Poplar Added to the Mix

Due to the rain that came in late Monday night and lasted well into Tuesday morning, I had to postpone putting poplar firewood into my solar kiln. When I went out this morning, I noticed that plastic on the roof of my kiln had formed a "bowl" and was holding water as a consequence of the rain. Apparently, I failed to pull the plastic tight when I originally constructed the kiln. Disappointed, I managed to properly fix the roof to hopefully prevent it from holding water in the future.

A few hours ago, I managed to fill the rest of the back rack, with some poplar that I had split during the day on Monday. As a result of the rainfall, the poplar became waterlogged. Hopefully, the kiln will do the trick in drying it out and prevent it from being exposed to the elements.

The back rack is full, as you can see above
Photo by Chris Swanson

Upon adding the split poplar to the mix, I noticed that the white oak is progressing, as far as drying out. Also, I inspected the solar kiln for leaks. Thankfully, there was no way for water to seep in, so that saved me the trouble of having to fix them.



Close up of the white oak
Photo by Chris Swanson



All in all, I believe the kiln is working very efficiently to dry out the firewood. However, the dryer the wood becomes, the slower the drying process becomes. Keep in mind, properly seasoned firewood will retain a percentage of its original moisture. Exaggerated drying of the wood will cause it to burn rather quickly, and hot, and could potentially cause hazards, such as chimney fires. On the contrary, wood that is NOT properly dried out, will cause creosote, in other words, tar from the wood smoke, to build up in the stove pipe and inside the chimney, therefore, increasing the probability of a chimney fire.



Deer Population Decrease

I've been a deer hunter for several years now. I'm always looking for deer whether I'm hunting or in a car. I could tell you where the deer would be, and the time they would be there. It was always the same spot, year after year. That's not the case this year, something happened, that changed all of that.

The population of Virginia's whitetail deer, has declined a noticeable amount. Just from driving down the road, you can tell that the population is down, by looking for deer that have been hit by automobiles. I've only seen a total of 4 deer hit on the road this year. From Palmyra, all the way to Luray, I only saw one deer. The deer was dead on Route 15. Out of all of the farms we passed on that trip to Luray, there were no deer seen grazing in the cornfields, or other crop fields for that matter. What has happened to the population of the largest wild herbivore in the commonwealth?

Fellow outdoorsmen, and farmers, may have noticed the sparse production of fruits and nuts this past winter. Specifically, the acorns that were produced were diminutive, to say the least. Deer were forced to relocate in search of food. Does did not have the proper nutrition to nourish their fawns. Many deer died off as a result of the shortage, causing an evident retrogression to the population of the whitetail herd.

Another leading factor in the shortage of deer is accredited to the excessive killing of deer. Spotlighting (night time hunting or use of a spotlight, or the headlights of an automobile to take a wild game animal, which is illegal) plays a major role in the population decline. The number of Doe taken has a lot to do with it as well. When killing does, you should kill based on the amount of does seen where you're hunting, in relationship to the number of bucks. Just because you have plenty of doe tags, doesn't necessarily mean you should fill those tags in one place.

Another major cause, in my opinion, one that acknowledged nearly enough, is the use of chemicals such as insecticides on crops. Deer eat vegetation, its an act of nature, one that can't be controlled. Farmers use insecticide to prevent insects from destroying their produce. When the deer eat the sprayed crop, it can cause damage to the deer internally, and can cause death in some. Genetic mutation is another repercussion of the consumed chemicals.

There are two main diseases that kill deer, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) and Hemorrhagic Disease (HD). The most important infectious disease in Virginia is HD. Spread by small flies (also known as sand gnats), biting one deer then biting another. As a result of HD, deer suffer from depression, fever, swollen neck, tongue or eyelids, and even difficulty breathing. Infected deer will lose their appetite, and be less active. Due to high fever, deer may be found dead near a water source, in the cool, damp soil. If you suspect a deer to be infected, DO NOT TOUCH IT!

Chronic Wasting Disease is a progressive neurological (brain and nervous system) disease. Symptoms include severe weight loss, deviant behavior, loss of bodily functions, and ultimately death. CWD is spread from direct contact, and through the soil, through saliva, feces, and urine of deer. The soil could be contaminated for several years. It can take up to 5 years before a deer start showing any symptoms of infection.

Deer showing symptoms of CWD
Photo from Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

 

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/cwd/

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/hd.asp

Rabbit

As I pulled into my driveway tonight, a pair of glowing eyes caught my attention. Immediately, I cut the wheel of my 1988 Chevrolet S10, towards the eyes and turned my high beams on to get a better look. Much to my surprise, it was a rabbit.

To some, they would say, "it's just a rabbit."

To me, it's more than just a rabbit, it's the first rabbit that has been seen on my property in over a year. Ever since the coyotes have started coming around more, the rabbits haven't been out as much.

Seeing this rabbit, gave me a sense of hope. I would love to have the rabbits back on my land like they were several years ago. I wanna be able to look out the window in the evening, and see 7 or 8 at a time.

In my opinion rabbits are one of the most  beautiful, peaceful animals around. They aren't very destructive, although, occasionally they will get into a vegetable garden, but other than that they stay to themselves pretty much.

My Evening Hunt

I ventured into the woods of predominantly hardwoods, a little after 4:00P.M., hoping that some of the bucks that I've been seeing on my trail camera, would show themselves. Throughout the day I noticed the movement of the birds and thought maybe the deer would be moving as well. As I sat down on the chilled, metal seat of my treestand, I heard some movement. As always, it was nothing more than a gray squirrel scurrying through the crisp fall leaves in search of food.

As the sun began to set, and with the temperature dropping, the squirrels rushed to find their meal for the night. Suddenly, I was distracted by the sound of hounds. I couldn't tell whether they were heading my way or not, so I patiently waited and listened.

Photo by Chris Swanson

Photo by Chris Swanson

Darkness didn't hesitate to move in, and by then my feet were getting cold. The rustling of leaves had remained throughout the evening, as a gray squirrel, at the base of an old hickory tree, searched for what's left of the hickory nuts. It was ten minutes after five, and still no sign of a white-tail. I assumed they were bedded down in the pine thicket that borders my land, so I patiently waited out the last few legal hunting minutes of the evening.

No luck getting a buck, but I did have some luck scouting squirrels, for a long awaited squirrel hunt sometime in the next week.