As the patriarch of the Hole in The End of the Stump Deer Camp, I officially declare this camp open. Let all Cervids be warned. He that outlives this day and comes safe home will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d, and point a finger at his mounted … Continue reading →
I was up early at Camp this AM to scout in preparation for the KY Rifle Opener tomorrow. Some say I’m lazy for doing my scouting from the Thoughtful Spot, armed with a hot mug of coffee and a pair of astronomical binos, but I respond that I’m saving myself … Continue reading →
I have spent the morning immersed in all the Facebook posts that have come in from all my lifelong friends that are less than happy with the election results. One of them particularly moved me: I have one friend in particular who is dejected today. He got in my face … Continue reading →
A bunch of things came together last week and with a lot of rushing about at the last minute, I was able to get my first novel published on Amazon.com. It’s just $2.99. So far, sales have been going well, and it has a good review already posted. It is … Continue reading →
I know a lot of writers encourage folks to stay out all day. I don’t. A good reason is that I can come in. Deer Camp is less than a mile from my furthest stand, and I can usually call for a pickup and have a truck out in 15 … Continue reading →
I only write this to mark the passing of KY’s Early Muzzleloader Season. It’s over; that is about all you need to know. All in all, it was not as lousy as it could have been. It was not the hottest, although we had temperatures in the mid-80’s. It was … Continue reading →
It was a big weekend for Mooselette, #1 Granddaughter. First off, she got Grandpa’s “This is a gun” speech. All my kids got this speech somewhere between 3 and 5. 1) Let the kid handle an unloaded firearm. Let them see that it is about as interesting as a hammer. … Continue reading →
We’ve been at our place since September 2001. The World Trade Center was still smouldering. I had not bagged a Groundhog in well over 5 years. Y’all have to remember that I was close to giving up in those days. I’d lost every one of my good hunting spots. There … Continue reading →
This past weekend, I got my Hawken checked out for deer season. Not much had changed from the previous year. However, I had a wee bit of Hodgdon Triple-7 left over from 2013. The previous week, I had used it in my .54 Hawken and found that it had gotten … Continue reading →
I just wanted to thank Bracken County for paving the road out in front of deer camp. This was about 14 years in the making. It was about then a couple of college kids came down the road with a GPS unit on their car and turned around in my … Continue reading →
From the 24HourCampfire: jr1968 Offline Member  Loc: Bolivar,NY I know each White tail is different. Under 200 yard shot trough the lungs, what cal. and bullet grain has been the shortest recovery? Just wondering. Thanks, jr1968. Dear jr1968: One of the nice things about whitetails is that they … Continue reading →
I just watched the countdown timer cross the 8-week mark. It’s now exactly 2 months to the start of Kentucky’s Modern Weapons Season. I stayed home from the farm overnight. It was going to be hot and muggy and thunderstorms have been moving through since sundown Friday. I’ve been busy … Continue reading →
It’s getting on towards deer season. It is less than a month until the Muzzleloader Opener, and I am feeling less than exuberant. This is going to be a watershed year. Angus announced that he is not going out for smokepole season for the first time. Moose has been missing … Continue reading →
Angus and Moose gave me a GoPro Hero for my birthday. I’ve been testing it out. They say I can use it hunting, but I’ll be deuced if I can figure out a way to tie it to a turkey or a deer. I might be able to use the … Continue reading →
Back when I was wringing out the new Ruger American Predator in .223 REM, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. There was a lot of wind, and my groups were getting spread out horizontally a good 4 inches while the vertical difference was less than an inch. I looked into it, … Continue reading →
SuperCore came down to try out his new ride, an Arctic Cat ATV that he will be using to get to the blind this coming season. It’s 4WD with an automatic transmission. This breaks a 15-year moratorium on the farm regarding ATV riding. When Dad and I got the place … Continue reading →
I don’t think this is going to rock anyone’s world, but I just wanted you to know that I started deleting every user account that is older than 600 days and has never commented or posted. I took this measure, because I had over 7000 accounts in the database from … Continue reading →
I was out shooting with my new Ruger American Predator in 223 REM. Overall, I impressed with a lot of things. There are a few flaws, but they are minor. I am also very happy with the Bushnell Banner 6-24X40mm scope I mounted on it. My only beef is that … Continue reading →
I have been compiling a deer log for a number of years. It contains pertinent data on every deer the family has taken since I got my start in the early 80’s. I didn’t start compiling it until about a decade ago, but I knew the dates and times of … Continue reading →
Now that Indiana has decided to take the great leap ahead and embraced modern centerfire rifles for deer, the question is going to be what rifle to buy. I have had a lot of thoughts on that very idea over the years. Dig around on this weblog, starting with the … Continue reading →
Angus graduated high school, and to celebrate, he invited his buddies down for a camping trip. MooseMama came down for the first day as well. 4 guys, 2 nights, and no trouble and a clean campsite when they left. A father could not ask for anything better. Views: 4 Related … Continue reading →
Five years ago on Memorial Day Weekend, Team Moose announced that the family was going to be extended into the next generation. That day, I drove to Falmouth and bought a bucket of bluegill and largemouth bass to stock the pond nearest the house. I dedicated the pond to the … Continue reading →
The shotguns are back on the rack. The ammo and calls are put away. For all their work, Angus and SuperCore are eating tag soup. However, we all walked away with actionable intelligence. This was a good year overall for us. Everyone had shooting opportunities. First off, let me talk … Continue reading →
Mark Hay on T&TH was asking about how I call gobblers in the afternoon, and I thought I’d start a new topic rather than go deeper in the Hunting Pressure thread. This is a description of what I do on my property when I want to entice a gobbler in … Continue reading →
When I started turkey hunting, Ronald Reagan was still in his first term. Ohio had a spring season, but you had to apply for a tag months before to get into a lottery. The closest place I could hunt a spring gobbler was 5 counties over. It took a 3 … Continue reading →
