Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Kodiak Kid]

Good advice KK. I'm thinking since the deer on that farm are often that far away, and don't let you get much closer, I may just bring a bipod with me and go prone. Most of it is very flat.

At those distances, accuracy (of the gun and shooter) is key. The box of bullets I'm bringing are second load of virgin brass, fire formed, and the die adjusted to the chamber (FL). The last two 3 shot groups were both 1/2" at 100 yds.

I usually just think of a bipod for woodchuck hunting on my 220 swift, but different situations call for different methods.

I usually wouldn't take a shot over 200 yds when woods hunting, and anything over 100 yds I would either be sitting, kneeling, or in my sling and leaning against a tree.

I definitely do my best field shooting with a rifle at game over 200yds. From the prone position and with a rest of some type. Often it can be difficult to get above the vegetation in the prone position so I will shoot from the sitting position or rest on or a against a big rock or tree.
Regardless, a well placed shot on an animal at longer distances. Let's say 200yds or more. Makes a fella feel good and that his range time and practice has payed off!

 

[Cowboy254]

@Cowboy254 . Found these 2 in some old coins I inherited from my BIL.
View attachment 1132684

Well how about that. My mother has a tin of old coins from pre-1966 when we went to decimal currency but I don't recall seeing a florin (2 shillings) in there. Nor have my parents mentioned florins, they'd mention pennies, shillings, pounds. They're coming up this weekend, I'll ask about it.

 

[Squareground3691]

Yeaa, they are swelled up from being kicked in the nuts by Huskies!

SR

Nice

 

[farmer steve]

@farmer steve

Two whole different worlds. You’re a farmer and see SO MUCH more than I as an educator. Never met Gary Alt, but I understand and respect him as a biologist. Not just deer, but he’s had a huge role in black bear numbers come back in Pennsylvania.

Your opinion as someone who loses crops to deer damage and subsequently, money, I one hundred percent understand where you’re coming from.

I’d love to maybe one day travel to York and drink a beer or three with you and solve all the world’s problems.

Your welcome anytime Ryan. Get a 5B tag next year and come on over. Here like there developments are multiplying like rabbits making it harder to hunt and pushing the deer into pockets where they can't be hunted.

 

[JimR]

Figured I need to show some photo proof I actually burn wood

I think 95% of my posts in here is hunting, 3% fishing, 1% ATV’s

And……..

That last 1% is ummmmm, firewood and firewood accessories View attachment 1132685

Damn, clean up that ash mess around your blower. Get an old vacuum cleaner for cleaning it up. LOL

 

[JimR]

Yes, but a Stihl bar wrench won't fit a Husky bar nut, because STIHLs have bigger nuts than Huskies!

Stihl nuts are bigger because their owners are always dropping them on the ground. Stihl wanted their nuts to be easier to find in the dirt and grass. LOL

 

[Sawdust Man]

I did, still cannot understand it as it seems to be back to front compared to the ones on the site
https://www.google.com/search?q=gar...mobile-gws-wiz-hp#vhid=1-2QkdRBBNiW5M&vssid=l
The engine overhang at the front, the mid mounted lift and no visible counterweight at the back.????

Same machine as this, but without the log arch on the back and it appears to be missing the hood over the engine.

 

[farmer steve]

Christmas cookies for all the hunters out there.

 

[JimR]

Christmas cookies for all the hunters out there.

View attachment 1132889

Mine was a little higher up.

 

[MustangMike]

I definitely do my best field shooting with a rifle at game over 200yds. From the prone position and with a rest of some type. Often it can be difficult to get above the vegetation in the prone position so I will shoot from the sitting position or rest on or a against a big rock or tree.
Regardless, a well placed shot on an animal at longer distances. Let's say 200yds or more. Makes a fella feel good and that his range time and practice has payed off!

Full agreement again KK. The hay fields look like they have just been cut, so no high obstacles as there are in most situations. (This also makes it tough to get close to them, no cover).

I'm also in full agreement with the larger/slower bullet for the most part. High velocity causes shock and meat damage and will also "upset" a bullet more if it contacts a branch before contacting the game animal.

Since I'm primarily a meat hunter, and we have no grizzlies here, I usually try to place the shot right behind the shoulder to preserve the shoulder meat. The deer will usually run 50-60 yds instead of dropping on the spot.

My experience has been that larger diameter holes through the lungs bleed out faster.

 

[sean donato]

If you are doing open field hunting, any of them are just fine. For thick woods hunting, I prefer 30 cal or more. 308 and 30-06 are great choices, and if you handload, you can reduce the loads till they are older.

For woods hunting I also like to use the harder bullets (so I test them). A bullet that upsets a lot on a small branch (usually faster/lighter bullets) will lose power and accuracy fast. I used to use wet newspaper or phone books for test media, but now adays they are mostly N/A.

Selecting premium bullets often reduces the need for testing, and internet research often results in interesting tests that other have already performed for you.

.308 is in the table as I have one already, just it's a semi so not allowed to hunt with it, but i have a proclivity for collecting calibers with the same parent case... so 7mm08 would fit in with having a .243 and .308 already. 6.5cm is just the low recoil aspect for the kids starting out.

To be honest Sean

It all depends on what the countryside that you will be hunting looks like

My sister slaughters deer in the fields with her m77 in .243, does a great job and low recoil for her little frame.

But at uncle mikes thick woods of the cabin, I feel it’s too light to buck any brush

I have a 6.5 for the older daughter and the 7-08 for the younger

But honestly, up at camp a 30-30 would probably do just fine as most shots are less than 75

If you have open fields, the 243 will work

Woods, I’d go towards something a bit thicker….

But….. getting the next generation out hunting is the best!!

Mike has two grandsons

They have harvested three doe, I was there for each. Seeing the excitement in them after each, PRICELESS!!!

It varies where I hunt, happy land I can be over the field or in the woods, most the public land I hunt is heavy woods and some overgrown fields from clear cuts that were left to nature. Have a hard time hitting a rabbit with the 12ga let alone being confident a bullet will hut a deer in it. So whatever I grab for the kids needs to be a bit universal, I wouldn't let them take any long shots at this point, but I don't want to handicap them once they are older either. (Nit that I need an excuse to buy more guns lol)

@farmer steve

Two whole different worlds. You’re a farmer and see SO MUCH more than I as an educator. Never met Gary Alt, but I understand and respect him as a biologist. Not just deer, but he’s had a huge role in black bear numbers come back in Pennsylvania.

Your opinion as someone who loses crops to deer damage and subsequently, money, I one hundred percent understand where you’re coming from.

I’d love to maybe one day travel to York and drink a beer or three with you and solve all the world’s problems.

Steve is a great guy! I very much enjoyed the time I spent visiting him.

I hunted deer with my 06 for over 25 years. These last few years I decided to switch to my .338 for my own reasons. As far as damaged meat goes? I can't tell much difference between an 06 180gr bullet to the shoulder of a deer or a .338 225gr bullet to shoulder of a deer. Not much difference at all really. That being said. I don't fire cheap projectiles that fragmentate upon or after impact either. Slower velocity loads seem to create less damage to meat than higher velocity loads also from what I've experienced.

I agree, although I typically have my 338wm loaded w/200gr sst bullets. Haven't messed meat up any worse then any other 30ish caliber rifle

Your welcome anytime Ryan. Get a 5B tag next year and come on over. Here like there developments are multiplying like rabbits making it harder to hunt and pushing the deer into pockets where they can't be hunted.

Were having the same issue around here. I'm fearful the woods behind my place will eventually get sold off and turned into a development. Although a farmnwas just sold off and they are putting up chicken houses, so may be people won't want to be around that smell....

 

[MechanicMatt]

Damn, clean up that ash mess around your blower. Get an old vacuum cleaner for cleaning it up. LOL

You sound like my wife

 

[farmer steve]

More deer pitchers.

 

[Cowboy254]

Deer don't care about your presence if you are where you are "supposed to be". If you are walking down a trail or road they will stand there and watch you. But if you are out in the woods and two of your arm hairs rub together wrong, they hear it and are running at 200 yards LOL.

Note to self: If taking up deer hunting, remember to shave arms

 

[Backyard Lumberjack]

a couple up North recently went to see a marriage counselor. might be a cold day in....

guess the dude is a bit of a 'whimp!'....

 

[svk]

I know you guys understand this better than most.

 

[GrizG]

I hit one around 300 at the farm with Factory Remington CoreLokts. She dropped right there. I was shocked!

500 yard shots there is why I retired to 30-06 for that farm and bought the .300 WinMag

Shortly after I got my Ruger No 1 in .257 Roberts I was woodchuck hunting with Remington factory 117 gr. round points. This ammo was used as I didn't have my Huntington custom dies yet and hadn't reloaded anything for the gun. I noticed three deer along the fence line on the far side of the pasture and wondered if I could get one at that range. After a while I noticed a woodchuck maybe 75 yards to the left of the deer, also along the fence line. I could only see the woodchuck when he sat up. On one of those sit ups I took my shot. At the shot the deer looked around and then went back to browsing. I had no idea if I hit the chuck due to the vegetation... With that I walked across the pasture towards the spot I visually marked for the chuck. I was over half way there before the deer went back into the trees. I found the chuck... it had no head but I found it. That answered my question about being able to get a deer with the gun at that range. Distance... Best I could tell by pacing it off through the brush and rough terrain was 350-400 yards. I had sighted the gun in for a point blank aim out to 300 yards on woodchucks and held a bit higher knowing it was further than that. That shot was as long a shot as I could take on that farm. The gun is accurate even with 75 gr Sierra HPs that I typically used for woodchucks.

 

[GrizG]

I know you guys understand this better than most.
View attachment 1132993

Not sure why Mortelmans labeled that "The Carpenter." The workman is clearly working in a metal working shop with no woodworking tools in sight.

 

[svk]

Not sure why Mortelmans's labeled that "The Carpenter." The workman is clearly working in a metal working shop with no woodworking tools in sight.

No idea on that… I stole that from FB

 

[SS396driver]

Most stressful part of the job . Now I need to run the electric and get the plumber here to hook up the propane