Outdoorsman Thread

[Old Hunter]

I was fortunate to grow up in a hunting family that lived in a small town in farm and pinewood country (hunting country) - started going when I was about 7 or 8 and have been hunting ever since. At 61 and still hunting, my hope to be like my good friend Glenn, who hunted and fished each season until he passed away last June at 81. Getting to hunt (and fish when I wanted to) most of my life has been a real privilege and a source of peace and centerness for my soul. OH

[RalphAlsip]

My property / yard is adjoins a 950 acre game ranch in the Texas hill country. There is an approximately 12 feet high fence that separates the properties. A fairly large seasonal creek runs under the fence and apparently provides opportunity for some of the animals to go on holiday

Here are a couple of Oryx that were in my yard recently. The panoramic picture is where they are supposed to be. On another ranch I drive by on my way to town, I have seen oryx, zebra, wildebeest, axis deer, and maybe some other animals I can't name.

The file size of the ranch picture is large - it will download slowly if you click on it.

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

Good Lord Jerry that is beautiful country! Great pictures my friend.

OH, thanks for the personal insight. You are a lucky man in so many ways.

[philco]

Jerry I agree with Rocky, you do live in some beautiful country. I have a personal disdain for any hunt that involves a high fence that contains the quarry. Doesn't seem much different than me hunting cattle in the pasture on my farm. There was a place not too far from where I live that offered hints for several exotic species. Thankfully they are no longer in business.
Nothing against you on this Jerry. I just find that whole concept of hunting to be contrary to the concept of fair chase.

[TripleF]

Awesome Jerry.....awesome!!

[TripleF]

Birthday mission as it turns out......the young man on the left turns 9 today. His mama said he couldn't come because they were going out to breakfast as a family. Turns out they went out to dinner last night instead.

I gifted him a Bridgeport BSA hatchet he's holding before I picked up my grands.....he asked if he could join.

We made a fire and cooked some bacon. I was lucky to get 2 little half pieces.....

The boys played with the fire and sticks the entire time we were there....about 3.5 hours!

I did bring my gifted Kershaw Tinder hatchet along as well. Used her to baton a couple of small sticks.

[RalphAlsip]

Phil, no offense taken - it's not my ranch. If you look at the website I'm providing below you'll see why it's not mine. I'm in agreement with you that killing animals that are trapped isn't really hunting. I have not observed any hunts taking place on this particular ranch (except for feral hogs). The current owner is a wealthy oil company executive. I was explaining to one of my neighbors that the ranch owner isn't really a rancher but instead is a wealthy person with a hobby. My neighbor, who evidently used to be a rancher, said "well you can't be both (wealthy and a rancher)" (lol).

I think the ranch owner may be raising the animals and selling them to places that offer hunting. The oryx cost $5,000 apiece and he is pretty interested in getting them back onto the ranch.

The area between San Antonio and Austin is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and I'm grateful that I can look out my window and see this instead of a Walmart Super Center.

This ranch changed hands a couple of years ago. The website of the prior owner is still available and shows the property from the inside. Too bad I didn't win the lottery. Fifty years ago this ranch could have been bought for $100 an acre. If you do happen to scroll through the pictures on the website, the horses are even more magnificent than the pictures show.

http://www.buffalocanyonranch.com/Home_Page.php

[RalphAlsip]

We made a fire and cooked some bacon. I was lucky to get 2 little half pieces.....

I hope these boys appreciate the sacrifices you are making for them Seriously, it's really great that you share your time and knowledge to help these young men develop these experiences

[kootenay joe]

"I hope these boys appreciate the sacrifices you are making for them"
I think children just accept that 'this is Scott, this is what Scott does' and they do not yet have the ability to understand the effort and time involved. But the appreciation will come when these boys get into their 30's and beyond.
My bet is that they will show their appreciation by doing something that helps others.
So Scott's time & effort is well invested in that eventually it will pay back many times over as these boys become the next generation of mentors. And that i think is the best type of appreciation you can get.
kj

[jerryd6818]

And in the meantime, those city boys get some country boy experiences.

[Dinadan]

Scott - those are some cool mission photos! I think kids need to play with fire a bit just so they understand it. Just as with knives, some parents consider fire to be too dangerous for their children to be near.

That is beautiful country, Jerry. I recall seeing some exotic game animals in pastures along the road when I have traveled through Texas. I figured they were on hunting ranches but never knew for sure. Those Oryx sure look fat and sleek compared to photos of them in natural range. No predators to keep them running, I guess.

[TripleF]

Thanks my knife brothers.....I am honored you have these thoughts for me and my crew!

I too hope someday my legacy will be the bond we made in these early years. I know my fathers love for the outsoors
had a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge impact on me although I got away from it for a number of years, like 20.....

Much respect!

EDIT - Just saw your post Mel. That's what I thought as well today when I let them throw sticks on the fire and try
to get their own fires started.....just let them be boys, if things get out of hand I'll jump in, if not....do what you want, they'll
learn!!

[bestgear]

Bravo Scott, we all benefit from your efforts to connect to these youth. I've been involved with the BSA since 1964 and a leader since 1975 and I can attest to the benefits of exposing youth to the outdoors, especially those from the inner city. If you have a spare hour or so, check out 759: Boy Scouts of Harlem https://vimeo.com/66719272 it's an eye opening experience. Sometimes I wonder about the rigid structure of the BSA and if the youth are being deprived of what Scott describes as "do what you want, they'll learn!!" but I'm not going to mess with a formula that has worked for the past 107 years. Anyways, bravo Scott, I've always enjoyed the chat we had about your dad exposing you to the outdoors.

[CheckSix]

I agree with the sentiment of disliking small fenced hunting properties... not truly fair chase... but once the fenced ranch gets large, like 10,000 - 30,000 acres, I have no problem with it. Heck! it's hard to go anywhere, where there isn't any fences. Plus, the animals are a commodity in some cases, worth a lot of money, so the owner is just protecting his investment. I've hunted some huge ranches in the 20,000 - 31,000 acres. Once you're out there, it does not look or feel fenced and it is fair chase. By the way, 31,000 acres is about 49 square MILES.

Speaking of Oryx... here is my Oryx Gazella, known in South Africa as a Gemsbok. This one scored over 91", which is fairly good. With their long straight horns, they are very dangerous if you happen to be in the way of them. The one pictured below, I stalked the herd up to about 160 yards with no cover. When you have 50 pairs of eyes on you, all it takes is one animal to bolt and you have to start all over again. This took a 180gr Nosler Partition from my trusty old Ruger M77 in .30-06. Hit'em square in the left shoulder, broke it and the bullet took out both lungs. I consider this to be one of the nicest photos from that trip.

[kootenay joe]

When my son, now 37 was young, i would sometimes join in with his friends and go on 'adventures' together. Not all boys like to play 'the wild man', but this group did. I saw my job was to allow 'wild' and block 'stupid'. This is an important differentiation that is learned through experience, which can have some guidance involved only when absolutely necessary.
Boys who don't get to figure this out sometimes end up killing themselves as young men by doing some 'stunt' that clearly entailed an unacceptable degree of risk, i.e. "stupid".
My son moved away nearly 20 years ago but most of the other boys are still here and they keep in touch with me and are ready to help me anytime, should i ask. They understand that time has reversed our roles.
kj

[kootenay joe]

Dave, you are an avid hunter of the highest degree.
I considered myself an avid hunter because i love to hunt the wild mountainsides around my house and also the back country that takes a day of hard uphill hiking to get to. And hunting lots of spots within a 100 mile radius of home. Because it is mostly mountains there are thousands of different little areas where game is more likely found. It would take lifetimes to hunt it all, so i am not limiting myself that much by not traveling to hunt.
I know a couple of guys who hunt like i have described for myself but also go to Africa to hunt, and Newfoundland for moose, Saskatchewan for Whitetails, etc.
I think you are one of those guys: a world wide avid hunter.
That is a Great picture of you & the oryx, did you get to keep the horns ? They are impressive.
30-06, best all round hunting rifle !
kj

[CheckSix]

kj,
I really liked what you said about taking the boys out and getting them to understand the difference in risk, i.e. blocking "stupid". That is really important. Living life with no risk is impossible but getting young people to understand calculated risk and managing it... versus not thinking and blundering into stupid risk, is a truly important life lesson.

I've been fortunate to be able to hunt a few times outside of North America. The variety of species of game animals in Africa are vast and very different. Yes, all the game animals I took in South Africa were fully utilized. The animal parts that the indigenous people preferred (organs) were given to them. They were given the opportunity to take anything they wanted and preferred internal organs. The regular cuts of meat were either kept or sold... and the capes and heads were sent to a taxidermy specialist. We would take early in the trip harvest cuts, like the back straps out of Wildebeest or Impala and marinate them for a few days and then grill them over a wood fire coals outside at night. This was the best! I remember the gals that traveled with us, made a dish one night that was like Shepherds Pie but with ground Gemsbok. Here's some of the taxidermy back home in the photo below...

On one of the trips, we had a true African Bushmen as a tracker. If you remember, they communicate with mouthed clicks and pops, called click language. They are an ancient tribal people. I marveled at his skill to find game, by reading what the animals disturbed in the environment. I have a photo of him in my photo album that I never scanned. I'll see about pulling it out and getting it scanned, so I can show you what hey look like. They have a unique appearance. Some anthropologists believe all of us can be traced back to them in ancient times.

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

What can one say...amazing people doing amazing things and sharing amazing stories! God bless each of you and keep on keeping on.

[CheckSix]

kj,
I found the photo of the Bushmen we had as a tracker. I looked in my notes and found his name was Martinse.

Separately, I found another photo I had forgotten about. Along with the hunting, we did some wing shooting too. Egyptian Geese and Spur Wing Geese were targets. Anyway, one of the bird dogs took a real shining to my son... I really liked this photo of the two of them.

[Quick Steel]

CheckSix: Thanks very much for the hunting info and photos. You wrote something very important:

"The animal parts that the indigenous people preferred (organs) were given to them. They were given the opportunity to take anything they wanted and preferred internal organs."

When most carnivors make a kill it is the internal organs they prefer. I have seen films were cougars, feeling pressure from wolves, immediately devour the internal organs of the deer and leave ingnoring the rest of the meat. The wisdom of ancient peoples and the instincts of the predator recognize that rich supplies of nutrition reside in the organs. It may be a shock for many to look up the nutritional profile of liver and compare it to beef or steak. There is no comparison. Liver, and other organs, are a true super food. Unfortunately many Americans have fallen away from regular consumption of organ meats. It is imho a real loss and detriment to our general health.

[kootenay joe]

Dave, fine pictures. Thanks for posting them. Your trophy room definitely ID's your place as a man's home. Women rarely decorate with head mounts and racks !
Q.S. the problem for most North Americans who might want to eat organ meat is that what is available at the grocery store or meat store is from mass produced farming and so likely contains antibiotics, hormones and possibly other drugs. These tend to get concentrated in the liver.
Those who hunt do get to consume 'pure' organ meat. Otherwise locate and support your local organic farmer/rancher !
I grew up eating kidney, liver, heart, pigs feet, ox tail, etc. because it was less expensive than the regular cuts of meat. I believe that back then, 1950's & ' 60's, far less in the way of hormones & drugs were used in commercial agriculture.
kj

[Quick Steel]

Roger that KJ. When I was a child we usually had liver once a week. It was cheaper and, as you point, out almost certainly healthier than the organ meats such as liver which are available today. Organic, grass fed, cattle are definitely the way to go. Again, the nutritional profile tells the story between grass fed cows and grain/feed lot cows. Even farmers who advertise grass fed cows will often "finish" them with a couple of months of grain. The before and after nutritional profiles of such cattle are sad. So much good is lost.

For many, truly organic, solely grass fed cows are not easy to come by and can be too expensive to be a regular part of the diet. What I do is daily take a dessicated liver product produced in New Zealand from organic and only grass fed cows. [Available thru the Radiant Life company]

The other solution is to collect your own game. Should be a huge health advantage. While I've known people to eat raw liver I believe cooking is necessary to kill parasites. I cannot speak from experience but I have read that elk are quite loaded with parasites.

[kootenay joe]

I have seen the occasional solitary cyst in deer liver that has sealed off what looks like a fluke ? Local vet said still o.k. to eat such liver.
I have shot about 10 ? elk and have not seen any sick looking liver or one with cysts.
Elk 'loaded with parasites' might be a local problem ? and not generalized to elk everywhere.
kj

[CheckSix]

Dave, fine pictures. Thanks for posting them. Your trophy room definitely ID's your place as a man's home. Women rarely decorate with head mounts and racks !

This is TOO good to pass up...

That's because they have their own "racks".

[TripleF]

Oldest grandson busted this bucket mouth and a nice bluegill yesterday!!

We also saw a couple gators....