winter weather, first ice

Minnesota is finally seeing winter weather. Today I did something I haven't been able to do for several years due to warm weather and that is hunt deer in the snow.

The guessing games have begun in earnest now with many of the Minnesota based web sites trying to predict when we'll have first ice. At six foot and having a generous girth I think first ice might be something for me to look at and not try walking on.

Here in SE minnesota the world went white today with anywhere from an inch to maybe thtreee where I was hunting. The gravel roads were something else to drive on coming home since the snow became slush. Its amazing how fast people forget how to drive in this stuff. South and west central portions of the state can expect upwards of a foot of this slop by tomorrow evening while the SE corner may just see another inch....which is fine by me.

The deer? They were everywhere but my only shot failed to connect. Tomorrow's another day and I'll be back at it come first light. Temps really take a dive beginning tonight so that first ice might be ready for a few of the lightweights, but I'll have to wait a while.

Hopefully that weather travels to the south a tad!!!!!

Am awaiting a sharp cold snap to reduce our bumper crop of shad at CJ, shortly afterwards the fishing SHOULD pick back up...

33 degree here at home right now with a northerly wind accompanied by some more light rain and snow flurries. The next week should get some shale started on waters without current and further up-state has the best chances I think.

I was planning to head out into the woods for the last day of my deer season but am going to take a pass on it. I love fishing and this day is designed to put people down with pnuemonia. Besides, I don't need the meat or the work of processing one right now....cutting and wrapping a deer really chops into some dynamite fishing time right now.

I'm not sure you guys are going to get plugged by this system as it seems to want to track west to the Rochester area and slide on north. The Twin Cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, got smacked yesterday. Funny how the storm hit them though. On the west side, all of the Minneapolis suberbs and Minneapolis got smoked for snow....10 inchest or so. The east side subs including the city of St. Paul got much less, 4-6". I took a peek at our radar and the center of this mess is past us now so we are seeing the backlash but Ontario is going to see it. Plenty of cold air showing behind it. Ice making air.

We got 11 inches here in Crystal....and we just got our power back on after 2 days of not.What a drag that was!