Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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I don't wear my chainsaw boots because they make me feel like Frankenstein! So, even though I don't wear steel toe, I ALWAYS wear boots when cutting or splitting. They may not protect you from everything, but they are a heck of a lot better than sneakers!

Even rounds, or split rounds can do a number on your feet.
 
If I'm doing a lot of cutting, I'm usually wearing my logger boots(Nicks.) They aren't steel-toe, but steel-toes are a no-no in the fire world. At home, I might be wearing my Ariats that have a composite toe. I generally wear boots when running a saw, but it's not uncommon to at least rip some test cookies wearing shorts/vans when I finish building a saw(warm weather.)
 
Tried out the Foley Belsaw bench grinder . Work out well as far as I can tell the proof will be when I cut tomorrow.
Would like some critique on the chain does it look right or should I go slightly deeper with the grind ? And I set it to 30 degrees I used a chain I rocked a few days ago . I didn’t mount it yet going to clean it with diesel and lube it before I use it
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More trail cam pics up at the property! Guess I was wrong ... the 4 point buck is a 4 point buck, and there is also a 5 point buck. Both have very high antlers, good body size and no brow tines. They must be related. Both of them, and a much larger buck (with brow tines) have come into the same scrape, along with one doe.

The body size of both the 4 and 5 point bucks are notably larger than the does, so IMO, they should be shooters, but we have to play by the stupid rules!

On our other trail camera, we have doe's several times, a very small spike, a buck with a broken tine on the right side, but the top of the left side looks good (can't see the rest of it), but the right side has a brow tine.

There is also a 9-10 point buck (no huge tines) on this camera, but we have only seen him twice, both times at night. Not sure if it is the same large buck that is on the scape camera as the angles are in the opposite direction (he also came into that camera in the daylight).

Considering we ONLY had does on the cameras the first few weeks they were up, this is getting very interesting, but the 3 point/side rule will make if very tricky as to what you can shoot! The only one exempted from this 3 pt rule is my 13 year old grandson.
Before the wolves wiped out our herd, we saw that same thing happening in the past decade (never before that). Most bucks had no to very paltry brow times, even the mature ones.

Back in the day there were three distinctive families of antler shapes, wide and (usually) low, narrower and high, and very narrow and gnarly but with more mass. I fear to see what is left if the deer ever recover.
 
Would like some critic on the chain does it look right or should I go slightly deeper with the grind ?
How does it compare to other chains you have? Always hard to judge by photos, but grind looks rough, and top plate bevel does not look that sharp.

Did you dress the grinding wheel?

If you normally file your chains, take a few strokes with a file on one tooth, getting it how you like it. Then get the other teeth to match with the grinder, regardless of the settings.

Philbert
 
This is the 4 pt buck we are not allowed to shoot ... how stupid, this is a good size deer!

In fact, because he does not genetically have browe tines, he should be harvested!
A guy I know from produce auction raises deer. He says antler restrictions are stupid . If you shoot all the nice big bucks then all that is left to breed the does are sub par genetic bucks. He culls anything that are spikes in the first year in his herd. He says he tried raising a couple and they never grew big racks.
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How many different types of woodland fowl do you have? We have ruffed grouse and spruce grouse.
We have ruff and spruce grouse, as well as sharp tailed grouse. Although rarely seen close to my house, we have ptarmigan as well, but they prefer more open areas
 
Tried out the Foley Belsaw bench grinder . Work out well as far as I can tell the proof will be when I cut tomorrow.
Would like some critic on the chain does it look right or should I go slightly deeper with the grind ? And I set it to 30 degrees I used a chain I rocked a few days ago . I didn’t mount it yet going to clean it with diesel and lube it before I use it
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You need to grind more out, and looks like you need to increase your head tilt a bit.
 
On the subject of blizzak tires, I am not a fan. My experience with them (both the car and truck versions) is that they do fantastic on icy, plowed roads, and are absolutely garbage in snow more then a couple inches deep, or mud.

My favorite winter tire is the GoodYear duratrac. I have those on the suburban and that thing will go absolutely anywhere.

On my F350 it had blizzaks when I bought it, and not sure if I was gonna keep it, but needing tires I bought the cheapest I could find which was the BFG KO2. They seem a bit harder then then older version of that tire.

My 2wd Chevy 2500HD has cooper STT on the back and some soft snow tire on the front, made by Michelin
 
Blizzaks are the best ice tire imo. My son has a set on his civic and they work mint. On my eff one fiddy, I was running Cooper discoverer m+s winters. They were a good ice tire but an excellent snow tire. However, they discontinued them. I stuck with cooper and got the snow claw I think they're called. Way better ice tire but not as good a snow tire for the loose stuff. A guy can read reviews all day but regionally there are different conditions. We get a lot of lake effect snow so having that bigger lug to clear snow is more important. Anyway, the ones on it are good enough and I hope to have a new truck before they wear out!
 
How does it compare to other chains you have? Always hard to judge by photos, but grind looks rough, and top plate bevel does not look that sharp.

Did you dress the grinding wheel?

If you normally file your chains, take a few strokes with a file on one tooth, getting it how you like it. Then get the other teeth to match with the grinder, regardless of the settings.

Philbert
I normally hand file with the Stihl 2 in 1 . The wheel was dressed I didn’t check it with a radius tool as I don’t have one . It’s a 60 grit wheel C0435416-A2A1-48DF-912C-DC1031F0A46A.jpeg
 
Huh, I'm not familiar with that grinder. It seems odd to me that there is no way to adjust the head angle or the angle of the base.
I’m sure it’s pretty old I bought it from the family that their dad closed his hardware store 20 years ago . I also have the bigger one the 1055 I haven’t even tried it yet E0515375-F318-4C93-AF53-A3ECA973624C.jpeg
 
I'm just running all-terrains on both of my pickups. My Dodge diesel doesn't see that many miles, so I have a little more agro tires on it(Cooper stt pro.) It helps it in most situations and I'd be worried that it would chew through a set of dedicated snow tire. The diesels seem to chew through rear tires, especially the manuals...I'm not doing smoky burnouts, but I guess the torque is hard on the drive tires. That truck sucks in the snow, even in 4wd.)

The Tacoma is my daily driver and really does well in the snow regardless of what tires I have on there...the small/midsize pickups are much better in that regard. I'm running the Cooper Discoverer AT3s on it...they clean out well in deep snow. They just don't wear as well as the crappy stock Goodyears...those would howl hard around corners, but take forever to wear out.

My only complaint about the Taco, is you have to be in low range to use the locker. I understand that they are worried about some idiot ripping around with the locker engaged and spinning it sideways...I've had a few vehicles that were auto locked or spooled/lincoln-locked, and they took a light touch with the throttle in snow...but really useful on hills and deep snow. My old k20 has a Detroit in the back and a posi in the front...talk about an interesting truck to drive in the snow. It would kill it in the snow, just "odd" going around corners.

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Discoverer AT3's are hands down the most popular light truck tire in my area. I'm running them in my F-150 and will probably stay with them when that set is toast.
 
I put a new set of discoverer at3 Lt on my truck this year. Not the 4s version but they do have the snowflake. I love them for an all terrain and highway tire. Went up to load range e and they do hit harder in the bumps but I can put a truckload of sugar maple in while towing the trailer loaded and they don't bulge. And contrary to what I've read, I'm getting slightly better fuel mileage than before with the Wrangler AT in load range c.
 
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