Frank's outdoors...

In anticipation of the upcoming deer season, I have already started getting the itch.  I look forward to watching the animals as much as I enjoy the hunt.  My partner and I have been out on the lease several times in the past few weeks clearing trails and even setup a hog trap.  I even put a camera out on one of my feeders to see what the action was like out there given we are in a significant drought in Texas right now.  Last night, I went to the lease to check the hog trap, and pick up the pictures from my camera.  As I looked at the pictures, I noticed the ribs were visible on the doe in the pictures. Big Wild Boar Skinny whitetail doe during TX drought   I started thinking about how that would impact the antlers on the bucks, if there wasn't much water and not enough food for them to eat.  After that, I started thinking about "who cares" much like Othmar Vohringer in his post Whitetail Deer Passion: Antler Addiction .  I thought th...

Went to the lease last night to clear some trails, install a solar panel for my feeder, and setup a new hog trap. We even put a little hanging feeder over the pen.  It was very hot, but we got a lot done and the preparation for the season is really making progress.   Got home after working for multiple hours on the lease and found this little tick completely full on my back!  He was RIGHT in the middle of my back...  little jerk.   Just need to head out there with a tractor to get the trails mowed down as well as my main field...  late August?

Took my father's day present to the lease today, a Polar 800 atv trailer! Carried 12 bags of corn and a feeder around the property and it worked great!  It was VERY hot, but we got a lot of work done clearing out the trails and changing batteries on our feeders.  I decided to feed all summer this year, and with a lack of water, I hope it is a decent substitute for a food source.  And, its a good reason to get up to the lease and play.  Took Trevor with me, and he enjoyed hanging with me and Mark riding around on the 4-wheelers.

Been shopping for a while, and finally bought a new 4 wheeler this weekend.  Purchased a 2011 Polaris Sportsman 550 XP.  It is awesome, has all the works, 4x4, Automatic, and Electronic Fuel Injection. I went straight to Gander Mountain and purchased a set of tri-fold  ramps to get the rig in/out of my truck.  Its a tight fit, but it fits in there.  I was a bit nervous backing it out of the truck, but it did fine...

Unloaded over a 100 rounds with the red dot.  Solid at 50 yds, a little high at a 100 yds, but nice groups.

Went to the lease a few weeks ago to find that the racoon population has pulled out the cables on 2 of my feeders.  Keep in mind they are protected by metal conduit. So, yesterday, they had tried again...  Stretching the metal by hangin on it to reach the corn...

Sighted in my Remington AR this weekend with a new red dot scope...  It works :)