Temps

[Walleye Joe]

It was a cold -8°F this morning with a sustained 20 mph wind. Absolutely wicked out there. Been using the wood burning fireplace non-stop since Wednesday evening. Overnight, the Geothermal heat pump came on a time or two. That doesn't usually happen but I don't mind too much because it's very efficient. Supposed to be back up into the 50's a week from now. 

[bigjohn]

Mo. weather...gotta love it

[krank]

Last night I went out and fired up the hammer mill and ground corn. Threw some for the birds to find in the morning and some to the chickens. Double ground some for cornbread for the dogs. Found an old freezer burnt roast in the freezer and threw it in a pot of water.
I cant bring all the critters in the house but I can feed them to keep them warm.
We got about two inches of snow and it was -6 at sun up. Right now its a balmy 2 degrees. Furnace runs non-stop and its 68 in the house.

[segsarge]

Temps haven't been on the positive side since yesterday afternoon. Negative 1 right now and sun is going down.

[bigjohn]

Can't put up with the wife another day. I'm getting out tomorrow and set some otter traps and cat sets. Cats should be on the prowl as the temps warm up. If nothing else get some fresh air.

[krank]

Having a ball.
Worked on guns. Ran a patch down my blackpowder gun because season opens in the morning.Fired a practice shot.
Filed the sights on my '51 Colt and cast some bullets. Wife didnt like it but I did it anyway.
Cooked some more meat for the dogs. Nibbled some myself.
Ground more corn and fed the birds. Put some whole corn in the fence row in the rabbit run. They got a path beat in the snow.
Drove to town and saw no coyotes or deer moving. (rare)
Snow is drifting on the east/west rounds with a wind out of the North.
Diesel tractor started right up. Kind of amazed.

[Walleye Joe]

Typical Missouri weather 🙄 

[trapdog]

Yesterday at this time it was -13. Three below now so some improvement. Interstate 35 from Ames north has been closed since yesterday. Supposed to open soon. Travel not advised around here. I love winter.

[bigjohn]

Got out and made 3 predator sets and reset the otter sets I pulled before the storm. Wish now I'd have left them as we didn't get as much snow as expected. The otter had traveled and went thru 3 of the sets I had out. Lots of coyote tracks and only one set of cat tracks.

Got a call while out to do another otter job. Trapped that farm last year and imagine it's going to be a yearly deal.

Really wasn't too bad out. Got up to 15 with sunny conditions.

[krank]

This is kind of a test to see how well prepared we are for this weather.
We have gotten along okay.
Feeding animals is triple the work complete with chopping ice.
These new vehicles start and run better. I can remember as a kid that the whole neighborhood needed jump starts on mornings like this.
When I built this place I didnt ever want to screw with plumbing so everything is wrapped or buried.
People in the Midwest dont really own warm clothes. We wear cotton and polyester which wouldnt cut the mustard in Alaska. This has been a great time for me to break out the wool and down and moosehide mittens.
I think a couple foot of snow along with the -5 would have really separated the men from the boys.
My house is all electric so the heat pump doesnt really like less than 20 degrees. I cheat with a propane supplement. My shop in the barn has a woodstove.
I consider myself a 25 degree guy. When it gets colder than that then I cancel all hunting and camping and non-essential work outside. I didnt used to be like that but I dont move like I used to.

[ozarkmountainman]

I like to cut wood at that 25 degree mark. I'll get down to maybe a flannel shirt, or sometimes just a t-shirt. As long as I'm working that's about perfect. I hate cutting wood when the sweat's a runnin'. Yep. 25 is just about perfect.

Dale

[segsarge]

We didn't get as much snow as was expected, about 2 inches after all was said and done. Can't say I'm disappointed. Been fighting the frigid temps to keep the water lines from freezing. This spring all the lines are gonna be redone, tired of doing this every winter. Today is the opening of "alternative methods" deer season. Supposed to warm up to the mid-twenties in a couple of days so maybe I can get some woods time in with my Hawken.

[krank]

Saturday was opening day but I wasnt about to pull up with a bloody deer and listen to the wife scream. Honestly we had a lot of work to do getting ready for Christmas. Today I am going out for a bit to look for a deer. Later this week I will have a deer camp down South. Ray came over for a doe hunt a couple weeks ago and he might come down to deer camp this week. I just enjoy getting out.
I told the neighbors on Christmas that I was setting CRs on my land and to keep the mutts kenneled up or else. He actually appreciated the heads up.

[bigjohn]

Saw quite a few deer out yesterday while checking on an otter job. Guess that sunshine felt good to them or just feeding up for the next front. Got a lite dusting of snow overnight.

[segsarge]

Got not quite an inch of snow last night and it's snowing again now. Temps were in the mid-thirties at noon.

[bigjohn]

Give it a bit sarge and that temperature will drop like a rock.

[krank]

Right now its 16 degrees and supposed to get warmer for rest of with 39 today. Now we will have slop out there.

[Walleye Joe]

Slop or not, I'm going to bury some steel this afternoon. I've got some foxes and bobcats to catch. Of course, some coons and possums too. Haven't seen many yotes.

[segsarge]

It was 11 degrees a couple of hours ago and supposed to get up to around 32 this afternoon. No snow but going to rain later this week and warm up.

[bigjohn]

Was 10 here this morning. Had one coyote out of three sets and the trap was a ball of ice. Reset and then checked otter sets and had a big dog otter in the same set that took a mink yesterday. Was a 280 beliese and the otter was half in and half out of the water. Didn't want to harm the hide so replaced the trap and brought the whole mess home. Thawing so I can skin now.

I really don't know how sloppy it'll get cause the frost is deep. I expect most of the snow will evaporate as it's dry powder.