Memory Full

I previously mentioned that I bought a couple of game cameras and have put them out on my property. Well, one of them (the Timber Eye)will not hold a charge and only takes pictures for 1-2 days. I called the company that makes the camera and they are going to replace the camera. I love it when a company does the right thing! Anyway, I had to get that camera and I decided to pull the memory card out of the Remington Ghost and see if it had any pictures. As I approached the camera I noticed the indication light was not triggering and when I opened the camera door, it was obvious the camera was off. My first thought was that this one was doing the same thing and I would never find a camera that lasts for more than one day!



The surprise came when I hit the power button and as the camera came on, the following message appeared on the LCD screen..."Memory Full." The camera took 260 pictures in 7 days. Of course, there were lots and lots of pictures of the same deer because I set the delay period for only 30 seconds. Lesson #1 - if you have a game camera over a food or mineral plot, it might be better to set the delay period for 1 - 2 minutes. Another idea is to use a large capacity memory card. I had the 256 mb card hat came with the Remington Ghost camera. You can use 1 GB or 2GB cards, though, especially if you want to leave the camera out for a while. Once I got back to the truck and put the memory card in my laptop, I learned Lesson #2 - place a game camera with an infrared flash at least 10' from the location you expect the deer. As you can tell from the second picture, an infrared flash on a game camera is very bright and needs some distance.



I still got some great photos and had pictures of several bucks that I can't wait to see fully develop. I also had pictures of squirrels, rabbits and a coyote. The deer are really spending a lot of time at the mineral plots and getting some much needed nutrition. The soybean crop is getting some height and the deer are all over that, too.



Once I receive the Timber Eye camera back, I intend on doing a comparison and seeing if I can determine any difference between an incandescent flash and the infrared flash. When I do, you can find that information here.



Although it is HOT, it is fun to stay in the game doing things that keep us around hunting. Next on my agenda for this summer is reloads and more deer stands. Hope there is enough time!

Beautiful Day

As mentioned in my earlier post, the destination Saturday was a beautiful pond north of Atkins for an afternoon of fishing. And what a beautiful day it was...plenty of sun, but not real hot and a gentle breeze.

We were only able to spend a couple of hours on the water, however it was very enjoyable and also quite productive. We started off with small spinners and picked up a few large bream and nice bass here and there for the first hour and a half. I switched to minnows and the action picked up, too. The crappie started to bite and I ended up with a couple of bass in the 3-pound range. Obviously not monsters, but very nice and a lot of fun on light-weight tackle. My buddy tried a topwater as the sun fell from the sky and the bass really liked that. I think that there are few experiences in fishing that match watching bass attack a topwater bait.

With disappointment we were ushered out by the threat of darkness, so we called it a day and headed back to Little Rock.

I also took some of my own advice in the last post and put my game cameras back out on my property Saturday morning. I placed them over my mineral plots that seem to be very popular and am anxious to see what visits. I purchased a new Remington Ghost game camera with Infrared flash and am curious to determine if I can find any concrete results that the deer are less wary of those than the traditional, incandescent flash. Since I now have both, I think an experiment is in order.

Some time off work...

After 5 days off, I am finally going fishing! I had great ambition before this week off that I would spend some time on the water, it just took a little longer than expected. Anyway, we are heading up to a private pond in Pope County and I am looking forward to it. We went about this same time last year and had a great trip. It was quite a bit hotter, but we managed to catch quite a few bass and some crappie. Full report (hopefully with pictures!?) here this weekend.
Are you ready for hunting season? I know that most will say no because of how far away it is and the weather isn't exactly 'fall-like.' But I am referring to your to-do list. As I have experienced many times over the years, we allow ourselves to get into a lull this time of year and before you know it, it will be here. And I am preaching to myself! This is a great opportunity to get out and do some shooting, shopping or piddling. Here are several things that may not necessarily be high on your priority list, but can be fun and good for your equipment, and yourself;

- ATV maintenance: most of the dealerships slow down in the late spring/summer, so it is a good time to get your ATV in for fluid changes and a check-up. It is alway easier to get ahead of the repairs.

- Trailers: same goes for your trailers...new tires, packing bearings, trailer lights (they always need work!)etc.

- Shooting: even though the temperatures are getting warm, there is still some opportunity in the mornings to get some shooting done. You can also tinker with reloads, bullets, etc. Trap and skeet are also some great activities that are enjoyable and helpful (The Game and Fish range in Mayflower is excellent and cheap. Remington in Lonoke and Blue Rock also have world-class facilities.) Also, Dove season is less than 3 months away!

- Game Cameras: I would highly recommend putting out a game camera right now. The bucks are starting to get horns and it is awesome to watch the changes. It can also teach you a lot about their movements, patterns, groups and behavior.

- Deer stand repair: does your stand need a new floor? How about a roof...or painting? Although the bugs are out, as well as snakes, we must realize it's not going to get any better. It will only get hotter and more humid and as I stated in the beginning, hunting season will be here before you know it. Be sure and take your bug spray and wasp spray!

- Property search: it is also a great time to be on the look-out for some new property. Those who lease from timber companies usually have to pay them in July, so many will be looking for new members since most wait until the last minute to opt out. The farmers and other property owners are also out and about, so it is a little easier to catch up with them (although work may be the most important item on their mind). Even if you are not looking for something for the upcoming season, it is always a good idea to meet people and to have options.

FYI - there is new website in Arkansas devoted to people looking for property leases. What a great idea. Check them out here http://www.arkansashuntingclubs.com/

Well, there you have it. Some things to do that should keep you busy and give you a sense of accomplishment right here in the barren stretch before hunting season. Please feel free to add those I failed to mention, I am sure there is much more.