Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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Called in a small rack buck to within 10 yards on my hard left in thick brush. Never saw him till he was right there. Being a lefty couldn't get the gun around. Apparently he didn't get the memo to come out in the shooting lane. Maybe tomorrow.
I'm just getting ready to go out for the evening hunt. Got enough of my wife's "birthday honey do list" done. My logging buddy is working late tonight, so I'm gonna sit in his stand this evening. Few nice buck I've been seeing around the house and we're all of a 1/4 mile apart from each other. Good chance we've been seeing the same group of deer.
 
I used to carry a .44 mag revolver and my rifle for those situations… I shot one buck with a revolver and it was while still hunting—found him in his bed. I stopped carrying both guns as it wasn’t worth the weight! I do stick an air weight S&W .38 in my pocket — that’s for biped sphincters if things go sideways while my rifle isn’t loaded (gutting, dragging, in and out of the woods). The property I hunt is now posted so that problem seems to be gone… There is a history of encounters—hunter harassment, trespassers stealing trees, and other stupid stuff.

BTW, the managing trustee for the property found out who the trespasser is. A friend of a friend of the owner. The trustee dealt with it.
The "friend of a friend" deal is why we had very few people on our land to hunt in the past. One instance someone had asked dad to hunt, he asked how many and the answer was "just me and my 2 sons". Long story short "me and my 2 sons" turned into 8 guys in 2 pickups and when asked why that happened he gave the "um, well, um" answer and was not allowed to come back. Another long story short was the adult (using that term loosely) son of a neighboring land owner who thought he could hunt wherever he wanted to. All of the other neighbors and dad had it out with him and his mom (he still lived at home) but both clamed ignorance to him trespassing. I chased him out a couple of times myself during deer season but going on 10 years ago they finally moved away.
 
My phone won't load tick tok videos without asking me to load the app, so I didn't see the study, but. When my wife was in collage, she was in an off campus dorm/apartment. They had a little strip of woods out behind her building. Zero hunting pressure, no one was allowed to hunt the area. The deer did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted vs the mountain deer where I'm at now. They mostly move early day or evening unless pushed. (Which isn't happening since there's no one out, parking lot has me, my older bother and cousin parked in it... gonna be another crappy day.) Which is mostly the same for the little farm I hunt. I'd bet i kicked more deer out Saturday walking into my stand then the 8 I saw that morning, all of which were pushed by others.
So, I really think it's area dependant, and what kind of, if any, hunting pressure is on the deer/other animals to when they prefer to move.
Edit: forgot to mention food and water sources too. Lots of both, no real reason for them to move much.
There is a kinda resort town in N.M. and along the main drag there is alot of cafes and restaurants. The deer will come up to your outside dining tables like their going to take your order. Sudderth Avenue, Ruidoso, New Mex.
 
Another “strange” buck went through mom’s property yesterday. In the 60+ years I’d notice such things I’ve never seen as many bucks there as I have seen this year. Lots of yearlings.. Bodes well for next season as they pretty much all end up in the huntable woods at some point. Biggest problem is me having time!

Note the browse line on the yews… 200 feet of them like that on that side of the house. All the rest of the yews were removed as the deer decimated them!


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Well I just love winter IMG_9468.jpeg
Woke this morning to no water .turned the pump off let the cistern refill turn it on and it sucked all the water out . Hardly any pressure in the house so the feed line must have ruptured. Not from cold since it’s in the 30’s and the ground isn’t even frosted yet

Have about 100 feet to go
 
Well I just love winter View attachment 1224019
Woke this morning to no water .turned the pump off let the cistern refill turn it on and it sucked all the water out . Hardly any pressure in the house so the feed line must have ruptured. Not from cold since it’s in the 30’s and the ground isn’t even frosted yet

Have about 100 feet to go
At least you have the equipment to repair it yourself. I had to hire someone when my water line broke$$. Just looking at the bright side.
 
At least you have the equipment to repair it yourself. I had to hire someone when my water line broke$$. Just looking at the bright side.
I actually called a few guys I know with bigger equipment they told me they were booked out for two to three weeks . The part digging with the Kubota doesn’t bother me it’s getting into the trench to hand dig the final part to the pipe and electric. My 65 year old body don’t like it
 
Real nice deer FS, enjoy the venison and the trophy!

I was out again this morning and saw NOTHING! Will go again this afternoon and then fold up my blind as heavy winds are predicted for tomorrow. I saw lots of deer at the same location last year, and my other location (in Brewster), the owner is telling me he is not seeing anything!

Plan to go back up to the cabin this WE. The hunting it tough up there, but there is snow, so that should help!

Very frustrated so far.
 
Quit for the day . Got about 65’ dug out about half way to the house . Not going to be able to work on it tomorrow as my tree guy has a few loads of oak I need to pick up . Suppose to warm up Sunday and the rest of next week . High 40s to maybe low 50s be a lot nicer than todays 30 .

I’m able to get water from the overflow to drink and flush toilets have about 40 gallons in the basement in my maple syrup tanks .
 
I actually called a few guys I know with bigger equipment they told me they were booked out for two to three weeks . The part digging with the Kubota doesn’t bother me it’s getting into the trench to hand dig the final part to the pipe and electric. My 65 year old body don’t like it
I hear you about age. Just turned 65 in October and I can't do nearly the stuff when I was younger.
 
My softball team won our division

I’m not in my 60’s yet. But being the only guy in his 40’s on this team….

I can tell you, it’s rough playing a game at a young man’s pace

Last three seasons we were in the championship games. This year I went out and got our team a “mentally strong” pitcher

The other guys is a great pitcher, just would come unraveled in the big games. Lose all control and start walking everyone

Brought in my guy Vinny, well….. he also won our Cy Young award this year….

Uncle Mike, you may remember Vinny, he had a Mustang and you helped him one tax season get all straightened out
IMG_5436.jpeg
 
Real nice deer FS, enjoy the venison and the trophy!

I was out again this morning and saw NOTHING! Will go again this afternoon and then fold up my blind as heavy winds are predicted for tomorrow. I saw lots of deer at the same location last year, and my other location (in Brewster), the owner is telling me he is not seeing anything!

Plan to go back up to the cabin this WE. The hunting it tough up there, but there is snow, so that should help!

Very frustrated so far.
The acorn crop was huge this year which might be why the deer are not moving.
 
I nominate this for post of the year.
I can tell you, it’s rough playing a game at a young man’s pace
I'm still running an old man's 30 and over basketball league. I'm the only original guy left from the inception of the league (have been for at least 15 years) and it's getting harder to chase those 30 year old kids.
I’m not in my 60’s yet.
Neither am I, but let's just say that my anniversary of playing in the 30 and over league is nearly eligible to play now.

Played tonight, and now it's Miller time. 🍺
 
Out playing again and dropped two more Ash trees. I had a few good loads to move yesterday.
I am going to miss the Ash when they are gone. Love turning them into firewood, and the post and beam for my cabin was milled with the chainsaw from Ash trees.

Down here, most have been dead long enough to get punky, up at the cabin a lot of the trees are still alive, but many are "stressed". The logger took most of them over 12".
 

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