How'd it go today?

[stig]

Thats one thing we did not have to deal with for very long, Nobility and King.

There is really a big portion of the US that hunts. They do it for a lot of reasons. There was some commercial hunting years ago, but that is gone now. Well, there are still game ranches in TX, and some private ground is leased up, but by and large the American citizen can still go and hunt, pretty cheaply too. You can buy a hunting rifle with a scope for 350 bucks, new, now.

I think its a good tradition, one worth fighting for, and one that should be safe for the foreseeable future. Rant over!

No need to rant.
I didn't say anything about the way hunting was done in the US.
Matter of fact, when I lived in Idaho, seeing how they hunted simply to bring meat to the table was an eye opener for me.

Raising birds justbto release them and shoot them in order to feel manly has nothing to do with huntingIMO.

 

[FireFighterZero]

I knew you felt that way Stig. It was a general rant, not directed at you.

The State releases a lot of birds here to help grow our only state industry, tourism. No matter that Agriculture pays most of the bills, its the tourists they want. In a state with no sales tax no less!

Ahem, excuse me......anyway, all the release of caged birds does is increase the predator population, caged birds are DUMB. So there are more hawks and eagles for the next year, increasing predation on a wild bird population, lowering its population, making it harder to attract tourist bird hunters, thus leading to more caged birds being released...... Its the silliest damn system around.

 

[pete mctree]

I actually live on one of those game estates. They breed, raise & shoot thousands of pheasants & partrige every year. It is a huge financial concern & even though I agree with it's stupidity & futility it does have benefits.
The estate lands are well maintained, including the woodlands. This habitat created for them is of colossal Benifit to other species. They reduce the predation by foxes, corvids, stoats weasels etc which has an amazing effect on the otherwise pressured bird population. From the curlews, lapwings & snipe on the high ground to the songbirds & others in decline such as nuthatch, March tits etc
I could go on, but I have seen enough positives, that I can forgive everything apart from those who pay huge sums to come & shoot here.

 

[cory]

Then there are the big estates that breed and release bird by the million for shoots.
$50 to kill a pheasant or fire 3 shots at it, and then they bury them in a ditch, dug with a back hoe, beacause they can't sell that many birds.

That is disgusting.

I have seen enough positives, that I can forgive everything apart from those who pay huge sums to come & shoot here.

Well, in the end, some good comes out of it apparently.

Jim, afaik, hunting participation rates are on a downtrend and have been for awhile. Less young people doing it, even before the internet became colossal.

 

[Limbrat]

Jim, afaik, hunting participation rates are on a downtrend and have been for awhile. Less young people doing it, even before the internet became colossal.

Couldn't tell it anywhere I hunt Cory but it is true nationwide. If you could look at a satellite map from forty years ago side by side with a present one you'd see that the major culprit is habitat loss, but there's a lot of other factors involved too. Outrageous license fees, crazy regs, ammunition prices and a lot fewer Dads in the home to pass on the love of nature and the hunting tradition. Add in the "guns are evil" media mantra and killing your own food not being politically correct and it is sadly apparent that the trend will continue.

 

[cory]

Agree on all counts. Very unfortunate .

 

[Fiddler]

Excellent post Ray

 

[FireFighterZero]

As I sit here at my loading bench, with Richard boy helping me, he informs me that he has to poop. I says well, use your potty, I keep mine clean. Well sissy is using the other potty, so I give in. He goes in there and says there is a big spider in the tub. I says thats Harry, he is my shower buddy. Richard boy is terrified of spiders so I figure my toilet is off the hook.
Richard says he will go get his harmonica to play Harry the Spider a song while he does his business.

I just cant win.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Well, I guess I did something right. My climber Mike I helped hone his felling skills since he has been with us. He has really come a long way. He went and took his C faller and passed with flying colours. He is now signing up with CDF for the summer. I guess they are offering big money if there is a fire. So he tells me. I am a tad too seasoned to chase money all over steep hills more than I already do. Afraid the birdie will be leaving the nest soon. Proud and kind of bummed at the same time.
He brought a guy on board that we are training now. He seems to have the aptitude and caught the bug. Guess I better get on it and up the training hours

 

[Page]

Had a good day volunteering at green lane state park today. It was a good turnout. Maybe 15 or 20 companies came (didn't really count but somewhere around there) good networking. Met a lot of people and saw a lot of different setups. Got to check out the trees that are in the comp this year. Pretty sweet white oak for the masters climb. It always feels good to help out at the parks. Makes me wanna do it more. There's a pretty sweet preserve I hike frequently that no one takes care of. I might start helping out there.

 

[August Hunicke]

All this damn work and August and Stig still wont buy a steak. Sheesh.

Yes, by some miracle I am still vegetarian. I'm stubborn. I think it's been over a month now…
Or....Pescaterrian since I eat fish.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's great, Stephen. Hopefully he will stick around!

 

[August Hunicke]

Wtg Mike!

 

[August Hunicke]

Lol Jim

 

[squisher]

I burned my mini space pile finally yesterday. No pics as Butch gave me small pile syndrome last time I mentioned it.

Now I have to get moving on some carpenteering and finish my long anticipated tack room.

 

[stig]

Well, I guess I did something right. My climber Mike I helped hone his felling skills since he has been with us. He has really come a long way. He went and took his C faller and passed with flying colours. He is now signing up with CDF for the summer. I guess they are offering big money if there is a fire. So he tells me. I am a tad too seasoned to chase money all over steep hills more than I already do. Afraid the birdie will be leaving the nest soon. Proud and kind of bummed at the same time.
He brought a guy on board that we are training now. He seems to have the aptitude and caught the bug. Guess I better get on it and up the training hours

Stephen, I know that feeling all too well.
Only way to deal with it is to congratulate yourself on a teaching job done well and hope for his succes.

 

[Bodean]

Good job, Stephen!

 

[Raj]

Had a large sugar maple grind this morning in Waterford, had a stump to quote in Boston on the way back to Brantford. Apparently the stumper is a sucker for cute hairdressers in tight leather pants, not really the jobs I'd like to do, but it paid.




Stephen!

 

[Pelorus]

Backyard maple today. No wildlife inside. Left the 20' hollow section standing.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Gnarley!

 

[Pelorus]

Also a white birch.

 

[Pelorus]

Yeah, she was a tad wobbly!
People sometimes take a long time to decide their trees are gonners.

 

[cory]

I says thats Harry, he is my shower buddy.

Ha I have one too! Spiders are awesome.

Proud and kind of bummed at the same time.

Well done, Stephen. You trained him up while he made you money, you'll do it again with another guy.

There's a pretty sweet preserve I hike frequently that no one takes care of.

Good on you, Page How many acres is it??

Yes, by some miracle I am still vegetarian. I'm stubborn. I think it's been over a month now.

Why'd you go the veggie route, AH?

No pics as Butch gave me small pile syndrome

Yeah, she was a tad wobbly!

Look at all that white stuff on the ground, geez!

 

[Pelorus]

Yeah, we got an inch or do of that white stuff a couple of days ago and some still lingers in spots.
The black flies and skeeters will be out soon enough though.

 

[cory]

Rugged country.