Hunting PA

Last Saturday Of Spring Turkey Season

2009-05-23T21:42:00.003-04:00

Finally I saw a turkey while I was out hunting today, two turkeys actually. However, to my dismay they were both hens. It did not matter to some extent what the were though, because I saw them right after I stepped out of the car so I would not have been allowed by PA law to shoot a gobbler since I was still to close to my car. At any rate they spooked and took off running towards the patch of woods that I had planned to hunt. So, I continued to set up on the very edge of the woods a little away from where they had diapered, but never saw or heard them again. With the exception of what sounded like a very distant gobble I never heard anything from that spot.

Later in the morning at about 11:00 I decided to slowly move calling every now and then in an attempt to locate a gobbler I could try calling in. After going about 50 yards I made my first call since I left were I had been set up. My call was answered with a distant gobble that came from much deeper into the woods. I proceeded to set up at a near-by location that offered a big tree to put my back against and fairly good visibility. After about an hour and half when I called I got an answering gobble more to the left, but closer than before. However, noon came bringing quitting time without hearing or seeing anything of the gobbler.

PA Antlerless Deer Application Date 3 Weeks Sooner This Year

2009-05-12T14:24:00.006-04:00

This year "the [Pennsylvania] Game Commission will begin selling licenses [on] June 15." After which one month later county treasurers will begin accepting antlerless deer applications on July 13. So, make sure you remember to buy your hunting license early this year otherwise you may miss out on your antlerless deer tag if your WMU sells out fast.

More information on the these and other recent PGC license changes can be found here.

Below is the "2009 Antlerless Deer License Application Schedule" from the PGC's site

Monday, July 13: First day resident antlerless deer license applications accepted by County Treasurers (Mail Only)

Monday, July 27: First day nonresident antlerless deer license applications accepted by County Treasurers (Mail Only)

Monday, August 3: If antlerless deer licenses are still available, County Treasurers accept antlerless deer license applications from residents and nonresidents for unsold tags (Mail Only – first round, one unsold tag per applicant)

For WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D only, applicants may apply for an unlimited number of unsold tags, by mail only, limit of three applications per envelope.

Monday, August 17: If antlerless deer licenses are still available, County Treasurers accept antlerless deer license applications from residents and nonresidents for a second unsold tag (Mail Only)

Monday, August 24: Over-the-counter sales begin for applicants who desire antlerless deer licenses (unlimited) in WMUs 2B, 5C and 5D

Monday, Sept. 14: Regular and first round unsold licenses are scheduled to be mailed

to successful applicants

Monday, Sept. 28: Second round unsold licenses are scheduled to be mailed to successful applicants

Monday, Nov. 2: If antlerless deer licenses are still available and the applicant has not exceeded his/her license limit, County Treasurers accept antlerless deer license applications over-the-counter

Antlerless deer licenses are issued without restrictions or regard to the Commonwealth applicant's county of residence.

http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=511&q=176494#antlerless

About Halfway Through Turkey Season

2009-05-12T14:19:00.002-04:00

Turkey season is close to halfway over and I still have not seen a turkey, but I have heard more gobbles this season than any other though.

This morning I went out hunting from 10:00 to 12:00. However, I never heard anything.

First Week of Spring Turkey Season

2009-05-02T20:30:00.005-04:00

Monday: Heard turkeys, but none showed interest in coming in.

Tuesday: Same thing as Monday, but different location.

Wednesday: Tried getting into the woods before first light. I woke up at 4:30 AM and got in the woods soon enough to see three pairs of deer eyes reflecting back the light from my flashlight. Heard a raccoon two different times that morning, but never I heard a turkey.

Saturday: Got up at 5:30 AM--when I arrived at my hunting location it was pretty light out. Heard one gobbler, but he seemed to have his mind made up as to where he was going. So, I paralleled him (he was good a 200 yards+ away) by going every 100 yards or so then setting up calling for a time then continuing on. Eventually I reached the edge of a field where a fairly close one gobbled, so I set up and called. Silence--then yelps from a cross the field. A few minutes later a shot was fired from the same direction. After that I waited around and called for a while, but never heard anything more.

First Day Of Spring Gobbler Season In PA

2009-04-25T14:15:00.002-04:00

The first day of spring turkey season was a great success--considering my past spring turkey hunting career(not a turkey). And, while I did not see any turkeys I enjoyed it immensely.

At 5:00 AM I woke up and arrived at my hunting spot shortly after first light. Throughout early morning I spoke with two gobblers who sounded like they had a hen with them. A couple of times they got within 50-100 yards or so of my position, but they never came in. Then once when they were a little farther out I heard one gun shot at about the spot where I heard the last gobbles.

Figuring that was probably it for the day, I took out my apple and ate it. About 20 minutes later I head one lone gobble (which leads my to believe the other gobbler is now dead) so, I put on my gloves and pulled down my face mask and called again. After a short wait I heard another lone gobble, but this time closer. So, I waited, but he never came in or gobbled again.

Even though I did not see are get anything, I had a very interesting opening day of spring turkey season, because I actually heard something that responded to my calls.

MuzzleLoader -- Building A Round Ball Loading Block

2009-04-02T11:09:00.001-04:00

To speed up the loading of my flintlock I made a loading block. This loading block, which I made with the intention of using for target shooting, will allow me to pre-place a patch and ball together, so I will not have to play around with individual patches and balls when I am shooting.

Ideas of making my own loading block first came, when I saw a few in some books I was reading. My first step in building one was to draw a design of the loading block on graph paper, since I had no pre-made plans to follow. Because, my gun is .50 caliber or 1/2 inch big, making the holes line up properly on the graph paper was easy for each box on the graph paper was equal to 1/4 inch. After playing around with various designs I decided on a design with 1/4 inch spacing between two side by side rows of five holes. Then on the outside of the rows I left 1/4 inch, which so far has seemed to be strong enough. To allow the block to be tied onto a string I put a 1/2 square centered on the block at one end. Finally after making the basic design marking where the holes would go was easy, because each 1/2 square of graph paper had an intersection point that marked the center of the square.

Wood to make the loading block came from an old skid that was probably made out of popular. After tracing my design from the graph paper onto the wood and marking where the holes should go; I drilled the 1/2 inch holes with a drill press. Next, I cut out the design with a band saw. Then, to smooth it out I used a combination of a hand held sander and a dremel tool fitted with a sanding drum.

At this stage a patched round ball would push into a hole, but they went in rather hard and seemed to be ripping my patch some. So, I wrapped some sand paper around a socket and sanded out the insides of the holes until a patched round ball would push in with moderate pressure and would not tear the patch. Then, I sanded the whole loading block by hand to make it nice and smooth. With the sanding all done, I then applied a couple coats of a linseed oil and black walnut finish.

With my loading block now finished the question is does it work? The answer is yes, it is much easier to load ten shots all at once now, then it is to fumble with patches and individual balls when out target shooting. Sometime, I will probably make another version of my loading block that will hold fewer round balls. This ten shot version works well for target shooting, but it might be a little bothersome to carry on a string around my neck, because of its weigh--besides in muzzle loader hunting you typically only get one shot at a time not ten.

Sasquatch In A Bag--Bigfoot Has Died

2009-04-01T00:01:00.005-04:00

It seems the old Indian legends of Bigfoot have finally been proved with the recent release of Sasquatch Jerky from jerky.com. Now for the low price of $499.99 a bag you can own and eat the of proof that Bigfoot exists. Even the USDA now recognizes the existence of Bigfoot, because the jerky was "inspected and approved by the USDA."

The jerky is also said to be made from "fresh hormone-free Sasquatch meat" that is "low in calories and high in protein," which makes it a very healthy choice for your diet! In addition at $62.50 an ounce you are sure to chew your Sasquatch Jerky very slowly, which will cause those wishing to lose a few pounds to drop pounds like lead weights!

Happy April Fools!

MuzzleLoader -- The Loading Procces For My Flintlock

2009-03-24T22:44:00.000-04:00

Loading my new flintlock gun at first seemed a little complex and time consuming, but with the practice of around 30 shots I have become much better at the process of loading. The process I have developed so far is information from what people have told me, what I have read, and what I have learned from my small experience. The loading process is as follows:

Loading Preparation:

put ramrod in the gun to check against the unloaded ramrod mark to be sure the gun is unloaded.
run a rubbing alcohol soaked patch, cut from a T-Shirt, down the barrel followed by a dry patch of the same material. (This removes oil or if the gun has just been shot it helps remove the fowling.)

Loading Powder:

measure powder from my powder horn into the powder measure. (It is important for both accuracy and safety that an exact amount of powder is put down the barrel, which is partly why a powder measure is used.)
after closing the powder horn, pour the powder from the powder measure into the barrel, being careful not to miss the barrel any, since a lighter powder load might affect accuracy. (In addition to the aforementioned reasons for using a powder measure, it is also important that it is used for safety. Safety, because if powder were to be poured directly from a powder horn or flask and an ember from the previous shot is still present the resulting explosion would not be pleasant.)
tap the gun butt(end of gun stock) lightly on the ground to settle the powder.

Loading Projectile:

align the lubricated patch over the muzzle the same way for consistency. (Note: a patch is never used on a conical or sabot bullet only on round balls.)
place the round ball over the patch.
start the patch and ball with the ball starter.
push the patch and ball down the barrel until it is seated on the powder charge. If fowling is present it often takes a little extra pressure to get it down to the mark.

Priming Pan:

put hammer at half cock and prime with a small amount of priming powder (around 1/4 of a pan), then close frizzen.

Product Review Pineapple Jerky

2009-03-14T20:50:00.001-04:00

Recently my newest advertiser--Jerky.com offered me a chance to write a review on a free sample of their jerky. That jerky was Pineapple Jerky:

The Pineapple Jerky is grown in the United States on an island called Maui, which is the second largest of the islands that make up the state of Hawaii. In a day and age when Chinese and other overseas products are common, finding a product made in the USA made is a pleasant rarity.

Being made in the USA however, does not necessarily guarantee good taste. At first taste the jerky comes as a surprise, because it does not have the sweet pineapple taste found in canned pineapple, nor does it have the taste the artificial taste of pineapple candy. Instead the taste is similar to what is found when a whole pineapple is bought from a store then cut and ate fresh.

Another aspect to food, while not as important as taste, is its texture. The texture of Pineapple Jerky is slightly pliable, but tough to chew. Since the product is called Pineapple Jerky the texture aligns rather well to the name Jerky.

Today in a world that is salting, sugaring, and preserving food, what is added to food has become an important aspect to people who are trying to be health conscious. In this department the Pineapple Jerky has come out on top, for according to the label, only honey is used to sweeten it; Pineapple Jerky does have sugar, but it is a natural sugar. And since no salt or other preservatives are listed on the label Pineapple Jerky appears to be free of those often used food preservation products.

The lack of artificial preservatives may explain one possible down side to Pineapple Jerky, because if you are planning on storing it for more than the official best if used by time of six months the taste quality will start to diminish. In addition after only three months it will start to turn brown, but will still be fine to eat (my speculation on the change of color is that it must undergo a process similar to what happens to cut apple chunks when they are left set out). However, the color change might be used to assess the freshness of the pineapple; so maybe it is better that way, especially when that is combined with the fact that artificial preservatives are also avoided.

Finally, no food is worth buying if it costs to much. When first looking at the price aspect of Pineapple Jerky, the phrase "FREE SHIPPING" is found on the product page. Therefore, the price you are looking at is the price you pay just as if you were at a normal grocery store shopping. What is that price? $9.99 for a bag, weighing 1/4 of a pound, containing 5 to 8 slices. On my request Jerky.com gave me the coupon code "HUNTINGPA" to include in this post. Using the promotional code HUNTINGPA at Jerky.com should give you 10% off a purchase that includes Pineapple Jerky in it. So, that really makes the jerky $8.99 a bag, which works out to roughly $1.38 a slice. When comparing the price of canned pineapple with Pineapple Jerky, the canned pineapple wins, however, there is a difference between Pineapple Jerky and pineapple in a can. The difference is that the texture of jerky is very chewy, meaning a slice of Pineapple Jerky will last much longer than a slice of canned pineapple. Despite its higher price, Pineapple Jerky with its refreshing taste could make a much better treat after a long hard day of hunting than canned pineapple ever could.

Pineapple Jerky from Jerky.com can be found on this web page.

Beef Jerky - The widest selection of U.S made jerky products to fit every budget.

Bought A New MuzzleLoader Gun -- CVA Trophy Hunter III Flintlock

2009-03-11T12:20:00.015-04:00

Because of a recent purchase I made, two new hunting seasons have been added to the list of Pennsylvania season's I can participate in! Muzzleloader and Flintlock hunting season are now available to me, because of the flintlock rifle I recently bought. Early Muzzleloader season here in Pennsylvania last year ran from October 18th to the 25th, with flint lock running from December 26th through January 10th. So, that means 6 days + 14 days = 20 extra days of deer hunting per hunting year.

The gun came with an agated flint which worked O.K.--for a time, but soon became dull. I tried to knap it with a small deer antler, but with no success, so I just reversed it which then gave me a good spark again. Then when I was in a sports store the other day I bought a piece of English Flint, which some say is the best flint for a flintlock gun. After trying the flint for one shooting session of four shots I cannot yet attest to its durability compared to agated flint, however, it seems to be doing fine so far.

As can be seen in the picture above I made a mark on my ramrod. This mark is a recommended "safety" feature for muzzleloaders, because it and another mark I placed farther down the ramrod show whether the gun is unloaded, loaded, or loaded without either powder or projectile. The mark that cannot be seen also serves to help me be more consistent while I am loading, because it lets my compress my load the exact same amount every time.

Because my CVA Trophy Hunter III has a rifling twist of 1:48 I can shoot conicals, sabots, and round balls. However, it can shoot none of those three really well, just O.K. To shoot round balls well the barrel would have to have a twist rate of some where around 1:66. In contrast conicals and sabots like a rifling twist of around 1:28. So, my gun is in the middle of the road, which will allow me to shoot any kind of bullet instead of being restricted to one certain kind.

My 2008-2009 Fur Season Totals

2009-02-22T15:23:00.002-05:00

My trapping in the 08-09 fur trapping season is over. My season totals are:
1 Red Fox
2 Grey Fox
1 Possum

1 Tuft of raccoon hair in a trap.

PA District 2 Fur Auction

2009-02-21T20:41:00.002-05:00

On the second to last day of trapping season, PA fur district 2 held their fur auction which I attended. Fur prices unfortunately took a nose dive this year, so I received less per fox hide than I did last year. The prices I got this year are as follows:

Red Fox = $5 (had a small spot)
Last year I did not sell any red fox.

Grey Fox = $25
Last year = $35

Crossbows Legal In 2009-10 Archery Deer And Bear Season

2009-01-30T11:43:00.003-05:00

When I was browsing the PGC's website today I found this:

"BOARD APPROVES EXPANDED USE OF CROSSBOWS

The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to expand the lawful use of crossbows to include both the archery deer and bear seasons for the 2009-10 seasons..."

Awhile back I had heard they were going to try to get crossbows approved and now it seems they did. While shooting with a crossbow would probably be more consistent it will still not be quite the same as rifle with a scope, because "magnifying scopes" will be prohibited on bows and crossbows during deer and bear archery seasons.

Another change the board approved was to stop the use of crossbows during muzzleloader season. "...also would remove the lawful use of crossbows during the October muzzleloader or late flintlock muzzleloader season..."

The full article and more detailed information can be found on the PGC's site here.

Trapping And The Weather

2009-01-28T21:41:00.005-05:00

After the weeks of snow and cold the fox have been out for the past few days. Yesterday, I found an abundance of fox tracks near a hay set that I had removed the traps from back when the weather had started getting bad. Of course, I reset those traps, but only to have freezing rain and snow today.

Caught A House Cat -- Released Unharmed

2009-01-27T22:02:00.002-05:00

Today, I caught a cat, which is a first for me. Releasing him was a simple matter thankfully, because he was so tame. All I had to do was to talk to him and pet him, then I just reached down and let him go. However, when I let the cat go it did the opposite of what I expected it to do; instead of running away it just stood there and continued to let me pet it. The cat even let me examine its paw to see if it had any broken bones, which it did not. So, the cat went through the experience unharmed and hopefully a little wiser.

Pennsylvania Fur Sales

2009-01-21T21:49:00.003-05:00

For anyone out in Pennsylvania looking for places to sell their fur, the PTA (Pennsylvania Trappers Association) lists their upcoming events, which includes fur auctions here:
http://www.patrappers.com/event.htm

The word is that fur prices are down this year, because of the economy. Some say it might be best to freeze hides till prices go up. There is a list of fur prices from district 4 sale that I asked the compiler of the data for permission to post here. The list really illustrates how much prices have gone down from last year, so I hope I will get permission.

Promising Fox Tracks

2009-01-21T21:35:00.002-05:00

For a week or so the weather seemed to have been keeping the fox holed up. But now after the snow storms have retreated leaving behind a foot and then some of snow the fox have ventured out again.

Today when checking my traps I saw tracks of probably two maybe a few more fox. One set of tracks actually walked on the path a cable restraint was on, but it missed being caught in it. Another set of tracks started up a field road towards another cable restraint only to turn back to the woods.

It was very encouraging to see tracks again, but even more so that my cable restraints seem to be in the right area.

I am considering increasing my number of cable restraints from 6 to 18, another catch would probably help me decided in favor of expanding.

A Fellow PA Blog -- Penn’s Outdoors

2009-01-12T11:20:00.004-05:00

For awhile now I have been getting a fair amount of traffic from another Pennsylvania Blog that links to me. So, it is about time I returned the favor and linked back. Anyways it really is a nice blog because the blogger has been posting updates about recent law changes and things that are important to hunting in PA.

http://www.pennsoutdoors.com/category/pennsylvania-hunting/

Predator Hunting --- Saw A Coyote

2009-01-08T00:00:00.004-05:00

Earlier on in the year I bought a used FoxPro ZR2 for predator hunting. While I have previously gone out a few times with it I never saw anything. Then tonight when I looked outside and saw how well the moon lit up the snow covered ground I decided to go out.

My choice of guns for this hunt was the .22 revolver with the .22 magnum cylinder put in and a .22 magnum / 20 gauge over under shotgun. As I walked through the woods by my house I put the rifle/shotgun on my shoulder and upholstered the .22 magnum and carried a flashlight in my other hand. While I walked through the woods I noticed that the wind was blowing into my face so that was good, because the spot I wanted to hunt from was in the field beyond the woods.

When I exited the woods I walked until the roll in the field allowed me to see some of the field. Then in a strip of picked corn I thought I saw a shape of an animal, about 100 yards away, with its head down; without giving it any thought or planning I turned the flashlight on. After a couple seconds the shape lifted its head up to reveal to a set of glowing eyes in the beam of light. The size of the animal I thought was a little big for a fox. While I could see what I thought was a long and thick tail I wanted to be 100% sure that it was not a deer, so I waited. Soon, the animal broke into a run, with its course leading it slightly closer to me for a time. As soon as it started running I knew it was a canine by the way that it ran, so I fired at it with the gun that was still in my hand--the .22 magnum revolver. Its path of escape lead it within 50 yards of me, while I fired three more times at it. Before I could get a fourth shot off at it, however, it disappeared over the sky line.

Later that night when I followed the tracks in the snow I realized why I thought the animal looked a little big for a fox, the tracks were made by a coyote!

This was the first time I actually saw a targeted animal when I was predator hunting. The hunt could have been successful, if I had thought the situation out better. For example, the coyote had not seen me until I shone my flashlight on it also the wind was in my favor, so I had time to make a plan. What I should have down would have been to sit down next to the row of corn which would have partially hidden me, then used my caller to do a few quiet mouse squeaks, also I could have had the .22 magnum rifle read to use which would have given me much better accuracy at 100 yards!

First Rabbit of 2009

2009-01-03T13:28:00.002-05:00

Today after I lost a set of fox tracks that I was following, I decided to walk through a nearby brushy spot that seems to always have a rabbit in it. So, pulling out my Heritage Arms Rough Rider .22 revolver, I walked about half way through. Then a rabbit jumped about 5 feet away from me I fired twice. After making my way through the brush to where I had shoot at it, I found the rabbit laying there dead. The amazing part of it is that later when I was skinning the rabbit out I found that I had actually hit it with both shots--once in the front shoulder and once in the head. Normally I have enough trouble hitting a stationary tin can with that gun, let alone a moving target!

3rd Fox Of The Season -- A Red Fox!

2008-12-29T22:13:00.002-05:00

The hay set is a really great set! This is my 3rd fox of this trapping season which breaks my record of two in one season which I set last year. This fox weighed in at 6 pounds, a little on the light side.

Last time it had snowed, I saw a lot of fox tracks on a trail running through a field. On this same trail earlier on in the year I saw a lot of droppings so I decided to give the hay set a try. After the set was ran over by a truck then another day being set off with no animal; I then made a catch the very day after I remade the set.

While I do not do it often, checking traps at night can be done and this was one of those times when I did check my traps at night. However, by the time I had walked most of my line my batteries in my flashlight were going dead. So, I ended up shooting at it three times in the dying light of my flashlight before I gave up and called back home for another flash light. The lesson learned--carry a spare battery.

Second Fox Of The Season -- A Grey Fox

2008-12-20T23:18:00.000-05:00

Now that deer season is over, I am starting to put out more sets and "freshen" up the existing sets that I ran during deer season. Last Friday, after it stopped raining, I went out and re-scented all my hay sets. The next day, I caught this in one of those hay sets!

The hay set that caught this fox was set about 25 yards away from where I caught the other Grey Fox earlier in the season.

A hay set normally uses two traps, which as can be seen by the picture above is the case in this set. The fox actually managed to get himself caught in both of the traps.

The picture below is not of the set I took this fox in, but it is a picture of a hay set like it would have looked. This particular hay set, is at a "four way intersection" which makes the chances of a fox happening by greater.

The Last Day Of Deer Season -- A Deer!

2008-12-13T21:42:00.002-05:00

The last day of deer season has come and gone and I have a deer!

After hunting on a SGL with no success, my father, brother and I drove to another of our hunting spots. My father decided to do a drive that would hopefully push deer into a small patch of woods by a power line. After dropping my father off, I got into my position on the power line and waited. In about 1/2 hour my father appeared and I had not seen any deer, the drive had failed to produce a deer. However, my father was not done, he walked another small circle into the nearby woods where deer like to lay. Suddenly dashing towards me on the power line was a lone deer! Putting my gun on it I made my now habitual glance for antlers, finding none I clicked the safety off and fired. Just one shot that day is all it took, but added to the last two days it took ten shots to get my deer!

While I am thankful for the deer, it is slightly on the tiny side. It was a button buck, which is a buck in its first year that has not yet grown antlers (so it is antlerless). Its small size should at least make for tender eating.

Deer Season -- Fired My Gun Again!

2008-12-12T22:23:00.006-05:00

After a long hard day of hunting with my dad, I again got to shoot at a deer.

My father and I were walking back to our car when I saw two deer running in the woods in front of us, so I walked out into the field where I could see while my father walked into the woods. Pretty soon five deer came running out of the woods about 150 yards away. After confirming that the lead deer was antlerless, I proceeded to fire all five bullets that were in my gun at that one deer. However, the deer did not as much flinch as it ran down over the roll in the field out of sight. After pushing a new clip into my gun, I crossed over the roll in to field so I could see the other side. Then there were the deer just standing by a woods line!

My father then walked the deer tracks into the field, past the point where I had shot at the deer. Seeing that he found nothing, I fired off two more shots at the deer as just as they spooked. I walked across the field and checked for blood, nothing. Nine shots in two days, and no deer with one day of hunting left.

Deer season -- Finaly Fired My Gun -- But No Deer

2008-12-11T18:36:00.007-05:00

Today, after nine long days of hunting I finally fired my 30-06.

Today my Father and one of my brothers and I took turns driving a section of woods today. While in the woods we saw a lot deer sign, but no deer. After had finish driving the woods and were thoroughly soak from the rain, my Father decided to walk with my Brother through a brushed over field while I watched from the wooded hill side above. About twenty yards into the field a single deer jumped out and started running towards me, quartering away. A quick glance with my eyes gave me a 35% assurance that it was antlerless, so I looked at it through my rain filled scope to get be 100% sure of its lack of antlers. In the time of the 1/2 a second look, the deer ran about 3/4 of the way to the woods where it would be safe. After making sure that it was antlerless, since it was one deer by itself, I released a 150 grain bullet from my 30-06, while looking past the rain in my scope. The deer, however, did not respond and kept running. Just as I chambered a new round the deer then reached the brush line of the woods, allowing me to get one more shot off at it.

We then, checked where the deer had been and followed its tracks in the mud for 100 yards are so, but did not find any blood or any indication of a hit. The tracks seemed to be that of a tiny sized deer, so hopefully the deer can safely hide for a couple more days, so it can live to grow bigger.

Well, I still have two days of hunting left in the season, so I'll keep trying!