A Winter Wonderland
 

Recently here in Wisconsin we had a good old fashioned Winter storm move through. It started with over a quarter inch of freezing rain which coated and stuck to everything, immediately followed by a drop in temps changing the freezing rain over to about 7 1/2" of wet heavy snow. The storm left us scenery with what could be described as breathtakingly beautiful -- everywhere. It's a Winter Wonderland around here right now and with the below zero temps predicted over the coming week, it'll be here for awhile. Even the deer can't get enough of it!

In the attached pic of our backyard you can see how the weight of the ice and snow has bent over a couple of white birch trees to the point that their tops are touching the ground.

Greg, are you in line to get the next big storm? It’s shaping up to be a doozy here in Missouri.

Yep it's in the forecast, just as long it's the light fluffy stuff we'll be OK. Up here we say: Let 'er come!

Tis the season, eh?

Great photo, BTW.

Our birch trees here bent over like that and many have bent over the road from both sides to the point where the branches form an arch and brush the roof of your car as you pass through!

Lovely picture ! But I’m sorry I’m still in kill mode , so I’d have to shatter the serenity with one or hopefully two rifle shots :whistle:

We are preparing for blizzard conditions tomorrow. We received 5-8" of light snow today and are expecting 30-50 mph winds Thursday into Saturday here on the prairies of Minnesota.

I have been thinking of you, Matt, and our other members, like Dean, who live in the north central US. We are expecting 50 mph winds and high temperatures below zero here in North Missouri.

We went hunting today and left early so that the birds could re-covey and hunker down before the storm. We were here in 1983 when a similar storm came through. I found lots of dead birds after the storm, and our quail and pheasant populations took years to recover. I'm hoping for better this time.

Good luck, stay warm to all our members in the path of this doozy of a winter storm.

I did my hour and a half blowing my driveways this forenoon when it was a balmy 6 or 7 degrees. Its 2 out there now, predicting -8 by dawn. Yesterday morning I blew all the driveways and as I finished it started snowing again and I got to drive downtown through the snow for one of my wife's many medical appointments leading to her first hip replacement surgery on the 29th. Glad I'm not traveling any farther than Providence/Sacred Heart for the holidays.

Combat ready for the local weather babes" predicting mixed precip for Friday 12/23, my SWAT- grade snow blower "Mothra" is standing by. Biggest decision so far is whether to shoot our new wobble trap at our local iWLA on Friday AM. Top of the line MEC machine, it quickly became the darling of the clay bird addicts. Like a .50 cal at a machine gun shoot, its hard to quit! Snow flurries give a bit of duck blind authenticity and the predicted 25-40 knot wind always helps! Thinking of putting a few decoys on the lawn in front of the 5-stand dock for effect. "Get down; here they come!"

Right now here on the mountain, it is freezing rain, temp is steady dropping, Temps tonite 0 highs in the mid teens for a couple days I guess. Should turn to snow by lunch time. Then the wind will pick up 30mph they say so more damn limbs to cut and haul off, but after it warms a bit it will not be to bad. I think I have every thing ready for this, just serviced the Generator last Tuesday Heaters running in the barns. So I will also just hunker down till it passes. It will not be long till the 4th of July the way the time flies, Gary

Y'all guys are tough! We're about to get our first "real cold" of the winter, starting tomorrow. Predicted to go to 18 Friday night, with sub-freezing lows every night for six straight days.

Thinking about my happy place will get me through. Hot sun, cool water, fast boats ............. yeah, man.

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Nothing more refreshing than Southern black water in the summer

You guys are killing me! :banghead: It's -5 with heavy blowing snow right now. No hunting today.:rotf:

I hunted quail in the cold and rain on Tuesday. I didn't mind and it was much better than quail hunting in hot weather.

Just curious what "cold" was for you on your hunt, Mills?

46 which sounds better than -5, but something about the humidity down here that makes it seem much colder.

And like I said, it did not bother me too much.

I grew up in coastal Virginia, and am familiar with the Southern "damp cold" that makes you shiver long after you've gone inside for warmth.

Still, I'll take 40s and rain over -5 and 40 mph snow.

The worry warts are shutting down most everything around here starting tomorrow.

Olivia, MN Weather Report:
30+ mph winds
-15F degrees actual air temp
-40F + Windchill
Blowing and drifting snow

We have our white Christmas in Minnesota Boy and Girls!

I’m firing up my snowblowers at home and at the office today. I’ll have to work in the wind at home because family Christmas is at our house but except for the front sidewalk the office can wait until the 20-40 mph winds subside.

46 is sweatshirt weather!!

I had a Filson tin jacket that did just fine.

Man, that stream you pictured would be perfect to drift for ducks in my "kayak". One of my favorite ways to hunt them by myself.

46 is sweatshirt weather!!

Sweatshirt? How you gonna get a suntan with a sweatshirt on??!!:cool:

A number of years back I was out in northeastern Montana deer hunting in early November, think it was single digit temps in the mornings with dusting of snow . Never really felt cold . Got back here the day before the VA gun season opened and went out the following morning wearing the same amount of clothes and it was 32ish here and I thought I was going to freeze to death . Yes humidity plays a tremendous factor as far as I’m concerned !

I didn’t say long sleeves! :rotf:

I had a good buddy in high school with a 12 foot flat bottom aluminum boat and we floated some local rivers a few times a year and shot mostly woodies and a few mallards along with a few squirrels now and then. Most of the water we floated on was 30-40 feet wide at the wide spots. I loved the quiet stalk and the thrill of rounding a turn and having a bunch of ducks explode out of the water.

Dan, there's nothing quite like those days. I have some stowed away, too.

Guys that brings back memories of my youth floating down Deep River in a flat bottom home made boat after squirrels, later to enjoy squirrel gravy on home made biscuits, those were the days! Gary

This is what I use. Bought it out of FL about 25 years ago. I was told they were originally designed for duck hunting. They're still being made and sold. Fiberglass construction. I've killed a pile of ducks out of this thing.

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I take comfort from the fact that, as of a couple of days ago, the days are getting longer. This too shall pass. Merry Christmas to all.