Visitors

The feeders are going! They look a bit like alien invaders, but they are actually barrels on legs filled with whole corn and fitted with a device that throws the corn out at set intervals. We start them up, three of them, every year at this time and keep them going until around late February or so. It's a hunter thing. Other landowners around here have feeders going in addition to food plots planted just for game attraction. There are no croplands close by. That's part of the attraction of the property for me-- no chemicals running off onto my place. However, it limits food availability for wildlife.

During the fall, feeders attract game animals to the property, and they help the animals make it through the winter. As is the case with all hunter sponsored wildlife activities, non-game animals benefit also. Once the feeders are going and there are signs of activity, it's time for the trail cameras. They are motion activated and have a flash for nighttime. Pictures include a date and time stamp to identify patterns. Although this big boy came in during the morning, once the season starts he'll become more nocturnal, coming in after shooting hours.

Hopefully, these bandits will keep visiting the feeders instead of visiting the henhouse. Other critters-- rodents, rabbits, and squirrels--sometimes attract predators. We've seen bobcats and a fox on trailcam pics.

Yes, a hunter would gladly harvest the buck, but a doe with a spotted fawn? Uh-uh. A barren doe? Sure. Turkeys? Sure, if the season is open. Somehow during the spring turkey season, these guys are not on the place. It's good to see these guys though because few hunters had a shot at a turkey this last season. Proves there're some still around.

We only harvest animals we're going to eat. I'm not too fond of squirrel or rabbit, so as far as I'm concerned, those guys are safe. Other pictures show crows, bluejays, and other birds. One picture showed an armadillo visiting. I really enjoy looking at trailcam pictures.....ahhhhhhhh, the country life!