DirtTime

Headed north in the morning and I'm not sure what I feel like toting. The 7mm-08, the Savage 301 20GA, or the CVA. Wife's using the .25-06 so that's off the list for tomorrow.

Just keep the hat covering those pig tails and you'll be fine.

Best way to figure it out is to be out in your area and see the activity.

Bills hunting the ADK's and has a spot scouted? NICE!

Hunting some thick stuff just off the edge of a field.

As per some research and a suggestion by @sbuff I soak the plug in a 50/50 mix of Windex and water. Then I use a toothpick to make sure the hole is completely clear. I might grab a couple cans of air now that I read this. That should dry it out well enough.

Anyone who would sit and read this whole thing would need at least 20 beers and a bottle of Jack afterwards.

This is gaining ground on the beer thread.

If it's smell I hope the thread about farting in the woods doesn't go underestimated. I want to say smell, but it's tricky. I know deer have winded me more then they have seen me or heard me while sitting. But at the same time the camp I have on some land up north must be the exception. For the past 4 years with a camp fire going and talking with my buddy deer bed down within 100 yards of the camp in the mornings when the sun is hitting the side of the small valley. On the same land last year I had a doe come in from behind me while I was having a coffee. She blew, stomped her foot, and peeked at me from behind a tree. Then she just walked off up a ridge and stopped to look at me again from the top. She could smell me, but she couldn't actually make out if I was a threat or not. She watched me from behind the tree long enough for me to get out my phone and film her.

Just let it rip. Who's gonna know if you crap your pants out there anyway? I guess this is relevant.

I hope things work out for you and no need for surgery.

Alarm's set for the AM. If I still have that feeling in my gut I'm probably done in the SZ until the regular season. My wife thinks is a culmination of my health and still missing Miko every day. She always had to sniff my gear when I got back from a hunt, especially my bow hunting stuff, so it feels like somethings missing that should be there.

I would love to try out a recurve. Won't be this year, but I have been giving it a lot of thought. My biggest issue is I can't shoot instinctive worth a crap. I would need to mount a site on it, which sort of defeats the purpose.

So is the issue with the round or the type of rifle being used? Legitimate question here because I have actually read articles/posts of people saying that a .223 from a bolt action rifle is deadlier then an AR15. Now that is stupid you can't fix either. I personally have no issue with what round or rifle a hunter chooses as long as they do their part. They still shoot deer with buckshot in some states and I would have to imagine a .223 would be at least as effective as 00Buck.

Nah, I enjoy hunting with my wife, but I also love my time out alone. At least 70% of the time I spend in the woods is alone with the exception of camping- I like having people to talk to around the fire. I hunted more last year then any season in my life. 28 hunts, not counting a few where the hunt was sort of nuked by other hunters, that's something I have just come to accept when hunting public land. Looking back I enjoyed the firearms hunting more then the bow hunting last season too, but I didn't feel like I was forcing myself to be out there last year. I took each day for what it was and enjoyed them all. I'm hoping this is just an off season and that having a ton of things on my mind are just putting me in some sort of funk for bow hunting. I can't see me hanging up the bow for good until I can't draw it any more. My plan for this season was to actually upgrade my bow, but then I went with the CVA instead.

The areas I hunt never have any, but thank you for reminding me to check all the same.

I only had a couple hours this morning to get out, and with some vehicular issues I'm not going far. I'm sitting there and felt like I was forcing it. This was only my 4th bow hunt so far this season, and I have sort of felt that way each time. It feels like, man I don't know how to explain it, just like going through the motions. I have always loved to be out with the bow as much or more then a gun. This year even just shooting to make sure things stay dialed in wasn't as much fun as it used to be for me. The 5 days I was in the NZ carrying the ML and then the 7mm-08 I was stoked as hell to be out there. Next weekend the wife and I will be back up north toting rifles, and I can't wait. I think I'm loosing my drive to be out with the bow. I've been through some nasty health issues in the past few years, but that seemed to drive me more to be out, especially last season, so I don't feel that's the problem. I think I'm just starting to prefer to be out with a fire arm. Any of you have any advice to offer on this one?

If you think the prices of gas, power, and metals is bad try and buy a pack of Twizzlers. Holy crap man!

I picked up some jimmy hats for the ML, I thought I grabbed the dry kind but they weren't. It's going to be balloons going forward. I was just curious about the painters tape as it leaves less residue.

How about painters tape? Anyone ever try using that stuff?

You might be onto something here. Dogs also like to hump legs, so that could be interesting. I don't know how the woman who's leg I humped or my wife would feel about it but...................................

Not sure if this is sarcasm or genuine. I use a cot with the rounded legs. It saves on the wear of the tent floor and a spare blanket will help even it up if the ground isn't level. Just roll or fold the blanket and put it under the legs in one side or the other.

I had to start using a cot about 9 years ago. I swear I sleep better on that in one of my tents then I do on my bed at home. If you decide to hunt that area across from Lewey be careful, get a map and mark the boundaries. Part of that is The Siamese Ponds Wilderness and part of it's the Jessup River Wild Forest, and the whole area around Watch Hill is a strict no hunting zone in that area of Jessup.

Congrats on the retirement! Enjoy the peace of living away from the hustle and bustle.

I've had mud clog the muzzle a couple times on shotguns. A stick always worked just fine to push it out. I do keep a cleaning kit in the ML bag though.