Holy midges batman
This picture was taken of my Elements windshield after returning from an evening squirrel hunting. On the way home I thought it had started raining but soon realized that the sky was still clear above me. The pitter patter on my windshield was this huge cloud of midges (some call them Canadian soldiers). The picture does not really do the mess Justice. There must be thousands of those bugs splattered on my windshield. That Element kills anything that gets in front of it, there is no slip stream to whisk them around, just splat right into my windshield.
What a beautiful evening for squirrel hunting. It was low 70's (probably cooler under the heavy tree canopy) party cloudy with the sun peaking out now and then to send glowing patches of sun light through the tree canopy to the forest floor. There was very little wind, only the occasional gust to rustle the trees a bit. Perfect early fall squirrel hunting weather. I drove down to a small public hunting area for a few hours hunting. Got out into the woods about 4:20pm. Its about 0.4 mile walk from the parking area through a large stand of young maple trees back to where the hardwood trees are growing. A large stand of towering hickory, shag bark hickory and beach trees on the edge of a large swamp. Got back to my favorite area and survey the area for sign. Became evident soon that the hickory nuts weren't ready yet. The squirrel were mostly in the beech trees. There was lots of cut beech nut hulls on the ground.
Things started poorly for me missed the first three squirrels I saw. They were all red squirrels and all lucky bastards. Those first three shoot happened in the first hour I was out there. Spend the next hour and half with only a few chance sightings. All red squirrels, where were all the fox squirrels? Never did figure that out. I think once the hickory is ready the fox squirrels will be more active. I'm not sure how much the bigger fox squirrel like beech nuts.
It was about 7:15 and I was starting back to the access trail that leads back to the parking area when a psycho red squirrel come down out of hickory tree like some napalm the canopy. The only Winchester 9410 made quick work of him. Just another red squirrel but at least I didn't get skunked. I have gotten at least one squirrel there every time I have been there except the first time I hunted the property. The streak continues and I had a thoroughly relaxing evening.
