Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[Zvacman]

This was overnight accumulation. I am now done with this spot for the season, it's close to a mile in and I can no longer get a game retrieval vehicle in.

 

[SillyChicken]

wow! We have just enough to turn the ground mostly white. That's a nice blind!

Raz, good luck in court.... sounds like someone just need to get herself a life... that or maybe she likes you!

ahh....yeah that's it, she's got a thing for you! ... otherwise, she would leave you be! Maybe you should ask her out on a date?

I have never hunted on public land but I agree, there unfortunately are a lot of idiots out there. Guess I've been lucky in that regard. Lots of things have changed over the years... going from having over a full country block of over 200 acres to hunt down to 40 has meant I've had to learn to hunt differently a lot. I am desperately hoping I will be able to at least obtain my parents land once they're done with it. We can't afford a second mortgage to buy the house and land, but I did talk to my dad about splitting the land away from the house if they had to sell it. If I cannot keep it, I may just quit vs hunting on public land.

Thanks for the comments on the sewing machine... I am hoping it will be good for basic stuff I need one for... the plastic crap now a days don't seem to be worth the money.... and I'm no seamstress!

 

[Maah]

@SillyChicken I love the old style sewing machines. Good find.

DH got a pretty decent size buck opening morning. He weighed in at 130lbs dressed when we dropped him off at the processor (wasn't in the mood to do this one ourselves). He was a decent sized 5pt. DH hunts for meat to feed his family... & this guy looked good. Years ago he took a nice big doe... big gal... Thought, hey lots of meat on her... but she ended up being 8 years old & the meat reflected that. Yes, she was big, but that just meant we had that much more "not so good", tough, meat to use up. Lesson learned. I think she was turned into a lot of jerky. She still fed the family & we thank her for that, but one cannot live on jerky alone. This guy should have good meat & provide many dinners. A nice balance. Since DH works crazy hours his chances to go out hunting are very limited. DS was hunting this last weekend as well, but only saw some does & let them be... a momma with her 2 yearlings.

I do have a picture of before it was dressed... but... I can't remember how to do the "spoiler alert" pictures & I'm too lazy to research it quick. LOL. I don't want to offend anybody.

Hopefully DH & DS will both find time to hunt more this next weekend... without needing me around! This lady has a trip to the Michigan City Outlet Mall planned with her 2 girlfriends. Shopping, Yip Yip! LOL. I'm looking forward to the Grand Rapids Outlet Mall to be built over this next year. Much less of a drive for us.

Hmm... what else? Oh, we need a new heated waterer for the chickens. Last year... we went through 2 galvanized double wall waterers (our old 8 gallon, & a new 5 gallon). They both started leaking through the bottom seal. We think the electric base we had them sitting on was weakening or the winter was just that much worse & was causing them to freeze?... Or it was the old 8 gallon waterers time, & the 5 gallon was a crappy lemon. Anyways, we thought this year we'd go with the plastic 3 gallon heated waterers, but FFH was sold out. We did end up buying a new electric galvanized base that was on sale, but will still need to buy another waterer. Ugh. All FF&H had were the 2 gallon ones. Puhleeze... we'd be filling it twice a day. Why oh why don't they have the 8 gallon ones in stock anymore, anywhere? LOL. I asked the guy at the counter if they were going to get in any of the 8 gallon waterers, he said "Oh no, we've never had anything that big". Umm.... yes you have, I've bought one from you before. Though that was a few years ago & the guy probably doesn't remember. Ugh. Likely, they went to a lesser quality brand that doesn't carry the 8 gallon & it might be a contributing factor to why the 5 gallon one we bought last winter only lasted about 3 weeks. :/ Our 8 gallon one lasted years.

Anywho... I'm long winded when I type & I know some don't like reading novels. Sorry, but I seem unable to manage "one line" posts. Gabby.

 

[uchytil]

Picking up a slightly used ... lol... ok, an old sewing machine. $50... looks a little rough, but it works, has a bunch of parts and user manual. If the cabinet is salvageable, I'll strip and restain, otherwise, I may antique paint it.

I've got the same one. Been like 20 years. It also came with a ton of accessories and manuals. Like twins....

 

[tntchix]

Clumps of powdered sugar are dropping from the clouds. Squalls on the way back from dentist. A bit of black ice too. What a lovely ride.

 

[Opa]

Cold, windy, snowy, but still a glorious afternoon to enjoy the solitude of the woods. When I first started hunting my friend's farm almost 40 years ago I would never encounter another soul. Then a few years ago the nephew showed up. He and all of his buddies soon turned the quiet farm into a war zone.

Now matter how early I would set the clock, something inside of me would wake well before in anticipation. However, once the nephew was on the scene I would literally have to talk myself into getting up and going to the woods.

Today as I locked the gate behind me, I knew that I would be alone. The contentment I used to feel upon entering the woods had returned. Once again I could sit in solitude and feel rejuvenated.

Soon after settling in to my elevated blind a button buck came charging by as if his tail was on fire and he was trying to out run it. A little after 4 a nice tall fork horn nonchalantly strolled by at 20 yards as if he had not a care in the world. Soon after two nice does meandered by. In the past few years, with the nephew and company, any deer I would see would usually be on edge or running.

Next year I expect to see a marked difference in our hunting. All of the downed trees will be gone and I will have planted forage and cover crops in the vacant areas.

This year I decided not to shave from October til January. Tonight when I got out of the shower I looked in the mirror and saw Gabby Hayes looking back at me.

 

[tntchix]

Crosspost in emergencies/injuries thread:

All 5 of our Silver Leghorns are missing quite a few feathers on their back right before the tail. Not broken, just gone. No rough and tumble from the new boys and I don't see any buggies. All the other girls are fine.

My question is: Why would it be only one of my several breeds in a flock of 28 hens 2 roos? What am I missing?

 

[Opa]

I think that the damage you are seeing is from breeding. If you watch chickens breed the rooster stands on the lower back of the hen which dislodges the feathers in that area. Perhaps the temperament of that breed allows the roosters more frequent breeding than your other breeds.

 

[tntchix]

It's a possibility Opa, but they were like this even without a rooster for a while too. I will have to do some observing and see the temperament differences. Thanks.

 

[SillyChicken]

late molt?
hen pulling feathers out?
feather lice?






Picked up the sewing machine last night. It has lots of parts for sewing different things.. The only thing I need to get is a new belt. I tightened a few loose parts, fixed a couple little things. The wood need to be stripped and refinished as it has some water damage. Other wise it cleaned up pretty good.