Uncle Nicky

I think it is for holding brush, for the full-camo effect.

I pretty much only wear a "bucket" hat for turkey hunting. Got this beauty about 12 years ago. it is reversible, and blaze orange on the other side. People have called it a stovepipe hat & a porkpie hat, but I always thought it was more of a boonie-style hat. I also have a coonskin hat from a raccoon I shot years ago, I'm waiting for it to go back in style again.

Axis deer chateaubriand, complete with sauce Bearnaise, baked potato, and asparagus. I have died and gone to heaven.

None that I directly pay for. The NRA and NWTF send me a magazine for being a member. Seems like the days of magazines & newspapers are pretty much over, thanks to the internet.

Just bigger deer, and it is the rut. Tough animals, I hit one behind the shoulder with a 165 grain 30-06 slug and it ran a good 400 yards before dropping over. Deer chest girth chart attached.

My understanding is that they make a better mount later in the year when their hair turns darker, but yeah, I get what you are saying. We were planning to shoot 2 does for meat, but the fact that we only had 3 coolers to fly back with kept us from getting carried away. It is tempting....

Some pictures from last weekend's long weekend trip to the Hill Country in Texas. Went primarily to kill a nice axis buck and a doe. Wound up killing a very nice buck and a cull buck (rancher wanted it killed instead of a doe) and my buddy also got a respectable buck also. Weather was extremely hot, but we had plenty of ice on hand and meat arrived back home in fine shape. Most axis deer rut in the summer rather than the fall. A LOT of eating here, axis deer yield more than a whitetail, I got about 60# boneless from the smaller deer, and about 75# on the larger deer. Can't wait to go back some day!!

Too hot, but I have been doing 16-oz curls.

Anchovies on any kind of pizza, especially white pizza or focaccia. Most people cringe when they see me eat it. When I was a kid a lot of old-timers ate what they called soffrite...brains, lungs, and tripe stewed with mushrooms, onions, & peppers in tomato sauce, I'm assuming it was all beef but not 100% sure. Either over spaghetti or drained a little & stuffed in a crusty roll. I'd eat it again if I came across it, but don't care enough to save all the parts from a deer or calf/steer to make it myself. Beef or bison tongue...a lot of work, but it's very good. Best cold on rye bread with Swiss, raw onions, and decent mustard. Chips, a deli pickle, and a cold glass of beer make it even better.

The fresh tomatoes kept calling "BLT" to me...

Not really the right tool for the job. I'd stick with a slug gun, or center-fire rifle at least .243 caliber. So many things can and do go wrong when you try hunting with minimal cartridges.

I've made 2 career changes, once around age 31 and again at age 37. You can do it if you want it bad enough. I'll probably be semi-retiring in a year or two but will still work some sort of part-time job, no doubt I'll be doing something different once again. I don't think prison or law enforcement would be something I'd be good at, but good luck in your endeavor!

When I worked in a French restaurant, they were often on the menu, sauteed Provencal style. I've had them panfried before as well, they are quite good, like a cross between fish & chicken, a little chewy but not tough. You don't see them much these days, I don't know if it's scarcity or just not up to American palate anymore. I've never hunted for them before, but would love to give it a try!

Define lost.... I've gotten sidetracked and confused many times, but always made it back, never had to sleep in the woods. But had a few times when I thought I may have to.... Today with a working phone or GPS device it is much easier to keep ahold of your bearings, but at this point in my life I try not to bushwack alone.

I like the Roundup idea. Keeps the law out of the equation, but lets them know you are watching and don't approve.

Congratulations!

Made ribs for the first time in the smoker today, they were the best I can ever remember eating. I'll smoke them slow in the smoker every time from now on. Was going for the infamous 3-2-1 recipe but being they were wild hog ribs, they took a little longer (3-5-2). Made a lasagna with deer & hog sausage for later in the week.

A little better than a corndog...wild turkey nuggets wrapped in bacon, ranch dressing for dipping, rice, and steamed broccoli. Just the dogs & me tonight, the rest of the family is working.

Big game is much more popular with most. Why? Probably a lot has to do with TV and media, when was the last time you saw a TV show where they were shooting squirrels or running beagles for rabbits or hounds for raccoons? It could have to do with yield also, you'd need to shoot a lot of squirrels to fill the freezer the same way a buck would.

Not in the mood for a debate, but "society" is allowing this cycle to perpetuate over & over again, the addicts & doctors are just pawns in this big chess game. We have allowed big business and pharmaceutical companies to get their tentacles into the process of politics & government. We make a show of guarding the border, but stil the demand is there and we continue to let the supply arrive. Society seems to be turning a blind eye to the problem.....

I don't have time or patience for active addicts, I don't want them around me, they can't be trusted. . But I have seen many pull themselves from the depths of heroin (and alcohol) addiction and go on to lead productive lives (and also seen many who died first). If Narcan is cheap and available, I don't see what the big deal is. It's an EMT or cop or doctor's job to save lives, no matter what the circumstances, not play God because they don't agree with someone's bad decisions. I like what Belo said, would anyone have the balls to say what they are saying here to someone whose daughter/son/brother/sister died from an overdose to their face? I doubt most would.

Deer loin steaks cooked on the grill with mushroom gravy. Corn and garden salad, to keep an old guy regular.

.243, and it ran each time.

Last bump. Still 1 spot available.

Longest about 400 yards on an antelope. Closest- my memory is not that good. Lots of small game at a few yards, some deer in archery couldn't have been more than 5 yards, numerous hogs with a handgun or slug gun from a few paces that had been mixing it up with dogs.