Home again, Home again… for a little while anyway!
I admit that I have a fondness for the holidays, but they can sure be exhausting. Just got home from a whirlwind visit to South Carolina, then North Carolina, all wrapped up by a two-day getaway to the North Coast. I’m not even sure what my own bed feels like after all this, but you can bet I’m looking forward to crawling into it right about now. I’m a little whupped!
For those who are wondering, yes, I did get out to chase the whitetails in NC. Managed to squeeze in one morning hunt and one evening hunt on Christmas Eve. I spooked a bunch of deer heading into the stand before light. I hoped they’d try to sneak back in later, so spent about six hours up there before finally giving up and coming down to go do some last-minute shopping. (Yeah, I know.. what was I thinking?)
The evening hunt was a total wash, if spending a few hours out there in the woods can ever be considered such a thing. Saw a pile of squirrels, watched some wood ducks sail in for the evening roost, and enjoyed the winter woods… but no deer. The killer was returning up the drive to mom’s house and hearing a whole herd of deer take off through the trees… not 100 yards from her front porch! I should have said, the heck with climbing trees, and just set up in the rocking chair!
Oh well. Time on stand, and hunting with my little brother is always reward enough.
So anyway, the New Year is just around the corner! No big plans here for the celebration, but I am looking forward to a lot of great things coming in 2009.
Starting with January, there’ll be the SHOT Show in Orlando, FL. SHOT is one of the events I look forward to all year, as it’s a chance to stroll through acres and acres of all the coolest hunting and shooting products from around the world. Talk about your kid in a candy store! (I know I through that cliche out every year… but it’s totally appropriate!) Just think about it! At every turn there are new products from ammo makers, gun makers, custom gear and firearms, camo and clothing, and everything else!
February will have me, among other things, back up in the Tejon Ranch hills chasing hogs with several good friends. This is the first of two planned hunts at Tejon this year. The second will be another gathering of Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors folk.
Not for sure yet, but I’m hoping March will bring another Texas exotics hunt. If nothing else, my brother and I will probably head down there. Hunting exotics is a totally different game from anything else I’ve done, and it’s a real kick! I’m hoping to take my shot at a mature Axis buck this year, and will also plan to fill the freezer with axis does and maybe even a hog or two.
April is turkey time. I don’t think I’m going to be guiding for turkeys this year, unless something changes between now and then. The bright side of that is, maybe I’ll have time to hunt my own turkey this year. I didn’t even realize last season until it was gone, that I hadn’t gone hunting for myself the whole month!
May is time for the previously mentioned JHO hunt at Tejon. 50 JHOers and friends will descend on the Tejon Ranch for a hog hunting fest!
Not too sure about the summer months this year. I’m sure there’ll be something fun going on, and you can believe I’ll be letting ya’ll in on the fun.
October will be a big one this year, with an elk hunt in Colorado and the third season of guiding up at Coon Camp Springs. This year’s elk hunt will be my first unguided foray, but I’m pretty confident in my knowledge of the area and the animals.
And there you go… before I know it, it’ll be November, and then Christmas will be looming once again.
Time sure flies!
Anyway, hope you all have big plans for the coming year too! Feel free to share them with us!
Philip,
Looking forward to bumping into you at the Shot Show. It will be my first and I’m pretty psyched to be going!
Regards,
Albert A Rasch
December 29th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
I’m pretty excited about all the regional OBS meetings that will happen in 2009. I can’t wait to hear about all of them, and see the pictures (which people will hopefully remember to take). We have to get one set up for you guys in California. NorCal’s there and you and I think Hunt, Eat, Live is there and probably a few others I can’t remember off the top of my head.
December 30th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Albert, it is a kick! Looking forward to meeting you there in Orlando.
Kristine, there are a couple of us out here, that’s for sure. But it’s a BIG state. Actually, some of us already get together from time to time. NorCal and I will be meeting Albert (and hopefully some other outdoor bloggers) at SHOT in a ouple of weeks.
I’d love to put something together out here, but my dance card is pretty packed for a while. Maybe we need a traveling OBS ambassador to roll out this way and put something together. When’s the last time you made it to the west coast?
December 30th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
I cannot believe it is time for SHOT show again. I’ve never been, but it just seems like it was just here.
Sounds like your 2009 is going to be good one Phillip. I’m looking forward to reading all about it.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:17 am