Not the Bones We're Looking For

Sunday night I laid a man-track which I ran Sparta on ten hours later.  She did great taking into account the time off she's had from the work.  Monday afternoon was a good time for taking both terriers for a walk, including a little detour while keeping our eye out for morel mushrooms and shed antlers.

We found some bones, but not the bones we were looking for.  Some others in the area are reporting finding their first morels, but I have to keep on looking.

A 500 yard man track.

Stoic checks out a log.

The modern farm as natural habitat: there was plenty of sign around this, a protected water source.

Not the bones we were looking for.

It could've come from a young buck or a calf, too little remains to tell.

The best time

The same probably goes for writing.  I guess I better get on it.

Prescott, Wisconsin

The children had a Saturday event in Prescott, Wisconsin.  It was one of those events that eats up the whole day but you only get to see ten minutes of your kids in action.  In other words, the savvy father finds himself with time to kill.

The oldest man-pup and Sparta joined me on an explore of the town and then the nearby Carpenter Nature Center.

The art gallery has a protector.  Unfortunately the gallery is closed until April.

Groupies.  

He kept up, mostly.

Art on a lawn.

There was an eagle on the nest and the people who traveled from the Cities seemed impressed, but, well, we see eagles everyday.  For the record, I can tell them where to find a nest in Minneapolis.

We opened the patio at the local Dairy Queen.

Sculpture made from river trash.

 I am a big fan of the student sculpture in the high school library.

We jumped a red fox while touring the North Loop trail at the Carpenter Nature Center.  Sparta didn't see it, but as when we crossed its path, she was begged for an opportunity to give pursuit.

Scouting bedding areas

It was neither inconceivable nor likely that we would find any shed antlers, but we took a walk to scout out some areas where deer have bed down in the past and see if I might get a little lucky and find a dropped antler.

No antlers were found and bedding areas where more sparse less used than previous winters.  There has been some logging nearby, that might have disrupted the flow of deer.  Still, I think we'll check out a couple other spots in the days to come.

Another kind of hunting

Logging at the far side of our permission.

Stoic never ventured far.  About half-way through the walk Musket started to tire.

Sparta got caught in a bit of barbed wire.  She was jumping, twisting and puling when I first saw her but a strong "stay" settled her down until I arrived.

A lot of animals have started to eat sumac seeds.

She-Pup

The she-pup has been asking to take a walk with me ever since the temps dropped below zero.  Today her schedule and the weather cooperated.

"Dad, if I'd known you were going to take my picture, I wouldn't have worn my chore coat!"

It's dead but let's make sure it can't be made "deader."

New Year's Day Walk

I've taken the canines on a New Year's Day walk for years now.  Same day, same place, about the same time.

Twice Musket has caught a raccoon on the flat and sent him to meet his little raccoon god.  It's only happened twice, both on New Year's Day.  Statistics are funny like that.

My middle child joined me for the first time this morning.  No raccoon were spotted today.  No mammals were seen at all to be exact, but I don't think he was disappointed.  There was still there was a lot to see to those knowing where to look.  Specifically, there was a lot of raptor sign out there.

First lessons in reading sign

Snow angels: of death.

There were so many I was asking myself, are we at peak raptor?

Sapiens have been here.

A Leash fit for Walking

A cheap farm store leash, two carabiners and a figure 8 loop knot

A second 'biner attaches the leash to my belt or backpack.

With a few simple modifications a cheap leash can become an adaptable tool.  While a well-trained dog is more fun to walk than an untrained or poorly trained one, good tools make the experience more joyful regardless of the team's skill level.

Needs can change many times in the course of a walk, especially in the city.  Maybe I encounter an unexpected crowd leaving a concert.  Maybe we come across some unexpected work site.  Sometimes, I just want to carry a cup of coffee and eat a cinnamon roll was we navigate the city streets.  Cribbing off of the Kurgo "Quantum," and the European Six Way my current go to set up is a farm store leash  modified in a manner that allows me to quickly adapt to circumstances.

With nearly any leash the first thing I do is saw

Two leashes, two dogs, two fingers.

off the clip on the dog end and replace it with a carabiner.  There are two problems with the typical bolt snap fastener found on most dog leashes.  The first is that they start to fail in relatively short order.  Secondly, they fail a little bit at a time and it is easy to ignore it as it comes loose.  More than once I have had a dog pop off the lead unexpectedly.  Luckily each time the dog remained under my verbal control until I could refasten it.  If the circumstances or the dog had been different, the result could have been a lost dog.

Taking a hacksaw to the metal cut the fastener while being careful to avoid damaging the leash.  When removed a carabiner will slip into the loop already sewn into the leash to hold the earlier fastener.

If you don't replace the fastener immediately, I highly recommend replacing the clip at the first sign of deterioration. 

I prefer carabiners are superior because when they start to fail, the failure is obvious and the can be quickly switched out.  Even a cheap farm store 'biner will last me six months or more of heavy

Rabbit!

use.  I've yet to have to replace one designed to be weight bearing.  They are also easier to use when wearing gloves in cold weather.  Just make sure it will fit the loop on your dog's collar before buying.

A second carabiner is attached to the loop end of the leash so it can easily lashed to your backpack or belt, allowing maximum freedom to you and your dog.  Personally I keep a large locking carabiner on my belt (yes, carabiners are among my favorite tools) which allows for quick attachment/release of the leash.  This is especially valuable when walking more than one dog when one leash can be quickly released, the leashes can be untangled, and then quickly re-attached.

I can haz roll too?

 When walking one dog, the leash can hang loose attached to the belt while you drink coffee or a roll.  If walking more than one dog the easier dog can be walked attached to the belt while the other leash is kept in the hand.

Most the time I keep the leashes in my hand but attached to my belt so I can drop them when there is a need.

Finally, I tie a Figure Eight Loop knot into the leash about 2/3 up from the collar end of the leash to the handle.  This is the key to the leash's flexibility in use.

While walking down the street with the leash attached to my belt (allowing both the dog and me a maximum amount of freedom) I can quickly reach down and use the knot to gain tighter control when a cat crosses our path or when a cyclists comes unexpectedly around a corner.

At other times I can slip the loop onto the 'biner on my waist, making the leash shorter and keeping the dog closer while continuing to keep my hands free.

Conversely, removing the leash from my waist, I use the leash's second carabiner to attach to the loop in the leash.  This can be used to secure the dog to post when I need to use a porti-potty, enjoying a beer on a patio, or running into a bakery for a second serving of cinnamon roll and coffee or to just create a larger loop for ease of use.

The most important ingredient in keeping walking fun is a dog that shares your expectations but proper tools can help you educate your dog on those expectations but also make the difference when those expectations are upturned.  The proper tools do not have to be expensive tools.

Walking the Chequamegon

I spent five hours on the road (round trip) to spend four hours in Chequamegon National Forest on Friday.

I should have procrastinated the writing I did that morning.
I should have bought breakfast on the road.

It was a wonderful 42 degrees.  I should have done anything else necessary to get more time out there.

My efforts were focused on looking at 40 acres for sale that can only be accessed through the forest.  Even though the land is privately owned, it is part of a tax break program that grants access for public access, so I didn't need to contact a realtor before setting out.  I'd hate to bother anyone anyway.  I don't have the free cash flow to buy it.  If you're sitting on 30 thousand and looking for some ruffled grouse hunting land or a base for your Northland adventures, however, let me know.  My only finders fee is lifelong camping rights.

While we were out, we set out to check out areas where I might look for shed antlers in the spring and to poke our head out of the forest to see the East Fork of the Chippewa River.  It was an awesome day with some awesome dogs.

Terriers, Assemble!

The property has a fresh water spring, a great way to keep your beer cold and a good indication that a sand point well would be enough to provide fresh water.

Next to the spring

Another angle

A camp site with southern exposure.

The conditions were excellent for holding sign.  There was more wolf than deer or any other animal.  It mostly seemed to have been left by a pair traveling together.  Even Sparta kept close.  We did see a lot of ruffled grouse habitat, most of it just beyond "No Trespassing" signs.

Does Fidelity National Bank really check those alleged trail cams?  If so, how do I get that job?  Could I hunt grouse on my lunch break?

There was a trail on map that had not been maintained for years.  A cairn confirmed we were on the right track.

A raptor sized nest at eye level.  What nests at five feet high just ten feet off of an ATV trail?

Den!

East Fork of the Chippewa River.

A good hard "leave it" command kept the dogs off the ice.

Sun-setting on the East Fork.

We just barely beat nightfall back to the car.