Bowhunting journal
A quiet journal about the art and craft of hunting, and the dialogue with nature — one story at a time.
Lunchtime has arrived for the sounder. 2 days ago there was a brief spell of human activity here, when half a sack of acorns was brought to this feeder, as well as to the clearly visible washed-out gully depression also 25m from the stand. The sows are still cautious, distrustful, and still consider this feeder…
Developing a custom-designed automatic feeder and storage tank I’m currently working on a new project aimed at building an automatic feeder system, together with its storage tank, specifically tailored to my own, more demanding needs. The current prototype — a tank made from a 160 mm diameter KG pipe — only holds about ~20 kg…
The undeniably essential, "mandatory" gear check before responsible hunting has an unskippable part: a test shot at the ranges likely to come up during the hunt. Beyond that, I also always try to make time for extra practice. This time, that activity was paired with a test of the previously mentioned minimalist, low-profile-camera-gimbal-raveneye setup. What…
Analysis of adaptive survival strategies of the wild boar population (Sus scrofa) under anthropogenic pressure. 1. The relationship between socio-ecological behavioral patterns and habitat stability Observations show marked differences in the behavior of wild boar populations (mainly sows and their sounders) depending on habitat security and threat level. In low-threat areas (a long-quiet, calm, undisturbed,…
1. Ecological Camouflage and Anthropogenic Structural Adaptation The design of the hunting stand is based on the principle of the “dynamic concealed interface,” which achieves optical, acoustic and olfactory integration with the local vegetation (e.g. as can be seen in the images included as illustrations: a hawthorn bush, Crataegus monogyna, growing beside an alder tree…
It looks like no more rain will fall after 4 PM, and this will be the first occasion at this promising new spot. This morning, still in pouring rain, I went out to the feeder once more to find a suitable tree and placement for the remotely controlled glow-light illumination of the feeder that can…
Human activity . . . Just half an hour ago there was quite a lot of traffic at this feeder. Alongside the regularly dispensed corn, I scattered some walnuts in the shell, which the pigs absolutely love. / And of course also the hunter, who was quietly dozing off during the long, drowsy stand watch…
My long "hunting weekend", planned for once a month, has now begun. Unfortunately the weather is shaping up to be quite rainy, but as I arrived at my lodging and was unloading my hunting gear, the two-hourly camera-sync notification on my phone went off more often than usual, compared to how things have gone so…
Arriving late at night, at 23:12, and picking at the corn until 1 a.m., getting startled again and again, this little boar kept coming back to the new feeder I set up / revived 2 weeks ago, used exclusively by me. Interestingly, it was the fermented corn that drew it here ( I’ve been seeing…
Already on my very first walk through the area, it hit me at once that this place is a real gem! Around the wallow, in the mud, fresh tracks everywhere, small and large, by the hundreds, beds, hair, and a very heavy, fresh game scent. And these photos don’t just confirm my initial hunch, they…