Life is good

[Pappy]

It was great meeting and hanging out with you Paul, wished you could have stayed longer but enjoyed the time we had. Had a good weekend, it was kind of windy and rainy but most that I wanted to do was in the kitchen and shop. Biggest projects was to get the yot and cat head euro mounted and about 40 lbs of bear fat rendered, got that going and Jimmy Blackmon showed up with the bow he has been working on, 1 of Gary's old blanks Gary had sent him while he was in Afghanistan, he did it justice.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

More of the bow , Gary's classic splice, you can spot it anywhere. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

The heads out of the boil and ready for some peroxide to turn them white.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

I got 8 or 9 quarts of lard from the bear fat, got it a little hot so a little brown but still smells like beacon grease, that's what matters. :)I just thought I was catching up, a buddy came in with a buck [rifle killed] and another with another Yote , he didn't want the deer so of course I took it, skinned and boned it out and going to do something with the head/hide maybe just skull cap or might euro mount to hang around the shop. Really don't get these guy that shoot um but don't want them. The Yote was shot up pretty bad with a 270 so I just saved the head.  Brats for lunch. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Shawn and I jumped on scrapping a hide before the rain, it turned out nice, I have 3 more to get done before my shoulder repair, not sure how long I will be down but feel sure hide scrapping won't be on the agenda so need to get them finished this week. Got the Deer and yote head skinned and ready to something with and my other 2 ready for a second coat of peroxide. They are looking good , just needed a little more whiting. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

My girls resting by the fire after a long day, putting the lower jaw back on the yote.  Super glue in the hinge first, then epoxy once it is set where I want.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Heads finished all except mounting on a board or something, not sure yet.  Then I retired to the cabin for the last of the bear steaks, mighty fine eating. Hope yall had a good one also. Life is Good. 
 Pappy

[chamookman]

Seeing that splice, made Me smile ! Bear steaks looked way good. Thanks as always Pappy -  Bob

[Pappy]

You bet Bob, ya it makes me smile also. Miss Gary, he was 1 of a kind.
 Pappy

[Pat B]

Things always going on at Twin Oaks. The coyote and cat skulls will be a nice addition to your collection.
 Looks like Jimmy hasn't missed too many meals lately. Glad to see he's still at it with his bow building. Years ago I had one of Gary's bow staves. It was a long narrow ELB style stave.

[bjrogg]

Those bear steaks do look delicious. The skulls turned out great. I don’t have a Bob cat skull yet. None around here yet. A few years ago a single one passed through and raided the neighbors geese pen. The DNR relocated it a little further north.

Hope the shoulder surgery goes well Pappy.

Bjrogg

[Pappy]

Thanks Pat/BJ. Ya Pat Jimmy has been going through some life things and I think got off the health kick he was on, haven't seen him in a long while until lately, hanging out is seeming to help so glad he is back and getting things together. BJ the bear steaks were great, I have heard some say bear wasn't good but to me it is about the best meat I have eaten. We don't have many Bob Cats here either, this one my buddy killed last season just NE of us 20/30 miles. I have been seeing a few around over the last few years but not a lot, The Red fox is making a come back though, use to have a bunch of them when I was young ,until the Coyotes came in, but they must have figured out how to avoid the Yots and seeing more and more of them last few years, rather have them than Coyotes that's for sure. 
 Pappy

[bjrogg]

Gotta agree with you about the bear meat. At least any I’ve had was very good.

The red fox around here have really made a big comeback. Like you said they were almost nonexistent after the coyotes showed up. They seemed to have moved in closer to people here. I’ve seen them laying on peoples lawns sunning themselves. We have a female that regularly hunts around our barns and I think she probably has a den here somewhere but I haven’t found it.

[Pappy]

Ya BJ I hope they keep doing well around here, never really seen them cause much problems like the yotes do and love watching them play and hunt. Headed for my MRI this morning, not scared of much but sure don't like being put in a pipe where I can't move, just as Miss Joanie says
"suck it up buttercup" I guess. Then plan on heading to the cabin, got another deer to cut and package and if the sun will finely shine scrape on my hides, who knows what else  May even do a little hunting if the shoulder will hold up. Hope yall have a good one also. Life is Good. 
 Pappy