Great day in the brush with a bonus

[Spotted Owl]

Yesterday was the best day I have had in a long time. The sap softened enough so you don't have to be to carefull. Big smooth fir, a few pulling 3 40's and a 32. Average stump 50+", semi flat ground, no wind, nobody checkin up.

Bonus, my boy was with me. He had his first good taste of cutting real wood. I caught myself smile'in so much it started to hurt a bit. The boy me and nobody else, don't get no better than that.

Oh wait it does. About 2:00 I look around and see his saw on a stump with tracks to the truck. His rifle and pack are missing. So I start looking and listening. 20 min later out he comes. I ask, and he said he saw a small herd just on top of the rise and decided to check it out. He said he thought he hit one. But there was no blood to be found. I said we should go and look some more. He was right no blood to save our lives. So we started to follow the tracks. 30 yds from where he thought he hit it there she was. The smile on his face I thought was gonna split his head in two. Mine must'a been just as big. I still have the headache from all the smile'in yesterday.

Three things I have been waiting 14yrs to see.

1. My boy got his first buck this year, decent 4X4

2. My boy got to cut with just me and none of the other crew or anyone but us around. A dream he has had for a long time. With some decent wood to boot.

3. My boy got his self his first elk. Got to help pack his first elk too. Said and done home, cleaned up and in bed just shy of 3:00 this morn

Darn it all if you see a light in the sky tonight don't be wonder'in. It's just me beem'in pround as could be. Don't think I could be any prouder of my boy than I am right now.

About being a Dad, the good FAR FAR FAR out weighs the bad.

Got no photos though. We tried but the snow was so bad that it was just a white blur.

Enough mush, thanks for letting me tell the story.



Owl

 

[Jacob J.]

That does sound like a real good day. I'm surprised someone is logging wood that big right now, nobody is moving anything here.

 

[ak4195]

Congrats!!

See theres hope for the young generation yet

Bacon wrapped loin steak with balsamic vinegar sounds good,just a teeny tiny bit of pink should finish it off well.Generous portion of red wine for the cook of course.

ak4195

 

[forestryworks]

sounds like a good day in the woods

 

[Spotted Owl]

It's one of those when you have time jobs. Or when the mill calls and is ready to buy big wood(not often lately). I probably won't be back up there for another couple months, short of just screwing around with the boy. The boss called and said make a day up there when you have time, as it stands right now that wood will sit for some time for enough snow to get trucks up to haul it. He also said that every so often we have to do something to keep it an active job, the leaf eaters are tring to close this one down. They don't like bigger wood commin down.

The younger generation in this house does have some promise. May sound extreme but we have no television or video games here, what we do have is homeschooling, chores, and household duties. They do however get local school sports, football, track, volleyball, softball along with church and those activities and all that stuff. Most of all we have lots of great times as a family, the 4 of us doing things together, camping, fighing, hunting, trapping, it cycles one comes up with an idea and thats what happens, then the next gets their idea and so on. I look at both my kids and the other kids from around. Mine will look you in the eye when being talked to and when talking to you. The boy will shake your hand and look you in the eye at the same time, that you don't seem to see much anymore even from my generation(I'm32). They will call you Mr. or Mrs. never ever by your first name, lots of the younger don't know how that respect works anymore. Nough about that though.

Daughter got her first deer this year also. Oregon started a mentor program. I was able to draw a doe tag, knowing that if we got it she would be the one to kill the animal. One shot from about 80 yds resting on an old huge fir stump, results, 109#s by the hangin scale out at the barn. At 10 she just doen't have the stamina to go to work with me yet. She says she will soon though.

Their will be some bacon wrapped eats tomorrow night. On his kills he likes to cook the tenderloin himself as celebration. The kids trys so hard you can't help but to eat it with a smile. Everytime so far them tenders have coiled up like a spring and eat tough as a boot sole, but by gawd he's proud and come hell or high water we eat it with him like it's the best thing since the little plastic things on boot laces.

Great experiences and life lasting memories with the next generation.


Owl

 

[Bushler]

180 bushels? Take my name Owl, you deserve it more than me.

 

[slowp]

A truly happy day(s). Congratulations!

 

[Gologit]

Great post. You and your boy can store that day away...it's a keeper.

 

[Cedarkerf]

You have it all and would not call it extreme at all congrats on a great family.

 

[woodguy105]

Beautiful...my SIL & BIL home school their son and daughter. You can see the difference in them compared to public school kids. Just like you said spotted owl, they speak with respect, look you in the eye etc. etc.

Sounds like you have a great family!

 

[redprospector]

You'll remember that day forever.
I remember when my 2nd oldest son got his first buck (a little 2x2), he was 12.
He made a 130 yd shot with a Winchester mod. 94. I thought the buck was gut shot, but wanted to see if he'd go down without a 2nd shot. The buck slowly started up the hill into thick brush, so I whispered "Bust his azz Jeb".
Well, Jeb leaned against a tree, took a deep breath, started letting it out and squeezed one off. The buck dropped right there.
His first shot was a decent lung shot. His second shot was direct center of the bucks butt hole. When I asked him why he shot the deer in the butt, he looked at me kinda funny and said "You told me to bust his azz".

You've gotta love an obedient son.

Andy

 

[super3]

You have a lot to be proud of man

 

[Burvol]

Damn Owl, 50" Fir with three 40's and a 32, now that's some good wood. Nice to hear you and your son sharing that experience. When I started cutting with my Dad our relationship grew from where it was left off, years ago. Now he's practically my best friend and my partner for most of the cutting season. That's awesome, you can really show him who you are as a person, and what it takes to be a good faller. Falling timber is something that shapes your identity when you do it for a living, now your son will know why you're such a gruff old sob! at 32

 

[Tree Sling'r]

Nice, I had that same feeling when I took my son with me on a Saturday and made a video a while back. It is a good experience. He feeds us too, he tagged out this year at home with blacktails and then shot a 250lb muley in Colorado. Me, I just buy the beef by the half.