessed to have such good friends that are there for me when things are crazy. And trust me, things were pretty crazy last night. Well, back to cleaning and canning.

Blessed with a deer

Hi all, I was blessed with a deer tonight. It was 15 minutes before the end of shooting light and I heard a rustling in the wheat stubble. About 200 yards away I saw a deer running. Then another, then another. Six deer emerged all told. I glassed them through my scope, but they were still too far. They ran a little then stopped. Still too far. They ran a little closer. Then a little closer. I didn't think they would stop, but one stopped and looked behind her. I took one shot at 125 yards. About my maximum distance. She ran about 50 yards and crumpled up. I found out later I had shot through the shoulder and into the heart. A perfect ethical shot.


It took me almost an hour to find the deer. She blended in perfectly with the wheat. I was getting worried that I wouldn't find her. I finally backtracked to a creek bed and found a couple of drops of blood. I was then able to follow the blood trail through the wheat.

I gutted her out. I almost threw up while gutting her. I always feel that way. Sad and elated at the same time.

I'm resting for a little bit and then I have to hang and skin her.

Luna puppy in the blind

Here are some photos I took of Luna in the duck blind the other day. I am going hunting with her and a friend next weekend too. We are renting a cabin in a state park on the lake we hunt on. The cabins are pretty cheap and worth the time and gas saved driving out there early in the morning.

I am going to the cabin with Colleen, my ex. One might think it is not a good idea to spend the weekend in a one room cabin with your ex-girlfriend. Especially with a handful of shotguns around. Actually, we are getting along quite well now that we don't live together.

I contacted a breeder about getting a new puppy. Colleen got custody of Luna, although I have visitation rights. I love Luna so much, but I want a puppy in my home all the time.

Well, struggling to get the farm ready for winter. There's garlic to plant, harvest to process, apples to pick, ground to till, hogs to butcher...the list goes on and on and on. Teaching is going great. I just seem to be relaxed and at peace even when the pace is hectic. Funny how that works. Sometimes the smallest things seem overwhelming. Other times the place can be falling to pieces and it all seems alright somehow.

I feel so truly blessed that Colleen and I are getting along in a situation that might cause tension and resentment for many people. Life is just really, really wonderful.

ducks with Luna

Duck season opened last weekend. I went two days. One alone and one with Colleen and Luna. I shot two ducks the first day and, sadly, none the second. We still had fun. Although Luna retrieved the decoys...a very bad habit to start.

I arrived at the lake at about 3:00 or 4:00 am. I paddled in to the duck blind by moonlight. The stars, the mist on the lake, the moon. It was just so beautiful. Sitting and waiting for the dawn. It is just about one of my favorite things in the whole world. So peaceful and serene. And then, at dawn, if you're lucky, the ducks start whistling through the air. Ahhhh.

This weekend I am going up to set up deer and elk camp. I'm leaving Saturday right after I milk the goats. It is always a wonderful little getaway. I fill the truck with firewood, lanterns, guns, tents and tarps...and a million other things. Colleen will come up for a day to hunt. A couple of other friends will come up and spend some time. One will be bringing his 10 year old nephew. I will be taking a couple of days off from teaching and farming. I have a 4-H family coming in to watch the animals.

I will be hunting primarily for deer and elk. Although if I get a shot on a bear, I'll take that too. I look forward to a splendid long weekend. I am so blessed. God has been so good to me. I hope that God will help me fill my freezer with healthy wild game this weekend.

I'll be sure to post pictures.

Dawn on the homestead

Dawn on the homestead. I took these pictures on the way out to the fields to hunt partridge with Luna. She really needs some more training and discipline. At least in her partridge hunting. She seems to do better with pheasants. I am going duck hunting this morning without her. Then Luna and Colleen and I will go on Sunday morning.

I am so excited for opening day of ducks I can't sleep. I'm supposed to wake up in two and a half hours to get ready and drive out to the lake. I'm not sleepy at all. At this point I think I'm just going to stay up. It's been so hot here I don't know if the ducks will even be at the lake yet. I guess I'll just have to see.

It's supposed to cool off starting Monday. Which will be good because I am setting up deer and elk camp on Saturday the 9th. Season opens Sunday. I will be gone for four days. I have a farm-sitter that I found through 4-H. I'm really happy to get a couple days break from the farm. I've been setting up deer camp on opening weekend for years. It is a really relaxing time. I don't drink or play cards, so I just get time to hunt and to sit around the campfire meditating on the stars or on the flames flickering in the fire. It is truly a blessing to have the opportunity to get out into the woods in fall.

A splendid day in the field!

What a glorious day! Luna and I spent the entire day together. We hunted partridge and quail all day. We hunted my property and the property of the neighboring farmers. I have permission from all of the big farms around here.

The stubble on the wheat fields was perfect for partridge. The day started out flushing a covey of partridge almost right away. They flushed far out and flew about 150 yards. We followed them through two barbed wire fences, across the dry creek bed, and up a steep hill. We flushed them a few more times, each time flying 100+ yards, and eventually got a couple of shots. No birds yet. This went on for most of the morning. Eventually Luna and I bagged one gray partridge. Luna made an excellent retrieve of the lively, wounded bird.

Worn out from hiking up and down hills all morning, Luna and I came home and took a nap together.

We went out again when it cooled off in the afternoon. We bagged one more bird, a beautiful crossing shot, and called it a day. We came home exhausted and sore. After Mass and chores tomorrow, Luna and Colleen and I plan to hunt again.

What a splendid day in the field. I am so blessed. The fall air, the dew on the wheat stubble, the exercise, a dog and a gun, smell of gunpowder, working the birds, just everything was perfect. Tomorrow promises to be just as wonderful. I really needed a good weekend of rest and recreation. What a spiritual blessing.

Another work day on the farm

I work everyday on the farm, but it seems I need to dedicate at least one day a week to just getting down to it and working ALL day on chores. Today I am making goat's milk cheddar cheese, cleaning the kitchen until it's spotless, cleaning the mud-room, getting caught up with all the animal chores, cleaning the goat barn, and maybe harvesting a little. Tomorrow I'll be more focused on the outdoor work. Harvesting especially.

The animals are doing great. None of them starved while I was going through my stressed out, overwhelmed phase. The pigs are getting huge. They still have some time to go though. I'm feeding them as many garden leftovers as I can. Just trying to find what they'll eat. They loved the corn stalks.

The tobacco plants are stunted, but they look like they are healthy. Healthy tobacco, now that's an oxymoron. I should be able to process them into a usable product. I've lamented the rest of the garden enough, so I guess I'll just let it go.

I've been starting to tie steelhead flies in the evening. I'm by no means an expert at tying flies, but practice makes perfect. Fishing season is starting to ramp up. The steelhead should be moving into the smaller rivers soon. I've spent a lot of time grouse hunting without a great deal of success. I've bagged a couple. Partridge opens on Saturday and I've seen three coveys of about 20 birds each on the property. I plan on hunting for them Saturday and Sunday with Luna. I'll be sure to post pictures.

The teaching year has been going well. I am so blessed to have such a great job working with such wonderful families. I feel like I'm being cradled in the arms of a loving God. Safe and cared for. I have everything I need. I have been blessed with a life beyond my wildest dreams.

Well, back to work. :-)

Overwhelmed homesteader

Phew! Things have been overwhelming here on the homestead. Colleen and I separated a while back and this is just not a one person job. The school year started and I am back to teaching a full load - which is actually about 20-30 hours a week for me.

Between the goats, pigs, chickens, garden to be harvested, fruit trees to be harvested, canning, and garden prepping for next year I am really, really busy. I look around and I don't feel like I have time for all the tasks to be done.

My recreational and spiritual time, which are often the same, are starting to suffer. I went steel head fishing for two hours after work last night and all I could think about were all the farm chores I was neglecting.

On a lighter note, here is a picture of Luna with her first forest grouse. Fish and game lumps all of the forest dwelling grouse into one category, but this one is a ruffed grouse. She doesn't quite have the concept down, but she was definitely helpful in the process.

The picture above is of the pigs eating apples from a friend's tree that blew down in a storm. I've got bushels of them and the pigs love them.

I'm looking forward to harvesting my trees and making apple butter and apple sauce. Also...APPLE PIE!

Hunting season is heating up. It is one of the most spiritual and fulfilling times of the year for me. Of course, it is nice to replenish the freezer, but more importantly it is a time when I can get out into the woods and just focus on being in tune with the natural world in a special and intense way.

Walking slowly through the woods and looking and listening for signs of game. Calling in ducks and geese. Thanking God for the animal whose life I have taken to feed myself and my friends.

Well, looks like I have some praying and meditating to do. Find a way to approach my tasks with a little grace instead of a feeling of irritation. There simply will not be time in the day to do everything I want to do the way I want to do it. But, I guess, that is life. Time to count my blessings and be grateful. It's not what I HAVE to do, it's what I GET to do, and for that I am truly blessed.

fall bird hunting

Luna and I have been hunting up a storm lately. We hunted pheasants on Sunday and grouse on Monday. The pheasant hunt was successful. Luna flushed five pheasants and we, Colleen and I, shot four. The grouse hunt was a little different. Luna has never been grouse hunting and wasn't completely clear on the concept. She did flush two grouse, but neither one offered an opportunity for a clean shot.

She loves hunting but seems to burn out after a few hours. Me, I'd hunt all day.

I love the fall. The hunting seasons are opening. The hot weather is subsiding. It's harvest time in the garden. The school year is starting fresh and exciting. Steelhead season is just around the corner.

I've arranged an animal-sitter for deer/elk hunting camp this October. I am so excited. I found a local family through 4-H that should work out well. I will go up into the foothills where I hunt and set up a camp for about four days. Various friends come up to camp each year to hunt or just hang out around the fire. It is one of the highlights of my year.

Colleen and I had pheasant piccata for dinner last night. It was great. I imagine you could also make it with chicken. I've also used venison for the same recipe.

1. Cut your pheasant breast into 1/4 thick fillets and soak in milk for three hours.
2. Coat the breast in flour and brown in three tablespoons of butter.
3. Pour in a cup of white wine and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
4. Remove the fillets to a warm plate and add a handful of fresh, snipped parsley, three tablespoons of capers, and three tablespoons of lemon juice.
5. Simmer the sauce down until it is thick and serve over the warm pheasant breasts.

It is such a pleasure to enjoy a wild game meal with friends. I am so truly blessed.

Caspian drives the tractor.

I was cleaning out the goat pen, that reminds me I have to lay new straw, and all of the goats decided that the moving tractor was like a carnival ride. Whisper got in the bucket and wouldn't get out. I eventually just started driving really slowly with her in there. Later Caspian decided he wanted to drive.

The pigs are coming along nicely. Contrary to popular belief, pigs will not eat anything and everything. My pigs at least do not like uncooked beets. They love the beet greens but won't eat the beets themselves. They also do not like funky old carrots from the root cellar. There is plenty they do like though. On today's menu was leftover spaghetti, bread scraps, and salad scraps. They are getting more used to me, but they still won't let me touch them.

I've been keeping busy with friends still spending some time with Colleen and Luna. Colleen is going to farm-sit for me in August and maybe September. I may also be able to get another farm-sitter to watch the critters while Colleen and I take Luna grouse hunting/camping.

I am going backpacking with a friend of mine at the end of August. It will be my only extended backcountry trip this summer. I'll be hiking up to a river and lake in the Seven Devils wilderness to camp and fly-fish for a couple of days. I can't wait. I'm getting in better physical shape and should be able to make the trip, although I'm sure it will be challenging. My friend is a little (a lot) younger than I am, so I hope I don't slow him down too much.

Hunting season is coming up, so I think I have to apply for my elk unit and my extra doe tag. I'm not really an expert elk hunter, but I haven't given up yet. I certainly hope I get at least one deer this year. Idaho is such beautiful country. It has so much to offer a homesteader and hunter. The soil is great for growing, at least in my region, and wilderness opportunities abound. I feel truly blessed to live here.

Luna goes pheasant hunting

Luna's first pheasant hunt. We went to a hunting preserve for some training and to have some fun. Luna thought it was a grand old time. A few pheasants she was totally oblivious to and I kicked up. One she practically stepped on, and two she totally smelled and flushed. It was totally exciting for me and her.
She didn't retrieve very well, but got the general idea when I went to get the pheasant for her and put it in her mouth. Then we had to try a few times when I needed her to "leave it" for me.

It was a beautiful day in the field. Sunny, warm, beautiful country. Dogs, and guns, and birds. It was great.

Cooked up a great pheasant paprika dish. Diced bacon, diced pheasant, stock, cream, sour cream, carmalized onions, and lots of paprika. Served over egg noodles.

Life is grand. It doesn't get any better than this.

All sorts of good stuff

Bird hunting season has ended, but here are some pictures of Luna's first bird, a gray partridge, before the end of season. At other times she has smelled birds and gotten "birdy", but this time she was distracted. She didn't really retrieve it either, but I gave her the smell of it. So she should be more mature next season. Grouse starts in September. Rabbits are still open, so maybe we can get into one or two before the end of that season.

She is growing and learning at an incredible rate. We are praying that she'll turn into a good hunting dog, but it's hard to imagine when she's still got so much puppy in her. We took her out for a nice long hike the other day.
We've got more and more bulbs coming up in the yard. Tulips, crocus, and snowdrops. One other flower I can't identify.

We planted some seeds indoors in the grow room last night. Lettuce and basil. We will plant tomatoes and peppers as soon as the heat mat we ordered gets here. I can't wait until little plants start growing. Spring is definitely on it's way. We even have the windows open today although it is a little chilly in the house. It's nice to get some air.

It's back to teaching today after a nice weekend. Say a little prayer and jump right into it. It'll be a fine day, even if I have the Monday morning blues a little bit.

Bunnies have left the area

We haven't seen but one rabbit this week on our morning walks. Hopefully they have left the immediate garden area. More likely, some have left and the rest have become nocturnal. We will see when we start the lettuce and radishes in the garden. I will play with Luna and a rabbit hide to make sure she has the scent right, but I had been kind of saving the hides for fly-tying.

Today is the last day of my "face to face" work week. I have four hours of face time and a few hours of prep to do. I'm not too overwhelmed. I will be on puppy duty all day Friday and have plenty of farm chores and work planning to do around the farm. I love working my own schedule but that means I have to actually set aside the time to do the work. Whether that's Saturday night at 2 am on the couch, or a sunny Friday afternoon at the picnic table. If I put it off, I don't get paid.

Well, it's breakfast, then off to teach.

Giant Egg!

We got a giant egg the other day. It was off the egg scale. It wouldn't even fit in an egg carton. It had two large yolks inside. Weird. Ouch!
I'm just relaxing after a day of teaching in the morning and puppy patrol in the afternoon. I found a great but, alas, impractical solution to puppy energy. Every time she woke up I took her hunting. Walked about a half mile down to the end of the pasture and back. She got into the creek, chased rabbits, found a rabbit skull and chewed on that. I even took a couple of shots at the rabbits with a 20 gauge. She doesn't seem to mind the slightly louder sound of that either.
We went out hunting three different times. Of course, this took about three hours of my day. But after each time, she came back and slept like a baby.