The Hunting Times

From my limited experience, there are two main types of night vision - illuminated by infra-red (IR) light and thermal.  And both have their pros and cons. Thermal is more expensive but it can see through environmental conditions like fog, smoke, rain, haze, etc.  It also has a much greater "reach" being able to identify differences in heat out beyond 400 yards (367 metres).  However, the picture or resolution is not as sharp as IR.  For example, a calf at 400 yards, while visible as an animal, may appear to be a large boar.  Being certain of your target is critical with thermal scopes. IR scopes, on the other hand, are just the opposite of what is stated above - less expensive, limited in range, cannot see well when the environment turns to crap, and has a clear, sharp picture. Strictly for the cost element, I dove into the IR night vision world.  And I was able to get a scope, IR laser range finder, IR illuminator (flashlight) and quick detach rings for H...

Krueger and I took advantage of the great weather we are having in Indiana this December to send a few rounds down range.  Krueger brought out his 6XC and I took my Browning X-Bolt in 6.5 Creedmoor.  Our intent was to get dope out to 800 yards, but farm equipment got in our way.  We only made it out to 500 yards.  Sure felt good to ring some steel! 12" circle and 16" square plate. The orange line is to give us some visual indication of elevation The 8" & 6" circles Here is my hand on the 6" circle. It's a REALLY small target to hit at 500+ yards - but we did it! The center of the range showing IPSC and square steel targets You're looking down range at 200 yards. We shot back to 500 yards today. This was our set-up for the day.  Shooting bench on trailer connected to Gator. Turns out, this is a super stable platform from which to shoot & we can drive it to different yardage locations from the backstop. The orange square is a LabRadar.  It measure...

The range, for the most part, has been design & build - simultaneously.  We had ideas in mind about what we wanted and just created what made sense. I finally got the pipes welded onto the smaller targets (thanks to neighbor Eric for his skills!) and hung them up today.  The idea is that when they are hit, they will swing.  With a small orange marking flag stuck on the back, we will be able to get easy visual confirmation of a hit.  Of course, we could use scopes or binoculars as well as listening for the sound.  Just all part of the fun. From the left:  12" circle, 16" square, 4'x4' box, IPSC target, 8" circle & 6" circle IPSC = International Practical Shooting Confederation For Dave P:  30 cm circle, 40 cm square, 1.22 m box, IPSC target, 20 cm circle & 15 cm circle The outside circles have a pipe welded onto the top of them.  The targets slide onto a piece of rebar that is wired between two fence posts.  Thus, they are free to ...

Damn you, Covid.  You're messing up our plans.  Each year on Thanksgiving, we meet with Uncle DC & Cousin Shane to hunt.  Well, that's how it started.  The past few years it's been to visit, relive hunting stories (mostly lies) and consume adult beverages.  Last year I even smoked a deer roast that we ate with deer salami for breakfast. This year, not so much.  No gathering.  Heck, no travel even.  That did not stop us from enjoying the day. Cousin Shane in Michigan with some nice bourbon. He shared the picture since we could not be together this year. It also did not stop me & Eric from going out this morning to hunt.  It had rained all day yesterday - like 1,000" - so everything was wet, soggy, and nicely quiet.  Nick was supposed to go, but he had a stomach issue that kept him close to the Charmin. We drove out to Marshall's N woods.  Eric posted on Neal and I went to Marshall's bottoms.  As I walked in, I jumped fou...

So Kathy, Eric, and I went out to the golf course again on Saturday, 21 NOV.  It was warmer, like 45 F (7 C) and the wind was down. Kathy sat in the bowl on Hole #15.  Eric was overwatch on Hole #16. And I went to the N line on #12's tee box.  We sat for 2.5 hours and did not see a deer.  The squirrels were out, but not the deer. As we left, we chatted with Ken.  He said that he had not seen a deer all week after we were there opening morning.  Guess the message was received. This is my view this morning looking SW across the course I guess I picked the wrong tree.  This one belongs to Mr. Squirrel. He came down pretty close, yelled at me, and then left.

Kathy, Alex, Nick, Eric and I headed for the golf course opening morning.  We arrived at 6:45 am and saw one doe standing where I wanted to sit.  The problem was it was not legal light to shoot and we were shining it with our headlights.  Fortunately, we had no loaded firearms, so we remained legal. Kathy and I walked N so that I could show her where to sit on Hole 12's tee box, blocking the N.  As I left her to return to my spot, I said a little prayer to the Good Lord.  "Thanks for the great day and opportunity to spend it with my family in the wonderful world You have created.  Please keep these kids safe and if we get a deer, that's a bonus.  I'll take their safety over deer.  Amen."   The sun coming up as Kathy & I walked to our spots.  Beautiful morning. I sat on 17, blocking the W.  Eric sat in the bowl on 15, blocking the E.  Alex took overwatch on Hole 5, securing the S.  And Nick took overwatch on Hole 1...

Been working quite some time to get dirt in for a backstop.  It finally arrived, but the crops were in.  Crops are out now, so we went back to the dirt pile and installed our target frame.  It's a 4'x4' (1.2 metres square) piece of plywood surrounded by 4"x4" posts buried 36" deep on deck stabilizers - to make it easier to replace when it rots or gets shot thru. The kids love climbing on it as well as the dogs and deer.  The following pictures are just interim - or as we build.  I still have 5 gongs to hang - A500 steel silhouette and gongs from 6" - 18" (15 cm - 45 cm).  All to be shot from 1,000 down to 100 yards (915 - 91.5 metres).   Then to finish, I need to delineate the yardages and plant alfalfa to shoot over.   Mallory, Papaw and Tiki on top the hill (Tiki is in our shadow). This is the backside of the backstop.   A selfie of Papaw & Mallory on top with Grandma & Wes below. The picture looks to the S, or where we will be...

The other set of grandparents were all gathering at Shelby's Mom's house, so the kids got dressed up for Halloween and visited today - trying to knock out as many visits at once as they could. We had a Pumpkin (that I wrongly called a jack-o-latern) and well, I don't want to ruin the surprise...see for yourself.   Look at his little werewolf hands!  And the ripped plaid shirt!  OMG.  Too much.   The first thing the 3-YO said?  Happy Halloween!  I want some candy!  Just adorable.

I was out walking the dog before 9 am Saturday, 24 OCT.  Got a call from the Sheriff's Office.  Deer had been hit and killed - did I want it?  Sure.  Grabbed Alex and we drove to retrieve it. Sadly it was a large buck that someone would have been very pleased to shoot this season.  And now, half of it was lost to damage.  We grabbed what we could salvage for grinding into salami and of course the loins.  We cleaned and packaged most it for use later. We then grilled some fresh loins for lunch.  From hoof to belly was less than 4 hours.  Talk about fresh! It was not supposed to be how we started the day, but it was a great surprise.  We still had to do recycling and haul furniture, but those waited until later. A large 9-pt buck that went 200#. I sent this picture to my hunting buddies.  Told them I killed it with a knife! At least we got meat in the freezer.  Even if it wasn't from Good Aim.

So one of Tiki's favorite things to do is run next door and visit her doggie friends at Kathy & Alex's house.  One of Tiki's least favorite things to do is come back home after play time is over.  Her friends get locked back up inside the house and the only thing to do is walk back home, sad. After one of those Play Dates with the dogs, I started walking back home.  I soon realized I was alone.  I turned around and saw this: Just looking at Kathy's house, right? Look closer... Now really close! Poor, sad, little Tiki.  She's still on the porch hoping that (a) I don't see her, but more importantly, (b) that her friends will come back out and play.  And probably hoping that I don't see her.  I did.  I called her to me and we played on the way home.  It was a good Dog Day.

Those who could went back to Nick's to shoot-in our firearms for deer season this past Thursday because it was perfect - 81 degrees and only a slight breeze.  We shot in rifles, shotguns, and muzzle loaders.  We shot in six guns in 11 shots - with three of those being on a brand new scope & another three being second shots just to verify the first.  This has never happened, especially with muzzle loaders.  So, we were done way earlier than we thought.  So what did we do?  Busted out the coolers, drank beer, watched the sun set, while telling old stories. I told the boys, "You're missing an awesome sunset."  To which they looked up and blandly replied okay with less than the enthusiasm such a creation deserves.  Then it hit me, I was wearing my prescription sunglasses - with filter.  So I passed them around the circle to let everyone look thru and see what I was seeing.  Now I got the reaction I expected... So here are a couple of pho...

Grandma & Papaw were watching all the kids one day last week.  Dictator & Ruler of the Free World Will was giving the orders as usual.  And, per standard practice, his sister was not allowed to participate.  In fact, she was invisible to him.  Will ordered Mallory around, which she dutifully complied.   So Hadley brought her guitar into the Family Room as asked if we wanted to hear her concert.  Of course we did, but brother forbade it - she was not to play because he sets all the rules (see aforementioned title).  Grandma & Papaw ignored the dictator and asked where the concert would be held.  "In her room," was the reply.  We all, including dictator, Mallory, and baby Wes went into the girls' room (previously occupied by Mallory's daddy).   Hadley started to play the guitar and sing.  Grandma & I oooh'd and awww'd.  When dictator saw the attention his sister was receiving, he ran into the Living Room...

Tuesday was 'Grandma Watches Will & Hadley Day.'  During a break from online meetings, I prepare to take Tiki out for a long walk.  Will wishes to join and says we shall adventure to the dirt pile (shooting range backstop about 1,000 yards away).  No worries.  Sounds like fun. We take off and make it to the first water way.  What's a water way, asks the 4 yo.  Too late.  Tiki has decided that there are too many smells here to pass up.  So she and Will have their own adventure in the water way.   Tiki checking for 'permission' from Will to explore. Of course, what else would a 4 yo say but Yes!  FYI, the dirt pile is at the woods in the back far right of this photo - a loong way off yet.   I love how Will picked up his knees to march through the tall grass.   Tiki pointing and Will giving the OK to proceed. Tiki decided it was okay to check out the corn.  Will wished to follow.  I stopped him prior to entering thro...

So Alex wants to borrow the bush hog and knock down the grass between us before winter.  No worries.  I get everything hooked up and ready.  Alex comes back in about an hour - the unit is smoking. No worries.  Let's let it cool and then check it out.  I have him fire up the tractor and engage the PTO.  Thump, thump is all we got.  We shut it down and I check for blades hitting an obstacle or stuck branches.  Nothing.  We try again.  Nope, it's the gear box. We shut everything down and investigate the gear box.  Looky there.  Kinda looks like an oil fill plug.  We open it up.  Burnt to a crisp.  No oil in sight.  Huh? Alex notices there is a three-year warranty on the gear box.  Nada.  I've owned it for 11 years - and have never...ever...put oil in the gear box.  My bad.  Maybe I should have read the manual???  Go figure that the gears do not want to turn without lubrication! I resear...

 Davey and I entered the squirrel woods (Marshall's N Farm bottoms) at 7:30 am this past Saturday.  Dave had texted Brother Roach Friday night to see if we could hunt.  No reply. It didn't matter.  We sat in the truck and drank our coffee.  That soon turned to having a beer.  We talked away the next 90 minutes - during which time, Roach texted back and said we had permission. While we waited and talked, a small 6-pt buck walked out from the S, crossed the road, and disappeared to the N.  We also saw a squirrel to the S. We finally got out and walked a loop around the bottoms.  We saw two more squirrels - that's it.  One came out at about 3 feet.  My gun is not scoped to shoot anything closer than 20 yards.  I aimed high.  I missed. We saw our final squirrel on the way out.  Too far to get off a shot.  Our adventure in "hunting" ended there. We like to thank our sponsors for today's trip:  Ruger, Leinenkugal, and ...