Sharptail fun!

Nash and I have been having pretty good luck with the sharptails. We have a spot where they congregate and we've been getting a couple just about every time we go up there...






Ben

Nash's last morning buck

Nash got this nice 3x3 the last day of season(November 27). He just shot him right in the yard! :D We've been seeing this deer all year out and about down here in the riverbottoms and that day he made the fatal mistake of stepping out onto our property. One shot from the .30-06, DRT.

Last minute deer!

On Saturday the 26th, the day before season closed, Dad, Nash and I came rolling in from futilely hunting mulies. We came into our yard and there were mule deer does everywhere so I started looking around for whitetail does because I had an antlerless tag. Sure enough, there were about 25 does out in our field. We bailed out of the truck and I got Dad's Remington 600 .222. We snuck up to our hay stack and I shot a nice fat little deer. It went straight down, didn't even move an inch... :)

New dugout. . . .

The flood this spring made a big washout in our field. Nash and I concocted an idea and a couple weeks ago and went and notched a dugout into the side of the bank. :) It's pretty dang cool, we've got a fireplace and everything! The haybale has a hole dug in it for storing firewood and such. It's really fun to hang out in!

Ben

A few pics of this fall.....

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted! We've had a pretty good hunting season so far... Nash got a whitetail doe with his recurve bow, Mom got a nice 4x4 mulie, and I got a 6x5 mulie with lots of character... with my Mauser! :)









Now we just need to get Dad and Nash a buck!

Ben

Tuesday 12 mile hike

On Monday afternoon, Nash and I decided we wanted to walk over to Blood Creek, which is 6 miles one way. So, we put some sandwiches and water in our packs, got two of our dogs, Cap and Sandy, and headed out first thing Tuesday morning. Of course we took rifles, I took Dad's Browning BL-22 and Nash toted my Remington 121. :) Here are a few pics.







We got to Blood Creek, and during the flooding we had during the spring, Blood Creek, which used to be a few puddles mostly, is now a nice sized little creek, with a waterfall. :)



We messed around at the creek for an hour and a half or so. Cap and Sandy were rooting around and then Cap started barking treed up a big cottonwood tree. Then Sandy joined in. We looked around and there were coon tracks and holes in the tree, so we've no doubt there was a coon up there.

Good boy! :)



After that, we packed up and headed for the house. Oh boy, 6 miles in 96 degrees!



All in all, we had a big ol' time! :)

Ben

A few pics of some coon hunting ventures

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted but we've been doing some coon hunting and dog training. First, Nash caught two young coons in his box trap. We hoisted them up in a tree and let the pups "tree" them. It was really good for them, because me and Nash went on a hike and Cap started chopping up a cottonwood tree that had coon tracks all around it. :) Here's a few pics.

There's Cap jumping up at them.



And here's Tug.




And then last night, we went out for a few hours to try and tree an ol' ringtail. Unfortunately, the moon was very bright(you could have read a book) and the coons just weren't moving. But, a good time was had by all. :)



Ben

Long time, no post!!!

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted! Alot has happened since I did, we had awful flooding, no phone or computer for 33 days in May and June, and we've been on several prairie dog hunts, catfishing excursions, and period scouts since. Oh yeah, Nash and I shot pickup load of carp in our front yard!! Here are some pics. :)













Ben

My K98 is getting close!

I've been working on my K98 Mauser alot lately, and it's coming along well. I cut off the stock and bondoed the holes from where me and Dad cut out the bolt disassembly and the hole for the old German sling. Then I kryloned it tan and green camo. Now all it needs is a safety, trigger, .220 Swift barrel, drilled and tapped for a scope, bases, and rings and it'll be done!! :D




The pround owner!

That wonderful Mauser claw extractor.


Thanks for looking!

Ben

My flintlock smoothbore is done!!

Wow, it's been to long since I blogged last! But I have my smoothbore done! I finished browning it and it looks great! It's a Fusil De Chasse .62 caliber, with a 44" Colrain octagon to round barrel, L&R lock, and a heck of a nice stick of walnut! It was assembled "in the white" by Tip Curtis of Tennessee.
Here are some pics.







Of course Nash had to shoot it too!



It patterns quite well at 25 yards with 60 grs. of #5 shot and 70 grs. of FFg. I'm going to try to get my turkey with it this year. We went yesterday, saw two and heard some gobbling, but they wouldn't cooperate.

~Ben

The Spitfire is here!!

I got my new Foxpro Spitfire yesterday! I am very pleased with it. It is very well built with some killer sounds. I can't wait to go call some coons and coyotes with it. It has some great features. If this is Foxpro's "low-end" call, I can't imagine what a Fury or Prairie Blaster is like!



Ben

WOO-HOOOO!!!

I came in 2nd on the Predator Masters.com Hunter of the Year contest! I will shortly be receiving a brand spankin' new FoxPro Spitfire e-call! I can't wait to try it out! The guys on PM are some of the best you can find, I've learned so much over there and made alot of good friends.

Ben

Coyotey down!

One of our neighbors called Dad and told him there was a coyote in his trash pit. We jumped in the jeep and drove down. We got there and Nash tried to shoot it with the .22( I know, I know) but it didn't go down so I dropped it with the .222. DRT. Nice female coyote. Got her skinned and she's in the freezer. Also went bobcat hunting with the dogs but didn't get anything. Who says Mondays are bad!





Ben

Bobcat DOWN!!

Today on the way home from town, we checked our bobcat and coyote traps. Me and Nash walked down the hill where there's a little cave where we have a trap. There were bobcat tracks going down the hill, and we were hoping we had it in the cave set. It had walked right over another set we had out but the trap was frozen down. But sure enough, Nash started hollerin "We got a cat!!" I shot it with the K22, and Mom and Dad came down and we got some pictures. First bobcat!! Nice female. Needless to say, we were(and still are) PUMPED!!









Dad was so excited, he's laid a bunch of traps this year, and it all finally came together for him. :)

Ben

Modifications to my shooting sticks

I have alway been afraid that that the wing nut and bolt would crack if I got them too tight on my 5/8s dowel rod shooting sticks. So last night, I took four casterating bands and stretched them over the tops of the dowels in place of the nut and bolt. They work great! I can't wait to try 'em out!



~Ben

Package in the mail!!

The prize knife I won for the Predator Masters 2010 Deer photo contest came today! The guy who put together the contest was nice enough to throw in a Leupold cap, The Verminators IV dvd, and a Verminators decal along with the main prize, the custom skinning knife and sheath. My brother Nash, who also had a picture in the contest, was a runner-up, so he gets the cap, and we can share the video and decal! : )



Ben

Fixed up the Preymaster....

Today I decided to upgrade our Johnny Stewart Preymaster. We had a coffee can and screwed the speaker onto the lid, and put the remote, wire, and sound cards inside the can(see my "Calls" page). But I found a Maxwell House can that had a handle on it so it would be easier to carry. A little bit of Krylon had it looking good. : )





Ben

Shooting sticks

I made a new pair of shooting sticks out of some 5/8ths dowel rod. I candy-striped them and wrapped some electrical tape in the "V". I've taken them out a time or two now, they're proving their worth.



They are a nice compliment to my main pair, the old stand-by.



The nice thing about the older pair, being thicker, I can fold them out and have a really handy walking stick. But the new ones are nice because they're lighter and easier to grab with thick gloves on and carrying a butt-pad to sit on at your calling stand in the same hand.

You can make your own shooting sticks, bi-fur-pod, whatever you want to call 'em, by getting your instructions on Varmint Al's Hunting Site.


Ben