A friend of my fathers told me he had a mess of hogs running his property and told me I was welcome to hunt hogs out there any time I wanted, in exchange for a hindquarter or shoulder off a pig. Figured that was a fair trade, so I grabbed my bow and camera and did some scouting this morning.
Halfway across a big hayfield, I interrupted a couple of these turtles having a love in. I know how much I hate to be interrupted in situations like this, so I snapped a quick picture, and left them to finish up. I think this is what we call Three Toed Box Turtles in this area.
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a243/Xtortion66/turtleluvin.jpg)
Towards the edge of that same field, closer to the creek bottom, I stumbled across this pair of Monarch butterflys loving it up as well. By then I started getting a little jealous.
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a243/Xtortion66/bugluvin.jpg)
Got down to the creek bottom and a found a high speed trail that ran along side the creek, below the edge of the hayfield. Perfect ambush point along that trail. Can see both ways, wind rarely a factor, and not too brushy off the trail. Recent rain had washed most the tracks off the trail, but I did find a single set of hog tracks, unfortunately still not very fresh. On my way back, I did find a several sets of tiny piggy tracks, along with a few larger ones. Probably a momma and babies or a mixed group.
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a243/Xtortion66/pigtrak.jpg)
All the way back to the truck, and all the way home, I was picking ticks off me and flicking them out the window! I picked 7 off me on the way home, 3 more in the shower, and these were 3 that I found that managed to survived getting rinsed down the drain. They just didn't want to leave me. I don't blame them either. I bet I taste pretty good! Probably a mixture of steamed crawdads and Little Debbie snackcakes!
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a243/Xtortion66/ticks.jpg)
Enjoy the pics!
Cam
NICE!! Love the turtles, Would make a great Avatar..
I wish I had more pigs up here in michigan would love to hunt them other than on a ranch!!!