Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[farmer steve]

January 16th sunny at 45 degrees. This is March/April weather . Sucks because if I use the equipment around the wood pile I’ll have a rutty mess .

It is unseasonably warm here as well. Not complaining as we are hovering around freezing-usually this is the coldest part of winter.

36° and rain here today. Very strange for January.

 

[farmer steve]

More ash scrounge today. 4 more buckets hauled to the splitter.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

We’ll see how much I get this year . On average I get 2 to three gallons . A few years ago I did over 5 was a long season . View attachment 1049043View attachment 1049044

Is it a hard or long process to make Maple syrup? Can one get syrup by tapping just any Maple tree? How about Birch tree syrup?

I sure do like me some real maple Syrup! I won't buy the fake stuff! Well, maybe Mrs. Buttersworth ever now and then, but hey! Come on now! Who doesn't like Ol Mrs. B?

Im sure it doesn't compare to the product you put out, but store bought is all we can get here on the Island Teriffic in the North Pacific! It works vs. the fake stuff! Even over Ol Mrs. B!

Seafood is our Islands specialty! Specifically crab, cod halibut and last but certainly not least, salmon. Seafood is what the Island dose here best! Oh yeah and Brown Bear!

This is the product I turn out up here. I've been known to smoke and can/jar over 20 Case's of pint and 20 case's of 1/2 pint jars in a season before, but usually five cases is average. A lot of work involved! As everything is done by hand. From Catch and filleting to peeling and chunking fresh alder fir the smoking process. All natural wood fired smoke no electric hot plates or anything artificial. Its a good product in the end! I get many compliments on my canned kippered salmon. Often being told its the best smoked salmon ever made. I don't know about att that but I definitely enjoy it!

If you like Smoked Salmon and your into trading? Maybe we could work out some sort of Syrup fir Salmon trade some day?

 

[Kodiak Kid]

More ash scrounge today. 4 more buckets hauled to the splitter. View attachment 1049142View attachment 1049143

What kind of Tractor is that?

 

[Kodiak Kid]

You just need to learn how to spell Whelen... lol

I MUCH prefer to fireform, to make .338-06 brass, so as to keep the neck thickness even all around, tapered expanders don't always do that as well...

SR

How do you fire form them exactly? Im familiar with the concept but not the actual process.

 

[SS396driver]

Is it a hard or long process to make Maple syrup? Can one get syrup by tapping just any Maple tree? How about Birch tree syrup?

I sure do like me some real maple Syrup! I won't buy the fake stuff! Well, maybe Mrs. Buttersworth ever now and then, but hey! Come on now! Who doesn't like Ol Mrs. B?

Im sure it doesn't compare to the product you put out, but store bought is all we can get here on the Island Teriffic in the North Pacific! It works vs. the fake stuff! Even over Ol Mrs. B! View attachment 1049126

Seafood is our Islands specialty! Specifically crab, cod halibut and last but certainly not least, salmon. Seafood is what the Island dose here best! Oh yeah and Brown Bear!

This is the product I turn out up here. I've been known to smoke and can/jar over 20 Case's of pint and 20 case's of 1/2 pint jars in a season before, but usually five cases is average. A lot of work involved! As everything is done by hand. From Catch and filleting to peeling and chunking fresh alder fir the smoking process. All natural wood fired smoke no electric hot plates or anything artificial. Its a good product in the end! I get many compliments on my canned kippered salmon. Often being told its the best smoked salmon ever made. I don't know about att that but I definitely enjoy it! View attachment 1049147View attachment 1049148

If you like Smoked Salmon and your into trading? Maybe we could work out some sort of Syrup fir Salmon trade some day?

Not a fish lover . Sorry
The best are Sugar maples which I have an abundance of . But all maples will produce . Birch is also good just very low in sugar so it takes a lot more sap
the boiling does take time and has to be done outdoors . I do finish the syrup on the kitchen stove . My cousin tried doing it inside .the wallpaper peeled off the wall .
My setup I usually have two pots boiling at one time . This was made for brewing beer but works just as well for syrup

 

[Kodiak Kid]

My buddy has a Blacktail from up there from when he was in the coast guard. I told him it was small compared to the ones you had posted pics.

Thankyou! To build a respectable collection of fair chase big mature trophy Blacktial takes time! Lots and Lots of Time! And hard work. I didn't even squeeze a trigger this year as far as taking a big mature Blacktial. It took me over 20 years to build my top ten Blacktial collection with two in the ten that are annual awards B&C. (100" net score)I've yet to harvest an All Time B&C. (108" net score) One day it will happen! Or at least the opportunity will happen! B&C animas are a lot harder to find than many people realize! Not every Blacktial is destined to reach 100" let alone All Time B&C. 108" net score. Same can be said about not all fair chase naturally wild Whitetail are destined to reach 150"-160" let alone All Time B&C 170"
Genetics play a huge part!

This is a friend of mines. It is in the top ten World Records fir Sitka Blacktial. 124" gross score.118" net.


This is one of my top ten personal records. Not my biggest, but in my top ten. It gross scores 99" 96.5" after deductions. Pictures don't do justice, but my friends is over two inches wider and all points on his rack are much longer. probably by about two inches and his rack is much heavier!
This is my rack in my top ten with the least amount of mass, but better as far as tine length. I took this animal on Afognak Island during a commercial cod fishing season. We were on anchor in Izhut Bay because it was to nasty of weather to fish offshore where our gear was. Skipper said "bring a hunting rifle this trip boys! may have some weather to wait on." Took a small Zodiac to shore Hiked a four mile loop through the woods and didn't see a thing until I got back to the beach. About 100yrds from the raft this young four year old buck stood up from his bed and gave me a broad side shot at 50 yards! Shooting off hand with my Sako 06, I missed the first shot from breathing hard from the hike, buck feaver, and excitement and disbelief that that he was right off the beach not far from the raft! He actually just stood there and gave me another off hand shot. I don't think he'd ever seen a person before. Im most certain If he'd lived to be six hed have gone All Time B&C. It was early December 2000. Once we got fishing again I put his skull in a cod pot fir two picks and the entire skull was as clean as a whistle by the second pick! Sand fleas cleaned it up down to shiny bone better than any flesh Beatle or boiling could ever do!


This is my heaviest Blacktial in my top ten, but also the narrowest spread. However, the biggest spread between eye guards (G-1 points) The antler mass and bases on this beautiful animal are world record class! Even bigger than my buddies up top Unfortunately all he has is mass. No spread or tine length to speak of. He was an old Buck! 98" gross score. 92" after deductions. Most his score is in mass (circumference) measurements! Although not my biggest in my top ten, He is my favorite as I Kayaked across 10 miles of Open Ocean exposed to the Alaskan Gulf to get the the grounds I hunted this Stud. Not protected waters! three and a half hours of padding hard in an eight to ten foot ground swell and ebbing cross current. (The red line marks the route.) Green X marks camp. I'll tell you guys about the bar crossing in and out of the lagoon some other time as that is a story in itself, but fir now I'll just say no room fir error, I was sweating bullets and had only one chance at it! No turning a 22 foot Kayak with a six hundred pound gross load around fir a second go across that bar entrance once the first set of breakers is behind you! That big Sled has about a 75 foot turning radius and takes almost a minute to come about. Needless to say. She was designed fir straight tracking in big open ocean swells. Not surfing the Banzai pipeline in Hawaii! Then I got stuck on the beach fir five days in a Northeast 50 knot storm coming in straight off the Gulf. Winds reaching hurricane levels excessive of 70 knots sustained! Freezing sand blasting sideways rain made for long days and nights in a tent that tested my wits as well as my sanity! As I was solo in the remote Alaskan Kodiak Island wilderness without anyone aware of my location! No room fir error or foul decision making and no reliable communications. I was most definitely at the mercy of only my gear and local knowledge! A lot to be said about a good high quality tent! I cant stress that enough! I had to hike 2000 vertical feet every morning to get a marine wether forecast on my hand held VHF radio. I couldn't paddle back if I wanted to. Probably a thirty foot breaking sea during that five day winter storm and the Witch of November came slash'n! Im not exaggerating this hunting story one bit! That was in 2008. I remember it like it was yesterday! Good stuff! I finally got a twelve hour weather window. basically one flood and one ebb of two in a 24 hr period. I loaded up my 400 lb camp and pointed the bow of my 22 foot ocean going SEDA North by Northeast. She tracked true, stable, and steady as she made way while I paddled the ten mile crossing back tracking the course I had originally traveled. Winds were calm and variable with a 15 foot gentle ground swell and with a well earned fair chase trophy Blacktial rack secured to the bow of my Kayak! As I approached Passagshak point entering the safe haven of Passagshak bay. I looked behind me across the bigger and strong tide influenced Ugak Bay. Skys were becoming grey and gloomy and white caps were already starting to build in another face of a winter storm East wind! Twas the Witch of November come stealing!

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Not a fish lover . Sorry
The best are Sugar maples which I have an abundance of . But all maples will produce . Birch is also good just very low in sugar so it takes a lot more sap
the boiling does take time and has to be done outdoors . I do finish the syrup on the kitchen stove . My cousin tried doing it inside .the wallpaper peeled off the wall .
My setup I usually have two pots boiling at one time . This was made for brewing beer but works just as well for syrup View attachment 1049157View attachment 1049158

How much raw sap will make a gallon of syrup?

 

[SS396driver]

How much raw sap will make a gallon of syrup?

Depends on the tree . Average trees are around 2% sugar content . The ones I tap are between 3.5 and 4% .

Start with 2% and you’re looking at approximate 40 to 1 .
4% and it’s in the 27 to 1 range . Still takes a long time to boil off that much water . So at between 3 and 5 gallons it’s a lot of water

 

[WoodAbuser]

Is it a hard or long process to make Maple syrup? Can one get syrup by tapping just any Maple tree? How about Birch tree syrup?

I sure do like me some real maple Syrup! I won't buy the fake stuff! Well, maybe Mrs. Buttersworth ever now and then, but hey! Come on now! Who doesn't like Ol Mrs. B?

Im sure it doesn't compare to the product you put out, but store bought is all we can get here on the Island Teriffic in the North Pacific! It works vs. the fake stuff! Even over Ol Mrs. B! View attachment 1049126

Seafood is our Islands specialty! Specifically crab, cod halibut and last but certainly not least, salmon. Seafood is what the Island dose here best! Oh yeah and Brown Bear!

This is the product I turn out up here. I've been known to smoke and can/jar over 20 Case's of pint and 20 case's of 1/2 pint jars in a season before, but usually five cases is average. A lot of work involved! As everything is done by hand. From Catch and filleting to peeling and chunking fresh alder fir the smoking process. All natural wood fired smoke no electric hot plates or anything artificial. Its a good product in the end! I get many compliments on my canned kippered salmon. Often being told its the best smoked salmon ever made. I don't know about att that but I definitely enjoy it! View attachment 1049147View attachment 1049148

If you like Smoked Salmon and your into trading? Maybe we could work out some sort of Syrup fir Salmon trade some day?

Since I elected myself as the official taste tester of this thread you will be required to send samples of your fish to me to test.

 

[SS396driver]

Found some better pictures I usually have 14 to 20 buckets out .
And from when I brewed beer was doing a brown ale . The beer in the glass was a winter beer coffee chocolate stout . I stopped drinking but I’m going to start brewing again cause my wife loves the home brewed beers .

 

[farmer steve]

What kind of Tractor is that?

New Holland TC 55 da. 2006 year. I use it year round. Hauling deer,hauling produce,hauling firewood and hauling beer boxes to the burn pile. It's been pretty reliable but like anything ,else, you use it sh!t breaks.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Depends on the tree . Average trees are around 2% sugar content . The ones I tap are between 3.5 and 4% .

Start with 2% and you’re looking at approximate 40 to 1 .
4% and it’s in the 27 to 1 range . Still takes a long time to boil off that much water . So at between 3 and 5 gallons it’s a lot of water

Very cool! How much sap will one tree produce? Is it possible to take to much sap and possibly kill the tree?

 

[Kodiak Kid]

New Holland TC 55 da. 2006 year. I use it year round. Hauling deer,hauling produce,hauling firewood and hauling beer boxes to the burn pile. It's been pretty reliable but like anything ,else, you use it sh!t breaks.

New Holland is built by Ford right! I hear they're good machine's!

Any of you guys familiar with Massy Ferguson tractors? Are they any good? How about the Alis Chalmers? 50/50 or 60/40?

 

[bob kern]

A real clean 73 and up a Suburban would be in the mid teens . One like mine mid 20s . Forget a 72 and older burban those are mid teens for a beater that needs just about everything 4x4 would add a few grand . Reason being all the guys with kids are buying them up a cool show vehicle that they can put the rug rats in . Even the 3+3 trucks are getting stupidly priced
I might put stuff in the back of this one . Like a cooler
View attachment 1049045

The ol 92 earning her keep today. 1 hog and 1 ram moved to death row.

 

[SS396driver]

Very cool! How much sap will one tree produce? Is it possible to take to much sap and possibly kill the tree?

One tree can produce 5 gallons a day per tap but on average 2+ . A large tree can have 3 taps but I’ve never gone that Many . A healthy tree it won’t hurt the tree at all . The hole is 5/16 and only goes in an inch or so .

 

[SS396driver]

The ol 92 earning her keep today. 1 hog and 1 ram moved to death row. View attachment 1049193

First year of that body style . The square body suburban /3+3s hung on till 91 . Guess they had a lot of leftover cabs and doors .
Friend want to trade plus cash a 2008 burban for my 85 . But it’s 2wd would make a nice tow vehicle but useless to me in winter

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Found some better pictures I usually have 14 to 20 buckets out . View attachment 1049171View attachment 1049172View attachment 1049175
And from when I brewed beer was doing a brown ale . The beer in the glass was a winter beer coffee chocolate stout . I stopped drinking but I’m going to start brewing again cause my wife loves the home brewed beers .
View attachment 1049174

Mmmm
Guinness! When I was in the Navy I was at an Irish pub. I was sipping a Guinness and an Irishman walked up and said "what you do'n thar Lad?" I said Im "drinking a beer!" He said "more like suckling a lambs teet!" I said "what?!?!" He said "to truly enjoy a proper Stout? One must never let it touch the lips more than three times before the pint in you fist is empty Lad! Now quit suckling that teet like a Las drinking tea, and enjoy your Stout properly me little man!"

Ha ha ha! I wasn't about to argue! Me and that Irishman pounded pints fir the rest of the evening and ended up just getting all kinds of pissed I'll tell ya!

 

[H-Ranch]

More ash scrounge today. 4 more buckets hauled to the splitter. View attachment 1049142View attachment 1049143

4 loads/2 pictures... you're improving! Maybe you need just a little more practice.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Since I elected myself as the official taste tester of this thread you will be required to send samples of your fish to me to test.

Could be! Could be!