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My challenge to you

I can sleep like a champion
You're blessed! I have never, ever been able to sleep more than 5-6 hours in 24 hour period. Just won't. I never need an alarm clock unless in my younger years after much libation the night before.
 
This is the last 4 weeks. Green is over 8 hours. The less than 8 hrs repeated early was when I had gout in my knee which made it very uncomfortable to sleep in anything but a chair. Even then I slept more than you. That would be a curse.

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Think an 8 year old just gave me new perspective. He just told me before bed I got him a bunch of cool stuff he really likes and is thankful for but now he has the cool stuff he wanted but he has the most fun on days like today where we just walk around the woods.

“When I get new stuff I’m excited for that day. When we go walk around the woods I’m excited for a long time and I can’t wait to go again and I tell all my friends all the stuff we see out there.”
 
Think an 8 year old just gave me new perspective. He just told me before bed I got him a bunch of cool stuff he really likes and is thankful for but now he has the cool stuff he wanted but he has the most fun on days like today where we just walk around the woods.

“When I get new stuff I’m excited for that day. When we go walk around the woods I’m excited for a long time and I can’t wait to go again and I tell all my friends all the stuff we see out there.”
I hope my granddaughter (now 5) will take this viewpoint when I start taking her for walks in the woods with me.
 
Think an 8 year old just gave me new perspective. He just told me before bed I got him a bunch of cool stuff he really likes and is thankful for but now he has the cool stuff he wanted but he has the most fun on days like today where we just walk around the woods.

“When I get new stuff I’m excited for that day. When we go walk around the woods I’m excited for a long time and I can’t wait to go again and I tell all my friends all the stuff we see out there.”
Indeed!
 
Went to the Iowa Deer Classic today with the boy and other than getting him a case for his bow which I bought from our locally owned shop and was an actual need for him I somehow didn’t spend a dime on new gear.

Sure was great to see how kind every vendor he chatted up was to him. He even got to meet someone who he has watched online who he told “my dad hasn’t shot any bucks as big as yours but one year he got 3 does” and they were kind enough to shake his hand and tell him that’s good too instead of shaming me! He had his eye on one thing and when he asked how much it was I showed him the sign, $50. The vendor piped up and asked if he saved and used his own money or if I was buying it for him. My son said his own he saved to which the guy replied “if that’s true it’s $25 for you.” The outdoors community overall is great.

My wife was/is a little concerned that I didn’t have fun since I didn’t buy anything!
 
Life and illnesses have kept me out of the woods the past couple weekends. Hoping to get a session or 2 in the rain at the end of this week since I have a couple days off. Also looking forward to the clocks changing so I can get some after work sessions in. Things are about to start getting busier with my daughter's softball starting and fishing season kicking in.
 
Travel soccer for one daughter and track for the other. I had a productive Saturday, we were able to move a couple of stands on the private tract I hunt hoping to keep things in the cusps of the best sign where trails meet but accessing them is as quiet and as scent free as humanly possible. I’m excited about these new locations for early bow season.
 
Going to move one more on that private tract based on some impromptu saddle sits last season where I was closing in on a couple of nice shooters. Then I’m going to scout more public saddle hunting spots. I feel like I’m a bit more ahead of the game and on the ball somewhat more this season so far. Time will tell.
 
I’ve also had various illness getting in the way of post season scouting, shed hunting and site prep. But I did manage to get out for a half day yesterday. Much to my chagrin, the ticks have already made a spring appearance. This scouting season between deer season and bug season goes by so quickly.
 
I’ve also had various illness getting in the way of post season scouting, shed hunting and site prep. But I did manage to get out for a half day yesterday. Much to my chagrin, the ticks have already made a spring appearance. This scouting season between deer season and bug season goes by so quickly.
That reminds me, if this weather stays like it is up here….77 yesterday according to my truck temp gauge….. the ticks are gonna be staging a takeover. I need to retreat (Permithrin) my spring scouting, turkey hunting clothes.
 
That reminds me, if this weather stays like it is up here….77 yesterday according to my truck temp gauge….. the ticks are gonna be staging a takeover. I need to retreat (Permithrin) my spring scouting, turkey hunting clothes.
Went out this past Saturday and had to flick a few off. Sawyers for the rest of the spring scouting season for sure.
 
Ok, I've been spring scouting pretty hard this year but today was a little bit more entertaining than most. I decided today to go hit a spot that used to be my goto but I haven't been in there in about five years.

The fun started on the drive in. I saw an eagle in a tree on the edge of a clearcut I was driving through. I got out and managed to capture several pictures. This is the one that I think I like the most:

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After driving the rest of the way back in there I did the hike up the hill to an old oak ridge that used to be my go to spot. The last time I was in there I was hunting with WE Stepps so it was a while ago. There was a ton of pawing in the oaks for last years acorns (all red oak) but I have found a lot of that so far this year. What intrigued me about this though was the amount of really nice buck rubs found in here along with a bunch of bedding and rut sign. Some of the rubs I found looked like they could even have been fresh enough to be 2024 rubs. Here are a couple of the nice ones. As a reference my walking stick is 52 inches long. The first rub is 10 yds from a tree I've killed several bucks out of before.
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I took an old back pack with me today and during my walk and on the drive out I stopped and picked up whatever trash I found (less the old sealed water bottle with the unknown brown liquid in it . . . yeeech). While stopped on the drive out to pick up some cans I found this in the middle on the two track right next to my tire. First shed of the year. :tearsofjoy:

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FWIW, this is the pile of crap I took from the woods in a simple 3-4 hour trip. Some of my fellow hunters need to learn some respect although the big jugs were left by the loggers. All in all it was a productive day. :)
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Family has been sick off and on again but I was able to sneak out for a fairly easy scouting session sunday afternoon when I was feeling a bit better. I added 3 more spots to the list that I could kill a buck on any given day so it was productive. Plus I found a decent dead head and my first bear skull!

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