Huntin with the Hedge 2019-20

[HH~]

Bart working on a new hunting SB.

HH~

[HH~]

Sat 02 May 2020

Well it was Classic weekend and we had a guddun under blue skies. Think Pappy said most of what we got into. Shot a round or two on one of the best practice courses I have ever seen (dan makes a good one). Not shooting thru knot holes or under over brush. Just real good hunting shots to 30yds.

He put a 150yd shot at the end across lower parking area, target is a 12'wide x 18" tall SMALL. I had shot it once or twice before with different bow and arrows. I had pulled a carbon from Barts quiver out to shoot it as I did not think these 600grn wood arrows could make the flight. Pappy shamed me into shooting my woods. Turned out ok.

Was a good all round weekend. Not as good as it would have been without the Virus but good none the less.

HH~

[HH~]

Some more from the farm. Turkey hunting is over and been cutting some wood, in the garden and building bows and shooting a bunch.
Getting ready to make some bamboo backed bows. Cut and planed some boo and took some belly sections out of some questionable osage for cores and bellies. Should be able to get on those after awhile.

Weather here finally turned off warm now. Last week had coldest morning in over 100yrs for the date. Lucky had all my warm garden stuff out of the ground in trays and medium cups so I could bring in garage and shed.

Going to shoot Buck Hollow this morning with selfbow. Be good to see those fellas across the Cumberland River.

The top pic Barst bow came out very very nice. Good piece of Hedge Apple  or 6 trs old. he built a 64" NTN 51@26" . Nice cast and good early string weight. Going to make a nice hunting rig for the fall.

HH~

[HH~]

Just got back from Buck Hollow 3D shoot. Packed house for a one day shoot! Had 100 folks by 12:00hrs. Great day nicely layed out and awesome 80 breezy weather. Good folks and good piece of ground for a shoot.

HH~

[HH~]

Memorial Day !!

HH~

[HH~]

Fawns are dropping here. Baby turkey and fawns running abouts. Still have not had a day above 85-86 degrees. I have yet to water my garden at all. Plenty showers evry other day or periods of rain. It is green as I have seen it, plenty under brush, thistle, milkweed, goldenrod, blackberrys, wild grass all thick and lush good for hiding baby deer! Good signs for the herd come fall.

Have a few mineral lick sites and the doe have really eaten them up. They really lick the mineral when lactating. Not much here for them as far as natural mineral licks like out west.

All good signs for low mortality if we do not get drought conditions in July August.

HH~

[HH~]

Out today running two track. Checking stand locations and how deer are using licks and looking for fawns.

Deer in underbrush all over. Got tobacco in above me and late beans will go it after wheat comes out i. A couple weeks.
 
Lots of rain early this year and plenty cover growing and its lush. Should be a really good fall unless we get a late summer dry spell.

Turkeys were out as well. Was unusually cool and low low humidity. Good day in the brush.

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[HH~]

Had a set of really nice billets that were from a very skinny stave after busting a bunch wood. Clean not a pin in it. Had em up in my shed. thinned em down and put them back up there. Then,few months ago jointed them together and back up in shed.

Grabbed it down a couple days ago and scraped on it a little. Flipped it, and it took heat very well and evenly. Think i's 67" if I remember right 65"GTG and its 49@28". Cut sight window out and shot it split finger off just wood on wood to see where shelf and widow needed tuning but it was shooting so well  I will leave it be. With a tiller string it was grouping 6-8" @ 28yds for the dozen or so arrows I shot.

Need to get some tips on and finish up and seal. This rig may be able to run with my 68" Timber Rattler static? Time will tell.

Was going to gift this away but at this weight and length it may come with me in a tree come September 2020.

Hedge~

[HH~]

Getting ready for the Howard Hill then the IBO at Twin Oaks. Gonna be a heck of a July shooting self bows. That'll take us thru July really then, heck itll be September and back on the stand again.

From all the fawns I have been seeing its looks like a great year for whitetail deer. Just hope we dont get a big drought in July-Sept with a blue tounge outbreak. Barring that we are in good shape.

Hedge~

[HH~]

Went out back last nite to shoot a few arrows. After shooting a few groups I looked in in a bald spot of grass and there's a 5ft Rat/Chicken Snake on ground. Walked close to have look at him and he looked nice. I touched him with my bow tip and he did not move. Then, again and no movement. I thought "he's dead"? Nice big healthy looking snake and looks like he just shed with bright color.

So he either got hit in road or someone threw him over my back fence near garden?? Either way he is on a board now. I dont kill these snakes as they are good to have around. Couple years ago Ray and caught a huge female about 7-8ft. We let her go and got her off the grass where he was mowing.

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[HH~]

Got some cool weather coming in today. Say goodbye to 90's for a week or so. Garden is really liking this humid weather with showers every other day or so.  I will say in another week my earthen crock will be full of kraut with a stone on top of it. Kohlrabi is a couple weeks away from coming out.
still picking lettuce by the buckets some has bolted already but I stagger planted it so I will have some for a good bit yet.

Strawed in al my tomatoes to keep hot sun off ground near them. Melons and squash are behind after our May 4th freeze here llots of folks lost all their warm weather plants. Lucky I was hesitent to put mine out after a April 15th frost. I still had mine in 16oz cups and had been moving them in and out every day. It paid off as I did not loose anything. Since I plant mine from seed I keep from years prior it would not have been a big loss.

Few more weeks and I will start my fall plantings from seed, collards, winer squash, broccolis, cualiflower, might put some beans in who knows? Got to get all my canning food put up before I head for the high country to chase elk, deer and bear. I think its gonna be a early winter in the Mts. Snowed yesterday in Rockies!

Hedge~

[HH~]

Been shooting the Wrecking Bow this week a bunch. This little bow shoots great with a 580grn arrow. Just look at a spot out to about 27 yds and it drops right in. Billet bow from two not so choice pieces of wood. It need a bunch of strong heated suggestion to do what I was telling it to do. Sure has come around to shooting now.

HH~

[Eric Krewson]

I made my latest bow from miss matched billets, really mismatched. Like you I had to spend a bunch of time to get both limbs to have the same return rate. The bow came out to be one of my best shooters so far.

[HH~]

Yep

I dont like to thin my joints to much. I leave meat!

Some folks mow em down and hide them under grip material. Thinning and Hiding a joint is Asking for trouble. Guys tell me “ i like to look at that dovetail”.

Love it Eric.

[HH~]

Out in the hollers yesterday shooting selfbows with the fellas. No often we have a group of all SB guys or gals. Great morning round under the cool tree cover and very low humidity. Some rather good shooting happening as well.

I did have a slow mover up by one of my stands. Had very interesting Glyphs on his shell.

Hedge