Bolt action

I don't care who you voted for or which party you align with, this is garbage. When will it end? https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/watch-man-brandishes-gun-at-protesters-and-yells-get-away-from-me-during-oregon-incident/vi-BB1f5VJs?ocid=mailsignout

Sorry to hear it. I had a similar experience last Fall. I have a stand up freezer in the garage that I use to store turkeys and hams in. I buy them cheap around Thanksgiving and Easter and stash 'em in there to enjoy through the summer. While I was processing my second deer this past fall I needed extra freezer space and went to this freezer. When I opened it, everything inside was thawed out. I lost 3 turkeys and 3 hams, along with a few misc. bags of venison. Last summer I built a deer station in the garage. I used a 48" base cabinet that I set on top of an 8" platform (extra height). I store all my meat processing equip in here. On the wall over it I mounted a 48" surge strip and then topped it off with a shop light. For me it was a game changer when breaking down deer. Anyway, I plugged the freezer into this surge strip and apparently I forgot this when, at some point, I unplugged the extension cord that powers the surge strip. It was frustrating, to say the least.

I've used huntstand in the past for property lines, but now it looks like I'd need to upgrade for that info..

That's awesome, congrats on the new addition!

I don't mean to minimize the effort. From what folks on this thread have shared, it's a labor of love for sure. I just wasn't sure if there was more to it. Tap trees, collect sap, simmer sap, filter the reduction into jars, rinse and repeat?

I don't know anything about this but I'm curious. Is it really just as "easy" as collecting huge volumes of sap and simmering it down to the point that it thickens and, voila, syrup?

Went to 3 stores near me over the past few days and saw the following. It's not much, but it's more than I've seen in a long time. I'm sure it's long gone by now, but seeing anything is encouraging. Dick's Greece = 20ga 2 3/4 slugs Walmart, 104 in Greece - .300 Win Mag; 45-70 Walmart, Dewey in Greece - .30-06; 100 packs of 7 1/2 and 8 shot. The Walmart in Dewey has had about 8 boxes of .350 Legend for months now. I don't own one, so always passed on it. I just recently decided that I'd like to build an AR for that round as something to take on a hog hunt. So I finally go back to get what I can, and wouldn't you know it that after months of sitting there, suddenly they're gone. Oh well, the search continues.

Lots of good advice already. I was shooting a bit with a buddy over the weekend. I was shooting consistently in the circle (about a 2 inch spot on the bag) at 15 and 25 yards. Then my buddy tried my bow. He has his own bow and is fairly consistent with his but wanted to try my new rig. When he shot it, he was about a foot low and a foot left every time. I share as an example of what others have said. There are a few components to shooting. The first part is getting your form down so that you are comfortable and consistent when you shoot. The second part is making sure that the bow is setup for you. Things like draw length and weight, position of the D loop, configuration of the site, etc. For accuracy at any range, you can't have one without the other.

Thank you. That makes two of us!

I should probably also mention that I spring for the warranty.. ford factory bumper to bumper warranty that'll cover me through 110k miles.. good peace of mind for the price.

Pix

I like the look, but it seems like they're more trouble than they're worth and can cause more damage than they prevent. Ya'll may have successfully talked me out of it!

@Nomad that's something I never considered.

Latest update: I'd been searching casually for awhile for a 4x4 that had a stronger motor than the Trailblazer I was driving. I still had payments on the SUV, and didn't want to have to refinance the house to get a truck. I also wanted it to be semi well equipped so that I wouldn't get bored with it over the next few years. This afternoon i'm going get the new to me 2011 F150 FX4 Supercab with the 3.5L twin turbo EcoBoost motor from a dealership over in Buffalo. I'm not entirely certain if it's an XLT or a Lariat and honestly I'm not too concerned. It only has 61k on it at a very reasonable price. I've only seen it online so far, but barring any surprises when I see it in person, it's mine. It came with heated leather seats, bluetooth phone setup, backup cam, remote start and large interactive touchscreen SONY display. While at the shop, I had them throw in an integrated brake controller. Bedliner, tonneau cover and floor mats are ordered. I'm probably going to pick up a roof rack for the kayaks when I'm towing the camper, otherwise I'll just throw them in the bed of the truck. I'm still on the fence about a brush guard for it. I'll upload a pic or two once i have it. The only deal breaker that I can think of would be if the car seats don't fit in the back seat. I don't think that'll be a problem though.

Picked up a Ford F150 FX4.. I'll update my original thread with the details.

I finally found a truck that checked all the boxes at a price point that I'm comfortable with! I pick it up this afternoon and am starting to order some accessories for it. I'm having the dealer install the integrated brake controller because I'd rather not have a bulky box under the dash if i can help it. Also getting a bedliner, tonneau cover, Husky floor mats, probably a ladder rack (for the kayaks when i have the camper hooked up). I like the look and added protection of a grill guard, but don't have any experience with them. Do they actually add protection? I understand that if you rear end someone, the truck is getting damaged, but what about a deer strike? Do they rub the bumper at all where they might cause some damage over the course of time? I'm looking at the model below, but can't really fund much feedback on it. https://blackhorseoffroad.com/i-24867737-d-2009-2014-ford-f-150-grille-guard-black.html?ref=search:https%3A%2F%2Fblackhorseoffroad.com%2Fsearch.html%3Fq%3D17FP30MA

The sausage looks good! How careful were you with adding fat?

For Casings I just grab the little case from Wegmans. It's only +/- $7 and will last quite awhile.

money sent.. just saw the note about phone and email. I'll PM it over

I'm in. send me the venmo info when you get a chance.

At first I thought that looked cold. Fun, but cold... Then I saw the bottle of Knob Creek and it all made sense. Looks like a great time Dino!

This off season I plan to develop a few pallet blinds. One will be on the ground around the base of a big tree. For that one, I plan to use 3 or 4 pallets on the ground in a "U" shape around a big tree. Then I'll have another 2 pallets stacked on top to give me cover so that I can stand and draw the bow. The other will use 4x4 posts to a 4x6 platform that I built. I'll enclose the top and bottom with more pallets so that I have the option of sitting on the ground or from an 8 foot platform. Both will be wrapped in camo burlap, and then I'll brush them in. Aside from the comfort, the idea is that they'll be big enough for me to bring junior along. He'll be 8 in the fall and has been begging me to bring him along. Aside from that, I'm going to try really hard to shoot does for the meat, and hold out on shooting a buck unless I get a shot at a big old mature one. I should have a little more time this year, so should be able to be a little more picky, at least early on.

This sounds fantastic. I've been trying to coordinate a similar trip with friends for years now, but like always seems to get in the way. Good luck with the trip!

Sounds like you had a great experience!