Seasons Past

...trees for that one.

....Right! He was a real king of the hill and ran wild through out my area all summer and then decided to bug me opening day about 2:30 or 3 and I just had to take him. Chris

Chris, When you say 2:30 or 3. Are you reffering to a.m. or p.m.? I've heard stories about you guys. Nice buck good job. (kidding about the hours)

Hi Don: You wouldn't be thinking I was one of those "violetators" now would you? Just kidding, I mean PM as in afternoon just before dark. Around here thats when the deer come out, usually about an hour before dark and they sneak slowly into the yard to graze. The first few years I lived here I never saw a deer then BAM, deer everywhere. so I had some good hunting for my last ten or so years of hunting. Then had to quit. Chris

Two days before Christmas 2009

Had some problems posting pics(obviously). Have more to show I'll figure it out sooner or later.

Up to it's old tricks. If you post the red X photos, I'll fix them up. Give me a head's up PM
AL

Welcome to the wonderful world of picture posting on this site! It took me awhile to learn what to avoid and what to keep doing to get them posted, but luckily Al knows how to fix all the problems. Nice buff by the way,what gun were you using? Chris

This is a picture from some years ago when I was still actively thinning out the deer herd. Chris

You still never told me which cannon you used on that Buff. Just curious. Chris

The Pronghorn running on the high plains. These pictures are from back in the 1980's when I lived in New Mexico and was fortunate enough to get some Pronghorn hunting in. The Pronghorn is a neat animal, being the only member of his species still alive on this earth. They are often called antelope but they are probably closer to a cross between a goat and antelope. They are the only mammal to have a horn that is composed of two parts, an inner permanent horn and an outer renewable sheath that is shed. The outer sheath also has a forward hook that is unique to the Pronghorn and if you look at the pictures you can clearly see the sheath removed from the inner horn. Hope you enjoy the pictures and the lecture. Chris

I love Antelope hunting,Saw a nice heard 20 minutes east of Salmon near the Lemhi range this year. No bucks twenty plus animals though.I have a mount of an antelope I shot in 88 that has horns growing out of the bridge of his nose.And have mounted several with a third horn somewhere on the back of the head.Took some nyquil last night am I rambling?

Is that a Kentucky bourbon I haven't heard of? I think you should post a picture of your antelope mount. I would love to see one of the third horn ones also. They say the outer sheath is actually hairlike and when it forms it is liquidy like and then hardens after it is fully formed. I never got to see one in the "Velvet" so to speak. It would be interesting. Chris

Gotta take em off the core by steaming or microwaving when the wife isn't around.Antelope and sheep horns stink bad if you don't and almost always have some sort of jelly substance in there.If you look close at the horn itself especially on the inside you'll see the hair.All horned animals are hair like and too much boiling and they will disintegrate.I'll get some pics up as soon as the daughter can get here to assist.I find that posting pics leads to excessive use of the nyquil.Goofy animals,they run full speed for no reason hit the brakes to feed,can't figure em out.

Chris, Every time I look at the CBM website I see that you have a population of very large bears we have alot here but the size of yours are impressive.Got any on your place?

I had one several years ago that came out along the back fence, it stood as high as a three-wire barb wire fence as it stood by a post, I figured three feet at the shoulders. I have a blurry picture somewhere of it but its very hard to see. My wife got mad at me because I saw it, ran for the camera, and then ran after the damn bear trying to get it to stop long enough for a picture. He must have thought I was mad at him so he took off in high gear. I of course, had to face the Wrath of Khan when I got back in the yard! She thought I was going to get "ett by a bar!" As of lately, no bears, most are around but very seldom seen except by farm fields when they come out to eat. Most of the ones shot are by corn fields, although some are woods shot. I truly haven't hunted for black bears since about 74 or 75. Gave it up as I wasn't really sure I wanted to kill one. Back then they were scarce, now, they seem to be making a big comeback. I worked with a guy, Hesyck, I think was his last name, and he is in the Michigan record book for one of the largest bears in MI, don't remember how big exactly, 600# or something. Sadly he moved out west, Wyoming or Montana and passed away at an early age. Had enough of my rambling? Chris

Don: I forgot to mention the Wisconsin bear shot in September by Chad Maves of Bowler, WI. It was weighed in at 736# when he shot it, not sure what the certified final weight is but that's "pretty much big bear!" as my old native american guide would say. Chris

Dang it all, Don, now you got started on bear stories, so I have to tell one of my favorites. When I was still a lad I spent a lot of time with my Grandma on the farm she had grown up on and pretty much spent most of her life on after raising her family. One of my favorite times was late summer when the berries were ripening and we would load up with lard pails and don long sleeved shirts to hit the blackbery patches in the woods. Grandma's farm was 360 acres of mostly hardwood forest with a river flowing through one edge so there were lots of berry patches scattered throughout. One fine day we hit on a beauty of a patch where the big plump berries were literally falling into the buckets. As we picked we talked and wandered through the high bushes and sometimes even crawling under to get at the berries. I heard Grandma talking but didn't think she was talking to me so I wandered some more until I came back around to her and this huge black bear, side by side, picking berries. As she picked she would talk to the bear and it sure seemed like he understood her! I watched spellbound for several minutes until Grandma worked her way toward me and said we should probably leave this patch to the bear. Truth is stranger than fiction. Chris

Chris, You caused some flashbacks,I remember my dad telling me stories about bears and picking blueberries when he was a kid. He would have been in Minnesota or Wisconsin. But I thankyou for jarring my memory,he passed away 20 years ago and really wish I had recorded some of the stories he told for my kids. Another reason I'd like to come back that way and spend some time.I really would like to do some serious ice fishing and of course now forget the deer and focus on bear.Keep the stories coming as you think of them.Don P.S. I have a recipe for a Nyquil Martini if you want it I'll post it but, be warned it ain't for the weak....damn near killed me!

I used to be owned by a tri-colored cocker spaniel named Jiggs. His colors were black with a white spot on his chest and blonde hairs interspersed around his ears and legs. My mom named him Jiggs because he reminded her of the old cartoon character Mr. Jiggs. He was my companion for many years and since I liked to hunt he liked to hunt. His specialty was chasing rabbits from under brushpiles or hedgerows but he also treed partridges and pursued various other critters according to their ranking on his list of good things to chase. I think he used his head too because he didn't chase skunks. He did, however, have a trait that his companion also possessed, lack of sense when facing situations that could potentially be bad for you. I seemed to be fearless whenever I was in the woods and Jiggs seemed more than happy to help me get into those spots. I had one of my best almost mishaps while we hunted an old logging area. I entered a cutover half-grown slash in the middle of a cedar swamp and worked my way along the edges looking for rabbits. Jiggs got on some fresh scent and led me to an old log shack that was half fallen in from many years of disuse. Right off, I should have suspected Jiggs was into something bad, but being young and foolish, I boldly went where no man would, mainly, right up to the door of the old log shack which my fearless companion had just entered. My trusty 12 gauge was poised in the ready position of present arms and my eyes squinted to see in the dark hut. The doorway was partially blocked by the old door which had fallen off a hinge or two. I cautiously touched the door with my left hand just as Jiggs chased his quarry out that way. A grumbly old black bear hit the door from the inside as I tried to push it from the outside. The result was one shocked hunter under an old wooden door while mister bear bounced on top of it trying to rid himself of a silly barking spaniel biting his backside. The bear high tailed it out of there leaving me under the door while my trusty companion sat there panting and giving me that look that insinuated I had messed up a good chase! Who would have ever thought rabbit hunting could be so much fun! Chris

Well under enlargement the Buff was killed by a large bore rifle, octagon barrel, no cleaning rod. That leads one to think Sharps, or Rem Rolling block. My bets on on the Sharps. Prob. in 45/70. Looks like someone is warm at home under a Buff rug. My son absconded with mine. On cold nights my 2 year old Grand daughter sleeps under it. As I always say,"And the adventure continues."

Sharps 45/70 I'm sorry guys I have been going at an excessive rate of fastness lately and havn't had time for anything else. I have more pics to post and a picture of an Enfield that I wanted to show Gunsmith. I'll be out of town for the weekend I'll do it when I get back. Which reminds me would Manzanita wood be a good gunstock? And the Buff,I just got the capes back from the tanner and can't wait to get them done.My friend and I shot two the same size within 10 minutes of eachother what a job.NEVER AGAIN.

The man knows his guns. Good call, Gunsmith. I'm impressed.