[grumpy]

in reply to: Light Weight Hunting Bows #39502

Been there. It is even worse if you are fly casting. My form is terrible, and would take years to change, but I can put a fly where I want it.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Practice of the Wild #39480

Great story Smithammer. Han similar experiences with my son, and now my granddaughter. My favorite is that look that says “It’s a real bitch putting up with an idiot like you.”

[grumpy]

in reply to: Out of Place Critters #39474

’95 I was coming back from a business trip, and drove past the old homestead. About a mile from the house I grew up in there were couple brown things walking across a hay field. Stopped the truck looked thru the bincs at the first wild turkeys I had ever seen. When I was a teen shooting woodchucks in that field they were extinct.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Out of Place Critters #39459

Backpacking on the long trail (vt), in the 90s. I didn’t backpack much in the 80/90s – kids. Saw what I thought were cow tracks, and wondered “What are cows doing up here?” Till I almost ran into the first moose I ever saw in the wild. They are bigger than cows.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Signs of Spring? #39443

Cars and trucks driving on the lakes still. And to think last year we didn’t have a ice fishing derby because there was no ice. btw where is etter? Our spring peepers are still sleeping in the mud at the bottom of the swamp.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Fire Kit #35408

Now we know why forager never has bad breath.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Fire Kit #35396

Burch bark and butane lighter (bic) the cheap lighters aren’t as reliable, spare is nice.

The kidney stove is awesome!! Gonna do that. I have a similar stove made out of a tin can, but they rust out,

[grumpy]

in reply to: Light Weight Hunting Bows #35382

One of the main reasons I made my own bow was to get 40# at my 22″ draw.

Law here in MA says 40# minimum (nothing about draw), but a 40# at my draw is only around 30#.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Attraction #35364

I’m a minimalist at heart. Don’t feel I need anything more, would rather increase my skill to do it with simple equipment than use tech equipment that requires less skill.

The other main reason is that I find the same values/feelings here that I find in some fly fishing sites.

[grumpy]

in reply to: What ya got goin? #35340

Heard we are getting over 20″ of snow Mon. When I made the comment in front of the girls I got a horrified look, and they said “We only have 3 rolls of toilet paper!!” No worry about food, water, fuel, just need toilet paper. Hoping to go snow showing in while it snows. Haven’t heard the snow falling in the pines in years.

[grumpy]

in reply to: What's in your daypack? #35333

Trail mix (nuts and berries)

tea kit (includes fire stuff)

camo handkerchief

cell phone to call survivor man

master card

insurance card

truck keys

inhaler for asthma

dry socks

usually have birch bark for fire starter

knife

water (don’t want to drink water with bear poop)

Boot laces (the long ones to tie things up)

[grumpy]

in reply to: A club for those of us without any back country #35325

stchunter48 wrote: They got me thinking about a piece of state land along the Illinois River. Its mostly wetlands and waterways but there are pockets of river bottom timber. Most of all it is difficult to access. I think I may spend a little time exploring there this year.

I’m using my kayak to access one of our WMAs.

[grumpy]

in reply to: What's in your daypack? #33300

Cell phone and Les Straud’s phone number.

[grumpy]

in reply to: A club for those of us without any back country #33296

Here in MA there is no such thing as “wilderness experience.” On the other hand we have 2 new Wildlife Management Areas in the neighborhood. Not a lot of land, but they all have deer, and that 400 lb bear is still out there somewhere. What I am seeing is trout streams that were dead 50 years ago (like the Millers) are now fishable, and self sustaining.

I like to think that is because of what us old hippies started back in the ’60s, and efforts of TROUT UNLIMITED. The best places I am finding to hunt are along the trout streams that TU has worked on.

[grumpy]

in reply to: Chain saw in a can #33279

Good idea….Too bad it doesn’t work.

I’ve done a lot with a reciprocating saw blade, and vise grips. They do make cordless recip saws… if you have the room in your day pack.

Once found the road blocked by a tree and a kid with a big truck burning rubber trying to move it. Got the cordless recio saw out of the back of my truck, and cut it up till a cop came by and told me to stop showing off.

[Author]

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