Pheasant Hunt 10/30/10

Yesterday my dad took seven guys and seven dogs out to our 320 acre farm in northern Davison county to do a little pheasant hunting.  The season has been open for two weeks now and this is only the second hunt on the farm this year.  I was home for the season opener and only hunted that Saturday.  We saw lots of birds but only managed to get two, there were quite a few first year birds which is always a promising sight.  I have never really been a fan of pheasant hunting in October as I have found the best time of year to do it is in December when the birds are concentrated in our CRP and food plots.  Dad said it was a good group of guys and they bagged 14 birds.  My only complaint is that my dad originally only invited a couple of guys, but those guys invited several more without my dad's knowledge.  To me this is rude, but my dad didn't seem to mind all that much.  Anyway, my dad is always proud to showoff the farm and all the hard work he has put into it to make it that wildlife haven that it is.  

Mid-American Alpaca Show, Topeka, KS

Yesterday evening I had the great pleasure of performing check-in health inspections on registered show Alpacas as they were unloaded off trailers.  It was a great experience for a first year veterinary student and I learned a lot about the species as a whole.  This organization has donated a tremendous amount of money to universities that educate students about camelids.  The coordinator told us that $80,000 had been donated since the programs beginnings.  I also learned that they pay for the alpaca herd here at KSU CVM which the vet students get to work on.  Never know I may be working on Alpacas or maybe even own a few someday.  

The website for this show in Topeka is: Mid-American Alpaca Show

Ogden's Best Gun Range

Today three of my classmates and I jumped in my truck and drove the 7 miles over to Ogden's Best Gun Range.  My dad gave me a Glock 19 before I left for school along with 500 rounds of ammo.  This was my first time visiting this range and I had a really enjoyable time.  Usually they charge $15 per hour, but because there were 4 of us he gave us a discounted price.  They have a promotion in November for $5 per hour.  I burned through 150 rounds and was amazed at how my shooting progressed from horrible to somewhat good in just a short amount of time.  It felt really good just to be pulling a trigger.  

On the way home, the KSU vs. OSU game had just been getting done and the traffic was very busy.  Anyway, pulling into my buddies apartment complex there was a big cooler on the side of the road.  Apparently it had fallen off of somebodies car who had just been tailgating, so I pulled over and as my buddy picked it up he realized it was FULL!! It had beer, pop, gatorade, chicken strips, dipping sauces.  So we cracked a few beers open and cheered to new friendship.  

   The website for the shooting range can be found at this link: Ogden's Best Gun Range

Survival Strap

My new purchase of a Survival Strap. In a pinch it can unravel to give you several feet of 550# parachute cord.  When it arrived it was very rigid, but after wearing it for a few days it has become surprising flexible and more comfortable.  There are several colors to choose from and also other neat products such as dog collars and lanyards.  If you ever have to use your survival strap, just send it back to the company and they will re-braid it for you and send it back.  This company is a big supporter of our soldiers and offer ways to send care packages. The link to their website can be found here Survival Straps .     

My Name Is Erik Holum

My life, in many ways, has been shaped by what I have spent my time doing outdoors.  A lot of people call me one lucky kid and some hate my guts for the opportunities that I have been given.  I recently found a thread on Facebook, with MY NAME included in the title, aimed at people who spend "truckloads" of money to go hunting, how I give hunting a bad image and accused me of being unethical. Why people who call themselves hunters attack another hunter is a mystery to me in the first place.  I resisted the urge to smite this jealous twit with the truth about me because I've found people with that much ignorance and general lack of brain cells are not worth my time and effort to argue with.  Instead, I decided that I wanted to keep a blog about my self, my days spent afield, and any conservation and hunting related news that I feel needs to be discussed.  

         In the next few days I will be posting short memories and stories of times spent outdoors and looking through the crosshairs.  Here are a few pictures to spike your interest to return!