[David Petersen]

in reply to: Super Duper Extreme FoC (SDEFoC) #49081

Patrick — you ever hear of the “boomerang effect”? Best have something solid to duck down behind once you release! :lol:8)

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Dr. Ashby's Status? #47183

Thaniks Tim and Michael. Last I heard, about a week ago, Ed was visiting a friend on his pig-hunting ranch in TX and had some sort of setback with his back or legs, making it difficult to walk. So he had to head back to the hospital yet again. This may not be precise in detail but basically the story. I try not to call or otherwise bug him during these long silences, assuming he wants privacy. When he’s posting here, we know he’s feeling good. Should I hear anything major either good or bad I’ll be sure to share it with his many friends and students here. Thanks for asking, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: good old mushroom #45622

Steve — you should check out morels. There’s basically dumb-proof, common across the country and my personal favorite. Turkey season and morels are inseparable for many. Alas, we still have 2′ snow and I doubt I’ll be eating either this spring.:cry:

[David Petersen]

in reply to: CO elk units #44807

Allen — draw tags are good only for a specific GMU, or Game Management Unit, though sometimes cover a few contiguous GMUs, which should be indicated in the draw announcements. If you want to be able to move extensively, go with an o-c tag. For more info on GMU’s, deadlines etc. just google Colorado Division of Wildlife and from the main page navigate to big game draw info, elk, etc. You can apply right online and pay with a credit card if you like. If you apply and don’t draw, they will issues you a refund in a couple of months (or an o-c tag, your choice. I know nothing about any low-number GMU’s sorry. Good luck, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The anatomy of a broadhead's edge #43293

Steve said: “Seems like a lot of fuss to sharpen something.”

Well, one man’s fuss is another’s fun! 😀

[David Petersen]

in reply to: IS EVERYONE READY FOR TURKEY HUNTING? #42584

Jay — I can feel your enthusiasm. To each his own — and so often, what we have to work with determines our possibilities — but my idea of turkey hunting isn’t putting out a spread of dekes in front of a comfy 26bull blind (though geeze, while squatting against some tree, trying not to shake, as the sun comes up, how dearly I’ve craved such comfort, with thermos of hot coffee and maybe even a nice little propane heater). It is, as sounds like it will be for you, actually gettig out there and walking and hunting those suckers. They beat you up once, you walk a while and find a fresh candidate, and he beats you up again. You walk and talk some more. One of these days, you win! And meat or none, hunting hard like this, getting exercise and seeing country as spring erupts, how can we truly lose? Impossible. Here in the Rockies, a massive snow winter casts long cold shadows over spring turkey. Even today, it snowed all day. I envy you! Dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: IS EVERYONE READY FOR TURKEY HUNTING? #42434

Twohairs — in total, I can count more than half a dozen knee replacements, one shoulder and four hip replacements. All were successful, amazing successful, with the shoulder taking the longest and giving most problems (in a man in his 70s). If you can hunt within a hundred yards of your house, I’d get someone to push you out there in a wheelchair! Whatever it takes. A few years ago I broke my right ankle 10 days before the season opened. There was still snow in patches around, and the ground was soft so that my crutches often took an unexpected dive. But I had a friend help me build a couple of brush blinds just a little ways in from a road on private land, and I hobbled out the them and sat there all day, day after day. Had more birds come in that year than ever before, proving once again the merits of patience. Go get some. 🙂 dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The anatomy of a broadhead's edge #42222

Glad you did, Patrick! I just reviewed it myself and re-learned some important things. Daniel is a master of close-up photography, which really helps make his explanations crystal clear. Note in the early photos of factory double-bevels how “blunt” that industry standard bevel is. In that one element alone, a single-bevel is “automatically” twice as sharp. Good stuff and looking forward to getting Daniel back. And Doc Ashby, and Sharpster.

Speaking of the latter, I recently bought a half-dozen of the new El Grande 200s, which are notably sharper from the factory than the old ones, but still need a bit of file work. Sharpster’s advice is to blacken the ground bevel with a Magic Marker so that when you’re filing you can see where you’re taking metal off and where not, to help preserve the original bevel angle (which now, near as I can tell, is 23 degrees). That certainly helps, but there’s still room to screw things up. Then the idea hit me that I could break a small file, about 3/4″ wide, into lengths that would fit into the KME knife sharpener jig that holds the stone (shown in Daniel’s photos here also). I tried that and it worked great, allowing me to do the necessary little bit of file work and keep a perfect bevel angle. I’d like to see Sharpster add such files to his standard sharpener kit, though you can simply place a file in a vise at the proper length for the sharpening jig, and whack the protruding portion with a rubber mallet and it will snap right off. I got two “stones” per file. Something else fun to experiment with and nothing really to lose. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: Mr. Petersen Please Elaborate #42201

Yeah, I never expected it to come to this either. On a local level, the Forest Service recently recommended about 50,000 acres of prime elk habitat be protected as wilderness, namely the East Hermosa Creek drainage. Sportsmen were wildly supportive of this, given the quality of the habitat and hunting and the increasing problems with ATV invasion. Even the ATV people didn’t put up much of a fight, recognizing for once that they needed to compromise here. And most outfitters working that area, who would lose the ability to use chainsaws to clear trail and get in camp wood, also accepted the proposal. So all looked good … except that this area is a mountain-biking mecca, and the Colorado Trail pretty much encircles the Hermosa drainage and the proposed wilderness had a thumb that would put a 5-mile stretch of the Trail into wilderness, so that bikers couldn’t complete the circle. So they immediately set about to block and kill the entire wilderness proposal — willing to sacrifice this rare and threatened (with overuse) place just so they could have their fun. They managed to block it temporarily and in order to get the wilderness going again, we had to give up that chunk of land with nothing in return. Same thing has happened in CA and elsewhere, because the national mountain biking group decided to come out anti-wilderness unless the Wilderness Act is changed to allow bicycles. So, while bicyclists aren’t anti-hunting per se, they are anti-wilderness for selfish reasons, and that stance, if you really know the big picture and understand the intricate biological issues, equates to anti-hunting.

I really dislike these “political” threads because they tend to bring out strong opinions and emotions, certainly in me. I hope that answers your question and we can put this one to rest. If not, please PM me. Cheers, dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The ugliest moccasins ever! #41457

Hey, no deer is going to see those mocs. To a deer, what is ugly is how we smell! And in a rare serious moment for me here (where I come to have fun, but never at anyone else’s expense) … what counts most and only is your enthusiasm to find self-expressive and productive ways to utilize your “traditional” energies during times we can’t hunt. Just get that education (I much favor “liberal arts,” as xenophobia born of big-picture ignorance, which is rampant today, is the first enemy of peace and truth on earth; but whatever) and don’t let the passions of the moment sidetrack you from that absolute necessity (along with any international travel you can manage) … and you’ll have most of us beat all to hell for a happy life and wisdom on down the line. Ooops, sorry all. This should be a PM. See what a pair of ugly mocs can get us into! Thanks the gods we have Wweet Mother Robin here to keep us Wild and Crazy guys in line! But enough now. My wife tells me I need to wash the dishes … :oops::P8):wink::D

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The ugliest moccasins ever! #41403

Chris — “Scotch Guard” sprayed on boots once cost me a magnificent bull elk. Deer can smell that stuff from 10 miles away (so to speak)! I think our resident primitive expert, Chad Sivertsen, may agree with me that there can be no compromise with primitive. While most of life resides in the gray zone, primitive seems either white or black. But then, you/I never know what Chad is thinking, he thinks far much farther ahead (that is, behind) the rest of us! Just have fun and do no harm, and we can’t go wrong. I can’t imagine a life lived with no mistakes ever made to learn from. What fun would that be? My compromise “mocs” for years now are L.L. Bean Main Hunting Shoes. Oops, time to walk the dogs. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: IS EVERYONE READY FOR TURKEY HUNTING? #41393

In my experience, J2 speaks truth here. Can’t count the spring turkeys I made “perfect” shots on, with full pass-throughs, only to have the birds fly or run off and just … disappear. Even my alleged bird dogs, brought in to assist the search, couldn’t find them. But coyotes or other scavengers did (I’m glad at least for that) and sometimes in elk season I’d find feathers for proof of my “kill.” Having killed so many turks with a 12-bore that it became terminally boring and ridiculously easy, I went bow-only for this species many years ago; point is, after sticking my fist up a couple dozen turkeys at least, and pulling out the organs (all of which, put together, sorry, wouldn’t make a decent grapefruit), why didn’t it dawned on me sooner that my “perfect” bow shots were for mammals, low and forward. On a turkey there’s nothing down there but breast meat. As with grouse etc., their vitals are all balled up fairly high. Wing-butt works real well for me. Or up the exhaust pipe from the rear. From the front … ho, ho and good luck getting to full draw unless you’re in a blind. Which I never am.

All of which is likely moot this year, since snow here in SW CO this winter has likely (DOW bios back my opinion) wiped out, while what are left were forced so far down south by deep snow, they’re on private land. Rots of ruck to me to even find a bird to talk to this year, sigh. Maybe I should plan a trip to Mississippi! 🙄 Depressed Dave in Durango

[David Petersen]

in reply to: CO elk units #41073

Allen (and anyone else interested) — The White River herd is the biggest elk herd in the world. White River NF is north of Rifle and just west of Glenwood Springs. While it sort of “on top” so far as east or west, it’s worth looking into. If you’re able to backpack in, the Flattops Wilderness can be awesome. Farther west I’d avoid the Uncomphagre NF, between Montrose and Delta, near Grand Junction, because it’s absolutely overrun with ATVs and getting worse all the time. Otherwise, good elk pops there (and deer, bear, turkey). San Juan NF, down in the SW, is huge with several wilderness areas. Although it’s among the most popular areas and has plenty of elk, I’d probably avoid the Hermosa Creek drainage for hunting from a road camp, due again to intense ATV traffic plus mjotorcycles and hunting’s new big enemy, mountain bicyclists. Down south of Pagosa Springs in the S. San Juans is a neglected area during bow season. Plenty to choose from! In my long experience here, if you want to enjoy an all-around fun and memorable trip and hear elk bugling, your first goal should be to find where ATVs are allowed (all forests now must publish Motor Vehicle Use Maps, or MVUMs, which are free and note all legally motorized trails) and go somewhere else. I’ve heard of folks backpacking into “wilderness” only to have ATVs go screaming by below them, just over the boundary. You don’t have to do wilderness to esape the motors. CO has 4 million acres of roadless areas that we (some of us) fight hard to keep that way. Perhaps these conditions and concerns will help you find a good spot in one of your original planned units. Like I say, I don’t know enough about any of them to say bad or good. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: The ugliest moccasins ever! #41058

Those could be museum artifacts from the Pleistocene! I also went through a moc phase many years ago — they still hang on the wall in a corner of the cabin. But here in the Rockies they just didn’t work. As Bert semi-jokes, they don’t do much to buffer sharp rocks so at the end of a day my feet were bruised. Also the soles were like roller bearings on pine needles, and even a heavy dewfall had my feet wet in no time. But your circumstances are different and they might be just the ticket. Sure can’t get any quieter than a good moc. You might try using a good insole to add some footbed protection. I admire your creative energy. dave

[David Petersen]

in reply to: CO elk units #40226

Sorry, I have lived and hunted in CO for 30 years and don’t know any of those units. The Front Range (east side of Continental Divide) and the West Slope (where I live) might as well be two separate continents. I’d go west if I were you, due to the tremendous influx of hunters from the big Front Range cities, Denver etc., who hunt the east side for convenience. But like most Americans these days, I’m woefully xenophobic. In fact,CO has more elk than any other state, province or known planet in the universe. Do your homeword — increasingly, sad to say, to learn how to get away from the ATVs and lazy hordes they bring, than to find the elk. Best luck, dave

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