The Hog Blog

The first real rains of the season have come to CA, and I’ve gotta say it’s pretty nice.  This’ll put a dent in the fire season, and ought to really get the deer moving.  It’s a kind of warm storm, the remnants of a typhoon, so we won’t see a lot of snow from this one, but I imagine the blacktails will be coming down.

Anyway, just thought it would be a good opportunity to take a look around and see what’s happening on my friend’s blogs, maybe discover a few new ones, and just surf around for good reading material.  There’s plenty of it out there.  Oh, and you’ll notice my blog roll is pretty lengthy… I may not get to you in this posting.  Don’t take it personal.

First of all, take a look at the buck over at the Skinning Shed, my friend Jeff’s blog about his work at the Cypress Creek hunting club.  267 lbs for a southern whitetail is a screaming monster!  Congrats to the hunter, and nice work out there, Jeff.

Over at the Deer Camp, Rex is still cracking me up with the chronicles of the Christmas Place farm, and a cast of family and friends.  I always get a kick out of his renderings of popular songs, and his treatment of “Mama Told Me Not to Come” is a real crackup. 

Arthur and his brother over at Simply Outdoors are hard at it in the deer woods, trying hard to bring home some more venison.  The weather has been on and off, but the moon seems to be the big problem right now. 

I’ve added a couple of new members to the roll, too.  First is Chad Love’s, the Mallard of Discontent.  Chad has been co-writing on the Field and Stream Field Notes blog for a little while now, but I think his personal site is a better representation of his ability as a writer.  He’s recently returned from a bluewater fishing trip off New Jersey, in which he broke his big-game virginity with a trophy many offshore fishermen only dream of… a blue marlin. 

Another new addition is Hodgeman’s Thoughts on the Great Outdoors.  I have to admit that I meant to add this site to the list long ago, but it slipped through the cracks.  Hodgeman’s writing is clean and sharp, but reading it is like talking around a table.  He writes from up in Alaska, where the life of an outdoorsman takes on a whole different perspective.  His latest screed, on long range shooting, really echoes my own sentiments on the practice of the “Hail Mary” shot.  As he points out:

In other words its a final act of desperation.

Finally, one more relatively new addition to the roll is Hunts Like a Girl (or Scent Free Lip Gloss).  I first ran across Emily over on Rex’s Deer Camp Blog, and have been following along through her elk hunting season.  Sounds like she came home empty-handed when all was said and done, but I’ve gotta say her write-ups were still plenty entertaining. 

Oh, and when it comes to reading material, a friend of mine just sent an email about a new magazine for California hunters.  Relentless 365 should be hitting the stands soon, and from what I’ve seen so far, it promises to be a good addition to the reading list.  I think it’s pretty bold to step out with a new, print magazine, but there could be a reasonable market for something like this. 

Well, that’s enough for now… the rain is tapering off.  Stay tuned for more!

Enjoy this article? Check out these:

• Porcine Press – Dangerous Hogs
• Welcome to the Hog Blog
• AB 815 – Wildlife Management by Wildlife Managers
• Now, back to hog hunting!
• Happy Thanksgiving from the Hog Blog
• Other Blog Friends Chase Hogs Too
• Second Amendment Decision… D.C., Heller, and All That
• All SHOT up… Day One of the 2010 SHOT Show
• Planning Next Season
• Great New Field Dressing Video for New Hunters