Outdoorsman Thread

[jerryd6818]

Looks like another great day for Scott and his Posse.

[313 Mike]

Good stuff Scott, I bet that was a fun adventure! Those boys were high up in that tree, sheesh!

[TripleF]

Thanks fealls....thanks Jerry for rotating the pics.

Yeah Mike, I have to say.......that was the first time I was nervous.....

[jerryd6818]

Yeah, grandpa was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs but those two little squirrels were calm as a cucumber.

"Look grandpa. Look at me. Look how high I am!"


Those are the kind that once they're grown up say, "Here. Hold my beer and watch this."

[TripleF]

Those are the kind that once they're grown up say, "Here. Hold my beer and watch this."

I'm soooooooooooo looking forward to that!!

[treefarmer]

Scott, It's always neat to see what you and the grands are up to and Mike brightens things with his kids being outside! Doesn't it seem that all the "hand held devices" are causing our children and grand children to loose their abilities to explore or better said to be outside and ramble, make their own fun and games?
Jerry described the boys as squirrels, which prompted these pictures. We only have 2 decent pecan trees up in the edge of the garden and the squirrels usually beat us to the nuts, even before they are fit for human consumption, in other words they are still green. Jerry suggested the shotgun over in the 1st cup thread but we usually are successful by wrapping some aluminum flashing around the trunks, making it impossible for the little critters to climb. It's usually pretty funny the 1st morning or two to watch them try to climb the metal. The branches also need to be pruned up about 4 foot so they can't jump up onto a lower limb from the ground.
It doesn't look too great, the neighbors don't care since we have none and best of all it works. Once the pecans begin to fall, you've still got to deal with the tree rats getting them off the ground. We have another big tree that was in our old barn yard on the other side of the farm. That's when I found out that the cows would eat the pecans.
Treefarmer

[Dinadan]

Treefarmer- When I was a kid we had about a dozen pecan trees. Our place was surrounded by woods. It was a constant battle with squirrels, blue jays, crows, and flying squirrels. I used a .22 on the jays and squirrels, the crows were too wary for me. At night I would often hear the high pitched squeaks of flying squirrels in the trees. They would glide in under the branches and land on the trunk about head high. Our cat would sit at the foot of the trees waiting to leap for one when it landed. Now that I an past sixty, I no longer hear the flying squirrel squeaks.

[treefarmer]

Mel,
The mention of flying squirrels reminded me of an incident on our hunting lease a few years back.
We can build any kind of a stand or blind we want on this piece of property, so I built this 4X4 shooting house on top of a 16 foot ladder stand. At that time it was 50 year old pine timber that had been managed to the point that the last cutting was sure to come in just a few years. The pines had grown into power pole size which brings top dollar.
As usual a few weeks before deer season, I went to kill all the wasp nests and make sure the stand was still safe. When I opened the plywood door something rain across my hand and then there were flying squirrels running all around inside of the stand. That would have been pretty scary had it happened before daylight! The little rascals had cut a hole in my old office chair and set up house keeping. I opened the windows and slowly prodded them out of their corners and places they were hiding, till the all went out the window and sailed to the next pine which was probably 25 feet away.
Well hunting season started and I was still sharing my shooting house with the flying squirrels, I'd be climbing the ladder and they would be bailing out at the top. I could handle that situation, but a week or so into the season I began to smell something and couldn't quit figure out where it was coming from. Finally I realized this unpleasant odor was coming from my chair. I dug around in the seat pad and found a flattened out squirrel that must have just over slept one day when I sat down on him and that was it for him. I fished him out and was able to sail him toward that same pine the rest of the tribe always seemed to head for when I started up the ladder.
The next year the timber company began cutting the remaining big pines and then after a year or two the property was completely replanted. Pines are a renewable resource, so the rotation was begun again, we are surrounded by about 10 year old pines now and have had to change all the hunting tactics that were so effective in that old timber and all the browse that was growing under the tall pines.
When the company cut the timber they were kind enough to leave my stand intact. I wasn't able to hunt it last year due to a new knee and a new hip, maybe I should stay a little closer to the ground as I am only 13 months from the three score and ten mark.
Here's a picture of that stand after the flying squirrels left and the big timber was cut.
Treefarmer

[313 Mike]

Great stories Mel and Phillip! Doggone squirrels are a nuisance for sure. Worst ones around here are the tiny red squirrels, they will spot you in the tree stand, and sit there the next tree over just chirping away endlessley...and there ain't enough meat on them for more than a morsel, so they have no redeeming qualities whatsoever...

Really cool pic of your lonely looming stand there too Phillip, mighty kind of them to leave it standing for ya!

[TripleF]

Good, good stuff Philip....Mel!

Electronic devices are only PART of the problem with kids these days..... the other part is.....the parents Most of them can't fathom going outside with their kids.

BUT once the kids are out, they fidure it out.....just sorta comes naturally!!

[philco]

I'm looking at one of these UTVs. Anyone have any experience with them ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-B_fDWkYU

[jerryd6818]

I'm looking at one of these UTVs. Anyone have any experience with them ?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-B_fDWkYU[/youtube]

I usually look for reviews. Here are some.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... -compliant

[garddogg56]

Might as well buy a used Jeep with airconditioning there cheaper Mel great story

[Dinadan]

Treefarmer - I am guessing that the timber company left your tree stand because they thought there were nails or spikes in the tree that would be hard on saw blades. Or maybe they were just kind!

That must have been kind of fun shooing the flying squirrels out of the tree stand. I have always loved seeing them, both gliding and scurrying. There are some around my home, but it is quiet rare for me to see one these days. Back in the pecan grove days I did kill quit a few with rat shot in a .22 rifle. After dark I would check the corn crib and the hay barn for rats or mice and shoot at any that I saw. Then the pecan trees and shoot at any flying squirrels that were low down. I could hear them gnawing the pecans or squeaking in the trees. Our cat followed me around and finished off the wounded. That was another life, I guess. If I were twelve years old today I would be spending my nights playing video games instead of prowling around under the stars.

[treefarmer]

I hear you, Brother! It's a different world today .
Treefarmer

[philco]

I'm looking at one of these UTVs. Anyone have any experience with them ?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL-B_fDWkYU[/youtube]

I usually look for reviews. Here are some.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... -compliant

I pulled the trigger on one yesterday. It was marked down to 7499.99 and I had a 10% off coupon so I got it for way less than the price shown on the video. I"ll be picking mine up next Thursday.

[TripleF]

Suhweeeeet Phil!!!


Well, we went to the Park yesterday with a couple new recruits. Also had another adult with me - the kids football coach. We had a good time, until......................

One of the kids accidentally set my backpack down on the ground......on a yellow jacket's nest. Yeah. Not pretty.

Only one kid was stung, and they got me 3 times the little stinkers......

Here's a pic just before a light rain started.....(good thing the kids wanted the tarp up, huh?)

[jerryd6818]

Wait a minute!! What's that girl doing in there, muckin' up a men's day out.

[garddogg56]

Way to go Scott and Jerry you have a daughter and I know my Daughter loved the outdoors as much as my boys

[TripleF]

Don't you fellas worry....I'm not allergic to bee stings!!

We allow little girls to join.....we just can't pee as freely

[zp4ja]

Congrats Phil. Lots of fun ahead.

Very cool Scott (except the bee sting situation). Looks like a great deal of fun.

Jerry

[Dinadan]

Don't you fellas worry....I'm not allergic to bee stings!!

I am not allergic to bee stings either ... but I have a distaste for them that is so strong it might almost be called an aversion! Probably 90% of the stings I have had in my life were yellow jackets.

Looks like a fine day otherwise!

[Mumbleypeg]

We allow little girls to join.....we just can't pee as freely

Reminds me of several years ago when at a Boy Scout leader woodcraft training event one Saturday morning. There was about 8 guys and one woman being trained by a veteran scoutmaster, himself an Eagle Scout and very successful businessman. We were at a Boy Scout campground that wasn't currently being used. The only "facility" was an enclosed outhouse. After a couple of hours the trainer announced it was time for a break, and recommended we let the lady use the toilet first. She went up the hill to the outhouse and as soon as she had gone inside he said "okay men, find yourself a tree".

Ken

[carrmillus]

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[zp4ja]

Opening Day of my Antelope tag today. We did numerous scouting trips with quite a few with no pics. Never saw another soul.
There were only about rifle 50 tags in my zone which is a huge area and half of the tag holders were in a 10 mile square area when light finally broke.
I shot at two trophy Antelope, enough to likely put my son's impressive Antelope mount to shame, one at 575 yards and one at 610 yards. No hunting fever at fault but the 5 second window of opportunity to setup and take the shot was not a real help either. Dead center as far as windage but a couple inches high both times. Unfortunately, only tested rifle and ammo to 400 yards (far as my rifle range goes) but ballistic drop where exact at that range based on calculator so I thought I had it dialed to 600, apparently not.

These animals run amazingly fast and when the opening day shooting starts they obviously get spooked for the rest of the 2 week season, real hard to get one as they can literally see for 2 to 4 miles. Based on that and the hunting pressure, "bird in hand" theory, I chose to take a smaller but still real nice buck antelope about 3 hours after season opened and the two long range shot missed opportunities.

We spotted at 370 yards and I actually had time to set my bipod this attempt. He dropped right where he stood.

I am very fortunate and grateful to have this opportunity and success. Although short, had a great time with my son and grandson, we all came home safe and have some memories and some excellent meat to show for it. Not large enough to justify the $750 for a cape mount so I will be getting a European Mount.
Since I had a successful harvest, have a 5 year wait before I can apply for that tag again but you can harvest a "horns shorter than ears" every year if you draw.

Really gratifying to take this beautiful animal with my Dad's rifle that he hunted with and use a knife of his to process it.

My mule deer buck tag opens on October 5th thru 20th and I have some pics of some monsters in my zone I will have to share. All I can say is unbelievable to see bucks like this passed up for archery, so there are bigger ones lurking.

Regards, Jerry