Outdoorsman Thread

[garddogg56]

I hate when sno ruins hunts I gut the shack on Sebago lake before Datona 500

[philco]

Gdogg I'd sure enjoy seeing some pictures from your ice fishing adventures. That's something that we just don't have around here. The ice never gets thick enough to be on it safely.

[garddogg56]

Thanx Phil I'd like to show some fish but it's been mostly ice drinking and cribbage

[garddogg56]

Very little action on the frozen waters of Maine but ate well

[TripleF]

Yeah bud! Good food always trumps bad fishing!

[garddogg56]

It sure does Scott and it's a good thing

[313 Mike]

Cool pics Dog, thanks for sharing! Are those genuine Johnsonville brats sizzling in the pan? Perhaps a little taste of Wisconsin way out dere in Maine?

[garddogg56]

Mr Mike;genuine Maine Buck deer sausage three alarm HOT ::tounge::The Brats come out when the deer meat is gone,seeing two of my boys and one Grandson are Packers fans

[313 Mike]

Mr Mike;genuine Maine Buck deer sausage three alarm HOT ::tounge::The Brats come out when the deer meat is gone,seeing two of my boys and one Grandson are Packers fans

Well hot damn Dog! That sounds even better than a brat! And you have Packers fans in the family, eh? That is fantastic... Sounds like you folks out dere in the great state of Maine aren't all that much different than us folks here in Wisconsin... ice fishing, deer hunting, venison sausages, and da Pack!

[garddogg56]

The only way to live once ya landed the lady of yer dreams gut ta be a big woman fer warmth in da winta an shade in da summa ayah

[TripleF]

The only way to live once ya landed the lady of yer dreams gut ta be a big woman fer warmth in da winta an shade in da summa ayah

WOW Dogg.....somethin' I'd never consider

[TripleF]

I processed a little fatwood for next year......does that count as Outdoorsman stufff?

[313 Mike]

Yeah Scott, that counts! I'm surprised you didn't put that 119 of yours to work on that Fanwood though!

[jerryd6818]

Scott, you do the most you can with what you have. That gets my respect.

[313 Mike]

Did some exploring this morning out in Jefferson Marsh...it's about 3000 acres that includes a Tamarack Swamp and an oak island...I made my way out to the island and worked the edges looking for sheds, found alot of sign but no bone. You can see the island in the pic, quite the maze of a trail winding through the marsh to get out there, not as easy as it looks in the pic! I love it though...lots of woodpeckers out there today working over the dead timber

[TripleF]

Love your outdoor shots Mike! Thanks for thinking of us!

[313 Mike]

Spring thaw in effect...Bark River flowing through the marsh. A couple of weeks ago I saw a coyote trotting along on the ice in this same spot!

Had the wife and kids in tow this evening as well, there is an old Nash sitting in the brush on the edge of a field way back in, it is kind of a landmark in that neck of the woods. The kids get a kick out of seeing an old car rusting away miles from any road. I made up a story about how a bunch of gangsters got chased by the cops and drove back in the woods while making their getaway and got stuck, and the car's been there ever since...and their loot could be buried somewhere in the area! ...hey it could have happened...

[ken98k]

20150310_172227.jpg

Spring thaw in effect...Bark River flowing through the marsh. A couple of weeks ago I saw a coyote trotting along on the ice in this same spot!

20150310_165741.jpg

Had the wife and kids in tow this evening as well, there is an old Nash sitting in the brush on the edge of a field way back in, it is kind of a landmark in that neck of the woods. The kids get a kick out of seeing an old car rusting away miles from any road. I made up a story about how a bunch of gangsters got chased by the cops and drove back in the woods while making their getaway and got stuck, and the car's been there ever since...and their loot could be buried somewhere in the area! ...hey it could have happened...

That's a great family photo.

[Mumbleypeg]

So, THATS how those old legends get started! Good one Mike. Great to spend time like that with your family. If they're like mine, your kids will remember that and talk about it years from now.

Ken

[treefarmer]

Mike,
What a difference a thousand miles makes, standin' in the snow in WI, here we had 89 degrees in the Florida panhandle and had to turn the T'stat to cool so we could work up some venison today.
We made 100% venison grind for chili, spaghetti, etc..Also made a good bit of bulk sausage a 60/40 mix, venison/pork butts and finished the day making up 5 venison summer sausages that I'll smoke tomorrow. We'll make up some smoked stuffed sausage in a few weeks. Had the help of our Pastor who just started deer hunting this season. Had a good day, glad to get the temperature back up in the house, 65 is a little cool .
Treefarmer

[TripleF]

Great pics Mike!

Ohhhhhhh baby, love the looks of that venison sausage.

[313 Mike]

Looks like a great day of sausage making there Treefarmer! Have you ever made hard salami out of any of your sausage? We used to hang a few from the rafters in the garage and let them age and dry until they get nice and hard... then slice it up real thin, concentrates the flavor and gives it a much different texture, pretty tasty. Then again considering the tropical climate where you live, conditions might not be perfect for hanging sausage in your garage! Unless of course you have a smokehouse... you could hang a few big sausages up in there.....

[carrmillus]

....nothing better to me than a venison hind quarter smoked for about 12 hours over a hickory fire!!!...finger-lickin' good!!!!............ ....................

[garddogg56]

MAN that looks great TF::tu:: Great story Mike that will keep there eyes open ya'ot ta plant a bank bag there

[treefarmer]

We always try to improve the hunting experiences from year to year. Food plots for the deer, comfortable hunting blinds for the hunter, all this is a never ending endeavor.

One part of the outdoor experience that benefits both the hunter and the hunted is the management tool called a "control burn". A controlled burn first of all eliminates the chances of wild fire but it provides fresh new browse for the deer and at the same time opens up the typical growth under the planted pines that make seeing a deer next to impossible. We try to burn every 2 or 3 years, alternating between blocks of pines. There is a narrow window of just a few weeks to do a burn in our situation. Since deer season ends around the last of February and bird nesting follows in just a month, we must have a fairly dry time before the understory greens up too much and the proper wind to have a successful burn.

Earlier this week I freshened up the fire lines around a small block of pines that are adjacent to the food plot. Wednesday I called the Forestry Service and got an authorization to burn. Here in our area we have a customer number with the Forestry Service and all it takes is a phone call to get started with a controlled burn. This call pin points the fire location and eliminates sending a truck to check out a possible wildfire.
We had a good burn, a northeast wind allowed me to start on the southwest corner of the block and allow the fire to burn into the wind without problems resulting in a good clean burn.

In addition to the above benefits, the pines will also benefit from the fire, allowing for more growth.

Here's a few pictures of how this one man show progressed.
Treefarmer