It's opening day of ML season in NC this weekend. They can't shoot on Sundays, so Saturday is it.

However, his lovely bride turns 29 (again) EARLY next week. Turning 29 (again) only happens once, right?

I have suggested that he take her to the Outer Banks this weekend.

What say you?

Take her hunting on Saturday, then order out, and stay home for Sunday.

She doesn't hunt.

And that matters why?

I'd go hunting were I him. His wife has an appointment with me on Monday...for some reason.

Bob, perhaps you should invite them both up for the weekend and a football game each day? Perhaps have his wife go shopping with yours?

He can hunt Sunday here...thank goodness for small miracles.

I'm sure its personal and not professional.

Saturday is going to be a wash out here, steady rain all day. So take the high road and spend time with your lovely - and prove to her that she is the most important thing in your world.

Then call in sick all next week like I am doing.

Likely. "Girls night out" on Monday?

She was thinking of designing a sunroom, and I'm sure she needed a metrosexual touch.

Really? Can you honestly come up with a reason that anyone would visit Bob for a personal reason? Any?

being a woman's 'gay buddy' is fine... if you're gay...

Kent

Go huntin'!!! Her birthday is next week. Go hunting agaibn on that day. Show her who's boss. Have her wash yer shirt and make you a sammich.

Some states still have those Blue Laws?

Bad deal.

Here in the Bible belt the Baptists try to ride roughshod.

They don't want you taking a drink on Sunday, but they will blow the doors off the church at 12:01 to get out and light up a smoke.

Then throw another log on the fire,
cook him up some bacon and some beans.
Go out to the car, lift it up and change the tire.
Wash his socks and sew his old blue jeans.

.....Then find him a REALLY good attorney.

To sight in his rifles?

She is a better shot.

"To sight in his rifles?"

Breed to one of his Yorkies?

[this could get to be a fun guessing game]

=======

It was personal the first time we met.

It's a good idea to let her and me design the sunroom.

You're welcome to hunt our Va farm anytime, amigo.

I think RWE should get drink, screw a hooker. And kiss Bob on the lips

A real man would devote the day to the love of his life and forget about everything else.









Then celebrate her birthday on Sunday then hope and pray Bob convinces her to let you keep at least one gun on Monday.

In this case "pics or it didn't happen" does not apply.

A.) It's Bob, of course it happened!

B.) Nobody wants to see those pictures...

Hunt Sunday, the woods will be quiet.

Advocating an unlawful hunt on "The Lord's Day" to an elder of the church? He'd never consider such a thing.

========

Wow...must be some PMs intel floating around out there.

My sentiments exactly.

If all goes well next Tuesday, maybe NC will follow Va's late wake up and allow Sunday hunting.

Only took Va what? 150 years?

It's beginning to look like Va's opener weekend may be a crazy weather wash out.

Bwahahahahahaha!!!

Good one, Counselor!

The deer will be out there no matter what. You can't kill them from the couch.

Lawyer speak for "I may get wet and I'm a pansy."

You aren't made of sugar counselor.

Anybody remember the 1986 opener?

yes.

I hunted Calhoun County, MI, near Albion.

Hunted a 25 acre patch of woods off of F Drive South.

Shot a button buck opening day. A week later, took a 6 point.

Sorry, I was talking about the Va opener in 1986. That was the year of the big rains and flood in the mtns right before the opener.

Sounds like you had a good season though. If you're looking for my advice, you should shoot two bucks again this year.

Yep, I remember that. All the deer were on "high ground", as the creek bottom thickets were flooded.

I love hunting miserable weather.

Rain, wind, cold.

When it really turns to crap, I know where to go. Low crawl with my 44 into the cedars on the hillside, and find them bedded down in shelter.

It's the lock pick of hunting.

You aren't made of sugar counselor.
=======

My Monday appointment said I was.

I think she's paying me with your sugar, though.

Crazy business I'm in!

I'd stay home and watch the REDSKINS win another.

It's on!!

I remember the floods of 85 in SWVA.

What's color of title in your state?

I filed a deed to your farm 6 years, 11 months, and 30 days ago.


(Gee, internet jousting with surveyors doesn't sound near as cool as lawyers. How about GFY?)

GFY works!

I might confuse you with a hundred other folks, though!

It's a safety issue. Around here most of the Baptists are too hung over to safely hunt on Sunday.

You're right, it was 85 I was remembering.

'85, Marcellus Michigan. Opening day took a doe in the morning.

You guys give bob a hard time

I resent that

He performs a valuable service

More of u should send ur wives to see bob


More of you would have better marriages if you did so

Haven't talked to a guy yet that wasn't thrilled with the results


Seems they come home with a very deep appreciation for the man they have at home

Bob rocks. Oh & he can pick em too

You guys should be nicer to him

Don't recall the exact year, but do recall the water and how concentrated the deer were. Back then, it was like we'd gone to Heaven.

A little early to be this plowed, dontcha think?

Nope, he isn't made of sugar. But, he isn't a "floater", either. He'd just get soggy.

He's in AK. That should explain it.

Sent my wife to him once.

He put his "gun" in her hands and she hasn't stopped talking about how amazing it was...

She pointed out that it was lighter than mine with a faster trigger.

Dude..

If she could actually find it, he really must have gotten those implants.

Randy...your wife is scheduled for Tuesday!

RWE,

I'm realizing you and I have a lot in common. Im in NC, my wifes birthday is Saturday, I'm a surveyor, and I am way to busy to get ready to hunt this weekend. I checked out your underhammer build on NCHF. That's pretty cool.

He put his "gun" in her hands and she hasn't stopped talking about how amazing it was... eek

She pointed out that it was lighter than mine with a faster trigger.
======

Truth be told, Yes, that's exactly what happened.

A fast trigger is the only way I know how to satisfy the masses.

You gents must think it's easy being me and my cell phone needing re-charging between happy hour and bed time.

I'm very tired.

Maybe some of you could consider my hardships!

Well, if you have "hardships", at least you finally have something hard.

==========

He's definitely a top shelf talent and good man.

It hurt me all of 3 seconds that his wife called before he did.

You guys should really give Bob a break, I mean I don't know him personally but he seems like a good guy.

I fully intend on drilling the first thing I see with it, and whatever 3 or 4 critters are behind it.

The barrel manufacturer was kind enough to send me a rifled stub I am using to "form" some of the patched round balls ahead of time, as starting them from scratch in that freakishly long barrel (something Bob will never come to grip with) is kind of awkward.

I'm noticing that survey work in Carolina picks up this time of year, either closing before the end of the year, or building before the asphalt plants close for winter.

It's nuts...

You should know him personally.

Would I feel differently then?

quite possibly felt different as well.

Only if you let him behind you.

It was a bigger bore than what I had too!

Would walk a little funny...

So that's why he is the proud owner of Yorkies.

Listen..I'm an expert on women...I've been married three times and....well,got to go,Warden making rounds...

Looks like brass and amaranth.

I made one out of walnut and brass.

Only holds three though.

If I work it out right, by using the barrel stub, the rifling will be started some in the thick waxed denim patches.

Probably overkill for a PRB, but then again, anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

take a mattress to the deer blind?

She's ecstatic, ain't often you get to screw a lawyer

And hey guys, I'm not plowed on booze!

It's morning here.


I'm on drugs, booze is for afternoon. Sheesh

"I get stoned in the morning, I get drunk in the afternoon."

true dat, but as I get older

I find that I'm becoming more of a long eared country boy, rather than the long haired country boy of my youth!


oh well guess a guy can't have too many love handles

are you saying that you've got long hairy ears!?

For us, it was more like hell. We had a place in the GW NF all scoped out, a 2 1/2 mile hike up a roadless hollow in the mtns. The place was hit pretty hard, huge trees and rocks piled up like an obstacle course. The water had receded by the opener, so we hiked in anyway, over the obstacle course and I shot a decent 8-point buck.

In those days we checked the deer whole so the three of us cut a pole, lashed the gutted buck to it, and took turns carrying it out on our shoulders. Climbing over all the flood mess just about did us in. I still remember what my buddy Dave said when we got out to the trailhead:

"You can whip me, beat me, or f*** me in the a**, but don't ever let me do that again." It was a classic, and I still remind him of that.

With the daughter now having a sleepover, would it not be best for RWE to stay home with his wife and daughter; bonding time with the young one and celebrating his bride's 29th (again)? Invite all the kids to stay the weekend and cook them breakfast tomorrow morning, and then his wife breakfast on Sunday?

Sounds like a great idea.

I recall check-in station days. We were some soggy SOBs, almost as bad as the deer.

I hope you have multiple spare tires.

Why, yes, actually I do.

What's going to be the breakfast menu? Omelettes are always a winner, as are pancakes.

What, no Eggs Benedict.

13 year old girls.

It's got to have sugar.

RWE, have you checked your weather forecast for your area tomorrow? 15 degrees cooler than today, rain, and winds at 15-20 with gusts higher.

yeah, the only thing I didn't catch was the wind direction.


I plan on hunting the cedar ridge, just haven't figured what side to come in on, based on the wind.

Be some close range shooting in there, hoss.

Yep. I figure that'd be exactly where you'd be tomorrow.

Winds where I'll be are never in a constant direction. I'll be in a tree, right on the edge of a pine thicket and an oak grove.

BTW - Weather Channel is saying your winds should be NNE shifting to NNW over the course of the day.

I'll sit on the south end. It will be calm there.

closer to the bean field too.

If muzzleloading pistols had the chutzpah, I could sure use one in there.

Pistol paradise in that mess.

I may need to bayonet my underhammer.

Got me to thinking - had some guys wonder why I would crawl through cutover to get to some cedars, where the visual range was 30 yards, at best.

Apparently the thought of being able to see a hundred + yards - and not see any deer, outweighed only being able to view 30 yards, and not see any deer.

It's got about the same success rate, better sometimes, especially in poor weather or late season.

Just harder to get them out.

And that whole "coyote put the sneak on me" issue as well.

Are ML pistols kosher for hunting in NC? If so, build a .62 caliber smoothbore with about 12" of barrel.

as a matter of fact, you can.

I think prior to this year it was a no go.

Wonder if I can build a hand gun overnight?

You have a chop saw, right?

I have a hack saw.

I have a lollipop tang, a tap and die, some extra percussion locks, some walnut, and an extra nipple (no comment)

Well, with the 8th graders, you won't be sleeping anyway.

I can take 10" off the underhammer and make a 54 cal pistol out of it....


And still have a longer rifle than most.

What length barrel does it have now?

20 mph winds with rain here.

I'll just shoot one of the deer in my back yard.

42"

Hell just open a window and let loose with the muzzleloader.

Using real black powder, right?

How much would a 12" barrel cost?

Real deer or the deer statue thingees?????

Does Bob even clean them, or is that one of the pool boys "other jobs" as well?

Hell no, Bob doesn't clean them. If you're around when he trips over one trying to get back to cabin before 0800, you'll stand a good chance of receiving a crossbow or other weapon for your troubles.

and folks complain about POLICE brutality???

I clean every single one that isn't gut shot.

I'll admit that if they're gut shot, I'll reach for my wallet, rather than my knife.

I have a horrible gag reflex that has stayed with me after my buddies played a prank on me over my first bow kill and a bloated deer.

I can vouch for the gag reflex.

You've outrun an ATV back to the cabin at the first hint of inclement weather or temps below balmy. You'll be watching football tomorrow.

He served that up on a tee...

=========


Good morning, Jenn.

Less than 12 hours to legal shooting light. Can he make it?

What would he do without such great friends in his corner.

Prosper and flourish

Pay them back. Take the best buck of the year then rub it in our faces for the next year.

I for one hope he does!

540 minutes!

Tic toc tic toc tic toc....

Somebody call him and see if he has gone to sleep yet.

I shut off the ringers.

I am up, got breakfast going, coffee going, checked the weather.

About 300 yards from here,
on a small ridge overlooking a creek bottom,
through the cedar trees that border the edge,
through the cutover growth of cedar, poplar and pine,
near a big oak tree at the edge of a small clearing,
are two boulders that form a 'chair'.

I'll be there, shortly.

Good luck to you, Jeff.

I'm looking at a doe 10 yards away from me right now.

I have coffee in my hand however and am sitting on my carport.

Chris just texted and said "it's not too bad out here".

Light sprinkle here and winds at around 15 mph, gusts.

Back to my Keurig. Good luck.

Good luck.

Good luck!

1 squirrel, 1 hawk, and a couple jays.

A tree limb was down over my rock chair, so I took an alternate spot near the old gold mine shaft

A brief moment without rain

Always tomorrow.

Not in North Carolina.

No Sunday gun hunting.

anyway, Saturday didn't turn out to be a total bust.

I went out in the evening, even though it was still sprinkling some, as well as the 20+ wind, with gusts.

Muddled around in the cutover, looking for trails, and scared a bunch of woodcock that now appear to be enjoying that habitat along with the quail.

Found a couple paths that won't be too bad for the young uns to travel through - (they're not as willing to buck brush or hunt total crap weather as I am).

My daughter informed me at dinner that she wanted to start hunting again, after a couple year break.

Looks like my self imposed project moratorium may need a hiatus.

All she's got is a rimfire, and a single shot 410 - which may get her through the season; its the only gun that she's been shooting regular enough to hunt with.

Unless I get lucky to find something a small 13 year old southpaw can use - and get some trigger time with, before the 15th.

Better get to the gun shops on Monday and see what you can come up with. Ya got a 13 year old that wants to hunt, I'd say that was a real good reason to buy something new.

Yep. I would say even if you never get a shot you are having a great season.

I'm pretty fortunate that the house is set up good for training young kids.

I got a stand 30 yards from the house that is almost a "lock pick" for seeing deer.

I use it for those times when I get home from work early enough to get a few minutes in, but with the little one looking to get back in, and three grandsons as well, it will work out great for getting them used to putting a shot down.

I'll have to put a two person in the cedar tree, though.

I feel good about the girl; she has good form with her 22. I'd like to be able to trust her sitting in it after school on her own, with some good instruction.

wife text me this pic about 30 minutes ago.

Deer behind the grape vine just behind the house.

I told her to have the kid shoot it, but my muzzleloader was a bit too long for her to handle.

I think its taller than the kid. Might be as tall as my wife.

Careful there RWE, or you'll get Bob jealous

And rightfully so.

So, caliber for daughter - another what should he do.

Standard farm work horse in a 22 centerfire?

Pinache like a 7x57 or a roberts?

or a wildcat/custom? 25 cal on a 223 case sounds good.

To be honest, a savage action would be about right for handling caliber testing given the number of yutes I've got to handle.

Great question. No more recoil than a 410, light enough for her to hold and shoot, and can be put together fast. Also must be able to humainly put down a deer with perhaps less than perfect perfect shot placement.

We been putting slugs and buckshot through that lightweight - pink stocked - 410 throughout the summer, so its got a fair amount of push.

If I could guarantee her a shot less than 40 yards, I'd stick with it.

What action type is the 410 if it is one of the H&R break action just get a H&R in 243,30-30, 257, 7mm-07 and she has an action she is already accoustommed to , saved on the lesrning curve to a bolt.

Please don't hurt me, but its a Rossi. (Not the model with the 243 barrel, just 22 and 410)

Don't get me wrong, she shoots it great, and with the 22 barrel, she's real good.

But I hate it and I'd like to move her up, so I can hide that abortion of a weapon in a hole somewhere.

The H&R in 243 might be a good choice.

A savage 219 in 30-30 would be cool as well.

I got enough brass and bullets and H4895 for reduced loading.

That would work if you reduced the loads. It could be a long term investment she could use until she gets old enough to start just taking yours.

I don't understand RWE. I'm a lefty with left eye dominate.

Never owned a lefthanded rifle.

I'm right handed and shoot left handed due to eye dominance.

I only owned one right handed bolt action in my life. A 22LR.

I got three bolts now and they are all left handed. Really wouldn't consider having a hunting rifle any other way.

I could consider a dedicated bench/long range rig right handed bolt, as long as I was never moving, shoot it left handed, maintain grip, operate bolt right handed etc.

But if a gun has any potential for being used from standing or kneeling position, and there is a potential for needing a 2nd shot, and it has a bolt, I'd just as soon have it a lefty.

My left/right bias shows in the amount of lever actions and single shots I've had over the years.

well there you go H&R, then move her up to a #1 on her 18 bday problem solved!

I'll go with that thought process.
Guess I have always been able to get to the second shot quick enough with the right bolts I have.

As if this was any surprise.

RWE,

Roll a T/C Contender (not Encore) action. You've got grandkids already and more will come along. With that, you never have to fret what side they shoot from, and can swap barrels and stocks to your heart's content. Heck, you could even put a ML barrel or a .375Win barrel on there for your thicket stalking endeavors.

thicket stalking is a moot point.

45 Colt during Rifle season, and I just found out that a cap and ball is legal for ML, so a Ruger Old Army 45 cal is on my wish list.

Go Walker, or go bust.

Seriously, the Old Army revolvers are excellent.