Life is good

[Pappy]

Things have been really slow with deer this year but Saturday evening it finely came together. Shot a nice 75 lb doe at about 12 yards, was beginning to think it wasn't going to happen again this year but as they say Zero to Hero in just a matter of seconds and that's just the way it happened. I was using my old faithful Osage /spruce shafts with wild Turkey feathers and Ace 160 head. Hit her a little back but it all worked out. Hope yall had a good one also. 
Life is Good.
 Pappy

[WhistlingBadger]

Congratulations on the deer.  Do you put deer jaws in your fish tank?  I've used some creative decor in my aquariums but that's a new one on me.

[Pappy]

Yep WB, 1 for each one of my grand kids with their names inscribed on them also a couple of leg bones and some cool fossil rocks out of our creek. Not sure why but I love my fish and caring for them, they come up and eat right out of my hand, like I tell the guys "don't take much to entertain me"  Now for a full day, got 2 deer to skin and bone and 1 already boned and ready to cut up/process and package, be tired by this evening. 
 Pappy

[WhistlingBadger]

Yeah, fish can get tame.  I've got some huge angelfish that follow me around like puppies when I'm working in their tank. 

The bluegills in the pond at our old place would take grasshoppers right out of Katie's hand.  It was fun, and they weren't too much of a challenge to catch.  Our friends used to bring their toddlers over to catch their first fish.   

[Pappy]

Headed to the cabin this morning for a few days, plan on a little hunting, the weather has cooled but very windy for the next few days. I have a hide to flesh and rack up a couple to scrape already in the racks and also 2 more deer to cut up and process , so plenty to keep me busy.I hope yall have a great weekend also. Life is Good.
 Pappy

[GlennM]

Congrats on the doe.  We are well into rifle season in Western New York.  First snow happened last night in the southern part of our area.  More coming tonight and it should make for a great morning hunt.  I took a doe with the bow and a 6pts with the rifle.  Davey did get out much with the but took a doe with the rifle.  I have off next week for a few days and plan to fill some doe tags.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy that beautiful family.

[Pappy]

 Thanks,Good to hear from you Glenn, really miss the times we spent in December hunt together, hope to do it again someday. Tell Davy and chuck I said ha, do get to see Davy and sometimes Chuck in the spring and hope maybe someday you can make it back. I had a very good weekend, done quite a bit of hunting and had some close calls but no shots taken,who know maybe this week. Did get my deer processed and the hide in the rack, got 1 of the 2 in the rack scrapped and ready for brain tanning. Had 2 more deer gifted to me so skinned them and got them on ice, plan on working them up this week that should put me with my gold of 100 lbs of ground for brat making along with lots of steaks and roast.I love processing deer almost as much as I love hunting, almost 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Got about 22 lbs of ground and lots of steaks, about 40 lbs of meat in all, I bone and clean them pretty good but never can understand when some one tells me they get 70/80 lbs of meat out of a deer, even a really big deer I never get over 40/45 lbs    Shawn working on one of his hides and Annie has learned to stay close to the fleshing pole.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

My hide fleshed and ready to rack,I am setting up a new hide smoker made from an old wood stove I use to use in my tent, I think it will make it much easier to control and add more punk wood when needed. Then supper, moose venison soup, moose from Rocky and taters from Dave, like I have said before them boys take care of me very well. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

My girls, just resting by the fire. I hide scrapped and ready to take off the rack. Then I get to go on a pretty long tracking mission, a very good friend of mine hit a spike a little far back, He hasn't killed many deer with a bow so he call me in to help. It went well and found the deer, it went about 400 yards with little blood but just enough to give up where he had hide to pass on. Tommy was very happy to say the least and so was I for him.  persistence's pays off most of the time.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

My hide in the rack, another one in a roll and ready to tan when I get the time. Mark is working on an ax out of 1095 steel, I soften it for him a few weeks back and he brought it back for me to temper and heat tread, it went well and now he is ready to finish with handles, going to be really nice I think. Great weekend for sure, no deer for me but I told miss Joanie our farm is full of critters of all kinds, Over the 3 days in the woods I saw coons/opossums /lots of Turkeys , toms and hens/squirrels both grey and Fox/Hawks/Bob cat and of course chip monks along with 10 deer, the only thing I didn't see that I know we have was yots and kind of glad about that. Hope yall had a good one also. Life is Good.
 Pappy

[WhistlingBadger]

Pappy, how much fat, and what kind, do you add to your brats?  Mine are usually a little on the dry side.  I kind of like them that way, they taste meaty to me, but I've wondered if they'd be better with more fat.  I add about 20% bacon.

[Pappy]

WB we go with 30% but use Boston Butt's, we buy them when we catch them on sale and about as cheap as buying fat now days.  They aren't all fat so if I was going with all fat I would go about 25%, that seems to be a good mix, not dry and yet not so so greasy. Got the deer given to me all skinned/boned and on ice, will cut it and the other 1 1/2 deer up and process probably Friday, also 2 more hides fleshed that need to be put in the racks, another busy day it looks like.  they weather is fixing to really get winter time around here so some kitchen time will be appreciated.
 Pappy

[chamookman]

Busy, busy ! The Bounties of Fall are a wonderful thing  ! Thanks for shareing  Bob.

[WhistlingBadger]

Happy thanksgiving, everybody.  Pappy, you always remind us to be thankful for the simple joys.  Much appreciated.