It's a wild wild life....

Here are some trail cam shots from a new Trail Cam I got called Garden Pro. I'm not endorsing them one way or the other, but compared to my old camera, they sure have improved.

Coyotes

The bucks have not started shedding their antlers, but it looks like there might be some really nice ones out there to pick up once they do. This guy looks like he is scenting a deer. But I have no idea....

This spot is like a highway for the does this year. They come and go in groups up to 8 sometimes. They cross back and forth multiple times a day.

Then there is always one that loves to stand in front of the camera and smell it. Or do they know they are doing the forest version of a selfie???

We always get a big kick out of these type of shots.

I can't be positive, but I think this was the Big Trophy Buck that all the hunters were asking me about this fall and then again during gun season.

I think this is the same fella I 'shot' in November in the meadow just east of where he is standing in this photo. If it is the same fella, I'm pretty tickled that no one nabbed him during the hunting seasons.

He is absolutely regal.

This shot below is him chasing some girls as it was breeding season. 

Many other photos we saw from the trail cam included hundreds of photos of does and young deer walking by along with nightly walks by raccoon who travel the same trails as the deer and coyotes.

We don't feed any of the wild animals as it is illegal in our county plus they are surrounded by abundant sources of food which include hundreds of acres of corn fields and soy bean fields to glean off from.

This photo is from this summer. I took it while taking an evening walk. 

I think we have plenty of deer around here!

It has been a mild winter so I think their numbers will increase.

Oh! One more Wild Life shot!

Eleanor! She is an outdoor cat who belongs to our neighbor. She has been spayed and has all of her shots.

She divides her time by hunting at my place and at the neighbor's place. He feeds her inside his workshop.

She likes to sit in the shed and observe me doing chores on most afternoons. She is not a friendly cat as in ... -- don't come near me--. I don't try to pet her, but I do talk to her every time we meet.

Help me out~

Last year I did the Photo Contest at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. I had to submit 3 photos to their gallery and the public would vote on a photo.

I didn't ask friends to go vote like other contestants did, I just wanted to see if the photos if I'd get anything on my own merit.

I did when a tie place for second and I was tickled to find that out. It was one of my favorite shots of the past year when I had gone hiking on a full moon foggy night.

This was the winner of $50! Woooo hoo!

I am picking from these ones to submit this year:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

I definitely want to do just one of the fog photos, and really love the Trumpeter Swans. 

The tree is Maple Tree with a Tag on it and is considered an Icon of the Blackhawk Woods. The coyote and I saw each other on the trail one morning and I thought it was cool.

The last one is a view of one of the most used trails in the reserve and it looked like a trail into a mystical late fall scene.

What ones do you like?

I'm going out tonight to see if I can't 'catch' the last glimpse of the Milky Way before it decides to leave our part of the sky.

Last night I practiced setting up the camera and taking a few shots so I'd be better prepared for this evening...Hopefully!

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

Spa Day for my 2 girls

Well, not a Spa Day for real but I did give them a royal treatment. The farrier tag team came out and trimmed all hooves and visited with Rich at the same time. [No photos guys, I was busy handling the critters]

One trimmed, the other chatted with Rich. They had a little fold out step stool they set in the shade so he could sit and they could talk 'men' talk while I held each mule.

It is always pleasant to have Dan and Danny out to trim. They also like trimming our critters as they are well behaved.

After they left, Rich was tired. While he slept I gave Sunshine [the red Molly] and Siera [the bay Molly] baths.

They each then got some time in the yard for some munching on fresh grass. Yes, I can walk away and leave them in the yard unattended for a little bit and they won't go anywhere.

With the rain we had last week, we might have to mow the yard soon!

Last night, I called out to the gals and Sunshine came up to the gate as if to say "Pick ME!".  The disappointment on her face when I led her over to the trailer and saddled her up was obvious.

Pictured below is her 'necklance' of small bells that my mules wear while we are riding solo. Some say that the noise is comforting to the equine, some say that they can hear their cadence, and I say that it is a great sound to warn off the deer ahead of us.

A friend introduced me to the idea of a bell necklace when I was riding endurance rides with Badger. I found that the little bell really worked. I rarely walk up on slumbering deer.

I really dislike riding in the wide open spaces. Sunshine's mom used to look for Monsters along the edges of fields. If a turkey or doe walked out of the corn or woods even up to a quarter mile away, she'd be sideways in a second.

Sunshine watches as the deer that were ravaging the field corn run back into the woods. We counted 10 deer.

We rode out to the end of this newly planted alfalfa field and looked down towards the valley where we generally ride. I wanted to explore this field that in 20+ years has always been in corn or soybeans. The folks that rent the cropland generally plant right through the snowmobile trail which makes access to the valley impossible during the summer.

It was shocking to see how sparse the new growth was. Rain is definitely needed.

We didn't go all the way to the woods. We sat and watched 6 Tom Turkeys eating in the far field. The tops of the corn in this end of the field have been chewed off by deer. I've never seen anything like it and assume that it is due to the lack of food in the forest.

I took this shot with my cell phone and then put it away. Two fawns popped up from the corn field just a few feet from us and crashed through the corn sounding like Godzilla.

Sunshine did her 180 degree leap and stopped. She looked around as if embarrassed. We took a few moments to talk about it. Sunshine sighed and we turned towards home. Funny how the fawns laid there when we walked up but decided to bolt when we were standing still.

Note. When startled like that Sunshine will move like lightening. Siera? She just locks her legs up. 

Our ride back home was quiet. We saw two bucks in the distance and just before we left the hay field, a coyote came bounding out of the corn about 50 feet away and bounded across the field into the forest.

Sunshine didn't miss a beat. I don't think she was surprised. I know the mules can usually detect most anything before we humans can.

When we got home my sweet little red mule got some more yard time.

This was another evening well spent. As long as the weather holds, I'll be alternating between the two girls each night. They are still separated from the other girls but not stressed out anymore.

There was no screaming out or calling when I left with my little red mule last night. 

The Early Hiker...

Gets wet feet...

Actually the early hiker avoids the heat and enjoys things that generally most others don't see on a regular day hike.

Fog~

Fog wraps the morning
In a soft and silent hug
A gift from the skies

 I knew I'd get wet feet but it was only a 3 mile hike and part of it would be on an old road. Part of it would be mowed and part of it would be mostly dirt.

The sun came up just as Charlie and I hit bridge # 13. It is a historical bridge and it one of the few remaining original bridges through the valley.

Picture from 2022:

The view at sunrise....with mists coming off the water.

We made great time enjoying the cool air [50 degrees F!] and birdsong.

Charlie and I got to the first turn off at this Ho Chunk Bridge.

This trail was nicely mowed but my boots still got wet from the dew.

We turned before the second Ho Chunk bridge at Indian Creek and headed up into the pines.

The equine trail joined the all use trail and this coyote was out enjoying the trail also.

Multi use trail means we all share the trail! No, I wasn't afraid for Charlie at all. I yelled out good morning to the coyote and he/she took off to the west through the tall grass and into the forest.

We entered the last let of the trail which goes through a thick forest.

A beam of morning light lit up this geranium.

It was pretty neat walking through the deep forest with the morning light shining through in places. The leaves look fresh and happy with the sunlight...

I felt fresh and happy.

I always stop at this Maple Tree when I hike this trail. I have tried time after time to get a shot of it. The tree is simply stunning and will stop a person in their tracks...if they appreciate trees.

I think this may be the winner. It looks magnificent with the morning light coming through the forest at an angle.

Charlie and I headed down the slope and hiked back along Cty P to where I'd parked.

Section # 10 and Section # 33 could now be marked off from the map.

3. 29 mile in 1 hr 36 minutes. We didn't hurry and we stopped for a snack. We enjoyed the hike as it was still cool when we got back to the car.

I do really love summer mornings!

Meanwhile in the Forest

My Moultrie camera has been on this tree and the one behind it for over two years now. I found the Highway and rest area for all types of creatures.

I get a ton of activity in 3 short months. Most of it isn't fascinating, but some of it is hilarious and some of it is curious.

This doe likes her photo taken or is infatuated with the click of the camera. Often she or someone just like her will walk up to the camera and stare at it.

I read a lot of articles in hunting magazines regarding how to place a camera. I had terrible luck in following their directions. However after a few years of experimenting it seems I found some great spots. And obviously the animals aren't bothered at all by the cameras.

This fawn had a great playtime with this camera I had low on a stump.

The racoon love to chew on the camera and try to move it around. Most are slightly curious it seems. I leave the cameras in one location all of the time and rarely move them.

The deer share the same trails as the racoon, the skunk, the 'possum, coyote, and bobcat. I should have saved a fun and curious shot where two fawns were following a lumbering racoon. Tsk, I didn't!

This seems to be a great spot for napping also. As well as family get togethers.

Predators also use these trails often.

Here there is a Bobcat and a coyote coming through a couple of hours apart.

Out of curiosity, I set up a camera that shows the driveway. It does a nice job of catching me going to get the mail. And at night I was surprised to see deer in the yard . 

Another time, there was a coyote that trotted towards the mule's fence and turned and ran. I assume because the mules came up and gave it the evil eye.

It will be interesting as winter moves in with snow and other weather what we will see.

I moved this camera back one more tree to catch more of the criss cross of trails and the log that so many deer like to nap near.