Frank's outdoors...

I have always considered myself a pretty healthy individual, and maintained myself physically for the most part. However, since my daughter was born almost a year ago, I can't remember the last training type of thing I have done. I am terribly out of shape, and am going to do something about it. 3 years ago from this January, I lined up and ran my first and only marathon! It was hard, but the training was rewarding and physically beneficial. I trained with a group called Team in Training and raised money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was an awesome experience! My point of all this is I am getting back into shape. Somehow, someway... Your thoughts on how to get back into shape, and force it into my routine would be appreciated.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but I got my Summit Viper X5 climbing treestand for Christmas from my wife and mother. I have assembled it, and gotten everything ready, and can't wait to use it this coming season when I get on my first lease as an independent hunter. All of my hunts in the past have been with someone, family or friend. Partly, due to my confidence in being able to clean and prepare any game that I harvest. This season alone I have harvested and cleaned a few deer with little or no help. Its not hard, but it does take practice. So, I have enough confidence to go out on my own. Back to the stand, it is a piece of work, and VERY light! It is a cable climber, as opposed to the old blade style that really damaged the tree (however, I have used one of the old blade styles before a long time ago, and that thing wasn't slidin off that tree, not so sure about the cable). Side note: The Summit stand came with a DVD to watch how to assemble and use the ...

Monday and Tuesday were more successful than this weekend. Finally we got to hunt the Lake Houston WMA for does/spikes. Monday evening, after the initial orientation on how things work, the rangers take each person to the assigned blind. My blind was on a long power line that stretched from Peach Creek all the way to the San Jacinto River (approx. a 7 mile stretch) . There was thick woods on both sides of the power line, and the opening was approx. 60yds. The rangers drop you off at 2pm on Monday to start the hunt and pickup at 6ish (actually got to me at 6:25pm) . It was mild out, around 65-70 degrees. There were tracks EVERYWHERE as I walked to my blind. We were allowed to feed, so I spread a bag of corn along the path in front of my blind, more on this later . So, I watch and watch from 2 until about 5:45, when a doe peaks her head out at about 150 yds down the line. She and a yearling walk out to my corn. Soon, another skittish doe walks out. The other doe and yearling ...

Ok, this weekend was VERY successful. While on my Christmas vacation, my FIL got us in on a hunt at Gaines Ranch in Jackson, LA, just north of Baton Rouge about 30 minutes. Anyway, we went there for Friday-Sunday this weekend. It is a truly beautiful property with food plots and such, and only a few hunters (including the Gaines family). David Gaines is a wonderful host, and very generous. Anyway, we hunted 2 days, and I shot nice 120# spike. We were basically management hunting, as no bucks were showing their faces. Mr. Gaines had a bunch of doe tags to unload, but the deer were just scarce to be seen. The trees were decemated by the hurricanes and none of the trees had any foliage. The winter acorn drop occurred way to early, and the deer had plenty of things to eat in the deep woods besides the food plots provided. We still had a wonderful time. The spike I shot

Well, I am back from Florida, and we had a wonderful Chrismas and New Years. Pretty moderate temperatures ranging from 50's to 70's. Quite nice! We went fishing on Tuesday the 27th. We used a guide named Buddy Dortch out of Panama City Beach, FL and he is awesome! We used him this summer to get on some snapper, grouper, and mackerel and he was great! He also has an 18' skiff that he took us into the bay this year. So we head out of PCB and make our way across St. Andrews Bay. There is an electric plant discharge that puts warm water back into the bay system, and naturally its warmer and the fish flock to the area. It was catch and release in this area, but man, it was worth it! We were using a red jig head with a white plastic grub tail. We caught 50+ trout in less than an hour! I saw several large sting rays in less than a 2 feet of water. It was quite a catching experience (which is what we were paying for). After the catching frenzy, we headed out to places w...

I, my wife, my baby, and her family are heading to their condo near Panama City Beach, FL for the week after Christmas. Its a gulf-front property, and truly beautiful! I will hopefully be busy catching some whiting, pompano, and the occasional red that lingers on past while fishing from the surf! I caught my first Florida Pompano this past summer, and I tell you what, those little boogers can fight! Beautiful looking fish, too! This time, I have the camera rigged up and ready. I also caught a fish called an Oyster Toad... the ugliest, meanest looking rock fish you ever saw. Had jaws and teeth that I wouldn't mess with. It was only about 14" long, but had the attitude of a great white! When I get back, my public lands hunt at Lake Houston State Park is the following weekend/week (Jan 9-11). Now, the rules are as follows. They have blinds/areas pre-set that get determined the opening morning of the hunt by first come/first serve basis. Centerfile rifles only, and you ...

As I have started blogging, and thinking about all the hunts I have gone on over the past couple of years, there is a common thread for me and my hunting experiences. Either my uncle or my father-in-law (FIL) were there. Both of them are like father figures to me, even though I do have a very wonderful and loving father (a non hunter). All of my hunting adventures and experiences have been magnified by having the two of them with me, in particular in the outdoors. Being in the outdoors is a gift and an honor, and spending it with two of my best friends has truly been special for me. My uncle lives in South Carolina, and during my early hunting ventures, he really nurtured my spirit and friendship by "training" me and pointing out things I didn't know as well as building up my excitement, hence the father figure-esque description. But, he never did it in a condescending way. I truly count him in my circle of best friends. I shot my first buck, turkey, and goose...