Hunting Wild Game / A Way Of Life

Deer Season preparations ( part 1 ).

2008-07-25T05:53:00.007-05:00

Deer hunting season is approaching us faster then we really expect and with it comes all the task of getting prepared. Even though many of us haven't given much thought to all the task involved for the up-coming season now is the time to prepare everything so that when it gets here your ready and able to go. First - let's start out with your stands, many of you may be using the older model stands that have the wooden platform or seat. These are usually made of plywood which begins to roit,shrink and become brittle shortly after the stand is put into use in the field. Check you stands and make sure the wood portion of your stand is still sound and sturdy. I for one as a rule of thumb prefer to replace the wooden portion of my stand every two years whether it needs it or not for safety reasons. Second - check all the bolts and screws and replace any old rusty ones with new ones ( these can lead to squeaks and noise), tighten all of them up. Third - check the cutter on your stands and climbing bar, these should be relatively sharp( but not sharp enough to cut your hand or fingers ),too sharp will do serious damage to the trees as well as making it difficult to climb with due to sticking into the bark as you try to climb and not releasing from the bark. These cutters should have smooth edges as well and any rough edges can be easily fixed with a fine file. Fourth - check any sound reducing foam pads and the cushions on the seats as these to will roit away with time and may be in need of replacement or maybe you just gained alittle extra weight and need more cushion for your back side. And last thing is the camouflage paint or tape, these I like to repaint every two years also using a good outdoor paint. To camouflage the paint job paint your stand with a solid color ( I prefer brown or yellow ) then after it dries lay tree branches ( with leaves ) or fern blades across your stand and spray over them with a green color paint for a leafy effect. Have a safe and prosperous year this year everyone.

Just an Update

2008-07-19T05:21:00.004-05:00

It's been some time now since my last post so this is just a little update. I 've been busy trying to help my parents with their place,working on my place, work, done alittle fishing, planted some food plots and going to the doctors for my health. There's just not enough time in a day to do everything you want to get done. I've tried scheduling things but something or someone always comes up needing me to help them or do something for them. Just the other day I got up at daylight went fishing a couple hours came in ready to work on my lawnmower and the wife tells me we have a water leak in the house, which come to find out was my water heater, which took me half a day to change out by the time I went to town and bought one, removed the old one, then put the new one in. Maybe I should move to Alaska where the days are long and the nights are cold. Anyway time stands still for no one and live goes on. If I'd have known getting old meant doing less with more to do I would have done more when I was younger. Went to my heart doctor June 25 and had to do this big stress test then was scheduled to go to my family doctor yesterday for follow-up and now he is scheduling me to go to a surgical doctor for some kind of endoscopy (??? ) and possibly surgery. Right now I just want things to get back to a normal routine and enjoy live again. It's been hard for me not being able to read everyone's post and leave them comments but somehow I'm going to get back to my writing as I've so enjoyed all my blogging experience with everyone. I will be visiting everyone's sites soon so look for me there.

Justice Prevails

2008-04-08T06:34:00.003-05:00

Here is an article that I found on one of my linksites that caught my eye and I thought everyone should read. Two Adults Charged, Two Juveniles Charged With Wild Turkey Shooting Spree “Reminiscent” Of Market Hunting Days

In what is one of most the flagrant poaching violations in recent memory, two Middle Tennessee adults have been cited with numerous illegal hunting charges after allegedly killing at least a dozen wild turkeys, while in the company of two juvenile hunters, during a weekend hunt open only to sportsmen under 16.

"This is perhaps the most blatant violation of the turkey game laws in recent history,” noted Jeff Skelton, an assistant law enforcement supervisor for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. “This is reminiscent of market hunting that took place in the late 1800s and early 1900s when hunters nearly drove the wild turkey into extinction.”

Charged is Billy Joe Davidson of Lewisburg and Leonard Williams of Culleoka, who apparently took advantage of Tennessee’s annual Young Sportsman hunt and carried two young hunters—one 9 and one 14—on a shooting spree down the Duck River in Maury County, March 22-23.

"We think the poachers killed at least nine turkeys just on Sunday as they motored up and down the Duck River in a 16-foot flat bottom boat, shooting some turkeys off tree limbs that had roosted for the night and using a spotlight to locate others,” explained Skelton. “Adults are required to hunt with youngsters during this weekend, but not allowed to do any shooting. Even if they were allowed to shoot, the bag limit is one bird for the entire weekend.”

All four of the hunters have been charged with violations.

"The example set by the two adults is a shame by any standards, but we also believe the young hunters have responsibilities for their actions.” said Skelton. “We issued a search warrant for Davidson’s Lewisburg home after receiving a report from a concerned citizen. The search turned up 12 fresh turkey beards and 13 turkey breasts and other turkey meat.”

Charges are numerous, with Davidson being cited with hunting from a watercraft under power, spotlighting game, 10 counts of hunting, killing, possessing, and transporting turkeys in closed season; hunting after legal shooting hours, and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Williams will be charged with hunting from a watercraft under power, spotlighting game, nine counts of hunting, killing, possessing and transporting turkeys in close seasons. He will also be charged with hunting after legal shooting hours, and contributing to the delinquency of minors.

The 14 year old is charged with hunting from a watercraft under power, spotlighting game, six counts of exceeding his bag limit, and one count of violating the state’s tagging law; shooting after legal shooting hours, and hunting without a wildlife management area permit.

The 9 year old is charged with hunting from a watercraft under power, spotlighting game, violation of the state’s tagging law, hunting without a wildlife management area permit, shooting after legal shooting hours, and two counts of exceeding the daily bag limit.

"We appreciate the tip that led to these arrests,” said Skelton. “The TWRA and the National Wild Turkey Federation have offered rewards to citizens that report and convict turkey poachers.”

In addition to the charges, wildlife officers seized three shotguns, a spotlight, and the flat bottom boat and a 25 horsepower motor. They also seized all of the turkey meat and various turkey parts.

The two adults are scheduled to appear in County General Sessions Court in Mt. Pleasant May 14th. The juveniles are scheduled to appear May 28th in Juvenile Court in Columbia.

Helping make the arrests were Skelton, Maury County Wildlife Officers Pam McDonald and Mark Ventura, Marshall County Wildlife Officer Doug Lowery, Giles County Wildlife Officer David Robertson, and Williamson County Wildlife Officer Joe Fortner.

Planting time

2008-04-03T21:55:00.003-05:00

I've planted some mustard seed here at the house and have to go to dads now and plant some mustard and clover as soon as the weather permits and the ground dries up enough. Dad told me he saw 6 deer the other day in the dry lake bed and he wants to get it planted asap. I'll still plant a second crop for the deer probably in July but haven't figured out yet what I want to plant and I have to clear a shooting lane with the mower across the lake bed. I've found a great looking management area that I may try to hunt this year but it's archery only for adult hunting and it's alittle far to drive to, about 3 hours away but not many people hunting it due mainly to the steep hills and rough terrain. Anyway I'll keep looking for that perfect place and get things ready fdor this years hunt here at home.

Bring Gas Prices Down

2008-03-14T22:46:00.002-05:00

This was sent to me by e-mail so see if it makes sense to you.
THIS IS NOT THE 'DON'T BUY' GAS FOR ONE DAY, BUT IT WILL SHOW YOU HOW WE CAN GET GAS BACK DOWN TO $1.30 PER GALLON.

This was sent by a retired Coca Cola executive. It came from one of his engineer buddies who retired from Halliburton. If you are tired of the gas prices going up AND they will continue to rise this summer, take time to read this please.

Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea.
This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May!
It's worth your consideration. Join the resistance!!!!
I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a gallon by next summer, and it might go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down?

We need to take some intelligent, united action. The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to "hurt" ourselves by refusing to buy gas.

It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.
BUT, whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read on and join with us!

By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $2.00 is super cheap. Me too! It is currently $3.19 for regular unleaded in my town.

Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers.

With the price of gasoline going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.

The only way we are going to see the price of gas come down is if we hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.

How? Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas.

But we CAN have an impact on gas prices if we all act together to force a price war.

Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY gasoline from the two biggest companies (which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL.

If they are not selling any gas, they will be inclined to reduce their prices.
If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit.

But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas buyers. It's really simple to do! Now, don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!

I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x10 = 3,000)...and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.
If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted!

If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!

Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!

(If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you have to do is send this to 10 people.... Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am . so trust me on this one.

How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days !!!

I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you!
Acting together we can make a difference.

If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $2.00 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS CAN REALLY WORK.

Keep it going!!!

" Hunters for the Hungry " program of Tennessee

2008-03-11T21:21:00.014-05:00

"Hunters for the Hungry" is a program set up not just for hunters but for anyone interested in helping the needy families of Tennessee. This program allows hunters to donate either part or all of a deer killed to food banks, soup kitchens, missions and needy families after being processed by a meat processing company registered with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. Funds are raised by volunteers hosting or sponsoring fundraising events for the program through the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and individuals, foundations, sportspeople, civic clubs and church groups donate money for processing of the deer. Funds are limited for this program so hunters are requested to call and check with the processing company before delivery of their deer for availability of funds. Hunters donating deer to the program may be required to pay a discounted fee of $40.00 to help cover processing if funds are not available through the program at time of processing. All deer processed will be held for pick-up by a local food bank and distributed to needy families of Tennessee. Last year the program took in nearly 25 tons of venison ( 50,425 lbs) and since the rebirth of the program in 1998 hunters have donated some 360,000 lbs of venison feeding nearly 1 million meals to hungry families throughout Tennessee. Statistics show that nearly 11% of children and 19% of elderly go to bed every night hungry. If every hunter was to donate just 1 lb of venison, the program would have 200,000 lbs of meat to feed the hungry. All donors will receive a 1 year complimentary membership to the Tennessee Wildlife Federation magazine as well as having a great feeling in their heart of knowing you've done your part in helping a family in need. Cash donations are also accepted by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and checks should be marked " Hunters for the Hungry " as well as any certain meat processing company name on the memo line of your check(s). Checks should be made out to Tennessee Wildlife Federation and are therefore considered " tax deductible" by the Internal Revenue Service as this is a 501c (3) organization. Checks can be sent to: Tennessee Wildlife Federation 300 Orlando Avenue, Suite 200 Nashville, Tennessee 37209 Any meat processing company wishing to register for participation in this or any other Federal program can contact the Tennessee Wildlife Federation coordinator at ( 615 )- 353-1133.

Elk Restoration in Tennessee

2008-03-06T17:38:00.007-06:00

On March 8, 2008 the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency will be moving 36 Elk from Land Between the Lakes ( LBL )in Kentucky to the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area in Campbell County, Tennessee. The Royal Blue is part of Tennessee's 670,000 acre Elk Restoration zone which was started in 2000. Over a four year period 167 Elk have been released to the restoration zone and the release of these 36 Elk brings the Elk herd standings to approximately 200-250 animals. 31 of these Elk being released are fitted with radio collars for future research on the herd. This release will be a joint effort between Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, LBL Bugle Corp., LBL Association, U.S. Forestry Service, Campbell Outdoor Recreation Association ( CORA ), the UT Veterinary School, USDA, Animal Planet Health Inspection School ( APHIS ), and Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency staff and volunteers. The public is invited to attend the release of these Elk Saturday March 8, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Time ) at Massengale Mountain in Campbell County, Tennessee.

Condo Deerstand

2008-02-29T22:15:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine that i've hunted with for years now sent this to me via email and told me he had been working on a new deer stand since mid-june. Now what he told me was that he had found a place with so many deer signs that he didn't quite know where to put his stand so he thought up this convienent stand just to be on the safe side and be able to cover every possible route. What I couldn't figure out was why it took him so long to put up his stand until I recieved his email then everything became very clear to me. As you can see from the photo below he has all the comforts of home and then some. What else could you ask for in a deer stand other then to open the door and invite them to come in a watch tv with you. I think this may be something he found on the internet though and not his actuall stand. You tell me would you hunt from this thing? Is this even legal? I really don't know about this.

Squirrel Season closes

2008-02-27T06:12:00.004-06:00

I've been off work for the last 2 days now and was hoping to be able to go squirrel hunting one last time before the season closes. February 29th is the closing day of the squirrel season in Tennessee and also the last day before hunting license expire. I got up this morning to a winter wonderland of new snowfall ( about 3 inches) on the ground so I've decided to enter a new post and leave a few comments today . I been feeling alittle sick lately so I didn't want to get out in the weather and make things worst. All the seasons close the 29th(Friday) but that's okay cause that just means that our new hunting seasons are just getting started and I for one am looking forward to this years hunting seasons. I like to wish everyone a great year this year in all their hunting adventures and hope they have a prosperous one for whatever they are hunting. Rabbit stew might be a good fare for the table tonight with the new snow they should be everywhere and hold up in brush piles. Maybe I'll give them a shot at the dinner table.

Turkey Season's Coming Quick

2008-02-17T20:46:00.012-06:00

Turkey seasons coming so get your guns out and dust them off,grab your turkey calls and practice your calling,get your maps out and pick the perfect place and don't forget to ask for time off from work or from the spouse unless their goning too. These old birds are some hard critters to take but if your lucky enough to get a shot you must be doing something right.Most people get just lucky enough to get one into view then something happens and the whole flock is gone in a flash without even so much as given you a second look. These birds are sly and cunning animals and have the know how to survive. They have out-witted some of the best hunters in the world, but if you pull out all the tricks in your turkey knowledge bag( your brain ) then you might just get the trophy you've wanted on your wall. One of the best tricks I seen yet is a decoy used by Knight & Hale on television to take even the most cunning of wild turkeys. It's a decoy call " pretty boy " and man does it ever work well, especially if your in a ground blind where they can't see any movement. The decoy can be purchased with or without the " pretty girl " submissive hen but believe me if you want that old tom to come in running to you get yourself the pretty boy and the pretty girl set and keep your gun or bow ready. Have a great time in the woods this spring and please everyone be very carefull and safe out there this season. You can find the pretty boy decoys at http://www.carrylitedecoys.com/catalog.aspx and sells for around $129.00 for the set.

New Website Up and Running.

2008-02-07T20:33:00.000-06:00

Just a note to let everyone know my third website is up and running and anybody wanting to add it to your website is welcome to. I will be adding everyones link to the site under some link topic before long.Here is the website url for anyone interested in checking it out, just remember it's not completely finished yet. http://fishingafield.blogspot.com/

Shed Antlers.

2008-02-07T18:51:00.000-06:00

Okay folks, the deer hunting season is closed now so lets get down to nexts years deer season. The best way to locate that big buck you just never could see but always knew was there is to get out and hunt for his shed antlers.First let me give you some tips and pointers for hunting sheds. 1. Sheds are tough to spot in harsh sunlight so use the cloudy days to hunt sheds. 2. Rainy days are great for hunting sheds cause wet antlers shine. 3. Search for sheds as soon as the snows melt but before the weeds and spring grasses grow up to hide the sheds. 4. Check thinly wooded areas where cattle and other herd animals graze the grass low for easy shed locating. 5. Begin looking for sheds across open fields around the edges of the fields and then begin following the deer trials back into the woods and even into the bedding areas where the bigger bucks stay during the hunting season. 6. Last and most important thing to shed hunting is to wear soft soled boots which makes it easier to feel a heavy shed if you step on one you don't see. When you find a shed antler take note of the location and look around for rubs and scrapes. Finding a shed with lots of rubs and scrapes is an ideal place to set up a stand for next years hunt and the woods are still bear which will make it easier to pick out just the right stand site. Now that your loaded with a few tips to finding shed antlers get out, get started, and enjoy the woods we love to play in.

Bored and MY Hunting Books

2008-02-03T21:34:00.000-06:00

Well I got alittle bored this evening watching tv so I dug out some of my old hunting book issues and started revamping my thoughts for some new writing material.Give me a day or two and I should be able to come up with something to write about that everyone will like( I hope ).Until then I'll just continue to comment on everyone elses writings. I'm thinking of adding a new site on Fishing which will cover tips, tricks, baits,experiences I had and probably lots of links and ads. Until then everyone keep writing and I'll let everyone know if and when it's up and running.

Bud and the Weekend

2008-02-02T18:07:00.000-06:00

Another weekend come and gone and I was actually off work this weekend. Though I didn't get alot accomplished I did enjoy sitting around home watching tv with the wife just relaxing after a very tense week at work which I almost quit. My dog ( bud )I fear is about to die on us which will be devastating especially to my wife who has been very attached to him since we got him in 1994 as a pup. He has lost weight for the past 4 weeks now, won't eat anything except can food then throws it up as soon as he gets done eatting and has become nothing but skin and bones and can hardly get up to eat. I haven't been able to find him today so tommorrow morning I'll have to get out and look everywhere for him and probably dig his gravesite in preparations for his death. Anyway I was able to add a few of my lost links back and add some new ones that I didn't have before to both my sites. I also done some changes to my ads and will be working more on the sites as time permmits me too. For now my writings are struggling for a topic and infor to write on due to my writing time frame but as it has been in the past that to will pick back up and everything will return to normal. For now my concentration will be on my wife and our dog.

Deers Not The Only Meat----

2008-01-28T20:19:00.000-06:00

Well folks the deer season has come and gone with the moment of anticipation passing like a dove flying across the field. Of coarse as with a raccoon in the corn field there's still many more seasons that are open and some that are open year round( at least in Tennessee). Hog hunting is open year round here and many hunters take advantage of this hunting experience to sharpen their skills for deer season and to put a little extra in their freezers. Though I've never hunted the wild hogs, I have given it some thought and my decide to give it a try one day in the near future. Squirrel season and quail season is still open so time allowed I plan on going before the season is over in February. Season after season deer change and give it two weeks after the close of the season is about right for locating the next years buck of a lifetime. I 'm talking about "Shed Hunting", one of the best ways for locating that big buck without disturbing any ones hunting area while their hunting. Shed hunting can be very rewarding even if your not finding any antlers cause your still getting the enjoyment of the outdoors,nature,and the wildlife of Gods great earth undisturbed. I myself don't get out and hunt the shed antlers but I do enjoy after season scouting for old rubs, scrapes and bedding areas which the deer use from one year to the next. Usually around the last of July the deer begin to change over to their winter feeding grounds where they will stay until about the end of January or the first of February. So if your out finding sheds,rubs and bedding areas two weeks after the season closes your in the deers winter grounds. You may not see any deer but come next season you'll know exactly where to set up your stand with little or no difficulty. Get out in the woods and take advantage of the seasons that are still open in your state and find a new place to hunt your trophy buck while you can. Remember deers not the only meat for your freezer,it's just the other red meat we all love.

Returning to my post update

2008-01-23T18:02:00.000-06:00

Where do I begin? This could be a very long post which would take you days to read but I think I'll give you the short version of the last three months. To start with I'd like to say it's great to be back posting again as this will relief some of my stress and allow me to talk to my Friends again, so thanks everyone for your comments on my sites. Okay since I left my post in October I've given up my construction business due mainly to the economy and lack of work in my area.I've taken on a factory job again which is against all my wishes (which came with a big cut in my pay scale), so I now make pill bottles for Tri-State Distributors in Sparta, Tn.. A word of good happenings is that my middle daughter,her husband and three grandchildren have moved out once again ( hopefully for good this time). my computer was in the shop and when I got it back most all my files, documents, programs and even my e-mail information was erased and deleted. Now on to the most important aspect which I'm sure by now everyone is wondering about. At last I posted hunting season had just opened and I was having trouble with my dog following me or tracking me into the woods every time I went hunting. Well your advice was taken and my dog was put in the house until I returned which worked really good for me.I managed to hunt the reminder of the season without and problems other then not seeing any bucks at all however we did have a either sex hunt in which I hunted off my parents back balcony deck and was able to call in a young ( fine eating) 60 pound doe at 125 yards. I came close to packing my bags and heading to Deer Camp to hunt "Ol Thunderhoof" for editor but I knew editor wouldn't like it to well if I took his ol friend back to Tn. so I stayed put for at least one more season. Now I can begin looking forward to the 2008 season and finding a new place to hunt which I hope will have a few good bucks on it to hunt. My new job has me working 12 hour shifts now so my writing may suffer some but I'll post as often as possible as I want to get back into the full swing of things again now and visit everyones sites and add as many links on my site as possible. Anyone with new links please let me know and I'll be glad to add them to both my sites. Once again THANKS everyone for the welcomed return.

I'm back

2008-01-20T20:56:00.000-06:00

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement not to give up hunting or posting. The words were very heart felt and was what brought me back so be prepared for some new writing and updates while I was gone for the past 3 months. Again THANKS to each and everyone of my readers and look for my writings to begin very soon.

Hunting--- It's finally Over

2007-10-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

I got up at 3:00 a.m. this morning to go hunting again as I was off work again this week and just 25 minutes after getting to my stand my dog showed up in the field and laid down right in the middle of the field waiting on me to head home. My dog finally left the field but headed off into the brush right where the deer should have come out.After approximately 2 hours of seeing nothing again this morning I decided to call it a day and head for home. My dog then came out of the brush and followed me home where he stayed the rest of the day. Due to these problems as well as my work stress I've decided that I'm going to pull all my stands out of the woods this coming weekend and give up hunting for good. I'll be selling my stands and all my equipment sometime in the near future. As for all my writings here on both my websites I'll be stopping on this as well since there are very few people reading them and will continue to comment on everyones sites till the end of the deer hunting season at the first of the year. All my articles will be deleted after the end of the season as well. I would like to thank each and everyone of you here at the " Bloggers Summit " and the rest of the folks in our little circle of writers for all the great comments, articles, photos and stories that you have shared with me as it has really done me alot of good and has been so heart felt and warming. It is with sad regret that I feel like giving up hunting but is thought to be the best thing for me to do at this point in my life. Again THANK YOU ALL very much for allowing me into your little circle of writers and I'll stay in touch through your comment boards till the first of the year.

Getting Closer

2007-10-15T05:19:00.000-05:00

Saturday (October 13 ) I helped my dad remove some brush from his lake bed acreage and he told me he had been seeing deer almost everyday two and three times a day. I found trails from the brush that looked like cow paths so I picked a tree out for a stand site within bow range and cleared it out for a stand ( which I'll have to pull one from the woods to put up now.). Sunday morning I decided to give it a try but knew I had to sit on the ground in the brush (which I had already found a spot for.). I got up Sunday morning and checked the weather-- barometric pressure and wind direction, to figure if the spot I'd picked out would work out and it would. I adorned my camouflage clothing and grabbed my bow then away I went. Now my parents only live 800 yards around the corner from me so I walked down to the field and into the brush,sat down and waited very patiently. my dog showed up from out of the brush then back into the brush three times within a hour of daylight. I thought that was it there's no way deer would be anywhere around me after my dog had searched the brush for whatever.Boy was I ever wrong, a deer came to the edge of the brush and I haven't figured out if the deer winded me or perhaps winded where we had cleaned up the brush from Saturday but it snorted three or four times then stomped it's foot and bound off back into the thick brush. I sat still for another 30 minutes or so waiting to see if possibly it might come back on a different trail but no such luck. It's now Monday morning and I don't have to work today so I figure I'll give it another try especially since the barometric pressure is rising due to a front moving in and the temperature is only 51 degrees. This should have the deer moving pretty good today and with any luck at all I,ll finally get my long awaited shot. I'm in bad need of putting something in the freezer and at this point squirrels are looking pretty good to me since I can't find any deer.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY/ I'M ONLY 27

2007-10-10T22:09:00.000-05:00

It's my birthday today and I'm only 27 years old to and not planning on doing anything after work and no writing today either(sorry folks).birthday on October 11.

Hunting-- A Weekend Update

2007-10-09T03:29:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning the barametric pressure was changing so I decided to go hunting again and of course my grandchildren wanted to go along only this time there was three of them. Fortunately for me I was hunting in a long saddle area so I spread the young adults out up the draw as I made my way to the top. AS I dropped each one off at a stand I would give explict instructions to stay put till I returned to get them. Just two hours after daylight one of them showed up at the top of the saddle and had gotten with the other two on his way. That not being bad enough ,they stood around talking and laughing just 75 yards from my stand and did all this just about the time for the deer to come in. This is the very reason why I prefer to hunt farmlands without other hunters. Now I have been told that I have the patience of a saint but for some strange reason this incident of hunting with the grandchildren just didn't sit well with me and I came down out of my stand madder then a bull in a china store. I came crashing through the brush straight toward the young adults and as I got to them I ask why they were out of their stands and talking so loud. I could here them over at my stand 75 yards away.Their reply was "well Ihad deer all around me snorting and some hunter came walking through so after he got out of sight I came up here". I ask how many deer he saw and he said none. By now I was out of the mood to hunt any longer so I decided to check the back side of the saddle for deer and tracks but the young adults just couldn't be quick so we headed for home empty handed again.That evening we collected three of my deer stands from across the lakebed and I spent the evening by myself putting them back up for rifle season. Sunday morning I hunted one of the new stands and spooked a deer out of the area as I went in to my stand before daylight. Unfortunately the deer never returned while I was on stand but at least I may have finally gotten away from the dogs and atv's. Only time will tell if my new stand sites are any good or not but at this point it doesn't matter to me anymore.

Hunting Again,One More Chance

2007-10-05T18:57:00.000-05:00

To start out with I recieved an email last night that was well worth reading and was very informative as well. It was an arcticle sent to me by Kip Adams,QDMA Director of Education and Outreach, Northern Region on the subject of " Hemorrhagic Disease". The article was well written and needs to be read by every hunter reading this post. If you'd like I can send you the article via-email or you can reach Kip Adams at kadams@qdma.com or try www.qdma.com either will reach him and check out the article yourself. Now on to my next subject, I went hunting again this morning and guess what happen folks? Well To begin with I moved locations some 2000 yards away from my stands to a place I'd found some good signs,then got up this morning checked my emails and got ready to go. as I headed out the door the skyline was already begining to brighten so I knew it wouldn't be long before it was light enough to see through the woods.I hurried through the woods to my picked location sat by a tree overlooking several roadbeds. After about 2 1/2 hours of watching tyhe roadbeds a movement caught my eye to the right along the roadbed. I grabbed my bow and moved into shooting position as stealthfully as possible an just then my three wild stray dogs and my own dog stepped into view.Was this ever a disappointment or what? The only thing I did was watch the dogs and hope they would run a deer my way before I had gotten so disgushed that I'd go home empty handed again. Who would have thought that moving that far away from one location you'd still be plagued by stray dogs? I guess it's time for me to go stray dog hunting at least I know I'll have a chance at them and I may even cure my problem so I can see deer then. Anyway my grandchildren are wanting to go hunting with me again in the morning so now I just have to figure out where to go with three young adults along. This will be my next post, an update on their hunting trip with me.

Hunting--- Two Weekends Pasted

2007-09-30T19:33:00.000-05:00

Okay everyone an update on my hunting adventures so far. The young adults I took with me had a great time in the woods together and as I figured would happen none of us saw any deer on opening day (Sept. 22 ). I had another buddy come by late Friday evening and was supposed to go along but to date I haven't seen anything of him. I hunted morning and evening on Saturday then went Sunday morning by myself and got lucky enough to catch a glimpse of two deer moving through the brush just above me on the side of the ridge. This weekend I hunted from the ground by a very large oak tree and still saw nothing, however as I was walking out I took a different route following a ATV trail which crossed a creek bottom twice where I found some great tracks crossing the creek bottom. I decided to hunt these crossings Sunday morning (Sept. 30 ) which is where I headed this morning. After setting in the woods for 5 hours I was just about ready to give up for the morning when I heard leaves russeling and figures that the moon was full so it could be the deer were moving in the middle of the day. I grabbed my bow just in time to have three wild dogs walk right upon me to within 5 feet of myself. These dogs and ATVs riding the trails where I'm hunting has been my problem since the season opened. The access road to the property where I hunt has also been blocked off with a cable and lock so nobody can enter the front of the property where another group of hunters are hunting. I left them a note explaining it was an access road to the property and that I was hunting behind them to please remove the cable. With all these problems the passed two weeks I decided to pull my stands and either move locations or give up hunting altogether (more on this decision later). Sorry no photos yet.

Hunting--The Moment of Truth

2007-09-21T20:51:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody; it's finally here the one time of year when every hunter is actually looking forward to getting up early( I mean really early) in the morning. This is got to be the best day of the year when all your dreams could actually come true. I'm talking about Mr. Big standing right beneath your stand and your actually in your stand with your bow just itching to release your arrow into a vital area on him. This day is going to be one for the books, one that you'll tell to your friends and family for years to come. Although it's not official yet you just have that feeling deep inside you that this has got to be the day when the great moment of truth finally happens. All this talk about one day that's finally come and I haven't even told you yet what day it is( of coarse I'm sure you've already guessed by now), naturally it's opening day of bow season here in Tennessee and I'm about as ready as I can get. Well maybe I can make just a few more preparations before I go to bed and oh yes I have two companions going along on this adventure. That's right one of my grandchildren Matthew Simmons and his school buddy Charles Parrish are going along so even though it's opening day I don't look to put anything on my tag but it could happen I guess. Clothes laid out,gear all together and ready, truck gassed up, new broad heads on arrows,stabilizer on bow, med. bag equipped and of coarse alarm set and coffee pot set and ready for an early morning. It sounds like I've got everything ready for opening day but I 'm sure there'll be something that I'll forget and before anybody brings it up I don't ever use a flashlight. Flashlights are to easy to spook the deer so I memorize the woods I hunt during my scouting to minimize spooking the deer I'm hunting. Anyway this post was really to tell everyone good luck and stay safe during this years hunting adventures and don't forget we all like to see those great photos even if they're not of your game.

Hunting--Work and Woodland Escape

2007-09-17T06:05:00.000-05:00

This weekend I was busy replacing a floor for a client in his bathroom. The floor had been replaced before by someone who didn't know what they were doing.They had used all different kinds of scrap lumber to rebuild the floor and had three different heights when he finish which caused the linoleum to crack and the toilet to rock every direction you moved. Being this house was built in the 1930's I knew this was going to be a chore that would take some time to replace. The existing floor had to be removed along with the toilet,a new floor system put in due to wood rot,the plumbing had to be worked on some to bring the toilet flange down on top of the new floor, then replace the linoleum and toilet along with the trim. The floor is dropping causing a swag which is going to have to be raised. All in all I finally finished the job Sunday evening around 2:00 p.m. then was supposed to help my dad with a roof leak which got put off till next weekend. All in all the floor replacement took me approximately 13 1/2 hours and will end up costing the client $425.00 for his new floor.You can make some decent money doing this kind of work but sometimes it can cause alot of headaches and get into some serious problems if you don't know what your doing or look at the entire job before you give an estimate for the work. I love doing this kind of work but sometimes I get myself in a pickle with my time scheduling.Figuring your time for a job is probably the most important factors of your estimate which is where so many people lose their profit. If the job takes longer then estimated then there goes their profit. Of course my theory is to figure extra time then give the client a refund when possible which makes the client happy with the work they received and you get call-backs for more work. Today I have to go work on my dad's roof,work on another clients roof( just extend the overhang for gutters to be installed which I'll be doing),and of course collect from the floor replacement job then anything else I can work into my schedule before the end of the daylight hours. So much work and so little time to do it all in with little help makes me tired just thinking about it but I have a cure it's called woodland escape. When I get worn out from my work I try to head for the woods to regroup if only for a couple of hours then I'm ready for another long haul of construction work again. Good thing hunting season is close then I can do so real relaxing even though my time in the woods will be limited.I probably have to bring in some help to get the work caught up by next weekend(Sept. 22,07) which is the first day of bow hunting season but if that's what it takes then so be it cause I've planned Sept. 22, 07 as my day to do nothing but hunt those dang ole smelly deer even if it kills me. I do my best to keep everybody posted on my hunting adventures and the outcome of each one but with all the work coming in right now looks like I'm going to be really busy this fall and may not get to go as much as I'd like too. The first deer is usually to fill the tag(which I figure pays for the tag) then after that it's all mainly trophy hunting for a nice rack to put on the wall. Even though the meat does cut down on the grocery bill, it's all about being in the woods just relaxing for me.