Sometimes they will knock the antlers off a little prematurely and some blood will drip for a bit, and there will be fresh blood on the base of the horn. If they are fully ready to drop, when they come off the base will be a white color and no blood showing. I think the base's may start itching when they get close to shedding time, as I have seen them a lot of times rubbing trees or alders right in close to the base of the horn. When they are shedding velvet they thrash the whole antler in the brush, but this time of year they mostly rub the beam and base close to the head. Saw one doing it today. Watched him for a few minutes. You can see the rubbed alder in the picture.

Yeah I can see that rubbed alder spek. February seems a little on the late side to be dropping but then again we've had so few moose around for years now maybe I'm just forgetting the timing. At any rate, nice to see the herd starting to grow again.

Yeah, it's not unusual here for some of them to still have their antlers, especially the little guy's like the one in the picture. The big boy's are pretty well shaded out though.

I saw a little paddle bull 2 days ago that had both sides still

Saw a 40" or so bull standing by the Glenn Hiway a couple days ago still had both antlers.

Got this pike in the net today it was 33"

That's a fatty! You skipping the boil and fine china now? Did you eat the roe? I like'em dipped in seal oil with soy sauce...used to anyway, been a while, pallet may have changed.

I never opened him up yet, I also caught a Burbot and a Whitefish and had the Burbot for dinner,will open him up tomorrow and see if that's roe or another pike or whitefish inside. I like the eggs raw with salt of fried.

Folks here dry pike this time of year by the sack full smaller ones dry faster,they are cut in one piece,and dried on racks hung off peoples porches.

Once freeze dried dry they are dipped in seal oil. Its dry about the time the geese show up,so good spring hunting grub we eat in the blind a lot waiting for geese.

I do still break out the fine china for special dishes like these smoked, maple syrup silver strips for my bedtime snack.

Man, I miss dried pike! Guess it's time to pull what gear I have left, fire up the auger and go fishing.

best go fishing before they lose their teeth and regrow new ones. they usually don't like to bite much when they do.

Never did go fishing, Viking lost a little bogey and it was back ordered, hope to get it in and take the kid for a trail ride before I park the machines.

Any idea how the trail from Wickersham Dome is right now? I checked the White Mountain website, sounded good.

Any pointers on spring muskrat near Fairbanks? Kid is the right age for an evening paddle and 'skrat shoot. I have never seen one here, don't know where to start looking. PM if you'd rather.

Be safe out there!

My weak nuc didn't make it, But got two more packages of bee's flown in and hived on the 8th. I hope to get honey this year.
Oh and the bee keeper that sold the packages said he had a 70% overwinter rate, I think he is in the valley.

My friends bees didn't make it.

I just bought a quart of clear, sweet honey for $12.00. Is that a good deal?

If its Alaskan honey its a great deal, I paid $50 for a quart. if its the Chinese sugar water, not so much.

Jeff... let's hope this is a good summer for the girls
I got 3 pkgs coming.

Here's what we're looking for, deep supers full with frames filled and capped !

Man I need to learn how to bee keep!

My daughters' bees all died down on the Kenai over the winter even though she insulated the hive and tried to do it right. She also got hardly any honey to mention it started raining about the end of July and never really stopped so the timing was perfect to stop production or so I'm told I know nothing and it was her first attempt. The little honey she got tasted musty and not too good at all. Not sure if she will try again but I bet she does.

Nice Chickenminer ! do you save all your drawn comb ? or crush and strain? I am considering an electric fence this year after seeing your picture last spring, here its Browns though.

Draselt, I talked to a lady in Kenai last year that lost all of her overwintered hives, she is the lady I bought the honey from and was ordering 100 more packages.

I treated for varroa mites in August (and if you don't its an inevitable crash within two years for most hives they say)I saw a lot of them in and around my hive that went queenless and started a laying worker, then had all drones full of mites.

If I can get past swarm season this year without them swarming like last year, I might get some honey, fingers crossed.

Yeah I talked to my daughter yesterday and she has more bees on the way lol hopefully she gets some good honey this year. I'll mention the mite thing to her.