lauantai 25. helmikuuta 2012

Cottage & hunting weekend

Good friend of mine have rented cottage to have three families gathering for weekend. Cottage was big and meant for larger groups and located just near sea. After nearly 4 hours driving on harsh weather when snow pouring from sky we finally arrived there and didn´t get stuck on snow on narrow forestroads which was near. So after got kids sleeping it was time to have a supper and put hunting equipment ready cause we have decided to leave for hare hunting early in saturday morning and come back in afternoon when 3rd family will be there already and some other friends of hosts who came to visit on saturday.
Saturday morning had perfect weather for hunting. Snowing have stopped at night and new tracks of animals were quite easy to spot. Our hunting area was just around 10-15 drive away and some half hour hike with skis / snow shoes. I wanted to try snowshoes and my friend E used his old swedish army forest skis.
These new snowshoes are much smaller than my traditional style us army snowhoes, but  carries very well also.

An open fields where snow was not that much skis were pretty good even near 0 deg temp they didn´t slide that well. But when we came into rocky forest area there snowshoes could show it´s "claws". E left his skis and trusted his long rubber boots being enough cause skis were extremely difficult to use there.


After some seeking we found fresh hare tracks and started to follow those to get it out of it´s hiding place. Soon I got firs eye contact on snow white forest hare, but it run over narrow open area bit too far for me to try to shoot with a shotgun, so I followed it´s tracks to it´s hiding place (where they often come back after some running around) and E went after the hare. I waited some 40-50 minutes there and no sign of returning hare. Then E called me that he and his brother have found tracks that hare have went more far and seems not coming back so I changed my position. That time there was 4 of us hunting together and trying to trap that hare. 

We did our very best and still that forest hare was more clever, good for him! We were thinking to leave when we discovered new tracks this time brown hare and I started to follow them with E´s brother. Then suddenly I saw big bird somekind of hawk on tree and it attacked on hare! We discovered some hair and blood on snow after the fight so we lost that chance aswell.
We have been already out around 6 hours and we didn´t take much food with us cause ladies are going to prepare good meal on cottage so we headed back it would take anyway some half hour to reach our car.

Leaving my passplace game didn´t come over here (note the taped barrel of gun to avoid snow getting into barrel when roaming in woods).
On that trip I carried very minimal amount of gear that I could fit on my shoulderbag so basicly I had:

  • Shotgun with 5 shells
  • Sissipuukko knife
  • Firesteel
  • Suunto compass
  • GSM phone
  • Hunting licenses etc.
  • Small survival kit
  • Plastic bag
  • Cordage
  • Small muesli bar for snack
  • 0,35l thermos of hot tea




On cottage we ate well and went out for snow fun with kids and later took long bath, sauna & ice swimming which mighs sound grazy but is actually very good for health!






7 kommenttia:

  1. I see that you too have attached a small accessory pouch in to your sheath. To the first generation sissipuukko it was bit more difficult but to the nowadays model sheath its quite easy. I made a flat pocket, really small one, from car´s safety belt, and it takes just a small diamond sharpener and a firesteel only, but thats better than nothin´.

    I think, that camogrom is overly underestimated, its way good pattern in finland too, especially in north and also in south, when fall arrives.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. Thanks from you comments,
      Small accessory pouches travels handy on knife sheaths, I like it that way. In that case pouch have just tied with paracord tightly around sheath utilising vertical loop in Sissipuukko´s sheath.
      Hey, accessory pouch from seatbelt is neat idea! If you don´t mind I will copy that on some of my future projects.. :)

      I just happen to buy those camogrom pants (made by Helikon and sold by Varusteleka) second hand for great price and I really do like that pattern and also the cut and style of Helikon SFU pants. You are right that pattern could be really good in autumn forests.

      - Finnman

      Poista
  2. It looks like a great place and a good time.

    Please consider disabling word verification and moderating instead.

    VastaaPoista
    Vastaukset
    1. I tried, but couldn´t find how. Can you tell me how to do it in blogger?

      - Finnman

      Poista
  3. Mä kans tykkään camogrammista. Multicamo ois parempi mut vaikeempi saada ja maksaa enempi. No ehkä jos jenkit vaihtaa ucp:n multicamoon. Tulee siitä suositumpi ja helpommin saatavilla.
    Tosin odotan että Proper julkasee keväällä ACU-leikkauksella olevan A-tacs fg kuviolla olevan puvun. Ja Leka saa niitä tuotua myyntiin........

    VastaaPoista
  4. A-Tacs is about the best cmouflage ive seen in a good while, IF you think how it suites here in finland. Airsoft warriors can play their games in what ever digipatterns in their roleplays :). I think many Finns, as me and Finnman, try to find a colour & pattern, that suits for various hunting seasons,and not just for the looks and street credits.

    But still....i happen to like tiger stripe a lot too, although it does not fit in Finnish forest well at all.

    VastaaPoista
  5. Can't think of a better way to spend a weekend. :)

    The Weekend Woodsman

    VastaaPoista