wooly

Thanks again guys! adk- the wood is nothing fancy. Just a beech tree sapling I cut a few years ago when I was happy with just a plain old beech sapling as a hiking stick. I cut a few others at the same time but they all cracked and split. This one dried to perfection and is solid a rock! Was also a real nice material for this novice to carve on. This really is the first thing I've ever created that I put 110% of my heart and effort into even though it was first brought on as a learning experience first time wood project. I lost track of the hours I've put into it, but that's not even the point, Most of my other stuff has just been made without putting much thought into them and I often rushed at the end just so I could put them down. This thing really kept me intensely focused every time I picked it up even though it has a few flaws I did my best to work through.

Thanks guys! It's gonna be a gift so I personally wont be using it.... but I'm pretty sure it will see some use!

Hardly perfect, but turned out better than I imagined when I first got started. I definitely need to work on my eyeballs more,lol No real good way to take a pic of the whole thing so here's a short vid clip.

Happy B-day Bob!

Finally got to see the little pecker heads today!

Yep..., 40-50yds from the cow carcasses right at the property stake. I was guessing they were set for yote and fox, but the big, holey tree they were under was screaming of coon. These are set about 1 1/2-2 ft outside the root upheaval that would have made a great place to stash some bait or scent allowing the critters to walk right into it even with a cautious approach. Probably took home a good variety of furs from that set by the looks of it. My interest in this stuff is growing every year but I haven't got around to taking the course yet to get started. I really think I'd enjoy this trapping stuff more than hunting any more.

My sis uses a Mossburg 500 20ga. with factory full choke and is two for two so far at 20 and 30yds. Nice light gun for sure, and it keeeeels.... as long as you pattern and know it's limitations! I still like my 12ga single shot for effectiveness, carrying, and simplicity.

Alright, thanks Jay! I'll see if I can come up with something, otherwise I'll just cut the chains. Definitely not worth too much effort or killing myself over, just thought it would be nice to have the full set up. I used to have a bunch of these things, but they all got lost over the years. Some of my favorites were tagged with copper bands with the trappers name and addy punched in them.

I dug down to the top of the stakes and it looks like they were anchored with an I-beam post. I'm just not sure how deep they're driven in. Thought maybe there was a special tool I could improvise for this instead of digging? The cows I find in the farmers surface cemetery. Years of cow bones piled up in there!

I found 3 old traps set next to an up-rooted root cluster the trapper must have used for backing. I'm not really up to speed on all this stuff, and was wondering how the hell I can get them out without cutting the chains. I gave them all a good yank, but they didn't budge except for one which I broke the jaws off trying to pry it up with a big stick. I'm not sure how deep the stakes are driven in, and maybe the roots have grown around them at this point. Anyhow, they are old and have obviously been there for several years, and I'd like to add them to my little "outdoorsy find collection". Any suggestions short of hauling a crapload of tools back there to remove them? The carcass in the background has nothing to do with this trap set. I was just out collecting some bones and thought I'd bring that little calves skull home for some clean up, and set the rest in front of a trail cam. Also found a bigger hunk of bait for a cam set up, but I don't think I'll be dragging that one around the woods anytime soon,lol.Soo bad I just wanted to pop that sucker, but the stench was already unbearable!

Looks like crane fly eggs. I saw one depositing them on a dead log the last week of turkey season. Really neat to see.

The deer around here seem to be perfectionists!

Happy B-day Pred! Have fun-gi!

Sweet man! Looks great! Did you buy that head piece or is that a custom hand painted job?

I've seen a lot of other critters try to eat those little things, so it wouldn't surprise me to see a snapper swallow a woody or two! They must really be delicious!

Woodies! I have no idea how they didn't see me. When I finally put the sneak on them and peaked over the creek bank, they were gone. Also bumped into a turtle I think was looking for a nesting area. Got a little snapper stank on my fingers before I let her go about her business!

Found my first "Dead Mans Fingers" ...or "Xylaria Polymorphas" today! They make the perfect hand model for one of my carved antler skull rings....Muuuhahahahahaha!!! Not sure what the other ones are. Found them on a stump in the yard while mowing today.

Happy B-day dude!

Pheeeew.... you made it! Same time, same place next year I hope! Happy B-day and see ya then!

I took a break from the hiking staff today and got back on some bone! First shot at a deer antler skull ring. Need to make a few adjustments next time, but not too bad!

Another addition to the stick today...

Pisses me off when this happens to me every year. I search all spring and by the time I finally find them they are dried out and dissolving already. My search area was about 100yds too short this year. I would have never thought to look where I stumbled upon these in the open timber

Finally found 8 big ol' morel mushrooms today on my way out to look for turkeys! A little too late as usual. Still the most I've ever found in one season so I picked them just for bragging rights!

I remember you saying you weren't a spur necklace kinda guy, but just thought I'd put it out there for ya..., or anyone else!

Thanks guys! I tried making one out of a slate rock I found too. That was kinda fun and different, but it really does a number on the bits! These could easily be converted into little pocket hookas, and they might stand up to the heat a little better,lol