I'm not dropping in after a about 10 months just to post a kill shot like a jerk, just popping in to say hi.

Fact is, I've only gotten to get out into the woods twice thus far and life has been a mess for the last 7 months or so with unemployment giving way to under employment and all sorts of financial doom and gloom I'd rather not bore anyone to tears with.

On the upside, my new job is with a retailer I'm sure many of us frequent for hunting gear and whatnot and indeed, I work in the hunting and fishing department so at least its something I know and enjoy. On the downside, with my wife working and the kids in school, I don't have much time to get out and hunt and my feet hurt from being on them all day.

I have been running my trail cam and seeing alot of deer near my stand as well as a ton of hogs. I had Wednesday off so I made my way out to the ranch in hopes of collecting a smallish pig to jam in the freezer to no avail but what I DID see was pretty awesome.

And in an impressive show of self restraint, I let a brute walk, saving him for either my wife or 9 year old daughter.

As you may recall (probably not but heh, oh well) I did this last season: http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whit...6-victory.html

Well, his 'son' has a bigger rack (no drops though). Oof. I got some lousey video after composing myself and digging the camera out of my bag. He came up a trail right by my blind and I spooked him with the camera's start up sound. (need to find the silent mode, heh). I got a few minutes of footage before he started bird dogging a doe.

With any luck, he'll show back up Tuesday when my wife and I both have off of work. It will be her first deer so we are both excited. I had hoped my daughter would be ready this year but she can't quite get her arm around the stock of the .243 yet and she's not going to shoot until she can do it on her own. (looking real hard at a youth sized .223 we have at work for her and her sister)

Anyhow, I'm intent on hanging out here more now that things have stabilized and though I don't have a ton of chances to hunt with my schedule, I'll slip off to the ranch when I can.

Work will slack off after hunting season/Christmas and I can get after some hog....God knows we have a ton of them out there.

I just wanted to pop in and say hi and see what was going on. I miss hunting and being able to shoot the breeze about it. Good luck on all your hunting adventures!