Hunting.

September is full of hunting trips. Varying from just day trips to longer trips. Half of my interest in hunting comes from being able to fill the freezer with wild game. Other half is spending time in the wilderness. Here's some sceneries and such from various trips so far.

It was a rainy summer, so waters are quite high, marsh areas being pretty wet.

Autumn is full of chilly, misty mornings. Fresh air, bright sounds. If you walk in the woods in your own thoughts, you get your face wrapped in spider's web all the time.

Many birds are migrating to southern parts of the world before the winter is here. Two swans were having a rest on a forest lake, and curiously came to have look at me and the dogs.

Capercaillie hunting season started fairly well. After spending and hour barking at a moose, Kumu got to work with the right game of the day.

Last week I spent 6 days on a hunting trip with two friends of mine. Tall forests of the Hammastunturi wilderness area are a joy to walk in.

Like in the previous autumn, Pyry is mostly walking leashed. On longer trips he's carrying his own food. Leash is attached on my back pack's waist belt.

Being only several kilometers from the nearest logging road, this lake has been a popular place to set camp. Not too popular, as there was still plenty of firewood to be found. We used and old fire place with the benches.

As the fatwood can be always found in forest areas, you don't have to be the toughest wilderness jack to get the fire started. Just find the right stump or piece of pine, and you get the fire burning, rain or not. Watching the picture I can smell the richly resinous timber, and feel the waxy surface of the freshly cut feathers.

In tall forests it's Kumu's job to run free to be looking for capercaillies. When we're crossing more open fell areas, I keep him leashed. There's no capercaillies above the tree line, so he doesn't have to spend extra energy just running around. Pyry enjoys his freedom nearby, mostly trying to catch voles and lemmings. He would love to run further, but I won't let him as chasing some game wouldn't do good for his shoulder.

Pyry and Kumu won't mind being together at all. Unless they disagree about the ownership of something interesting. This capercaillie was shot for Kumu's treeing work. Obviously they both think they own it. They don't have problem me entering and taking it, but as soon as it's the other dog... Showing teeth, growling, ready to fight for it. The nature of a dog. 

After having their share of the guts, Kumu forgets the catch, and runs back to the forest. Pyry doesn't forget the capercaillie, until it's packed. He stays guarding it.

During the 6 days we had decent luck with the weather. It was raining heavily only during one night. Started when we were about to go to sleep, and stopped around the breakfast time. We or not, it's always good to try to get all the moist out of the sleepingbags before packing.

Dark evenings by the campfire, full moon rising. Men with head torches cooking.

Some capercaillie on the frying pan. First catches of the trip were eaten during the trip. Too many days ahead to carry the birds with us.

Fresh water can be found everywhere here. No need to carry water with you, or worrying about the drinking water.

When a dog gets older, he obviously starts lookin really wise, thinking of really deep things. Or just waiting for a bite from my sandwich, pretending he doesn't care about it.

A wilderness romantic picture of socks drying.

A hunter and his dog. Last morning of the trip.

Still some luck on the last day of the 6 day trip. Kumu is getting tired, but a catch now and then cheers him up. Next two days will be just resting at home.