Happy New Year everyone

After sitting for the holidays, Libby and I are planning on another trip to Neb. for Pheasant hunting. Just bought the new hunting license for 2008.

Today will be spent getting ready for trips, over the next 2 months.. more posts coming...

Merry Christmas

Bald Eagle visit today

On Saturday we had a visit from a bald eagle, they have a nest not too far from us, and I have seen him flying around our pond in the fall. This time he decided to perch in a tree behind the shop.

European Pheasant hunt

Went to Kiowa Creek for a monthly event called European pheasant hunting (really shooting)


How it works: There are 12 pits (pictured below) in a circle pattern, in the center is an old grain silo without a top, shooters are positioned in the pits, and the birds are tossed out the top of the Silo, when the birds reach the top, they will fly in any direction away from the silo, past one of the pits. About 35 birds are tossed out in rapid fashion at a time, so it is a pretty busy time, shooting and reloading. This is done 6 times, each tossing of approx. 35 birds is called a flurry.
After each flurry the shooters rotate to another pit location, so everyone shoots from a different location in the circle. After each flurry retrieving dogs are used to find and collect all of the downed birds.
It is alot of fun.






view from one of the "pits"

Not hunting this week (got snow)

The forecast was for 1-3 inches of snow, low overnight 5 deg.

Hunting on Nebraska

Sleepy Libby after hunting

The saying goes do not spoil your hunting dog

Cooking Pheasant

My favorite Pheasant (Chinese chicken)

On a hunting trip a friend showed how he prepared Pheasant and it is delicious.
I have prepared Pheasant this way for a few years now and everyone (almost) likes it even the grandkids.


First, cut out the breast meat and you can cut strips of dark meat from the legs of the bird. Soak the meat in salted water, in a bowl, overnight in the fridge. This will draw out the blood and wild taste of the meat.

Picture shows the meat after being soaked overnight and drained.




This picture shows, the center cut bacon, toothpicks, and a pheasant breast on the cutting beard before cutting the breast into strips.






This is the bacon we use to wrap the pheasant strips with








This picture shows pheasant strips rolled and wrapped with a half slice of bacon, we used 2 birds to fill these plates.








This picture shows the pheasant strips wrapped in bacon with toothpicks and in a ziplock bag ready for barbecuing..








To cook the pheasant nuggets, place the nuggets on the grill, cook on one side, about 5 mins, ( or slightly brown) depending on your temperature, turn over the nuggets to cook on the other side, add your favorite bbq sauce ( mine is Cookies) let cook of approx five minutes, ( lightly brown) turn over the nuggets again and add bbq sauce to the un-sauced side. Turn one more time to cook in the newly applied bbq sauce. ......... Serve UMMMMMMM

trip to Ne, So. Dakota, Iowa

Fellows from Wisconsin country (packer fans) hunting in Nebraska

Left Nov 8th.
Traveled to Waunetta Ne. Pheasant hunting and helping with deer hunt.

















Stayed until Nov 12th and headed to Armour South Dakota to visit a Brittany dog breeder.

Left Waunetta and traveled to Grand Island Ne. and took us hwy 281 north, the day was quite windy, when I arrived at Ft. Randall SD. the wind was extremely strong. I pulled of the highway and found a historic site. Ft. Randall operated by the U.S Corps of Engineers.

I found refuge at the parking lot of the Chapel for the night.

Web site for Ft. Randall












Ft Randall Chapel
First conceived By Lt. Colonel Pinkey Lugenbeel and designed by George Bush (post carpenter), the combination chapel, library and lodge was erected in 1875 with the sweat from many a soldier and at a cost of $20,000.
Built in the shape of a cross, the yellow chalk, red cedar and black walnut cathedral-style building included a bell tower with a winding staircase. A large organ and bell that could be heard from miles around were installed. Upon abandonment in 1892, and with exception of the chapel and its contents were sold at a private sale.


In 1896, the 36 inch, 550 lb steel church bell found a new home in the belfry of the Springfield, S.D. city hall. Since that time, the chapel has deteriorated. In 2003, th U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, assisted by the National Park Service and local historical societies, worked to restore the historic chapel. At the same time, local historians directed their efforts at returning the bell to its original site. Military retirees Dick Barta of Vermillion, S.D. and Don Barta of Wagner S.D., along with Almon Adam of Pickstown, S.D. and a former resident of the Fort Randall community, convinced the bell's caretakers that the bell should be returned to its home. The bell found its way back home in the summer of 2004.

Map of area link





The video above will give an indication of the wind speed when I stopped. You can hear the generator turning...The wind speed indicator that I have showed a maximum speed of 66 mph during the night.

For those wanting to know more about the wind generator, it is a southwest power Air-X 12 volt 400 watt unit. web link






Ready to go the next morning, not so windy now..





November 13th.

Headed for Big Spur Lodge in Armour, S.D. to visit with Bill Dillon

I lost a true friend in Ginger our first Brittany, I may be interested in another dog, I still have Libby, but I may be spoiled hunting with 2 dogs the last 4 years.

Bill spent alot of time with me talking dogs and am very comfortable with him, and his expertise.

His web site, I recommend him

That afternoon I traveled east on I90 to Rochester Mn. for a stop at my brothers place. Stayed the night.

November 14th traveling to Mason City Ia. to see family and friends. Stayed the night boondocking (boondocking it's a wonderful thing).

November 15th. traveled to Riceville Ia. for some pheasant hunting on the Burt Fluggie farm, 300 acres dedicated to deer and pheasants for family and friends, Burt is now retired at the age of 83 and a super guy..



Libby ... showing off the birds that were pointed and retrieved







Stayed hunting and visiting for the weekend.

Left on Sunday afternoon and traveled to York Ne. a little over 400 miles, getting out of the cold and cloudy weather. Spent the night boondocking in Wal-Mart in York Ne.

November 19th. Libby's birthday (4 yrs old now)

Traveled back to Waunetta Ne and set up camp at an abandoned farm place formerly farmed by the fanning family



Stayed the evening watching Monday night football, and a Bronco win.

Friend Gary Polly and I traveled the next day to Ogallala Ne to check out some wild turkey hunting spots.

Traveled back to the trailer and packed up and headed home to beat the snowy weather coming the next day. Arrived home about 6 pm

Leaving tomorrow for more adventure

Leaving tomorrow in search of Pheasants, in Nebraska, and then Iowa, via South Dakota.

Practice shooting today

Traveled to Kiowa Creek to practice shooting

Kiowa Creek web site

Nebraska opening day hunting pheasants

Libby checking out the road









A sign on the way to Haxtun, someone must of got a speeding ticket.. Haxtun in the past, used speeding tickets for town income and even fired a town officer for not writing enough tickets.










Gas stop on the way to Imperial Ne .. Haxtun Ne










Seems the town of Haxtun is going through some hard times






















Arrived in Imperial to attend the "smoker" Rocky Mountain Oysters YYYummmm, chicken, beans and potatoes.


Nuts and potatoes












Cooking guys








Saturday morning we started hunting at sunrise, we had very good cover for birds and many bird were had, a very good trip

out pheasant hunting

left on Friday and started pheasant hunting on Saturday
attended the "smoker" on Friday night
Opening day, I had my limit of pheasants by 11am ( a record for me )
I will try to find wild turkeys tomorrow
when I return to home I will post pictures of the trip

Preparing for opening day in Nebraska

Doing maintenance and restocking for trip tomorrow to Waunetta Nebraska opening of pheasant season

videos of elk hunt trip

Beaver dam at 20 degrees and snowing


Water flow from beaver dam


elk herd





forest sounds

elk herd

50 to 60 elk we couldn't get to
Leaving the hunting spots Monday









Find the Grey squirrel in the picture...










forest birds

Elk Hunting

Today

did not see elk today others have,
This morning the weather was very windy , snowy, and cold 22 deg. Hunted until 10:30 went back to the rv.

There was an accident on the highway this afternoon, glad we missed it



a picture of a beaver pond in the rocky mountains

Traveling to Jefferson Colorado

We, my son Chris and I are traveling to Jefferson Co, to begin the elk hunt this year, This is the first year my son and I are going to be hunting big game together, We will be joined by Chris's father in law, brother in law, and other relatives from Minnosoooooooota.

It has been very windy the last couple days, hope it subsides while traveling, forecast is for more wind and 50% chance of snow Saturday and Sunday.

Preparing for elk hunt this weekend

Since returning from Wyoming I have been preparing for elk hunting in Colorado.
During the last trip the Dewalt drill we use for the stabilizer jacks on the trailer broke, I had purchased it on Oct. 10th., returned to Sears and received a replacement.

Colorado Rockies WIN !!!!!!!!!!!!

A collection of pictures in Yellowstone

Buffalo













A little grainy but a very large bull elk in video



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Yellowstone Landscape & geothermal pictures











First stop at Yellowstone east entrance

















Campsite at Madison Campground in Yellowstone
dry camping site








Waterfall --love waterfalls !







Geothermal activity at Yellowstone

Favorite video and pictures of trip

On the way back to Denver we stopped at Gros Venture campground to stay the night.

The next morning I awoke at 6 am to let the dog out and was ready to leave, But, Dee wanted to sleep until daylight, Sooo, I waited until 7:30am.

Got hooked up and we were leaving the park and an the road leaving we came upon 7 Moose, wow can you believe it !

Returned from trip tonight

We will gather all of the pictures and video's, start posting tomorrow as it will be raining all day tomorrow

Weather today

During the last 3 days the weather has been cloudy and calm, making a purchase of a generator maybe necessary.This afternoon we have had sunny to cloudy periods and winds up to 71 mph shown on the storm chaser wind indicator..
I have found that the wind generator will flutter the blades at 60 mph winds
I guess that if the wind is not blowing in Wyoming at the moment.. just wait a while

Morning at Buffalo Bill State Park

We are staying here today
Watching football

Buffalo Bill Museum

Toured the buffalo bill museum today, there are 5 museums in one building here.
one is the largest gun collection, very good, took alot of pictures, I will post pictures on roosterpheasant tomorrow

an American Indian museum, a natural history museum of the area, and the Buffalo Bill museum of his life and a nice display of Annie Oakly

I will upload the large pic files on Sunday

roosterpheasant.com index page with all travel information

Buffalo Bill State Park

There are only two or three other rv'ers in the whole park.
Rained most of the night, woke up to snow in the hills.

for pictures go roosterpheasant.com buffalo bill

Thursday Riverton Wyo

Traveled to Riverton from Ft Laramie very windy (used a tank of fuel to go 90 miles) drove to the (Indian casino .. not very good) What was good was watching the Colorado Rockies win their baseball game against the Phillies and won. Watching in the trailer with direct tv in the parking lot.. Good stuff... after the game we noticed rv's across the highway from where we were, we went across the road and asked the folks there about staying the night. The fellow that owned the place asked if we needed hook ups.(no) He told us to park in the meadow.. No charge nice guy. We had a large grass field for the dogs to run.

Camped on the North Platte River

Fort Laramie, Oregon trail wagon ruts, Register Cliff



Oregon trail wagon ruts
Oregon Trail Ruts.. Wagon Wheels cut solid rock .. Carving a memorial to empire builders.








Register Cliff



















My favorite Cannons





And a gatling Gun for good measure










Headed to Cody to Buffalo Bill museums tomorrow..
Will post when we have internet..