empty game bag, but the cup runneth over
Oct 28, 2019 17:37:28 GMT -7
Black Hand, hawkeyes, and 3 more like this
Post by spence on Oct 28, 2019 17:37:28 GMT -7
Our early turkey season ends in 4 days, so I had a go at them today. It was a strange day, the heaviest fog I recall ever seeing. Temperature was 40F, wind was light, and the fog stayed very thick until noon.
My plan to ambush a turkey was close, but no cigar. I saw 3 birds walk by just out of range in the fog, the last one did something I never saw. It stood tall, spread its big wing and flapped them 3-4 times. After 3 hours I gave up on the birds, switched to squirrels, struck out there, too. I saw two on the ground, but had no shot.
These outings with no game collected are far from a failure, for me. Being out in the Kentucky fall woods, seeing the many creatures that I come across, just watching the natural cycle passing, maybe doing a little shooting…..what’s not to like.
Well, maybe this...
Or this...
That camo blind was sitting right on the spot my butt usually occupies when I hunt that area, and I was surprised to see it loom up out of the fog when I went to set up. The shooting house is new since my last visit.
The new owner of my farm is not into tradition. Or maybe he is. These things are a longstanding tradition in my country. I’m sure I’m too old to understand what pleasure there can be in letting technology take the place of skill and knowledge in hunting. That’s OK.
There are several osage orange trees on the place, and one of the old ones outdid itself this year.
I was pleased to have a belief of mine verified once again. In my own mind, of course. I see people post about changing prime every 30 minutes or so when humidity is high. I’ve never seen the need for that, and days like today are the reason. Heavy fog all during a six-hour hunt, humidity so high and the grass staying so wet I got my feet soaked walking out at 1400, and I didn’t change my prime even once. I checked it several times, and it stayed dry, granular, shifted easily in the pan. Proof in the pudding, when I fired the .30 to empty it at the end of the day, shooting offhand at 25 yards at a squirrel head size leaf, ignition was as fast as normal. And the very old man killed the leaf.
Spence
My plan to ambush a turkey was close, but no cigar. I saw 3 birds walk by just out of range in the fog, the last one did something I never saw. It stood tall, spread its big wing and flapped them 3-4 times. After 3 hours I gave up on the birds, switched to squirrels, struck out there, too. I saw two on the ground, but had no shot.
These outings with no game collected are far from a failure, for me. Being out in the Kentucky fall woods, seeing the many creatures that I come across, just watching the natural cycle passing, maybe doing a little shooting…..what’s not to like.
Well, maybe this...
Or this...
That camo blind was sitting right on the spot my butt usually occupies when I hunt that area, and I was surprised to see it loom up out of the fog when I went to set up. The shooting house is new since my last visit.
The new owner of my farm is not into tradition. Or maybe he is. These things are a longstanding tradition in my country. I’m sure I’m too old to understand what pleasure there can be in letting technology take the place of skill and knowledge in hunting. That’s OK.
There are several osage orange trees on the place, and one of the old ones outdid itself this year.
I was pleased to have a belief of mine verified once again. In my own mind, of course. I see people post about changing prime every 30 minutes or so when humidity is high. I’ve never seen the need for that, and days like today are the reason. Heavy fog all during a six-hour hunt, humidity so high and the grass staying so wet I got my feet soaked walking out at 1400, and I didn’t change my prime even once. I checked it several times, and it stayed dry, granular, shifted easily in the pan. Proof in the pudding, when I fired the .30 to empty it at the end of the day, shooting offhand at 25 yards at a squirrel head size leaf, ignition was as fast as normal. And the very old man killed the leaf.
Spence
