Freeze Frame

It is pretty hard to take pictures with trail cameras that have been frozen into icebergs

They're thawing in the sink...

Mayan Apocalypse

It's just about midnight here at The Platz and the world as we know it has not exploded.  The Mayan prophecy of the end of civilization remains unfulfilled.  Or maybe Leap Year intervened. 

All I have to say is it's a good thing - I still have leftovers to eat...

Counting crows

Weird.

All manner of small animal tracks in the snow but not a picture on the SD card.

Just crows.

This is an interesting picture - lots of movement, strange exposure.

Also some that look like television static fuzz.  This is one the recently new cameras and I think I'm going to have to send it back to Moutrie for replacement.

Anyway, I repositioned the camera and hopefull I can catch a picture of something other than the resident crow flock...

Winter Haiku

A lone doe in snow.

Moving during the daylight.

Must fix the cam time.

The Ghost House

From time to time I might post a picture or two from deer camp 2012.

Like this one.

click on image to enlarge

 

Android snapped this ethereal shot on a foggy morning before sunrise.  He called it:  Ghost House.

It does have a spooky sort of flavor, no?

Post Hunt Deer Population

You'd think I'd be seeing fewer deer while working the trail camera trapline.

Nope.

We've taken three deer here at The Platz and I know the neighbors have all had exceedingly successful hunts.

With the exception of the obvious disappearance of some of the biggest bucks there hasn't been any let-up in the number of deer that are having their images captured.

Including this daylight photo...

Check out that white cedar in the upper right hand corner.  See how it has been manicured by the tree-munching deer?  Blech.

And mama and her twin fawns...

click on images to enlarge

Gin Berries

Actually Eastern red cedar (red juniper) Juniperus virginiana.

I was hunkered down in a clump of these observing an active deer trail this afternoon before sundown. 

These berries are actually the cones of this tree.

You can use them to flavor neutral spirits to make gin.  This is useful to know when the Mayan apocalypse arrives in a week.  I can build a still to process my garden potatoes and use these cones to make gin.