Fresh meat

Well I finally got some meat for the table.  I shot this little 8 point buck the evening of opening day of the rifle season, at about 30 yards with my 30-30 lever action.  My brother and I had been hunting all day long and it was nice to finally get this deer at the end of a long and hard day's hunt. The Lord was very good to me with providing all of this meat.  It will be very good eating.

 

 

 



Hunting

 I have been doing allot of deer hunting in my spare time, and although I have not been able to harvest any deer yet I have gotten quite a few pictures on my outings. So here are a few of them.

 

 

 

Here is a grey squirrel, it had a partner in the tree with it, and they just sat there and looked at me like they didn't know what to think of me.  The leaves were wet so I was able to move around without making much noise at all.

 

 

 

This is the other squirrel that was with the first.  I could have easily shot him, instead I shot a few pictures.

 

 

 

This is a buck rub on a yellow poplar.  This and another poplar a few feet from it have been rubbed for the last three or four years.  This is  what I call an annual rub, and it is rather unusual for a tree to be rubbed year after year, at least in my experience.  It is on a fairly well traveled trail and right in the middle of some very thick cover, and leading into a part of a field where I often see deer.  I would guess that the deer (or bucks) feel very comfortable using this area.

 

 

 

My brother gave me these notebooks for my birthday and they are really neat.  I use one to keep all my hunting records in, deer sightings, stand placement, deer sign, and so on.  They come in packs of three and they fit in a shirt or coat pocket very well.  I do not have the web address for Field Notes on hand, but I'm sure you can Google it and find it.  I would recommend them to anybody that needs a small notebook or likes to write things down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dawn.

 

 

 

Here is a fawn, I could have shot a whole bunch of fawns if I had wanted to, but I don't like to shoot the fawns.  They just don't know danger very well and they come in close and give more shot opportunities.  I have seen lots of deer, a few nice bucks, LOTS of squirrels!!!, and even a coyote chasing a deer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this is my self bow that I am using.

 

Fall hike

This past weekend we had our annual church camp.  The leaves were very nice, and I was able to get lots of pictures.  There is a hiking trail that goes part way around the camp and it goes through some nice woods.  The first day I hiked it was cloudy, damp and cool, the second day the wind had dried everything out, and the sun had come out, but it was colder.

 

 

 

 

Here is the driveway looking toward the camp exit.

 

 

 

My knife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The leaf in the center is Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), a very useful plant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo).  I had been seeing turkey sign the whole time, then I saw these out in a corn field close to the end of the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

Plantain (Plantaginaceae).  Plantain has a host of medicinal uses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow- Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera).

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the trail was about a mile long, and it had some easy ups and downs, I was glad to be able to explore some new territory.

Hatchet sheath

This is a project I had back in the summer, and I have wanted to post it for a while.  I knew what it needed to look like, and how it needed to work, so I got out a book or two for reference and here is what I came up with.

 

 

 

This is a small hatchet that my Pap bought, and he asked me to make him a sheath.  Since I am left handed I first cut out a left handed sheath, so I had to cut a second one.  I like to make my leather work out of as few pieces as possible, so this is all one piece except for the belt strap.

 

 

 

This is the piece of leather, suede on one side and smooth on the other.  Also in the picture are my all, and my mallet, a board to punch the holes on, and a book for reference.

 

 

 

This is the finished product.

 

 

 

It is designed to protect your blade, or you from your blade while it is on your belt, and it just slips out the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New gear

Well I've been very busy, so I have not posted for some time.  Last Saturday some of our friends had an open house at their bakery, which is a little more like a fall festival.  I had a chance to come and set up a stand and sell some of my woodwork.  Also there was a yard sale, and I found some good deals on some gear that I just could not pass up.

 

 

 

 

I got some small leather pouches, that my Grandfather brought to my attention, he has a very good eye for camping gear and things that would be useful.  Also I got a small green metal cup, I already have a blue one identical to it, but I liked the color.  The coffee pot is one of my favorite things I got. It is a 3 cup percolator, and quite compact.  I have wanted one like this for a while now.  The boots are military surplus, and and I was surprised to find that they actually fit me, I have a little trouble finding boots that fit me.

The coffee pot.

 

 

 

This is my table, and some of the spoons I was selling.

 

 

 

Some cutting boards, and a rolling pin.

 

 

 

A walnut bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Large and medium spoons, and more cutting boards.

 

 

 

Fresh cooked apple butter.

 

 

 

 



And me.  Thanks for looking.

 

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?  And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, niether be ye of doubtful mind.

Luke 12:27-29 kjv

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



Day hike

My Dad and two younger brothers decided to take a hike last Sunday afternoon.  So we went to South Cumberland Recreation Area; also known as Savage Gulf, or Stone Door.  This area mainly consists of a large "gulf", or ravine that is in the shape of a crows foot.  It also has several nice water falls, and many hiking trails.  Some of the trails are very tough to hike, and Fiery Gizzard trail, which is not actually in the park itself, is supposed to be the roughest trial in Tennessee.  We only hiked a short distance but we had a good time.  The weather was wonderful, It was one of the first days that really felt like fall.  The breeze was very refreshing on top of the cliffs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my Backpack, hat, and Walking stick.  My Grand Father gave me this walking stick and I really like it, it is made of Dog Wood, and it is a good stout stick.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Stone door, it is 100ft deep and about 10ft wide, and it was used by the Indians as a passage to the bottom of the gorge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is me.

 

 

And this is my brother if you can see him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I believe this is Maple-leaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium).  But if it is not then please leave a comment.  Also if you know if the berries are edible then please let me know.

 

 

 

Ramaria formosa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope I can go back later this fall when the leaves have turned color.