4th Annual Moon Tree Gathering

[wapiti1997]

I'm working on a bow, we'll see.. I plan to get there about 10:00 Friday, then we can do multiple tree ID and wildlife habitat improvement walks behind the pond.

I have to judge a wildlife photography contest at the wildlife conclave at EKU that afternoon. 4:00-6:00

Probably won't be able to come back Saturday, we'll see.

Look forward to seeing everyone.
XL on the shirt if that comes together.

[osage outlaw]

Glad you will be able to make it for a while.  I found a bow in the corner that needs finishing.  I'll bring it and try to get it shooting before the weekend is over. 

[DLH]

This is kinda odd but I'll throw it out there if anyone would be interested in apple trees let me know and I'll bring some. I have various varitities around 15 but I would have to double check what all I have.

[hedgeapple]

Wapiti, here's a few photos for you to judge.  I found them in the snow this morning (Monday).  The rain had already degraded them.  The pattern of the stride first caught my attention.  Instead of the canine tracks with front paws shoulder width apart and hind paws hip with apart making 4 track per step, these where toe to heel to toe making 2 tracks per step.  There were no toe nail marks.  So I googled "bobcat tracks in the snow."  It looks like a match to me.  While the tracks are degraded, it looks like the "M" shape back pad to me.  These tracks where maybe 30 yards from my backdoor, just behind the shed.

Greg is can chime in, also.

[hedgeapple]

Back to bow building.  I didn't smash out as much of the woop-dee-doos as I had hope to do, because they are in the slight "s" bend in bow.  My caul wasn't wide enough to do as good of a job clamping.  When I put it on the long string the top limb was twisting in the woop-dee-doos.  grrr.  I widened my caul and tried again today.  Hopefully, this will solve most of the issues.  If it does, I'll remove some more wood to get rid of the tempered belly wood, flip the tips and glue on tip overlays. Then the tiller FUN can begin.

Do you know how you can tell a bowyers tracks in the snow?   There's golden dust in the tracks. 

[osage outlaw]

Those look like baby sasquatch prints to me Dave.

Last winter my parents had bobcat tracks all around their house and even on the first step going to their porch.  We figure it was trying to get to the rabbits that live under there.  The bow is looking good.

[wapiti1997]

I dunno, those might be black panther tracks... 

[hedgeapple]

I dunno, those might be black panther tracks... 

Nah, it can't be a black panther.  Everyone knows there are no panthers, cougars, mountain lions in Kentucky. 

Wapiti, remind me to tell you about the new species of squirrel on Moon Tree Farm--the prairie squirrel.

[Gsulfridge]

Tracks are just too degraded for a positive ID from me. Good chance it was a cat as you suggest, but I have very little experience tracking in snow down here in "little orange" country. So, I rarely if ever get a chance to study stride and multiple tracks. Mostly just single prints in mud.

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Dave you got a countdown on how many days till MOONTREE is opened up to a bunch of misfits wanting to tell and listen to stories, make shavings, gravel your driveway with flint chips, feed potatoe chips to the moontree mascot. And just have a good ole time hanging out. Oh ya don't forget about the bow shoot, and all the good food. I hope you have a monster turnout this year. If everybody that came last year will bring a newbie then you will have a bunch.

[osage outlaw]

I don't think Wilma the Moontree Mascot made it through the year 

[---GUTSHOT--->]

Oh no 😱😱

[hedgeapple]

Sad to say Wilma, is in that big coop in the sky. Or knowing her, in a big workshop in the sky.

I finally got the string alignment correct and flip the tips today.  With any luck I'll be making shaving Monday.

26 days till Moon Tree Gathering

[hedgeapple]

24 days till the fun begins.

I've had to do 3 more heat corrections on the bow to align the string and smush down the woo-dee-doos, but it's finally coming around. I'm ready to brace it now.  So tomorrow I'll glue on the nock overlays. 

[osage outlaw]

Nice looking bend on that one Dave.