Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

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We did not get anything, but the Hunting WE was quite exiting.

Opening morning a Bear came 50 yds from my stand, but I'm looking for Deer so I passed!

Was in a double stand with my Daughter, as this was her first time Big Game hunting. Second day the wind was not in our favor, and just after 7am we heard a loud snort, and heard the big guy going through the woods on the right, but it is so thick we could not see him.

A few weeks ago, my daughter and I had been up there for small game, saw grouse, but no opportunities to shoot. So late Tue morning we went walking looking for where that buck may have bedded down, and we flush 2 grouse out of the same hole, the second one would have been an EASY shot, and we are holding rifles!

Later Tue Afternoon, MechanicMatt pushes and we (my Daughter and I) go end around. Matt spots the big buck (says it is huge), fires a shot from the Whalen, but even that does not make it through the thick brush, the buck snorts loudly again (all of us hear it) and escapes. The Buck could not go down hill, there is a 50 foot cliff, and if my Daughter and I were 50 yds further we would have to have seen him.

The way it goes, excitement, but no deer yet. But, he is there, and I'm putting his patterns together. Hopefully, I'll get back up there.
 
I'm putting his patterns together.
This is key, as for the most part they are creatures of habit.
It's been a while since I did much hunting, but a little scouting and two trail timers and it's not hard to bag something. Now a trophy is a bit of a different story, but trophies are nice on the shelf, a nice size young-in :sweet:.
I'm getting hungry lol.
 
Also, being 2 miles in on a 4wd road, these are real "Woods Deer". If he was not "defending" his turf, they often get out of town for 2 or 3 weeks when they encounter people. Not at all like the deer down here.

Large sections of the pricker bushes look like they were mechanically mowed at about 2' high, and all of his rubbed trees are scraped up high. I knew he was big before Matt saw him.

My only ace in the hole is how clearly he has marked his "run line", must easily be over 100 messed up trees all along it from one end of my property to the other.

Usually the only way to get deer like that is to be motionless in your stand, or to have more than one person working together. You will rarely get a good shot if you are the one who jumped him. In fact, you will usually not even see him!

Will help if we get some snow up there. Also, one of my "one person" stands is better positioned for a shot at him.

Because of all the storm damage to the canopy, the undergrowth is so thick it makes seeing them w/o snow very difficult until they are very close.
 
I knew I had some Hop Hornbeam trees on the upstate property but I did not realize they are by far the highest BTU wood up there.

It has a BTU rating of 26.4, higher than Shag Hickory, White Oak and Black Locust (which are not up there).

We also have Black Birch 24.2, Sugar Maple 23.2 and American Beech 22.7, but we mostly burn White Ash 21.6 and Black Cherry 19.5.

We will have to start collecting some of the Hornbeam (I know I've cut it to make new ATV trails), it should make a difference in keeping us warm at night!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrya_virginiana
 
Agreed. I like the mesh side boards you've got on the inside of your trailer. I have to use short branches to hold everything in. Is that a home-made dolly in the back?
I wish I had the skills to fab that. It’s a log mule; unfortunately, they went out of business.

I could not do what I do without it, as I don’t have a tractor. It has a 400 pound limit. I loaded the whole trailer by myself. Here’s a pick of my son using it

8E736787-B5F7-446C-AE77-6032C93D3435.jpeg
 
Agreed. I like the mesh side boards you've got on the inside of your trailer. I have to use short branches to hold everything in. Is that a home-made dolly in the back?

The mesh boards are horse panel I bought at TSC and cut to fit. They are held on with tie straps. I should probably have them welded to the trailer.

I was hauling a cord of split wood and lost a piece through the side rails. I saw it bouncing like a football in the opposite lane. It could have went through a windshield and killed somebody. I knew I had to do something after that.
 
I knew I had some Hop Hornbeam trees on the upstate property but I did not realize they are by far the highest BTU wood up there.

It has a BTU rating of 26.4, higher than Shag Hickory, Black Birch and Black Locust (which are not up there).

We also have Black Birch 24.2, Sugar Maple 23.2 and American Beech 22.7, but we mostly burn White Ash 21.6 and Black Cherry 19.5.

We will have to start collecting some of the Hornbeam (I know I've cut it to make new ATV trails), it should make a difference in keeping us warm at night!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostrya_virginiana

I'm surprised to see some of those BTU numbers being higher than Ash. I always thought Ash was a little higher.
 
I think my pics show how ridiculous it is that NYS has a 3 pt a side rule up there … with all the brush what are you going to do, say "hold still for a second"!!!

It is different if you are hunting from a blind on a farm, but we are not.

You just have to use your judgement and hope for the best, or you will go home empty!

The points have to be 1" each. Matt took a 6 pt a few years ago, but they inspected and said only 5 were legal points, and they were likely generous with him. It is so easy to get into trouble!
Took him today posted a thread in the great outdoors section 2F8EFF7D-B8CA-4D27-9385-7762518E62F5.jpegB240A348-EACA-44EA-8720-57F905C62BDA.jpeg
 
Say What You Will About Saw Cases . . .

A number of guys turn up their noses at those of us who keep our saws in plastic cases of one sort or another. I like them to store my saws, together with spare chains, parts, etc., so that everything is together. I like them for transporting my saws in my vehicle, and keeping it clean. The rectangular, plastic cases also stack well.

Tonight, I had another reason to like them.

Bringing stuff into the house as it started to get cold and dark, including the dog. He stepped back in the crowded entry way, sending one of my battery saws, rolling, tumbling, and bouncing off every step into the basement - my fault for placing it there, not his (although, he got the ____ out of there pretty quick!). Saw was fine, inside the blow-molded, plastic box. Oil in 1-quart plastic bottle did not even spill (packed pretty tight). Latches did not pop open. Can't even see a scratch or dent on the case.

Worth it right there. Dog could have gotten cut if he had brushed up against an exposed saw, and I am sure that both the saw, and the steps, would be worse off as well.

Philbert
 
I always put bar covers on my saws, then Siamese them - they travel better that way!

But a few months ago someone dropped off a saw to be fixed, still had the B+C on, and no bar cover. Of course, my older dog ran past it and clipped the chain, cut her leg and was bleeding! Boy did I catch heck from the wife!
 

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