Daveboone

Not at all. I have had pics of deer within the hour of changing it. Keep yourself clean, dont handle everything in sight. Of course, if you put up a camera in a new place and visit it frequently during the fall when they are most on edge, it probably makes them more cautious around the area.

Year round and check every 2-4 months off season, about every 2 weeks through most of hunting season but weekly the last week or two . Really more for my own entertainment than anything.

As long as you can run the motor....in a trash can of water or with ears, most folks will be happy.

Firearms like what you have are my favorite projects. Happiness is an afternoon breaking down, cleaning, tinkering, and reassembling old firearms. My only advice is to start with the most non- collectable, make sure you have good fitting screwdrivers (if not, buy a set of gunsmithing screwdrivers and punches), plenty of oil and start the soaking!

He is folk art. I love Grandma Moses and similar works, which he falls into. Several years ago we were at an auction, and a hand painted silk end table cover came up. It was wonderfully hand painted by Al Capp ( a friend of the family holding the auction) with all the characters from the comic strip "Lil Abner" (for those of you who remember such things), cavorting in a circular pattern . It was wonderful. I desperately would have loved it, but we absolutely had no place to put it.

We used to spend quite a bit of time in the Moose River Plains area. It is huge, and has a lot of free rustic camp sites within it. Limekiln State Park is just outside it. It would be a very good idea to go up ahead of time scouting. There are a lot of ridge lines you can follow with map and compass, and a canoe would be a good idea. There are a number of fairly large lakes that you can access lands by, or by going up different branches of the rivers. The area has a full time ranger on duty, whos office is at the entrance near Limekiln State Park. It is well worth the time to go up for a week end or two to familiarize yourself. I understand it has been quite heavily used the last couple years, but am sure mid week/off holiday, and after labor day you will not have any problems with crowds.

In most SA concessions, the land owner owns the meat. All animals are immediatly transported to the skinning shed and then placed in cold storage. Depending on the owners arrangements, it then may be dispursed to the local families, schools, organizations or sold to a butcher/grocery store. It is common to find prepared game meats in stores (Not referring to "bush meat" which is poached meat of unknown origin.}. The US does not allow importation of uncooked/ processed meat products. We did eat quite a bit of game when we were there. Kudu is especially fine, but we also ate springbuck, warthog, impala, and ostrich. Ostrich is very fine. Most of the antelope species are tough to tell apart, being very similar to venison. I would have loved to bring home the kudu straps, but was very pleased it was all entirely utilized. One concession we were on all meat went to a local school, which was likely the only meat the students recieved regularly. With few hunters going to SA over the past two years, it had a significant effect on local nutrition, and a great increase in poaching.

We have somewhere around a thousand, but have to come up with some good software to help organize them. I will be happy to post more, thanks for the interest.

The silly warthog was almost an afterthought...I had it on my list, but didnt care if I shot a pig unless it was a really good one. We didnt see much all week, but the last evening we went for a stroll on my PHs concession, a beautiful piece of rolling land that rolledd own to the ocean shore. We stalked a few, but nothing of interest. It was at very last light Jono spotted this fellow and a friend against a hillside. After a frantic scramble and quick stalk as the light continued to fade, we caught up with it. It far exceeded my expectations, and I was very pleased when our taxidermist (Taxidermy Africa, a very well known and long established business) got even more excited than us over it, saying it was the best warthog he had seen in years. The hog is now my favorite trophy. We are going to have a euroean mount on a plaque withe the skull engraved.

The wife and I returned from our "five years in the making" trip to the Eastern Province of South Africa. It exceeded all our expectations, from the hospitality, beauty, food, game, and more. Eighteen hours of flying to get there, which was a bummer when you are not used to flying. We overnighted in Johannesburg, which allowed us to rest up for the final short leg to Port Elizabeth. We were met by our host/guide Jono McHugh, owner and operator of Kingsview Safari, who arranged all our stay and was our near constant companion for ten days. Our first half of the trip was spent at a private reserve where we were fed and treated like kings. Staying at the concession allowed us to hunt literally out the door, and we were able to view wild life from our porch ...wart hog, blue wildebeest, giraffes, zebra...all the African standards (no Big Five on the property though). I used Jono's .270 for all my hunting, and it proved up to the task for what I hoped for...impala, kudu (my big trophy), warthog, and the wife stated that if we go to Africa, she gets a zebra rug! It would take way to long to detail all our adventures, the great folks we met and unfortunately a way of life that is doomed to end likely over the next 1-2 generations, but it was a once in a life time hunt/trip/ adventure. We two were able to go (not including airfare) for considerably less to hunt my four initial species; I actually chose to take an Nyala also, than a Newfoundland Moose hunt for one costs. A few pics...

Be sure to shoot off a rest for best consistency, as you would for a rifle.

The wife had always wanted to go "on safari" animal watching. I have been reading books on Africa since ...I learned to read, and have long dreamed of Kudu.. We never thought it would be affordable. I was talking hunting with a guy at an auction a few years ago, who told me I would be very surprised how affordable it could be. I went home and did some googling and was amazed. Considering an inexpensive moose hunt (think maybe Newfoundland) was running around 6500 at the time, we found out that we could go to Sout AFrica for ten days, splitting our time between hunting and non hunting activities, all meals and accomodations, four game animals (Kudu, Zebra, Impala and wart hog) for less than my last moose hunt. Our expenses are day trip activities and air fare. South Africa is probably the most civilized and safest region for a hunt, with alot of non hunting activities to offer the wife. But of all things, she is hyped up to go surf fishing for sharks!

The wife and I leave on monday 4-18 for South AFrica for ten days. First time we have ever flown anywhere or been out of the country.

Absolutely a Fisher, Eaglemountainman...they are small before they get bigger. Pine martins much more slender in build and almost a reddish color, with much bigger ears. Also, they do not get as large as the fisher that is shown.

A lot more common than most folks think. Doom for stray cats in rural areas (which is ok by me).