Oddly enough we were prohibited from using rifled barrels here for a long time under the silly pretense that putting a rifled barrel on a shotgun did indeed turn it into a rifle and hunting with a rifle was illegal. It was really stupid that our DOW didn't want hunters to shoot as accurately as possible, even using a shotgun. The sensible regulation would have to limit the ammunition to shotgun only, and let folks shoot. Eventually rifled shotgun barrels were made legal and as I mentioned we can hunt with straight walled rifle cartridges now.

A few years ago a bunch of us were hunting and one guy had a shotgun. If I'm not mistaken, it was a Benelli pump slug gun. It seemed like a well built gun, don't remember what for scope he had mounted? But he said it'd group about 3 inches at a 100 yards. That's pretty good.

Two weeks ago, I got myself a new dog, new to me. She's a 14 month old Walker, big tall dog. I lost my old dog, Sundance last summer, I had her out one day, she followed a truck out to the main road. She was hit and killed. Sundance was getting old and gray, and I knew it was coming, but that really sucked.

The man that had the new dog is a bear hunter, we talked on the phone 20 minutes, telling me all about the dog. He told me later that he just couldn't hang with his dogs anymore. And, he's only 80 years old.

Moe is retired now, so he rode along with me, to go get the dog. Not sure? 160 miles round trip, give or take. Her name is Specks. Black and white, with a little brown on her face. So, I've been loving up on her 4 or 5 times a day. She's got some sense, that's easy to see.

I put the word out to 4 or 5 of my Facebook friends that I needed a GPS tracking collar. $1,000 new. Just happened that one of them had a control box and 2 collars that he didn't need, he's wanting to upgrade.

So, the man stopped by Saturday, showed me how the collars and everything worked. It's a Garmin Alpha 100, with 2 collars, chargers and all, I paid him $750.

Sunday of this week I took Specks up on the mountain. She was behind the truck out past Slabpile Hollow, and I just lost sight of her. I drove on out to the #2 camera, had intentions of going up to check my Spring trail cam.

I checked the GPS thingy, she was out 0.7 miles, heading north at 6 MPH. 7 tenth's of a mile would have put her about the Slabpile Hollow. I took off out that way, at one time she was off, 1.3 miles, then 1.7, then 1.9 miles, then I started catching up to her.

I can't say exactly what she was running, but it wasn't a deer. I'd bet you 100 bucks on that. It was starting to snow pretty good on the mountain when I caught her, she was worn out.

We had 8" of snow here in the valley, I figure 10 or so on the mountain. Hopefully, I'll be off work tomorrow. The snow has been on for 3 nights now, if things go good, I'm planning on tracking out the mountain.

Need to check that last deer carcass. Bear season is out now, but I'd just like to see that big one.

Depending on what I track, I might set a few snares.

I sure do miss chasing coon with a pack of hounds. My best friend had 16 dogs @ onetime.
Mostly redbone and bluetick hounds. I'm stuck with a mountain cur,she sure likes to hunt squirrels.

I thought that mountain curs were great dogs? That they would hunt whatever they were taught to hunt.

Sounds like a lot of excitement with Specks. A dog gives you an excuse and an obligation to get outside once in a while.

-34 C. right now here. I've got my excuse and obligation lined up!

Years ago, Dad and I had 2 good coon hounds. Dad had Little Joe and his pup was my Little Red. A man named Hoyt, owned the female dog, I had the pick of the litter. That's been 45 years ago, but as well as I remember I paid him $20. Might have been $25. Not sure?

Both of those dogs hit their prime back about the time that I got my driver's license. 16 years old and nothing to do, we hunted those dogs 2 or 3 or 4 nights per week. That's what it takes to make a good dog. Lots of time and effort. Lots of good memories!

My new dog Specks has what it takes, 14 months old and she has spunk. So we'll see what happens.

Kind of got in a bind here Thursday, school was on a 3 hour delay. That's another story. Had to work, didn't have time to get out of town.

It warmed up here Wednesday night, the snow settled, and the game should have been moving. Honestly, I'd planned on finding Specks a good bobcat track. Easier said than done.

I had 11*F this morning, I've got 14* now. Gotta work tomorrow, but I'm going to take her out Sunday.

The mountain where I have my cameras, I just don't think I can get up there now. I was told today, at the base of the mountain the snow has settled, glazed over and nothing but a sheet of ice.

One of those things.

Not a good idea to bring the hound anywhere near the ice. They get cut up in a hurry.

I had beagles and a drivers license when I was in my late teens. Organized my schooling around hunting them. There was no fat on the dogs and none on me either!

I thought about the crust on the snow too. I'm not sure how it is now? Dry leaves will chew up dogs feet too.

Last night was our coldest of the season, I had 1* F. We're up to 17* now at 11 O'clock. Beautiful blue sky, so it'll sun glaze.

Talking about dogs feet, a man told me years ago that when his dog's feet would get cut up and sore, he'd plunk it's feet into iodine. Supposed to help the little cuts and scratches heal up quicker. I bought a gallon jug of iodine years ago at the co-op for like $10. Handy stuff to have around.

The man that I bought my GPS system from, he just posted videos of his hounds with a bear treed. I guess it was yesterday, so, some of them are still out moving around.

-34 C.again this morning. Warmed up this afternoon. Just back from tapping some dog trails. Rough going. Snow up to my crotch. I took one heck of a flip with the snow mobile when a ski went off the old trail. I lost a boot! My toes were touching the very top so all worked out well. The Tundra died and I had to crank a couple of dozen times to get it going again.

A group of moose feed where I was. At least three wolves were tracking them. I had 3 wolf snares out in the area. I picked them up because the trails are too snowed in.

At least I can dog sled again. Between the snowfalls and the cold I haven't gone sledding in 5 days.

One of my daughters and her male friend traveled to Ely Minn. recently for a scheduled meeting with a dog sledding business. (had roughly 100 dogs I'm told) Don't know the name of the outfit, but they were given a sled to use. With instructions, of course, they themselves had to hitch six dogs to their sled. As they were locating the predetermined dogs by name, all the rest of the dogs were howling to be chosen. After the chosen ones were taken from the compound, it became deadly silent. They then take off, following the business owner on her own sled, for a two hour loop around a given course. They were given verbal commands for left, right, slow, and stop for the dogs to hear. Was -1* when they had breakfast, and around 7* when they went on their ride. Bundled to the max they said it was a blast! While one rode, the other steered. Midway they switched positions. When they returned, they had to unhitch the six dogs and return them to their houses. They had so much fun, I just might give that a try next winter!

Frank.

That would be fun riding a sled.

Here's a little story that made the headlines from WV. I've got 19* now.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/01/22/canaan-valley-low-temperature-record/