All About Pocket Knives

Checked the camera down by the feeder and have a few pictures to share. Looks like the buck in my last bunch of picture is continuing to grow his antlers. Interesting how fast antlers grow! It's a long time til Thanksgiving Day and even longer for the January and February rut.
Treefarmer

We saw this guy last weekend, on the trail close to home.

Antlers are still growing, the 3 legged doe is still around, been seeing new fawns but not on camera yet. Still about 3 months until the short 4 day rifle season beginning on Thanksgiving Day. Then it opens reopens in December and runs almost to the end of February.
Treefarmer

Nice pics, TF!

treefarmer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 06, 2025 3:05 pm Antlers are still growing, the 3 legged doe is still around, been seeing new fawns but not on camera yet.
IMAG0296.jpgIMAG0320.jpgIMAG0394.jpg

Still about 3 months until the short 4 day rifle season beginning on Thanksgiving Day. Then it opens reopens in December and runs almost to the end of February.
Treefarmer

Looks like you will have another good season TF!

Dove season has begun.....

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 4:24 am Dove season has begun.....

Brings back memories!
Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 12:35 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Sun Sep 07, 2025 4:24 am Dove season has begun.....

Brings back memories!
Treefarmer

Thanks T.F. .... unfortunately, ... it also brings back a lot of mud and dirt into the truck and house......

Last year was a really good dove season. ... However..... ... .....This year, not a great dove season so far, too damn dry this year and last year winter. I got a mesquite thorn right through my shoe into the ball of my foot. If I didn't have my Leatherman with me, it would still be there

My dog is having a good time, "no-stop-'till-he'll-drop" running around.....

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 1:07 am Last year was a really good dove season. ... However..... ... .....This year, not a great dove season so far, too damn dry this year and last year winter. I got a mesquite thorn right through my shoe into the ball of my foot. If I didn't have my Leatherman with me, it would still be there

My dog is having a good time, "no-stop-'till-he'll-drop" running around.....

OUCH, on that thorn! I reckon wearing flip flops ain't normal foot attire huntin' doves out there like it is in Florida?


Got some interesting pictures this past week, looks like what the deer experts refer to as a "bachelor group". Experience tells me they will be around during the rut, checking out the does that stay close to our place. Don't ever know for sure if you'll ever see them again, somebody busts them on another farm, they get hit by a vehicle or they just disappear and show up after the season. Treefarmer

TF , that’s quite the group of bachelor bucks ! That one with all “ the junk “ as you say is interesting. Hope you can get them to stick around till your season starts .

Bow hunting starts here Tomorrow. Will be a few weeks before we get to it though . Will get cameras out soon .
Take care down there .

Awesome pictures, gents! And GSP, scuba socks aren't legitimate dove hunting apparel. Glad you got that mesquite out, now time to BBQ.


After being closed for several years, the city finally opened the remaining part of the trail that runs past my place up to Lake Barcroft. This leg runs under Van Dorn St and 395. I added it to my usual weekend coffee hike, the wife is off with a couple of her friends for Girl's Wine Weekend. The kitties and I are surviving, no worries. And Herb is coming over soon for Oktoberfest Knife Talk.

I also saw 2 fawns this morning on my usual coffee hike route.

1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:11 pm Awesome pictures, gents! And GSP, scuba socks aren't legitimate dove hunting apparel. Glad you got that mesquite out, now time to BBQ.


After being closed for several years, the city finally opened the remaining part of the trail that runs past my place up to Lake Barcroft. I added it to my usual weekend coffee hike, the wife is off with a couple of her friends for Girl's Wine Weekend. The kitties and I are surviving, no worries. And Herb is coming over soon for Oktoberfest Knife Talk.

Goodness, redrider, you ain't got to go in low range 4X4 to do those trails! Interesting pictures.


Responding to Ripster's comment about junk on the deer's head, I believe this is the same deer from last years pictures: Here are a few more pictures of the deer this season: Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 4:30 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 1:07 am
My dog is having a good time, "no-stop-'till-he'll-drop" running around.....

OUCH, on that thorn! I reckon wearing flip flops ain't normal foot attire huntin' doves out there like it is in Florida?

... Flip flops don't work so well in the heavy cactus and mesquite areas T.F. .... I suppose they don't work so well standing next to a huge fire ant mound for that matter....

I went out yesterday... and of course I can ALWAYS count on 'ol Zeus to mess up a perfect shot (picture-shot ... that is ).

1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:11 pm Awesome pictures, gents! And GSP, scuba socks aren't legitimate dove hunting apparel.

... Actually, as I have gotten older, my old hiking boots are too heavy for me to walk more than 3-4 miles. So, I was trying out some new light weight "high-tech" shoes that I thought would be great for hunting .... It turns out as you saw in the pictures, they are a little TOO light weight ..... ....

... Flip flops don't work so well in the heavy cactus and mesquite areas T.F. .... I suppose they don't work so well standing next to a huge fire ant mound for that matter....

[/quote]

My friend, it doesn't matter what you wear on your feet and legs when we accidentally get in a fireant hill! Sometimes fireants will be found in quantities, accidentally far from an obvious hill. That leads to lots of ant bites by unsuspecting folks. I believe wearing flip flops gives a feller a heads up, they'll sting your feet 1st. If you have boots/brogans and jeans on, you'll discover them inside your britches and that's a real problem!!
When we 1st started farming in the Florida Panhandle, the state had a program that was effective, but voluntary to kill fireants. If memory serves me it cost 25 cents per acre to fly Myrex on a farm. Big problem was not everyone participated and within 6 months treated fields would be reinfested. The University of Florida found that injecting steam in the hill would destroy a colony. With literally thousands of ant hills on most private properties, this idea was not cost effective.
It's amazing the non-native creatures that have accidentally been introduced into Florida over the years! Iguanas, pythons, monkeys, fireants, the list is long, the effects are slowly destroying
large areas of natural Florida.
Treefarmer

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 9:32 pm

1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:11 pm Awesome pictures, gents! And GSP, scuba socks aren't legitimate dove hunting apparel.

... Actually, as I have gotten older, my old hiking boots are too heavy for me to walk more than 3-4 miles. So, I was trying out some new light weight "high-tech" shoes that I thought would be great for hunting .... It turns out as you saw in the pictures, they are a little TOO light weight ..... ....

treefarmer wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:30 pm

1967redrider wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 3:11 pm

After being closed for several years, the city finally opened the remaining part of the trail that runs past my place up to Lake Barcroft. I added it to my usual weekend coffee hike, the wife is off with a couple of her friends for Girl's Wine Weekend. The kitties and I are surviving, no worries. And Herb is coming over soon for Oktoberfest Knife Talk.

Goodness, redrider, you ain't got to go in low range 4X4 to do those trails! Interesting pictures.

It is like an obstacle course, and don't go near here if it's raining.

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 4:30 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 1:07 am Last year was a really good dove season. ... However..... ... .....This year, not a great dove season so far, too damn dry this year and last year winter. I got a mesquite thorn right through my shoe into the ball of my foot. If I didn't have my Leatherman with me, it would still be there

My dog is having a good time, "no-stop-'till-he'll-drop" running around.....

OUCH, on that thorn! I reckon wearing flip flops ain't normal foot attire huntin' doves out there like it is in Florida?


Got some interesting pictures this past week, looks like what the deer experts refer to as a "bachelor group". Experience tells me they will be around during the rut, checking out the does that stay close to our place. Don't ever know for sure if you'll ever see them again, somebody busts them on another farm, they get hit by a vehicle or they just disappear and show up after the season.IMAG0597.jpgIMAG0648.jpgIMAG1895.jpgIMAG2146.jpgIMAG2098.jpg

Treefarmer

Great pics, TF. We can't feed deer here as we are in a West Virginia seven-county Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) containment area. I believe there are similar restrictions in the adjoining Virginia counties to our south. We are are also not supposed to feed birds unless it's in a manner that can "reasonably be exprected will not promote the congregation of deer".

Chris J.

[/quote]
Great pics, TF. We can't feed deer here as we are in a West Virginia seven-county Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) containment area. I believe there are similar restrictions in the adjoining Virginia counties to our south. Actually, we are also prohibited from feeding birds unless it's in a manner that will not promote the congregation of deer.

Chris J.
[/quote]
Chris,
CWD is an interesting topic, it's real and it also appears to be a "money maker" for some government agencies. For some eye opening information, look up Dr Deer and CWD. Dr. James Kroll is a highly respected expert on deer and he has published some interesting facts.

Florida found one road killed doe several years ago that tested positive for CWD. The FWC put a stop to deer feeders in parts of 3 counties north of I-10 to the Alabama line. All deer killed on dedicated days were required to be brought to a check station to be sampled. None were found. After a year or so as no other positive tests were discovered land owners can again feed deer. Lots of opinions , just like noses, most everyone has one. One positive thing that occurred is this year, they are allowing does to be taken any day of the season, not just on a few special days indicated by some expert. Bag limits remain the same, 5 deer per season, 2 can be does in our zone.

We feed year around, free choice but not easily reached. A large deer must rear up to get a bite of corn and in doing so corn always spills on the ground allowing the smaller deer to have a taste. This way we don't feed all the coons and other critters free choice. We used to use feeder motors to discharge corn at given times and found that the wise old does would rear up and lick the corn from the spinner plates any time they wanted a snack. This led to the way our feed now works: Treefarmer

treefarmer wrote: ↑Sun Sep 14, 2025 3:08 pm

Great pics, TF. We can't feed deer here as we are in a West Virginia seven-county Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) containment area. I believe there are similar restrictions in the adjoining Virginia counties to our south. Actually, we are also prohibited from feeding birds unless it's in a manner that will not promote the congregation of deer.

Chris J.
[/quote]
Chris,
CWD is an interesting topic, it's real and it also appears to be a "money maker" for some government agencies. For some eye opening information, look up Dr Deer and CWD. Dr. James Kroll is a highly respected expert on deer and he has published some interesting facts.

Florida found one road killed doe several years ago that tested positive for CWD. The FWC put a stop to deer feeders in parts of 3 counties north of I-10 to the Alabama line. All deer killed on dedicated days were required to be brought to a check station to be sampled. None were found. After a year or so as no other positive tests were discovered land owners can again feed deer. Lots of opinions , just like noses, most everyone has one. One positive thing that occurred is this year, they are allowing does to be taken any day of the season, not just on a few special days indicated by some expert. Bag limits remain the same, 5 deer per season, 2 can be does in our zone.

We feed year around, free choice but not easily reached. A large deer must rear up to get a bite of corn and in doing so corn always spills on the ground allowing the smaller deer to have a taste. This way we don't feed all the coons and other critters free choice. We used to use feeder motors to discharge corn at given times and found that the wise old does would rear up and lick the corn from the spinner plates any time they wanted a snack. This led to the way our feed now works:IMAG0652.jpg
Treefarmer
[/quote]

Hi TF:

Thanks for the suggestion regarding Dr. Kroll. I'll be sure to check out what he has to say about CWD--sounds interesting. Interesting history about the banning and reinstatement of the deer feeders in those three Florida counties. That feeder of yours is very cool. When I used to have hanging bird feeders the deer here would regularly eat the seed from them by tilting the feeder sideways.

Chris J.

Had a helper while I was out doing my dead end flushes on the water system.

Postcard worthy sunset tonight.

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Sat Sep 13, 2025 9:18 pm

treefarmer wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 4:30 pm

GSPTOPDOG wrote: ↑Fri Sep 12, 2025 1:07 am

... Flip flops don't work so well in the heavy cactus and mesquite areas T.F. .... I suppose they don't work so well standing next to a huge fire ant mound for that matter....

TD, went out Dove hunting opening weekend at my buddies ranch - 500 acres of mesquite trees. On Sunday we tried out his new toy - a trailer with 3 clay throwers on it that wobbled and traversed left and right. It was all controlled with a tablet hooked in with bluetooth. We had a good time with it, and shot about 100 shells each at it. When we got back to the barn-do, I was walking around on the concrete and felt some pain in my foot. I immediately knew what it was - a big ol' mesquite thorn through my sneaker. I dug it out with a pocket knife - thankfully it didn't poke all the way into my foot.